1o. Neon Indian "Deadbeat Summer"
2009 is likely to be remembered for the glo-fi/cassette/chillwave explosion (think Best Coast, Memory Tapes, Washed Out…), and no one track epitomized the genre quite like “Deadbeat Summer.” Over a wave of psychedelic synths and fuzzed-out guitars, Palomo’s reverbed vocal is the perfect ode to the dog days of August.
09. Animal Collective "My Girls"
The first single from the stunning Merriweather Post Pavilion, “My Girls” flawlessly adds and peels back layers of doubled vocals and shimmering synths for about ninety seconds. Then the drum machine drops, and the result is the kind of pure, psych-pop bliss that only Animal Collective can deliver.
08. Girls "Lust for Life"
From perhaps the most interesting new band of 2009 comes one of its most vivacious, viscerally enjoyable singles. “Lust for Life” isn’t optimistic in the traditional sense, but frontman Christopher Owens manages to convey a sense of infectious happiness through his pervasive longing. And while the Joe Strummer-meets-Beach Boys aesthetic may be a bit inaccessible, there’s something universal about finding this kind of pleasure in absence.
07. Big Boi ft. Gucci Mane "Shine Blockas"
“Shine Blockas” has everything going for it: a pitch-perfect Harold Melvin sample, rap’s newest mixtape maestro spitting a verse of straight fire and, of course, Big Boi himself. He’s in typical form here, killing haters with a measured, deliberate flow and leaving us wondering just exactly when the long-overdue Sir Luscious Left Foot will drop.
06. Basement Jaxx "Raindrops"
British House duo Basement Jaxx have been at this for a while, and they’ve become so adept with sonic textures that you aren’t the least bit surprised to hear the sitar line come bubbling out of the keyboard-and-synth ooze of “Raindrops.” Overwrought, brilliant and absurdly catchy, it’s also the ecstasy anthem of the year (narrowly edging Passion Pit’s “Little Secrets”).
05. Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"
It hasn’t always been the case, but Grizzly Bear have become indie rock’s favorite confectioners, churning out batches of irresistibly pretty bedroom pop with a James Mercer-esque sense of irony. “Two Weeks” may be their most sublime creation to date, an easygoing baroque melody backing Ed Droste’s subtle, breathy tenor. The arrangement is more comfortable than groundbreaking, but Grizzly Bear are at their best when they sound right at home.
04. Major Lazer [ft. Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze] "Keep It Goin' Louder"
The best club track of the year, “Keep It Goin’ Louder,” from MIA producers Diplo and Switch, was custom-built to absolutely destroy dance floors. Yeah, the handclaps-and-synths thing is pretty standard these days, but what sets it apart are the hooks: two courtesy of Nina Sky, the third of Ricky Blaze, each one more explosive than the last. All together, it’s the four most fun minutes of the year in music.
03. The Antlers "Two"
It’s tempting to mislabel this song as yet another particular apt break-up narrative from yet another lonesome (probably bearded) Justin Vernon wannabe. But “Two” carries more emotional weight than anything it might resemble, both profoundly sad and redemptive at the same time. A simple three-chord acoustic guitar progression follows frontman Peter Silberman’s impassioned half-wail through a gut-wrenching tale of an anguished young cancer victim with a dysfunctional family, before the whole thing resolves itself into the ether. The execution is flawless, and Silberman’s harsh realism captures the tragedy of “Two” without resorting to the melodramatic.
02. Dirty Projectors "Stillness Is the Move"
There are so many perfectly realized songs on Dirty Projectors’ opus Bitte Orca—“Cannibal Resource,” “Temecula Sunrise,” “No Intention”—and they all could make any reasonable year-end list. But nowhere else does frontman Dave Longstreth better utilize the weapons in his arsenal—namely, an ear for quirky yet compelling guitar melodies and two knockout female vocalists in Angel Deradoorian and Amber Coffman—than on “Stillness Is the Move.” Artsy white guys got a ton of mileage out of R&B structures in 2009 (the Wes Miles/Rostam Batmanglij side project Discovery being the most polarizing example), but that concept was best realized here, showcasing the obvious talents of Longstreth and company in the process.
01. Phoenix "1901"
“1901” is one of those undeniable moments in pop music. They come around infrequently; the song has to have a perfect command of space, time, and all of its individual elements, not to mention tunefulness and charisma in abundance. It’s the kind of song that instantly grabs your attention and makes you nod your head along with it, even when relegated to Cadillac commercial duty. In 2009, Phoenix was better at this than anyone else, sounding vaguely desperate yet supremely cool at the same time, all in the name of love. Exhilarating and evocative, “1901” was quite simply the best song of the year.
--Ross Green
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