Wow– we thought narrowing down our top albums was tough, but jesus. So we aren't putting these in any particular order aside from the top ten (err, 11 plus a 'special award,' we can't edit); frankly we just can't wrap our minds around a task that huge and subjective. Fuck an order, anyway; these songs all ruled and that's what matters. This list is pretty much all dance/electronically biased, with a few exceptions, but really, isn't the internet already over-saturated with 'indie' lists anyway? We know y'all got good taste, so as not to be redundant and give you tracks you've already played out, we're hitting you with some downloads of the possibly less-circulated tracks, as well as some alternate takes on the bigger ones, and we'll direct you to places where you can check out the rest. Blah blah. Here are our favorite tracks of 2009!
SPECIAL MENTION: DFA Class of '09
You already know DFA is the bee's knees. We think this year was their best in recent memory, even considering last year's Hercules frenzy and 2007's release of 'Sound of Silver.' This year saw the major success of YACHT and The Juan Maclean (whose live show this summer was one of the best of the year (RIP Jerry Fuchs)), but it's the smaller releases that made us love DFA evermore: a plethora of smashing EPs from Canyons, Shit Robot, Walter Jones, Holy Ghost!, James Curd and more, and a few albums thisclose to making our top albums list (Black Meteoric Star's self-titled in particular). Here are a few of our favorites that didn't quite make our top ten but definitely deserve a spin (there's more DFA in our top ten and honorable mentions).
Canyons- Apples & Pears (192 kbps)
Black Meteoric Star- Death Tunnel (320 kbps)
Still Going- Spaghetti Circus (320 kbps)
11. Vitalic- Second Lives (Different)
When we first heard this song, we kiiinda cried in our car stuck in traffic. Hugely powerful stuff that you expect from Vitalic, and then some. (We actually kind of regret not putting 'Flashmob' in our top 15 albums in retrospect. We're sorry.)
10. Four Tet- Love Cry (Domino)
We've had a special relationship with Four Tet for a long time (basically the first 'electronic music' we truly loved– yeah we used to be #indieasfuck, our bad). That Kieran Hebden's time kicking it with Burial has rubbed off on him is definitely not a bad thing.
9. Bottin- No Static (Bear Funk)
If you had yet to notice, we think Bottin can do no wrong. Pure Italo bliss. You can download this track from our top 09 albums post, or here.
8. Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks (Fred Falke Remix) (Warp)
Best remix of the year (and it makes us happy to say that of the lately hit-or-miss Falke). A heartstring-tuggingly perfect take on one of the year's most beloved tracks.
7. Classixx- I'll Get You ft. Jeppe (Kitsune)
Do you like bass? Do you like the producers that, out of nowhere, almost single-handedly crafted a defining sound (minimal nu-yacht-funk if you will) that majorly influenced the aesthetics of a huge realm of dance music production? Word, us too.
6. Air France- GBG Belongs To Us ft. Roos (self-released)
Does this count as an official release this year? Eh, don't care. Considering that 'summer-sounding music' was one of the year's most distinctive trends, here's a somewhat bold claim we're willing to stand behind– summer song of '09 right here.
5. Siriusmo- High Together / Siriusmo- Nights Off (Monkeytown)
Too hard to pick between these two, off the fantastic 'The Uninvited Guest.' Nobody does it likes Siriusmo; even at his worst, he's never uninteresting.
Siriusmo - Nights Off (203 kbps)
4. YACHT- Psychic City (DFA)
Really, come on. Who isn't in love with this song? Shitheads, we suppose.
YACHT - Psychic City (Classixx Remix) (320 kbps)
3. Shit Robot- Simple Things (Work It Out) (DFA)
But man... but man!... even that's hard sometimes! Every day for a good two months, we'd start our morning by playing this song. Arguably a lyrically depressing way to face the day, sure, but who gives a shit with a song this good, with a slow build this overwhelming.
Shit Robot - Simple Things (Work It Out) (Original Mix) (320 kbps)
2. Phonat- Set Me Free (MoFoHiFi)
Simply ecstatic. (And the Avicii version is by far the best remix. Massive stadium house. Don't act like you're too cool.)
Phonat- Set Me Free (Avicii Remix) (320 kbps)
1. Duck Sauce - aNYway (Fool's Gold)
IIII CAN DO IT ANYYYWAY THAT YOU WANT IIIIT! We can't count how many times we've walked down the street blasting this in the headphones with our swag at maximal levels, belted this out in the shower, or gone mental on the dancefloor (not just when it was fresh this summer– try last weekend) from the first second it hits. It just fucking rules. Enjoy the killer '79 soul jam from Final Edition that's sampled here (we've heard a few peeps complaining that A-Trak and Van Helden's version was too similar, but we think they are totally missing the point)!
Final Edition- I Can Do It (Anway You Want) (262 kbps)
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Alex Metric- Head Straight
Atlas Sound- Walkabout (ft. Noah Lennox)
Aufgang- Channel 7 (John Talabot's You & Me Remix)
Basement Jaxx- Raindrops
Best Coast- Up All Night
Birdy Nam Nam- The Parachute Ending
Cassius- Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes
CFCF- Big Love (Fleetwood Mac Cover)
Chew Lips- Salt Air (Jupiter Remix)
Chromeo- Night By Night
Damn Arms- Destination Pt. 1 (DCUP Remix)
Delorean- Deli
DJ Kaos- Love The Night Away (Tiedye Remix)
Esser- Headlock
Fake Blood- I Think I Like It
Fear of Tigers- Sirkka △download (320)△
The Field- I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet
G.L.O.V.E.S. - PYX
Grace Jones- William's Blood (Aeroplane Remix)
Grum- Heartbeats (Joe & Will Ask? Remix)
Heads We Dance- Model 21 (Justin Faust Remix)
HEALTH- Die Slow (Tobacco Remix)
Holy Ghost!- I Will Come Back
Javelin- Lindsay Brohan △download (279)△
jj- Things Will Never Be The Same Again
The Juan Maclean- One Day
Kings of Convenience- Boat Behind
LCD Soundsystem- 45:33 (Theo Parrish's Space Cadet Remix)
Lifelike- Sequencer
Linkwood- Tears △download (168)△
Major Lazer- Keep It Goin' Louder ft. Nina Sky
Memory Cassette- Surfin (Weird Tapes Version) △download (320)△
Memory Tapes- Plain Material
Miami Horror- Make You Mine (Cassian Remix)
Motor City Drum Ensemble- Raw Cuts #5 △download (320)△
N.A.S.A.- Gifted (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Pictureplane- Goth Star
Renaissance Man- What Is Guru
Royksopp- Happy Up Here
Sebastien Tellier- Roche (Breakbot Remix)
Space- Carry On, Turn Me On (Bottin Remix)
Teengirl Fantasy- Azz Klapz △download (320)△
Villa- Agneta (Edit) △download (320)△
Washed Out- New Theory
Wavves- Cool Jumper
Whitney Houston- Million Dollar Bill ft. Alicia Keys
6th Borough Project- Do It To The Max
Thanks for tuning in, and keep an eye out for our favorite mixtapes and compilations of the year!
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