Top 20 Albums of 2009

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
Maxwell - Blacksummers'Night
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

If you have any music fans on your Christmas list, you might want to grab one of these CDs to put in their stocking. The music business might be going to hell, but each year produces a crop of at least 20 CDs that are worth a close listen.

Wilco resurfaced with a terrific album that could easily be mistaken as tongue-in-cheek. A closer listen shows a band carefully examining its legacy as it moves forward. Its also the first time in many years the band was able to maintain the same line-up of musicians for consecutive albums. Monsters Of Folk and Grizzly Bear also lead the charge for musicians with an ear for harmonies and catchy melodies. Representing the ladies, Neko Case released one more album that should make her a genuine star, if there was any justice in the world.

Jay-Z returned with a dense, pulsing effort that earned him a spot in the top twenty. But, it was Mos Def who released the year's best rap-album. Not only is the music great, you can almost hear him smiling at the mic. While all that happened, Maxwell quietly released the best R&B album of the last year. Supposedly, it is the first in a series of three albums with a similar theme.

Bring the noise, you say?

Wolfmother sounded the call for the Aussies and Arctic Monkeys turned it up loud in the name of The Queen. Some bands might rock harder, but they don't rock much smarter than Mastodon. Don't believe me?

"When asked in multiple interviews Dailor (Brann Dailor - the group's drummer) said the record would tell a story dealing variously with the art aesthetics of Tsarist Russia, astral travel, out of body experiences and Stephen Hawking's theories on wormholes."

Your favorite metal band didn't do that...ever.

If you like records with a theme, Green Day came back with its second "rock-opera". "21st Century Breakdown" shows the band in great form as it does what few bands have managed to do since The Who - release consistently great records revolving around a central theme that begins and ends an album. Its refreshing that a great rock band can still become famous and keep their eyes on whats happening in the real world.

Sonic Youth served notice that they were still the godfathers of the alternative-rock world. "The Eternal" is one of the best albums they have released in several years. At the same time, Yeah Yeah Yeahs did the unthinkable by putting down their guitars and picking up the synths. It makes sense that they would draw on a rich tradition of New York dance rock that started with Talking Heads and continues to this day with TV On The Radio.

The Dead Weather made me wonder if everyone in the music business who believes they have real talent is just kidding themselves. Jack White has all the talent, alright? The Dead Weather is a better record than it has any right to be. It is spooky, well-imagined and played with enough Zeppelin-esque stomp to make me think Jack White could actually ditch Meg and just continue to make up other projects to occupy his time. Don't laugh. He hasn't failed yet.

Speaking of Zeppelin, 2009 saw the return of John Paul Jones in the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. Teaming with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, Jones' thundering bass lines were the cornerstone for one of the year's most surprising releases. Check out a song like "Elephants" and witness three of the best musicians at their respective instruments attempting to cram all of Led Zeppelin II into one blazing track.

Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan released albums that solidified their places as the best songwriters of the last half-century. Both men release consistently great albums and remain relevant long after other acts go stale. Speaking of a good time, Pearl Jam recaptured the punky spark that endeared them to music fans in the early nineties.

Phoenix pumped out a joyous mix of guitar rock and electronics, releasing "Lisztomania," one of the year's best singles and the catchiest song ever about Franz Liszt.

Finally, U2 returned with an album that was full of dramatic moments as it attempted to explore the dark places. The album did not receive overwhelming support from critics or fans. However, U2 proved that a band must evolve in order to stay true to itself and its fan base. It is also living proof that a band that isn't busy being born is busy dying.

There is something on this list for every kind of music lover you know. Alright, there is no classical or country. But, that won't hurt anyone.

Trust me.