I spent a lot of time in December working with The Great White Gypsy, trying to get put together an awesome Best of the Aughts list for the film section. And in doing so, I totally forgot to put together a list of the best records I discovered in 2009. So I’m making up for it now.

Here are my top five albums of last year¹, in no particular order…

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Even though it didn’t drop till June, Bitte Orca was probably my most played record of 2009. Packed with exquisite soundscapes and harmonies like you’ve never heard, Dirty Projectors broke new ground with this release.

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The xx - xx

I’m generally not the biggest chillwave/dream-pop fan. But after sitting with The xx’s debut for a few days, they officially converted me. This is the most accessible album I’ve heard in the genre. A perfect record to throw on after a long day and chill-the-fuck-out to, I highly recommend it.

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Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Part II

Sadly, only one Hip Hop album made my list. I would’ve loved to see Clipse, Slaughterhouse or Mos Def crack the top five. But, at the end of the day, Raekwon’s follow-up to his 1995 masterpiece was the only one I deemed worthy. When I first read about Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Part II, I had my reservations. Why did RZA only produced three tracks? Could they bring the same fire 14 years later? Why was the album art so wack? But The Chef proved me wrong and cooked up a worthy successor. If this month’s Wu Massacre is half as good as this was, I’ll be happy (at least, it’ll have better artwork)

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Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement

I declared A Strange Arrangement an instant classic the day I heard it. It is one of those timeless records that could have come out in 1969, 2009 or 2049 and it would still be dope. Reminiscent of legends like Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin, yet with a modern flavor, Mayer Hawthorne has crafted a near perfect album.

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Blockhead - Music Scene

Blockhead’s The Music Scene is the only instrumental album on the list. Splicing together an eclectic mix of Hip Hop, Trip Hop and Electronica, Blockhead is one the most slept on producers in the game. He’s worked extensively with Aesop Rock, in addition to releasing four solo albums. Though not quite as epic in scale as his 2007 release, Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book, The Music Scene stands on its own merits. It was impossible to separate one track out of the album to embed in this post, so I decided to go with a 30-minute album sampler mixed by DK, that was released by Ninja Tune on Soundclound. Enjoy.

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Honorable Mentions

There were tons of albums that didn’t make the final cut. Here are some of my favorites that missed out. Again, in no particular order:

• Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More ²
• Mos Def - The Ecstatic
• Clipse - Till The Casket Drops
• Slaughterhouse - Slaughterhouse
• Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
• Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Girls - Album
• Modest Mouse- No One’s First and You’re Next³
• Sharon Van Etten - Because I Was In Love
• Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

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