Daniel's Best of 2009

When it comes to lists of any kind, but especially music, I pride myself on inconsistency, coddling the misfit toys of way too many different genres…but my lord, this underrated year cemented an actual sound… authentic Americana with a mischievous dose of electronica… like a score to a Gus Van Sant version of Huckleberry Finn where Jim and Huck have disturbingly hot sex…

This genre's finest specimens…

1. Grizzly bear Veckatimest

2. Xx XX
3. Animal collective Merriweather Post Pavillion
4. Atlas sound Logos
5. Bibio Ambivalence Avenue
6. Lotus plaza The Floodlight Collective
7. Point juncture wa Heart to Elk

OTHERS

8. The joy formidable This Dream is…-one of the young people I hang out with gave me this rather amazing c.d. I can't find them here in the States though on any internet orifice. In fact, I made up the title of their album. It's shoegaze pop that's more Valentine than Bloody

9. A place to bury strangers Exploding Head-Their second masterpiece of what I call Stadium Shoegaze. Distortion with a Madison Square Garden breadth.

10. Telefon tel aviv Immolate Yourself-putting the sin into synth

I'm too embarrassed to respond to the re-issues question ala it involves The Cult.