3 LIST MANIA: Nik's 20 Favorite Records of 2009

List by Nik Christofferson

It's weird to look back through a full year of music and reflect on not only the music itself, but the many up and downs I experienced as a music lover. The odd phases, discoveries, rediscoveries, and even returning full circle and finding my true passion once again to close out the year. It's been a hilly journey in 2009, the year I decided to add my two cents to the blogosphere. When I look back on my top 20 list from back in July, I in part scratch my head and in part say yep, I was right on. Some of those records stuck throughout the year where they belong, others were solid but didn't make the final cut, and some even fell almost immediately by the wayside where they are now dead and buried. What I can say with all honesty is that these particular 20 plus honorable mentions are my favorites of the year. They've received the most turntable time if possible and certainly the most overall air time. By next year at this time, will they still be in heavy rotation? I guess we'll have to wait and see, but at this particular moment they are the cream of the crop in my book. Here are my 20 favorites records of 2009. Collect them all and enjoy!

How it compares:
Top 20 of 2009...so far Part 1 (June)

Top 20 of 2009...so far Part 2 (July)


1) Pearl Jam – Backspacer

No brainer here. Every time I listen to this record I think-- Wow! What a great fucking record! As a lifetime fan, I can’t complain when my favorite band in the whole wide world is still able to release such an inspired group songs 18 years after the first one.

2) Pelican – What We’ve All Come To Need

Pelican scratched me where I itched with this record. Many have tagged WWACTN as a grower, but I was immediately pulled in by its roller coaster ride of melodic heaviness, more than any of their previous releases.
3) Converge - Axe to Fall

The opening track “Dark Horse” is unbelievable and may be the most brutal and metal Converge has ever been. From start to finish this record is a barn burner, a pissed hellride, a classic.

4) Mastodon – Crack the Skye

It's by no means a cop out to simply say-- Mastodon are metal geniuses.

5) Alice in Chains – Back Gives Way To Blue

Yeah I admit it, I just about shed a tear when I heard this for the first time at the secret EMP show in back in August. This record is everything an AIC fan could ask for and more in a return record. William Duvall is magnificent and Jerry has written his most haunting and heavy songs since Dirt. RIP Layne

6. Sonic Youth – The Eternal

Great album all around and really sparked my interest in SY again. I’ve spent all year revisiting their expansive catalog of noise because of this record, but it's worthy of definite accolades in its own right as well.

7) The Cave Singers – Welcome Joy

The Cave Singers are one of my favorite local bands. How a three man band consisting of a singer, acoustic guitar, drums , and a bass pedal can enamor a huge crowd like the one at Bumbershoot this year I’ll never know. Actually it’s because these guys write amazingly timeless songs that stay with you even after you swap out the record. Excellent sophomore effort, can't wait for the next one.

8) Polvo – In Prism

I wasn’t a fan of their early stuff, but this record grabbed me by the throat. Awesome stoney math rock highlighted by excellent guitar work and surprisingly catchy hooks.

9) Baroness – Blue Record

What a killer effort and such a vast improvement from the Red Album. I was sold by the instrumental opener ‘Bullhead’s Psalm”and the blazing “The Sweetest Curse” alone but the entire thing start to finish is epic stoner metal at its best.

10) Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs

Another excellent effort by these indie rock royalty. “Here to Fall” is a tripped out joyride and so is the more upbeat “Nothing to Hide”. Sucked me right in.

11) Red Fang – S/T

Does it get any better than this? Pure unadulterated horn throwing beer metal to kill cases of Rainer and Olympia by. A bonus here is they are from the Northwest.

12) Russian Circles – Geneva

Do I really have to convince you that this record owns. Vast. Swirling. Dominating.

13) Om – God is Good

Al Ciscernos can’t go wrong, everything he touches is absolutely mind blowing even without his ex-partner in crime Chris Hakius on drums. More epic drones, but with masterful Emil Amos now on drums and a little help from Lichens. Om didn’t miss a step.

14) The Thermals – Now We Can See

Upbeat sing along pop punk from one of Portland’s best exports. So many hooks it’ll make your head spin.

15) Slayer – World Painted Blood

Wow! Slayer came out swinging this year. After allowing WPB to grow it was quickly apparent that this is a monster effort and easily their best of the decade.

16) Wooden Shjips – Dos

Groovy chilled out, kicked back psych drones that quickly became my groovy chill out, kick back soundtrack of the year.

17) The Flaming Lips – Embryonic

Wayne Coyne and crew left their previous pop records in the dust by recording a trippy masterpiece in the living room of drummer Steven Drozd’s vacant house. It’s weird but weird in the best possible way.

18) Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans

One of Sub Pop’s lone caged animals, Pissed Jeans makes raunchy, gritty, and most importantly raw as fuck noise punk. King of Jeans is Black Flag, The Jesus Lizard, and the Stooges sent through a meat grinder.

19) Thee Oh Sees – Help!

Oddball lo-fi garage punk mixed with Cramps style rockabilly. Help!’s basement production only adds to the collection of bounce around the room spazz-outs.

20) Dinosaur Jr. – Farm

So I may be late to the party as they say but before this Dino Jr. record I never thought much of J. Mascis’s guitar playing. All I know is he recorded some of the best rock guitar work of 2009. I’m going to chalk it up as an accidental oversight.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
2. Porcupine Tree – The Incident
3. Isis – Wavering Radiant
4. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
5. Lightning Bolt – Earthly Delights
6. Kylesa - Static Tensions

7. Big Business - Mind the Drift

8. Jeremy Enigk - OK Bear

9. Obits - I Blame You

10. Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free

My Top 20 from 2008 List (just for fun):

1. Helms Alee – Night Terrors
2. Kings of Leon – Only By the Night
3. Dead Confederate – Wrecking Ball
4. The Black Keys – Attack and Release
5. Melvins – Nude With Boots
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
7. The Moondoggies – Don’t Be a Stranger
8. Mudhoney – The Lucky Ones
9. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
10. The Black Angels – Directions to See a Ghost
11. Metallica – Death Magnetic
12. The Gutter Twins – Saturnalia
13. These Arms Are Snakes – Tail Swallower and Dove
14. Gojira – The Way of All Flesh
15. Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane
16. The Haunted – Versus
17. Torche – Meanderthal
18. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Real Emotional Trash
19. Beck – Modern Guilt
20. The Sword – Gods of the Earth