411's Best Albums of 2009: Part 1, #50-31

Posted by Brian Berry on 12.21.2009

411's Music staff begin their Best Albums of 2009 list with all the alternative, hip-hop, metal, indie, and fringe acts that you love. Check in to see if your favorites made the cut...

411mania's Top Albums of 2009 write-ups commence with our picks for #50-31. Several weeks ago, the 411 Mania music staffers were asked for their Top 30 albums of the year. Each album was given a score based on list position and an extra score each time it showed up on another writer's list. In order to make the top 50, an album had to appear on at least three lists with the majority of the albums you'll see here showing up on four or more of our personal lists. Here you'll find the best alternative, metal, hip-hip, indie, and some other genre defying albums that defined 2009. We hope you enjoy our picks…

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#50	Girls Album
		Chart History: Released September 22 #136 Billboard 200 Singles "Hellhole Ratrace" "Lust For Life" "Laura" "Morning Light"
"Album is the most satisfying debut album in recent memory and my pick for #1 album of 2009. It's the sound of an Elvis Costello sing-a-like fronting a ‘50s surf/'60s psyche-pop/'80s shoegave band with a fondness for Nirvana thrown in the mix. Christopher Owens' lyrics are straightforward without being dumbed down as he addresses common themes to West Coast rock ‘n roll like the need to feel loved ("Lust For Life", "Hellhole Ratrace"), drug use ("God Damned"), and enjoying the San Francisco weather ("Summertime"). Owens has one of the most unusual background stories of any artist I've ever heard of (I strongly urge you to learn about his youth) and with a piercing ‘heart on his sleeve' delivery, don't be surprised if he becomes one of the great underground underdog idols, alongside legends like Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith. Hopefully this release helps propel other outstanding San Francisco/Bay Area bands into the minds of international listeners, including Two Gallants, Thee Oh Sees, The Gris Gris and Nobunny." - Brian Berry "9.1. It's amazing what a number can do for you. A 9.7 made Funeral the most popular indie album of the decade. .6 lower and you feel the wrath of popular backlash. It's a damn shame, too, because this album is nothing short of phenomenal. People say that Animal Collective are ripping off the Beach Boys style, but that's just not true. Girls are ripping off the Beach Boys. Not on every track mind you, occasionally they do 80's style Costello, which you might not even notice were it not for the vocal imitation. But they have a song called Summertime! Tell me that's not Brian [Wilson] talking. Anyway, "Lust For Life" is one of the best sub-three minute pop songs of the past decade, placing Chris Owens next to Stephin Merritt as one of the preeminent pop songwriters of modern music. Then there's the grand weepers like "Laura", which has a rather cheesy lyrical motif, I grant you this, but it makes up for it in it's sound. And that's what music named as simply as Album is: sound. Since these are enjoyable sounds, we can hardly ask for more. " - Lucas Wesley

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#49	Gallows Grey Britain
		Chart History: Released May 2 #20 UK Singles "The Vultures (Acts I & II)" (#13 Rock, #147 UK) "London Is The Reason" "I Dread The Night" "Misery"
"I was a fan of Gallows' first record, but was never quite as bowled over by it as it seems many other people were. It was a solid hardcore record, yes, and it was refreshing to see hardcore coming out of England that didn't sound like Knuckledust (Dead Swans is another great band out of Blighty), but it was "good" and nothing really beyond that. From the first track of their follow-up, however, I knew they had matured in the best way possible. Grey Britain is everything a hardcore record should be - loud, punishing, and above all pissed off. This is one of the angriest, most bitter major label records I've heard in years, and it's absolutely phenomenal. There's a sophistication in Grey Britain that you don't get with a lot of hardcore records; the riffs are nuanced and many times surprisingly rock-oriented, and both the opening track and "The Vulture" are refreshingly ambitious in scope. " - Mac Scarle "An evolution from their debut Orchestra of Wolves, this record sees Gallows actually make a case for vital and forward moving hardcore punk in the modern era. With most bands under that label content to recycle some very old ideas and/or adhere to the long established formula wearing their de rigueur punk uniforms, Gallows stand out as seeming genuinely edgy, intelligently angry and having the musical chops to genuinely compete with the rock heavyweights. There are moments of genuine old school punk energy, some genuinely interesting rock music, and a lack of beat-downs, which actually serves to be a good thing, and is a lesson to the rest of a genre which has become frighteningly limited and samey. Gallows aren't the finished article yet, but they are definitely on the way up and this kicks the ass of anything in the punk genre I've heard all year. Recommended Songs: "London is the Reason", "Leeches", "The Vulture (Act II)"" - Chris Crowing

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#48	Grizzly Bear Veckatimest
		Chart History: Released May 26 #8 Billboard 200 #24 UK Singles "Two Weeks" "While You Wait For The Others"
"Grizzly Bear certainly gave listeners a lot to handle with Veckatimest, but those that digested it all were rewarded with a huge step forward for the band and one of the better indie albums this year. It's the type of album where clearly every note has been composed and pored over in the pursuit of perfection, but Veckatimest remains alive. Orchestral yet fragile, the album the beautiful melodies cut through the lush experimentation that marks many of the tracks and it all makes for a moving listen. Highlighted by one of the year's best tracks, "Two Weeks," Veckatimest feels like an amalgamation of indie rock's development over the decade, one that has been meticulously crafted into something great. Even with such a grand scope the album is focused and elegant, the type of album that gets better the more you hear it. " - Anrew Moll "All it took was stealing a piano riff from Dr. Dre, and suddenly these boys hit it big. Well, indie big, but you know. What really makes it for me, though, is the very first song. "Southern Point" has one of the greatest builds I've ever heard, and it manages to encapsulate the entire Grizzly Bear experience into just over five minutes. First, it's relatively quiet and acoustic. There's humming melodies, getting you ready for an explosion. Then there's the quiet screams of our singer, with an instrumental explosion bringing everything together. Over the next eleven songs, this process slows down, but all of the pieces are there. It's hard to classify the sound of the band (some say psych-folk, a demarcator I've yet to comprehend), but it's safe to say that the modus operandi is the build. Not every song features a dramatic build, but those that don't lull you into a beauty that allows the next build to be stronger. Using beauty to allow for greater musical cohesion later, it's no surprise that they're not bothering waiting for the others to catch up. " - Lucas Wesley

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#47	Brother Ali Us
		Chart History: Released September 22 #56 Billboard 200 Singles "Us (Video Edit)"
" Brother Ali of the Rhymesayers crew is one of the most dexterous and aggressive MCs plying their trade on the other side of the mainstream radar. On this year's Us, Ali's flow is as tight as ever, while he continues to expand his sonic horizons with an album's worth of varied beats from Ant, the producer half of Atmosphere. "The Preacher" finds him spitting over a driving bed of horns and screeching rock guitars, while "Crown Jewel," showcases more laid back flow over a jazzy instrumental which has a Tribe Called Quest-like vibe. Lyrically, Ali highlights and combines his impressive storytelling ability and conscious streak on tracks like the unexpected slavery tale "The Travelers." Ali is a true rapper's rapper, and Us is another brilliant addition to his catalog. " - Michael James "It's an unfortunate world we live in where the best hip hop release of the year is number 47. Just wait until you see the top ten and we can all stand together and sigh at the collective consciousness of the mainstream and ponder how these things happen. Here we have Brother Ali, everyone's favorite blind albino Muslim rapper, produced by Ant, everyone's favorite, uh, producer named Ant. Keeping the guests very seldom but large (Chucky D!), Ali goes through a tour de fors of all the usual relevant, thinking man's rapper style topics, but he does it with style. As someone who's becoming increasingly disillusioned with the world of hip hop, feeling that everyone's either going just for lyrics or just for beats, it makes me happy to find someone who manages to find the middle ground that so many of his predecessor's valued. And even if he didn't, the beats are strong enough to hold up regardless of what he's saying. There's the party tracks along with the slower ones, that let you know he's getting political on you, but it's all good. If he were at all a marketable persona, I'm sure this could win a Grammy, or maybe even an award that matters. " - Lucas Wesley

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#46	Biffy Clyro Only Revolutions
		Chart History: Released February 23 (U.K.) #8 UK Singles "Mountains" (#5 UK) "That Golden Rule" (#10 UK) "The Captain" (#17 UK) "Many Of Horror"
" Simon Neil is one of the greatest song writers out there right now and this album proves it. These songs are just utterly immense, from the absurdly sublime ("Born on a Horse," "Many of Horror"), to the epically mammoth ("Bubbles," "Mountains"). Ben Johnston provides some mesmerizing drum work, while James Johnston has some harrowing bass riffs to keep up with the intense guitaring of Neil. But the best stuff here is the marvelous lyrical and song writing ability, alongside some unique and unforgettable vocal work. I just cannot say enough good things about this record, one of the best I've heard in a long, long time. " -Daniel Wilcox "Biffy were in a tough spot with this record. On one hand there was a great deal of pressure to move forward from their breakthrough record Puzzle and attain further mainstream success, but on the other hand there was a feeling amongst hardcore fans that Biffy have started to become ‘just another rock band' and had lost the chaotic energy and individuality that marked them as something special on Blackened Sky and Infinity Land. The early rumours were that Biffy had pulled off the balancing act and achieved a triumph, and "That Golden Rule" went down a storm at their summer festival appearances. This is one of the top alternative rock records of the year with "That Golden Rule", "Shock Shock" and "Boom, Blast & Ruin" being some of the more entertaining rock songs I've heard this year, while tunes like "God & Satan" show off Biffy's sensitive, mellow side and distinctive Ayrshire accent. The album also contains "Mountains" which is one of the finest anthems I've heard in many years, although it does bug me that it was included on the album (released November 2009) when the song came out as a single in Summer 2008. All in all, this is a quality record from Biffy, and may well earn them a whole new legion of fans who weren't (like myself) expecting this to be a god-like effort – as it is, it is ‘merely' very, very good. Recommended Songs: "That Golden Rule", "God & Satan", "Mountains"" - Chris Crowing

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#45	Chevelle Sci-Fi Crimes
		Chart History: Released August 31 #6 Billboard 200 Singles "Jars" (#2 Rock) "Letters From A Thief" (#49 Rock)
"I've been a huge fan of Chevelle since their early days, when "Point #1" knocked me on my ass. Vena Sera didn't do much for me, but Sci-Fi Crimes was a nice return to form for the Illinois trio. The riffs hit hard on "Mexican Sun" and "Roswell's Spell" and the band shows their melodic side on the downtrodden acoustic number "Highland's Apparition" and the slow-burning "Fell Into Your Shoes." For long-time fans, there are the usual suspects, including single "Jars," but the best moments of Sci-Fi Crimes are when the band steps outside the tight boundaries they have placed themselves in with past albums." - Dan Mariscano "This album isn't a ground breaking, earth shattering approach to rock that some people are making it out to be. Chevelle has taken what they do best in terms of instrumentals, lyrics, and vicious delivery and they stick to their guns on this one. It's a solid follow-up to Vena Sera despite some of the more paint by number tracks, like the first single "Jars". For the most part, it's a solid album, cover-to-cover. The boys have found their niche and they're not afraid to play to it. With songs like, "The Circus," "Letter From A Thief," and "Shameful Metaphors", Sci Fi Crimes is money in the bank for Chevelle." - Ben Czajkowski

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#44	Ghostface Killah Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
		Chart History: Released September 29 #26 Billboard 200 #6 R&B #3 Rap Singles "Baby" feat. Raheem "Radio" DeVaughan "Forever" "Let's Stop Playin'" feat. John Legend "Guest House" feat. Fabolous
"Ghostface can always be counted on for high quality product, and this year's Ghostdini is no exception. This was personally #6 and would have probably ranked higher if not for the uber-graphic "Stapleton Sex." Throughout his career, Ghost has shown a rare ability to make relatable and cheese-free tracks about romance and relationships. Ghostdini, which Ghost called his R&B album, continues this trend by touching on all aspects of love and sex, as he caters to his pregnant girl on "Baby (feat. Raheem DeVaughn)" and spins a vivid narrative of barging in on a cheater in "Guest House (feat. Fabolous)." It's a testament to Ghost's formidable mic skills that even the tritest topics on the album sound completely fresh." - Michael James "Ever since he collabbed with Mary J. Blige in "All That I Got Is You", Ghost always wanted to do an R&B-themed album. However, considering the absolutely horrible state that R&B has been in over the past 2 decades, I was skeptical towards the idea of a Ghost R&B-themed album with lots of today's current 'singers'. But this is Ghostface we're talking about, so it's no surprise that he pulled it off. This is another solid album in a long catalogue of them." - Phil Watts Jr.

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#43	Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz
		Chart History: Released March 9 #22 Billboard 200 #9 UK Singles "Zero" (#18 Alternative, #4 Dance, #49 UK) "Heads Will Roll" (#127 UK)
"I wasn't too familiar with the YYY's before It's Blitz. I knew they had a lot of indie cred and that they had a female singer, so that was about it. That's to say I had no expectations for the album when it came in the mail. Turns out, the CD was one of the best growers of 2009. I still spin this and find new tracks I like. Not to mention that "Heads Will Roll" is one of the most danceable tracks of the year. Sensual with tons of synthed-up energy, this is choice co-ed party music." - Mitch Michaels "It's Blitz represented a phenomenally triumphant return for one of the alternative rock's true stars. The band was better than ever here, producing an album that could easily be considered an instant classic, which shows how the band has developed and matured over the years whilst still managing to maintain their fun and energetic sound that other bands in the genre simply cannot compete with. Karen O, by the way, is absolutely unstoppable on this record." - Daniel Wilcox

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#42	Wilco Wilco (The Album)
		Chart History: Released June 30 #4 Billboard 200 #49 UK Singles "You Never Know" (#40 Rock, #1 Triple A) "You And I" (#32 Triple A)
"There's not really a single tune on Wilco's seventh full-length release that stands out. Instead, each song is a case study in how to craft a good pop song. Although they have been labeled everything from alt-country to neo-rock, Jeff Tweedy and company have never been a band enslaved by genre. This record is a solid, uniform effort, and while other of their albums might have lacked a center, every tune flows easily into the next, and sound comfortable and in their proper place next to one another. " - Aaron Titan "There's not really a single tune on Wilco's seventh full-length release that stands out. Instead, each song is a case study in how to craft a good pop song. Although they have been labeled everything from alt-country to neo-rock, Jeff Tweedy and company have never been a band enslaved by genre. This record is a solid, uniform effort, and while other of their albums might have lacked a center, every tune flows easily into the next, and sound comfortable and in their proper place next to one another. " - Paul Hollingsworth

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#41	Dan Deacon Bromst
		Chart History: Released March 24 #199 Billboard 200
" Dan Deacon already has a pretty sizeable discography at this relatively early stage in his life but following the release of Spiderman Of the Rings, which first grabbed the public's attention, and the following year and a half or so of touring behind it which gave him a reputation as one of the most enjoyable live experiences on the tour circuit, for the first time in his career a lot of people were looking forward to a new release from him. Bromst did not disappoint. To say that it's a more mature record would be a disservice to what he's done before, much of the public may view him as something of a wacky oddball but Deacon's compositional background is very well grounded and despite his absurdist leanings the music that he's made before has mostly been based around some quite sophisticated thinking about what he's trying to achieve. What Bromst is though is the most focused and on the money realization of what he's been doing up till now, his big thing is attempting to polygamously wed pop elements with noise and absurdism and with this record he managed to pull it off better and more concisely than ever before." - Ian Wright "Dan Deacon's 2007 debut Spiderman of the Rings was a slice of hyper-electronica, forged in the basements and clubs where Deacon furthered his reputation. So Bromst comes as a bit of a shock; it's plenty frenetic, but there's a restraint and maturity that separates it from its predecessor. You wouldn't expect a masterful slow-builder like "Build Voice" from the guy that brought the world the video for "Crystal Cat," but there it is, opening the album and signaling a somewhat new but definitely improved Dan Deacon. A big part of that is the improved sound that allows you to appreciate the songs instead of being overwhelmed by them. No longer content to be the goofy guy with the big glasses soundtracking a party, Deacon is leading a celebration, all to the sound of a musician realizing what he's capable of." - Andrew Moll

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#40	Morrissey Years of Refusal
		Chart History: Released February 17 #11 Billboard 200 #3 UK Singles "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" (#21 UK) "Something Is Squeezing My Skill" (#46 UK)
" Morrissey himself said that Years of Refusal was his "strongest work to date," and the man has a point; his most recent album is full vigor, with Morrissey lashing outwards and much as inwards. Songs like "Something is Squeezing My Skull," "All You Need Is Me" and "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" features Moz at his most engaging and fierce; "Birthday" ends up being a particular highlight as Morrissey asks, "Did you really think we meant all those syrupy sentimental things that we said?" This is probably the best and most vital collection of songs that Morrissey has come up with since his career revival that started with 2004's You are the Quarry. Like with that album, Years of Refusal finds him excelling at what he does best while remaining uniquely important." - Andrew Moll "I'm an unabashed Moz/Smiths superfan, but somehow my first exposure to this record was seeing many of its songs performed live at a Morrissey concert at the Aragon Ballroom this Spring. They were solid live, and even better on record. "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" has quickly become one of my favorite Morrissey songs, "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" is fantastically campy, and "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" is one of the better salutes to anti-depressants I've ever heard. There's a couple rough patches on Years of Refusal, but for the most part this is just another fantastic effort from one of the greatest songwriters of our generation." - Mac Scarle

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#39	The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
		Chart History: Released February 3 Singles "Everything With You" "Young Adult Friction" "Come Saturday"
" It's pretty easy to point out the similarities between the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and their influences (Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and plenty other fuzz and twee pop bands), but that doesn't stop their self-titled debut from being a thoroughly enjoyable listen. Good old-fashioned pop music will never fall out of style, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart know this very well since it's what their album does best, no attempts to "update" anything are necessary. Great tracks like "Come Saturday," "Young Adult Friction" and "Everything With You" are a sort of timeless pop music, with hooks and melodies that sound good during any decade. As the band's name suggests, these songs have plenty of sensitivity but it's mixed in with a haze of guitars that give the album a real punch. So while the band isn't doing anything revolutionary, they're helping to a find a place for a sound that deserves one." - Andrew Moll "For a Jesus and Mary Chain rip, they did pretty well for themselves. In fairness, they rip off Black Tambourine a little bit more. JAMC were never this twee. Twee was originally a derogatory term, created to call the music tepid or devoid of soul, too busy dancing around in circles with simple riffs. Well, it's hard to dance around under all this noise, but because that's exactly what the Pains are doing, they overcome the complaints of twee and instead stand as brave as they are fun. All the same, though, it's amazing to me that twee like this isn't a big hit with children. Sure, there's a song about incest, so I get why kids don't hear it. But remove the words and you have nothing but great, bouncy fun. I guess the point is that it's a hit because it makes indie kids feel like children. If you can listen to this and not hop around with a bit of a smirk on your face, then you're probably one of those people that think music isn't meant to be fun. Well, enjoy your Alice in Chains. I'll take the Pains any day." - Lucas Wesley

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#38	Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream
		Chart History: Released January 27 #1 Billboard 200 #1 #1 UK Singles "Working On A Dream" (#95 Hot 100, #35 Rock, #195 UK) "My Lucky Day" (#37 Rock) "The Wrestler" (#120 Hot 100)
" Springsteen's return to the forefront of rock music is one of the decade's greatest musical stories, and while Devils and Dust is my favorite release of his over the last ten years, this album runs a close second. Springsteen is America's musical conscious, and songs like the title track and "This Life" show he's lost none of his soulfulness or ability." - Paul Hollingsworth "With a new album, a Super Bowl performance and an Oscar buzz, we were really getting into Bruce Springsteen at the beginning of 2009. And why? Because for thirty years, the guy and his E Street Band have always delivered. Working On A Dream finds Springsteen happy in the post-Bush world, and that contentedness informs the whole record - from Outlaw Pete's "little bare baby feet" to that one chick in the supermarket. It's not Springsteen's best record, by any means, but it's still a great commentary on our modern times from the old guard." - Mitch Michaels

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#37	Marilyn Manson The High End of Low
		Chart History: Released May 20 #4 Billboard 200 #19 UK Singles "We're From America" "Arma-g*ddamn-motherfuckin-geddon" (#37 Rock, #114 UK)
"The High End of Low is the best Manson album to come out in over ten years. I've listened to this album at least thirty times since its release. To me there are two or three tracks that come off like "Disposable Teens/Mobscene" Take 19. By that I mean that they sound like the same recycled singles that Manson has disguised as new over the past 10 years. There are songs on it like "Four Rusted Horses", "Running to the Edge of the World", and "Leave a Scar" that have invaded my thought process. So much that I go back to the album just to hear these songs again. What happened every single time is me ending up listening to the entire album again and again. Since Mechanical Animals, I've been a very passive Manson fan. Nothing has connected with me or hooked me to the point where I listen to the album more than the singles or live. This album has grown on my like a rash after sex with a hot woman. You're still glad you had the experience and the itching will make it that much harder to forget it." - Mikey Migo "OK, this album ain't Antichrist Superstar or Mechanical Animals, but hell, it ain't the 90s anymore now, is it? Truthfully, I've enjoyed pretty much anything Manson's done, even 2007's Eat Me, Drink Me, an album a lot of people really didn't care for. This album, kind of like the aforementioned 07' effort, is pretty moody, gloomy, and still somewhat heavy and catchy, all things I tend to expect from Mr. Warner and company. Bassist and longtime cohort Twiggy Ramirez (aka Jeordie White) is back in the fold and the songwriting seems to definitely benefit from his presence on the album. Honestly, the album works as an album rather than some standouts and some filler, which is something Manson tends to do pretty well. In the age of digital downloading, everyone is all about singles but the art form of the collective album is becoming more and more passé. The High End of Low is one statement rather than a collection. There are some songs I would throw on a road mix though, such as "Pretty As A Swastika," "Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon," and my personal vote as one of the best/most underrated rock songs of the decade, "We're From America." Seriously! Listen to that fuckin' riff and tell me it's not addictive?" - Aaron Titan

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#36	Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains
		Chart History: Released 2009 Singles "And The Hazy Sea"
" Cymbals Eat Guitars main dude Joseph Ferocious (a.k.a. Joe D'agostino) is barely old enough to walk into a bar in his home borough of Statan Island and order a beer but this fucking whippersnapper, and his band which was assembled through an ad. on Craigslist, have made what for me is the album of the year. Taking pointers from a whole bunch of indie guitar hereos like Steve Malkmus and Doug Martsch "Why there are mountains" perhaps understandably due to Ferocious' tender age doesn't feature a whole lot of original thinking but it does announce him as a serious talent and it's probably the best 90's indie guitar rock record of this decade. Where they go to next could be really interesting. " - Ian Wright "When's the last time a label ever did anything worthwhile, anyway? This release is proof that all you really need to be successful in the music industry is to write good music. And, well, have connections at Pitchfork that get you a good review. But the first one is equally valid. There are still times I'm not paying attention to my shuffle and "Wind Phoenix" comes on and I reach a level of happy that I can't describe. They have the horns of a band with productions values far higher than your average self-produced, self-released band will be able to afford, and I can never deny the joy of a good horn section, even if it lasts but one song. I'm losing my train of thought here, so I'm going to leave this one to an anecdote. I'm the music director at a college radio station, and every week we get in five to ten new albums. Some are good, some are bad, and plenty are just ignored. I have a revolving staff that helps me review albums, and each love their own kind of music. There are two faithful members that come to every meeting and review twice as many albums as any one ever needs to, usually with the opinion that the albums suck. One of these members, who I typically speak to only at the meetings, sought me out in the middle of the week to tell me how great this album was. That's the most glaringly positive accolade I can grant these guys, only adding that they earned it. " - Lucas Wesley

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#35	Paramore Brand New Eyes
		Chart History: Released September 29 #2 Billboard 200 #1 UK "Ignorance" (#67 Hot 100, #14 UK) "Brick By Boring Brick" (#85 UK)
"Brand New Eyes is Hayley Williams and Paramore's follow-up to successful 2007's Riot!. The band doesn't say much of anything new on this one, but they sure do find new and creative riffs and lyrics to say it win. On the other hand, it's hard to give credit to the band after they've derived so much success from Twilight. Regardless, though, Brand New Eyes looks at the world through the same rose-colored glasses. It's not like Williams' viewpoint has changed since their last record; she's still the same, angry-haired firebomb of a bitch. And if that gets you going, like more, this one's is for you. " - Ben Czajkowski "After a troubled few years, Paramore is seeing things from a whole new perspective, through their Brand New Eyes, if you will, and that's reflected in much more mature themes and clever construction of lyrics. Musically, the band for the most part does a great job of keeping up with Miss Williams but ultimately don't really offer anything new. Vocally, however, this is head and shoulders above anything the band has ever done and that fact combined with the undeniable catchiness of the majority of tracks makes for one of the most accomplished pop rock albums of the year. " - Daniel Wilcox

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#34	Fuck Buttons Tarot Sport
		Chart History: Released October 14 #79 UK Singles "Surf Solar"
" Electronic noise drone explosion dual dance tronic...bleh. This is just good. I remember the first time I listened to this with a group of people. The reactions were split. The majority of the room were getting lost in it, absolutely loving the bleeps and bloops these two Englishmen turned into songs. There were a few dissenters, though. After the first four minutes I believe the quote was something to the extent of, "this is it?" That's an understandable reaction if you aren't paying attention. However, as is often the case with the densest, well crafted music, Fuck Buttons reward attention. Paul Fix once said, "the only reason some people get lost in thought is because, for many, it's unfamiliar territory." This is the reason so many can get lost in Fuck Buttons - yes, it's repetitive, but in such an unfamiliar way that we can't help but get lost in it. Why is this sound taking control of me the way it is? I have no idea. But listen to "Surf Solar" or "Space Mountain" and you'll get lost, too." - Lucas Wesley "Simply put, Tarot Sport is an outstanding album that proves that the album is far from dead. Fuck Buttons are in essence a noise band with tunes, as strange as may seem, as their songs worm their way into your consciousness and stay there no matter what. Making brilliant use of synthesizers, pedals, beats, keys and all sorts of obscure sounds, Fuck Buttons have put together an album that not only eclipses their own impressive debut, but also anything else in the genre. Stunning. " - Daniel Wilcox

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#33	WHY? Eskimo Snow
		Chart History: Released September 22
"My hometown of Oakland, California is where WHY? are from and they are probably the most surprising band to make our year end list. They don't sell many albums, have received little press, and their sing-speak, indie hip-hop sound hasn't seen mainstream popularity since MC 900 Foot Jesus or maybe Soul Coughing in the ‘90s. Eskimo Snow is the follow up to 2008's excellent Alopecia (my #12 album of 2008) and the least hip-hop sounding slot in their discography. In fact, Eskimo Snow owes more to the White Album and Harry Nilsson than any of the forefathers of alternative rap. Yoni Wolf continues to prove himself as one of the great wordsmiths in indie rock, at times crafting nonsensical word pairings that sound cool and at the turn of a hat lets the skeletons spill out of his closet. Often funny and almost always brilliant, Eskimo Snow brings the brain-rock for the quirky set. Highlights include ‘January Twenty Something', the Bob Dylan influenced "Against Me", and ‘This Blackest Purse'." - Brian Berry "This is the only WHY? album I've heard in full. Considering this is considered dramatically different from their previous works, continuing their constant move towards pop and away from hip hop, I feel that rejoinder is necessary. Anyway, I talk about pop music a lot. I really break it down later on in this list, but for now I'm just going to say that no other kind of music is quite as transcendent as pop. People hear pop and they think Britney Spears or something, and sure, she is. But Eskimo Snow is equally, if not more so, music that should make everyone that hears it happy. Now, I don't listen to lyrics most of the time. Yes, that's horrible, especially for someone who listens to music the better part of their conscious day. But when you break it down to just sounds, you create your own feelings and emotions to attach to them. And at least half of this record creates is pure, unadulterated joy. No other album released this year beats it in that respect. That's not to say the other half isn't good, too, but that it creates other emotions. In fact, with the undertone of happiness bound to come out, the only broad musical theme I can attach to this is triumph. Appropriate, since no other word can be used to describe it." - Lucas Wesley

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#32	Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage
		Chart History: Released June 30 #7 Billboard 200 #29 UK "Reckoning" "Starting Over" (#30 Rock) "Take Me Away"
" Let's start off by saying that I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Truthfully, I almost didn't go out and pick it up, as I was really unimpressed with this album's predecessor, As Daylight Dies. I just didn't find it to be as well-rounded as The End of Heartache or Alive or Just Breathing. Now the new self-titled joint – on the other hand – feels a lot more digestible from start to finish to this KsE fan. I went out and got it on impulse since I had tickets to this past summer's Rockstar Mayhem Tour, a jaunt that KsE was performing on as a mainstage act. The album opens with a blisteringly fun "Never Again" that really starts heated out of the gate like something Jesse Leach (the band's singer before Howard Jones) would have done back in the day. It continues with some hard yet melodic stuff and kind of maintains that balance all the way through. Like, it's got melody but it's not pussying out of Killswitch's other niche of balls out screaming, riffing, and powerful drumming (from one of the smallest kits in the biz by the way) of Justin Foley. Oh, and the new shit they played at Mayhem this summer – "Reckoning," "The Forgotten," and "Starting Over" – sounded pretty great live despite how much KsE fucks around onstage (not that it's a bad thing). " - Aaron Titan "The first four songs of this album have it giving Alive of Just Breathing and The End of Heartache a serious run for the title of ‘best KsE' record but the second half of the album degenerates into being a bit samey, and this is perhaps on a level with As Daylight Dies. However, Killswitch Engage at 80% usual awesomeness is still several strides ahead of almost another band in their increasingly congested and formulaic genre. If you like Killswitch in particular, or melodic metalcore, you will like this album – it's as simple as that. The good tracks are VERY good, with "Never Again", "Starting Over" and "A Light in A Darkened World" standing out – on the copy I got, the bonus track live versions of "Holy Diver" and "My Curse" are also a welcome addition. Killswitch aren't reinventing the wheel here and while it's a shame that they don't seem too interested in evolving, they are the best at what they do and this is yet another reliably entertaining release from my favourite metalcore band. Recommended Songs: "Never Again", "Staring Over", "A Light in A Darkened World" - Chris Crowing

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#31	Prodigy Invaders Must Die
		Chart History: Released March 3 #58 Billboard 200 #1 UK Singles "Invaders Must Die" (#49 UK) "Omen" (#4 UK) "Warrior's Dance" (#9 UK) "Take Me To The Hospital" (#38 UK)
"It had been 12 years since The Prodigy had gotten together to release an album (2004's Always Outnumbered only actually featured Liam Howlett), and a dozen years is a long time to wait in the weeds. Still, the last time these guys had laid down the beats, we'd gotten "Smack My Bitch Up", so there was reason to hold your breath for Invaders Myst Die. The new album proved that the rave/electronica that was all the rage for a minute in the 90's could sound just as vital in the new millennium. Amazing production all around, too, proving why we'll wait for Liam Howlett another twelve years if that's what it takes." - Mitch Michaels "Ahh, the electronica craze of the '90s. The genre that was supposed to pave the way for the future of alternative music in the wake of Nirvana's demise and the malaise that came with it. We see how long that lasted, although a few acts have survived and even thrived in the wake of electronica's crash-and-burn. One of those acts is The Prodigy, whose Invaders Must Die acted as a blueprint in well-played and -written sound. The Prodigy made an impact this year by actually going backward; in addition to the return of Keith Flint and Maxim Reality for the first time in 12 years, the band went back to its old-school, cutting-edge sound that made electronica the "next big thing" back in the late '90s. Invaders Must Die is an example of, how with a little less corporate hype and a lot more attention to detail, electronica could have become a viable genre a decade ago." - Michael Melchor

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With bracket busters such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, and Bruce Springsteen already out of the way, what albums do you think will survive to make it to the top of our list?

Check back tomorrow for #30-16!

Voting panel: Brian Berry, Chris Crowing, Ben Czajkoswki, Dan Haggerty, Paul Hollingswoth, Mark Ingoldsby, Michael James, Dan Mariscano, Aaron Mayagoitia, Alistair McGeorge, Michael Melchor, Mitch Michaels, Mikey Migo, Jeff Modzelewski, Andrew Moll, Fred Richani, Patrick Robinson, Mac Scarle, Paul Schofield, Marshall Slayton, Aaron Titan, Phil Watts Jr., Lucas Wesley, Daniel Wilcox, and Ian Wright.