Last year I compiled a list of my favorite albums of 2008. I have decided to do that again this year for 2009.
It’s been a great year of music with some great rising artists and plenty of talented new ones. But some of the best music of this year were new releases from old bands and artist.

So this is a list of my favorite picks from this year. I also awarded Best Song of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Rising Artist. And if you have any albums that you think i’ve looked over, please tell me. More wonderful melodies are always welcome.

Best Album of the Year

10. "Lungs" - Florence + The Machine	9. "Troubadour" - K'Naan	8. "Stockholm Syndrome" - Derek Webb
7. "Up From Below" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros	6. "Far" - Regina Spektor	5. "The Resistance" - Muse
4. "Strict Joy" - The Swell Season	3. "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" - Phoenix	2. "I and Love and You" - The Avett Brothers
1. "The Hazards of Love" - The Decemberists All of these picks on this list were hard to nail down in numerical order. I didn't really know what to determine one album being better than the other. So it just came down to this: what I listened to the most. The album I listened to the most this year was definitely The Decemberists' album, Hazards of Love. I just kept coming back to it. I didn't really like The Decemberists until they debuted this record at SXSW 2009 and it was love at first listen.

Best Song of the Year

Best Song of the Year: "My Girls" - Animal Collective

Ok. I must confess, I didn't like this whole album. I just couldn't get into Animal Collective as much as I wanted to when I first heard about them. I guess they are too weird for me. But I really loved this song. I couldn't stop listening to it this year. This song gives me hope for more Animal Collective. See for yourself.

Best New Artist

Best New Artist: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

I first heard these guys on a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR's All Song's Considered Podcast. I saw at least eight or nine people playing instruments. What a large band. What was even better was their enthusiastic sound. This is a band I'm really looking forward to hearing more of.

Best Rising Artist

Best Rising Artist: Phoenix

Their poppy synth leads and catchy guitar riffs caught me instantly off guard. I didn't know what to do: sit there in astonishment or dance? This is music you want to move to. Every time I saw the new Cadillac commercial I had to turn up the TV and pause what I was doing to bust a move. This band got huge fast. And they will only get better.

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite albums from 2008. Now i cannot argue that these are the absolute best, considering i’m not an expert in the field. Neither have I considered every album that has been produced this year. These are simply the albums i have come across that have given me great pleasure in listening to them. I hope you enjoy them as well. If you have any albums that you think i’ve looked over, please tell me. I’ll love to hear even more good music. Without further to do… Here we go.

10. "A Hundred Million Suns" - Snow Patrol	9. "This Is An Outrage!" - Capital Lights	8. "Rebel" - Lecrae
7. "This Is Our God" - Hillsong	6. "You Are My Sunshine" - Copeland	5. "For Emma, Forever Ago" - Bon Iver
4. "HAARP" - Muse	3. "Limbs and Branches" - Jon Foreman	2. "Narrow Stairs" - Death Cab for Cutie
1. "Viva La Vida" - Coldplay

Best New Artist: Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago)

I heard the name, Bon Iver, early on in 2008. I never listened to his stuff til December of this year, and I fell in love. It’s simplicity. A guitar and your voice is really all you need. This is the kind of music you want to crawl up in your bed and fall to sleep to. I like it. I like it a lot. I cannot wait to hear more of this guy.

Other Notable Albums:

Worship:
- “The Bright Sadness” - Charlie Hall
- “Remedy Club Tour” - David Crowder Band
- “You Have Loved” - Travis Taylor

Folk/Acoustic:
- “Gold And The Sand” - Corey Crowder
- “Fleet Foxes” - Fleet Foxes
- “Sleep Through The Static” - Jack Johnson

Indie/Rock:
- “Re-Arrange Us” - Mates of State
- “Oracular Spectacular” - MGMT
- “Evil Urges” - My Morning Jacket

Rap:
“Our World Redeemed” - Flame
“The Chop Chop: From Milk To Meat” - Ambassador

Pop/Punk Rock:
“Underdog Alma Mater” - Forever The Sickest Kids
“The Glass Passenger” - Jack’s Mannequin
“Till We See The Shore” - Seabird

“I’m willing to have people accept and reject this record more than anything I’ve been involved in” –Ben Gibbard

Read the article in Relevant Magazine by Robert Ham…

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