Ok, to begin with…’s Albums of the Year

Well, perhaps not Ok, to begin with…’s, but mine. And I am the music nut, and I’m posting them on Ok, to begin with…, therefore, it’s our list.

Admittedly, my favorite albums of the year would number well over 20. So instead, I whittled it down, excluded weird fucked up shit that only I like (or have listened to) amongst our small fraternity and decided on a condensed list that I know at least 2 other people here really liked as well.

Looking over the top five, I can’t help but hate the fact that the majority of them were big albums released on major labels, that received widespread acclaim. Some of the music I’ve loved this year was released only on cassettes, which I acquired through…alternative means, because seriously, a limited release of 100 cassettes that sell out in three days? How am I meant to get a hold of that???? A handful of them were stunning, and deserve to be on this list. But if no one can get hold of them, what’s the point?

But still, the top five are big, popular releases. It goes to show that occasionally the stars align and popular opinion agrees on things that are actually good. God help us all when Avatar wins Best Picture next month.

Anyhow, here it is.

5. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic

Is it like the Lips releases from the past 15 years? No, it’s nothing like The Soft Bulletin or Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It’s a big, overwhelming, underproduced mess. And it’s stunning. Best Lips release of the last 15 years? No.

It’s their best ever.

4. The Field – Yesterday and Today

Taking the short loops of popular records he perfected on his debut (2007′s From Here We Go Sublime), complimenting them with live instrumentation, and extending the fuck out of the song lengths (resulting in just 6 songs over the course of an hour). O, and throwing in a cover of an 80′s pop track by The Korgis? Resulted in 2009′s most amazing bliss-out techno imaginable. And dare I say it, eclipsing the debut.

3. Moritz Von Oswald Trio – Vertical Ascent

Improvised techno? Electronic jazz? What can this music possibly be called? Three giants of the electronic music crowd, Moritz Von Oswald, Max Loderbauer, and Sasu Ripatti (aka Vladislav Delay), create something truly original in the now innovation-less techno world. There’s nothing like it.

2. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

Side project from the elusive The Knife vocalist Karin Dreijer Andersson. Slightly more mainstream than The Knife, but also darker. And it’s all the better for it. Treated, spine-tingling vocals, over the top of (frankly) brilliant minimal electronica. If our number one is the perfect summer album, this album is for those freezing cold, middle of winter nights when the air is full of fog, yet the full moon illuminates everything. Any other year this would be number one.

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Well, I was right. I said it from the beginning. Without a doubt, the number one album of 2009 is Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion. Most of my fellow bloggers would agree.

What could be better than a swirling kaleidoscopes of synthesisers, sublime vocal rounds, a-child-stuck-in-a-man’s-body lyrics, and, well, My Girls?

Quite simply the best summer album ever. Yes ever. Fuck the Beach Boy’s Pet Sounds. This is where it’s at. Psychedelic music for the internet generation. Album of the year, no question.

If anyone reading haven’t heard Merriweather Post Pavilion or Fever Ray, do it, right now. You won’t regret it.

Comments? What were your albums of the year?