first of all, i’d like to formally apologize for waiting till 2010 to post my end of 2009 list.

moving along…anyone complaining that there isn’t good music anymore isn’t looking hard enough…or at all. 2009 was a year full of so much good music that it was damn near impossible to listen to even a small chunk of it.

i compiled my lists a little different than the others (aka lazier). like last year, mine is a little less organized. after the cut, you’ll find the lists for my top albums/mixtapes/ep’s, etc…along with top songs and top music related moments (shows, videos, moments, whatever i want, etc). my lists should in no way be looked at as what i consider to be the “best” music of 2009, rather what i consider my favorite music of ’09. and so it goes…

– panda

MISC MUSIC

5. the passing of michael jackson: not a lot tell here.
4. any guest spot bun b did in 2009.
3. kanye west & spike jonze – we were once a fairytale: an absolutely stunning visual achievement for west & jonze.
2. G.O.O.D. music showcase at sxsw 2009: kanye west, common, erykah badu, big sean, kid cudi, mr. hudson, glc, consequence, really doe, 88-keys, fonzworth bentley, and tony williams on one stage. 88, common, and cons all saw my “good life” knuckle tattoos and pointed me out. epic.
1. quest – see what i see: our first audio shout. it was a proud moment for the three of us, and topped anything anyone released in ’09.

TOP SONGS

10. rjd2 – games you can win (ft. kenna)
9. mumford & sons – little lion man
8. fun. – be calm
7. clipse – freedom
6. theophilus london – humdrum town

5. mr hudson – time

i wouldn’t even necessarily consider this my favorite song from straight no chaser, but i feel like this song is the perfect example of what mr hudson is capable of. hudson’s soaring voice carries brilliantly simple lyrics over classic piano blended with a hollow beat. it’s not over-thought, yet there are few who can replicate it’s genius.

4. drake – forever (ft. kanye west, lil wayne, & eminem)

everyone is at their absolute best, everyone destroys their verse, and the game is left in ruins. instant classic.

3. lee fields & the expressions – love comes and goes

if you told me this song was recorded in the early ’70s, i would absolutely believe you. and that is one hell of a compliment. this song belongs in the soul music hall of fame with the likes of “let’s stay together” and “ain’t no sunshine”. listen to that hook and tell me you don’t want to down a couple of shots, drunk dial an ex, and sing it to their voicemail (and no, i haven’t done this).

2. b.o.b. – nothin’ on you (ft. bruno mars)

sometimes, you just need to hear a love song. on top of straying away from being overly cliche, bobby ray and bruno mars managed to write an absolutely smashing hip-hop/pop anthem. with one hook, bruno mars has captured my attention and left me eagerly curious as to what 2010 has in store for the up & comer.

1. wale – family affair

wale’s ability to tell a story is so engrossing, and this track is a perfect example. the first verse finds wale speaking through the eyes of a pimp talking about his life and directly to his woman. the second verse finds his “bottom bitch” (aka main hoe) talking to her child about the life she’s leading and her struggle. to finish it off, the third verse finds the baby telling it’s side of the story back to the mother. the entire thing is both heartbreaking and lyrically captivating. every verse is tied together with a hook that repeats the same lyrics, while changing view points after each verse. rappers can brag in clever metaphor all damn day, but there almost no one tell such a story with wale’s wit.

ALBUMS/MIXTAPES/RELEASES

50. every time i die – new junk aesthetic
49. doom – born like this
48. rick ross – deeper than rap
47. manchester orchestra – mean everything to nothing
46. depeche mode – sounds of the universe
45. person l – the positives
44. outasight – further
43. big sean – uknowbigsean
42. yeah yeah yeahs – it’s blitz!
41. b.o.b. – b.o.b. vs. bobby ray
40. bat for lashes – two suns

39. phoenix – wolfgang amadeus phoenix
38. the xx – xx
37. mew – no more stories are told today, i’m sorry they washed away
36. the bronx – mariachi el bronx
35. good old war – only way to be alone
34. placebo – battle for the sun
33. black joe lewis & the honeybears – tell ’em what your name is!
32. andrew dost – columbus
31. lady gaga – the fame monster
30. blakroc – blakroc

29. j. cole – the warm up
28. raekwon – only built 4 cuban linx II
27. discovery – lp
26. cursive – mama, i’m swollen
25. aceyalone – aceyalone & the lonely ones
24. the cambiata – the cambiata
23. drake – so far gone
22. mos def – the ecstatic
21. mamas gun – routes to riches
20. lupe fiasco – enemy of the state: a love story

19. as tall as lions – you can’t take it with you
18. kid cudi – man on the moon: the end of day
17. morrissey – years of refusal
16. jay-z – the blueprint 3
15. passion pit – manners
14. mumford & sons – say no more
13. clipse – til the casket drops
12. eye alaska – genisis underground
11. converge – axe to fall

10. mayer hawthorne – a strange arrangement

definitely the most popular of the soul revivalists this year, mayer came out of nowhere with a fresh hip-hop influenced take on soul music. add a co-sign from stones throw, and you’ve got a winning formula for a mr. hawthorne. the album is clever, and a welcome release in a year dominated by hip(ster) hop.

9. jimmy eat world – clarity live

God bless this album, and God bless jimmy eat world for releasing a live version. live albums aren’t always entertaining, but it’s amazing in this case, to hear the band playing such an important album all the way through and meaning every song like they just wrote it.

8. blu – her favorite colo(u)r

hate on me all you want, but IMO… her favorite colo(u)r > below the heavens. don’t get me wrong, heavens is an instant classic, but i just love hearing blu go in over his production. dude has more in common with dilla than half the cats calling themselves producers these days.

7. daniel merriweather – love & war

sorry mayer, but daniel’s got this shit on lock. merriweather’s voice is about as soulful and genuine as it gets and the music nods at soul’s forefathers, rather than rehashing them. i really can’t say enough about this album. it’d be higher on my list had there not been so much great music released this year. plus, you gotta love the ronson production and wale guest spot. cherries on top, my friends.

6. morrissey – swords

while years of refusal is a fantastic album, i was blown away by how many of the songs on this b-sides album are better than many of the tracks he’s released on albums in the past. songs like “the never-played symphonies” and “sweetie pie” find morrissey at his absolute best and just reassure his legendary status.

5. lee fields & the expressions – my world

the already legendary lee fields teams up with truth & soul records/the expressions to release what is sure to go down as one of the finest releases in his expansive (yet mysterious) catalog. on my world, fields sings from way deep down and shows the young cats how it’s done…from the heart.

4. theophilus london – this charming mixtape

after flying relatively under the radar with 2008’s jam, theo brought the jams even harder in ’09. between the sense of style london brings to the mic and machine drum’s phenomenal production (seriously, dude’s a beast), the two managed to make the most criminally underrated mixtape of 2009. stop sleeping.

3. fun. – aim and ignite

everything roshan and aj said, and more.

2. wale – attention: deficit

easily the best hip hop album of 2009 by both rookies and veterans, wale crafted an album that was so good it’s collective b-sides could be an album of the year contender. with deficit, wale used his lyrical gift to prove that he’s capable of releasing a strong debut album, something most of his contemporaries with twice his hype failed to do. your future’s bright mr. folarin…keep shinin’.

1. mr hudson – straight no chaser

if you’ve been keeping up, you most likely saw this one coming. after much talk about hudson’s move towards a more pop oriented sound, use of autotune, and working with kanye, ben hudson delivers an album full of huge choruses, memorable lyrics, and overall outstanding songwriting. for my money, there isn’t a flawed song on this album. this man deserves to be as big as his hooks.

other things i loved in ’09: michael jackson’s “this is it”, up, inglorious bastards, nine, tokyo!, a christmas carol, the entire month of december, GQ magazine, the celtics/bulls playoffs series, 30 rock, vodka, caprese sandwiches, and every single one of you that takes the time to read, comment, and/or tell a friend about us. you’re the best. cheers.

– panda