2009- a year that’s tough to comment on being that it’s only now 2011. I posted my top 50 albums about a year ago and my top 20 are unchanged except for swapping Wild Beasts with Mos Def. Though the below twenty albums are not ranked 1-20 I can tell you that my top ten may now slightly differ with The xx and Neon Indian rising into the top ten and Raekwon & Mastodon falling just out of the top ten. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and Dinosaur Jr. would also likely fall a few notches in the top 20 and Neko Case and Bat For Lashes rising a bit. Animal Collective/Girls/Dirty Projectors are still heads and tails above all else for me. I was worried that I overrated Passion Pit a bit but they sound just as great a year later to me. I’m somehow still not sick of the two ubiquitous Phoenix hits “Lisztomania” and “1901” which are so good that even excessive airplay can’t kill their charm.

When the music history books are rewritten years from now ’09 may stick out for its weirdness. I don’t think I’ve ever had an odder, or more inaccessible 1-3 albums in any year. As great as the three albums are I recognize they aren’t for everybody- I can’t see any of them garnering much future airplay like Phoenix has or like Passion Pit and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s great “It’s Blitz” should. ’09 was not a big rap year but albums like Drake’s EP and Freddie Gibbs mixtapes and Mos Def’ return to form set the stage for a rap comeback in 2010. U.K. dubstep also became a dominant underground sound, which came to my attention with the release of the 5 Years of Hyperdub double album. Time will tell if dubstep will gain in popularity or if it will go the way of grime and be banished to relative obscurity. Whether or not the genre grows the sound has certainly been a big influence in the broader worlds of hip hop & r&b, house & techno. The same can be said for blog house and chillwave- they haven’t taken over the charts but there influence is everywhere. Will be interesting so see what happens next. With all of the re-workings of early synth-pop and soft-rock will the next movement be a return to heavy rock?

THE XX- THE XX

Buy

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PHOENIX- WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX

Buy

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JAPANDROIDS- POST-NOTHING

Buy

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NEKO CASE- MIDDLE CYCLONE

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CAMERA OBSCURA- MY MAUDLIN CAREER

Buy

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GRIZZLY BEAR- VECKATIMEST

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GIRLS- ALBUM

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YEAH YEAH YEAHS- IT’S BLITZ

Buy

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JJ- JJ N2

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PASSION PIT- MANNERS

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NEON INDIAN- PSYCHIC CHASMS

Buy

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ANIMAL COLLECTIVE- MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILLION

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THE FLAMING LIPS- EMBRYONIC

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BAT FOR LASHES- TWO SUNS

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MOS DEF- THE ECSTATIC

Buy

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RAEKWON- ONLY BUILT FOR CUBAN LINX II

Buy

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THE PAINS OF BEING PIURE AT HEART- THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART

Buy

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DIRTY PROJECTORS- BITTE ORCA

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DINOSAUR JR.- FARM

Buy

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MASTODON- CRACK THE SKYE

Buy

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Best of 2009 Volume 1 (1/30/10)

1. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Zero

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2. Phoenix- 1901

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3. Girls- Lust for Life

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4. Japandroids- Young Hearts Spark Fire

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5. Dirty Projectors- Stillness is the Move

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6. Neon Indian- Deadbeat Summer

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7. Washed Out- Feel It all Around

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8. Best Coast- Sun Was High (So Was I)

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9. jj- Ecstasy

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10. Animal Collective- Summertime Clothes

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11. Jay-Z (Feat. Alicia Keys)- Empire State of Mind

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12. The Big Pink- Velvet

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13. The XX- Islands

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14. Bat for Lashes- Daniel

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15. Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks

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16. Passion Pit- Little Secrets

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17. Yacht- Psychic City (Voodoo City)

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18. Joker- Digidesign

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19. The Flaming Lips- Watching the Planets

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Best of 2009 Volume 2 (1/30/10)

1. Animal Collective- My Girls

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2. The Antlers- Two

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3. Neko Case- This Tornado Loves You

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4. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart- Young Adult Friction

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5. Lady GaGa- Bad Romance

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6. La Roux- Bulletproof

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7. Metric- Help I’m Alive

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8. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Dragon Queen

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9. Phoenix- Lisztomania

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10. Passion Pit- The Reeling

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11. Girls- Summertime

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12. Atlas Sound (Feat. Noah Lennox)- Walkabout

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13. Fever Ray- When I Grow Up

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14. Raekwon (Feat. Capadonna & Ghostface Killah)- 10 Bricks

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15. Mastodon- Divinations

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16. Dinosaur Jr.- I Want You to Know

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17. Dirty Projectors- Two Doves

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18. Grizzly Bear- While You Wait for the Others

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Best of 2009 Volume 3 (1/30/10)

1. Mastodon- Oblivion

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2. Raekwon (Feat. Inspecktah Deck, GZA, Ghostface Killah & Method Man)- House of Flying Daggers

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3. Dirty Projectors- Cannibal Resource

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4. Wild Beasts- We Still Got the Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues

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5. The Very Best (Feat. Ezra Koenig)- Warm Heart of Africa

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6. Annie- Don’t Stop

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7. Joy Orbison- Hyph Mngo

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8. The-Dream- Put It Down

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9. Animal Collective- Brother Sport

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10. The XX- Shelter

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11. Neon Indian- Should Have Taken Acid with You

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12. The Flaming Lips- Silver Trembling Hands

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13. Girls- Hellhole Ratrace

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14. Stuart Murdoch- Another Saturday

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15. Camera Obscura- French Navy

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16. Atlas Sound- Shelia

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17. The Avett Brothers- I and Love and You

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Best of 2009 Volume 4 (1/30/10)

1. Yo La Tengo- Here to Fall

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2. Built to Spill- Hindsight

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3. F*ck Buttons- Phantom Limb

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*Not available via Amazon

4. Animal Collective- No More Runnin’

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5. Passion Pit- Moth’s Wings

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6. Grizzly Bear- Ready, Able

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7. The XX- Basic Space

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8. Phoenix- Fences

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9. Dirty Projectors- No Intention

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10. Kind Midas Sound- Meltdown

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11. The Flaming Lips- Convinced of the Hex

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12. Royce Da 5’9″- Shake This

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13. Mos Def- Casa Bey

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14. Bear in Heaven- Lovesick Teenagers

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15. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Hysteric

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16. Handsome Furs- I’m Confused

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17. Matt & Kim- Daylight

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18. St. Vincent- The Strangers

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19. Neko Case- Don’t Forget Me

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Best of 2009 Volume 5 (3/5/11)

1.  M. Ward- For Beginners

Buy For Beginners – Hold Time

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2.  Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Heads Will Roll

Buy Heads Will Roll – It’s Blitz!

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3.  The Big Pink- Dominoes

Buy Dominos – null

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4.  Phoenix- Lasso

Buy Lasso – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

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5.  La Roux- I’m Not Your Toy

Buy I’m Not Your Toy – La Roux (Bonus Track Version)

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6.  Royksopp (Feat. Robyn)- The Girl and the Robot

Buy The Girl and the Robot – The Girl and the Robot

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7. Local Natives- Airplanes

 

8.  Little Boots- New in Town

Buy New In Town – Hands

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9.  Lily Allen- The Fear

Buy The Fear – It’s Not Me, It’s You

Buy The Fear [Explicit]Amazon

 

10.  Wild Beasts- This Is Our Lot

Buy This Is Our Lot – Two Dancers

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11.  Dirty Projectors- Useful Chamber

Buy Useful Chamber – Bitte Orca

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12.  Girls- G*d Damned

Buy God Damned – Album (Bonus Track Version)

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13.  Sunset Rubdown- Idiot Heart

Buy Idiot Heart – Dragonslayer

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14.  Portishead- Chase the Tear

Buy Chase the Tear – Chase the Tear – Single

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15.  Joker & Ginz- Purple City

Buy Purple City – The Sound of Dubstep

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16.  Animal Collective- Bluish

Buy Bluish – Merriweather Post Pavilion

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17.  The XX- Crystalised

Buy Crystalised – xx

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18.  Bat for Lashes- Glass

Buy Glass – Two Suns

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19.  Neon Indian- Terminally Chill

Buy Terminally Chill – Psychic Chasms

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Best of 2009 Volume 6 (3/5/11)

1.  Franz Ferdinand- Ulysses

Buy Ulysses – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
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2.  Japandroids- Wet Hair

Buy Wet Hair – Post-Nothing
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3.  Cormega, Tragedy & Havoc- Define Yourself

Buy Define Yourself (Feat. Tragedy & Havoc) – Born And Raised
Buy Define Yourself (Feat. Tragedy & Havoc) [Explicit]

4.  Mos Def- Supermagic

Buy Supermagic – The Ecstatic

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5.  Major Lazer- Keep It Goin’ Louder

Buy Keep It Goin’ Louder (feat. Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze) – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do (Bonus Track Version)

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6.  The-Dream- Rockin’ that S**t

Buy Rockin’ That Sh** – Love Vs Money
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7.  Maxwell- Bad Habits

Buy Bad Habits (Uncut) – BLACKsummers’night
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8.  Rihanna- Rude Boy

Buy Rude Boy – Rated R
Buy Rude Boy [Explicit]Amazon

9.  Jay Electronica- Exhibit C

Buy Exhibit C – Exhibit C – EP
Buy Exhibit CAmazon

10.  Neko Case- People Got a Lotta Nerve

Buy People Got a Lotta Nerve – Middle Cyclone (Bonus Track Version)
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11.  The Decemberists- The Hazards of Love 1

Buy The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle the Thistles Undone) – Hazards of Love
Buy The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle the Thistles Undone)

12.  The Avett Brothers- January Wedding

Buy January Wedding – I and Love and You

Buy January Wedding Amazon

13.  Animal Collective- What Would I Want? Sky

Buy What Would I Want? Sky – Fall Be Kind – EP
Buy What Would I Want? SkyAmazon

14.  Tune-Yards- Sunlight

Buy Sunlight – Bird-Brains
Buy SunlightAmazon

15.  Girls- Morning Light

Buy Morning Light – Album (Bonus Track Version)
Buy Morning LightAmazon

16. Jay Reatard- It Ain’t Gonna Save Me

Buy It Ain’t Gonna Save Me – Watch Me Fall (Bonus Track Version)
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17.  The Antlers- Bear

Buy Bear – Hospice
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18.  Bat for Lashes- Travelling Woman

Buy Travelling Woman – Two Suns
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19.  Florence + the Machine- Dog Days are Over

Buy Dog Days Are Over – Lungs (Deluxe Edition)
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20.  The XX- Infinity

BuyInfinity – xx
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Best of 2009 Volume 7 (3/6/11)

1.  Passion Pit- To Kingdom Come

Buy To Kingdom Come – Manners (Bonus Track Version)

Buy To Kingdom ComeAmazon

2.  jj- From Africa to Malaga

Buy From Africa to Malaga – JJ N° 2

Buy From Africa To MalagaAmazon

3.  Grizzly Bear- Southern Point

Buy Southern Point – Veckatimest

Buy Southern PointAmazon

4.  Mew- Beach

Buy Beach – No More Stories Are Told Today I’m Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories the World Is Grey I’m Tired Let’s Wash Away (Bonus Track Version)

Buy BeachAmazon

5.  Camera Obscura- Honey in the Sun

Buy Honey In the Sun – My Maudlin Career

Buy Honey In The SunAmazon

6.  Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros- Home

Buy Home – Up From Below (Deluxe Edition)

Buy HomeAmazon

7.  Wilco- You Never Know

Buy You Never Know – Wilco (The Album)

Buy You Never KnowAmazon

8.  Animal Collective- Daily Routine

Buy Daily Routine – Merriweather Post Pavilion

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9.  The Fiery Furnaces- Lost at Sea

Buy Lost At Sea – I’m Going Away (Bonus Track Version)

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10.  Neon Indian- Psychic Chasms

Buy Psychic Chasms – Psychic Chasms

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11.  Dirty Projectors & David Byrne- Knotty Pine

Buy Knotty Pine – Dark Was the Night

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12.  Ikonika- Sahara Michael

Buy Sahara Michael – 5: Five Years of Hyperdub

Buy Sahara MichaelAmazon

13.  F**k Buttons- Rough Steez

Buy Rough Steez – Tarot Sport

*Not available via Amazon

14.  Them Crooked Vultures- New Fang

Buy New Fang – Them Crooked Vultures (Bonus Track Version)

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15.  Girls- Big Bad Mean Motherf**ker

Buy Big Bad Mean M**********r – Album (Bonus Track Version)

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16.  Mastodon- The Last Baron

Buy The Last Baron – Crack the Skye

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Best of 2009 Volume 8 (3/6/11)

1.  La Roux- In for the Kill

Buy In for the Kill – La Roux (Bonus Track Version)

Buy In For The KillAmazon

2.  Keri Hilson (Feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo)- Knock You Down (Single Edit)

Buy Knock You Down – NOW That’s What I Call Music, Vol. 32

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3.  Drake- Best I Ever Had

Buy Best I Ever Had – So Far Gone

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4.  Lady Gaga- So Happy I Could Die

Buy So Happy I Could Die – The Fame Monster (Deluxe Version)

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5.  The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- This Love is F**king Right!

Buy This Love Is F*****g Right! – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

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6.  Camera Obscura- The Sweetest Thing

Buy The Sweetest Thing – My Maudlin Career

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7.  Paolo Nutini- Candy

Buy Candy (Bonus Track) – Sunny Side Up (Bonus Track Version)

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8.  Mumford & Sons- Little Lion Man

Buy Little Lion Man – Sigh No More

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9.  Bill Callahan- My Friend

Buy My Friend – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle

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10.  Animal Collective- Lion in a Coma

Buy Lion In a Coma – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Buy Lion In A ComaAmazon

11.  The Flaming Lips- The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine

Buy The Sparrow Looks Up At the Machine – Embryonic

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12.  Micachu- Golden Phone

Buy Golden Phone – Jewellery (Bonus Track Version)

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13.  Raekwon- Surgical Gloves

Buy Surgical Gloves – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2

Buy Surgical Gloves [Explicit]Amazon

14.  Freddie Gibbs- Murda On My Mind

*Not available via iTunes or Amazon

15.  Mos Def (Feat. Talib Kweli)- History

Buy History (feat. Kweli) – The Ecstatic

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16.  Junior Boys- Parallel Lines

Buy Parallel Lines – Begone Dull Care

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17.  Girls- Laura

Buy Laura – Album (Bonus Track Version)

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18.  Alicia Keys- Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart

Buy Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart – The Element of Freedom (Deluxe Version)

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19.  Neon Indian- Ephemeral Artery

Buy Ephemeral Artery – Psychic Chasms

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