Interview

1. "Seven," Fever Ray (PICTURED)

I don't know exactly what this one is about, but it's the spookiest electro-pop song I know of that includes a lyric about "dishwashing tablets."

2. "Feel it All Around," Washed Out

This song opens up a portal to another dimension in which it is always the early 80s and no one is ever stressed out about anything. Also, I'm pretty sure you can breathe underwater whenever this song happens to be playing.

3. "My Girls," Animal Collective

Animal Collective basically owned 2009, and deservedly so. If you can listen to this song at peak volume and not be compelled to do the "whoo!" as the song's chorus kicks in, then there's probably something wrong with your ears.

4. "Ready, Able," Grizzly Bear

Not only is this song gorgeous, the corresponding music video is arguably the best use of clay since Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

5. "Goth Star," Pictureplane

I am not mad at any song that takes a healthy sample of a Fleetwood Mac song and somehow makes it both dancey and gothy.

6. "Chances Are," The Breeders

Listening to Kim and Kelly Deal sing about broken hearts on "Chances Are" is about as likely to make tears shoot out of my eyes as that scene in Steel Magnolias where Sally Field has a meltdown at the cemetery after Julia Roberts dies. It makes me bawl, but in a good way.

7. "Hot Like Fire," The xx

Pasty British teens covering an Aayliyah song and making it sound like The Cure. Bonkers.

8. "Quick Canal," Atlas Sound

Bradford Cox is a genius for many reasons, not the least of which is getting Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier to sing on a song that sounds like the best song Stereolab never actually recorded.

9. "Don't Vote," Cass McCombs

If you don't vote, then you can't complain about politics. So don't vote. Plus, the song sounds like it was recorded on a back porch sometime in the wee hours of the morning, when everything sounds prettier and the real world sounds far, far away.

10. "Beach Comber," Real Estate

No song this year was more aptly named than this tune, which sounds exactly like what you'd like to be hearing as you walked down a beach by yourself, randomly kicking at shells  and thinking about what you're gonna do when summer school ends and your parents expect you to find a real job.

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I hate it when people complain about how sick they are of hearing Christmas music playing in all the stores during this time of year. I, for one, love it.  Just like egg nog, holiday records are delicious when consumed sparingly and for only a few weeks out of the year. Much like Michael Jackson or old Madonna, the right holiday jam can make people drop their drinks and sprint for the dance floor. I'm not sure the same can be said for all of the following records, but I love them just the same.

Liberace ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
There's nothing too super flashy about his piano-fied renditions of holiday tunes here, but this is worth owning so you can display the cover art with the rest of your holiday decorations. A  floor-length, multi-layered white fur coat? This is how everyone should look on Christmas.

A John Waters Christmas
This collection of John Waters' favorite holiday songs is a treasure for many reasons, but the highlight for me is Little Cindy's "Happy Birthday Jesus (A Child's Prayer)", in which an adorable child with the world's strongest southern accent recounts a birthday poem for Jesus–it's very weird.

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One of the biggest success stories of 2009 has been the glorious return of lo-fi indie rock. Like a fuzzy, sloppily recorded zombie returning from the 4-track grave, this scrappy subgenre came  back into the limelight this year. These dudes and ladies might sound like they recorded their albums in a basement  with a microphone wrapped in burlap (because maybe they did), but with music this catchy, who cares about polished production?

Dum Dum Girls
The brain trust over at Sub Pop records was smart to snatch up the Dum Dum Girls earlier this year. Described as a cross between the Ramones and the Ronettes, the DDG's share the same 50' pop fascination as many of their counterparts, but few other indie upstarts have as much panache as Dum Dum frontwoman Dee Dee. A full length album is on the way.

Best Coast
Perhaps the best and brightest in the new wave of lo-fi, Best Coast–the LA based duo of Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno–sounds like classic 50s doo-wop delivered with the appropriate amount of angry-girl snarl. The band's finest offering thus far is a recent 4-song 7" single featuring standout tracks "Make you Mine" and "Over The Ocean," released via brand new NYC label Group Tightener.

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Dead Leaves is actually the title of a great old album by Versus, which I've been listening to a lot lately. In addition, I've been sweeping up lots of dead leaves in my garden and watching a lot of dead leaves fall to the ground all over New York City. Having been so busy falling into fall, I've barely had time to pay attention to the ever-growing pile of promos on my desk. However, I did manage to pull a few seasonally-appropriate records to brighten my daily autumnal strolls around Brooklyn.

The Middle East Self-titled EP
This band actually isn't from the Middle East at all, but from somewhere down under (Brisbane, Australia). Sonically, however, they come from the same folky, pastoral universe as Fleet Foxes or Midlake. Gorgeous harmonies and gently strummed guitars that go on for days and days. You can also download the band's 5-song debut for the bargain price of $1 by visiting their Myspace page. Every song is a winner, so consider it a bargain.

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