My number 1 for 2009 is Antony and the Johnsons. I have never listened to Antony apart from his vocal work on Bjorks Volta album but didn’t realise it was him until later when I bought this gem of an album home. I chose this album purely on a five-star ★★★★★ rating on a review. On my first listen my family thought—what the hell are you listening to! and I have to admit— it took me sometime to realise that I had stumbled upon something truly magical. Listening to Antony at night either sewing or reading soon developed into a serious habit. Antony’s voice is: angelic, powerful, sorrowful, gushing and absolutely beautiful. It’s been a while since an artist has made such a profound impression on me and this is why he’s my number 1 choice. If you love  ’beautiful melancholy’ purchase everything he has done— you  certainly won’t be disappointed.

To the other end of the colourful spectrum I give you Miss Ebony Bones. Introduced to me via SXSW I fell in love with her straight away, she reminds me of Bow Wow Wow. Bones of my Bones has a very tribal sound with killer bass and drum loops. This album is a riot— a party! you need to play it loud and just dance! dance like nobody is watching. Her outfits are outrageous! compliments the music perfectly. Ebony brings it!…KILLER ALBUM!

Ah! how good is this album? Little Lion Man had me hooked from the first listen; it’s folk, blues and bluegrass all mashed into one album. The harmonies in ‘sigh no more’, the song! puts a lump in my throat, it has  so much emotion and the dynamics of the whole album just puts you in a—lets all drink heaps of alcohol and hug each other— kind of mood with a winding down to a drunk’n sob at the end of the night. Do you get this feeling or is it just me? Lets hope their second album is as good as their first.

Marcus Mumford has a book club, ya gotta love that!

Fresh off the back of my love for Klaxons, Late of the Pier, Foals and These New Puritans— Friendly Fires was a continuation from 2007 through to 2009. I spent the first half of 2009 jogging to this album. It’s funky disco/tribal beats with great catchy vocals with a pause to clap; clap clap just makes you want to dance. ‘Paris’ is a magic song and the whole album floats around the feeling that song projects— for me anyway. I’m a sucker for dynamics they suck me in like a vortex— once I’m in, there is no return. Friendly Fires is a must have if you like to dance, it’s a feel good album it gets you motivated and it’s dead sexy. I dance! I dance in my lounge room where nobody can see.

Tegan and Sara’s Sainthood album was a grower for me. I loved ‘So Jealous’ and ‘The Con’ whilst ‘Sainthood’ took me a while to get into. Tegan and Sara write killer hooks and the lyrical content is like reading a trippy book. The whole album sits at a steady pace with killer T&S harmonies with —at times crunching guitar and synths. If I have to pick one song’On directing’ would be my favourite song on this album. I love their indie music style there’s nobody like them. they’re  truly unique. EE Storey— who does ‘Death Cab for Cuties’ graphics does T&S’s artwork …I’m a big fan. Her graphic style suits there music to a T. Great Indie album! This album was my morning traffic congestion companion T&S  get you through the day. Can’t wait for their next installment.

Did you go all crazy shit when Karen O walked out in her leather jacket embellished in studs with her initials on the back? I fucking did! ‘Zero’ is my song of the year! Killer video! I freakin love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. ‘It’s Blitz’ is so different to ‘Fever to Tell’ and ‘Show your bones’. ‘Fever to Tell’ is one of my all time favourite albums and I do love the direction they’ve taken with this album: adding synths and a more dance feel to this album, Dragon Queen has that CSS feel about it, it’s the guitar loop! The pace of ‘it’s Blitz’ is a little slow at times and as they may try they wont write another Maps ie: Skeletons. I really hope they bring out another ‘Fever to Tell’ I love the raw power of that album, ‘Maps’ being my favourite song of all time as voted in triple J’s hottest 100 of all time. I do love this album but not as much as their previous albums. A little harsh but that’s only because I love them so much.

The Dead Weather—Horehound, I was so excited to hear that Jack White and Alison Mosshart were joining forces and what a hell of a force that was. Of course this album was going to be everything we anticipated. Jack White in my opinion is one of the best song writers of this decade. How down right dirty is this album? I don’t think Mosshart would have it any other way. Killer distortion, grinding guitar riffage and gut wrenching vocals. I love that lyric in ‘I cut like a buffalo’— ‘is that you choking or are you just joking?’ Treat me like your mother! Hello! my god what a song! I’m stuck for words can you tell? Fuck it! it’s got balls, big ‘fuck off’ balls… LOVE IT!

I read somewhere Sarah Blasko parted ways with her longtime writing partner —enough said. I freakin love this album! there is an emotional attachment to every word Blasko sings on this cd. It’s outstanding. Using double bass, a basic drumkit and strings throughout the whole album. For me— I can hear the rumblings of Bjork’s Human Behavior throughout— especially on ‘Bird on a Wire’ Blasko’s voice is so gentle,  I think what makes this album a winner are the combination of instruments she has chosen to use, they compliment her songwriting and vocals so perfectly. I particularly love the song Over & Over and how she so cleverly blends the music into a Talking Heads song for the finish. My stand out songs for this album are: All I want, Bird on a wire, We won’t run & No turning back. Simply Smashing!

Gossip—they dropped the ‘The’ I find it hard to call them ‘Gossip’ it sounds weird. I was really hanging for this album, I loved all the promotional material leading up to it and I  certainly wasn’t disappointed. It’s Indie rock disco! Beth Ditto is a whole lotta women with a voice from out of this world. I love this women, her style her attitude to life— she just seems like such a happy soul in all her interviews. Brace— the man behind the music has such a disco ear he nails that disco feel so well, how can you not dance people! pop’in bass lines with an accented-off -beat  rhythm played on a cowbell. Hannah’s a freak! in a good way that is— the perfect drummer, a killer rhythm section. I’m a huge fan of the ‘Off Beat’ time signature. Hey! I should compile my fav top 10 off beat time signature tunes. There are quite a few on this album! Go put it on, let your hair down! go put on your favourite lycra tights and turn your lounge room into a studio 54. The Gossip are here to stay! woooooo!

Ah the goth in me comes fourth, The Horrors Primary Colours completes my top 10 of 2009. What can I say it’s my youth rolled into one album.  It’s Punk/Goth brilliance. Love this whole album and I’m so glad it’s as good as their first, ’1st killer albums’ worry me! you pray for the predecessor to follow slickly in it’s foot steps, in this case she has slotted nicely into place putting my mind at ease. ‘New Ice Age’ = early P.I.L… Bring it on!

When you look at this cover does it remind you of  The Cure?

So what was your favourite albums of 2009? If I could squeeze one more in it would be ‘Florence and the Machine’- Lungs.

Yay for another killer year in music! I’m already excited about 2010. ‘These New Puritans’ will be kicking things off— can’t wait!