• The XX - xx
  • Probably the “sexiest” album of 2009. Mellow instrumentation, sultry lyrics. A must-have. Great album for rainy days AND great on a hot, sunny day! If you like this album, you need to google, bing, youtube or whatever-search this quartet for some of their remixes of other artists’ songs.
  • Favorite Tracks: Crystalised & Heart Skipped A Beat

• Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part II
  • I love it because its 100% listenable without skipping tracks. The long awaited sequel lived up to the original OB4CL. It looks like this made a slew of entertainment “Best of…” lists.
  • Favorite Tracks: Gihad & Kiss The Ring

• J. Cole - The Warm Up (Mixtape)
  • The Drake comparisons need to stop. This kid is better & more talented! Rapper, producer & college graduate (magna cum laude from St. John’s). Be prepared to not skip any tracks here! If you’re tired of the “I’m dope, I’m fresh, I got this…I got that, money stacks in the bank, etc..” raps. Then by all means get this free mixtape.
  • Favorite Tracks: Grown Simba & I Get Up

• Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
  • Just an all-out smooth album. Push play, lay back and enjoy! I know it’s right below this sentence, but I LOVE the song “Two Weeks”!
  • Favorite Tracks: Two Weeks & While You Wait For The Others

• Fashawn - Boy Meets World
  • With Exile doing all of the production, this album has the cohesiveness and continuity that we don’t typically see in hip-hop anymore. People ask for real hip-hop or say it’s dead…Turn off Lil Wayne & MTV & keep ears to the blogs!
  • Favorite Tracks:Boy Meets World & Life as a Shorty

• Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
  • Hipsters and stoners probably REALLY approve this album. I’m neither, but this experimental album had many hailing it “808’s & Heartbreak without autotune”. Guest features of MGMT & Ratatat (on the same song no less) makes this album another must-have or at least “must-listen-at-least-once!
  • Favorite Tracks: Soundtrack 2 My Life & Pursuit of Happiness (Ft. MGMT & Ratatat)

• La Roux - La Roux
  • This makes my list, but for me to give why I like it is kind of puzzling. Large, complex adjectives escape me…Uhhhh, it’s a fun album to listen to! I do find it funny (yet typical) that this album reached as high as #2 in other parts of the world, but in the US it peaked at #170. Really!?! You’re telling me all the garbage I hear on Clear Channel Radio & MTV ranks higher than this!?!?
  • Favorite Tracks: Tigerlilly, Cover My Eyes & Reflections Are Protection

• The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
  • Great laid back album. I’m hearing that this is considered “experimental rock”. Oh wellz, it’s on my favorites list and I’ve seen it on major entertainment publications’ Best of 2009 and also on best lists of the decade.
  • Favorite Tracks: Stillness Is The Move & No Intention

• Chester French - Love The Future
  • Consider me a champion for Chester French 9and anyone on The Neptunes’ label StarTrak Ent.). These two guys (lead vocals: D.A. Wallach and multi-instrumentalist) can produce a track for any genre and make it sound good. I loved this album when it came out early 2009 and still do. The mixtape they release on their site http://chesterfrench.com/mixtape/, prior to the album is also a great listen. ALL tracks, on both the mixtape and debut album, are solely produced by the Harvard University duo.
  • Favorite Tracks: C’mon (On My Own), Bebe Buell & Sleep

• Clipse - Til The Casket Drops
  • Speaking of The Neptunes…This 3rd album from the Virginia Beach siblings, is the only retail album from the duo tat wasn’t entirely produced by superproducers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. If you’ve heard any of the classic Clipse/Re-Up Gang mixtapes, you’ll know that they can shine on anyones’ production. This album boasts the double entendres and slick metaphors that their fans have grown to love. Hip-hop’s most underrated duo/group.
  • Favorite Tracks: Freedom, Door Man & Life Change

• Wale - Attention Deficit
  • This is Wale’s (pronounced wah-lay) debut album. He’s put out several mixtapes that have garnered hip-hop heads’ attention, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting this album to be this good! Wale has some pretty noteworthy features on this debut effort. Bun B, Jazmine Sullivan, Chrisette Michele, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Marsha Ambrosius & J. Cole are among the several he brought on for this project.
  • Favorite Tracks: Mama Told Me & Shades

• Florence and the Machine - Lungs (deluxe version)
  • First of all…LMAO @ the peak position on the US Billboard Top 200…#179!?! Anyways, this debut by Florence Welch & her band is pretty amazing. I’ve probably listened to this album, The XX and the Clipse’s albums the most out of all these I’ve listed. The percussion on Cosmic Love sounds epic. One of the highlights on this album is the second half of the song Girl With One Eye. I would’ve love to be in the studio when this track was being pieced together. This qualifies as a must-have album.
  • Favorite Tracks: Dog Days Are Over, Bird Song, Girl With One Eye & Between Two Lungs

• Honorable Mention
  • Maxwell - BLACKsummers’night
  • The Cloud I’m Under – There’s More To Life Than Indie Rock N Roll
  • Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
  • Karen O And The Kids - Where The Wild Things Are (soundtrack)
  • Jay-Z - The Blueprint III (heard all these songs live tho…WOW!)
  • Matt & Kim - Grand
  • Regina Spektor - Far

*FIN