The Diary of Antoine Roquentin

With so many shitty “Best of ’09″ lists floating around the web, heavy with bands that don’t make what human beings consider music *cough* AnCo *cough* I thought I’d roll my own. Sound off in the comments.

This is based on when I added them to iTunes, regardless of release date.

1. Peaches – I Feel Cream

Hands down the best album of the year. I was rocking these jams for months, and am still rocking them. “I Feel Cream” is the jam of the century.

you caught
my eye
but I
did shy
your hand
across
my thigh

2. Amadou & Mariam – Welcome To Mali

I absolutely love this album. I listened to it almost nonstop for a month after I downloaded it, if I put on one song I always listen to it all the way through. I also saw them at Webster Hall this year, and it was a wonderful show.

3. Röyksopp – Junior

I felt like this album was trying too hard, but it was catchy and had great replayability. “Girl and the Robot” is a fantastic jam. Also got to see them live, which rocked my cock.

4. Kelley Polar – Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens / I Need You to Hold On While the Sky is Falling

Okay, this is a double-disc best of, because Kelley Polar is the best artist I discovered this year. His songs bounce between the crisp sheen of immaculately produced space disco and intricately crafted love songs. Who can’t identify with the whispered refrain of Tyurangalila: “I can’t wait ’till you’re back here in the dark with me.”

5. Junior Boys – Begone Dull Care

Okay, I admit it, I hated this album on first listen. It just wasn’t Last Exit-ey enough. However, the songs performed live take on a life of their own.

6. Bent – Intercept!

I don’t really know anything about this band, it was an iTunes Genius recommendation, but this album is just great. It’s a tin-foil-wrapped ball of electro and chk-chk-chk-esque improvisation. Tons of replayability.

7. Fujiya & Miyagi – Lightbulbs

I don’t remember when I started to get into Fujiya & Miyagi, but they have this perfect economy of sound that makes those signature riffs just stick right in your head, and the almost dada lyrics stay with you:

Rows and rows of lightbulbs illuminated in speech bubbles
Alternating off and on every time i hit the button
Sprinkling hundreds and thousands on a knickerbocker glory
I saw the ghost of lena zavaroni

8. Miss Kittin and the Hacker – Two

I never, never, never thought Miss Kittin and the Hacker would release another album, so it’s like a wonderful electro dream from Grenoble. While it doesn’t have the same kind of sparse, crackly programming that made First Album an instant classic, it has a more mature kind of self-awareness to it.

9. St. Vincent – Actor

I’ll admit, once I saw that both Pitchfork and the New Yorker shat bricks about this album, I expected it to be a cliche indie clusterfuck. However, after a few listens this one really grew on me, especially “The Party,” which always makes me think of the last time I saw Andrew.

Honey, the party, you went away quickly
But oh, that’s the trouble with ticking and tocking [...]

Oh, but I’d pay anything to keep my conscience clean
Keeping my eye on the exits, I’m steady now

How did we get here with creaks in these chairs
Oh there aren’t enough hands to point all the fingers

But I sit transfixed by a hole in your t-shirt
Oh I’ve said much too much and they’re trying to sweep up

10. Psapp – Only Thing I Ever Wanted

This album was just so adorable. This band uses toy instruments, and all the songs have this kind of dark levity to them. I had “The Hill of our Home” stuck in my head for weeks.

11. (take that, predictability!) Zoot Woman – Things Are What They Used To Be

Zoot Woman was another band that I thought would never release another album, so I was very excited when this one made its debut. Unfortunately, they didn’t tour the US. I must have listened to “Lonely by Your Side” for about a month.

Now it’s 7 a.m.—I guess I should try to get some sleep.

Also, my expensive voice-recognition headset broke (after only buying it in the summer, isn’t that bullshit?) so I need to go through the warranty bullshit (just another thing to do, ugh). So yeah, my wrists hurt. And it’s time for sleep.