At first glance, '09 may seem like a fairly disappointing year for music fans (beyond the obvious releases from Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear). However, for those up for the challenge, there were many gems to be discovered throughout the final year of this decade. Quality albums from; The Antlers, Decemberists, Manchester Orchestra, and Brand New all appeared to be mediocre, overly-hyped releases. But when each has been given adequate time to be digested - calling any of them 'mediocre' would be false. Unfortunately, it appears '09 did not have many indie/alternative albums which will be universally accepted due to their style, genre, and mass appeal.
So, without further ado, the top 10 albums of 2009:
10. The Decemberists - Hazzards of Love
9. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
8. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Sleeping at Last - Storyboards
5. Russian Circles - Geneva
4. The Antlers - Hospice
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
2. Animal Collective - Meriweather Post-Pavilion
1. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing
