I know it’s kinda late for this, but before the mists of 2009 are well and truly parted, I’d like to pay a quick homage to ten tunes that really grabbed me throughout the year. These are not necessary songs released in 2009, but all songs that I heard for the first time in 2009.

1. Tim Exile – Family Galaxy

What can I say, a good metric modulation really gets me going. It’s one of those nerdy compositional/mathematical tricks that can be quite mind-blowing to both the schooled & unschooled listener. And this song is pretty much built on it. Throw on top some pretty wild harmonic progressions, killer drum programming, and an entrancing vocal line, and you’ve got a good shot at my #1 song of the year.

The rest of the album didn’t amaze me quite as much as this track, but still good solid stuff as one expects from Warp Records.

2. Kid Sam – Close Your Eyes and it All Goes Black

The first time I heard Kid Sam was at Hangar, actually. I didn’t know anything about them, but they were up playing some shows with McKisko & maybe Fergus Brown (?) I don’t remember. Anyways, I was working the door for most of the evening, and took a bit of a break during Kid Sam’s set & so I wandered in during this song. I was a little bit confused by it – it seemed such a stilted, awkward performance against the raucous atmosphere of Hangar – but I was strangely mesmerised by Kieran Ryan’s amazing vocals and the simplicity and beauty of the song.

I didn’t know at the time that Kid Sam’s self-titled album would become a musical staple for me throughout the coming year. I find that the difference between good music and great music is the way great music edges its way into your inner consciousness over time, almost of its own accord. Kid Sam does that.

3. Mew – Introducing Palace Players

I’ve always been a big fan of Mew, so when I heard they had a new release, I was pretty much ready to embrace whatever they came out with. The Danish quartet who have referred to themselves as “stadium indie” always appeal to my nerdier musical interest with their mathy arrangements and epic grandeur. But I was caught off guard by this… The jilted angular rhythm of the intro is more reminiscent of Battles or Don Caballero than anything on a previous Mew album. As the song progresses they pull back to some more familiar territory with a hooky chorus & big synths, but Introducing Palace Players is one of tracks that achieve a great balance of pop catchiness and avant cleverness. I found myself craving this track fairly frequently in 2009.

4. Phoenix – Love Like a Sunset

So Phoenix’s 2009 release Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has made it onto just about every top ten list around, with explosive singles like 1901 and Lisztomania, it has this real mass appeal whilst keeping enough edge to make it kosher with the hipsters. I did really enjoy the album, but from the very first listen though, it was this track – the 7:39 epic with barely any vocals – that totally blew me away. It’s just so inventive and beautifully produced. I would love Phoenix to make a whole album of this – if only it wasn’t total commercial suicide.

5. Dirty Projectors and David Byrne - Knotty Pine

This track came from the brilliant compilation “Dark Was The Night“. It was my first exposure to Dirty Projectors, and every time I heard it I had to skip back and play it again. It’s just so unlike any other thing on the airwaves at the moment, whilst still being totally accessible, and really fun.

After hearing this song I bought their album “Bitte Orca” and it became a pretty regular feature on my iPod. They are just so good at their instruments, and yet they manage to be extremely iconoclastic & at times chaotic, with a real freedom & exuberance in their compositions. I’ve really enjoyed this band a lot over the last year – they don’t sound like anything else I’ve heard.

6. Capybara – San Francisco, 1906

These guys aren’t particularly high-profile, but when I heard this song it had everything I was looking for in music at that particular time – Complex rhythms and beautiful melodies, clever & innovative, but still fun. Sam Schlencker of Skinny Jean gave me their album and I listened to it without knowing anything about them at all, now it’s one of my favourites. I hope these guys go on to great things.

7. Pele – Safe Dolphin

I am very late in getting into these guys. This track from 2002 is a kicking instrumental track that just exudes energy & excitement. Pele are an instrumental act who are experts at layering pretty guitars over very human grooves. By “human” I mean that they are metronomically very loose, but the chemistry in the ensemble is super-tight, and the beats really pulse with breath and life.

Would have loved to see these guys live, but unfortunately it’s all over for Pele. Some members went on to form Collections of Colonies of Bees who are also very cool, and subsequently Volcano Choir, the awesome collaboration between Collections and Bon Iver.

8. Mono – Burial at Sea

I don’t care what people say about the death of post rock. Sure, it’s been done… but 10 minute epics that build from a delicate whisper to deafening roar still will always have a place in my heart. And in my mp3 player. And when it comes to epics, no-one does it better than Japan’s Mono.

9. Hudson Mohawke – Polkadot Blues

From the moment I heard this track I was totally mesmerised by that munted, hobbling beat. Hudson Mohawke really knows how to tiptoe that line between tight grooves and totally messy nonsense. Polkadot Blues sits right on the edge, threatening to fall completely into chaos, but all the while keeping it together just enough for you to tap your foot.

10. Tortoise – Prepare Your Coffin

This is pretty new and interesting territory for Tortoise. From the very bold and almost naif beginning theme, through the fun racing middle sections, it’s marked with the exemplary execution that Tortoise always provides. I think the thing I enjoy most about this track is how unpretentious it is – it could almost be a theme tune for some kind of action drama, but it’s still riddled with experimental ideas and playful twists and turns.