Best of 2009: Top 25 Indie Songs
December 16, 2009 · Print This Article
Keeping up with the year’s independent releases is a daunting task, but also among my favorite constant activities. Oodles of great music have come out this year, and because some of my favorites have been singles, I decided to focus on songs, rather than albums.
Besides that, the introduction to an artist always begins with a single song, so I felt compelled to deliver to you the song that I consider could turn you on to the album within which it resides. In deciding which songs to include on this list, I focused on the music that has consistently impressed and moved me musically, but also poetically and philosophically, and so I hope you’ll enjoy this compilation.
25. “You Cried Me” – Jookabox, Dead Zone Boys
Jookabox doesn’t fail to present interesting compositions that are difficult to unify in terms of sound. I chose “You Cried Me” from the band, because it is so high energy and even a bit folkie, but maintains their electronic rhythm-driven sound among the madness.
24. “And the Hazy Sea” – Cymbals Eat Guitars, Why There Are Mountains
A manic Modest Mouse feel flows through this song, as it starts off in a flurry of sound that levels out into some calm piano, only to bring you back into an arcane musical explosion and back down again.
23. “1901” – Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus
I love this danceable track by Phoenix, because it’s fun, catchy, and I’ve been hearing it everywhere! It has managed to penetrate my subconscious, and I’m fine with that.
22. “It’s Thunder and Its Lightning” – We Were Promised Jetpacks, These Four Walls
Besides the awesome Scottish accent of singer, Adam Thompson, this song manages to perfectly combine moody rock with sincere experimentation, with the result being a powerful, seductive ride.
21. “Ambling Alp” – Yeasayer, Ambling Alp Single
If there’s a song that can throw you a rainbow and right into a “happy place,” this is it. Yeasayer just pegs that carefree spirit in this song, where you can imagine everyone surrounding you with a sincere smile on their face. As sung by Chris Keating, “You must stick up for yourself son. Never mind what anybody else done.”
20. “The Mountain” – Heartless Bastards, The Mountain
This song starts out with distorted guitar and a moody Erica Wennerstrom singing with purpose behind her tone. It’s raw and brings me back to the days of early PJ Harvey.
19. “Got Nuffin” – Spoon, Got Nuffin Single
We got a new Spoon song this year. It is Spoon, and it rocks just right. The guitars get a bit eccentric, deliciously. The song is catchy, but not in a mind-numbing way, and the vocals are almost spoken, rather than sung in some parts. Good stuff.
18. “Here to Fall” – Yo La Tengo, Popular Songs
Strings and piano carry this piece gorgeously through the anxiety-ridden melody that holds the decision that “if you’re ready, I’m here to fall with you.”
17. “French Navy” – Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career
It’s playful, uplifting, and I can’t resist a dramatic love song. When Tracyanne Campbell sings, “I wanted to control it. But, love, I couldn’t hold it,” I bounce to the melody, thinking, “I hear ya!”
16. “Camp Out” – An Horse, Rearrange Beds
This is an angsty track that I love for the sheer honesty of the musicians. The music makes me think of the melancholy rock that came out of the ‘90s. Kate Cooper isn’t hiding anything, when she sings, “You wanna camp out and I wanna fuck around.”
15. “Lions” – The Features, Some Kind of Salvation
This song will make you dance! I love the energy of The Features, and the band has a way of making every song fun, yet substantial. Such is found in the chorus, “Let’s stick together. Let’s follow our hearts. Not even lions can tear us apart.”
14. “Pull My Heart Away” – Jack Penate, Everything is New
This is the type of song that lets you travel, while you stand in place. It takes you places, carried by Penate’s soulful, lush vocals and the graceful piano and guitar accompaniment.
13. “I’ve Got Friends” – Manchester Orchestra, Mean Everything to Nothing
Guitar heavy and intense, this song always gets me to turn the volume up. And who hasn’t felt like this, “I’ve got friends in all the right places. I know what they want and I know they don’t want me to stay.”
12. “You and I” – Wilco, Wilco (the album)
The guest vocals of Leslie Feist, the warm harmonies, and the light spirit of a message that could otherwise seem harsh make this song one of my favorites this year.
11. “Stillness is the Move” – Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca
This song just makes me feel happy. That is exactly why I love it. It has a funky experimental beat with Amber Coffman’s soulful, unpredictable vocals overtop.
10. “Wicked Blood” – Sea Wolf, White Water, White Bloom
Piano-pounding and a rhythm-driven chorus make this song absolutely impossible to listen to without feeling every poetic line that Alex Church sings.
9. “Home” – Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Up From Below
Whistles, jangling, horns, and the vocal interaction of Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos are irresistible. The band captures that essence of freedom and love, but not in a naïve way, when they croon, “Home is wherever I’m with you.”
8. “Crying Lightning” – Arctic Monkeys, Humbug
The song holds mystery and mischief in the sexiest way imaginable. The menacing melody from the airy guitar is carried perfectly by the various rhythm infusions from bass, drums, and keys.
7. “Heartless” – William Fitzsimmons, Heartless
I did not know this was a Kanye West cover, when I first started to repeatedly listen to this song. But, it is, and the song is even more wonderful to me knowing that this singer/songwriter chose to cover a Kanye song, and did it complete justice, while maintaining his own signature sound throughout.
6. “While You Wait For Others” – Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest
The appeal of this song is not just found in the brilliant vocal harmonies and alternating melody, but in the astute truth presented within the song’s message to leave other’s opinion at the door.
5. “Say Please” – Monsters of Folk, Monsters of Folk
This song could be an anthem to induce hope. It’s just amazingly crafted, dare I say near perfect. It fits into the caliber of rock music we now consider “classic” and timeless.
4. “This Tornado Loves You” – Neko Case, Middle Cyclone
I love many of Neko Cases’s velvety, yet powerfully belted-out songs. But, I especially love “This Tornado Loves You.” I tend to break into this song after a tiff with the husband. It’s true.
3. “My Girls” – Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
This song is fantastic not just for its space-odyssey soundscape and cohesive experimentation, but for its simple message of only needing the simpler things in life. The vocal harmonies throughout the track amplify the surreal experience of the music, while the lyrics remain fairly literal.
2. “Blood Bank” – Bon Iver, Blood Bank EP
Justin Vernon’s voice has the ability to rouse the most deep-seated emotions you may harbor. “Blood Bank” is poetic, uncomplicated, and simply beautiful.
1. “Daniel” – Bat For Lashes, Two Suns
Spacey, gorgeous, and mysterious, Natasha Kahn can sing and bring you into the most pleasant dreamlike states. The track is haunting and almost heartbreaking, though the subtle electronic rhythms disguise the pain.
Nadia Lelutiu, Indie Editor
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Killer list. You’ve definately done your homework and these are indeed some of the best indie tracks released-arguably ever.