52 Records' Top 15 Albums of 2009

Here are the Top 15 Albums of the year, according to '52 Records.'

15.) "Cage the Elephant" - Cage the Elephant: This was the lone release of the year that could have got by purely on energy. Cage the Elephant received a ton of hype after their SXSW performances and are certainly looking to carry their success into 2010. This was raw, unfiltered rock music from the perspective of your average 20 year old. A very nice debut.

14.) "Steps" - Caleb Hawley: As I said in his review, Caleb Hawley is the greatest songwriter you've never heard of. Everything from his melodies to his chord selection scream originality and honesty. His talent is bursting at the seems, and oh yeah, he's a down-to-earth great guy.

13.) "Manners" - Passion Pit: So I think Passion Pit is the most overrated band of 2009. There I said it. That being said, they are still amazingly talented. Their fusion of synth, indie, pop and dance is almost unheard of. They have an unwavering knack for being catchy, and that's good enough for me.

12.) "Fool's Gold" - Fool's Gold: This release made me realize that Vampire Weekend were fakes, well, to some extent. Fool's Gold shows us what it's like to be a real African-Pop act. The instrumentation, percussion and danceability of this record really shine through here.

11.) "Seek Magic" - Memory Tapes: Quite the combination of indie pop and electronica. This is what Passion Pit will always try to sound like. Memory Tapes has an uncanny ability to combine indie rock and synthesizers in way that is not just pop-friendly, but experimental. I'm a huge fan of artists that push the envelope.

10.) "Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love" - Sa-Ra Creative Partners: Heavy and wet, this album is just dripping with R&B and soul. Aside from the bass and synth, the lyrics offer up limitless innuendoes and NC-17 themes. I won't have it any other way.

9.) "Peace Love Weed 3D" - Eliot Lipp: This past year I became heavily infatuated with electronic music...in any form. I lived for it. And the record that I listened to the most this year (in good times and bad) was PLW3D. This album was hip, trendy, synthy and full of bass...everything a 24 year old young professional could want. Also, every song was 4:20.

8.) "Ambivalence Avenue" - Bibio: Somehow this album combined minstrel folk music, psychedelic folk rock and futuristic computer generated beats. What else can I say. This was one of those experiments that went well...

7.) "Heartbeat Radio" - Sondre Lerche: One of my favorite songwriters here...so my bias is showing through. Regardless, Sondre Lerche provides us with a soundtrack of melodies that showcase his versatility as a songwriter and performer. This album is filled with big melodies, big sounds and big risks. Just listen to the big strings on 'Rosebud.'

6.) "Bitte Orca" - Dirty Projectors: This was the album that nobody should have liked. All of the time signatures and rhythms are unique. The feel is nothing short of rushed and experimental. But like the mad scientists that they are, Dirty Projectors show us that there is more to music than music. There is also music. Oh... and they also sing about love.

5.) "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" - Phoenix: What can be said that hasn't already been said? This is the model for pop rock song structure. Every track on this album has the potential to be a hit (with the exception of the Love Like a Sunset suite). Upbeat pop/indie/rock songs are what we crave...and Phoenix has delivered them all year long.

4.) "The Ecstatic" - Mos Def: Everything from the beats to the rhymes really ring true on 'The Ecstatic.' This was one of, if only, the major hip hop releases of the year that is worth buying. Nowadays rap owns the airways...but if you want real hip/hop, you want Mos Def. The lyrical substance on this album is second to none and the beats are just as good.

3.) "Veckatimest" - Grizzly Bear: What an album. This collection of pop/folk numbers is filled with experimental harmonies and instrumentation. Grizzly Bear takes a huge music risk and leap here...fortunately they know what they're doing and 'Veckatimest' becomes one of the best releases of the year.

2.) "Phrazes for the Young" - Julian Casablancas: I've been waiting so long for this. Julian Casablancas' (post / mid) Strokes debut is filled with an incredible amount of pop experimentation. And when I say pop experimentation, I mean like 1987 pop experimentation. 'Phrazes For the Young' is a collection of upbeat, transcendent tunes that show us the real brilliance behind this past decade's best band, The Strokes.

1.) "Psychic Chasms" - Neon Indian: This blew my mind. Neon Indian's collection of creative, yet lo-fi synthy medleys completely drew me in. The creativity and ability to reference the past, while working in a futuristic genre sold me. Throw in introverted lyrics and a great live show and you have, what I think, is the best release of the year.