Top 5 Songs of 2009
(AT THE CLOSE OF THE FIRST QUARTER, THAT IS)
5. “You Are the Blood”
Sufjan Stevens
If this is the direction Sufjan is taking his new material, he may just be album of the year worthy. Of course he may pull that off no matter what he decides to put out. This song—one of the stand-outs from the very stand-outish compilation Dark Was the Night—is so glitchy nasty filthy, and irresistable, I want to go swimming in the La Brea Tar Pits. “You are the blood, flowing through my fingers.” Maybe this is his way of purging all those damn Christmas songs from his blood stream?
4. “Blood Bank”
Bon Iver
The only thing I have to complain about is that we have to wait so long for a follow-up LP from Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver. I had the good fortune of seeing him play in Chicago earlier this year, and he played “Blood Bank” for the crowd. It’s such a great song. It finds Vernon leaving his falsetto behind for the most part, and showing us that even in the lower register, he can belt out emotionally connected, harmonious stories of love found then lost then found again.
3. “My Night with the Prostitute from Marsailles”
Realpeople (Beirut)
I suppose the song title does kind of relate to the lyrics, but don’t let your prejudicial ways write this one off. It’s a poppy keyboard and synth-driven romp across the back streets of France, in search of some medicine that will remove this catchy tune from your cerebellum. Good luck with that. “And I won’t mind, what she decides to swear by.” Good lyrics to boot!
2. “Brothersport”
Animal Collective
Take that Vampire Weekend. Who needs an “Oxford comma” when it “Sucks that daddy’s dumb”? Seriously though, I feel like Paul Simon and the Beach Boys got together at an LSD party and sang a prophecy of a future band who would one day distort and continue their legacy for generations to come. These guys just keep on getting better, it’s ridiculous.
1. “Two Weeks”
Grizzly Bear
This is the live version Grizzly Bear played last year on Letterman. The studio recording will show up this May (ahem) and I can only imagine it will be even more glorious and addictive than this version. From the hypnotic keyboards to the inclusion of “malaise” in the lyrics to the fact that my daughter loves it as much as I do… yeah, this might be a tough one to knock out of the top spot.
