The Porkchop Express: Alex Aaron's Blog: Top Ten Albums and Songs of 2009

10. Passion Pit, Manners
This collection of bouyant, shimmering gems is the best example of indie electronic this year.

9. Antlers, Hospice
Combining ambient textures with dark, propulsive anthems, this is certainly one of the best albums of the year. Complex and deeply cinematic.

8. Sunset Rubdown, Dragon Slayer
With this latest album, Sunset Rubdown reaffirms why they are one of the most ambitious, moving, and powerfully idiosyncratic bands of the 21st century.

7. Handsome Furs, Face Control
With this newest release from his Wolf Parade side project Handsome Furs, Dan Boeckner again produces a fantastic album full of gritty, rousing electronic indie rock.

6. Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Phoenix's brand of sleek, electro-pop was a major winner this year with this outstanding album, in which seemingly every song is a single.

5. Foreign Born, Person to Person
This album of pristine, scintillating indie rock is the second stunner from the California based Foreign Born; the first being their extraordinary debut, On the Wing Now.

4. WHY?, Eskimo Snow
Not only is the only one of the most sorely underrated albums of the year, but in my opinion it is also one of the best. It shows the band in their intimate and emotionally affecting light.

3. The Middle East, Recordings of the Middle East
Although this is technically only an EP, it's seven songs are as hauntingly beautiful as anything I've heard in a long time.

2. Neko Case, Middle Cyclone
This album represents the pinnacle of Neko Case's career in my opinion. At least for now. The songs here are more lush and penetratingly beautiful than anything she's ever done.

1. Dappled Cities, Zounds
This oft-underlooked Australian band releases the best album of their career with this soaring collection of big, bold, emotive indie rock songs.

Top Ten Songs of 2009

10. We Were Promised Jetpacks, Quiet Little Voices