ChordStrike

The Best Music of 2009

It may feel a little early for this sort of thing, but we on the Amazon music team have pooled our collective knowledge and taste to determine the best music of 2009.

We spent 2009 soothed by Neko Case's wail, moved to dance by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' turn towards big beats, intrigued by Somali hip-hop Troubadour K'naan, and ready to hear three key words from neo-twangsters the Avett Brothers.

On the songs side, French popsters Phoenix went nutty for a composer and we went nutty for Phoenix. La Roux made us feel invincible, Jay-Z officially crushed an awful trend, and Passion Pit sent us reeling.

Voting with their wallets, our customers told us they really like U2, as it was both our bestselling CD and MP3 album of 2009. Black Eyed Peas also popped up in plenty of playlists, as they locked down the top two slots on our songs chart.

Every year, great albums slip through the cracks. This year, our editors wanted to save some from that unfair fate. We shine a spotlight on excellent underheard CD and MP3 albums across all genres, and we've even made a playlist featuring a single song from each record, so you can sample 'til you find something you like.

Dig into the lists and see which lists line up most closely with your personal tastes:

Best Albums of 2009

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
3. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
5. the Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
6. Girls - Album
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
8. K'naan - Troubadour
9. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
10. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

> See all top 100 best albums of 2009
> See the list at Amazon MP3

Best Songs of 2009

1. Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
2. La Roux - "Bulletproof"
3. Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)"
4. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
5. Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve"
6. Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
7. Girls - "Lust for Life"
8. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
9. The Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"
10. Lily Allen - "The Fear"

> See all top 100 best songs of 2009
> Sample songs 1-50
> Sample songs 51-100

Bestselling CDs of 2009 (through October, including pre-orders)

1. U2 - No Line on the Horizon
2. Susan Boyle - I Dreamed a Dream
3. Diana Krall - Quiet Nights
4. Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
5. Bob Dylan - Together through Life

> See all 100 bestselling CDs of 2009

Bestselling MP3 Albums of 2009 (through October)

1. U2 - No Line on the Horizon
2. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
3. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
4. Paramore - Brand New Eyes
5. Lily Allen - The Fear

> See all 100 bestselling MP3 albums of 2009

Bestselling Songs of 2009 (through October)

1. Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
2. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"
3. Flo Rida - "Right Round"
4. Miley Cyrus - "The Climb"
5. Pitbull - "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho"

> See all 100 bestselling songs of 2009
> Sample songs 1-50
> Sample songs 51-100

Outstanding 2009 Albums You Might Have Missed

1. Throw Me the Statue - Creaturesque
2. Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band
3. The Legends - Over and Over
4. Lushlife - Cassette City
5. Point Juncture, Wa - Heart to Elk

> See all 100 2009 albums you might have missed at Amazon MP3
> Sample songs from albums 1-50
> Sample songs from albums 51-100

Head over to our best music of 2009 store to find complete lists, plus the best in everything from Latin music to Gospel to comedy and all points between.

We're aware there's still a decent chunk of the year left. We'll be adding a latecomers and honorable mentions feature over the next few weeks. Hit the comments, let us know what we missed, and perhaps it'll make an appearance.

-- Jeff Reguilon

The 100 Greatest Live Albums of All Time

There are plenty of live albums issued solely as afterthoughts or contract fulfillments, but there are plenty that are as transcendent as the best in-person concert experiences, only with zero lines at the bathroom. For this particular list we came up with the following criteria:

• Only one album per artist.
• Albums were been performed live in front of an audience, but don't necessarily have to be culled from a single performance.
• No EPs or singles—this list is about albums
• We decided to limit this list to music, which means no comedy. We wanted to save those records for a separate list for laffers.

Of course, we exercise their judgment regarding quality and/or historical significance. If you disagree with our choices (and there's a good chance you will), let us know in the comments.

Here goes:

1. James Brown - Live At The Apollo, 1962
2. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
3. Frank Sinatra - Sinatra at the Sands
4. Bill Withers - Live at Carnegie Hall
5. Judy Garland - Judy At Carnegie Hall
6. Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live, 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert
7. Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert
8. Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
9. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
10. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert
11. Neil Young - Live Rust
12. Otis Redding - Live in Europe
13. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
14. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York
15. Bob Marley - Live
16. The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out
17. Roy Orbison - Black and White Night
18. The Who - Live at Leeds
19. Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park
20. Jimi Hendrix - Live at Monterey
21. Cheap Trick - At Budokan
22. John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk - At Carnegie Hall
23. Paco de Lucia, Rodrigo, and Orchestra De Cadaques - Concierto de Aranjuez
24. Maceo Parker - Life On Planet Groove
25. Portishead - Live: Roseland NYC
26. Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis
27. Leonard Cohen - Live in London
28. Kiss - Alive!
29. Eric Clapton - Unplugged
30. Queen - Live Killers
31. Nina Simone - Nina Simone at Town Hall
32. Gram Parsons - Live 1973
33. Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-é
34. U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky
35. Lucinda Williams - Live at the Fillmore
36. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
37. Dead Can Dance - Toward the Within
38. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live in New York City
39. BB King - Live at the Regal
40. Aretha Franklin - Live at Fillmore West
41. David Bowie - Stage
42. Miles Davis - Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live At The Fillmore East
43. Art Blakey - A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1
44. Ani Difranco - Living in Clip
45. Mavis Staples - Live: Hope at the Hideout
46. Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960
47. Depeche Mode - 101
48. Deep Purple - Made in Japan
49. Isaac Hayes - Live at Wattstax
50. Sam Cooke - At the Copa
51. Parliament - Live: P-funk Earth Tour
52. Grateful Dead - Europe '72
53. Laurie Anderson - United States Live
54. Alison Krauss and Union Station - Live
55. Velvet Underground - 1969
56. Pink Floyd - Pulse
57. The Roots - Come Alive
58. Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
59. Sarah Vaughn - Live At The 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival
60. George Harrison - Live in Japan
61. Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
62. Erroll Garner - Concert by the Sea
63. Thelonius Monk - Thelonious in Action: Live at the Five Spot Cafe
64. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College
65. Janis Joplin - Janis in Concert
66. Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive
67. Willie Nelson - Stars and Guitars
68. John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard
69. The Clash - From Here To Eternity Live
70. Eartha Kitt - Live from the Café Carlyle
71. Ravi Shankar - Live: Ravi Shankar at the Monteray International Pop Festival
72. Wilco - Kicking Television: Live In Chicago
73. Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken
74. Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
75. Jay-Z - Unplugged
76. The Orb - Live '93
77. The Ramones - It's Alive
78. Etta James - Rocks the House
79. Soweto Gospel Choir - Live at Nelson Mandela Theatre
80. Pearl Jam - Live on Two Legs
81. Björk - Live Box Set
82. Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum
83. Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
84. Lou Reed - Rock 'n' Roll Animal
85. Jill Scott - Live in Paris
86. Carole King - Carole King The Carnegie Hall Concert June 18, 1971
87. Alice in Chains - Live
88. John Denver - The Wildlife Concert
89. Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
90. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live at Carnegie Hall
91. Rush - Rush in Rio
92. Police - Live!
93. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
94. James Taylor - James Taylor Live
95. Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
96. Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87-'93
97. Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett Live In Texas
98. Blue Oyster Cult - Extraterrestrial Live
99. Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg
100. J. Geils Band - Live: Blow Your Face Out

-- Jeff Reguilon

Singles Report: Foo Fighters, Consequence, Melissa Laveaux

Foo Fighters - "Wheels"
Even though their last couple albums have been spotty enough to make me almost lose interest, I've always felt like the Foos had it in them to assemble a pretty stacked greatest hits collection, which they've VERY CONVENIENTLY done just in time for the holidays. Unfortunately for us, the band tacked on two new jams, of which, "Wheels" is one. Listening to the beginning, I felt like the MP3 was mislabled and I accidentally downloaded some Keith Urban. What followed was a generic smear of limp, slick, unfortunate, late-period Tom Petty impersonation. I'm not against the new stuff, but I'm pretty sure I would have been happier if they had clipped this from the tracklist in favor of "I'll Stick Around" or "Walking After You."

Suggested if you like: Tom Petty, an extremely competent cover band performing Tom Petty songs, "mediocre-of" material appearing on a "best-of"
Rating:  13/69 Full Moon Fevers

Consequence (feat. Kanye West and John Legend) - "Whatever U Want"
Because he has but one flow and a steadfast refusal to vary his rhyme schemes, Consequence is best taken in small doses. For a number of IMMA-LET-YOU-FINISH-related reasons, our old pal Yeezy has, as of late, also been getting his mail forwarded to an address in the best-in-small-doses zip code. As such, you'll be satisfied to know that they're each limited to four bars at a pass in this slinky Gin and Tonic of a tune. With its low-key vibe and 2:37 run time, it feels more like the suggestion of a song than an actual song. Still, I've listened to it five times in short succession, mostly because I'm left wanting more each time. When was the last time you could say that about anything involving any of these parties?

Suggested if you like: "I'm Good" by the Clipse, "Love Hangover" by Kidz in the Hall, surprise awesome
Rating: 26/30 prefunk cocktails

Melissa Laveaux - "Crazy in Love"
I have no idea who this person is and I'm generally against covers of songs I like (TWO STRIKES, LADY), but this thumpy, acoustic reinvention of the Beyonce ultrajam is-- no exaggeration-- the best new song I've heard in months. Should you decide to scoot over to her MySpace page, you can listen to, along with some of her originals, another unique cover, this time of Elliott Smith's "Needle in the Hay." Her version of "Crazy in Love," however, is so good I don't even miss the Jay-Z verse. A++++ NEW ARTIST. WOULD BUY FROM AGAIN.

Suggested if you like: Lykke Li, Emiliana Torrini, making a great thing even better
Rating: 93/100 oh-no-nos

-- Jeff Reguilon

Paper Planes: the 1927 Version

I have no idea why, but some evil genius has reimagined M.I.A's smash hit "Paper Planes" as a flapper jam performed by Al Jolson. Behold:

Apparently this isn't the aforementioned evil genius' first foray into Back-to-the-futuring songs you know and might even like. For further enjoyment, you might consider his version of Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta," transported back to the 1960s. I kind of want to send that to @seantroversy to get his take on it, but I'm afraid roughly 10,000 other people have done the same thing.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Out This Week: Good New Music You Might Have Missed

Zero 7 - "Medicine Man"
Suggested if you like: Solange, Janelle Monae, mixology

Christina Courtin - Foreign Country
Suggested if you like: Madeleine Peyroux, Jolie Holland, sweet tea

Speech Debelle (feat. Micachu) - "Better Days"
Suggested if you like: Estelle, Roots Manuva, hip-hop from over there

Kleerup
Suggested if you like: Robyn, Lykke Li, flashing lights

Drug Rug - Paint the Fence Invisible
Suggested if you like: Apollo Sunshine, Beachwood Sparks, sweet ponchos

Los Pikadientes de Caborca - "Billie Jean"
Suggested if you like: this M.I.S. cover of "Bittersweet Symphony," unlikely tributes

-- Jeff Reguilon

Out This Week: Good New Music You Might Have Missed

American Steel - Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts
Suggested if you like: the Gaslight Anthem, the Killers, pumping your fist

Generationals - Con Law
Suggested if you like: the Shins, the saner side of Of Montreal, Pop Rocks

Josh Mease - Wilderness
Suggested if you like: Matt Costa, Sondre Lerche, spending the better part of your summer submerged waist-deep in a swimming pool

Joell Ortiz Covers the Classics
Suggested if you like: Ghostface Killah, Fat Joe, repurposing/defiling the canon

Mr. Hudson - "Supernova"
Suggested if you like: Kenna, the Fashion, exploding stars

Daniel Johnson - Lazrus
Suggested if you like: the Knife, Cousteau, moodiness

-- Jeff Reguilon

The Best (And Bestselling) Music of 2009, So Far

Just because it's only July doesn't mean it's too early for us to pass judgment on 2009's song and album offerings. Below, discover not only our favorite music of the year, but also Amazon MP3 customers' favorite songs of the year. We voted with our opinions-- they voted with their wallets. Please hit the comments to let us know where we got it right and/or tell us what morons we are for leaving off your favorite album.

Editors' Picks: The Best Albums of 2009, So Far
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
4. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
6. K'Naan - Troubadour
7. Metric - Fantasies
8. Leonard Cohen - Live in London
9. The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
10. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
11. Iggy Pop - Preliminaires
12. Mt St. Helens Vietnam Band - Mt St. Helens Vietnam Band
13. Royksopp - Junior
14. Dent May - The Good Feeling Music of Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele
15. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
16. Various Artists - Dark Was the Night
17. Amadou & Mariam - Welcome to Mali
18. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
19. God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl
20. Passion Pit - Manners
21. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
22. St Vincent - Actor
23. Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs
24. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
25. The Crystal Method - Divided By Night
26. The Horrors - Primary Colours
27. Ben Kweller - Changing Horses
28. MF Doom - Born Like This
29. Sarah Jarosz - Song Up in Her Head
30. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
31. Cass McCombs - Catacombs
32. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
33. Finale - A Pipe Dream and a Promise
34. Ida Maria - Fortress 'Round My Heart
35. M. Ward - Hold Time
36. MIDIval PunditZ - Hello Hello
37. Rocco Deluca and the Burden - Mercy
38. Bon Iver - Blood Bank
39. Bonnie Prince Billy - Beware
40. Isis - Wavering Radiant
41. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
42. Wilco - (The Album)
43. Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
44. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies
45. Marianne Faithfull - Easy Come, Easy Go
46. The Bad Plus - For All I Care
47. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
48. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
49. P.O.S. - Never Better
50. Point Juncture, WA - Heart To Elk

Amazon MP3 Bestselling Albums of 2009, So Far
1. U2 - No Line On The Horizon
2. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
3. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
4. Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot
5. Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)
6. The Lonely Island - Incredibad
7. Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe
8. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
9. Keith Urban - Defying Gravity
10. Eminem - Relapse
11. Various - Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack
12. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
13. Dierks Bentley - Feel That Fire
14. Various Artists - Dark Was The Night (Red Hot Compilation)
15. Rascal Flatts - Unstoppable
16. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
17. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
18. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
19. Kate Voegele - A Fine Mess
20. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
21. Chrisette Michele - Epiphany
22. Zac Brown Band - The Foundation
23. Jason Mraz - We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
24. Morrissey - Years Of Refusal
25. Steve Earle - Townes
26. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
27. Ben Harper And Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
28. The Decemberists - Hazards Of Love
29. Nickelback - Dark Horse
30. Chris Cornell - Scream
31. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
32. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
33. Moby - Wait For Me
34. Crystal Method - Divided By Night
35. The Fray - The Fray
36. The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die
37. Metric - Fantasies
38. Passion Pit - Manners
39. Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club
40. Keri Hilson - In A Perfect World...
41. Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
42. The Bird And The Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
43. k'naan - Troubadour
44. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
45. Various Artists - Just Dance
46. india.arie - Testimony Vol. 2: Love & Politics
47. Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
48. Newsboys - In The Hands Of God
49. Mandy Moore - Amanda Leigh
50. Seth Walker - Leap Of Faith

Editors' Picks: Best Songs of 2009, So Far
1. Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
2. Neko Case - "People Got a Lot of Nerve"
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"
4. Lily Allen - "The Fear"
5. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
6. Kelly Clarkson - "My Life Would Suck Without You"
7. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Contender"
8. Grizzly Bear - "Cheerleader"
9. K'Naan - "Dreamer "
10. Metric - "Help I'm Alive"
11. Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
12. Kid Cudi - "Make Her Say"
13. U2 - "Magnificent"
14. The Lonely Island - "I'm On a Boat"
15. Bat For Lashes - "Daniel"
16. La Roux - "Bulletproof"
17. Silversun Pickups - "Panic Switch"
18. The-Dream (feat. Kanye West) - "Walkin' on the Moon"
19. Dirty Projectors + David Byrne - "Knotty Pine"
20. Empire of the Sun - "Walking on a Dream"
21. Kinky - "Hasta Quemarnos"
22. Major Lazer - "Hold the Line"
23. MIDIval PunditZ - "Har Ek Baat"
24. Chrisette Michelle - "Another One"
25. Ciara - "G Is For Girl (A-Z)"
26. Doves - "Jetstream"
27. Marianne Faithfull - "The Crane Wife 3"
28. Pet Shop Boys - "Love Etc."
29. Bon Iver - "Woods"
30. Cass McCombs - "Jonesy Boy"
31. Ida Maria - "Oh My God"
32. Deerhunter - "Game of Diamonds"
33. Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
34. Molly Jenson - "Give It Time"
35. N.A.S.A (Feat. Kayne West, Lykke Li) - "Gifted"
36. Tonéx - "Bring It"
37. You're Too Gone - "Jason Lytle"
38. Yusuf - "Welcome Home"
39. John Frusciante - "Heaven"
40. Miley Cyrus - "The Climb"
41. Mos Def - "Quiet Dog"
42. The Bad Plus - "Comfortably Numb"
43. The Clipse (feat. Kanye West) - "Kinda Like a Big Deal"
44. The Crystal Method ft. Matisyahu - "Drown in the Now "
45. Bob Dylan - "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"
46. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele - "Meet Me In The Garden"
47. Mstrkrft - "Bounce (feat. N.O.R.E. & Isis)"
48. Royksopp - "Vision One"
49. Amadou & Mariam - "Sabali"
50. P.O.S. - "Goodbye"

Amazon MP3 Bestselling Songs of 2009, So Far
1. Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
2. Flo Rida - "Right Round"
3. Kelly Clarkson - "My Life Would Suck Without You"
4. Various - "The Climb"
5. The Fray - "You Found Me"
6. Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"
7. Pitbull - "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (Extended Mix)"
8. Seether - "Careless Whisper"
9. Eminem - "Crack A Bottle"
10. Flo Rida - "Sugar [feat. Wynter]"
11. Keri Hilson - "Knock You Down"
12. Linkin Park - "New Divide"
13. Keri Hilson - "Turnin Me On"
14. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"
15. Sean Kingston - "Fire Burning"
16. Brad Paisley - "Then (Single Edit)"
17. Jeremih - "Birthday Sex"
18. Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake - "Love Sex Magic"
19. Green Day - "Know Your Enemy"
20. The Lonely Island - "I'm On A Boat"
21. Jason Aldean - "She's Country"
22. Asher Roth - "I Love College"
23. Carrie Underwood - "I Told You So (Featuring Randy Travis)"
24. Keith Urban - "Sweet Thing"
25. U2 - "Get On Your Boots"
26. Madcon - "Beggin'"
27. Lily Allen - "The Fear"
28. Keith Urban - "Kiss A Girl"
29. Rob Thomas - "Her Diamonds"
30. Rascal Flatts - "Here Comes Goodbye"
31. Maino - "All The Above [feat. T-Pain]"
32. Maxwell - "Pretty Wings (uncut)"
33. Lil Wayne - "Prom Queen"
34. Kenny Chesney - "Out Last Night"
35. Silversun Pickups - "Panic Switch"
36. Kelly Clarkson - "I Do Not Hook Up"
37. Ciara featuring Young Jeezy - "Never Ever"
38. John Rich - "Shuttin' Detroit Down"
39. K'jon - "On The Ocean"
40. U2 - "Magnificent"
41. Rodney Atkins - "It's America"
42. Depeche Mode - "Wrong"
43. Gloriana - "Wild At Heart"
44. Dierks Bentley - "Feel That Fire"
45. The-Dream - "Rockin' That Thang"
46. The Lonely Island - "Jizz In My Pants"
47. The Fray - "Never Say Never"
48. Phillips, Craig And Dean - "Revelation Song"
49. Pleasure P - "Boyfriend #2"
50. Colbie Caillat - "Fallin' For You"

-- Jeff Reguilon

Best 2009 Albums You (Probably) Haven't Heard, but Should

D.Folks - Jupiter

D.Folks' self-released album Jupiter doesn't stay in one place very long, moving seamlessly between organic, '80s-indebted, uptempo pop and contemporary loverman R&B in a way that's more refreshing than schizophrenic. Jupiter is an album that both parents and kids will enjoy, but would probably never enjoy together as a family. Songs like "Superficial World" bring to mind not only the golden era of his fellow Virginians the Neptunes' production career, but also their label signee Robin Thicke. "Falling In Love Again," on the other hand sounds almost like a soul song for the Yacht Rock set, which is a surprisingly good thing. D. Folks' closest contemporary is Van Hunt, who is also currently working sans-label. Maybe they're onto something.

 

Matias Tellez - Clouds

As they're both from Bergen, Norway and seem to share most of the same influences, it's difficult to imagine Matias Tellez as anything but the sequel to Sondre Lerche. Clouds in particular sounds like an extension of Phantom Punch, only written by a teenager. This is charmingly spastic, raucous rock, a musical expression of what it is to be young. This will likely make you feel joyful or awkward. For me, it's a little of both.

Vosotros Presents: The Years

Assembled by a crew of some premier sidemen, this fluid set of thumping soul is the sort of album that  as fun to listen to as it seems like it was to make. With one eye pointed towards the past and the other one winking, they show love for not only the funky greats of the past 30 years, but affection for kitsch, too. Vosotros takes their motto, "music for you-all," seriously. They've made the album available as a free download for a limited time and licensed it under Creative Commons to encourage sharing. Enjoy it, remix it, and tell your friends.

Miss Li - Dancing the Whole Way Home

Though she's had a song featured on a couple of TV shows you might recognize, there's a good chance you don't know about the Swedish singer-songwriter Miss Li. "I Heard of a Girl" is somewhere between the Cure and Belle and Sebastian, only sung by a dark, unknowable pixie. Much of the rest drifts towards cabaret or '60s girl group sounds. It's pop with a weird streak, salty and sweet, all delicious.

 

One for the Team - Build a Garden

Shimmering, lo-fi, and glorious, Build a Garden feels like the early work of Beulah, only more earnest and with boy-girl vocals. Featuring more low-key revamps of four songs from last year's Build it Up and another four new cuts, my only complaint is that the serving size is too small.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Out This Week: Good New Music You Might Have Missed

Vosotros Presents: the Years
Suggested if You Like: Amy Winehouse, Al Green, velvet smoking jackets

Nicola Conte Presents Viagem 2
Suggested if you like: Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina, mid-century modern furniture

Chumbawamba - "Rich Pop Stars"
Suggested if you like: Belle & Sebastian, Billy Bragg, totally not joking about a new Chumbawamba single being good

Krizz Kaliko - "Misunderstood"
Suggested if you like: Gnarls Barkley, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, pop songs that might not ever be popular (but should)

Bombay Bicycle Club - "Dust on the Ground"
Suggested if You Like: Interpol, Editors, voices that can be described as both "husky" and "quavering"

Naledge (of Kidz in the Hall) - Chicago Picasso
Suggested if You Like: the Cool Kids, Black Milk, the Midwest

-- Jeff Reguilon

Something to Help Remember Michael Jackson, Something to Help Forget

Last year, Chicago MC Rhymefest honored one of his favorite artists by enlisting the help of producer Mark Ronson and making the Michael Jackson tribute mixtape Man in the Mirror. Featuring beats cobbled together from familiar MJ tracks and actually entertaining skits wherein 'Fest and Ronson engage in hilariously fake conversations with the King of Pop, this set was solid enough to be one of my most listened-to albums of 2008. Rhymefest's relatable, witty, insightful style paired with a melange of undeniably awesome MJ sounds is a peanut butter/chocolate-level combination for me. Listening to it now serves as a reminder that, even though the world won't be graced with any new music from Michael, his contributions continue to shape the pop landscape and inspire vital work. Since it would be a legal nightmare/financial catastrophe to clear these samples, it was never released through official channels, but you can download the Man in the Mirror Mixtape for free from Rhymefest's site. Please beware, though, the language does get a little salty. Keep the kiddos earmuff'd or just throw on Off the Wall one more time if curse words aren't your thing.

If you, on the other hand, are looking for a way to escape the wall-to-wall Michael Jackson coverage, giving a listen to the new Fleet Foxes song, "Blue Spotted Tail," is a good alternative. It's more of the gentle, nature-fied sound that made the Seattle harmonizers critics' darlings and vaulted them to the top of several year-end best-of lists. To be fair, it's the same sound that made a fair number of folks saw logs, but those of us in the former camp might consider heading over to the Pitchfork news section to download an MP3 of the song ripped from a performance on the BBC.

-- Jeff Reguilon