#20 - Here We Go Magic - "Tunnelvision" (from Here We Go Magic)
Kicking off this list with a smooth start is "Tunnelvision," from Here We Go Magic's self-titled debut. It was nice to see Luke Temple take this interesting turn in 2009, and I wish I had the chance to see the band when they swung through Nashville this year (though I did see them at SXSW). This song babbles along with a ripply surface like a mid-paced mountain stream, and may have been my first taste of the layered sounds I would fall in love with in 2009.
#19 - Fol Chen - "Winter, That's All" (from Part I: John Shade, Your Future's Made)
I can honestly say I don't remember anything else that appeared on this Fol Chen album, but I do remember latching on to "Winter, That's All" immediately when I was running over that specific week's releases for the radio show. Then I promptly forgot the song, and lamented that fact a few weeks ago when I started assembling the list - a song can't be a favorite if I didn't listen to it that much. Fortunately, it's been in such regular rotation this December that it made this countdown after all.
#18 - Animal Collective - "My Girls" (from Merriweather Post Pavilion)
Before 2009, I probably would have been more interested in the optical illusion-y cover of Animal Collective's new album rather than the music within. But the Panda Bear-ified Merriweather Post Pavilion ("Panda Bear-ified" is a term that could be applied to a lot of what 2009 had to offer) was more accessible than anything by Animal Collective that I had sampled to date, and the placement of "My Girls" on a mix a friend made solidified my opinion that it was one of the best songs of the year, even though it appears lower on my list.
#17 - Bear in Heaven - "Wholehearted Mess" (from Beast Rest Forth Mouth)
I was more pumped about seeing Bear in Heaven at this year's Next Big Nashville than possibly the whole rest of the festival (aside from Phosphorescent, maybe) and I nearly wore out my advance copy of Beast Rest Forth Mouth before the band even rolled into town. They put on a fantastic show and turned out to be a great bunch of guys, and I can't wait to see them in 2010 as well.
#16 - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - "Home" (from Up From Below)
"Home" was my "Young Folks" of 2009 - not because of the whistling, but because I fell head over heels for it immediately and then kinda got sick of it. Still, I loved this song enough to warrant a spot on this countdown, and I know it sounds so classic that I'm going to be listening to it for years to come.
