You'll notice I say "favorite" instead of "best." I'm well aware there are some critics/indie darlings missing from this list.

For example, I'm done with noise rock. Music nerds seemed to love Japandroids and Wavves this year. I didn't care. I like(d) Times New Viking in the past, but didn't even think of buying their new album. I am simply done with noise rock. Well, one album I dug (which missed my list by a hair) is by a band called The Smith Westerns, but only because they mixed a bit of glam rock in with their noise rock, which was a nice change of pace.

Also, Animal Collective fans, I bought Sung Tongs when it came out however many years ago, and didn't get into it, so I haven't bothered with them since. I realize everyone and then some loves Animal Collective and says Merriwether Post Pavilion is the best album of the year, and how it's the band's most accessible and all that jazz. Maybe it is. I wouldn't know. It's certainly not my favorite album of the year. Deal with it.

I do think a majority of the albums here are the best of 2009, but I'm going to go with the "favorite" cop out, because I know there's albums on my list that might not be as good as, say, Merriwether Post Pavilion (which I'm sure I'll listen to at some point to see what the big deal is). At first I thought I would make my list 20 albums, because that seems to be the normal number for lists such as this. But then I wanted to mention more albums, so I decided 30 would be the cutoff. Then I thought I would have some honorable mentions, and realized my honorable mentions put the list at over 40. And then when I thought of honorable mentions for THAT list, I was nearing 50. It was getting out of hand, so I put my foot down, and 30 IS the number. Of course, I'll cheat like I did above with The Smith Westerns and try to slyly mention more bands than the ones on my list. Like right here, I could say something about how I really liked The Fiery Furnaces, Boston Spaceships, and Jason Lytle's albums, but they're not on the list. Hey, speaking of the list...

30. Dan Deacon - Bromst
I always liken Dan Deacon to The Matrix. Unfortunately, no one can be told what Dan Deacon sounds like. You have to hear him for yourself. This is definitely his most polished, accessible album yet, but I'm still on the fence if that's a good or bad thing.

29. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Ohhhh Neko...ahhhhh... I guess the only reason this isn't higher on my list is just because everyone already knows Neko Case is awesome. Or they SHOULD know that. I almost didn't include her on the list thinking everyone already knew this was a good album, but not having her on my list would be doing a disservice to my HEART. If I had to give a better reason as to why my beloved Neko isn't higher on the list, I guess it's because while it's a great Neko Case album, I found it a little boring compared to all the other stuff that came out this year. I'm a little bit country, and a lotta bit rock and roll.

28. Young Fresh Fellows - I Think This Is
Ironically, Young Fresh Fellows are OLD. I've been loving them for (literally) 20 years now. Their last real album came out in 2001, so when one of my favorite bands get together (Scott McCaughey is too busy playing with R.E.M. and his own Minus 5) to put out an album, it feels like a minor miracle. And the good news is this sounds like a bonafide YFF album instead of something they just threw together, which is kind of the vibe I got from their past couple of albums. I dare say they even sound OLD SCHOOL on a few songs--as in, Chuck instead of Kurt. In fact, one of the songs is about their recording of the classic Beans & Intolerance bootleg. YFF fans know what I'm talking about, everyone else could care less, I realize this.

27. The Yes Pleases - From Whence It Came
Hey look at that: YFF are from Seattle, and so are The Yes Pleases! I couldn't find a YouTube video, sorry. So if you're interested, go to their Myspace page and listen to "70%" and "Designer"...those are the first two tracks on the album, and you'll notice two things: 1) The singer has a set of PIPES on him--kind of reminds me of Robert Pollard when he belts out those choruses, and 2) Those songs sound like they could be from two totally different bands, which for me is a good thing. The entire album switches from style to style, and as a debut album, it's pretty impressive to hear their vast range of influences. I don't know if this band is signed or not, but if this album is any indication, this band should be going places...unless they break up next month, which is what all bands I like tend to do.

26. Girls - Album
Here's a critic's year-end favorite, and for pretty good reason: it's a damn fine album. A heaping handful of great songs, and probably the least lo-fi sounding lo-fi album I've heard in a while. Beach Boys meets Elvis Costello is how I would describe them. I hope you enjoy that "X meets Y" method of describing a band, because I plan on doing it a LOT.

25. The Kabeedies - Rumpus
This album was released near the very end of the year, and gets my award for "I wish I heard this before I made my Best of '09 mix CDs." I guess The Wombats meets Los Campesinos is an appropriate description. That video is a little annoying, and probably not even the best song on the album, so if you like that catchy little ditty, you're certain to like the rest of the album.

24. Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts
The Noisettes first album had some gems on it, but overall I thought it leaned more toward the so-so side. Still, there was no denying that Shingai Shoniwa could SING, and when the band was focused, they were fantastic. I was excited for their sophomore album, and it didn't disappoint in the slightest. Pretty much every song is a keeper, and a definite step up from their debut.

23. 1990s - Kicks
Cookies was easily one of my favorite albums of 2007, and I was eagerly awaiting their next album...maybe too much so--I think I over-hyped what their next album would sound like, so upon first listen, I was a little underwhelmed. Then I listened again. And again. This is still the 1990s that I love, just more...grown up? I don't know, but I do know that I eagerly await their next album.

22. The Thermals - Now We Can See
If I were to make a list of my favorite songs of 2009, the titular song off this album would definitely be in my top 5. I'll be honest: I just wanted to use the word "titular" there. Like the 1990s, I was a little disappointed when I first listened to this album. Then I saw them live, and some of the songs I had written off turned out to be better than I initially thought. I guess my ears were being dumb that day I had written them off. I don't think this is the best album The Thermals have put out, but any album by The Thermals is still better than most other crap out there.

21. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Everybody loves this album, me included. I do think the album has been a bit overrated--they've been putting out good albums since 2000, and while this is their best album to date, it's not like it was a big surprise. That said, it's easily one of the better pure pop albums put out in the past few years, so kudos to them. Chances are you've heard Phoenix and not even known it, thanks to Cadillac commercials, Gossip Girl, and I'm sure plenty of other TV you might watch. I have to admit I've gotten a bit burned out on them due to the over-saturation, but that doesn't stop this from being a great album. Still, that might be why they're not higher on my list. That or because they're from France.