Best of 2009

The following were my picks for this year's 19th annual eye weekly music critics poll:

BEST ALBUMS OF 2009

1: Joel Plaskett/Three (MapleMusic)
2: K'naan/Troubadour (A&M/Octone)
3: Arctic Monkeys/Humbug (Domino)
4: Lily Allen/It's Not Me, It's You (EMI)
5: Neko Case/Middle Cyclone (Anti)
6: Wilco/Wilco (the album) (Nonesuch)
7: Great Lake Swimmers/Lost Channels (Nettwerk)
8: Bob Dylan/Together Through Life (Sony)
9: Junior Boys/Begone Dull Care (Domino)
10: Glasvegas/Glasvegas (Columbia)
 
BEST SINGLES OF 2009

1: The Very Best feat. Ezra Koenig/"Warm Heart of Africa" (Green Owl)
2: K'naan/"Wavin' Flag" (A&M/Octone)
3: Metric/"Help I'm Alive" (Last Gang)
4: Lily Allen/"The Fear" (EMI)
5: Great Lakes Swimmers/"Pulling On a Line" (Nettwerk)
6: Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys/"Empire State of Mind" (Roc Nation/Atlantic)
7: Arctic Monkeys/"Cornerstone" (Domino)
8: The Swell Season/"Low Rising" (Anti)
9: Kings of Leon/"Use Somebody" (RCA)
10: Shakira/"She Wolf" (Sony)
 
BEST DOWNLOADS

1. Wyld Canada series
 
REISSUES

1. The Beatles/Remastered (EMI)
2. Neil Young/Archives Vol. 1: 1963-1972 (Warner)
3. The Rolling Stones/Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! (Universal)

The poll also asks participants to "sound off" to explain their thinking behind some of their choices. Here's what I wrote:

Some of the year's best music came from unexpected musical/cultural collaborations, from Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig guesting with The Very Best or Brazilian Girls joining Baaba Maal on his overlooked gem of an album Television. The world needs more adventurous explorers like these and cutting-edge artists like M.I.A. and Santigold to keep things fresh.

The results of the poll will be published in the Jan. 14, 2009 issue of eye weekly. It's available free in Toronto and at www.eyeweekly.com.

NJ