Mantis's Best Albums of 2009

By this time last year, I more-or-less knew that 2009 was going to be a gift. For me, personally, like, To: Braying Mantis, From: Music, XOXO. The sheer number of my alltime favorite artists who would be releasing new music guaranteed it. What's remarkable in hindsight, then, is how un-disappointed I have been - what a year, what a gift! And with suprises as strong and amazing as the expecteds! All I'd like to say is, Thanks. Thanks to Music, for the wondrous, challenging, joyful, and important year. Now, without further ado, my list of 2009's best records:

50. The Antlers - Hospice
49. Jon Hopkins - Insides
48. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
47. Dedaoorian - Mind Raft
46. The Field - Yesterday and Today
45. Swan Lake - Enemy Mine
44. Grooms - Rejoicer
43. Preslay LiterarySchool - Beautiful Was The Time
42. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
41. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

40. No Age - Losing Feeling
39. Madlib - Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute To...
38. Thee Oh Sees - Help
37. Allen Toussaint - The Bright Mississippi
36. Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country
35. Alec Ounsworth - Mo Beauty
34. Candy Claws - In The Dream of the Sea Life
33. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
32. Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy
31. Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective

30. Sufjan Stevens - The BQE
29. Deerhunter - Rainwater Casssette Exchange
28. William Basinski - 92982
27. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II
26. Antony and The Johnsons - The Crying Light
25. Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live
24. Black Dice - Repo
23. Here We Go Magic - Here We Go Magic
22. Clark - Totem Flare
21. Ras G - Brotha From Anotha Planet

20. Flying Lotus - L.A. EP 3 X 3
19. St. Vincent - Actor
18. Mount Eerie - Wind's Poem
17. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
16. HEALTH - Get Color


15. Burial & Four Tet - Moth/Wolf Cub



















14. Prefuse 73 - Meditation Upon Meditations (The Japanese Diaries)



















13. The See Through Boy - I Am Constellation



















12. Andrew Douglas Rothbard - Exodusarabesque




















11. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
















10. Atlas Sound - Logos



















9. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport


















8. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle



















7. Dragging An Ox Through Water - The Tropics of Phenoenon


















6. Dan Deacon - Bromst


















5. Navigator - Bad Children (and a special mention for Braden J. McKenna - Gigantic Monster Cave)




















4. DOOM - BORN LIKE THIS


















3. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer




















2. The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca



















1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion (and a special mention for Fall Be Kind)