John Ruscher

For what it’s worth, this is my contribution to the abundant stream of best-of lists that pop up around this time of the year.

Favorite Albums of 2009:

1.) Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
2.) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
3.) Girls – Girls
4.) Jim O’Rourke – The Visitor
5.) Cold Cave – Love Comes Close
6.) Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle
7.) The xx – The xx
8.) Pontiak – Maker
9.) Woods – Songs of Shame
10.) Sharon Van Etten  – Because I Was In Love
11.) Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
12.) Fiery Furnaces - I’m Going Away
13.) Cass McCombs – Catacombs
14.) Antony & The Johnsons – The Crying Light
15.) Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs

Favorite Songs of 2009:

Girls – “Lust For Life”
Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is The Move”
Animal Collective – “What Would I Want Sky”
Cass McCombs – “Harmonia”
Cold Cave – “The Trees Grew Emotions And Died”
Bat for Lashes – “Daniel”
The xx – “Basic Space”
Fiery Furnaces -”The End Is Near”
CSC Funk Band – “Bad Banana Bread”
Phoenix – “Lisztomania”
Best Coast – “When I’m With You”
Tickley Feather – “Trashy Boys”
Real Estate – “Fake Blues”
Sharon Van Etten – “Tornado”
Yo La Tengo – “Nothing To Hide”
Bill Callahan – “Rococo Zephyr”
Kings of Convenience – “24-25″
Neon Indian – “Deadbeat Summer”
Pontiak – “Aestival”
Black Lips – “Starting Over”

Favorite Shows of 2009:

Bjork and The Dirty Projectors at Housing Works
Yo La Tengo at Roseland Ballroom
Antony & The Johnsons at Town Hall
Devo at Austin Music Hall (SXSW)
The Pine Valley Cosmonauts at Lovejoy’s (SXSW)
Jandek at NYU’s Kimmel Center
CSC Funk Band – Multiple locations
Sam Mickens Ecstatic Showband & Revue – Multiple Locations
Faust at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Esmont Rocks – Esmont, VA
Bonnie “Prince” Billy at Fry Springs Beach Club
Fuck Buttons at Market Hotel
Sleigh Bells at Le Poisson Rouge
Underwater Peoples Late Summer Showcase at Market Hotel
D. Charles Speer at Coco 66