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The No Depression Community's Top 50 Albums of 2009
The Americana/roots/indie/alt/whatever music world has had a pretty great year full of new releases. With a saturated music market delivering innumerable new releases all the time, it's no picnic trying to decide what stands out as the finest recording(s) of the year. But, as you've shown all year on this site, the No Depression community has remarkable taste.A few weeks ago, we asked for your lists. You voted, we tallied. Below you'll find your Top 50 Americana/roots/indie/alt/whatever albums of 2009. Click on the link next to each to purchase/download from Amazon. Those which have been reviewed on this site will also have a link to the review(s). Enjoy!
1. Buddy & Julie Miller - Written in Chalk (review | buy)
2. Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (review | buy)
3. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (buy)
4. Tom Russell - Blood and Candle Smoke (review | buy)
5. Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women (buy)
6. Wilco - Wilco (the Album) (review | buy)
7. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies (buy)
8. Chuck Prophet - Let Freedom Ring (buy)
9. Steve Earle - Townes (buy)
10. Guy Clark - Somedays the Song Writes You (review | buy)
11. Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away (buy)
12. Sam Baker - Cotton (review | buy)
13. Son Volt - American Central Dust (review | buy)
14. Eilen Jewell - Sea of Tears (buy)
15. Rosanne Cash - The List (buy)
16. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Self-titled (buy)
17. Levon Helm - Electric Dirt (review | buy)
18. Dave Rawlings Machine - A Friend of a Friend (review | buy)
19. John Doe & the Sadies - Country Club (buy)
20. Drive-By Truckers - The Fine Print (buy)
21. Joe Henry - Blood From Stars (buy)
22. Gurf Morlix - Last Exit to Happyland (buy)
23. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (buy)
24. Kris Kristofferson - Closer to the Bone (review | buy)
25. Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers - Self-titled (buy)
26. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (buy)
27. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - Willie & the Wheel (buy)
28. Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day (buy)
29. Drivin' and Cryin' - Great American Bubble Factory (review | buy)
30. Gary Louris and Mark Olson - Ready for the Flood (buy)
31. Booker T. & the Drive-By Truckers - Potato Hole (buy)
32. Lyle Lovett - Natural Forces (review | buy)
33. Richmond Fontaine - We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River (buy)
34. Alela Diane - To Be Still (buy)
35. Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle - Let's Just Stay Here (buy)
36. Israel Nash Gripka - New York Town (review | buy)
37. Loudon Wainwright III - High, Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (buy)
38. Todd Snider - The Excitement Plan (buy)
39. Wayne Hancock - Viper of Melody (buy)
40. Cracker - Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey (buy)
41. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park (review | buy)
42. Monsters of Folk - Self-titled (buy)
43. Caroline Herring - Golden Apples of the Sun (review | buy)
44. John Fogerty - The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (buy)
45. Radney Foster & the Confessions - Revival (review | buy)
46. Handome Family - Honey Moon (review | buy)
47. Amanda Shires - West Cross Timbers (buy)
48. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy (buy)
49. The Gourds - Haymaker (buy)
50. A.A. Bondy - When the Devil's Loose (buy)
Thanks to everyone who voted! We'll be posting the Best of the Decade list next week. Stay tuned for that.
Tags: 2009, albums, altcountry, americana, best, bestof2009, buddymiller, nodepression, of, rootsmusic
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Comment by Mike McAfee on December 15, 2009 at 5:30pm -
love the list. where's farrar & gibbard & dino jr? my top 5:
1. richmond fontaine
2. farrar & gibbard
3. son volt
4. dino jr
5. wilco
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Comment by Steve Petty on December 15, 2009 at 5:41pm
- There are a lot of artists I'm yet to try, and some I haven't heard of. The #1 album is a bit of a suprise. I'm not that keen on Buddy's albums ... the ones with Julie's voice are much better. This Miller album I feel is not as good as others they've done together. I feel the Neko Case album is not all that great ... seems to have moved away from the alt country sound. The Dave Alvin album is great ... ended up buying a couple of Christy McWilson's albums ... great voice. I wasn't over the moon with Steve's Townes album ... he's done better. Sam Baker ... great! John Doe ... really showing off his voice! Levon Helm ... not a touch on Dirt Farmer.
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Comment by Brian Floyd on December 15, 2009 at 6:16pm - These type of lists are always hard as on any given day a listener will like one album more than another. I like the list but would have ranked Townes by Steve Earle much higher, # 1 or # 2 but I am glad it made the Top 10. I saw Steve in concert doing most of the songs from the album and it was definitely the highlight concert for me in a year when I went to a lot of great concerts including Tom Russell, Bill Kirchen, Kim Wilson, David Alvin and the Guilty Women, Todd Snider, Hayes Carll( one of the best of the rising stars) etc. Thanks for the list and like the others I am looking forward to Best of the Decade!
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Comment by Ron D. on December 15, 2009 at 8:02pm - Wow! I can't believe the The Black Crowes "Before the Frost...After the Freeze" didn't make it. That was my favorite from this year. Oh well, there's plenty of other good quality stuff to check out.
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Comment by Rainer Linnenbrink on December 15, 2009 at 11:32pm -
Todd's masterwork on 38 is just a little to far down the ladder in my book... Isn't that album incredible?!
Thanks to all for loads of good ideas!
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Comment by Sticky Fingers on December 16, 2009 at 6:12am -
Agree totally about the Avett.Bros. Way too pristine with all the edges that made 'the Gleam' such a great listen sheered off for a pleasant but not particularly spectacular sound. Good but not great album in my view. Also surprised not to see the Low Anthem, Felice Brothers or Justin Town Earle feature and slightly disappointed not to see Richmond Fontaine in the top ten where it belongs. Patterson Hood deserved to be at least top 25 also.
Having said that you can't argue with Buddy and Julie Miller for No.1 and I'm delighted to see the ridiculously underhyped and underated Chuck prophet make top 10. 'Let Freedom Ring' will be one of
those records looked back on as a classic in years to come if it's reputaion quietly keeps growing like it has since the time of it's release. Saw Steve Earle live this year and hearing Townes songs live for the first time is an experience I'll never forget and 'Townes' was the perfect tribute. Lucero's 'Overton Park' is the record that's grown on me most and Tom Russell relesed perhaps his best album yet in a career of non-stop highlights and Americana classics.
No-one knows Americana like No Depression readers though and I'd like to thank readers here for an album I've just picked up from this list 'Dave Rawlings Machine' which I'm really enjoying at present and is currently on heavy rotation along with 'In The Air' Handsome Family for seasonal comfort. Many thanks.
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Comment by Jon Noe on December 16, 2009 at 7:31am - Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women at #5, nice! But where's Hills and Valleys by The Flatlanders???
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Comment by Angie U. on December 16, 2009 at 10:43am - I whole-heartedly agree with you Daniel T. I loved Patterson's "Murdering Oscar" album. It is actually a better album than the DBT album, "The Fine Print". Glad Isbell made the list. I can't get enough of that one!
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Comment by William Hendrickson on December 17, 2009 at 7:54am - Where was Ryan Bingham? I guess no list is perfect. Get ready for the Crazy Heart Soundtrack to head up next year's list.
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Comment by Daniel T on December 18, 2009 at 2:38am - Patterson Hood fans UNITE! Demand a recount : ) LOL
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Created by No Depression Feb 17, 2009 at 9:06pm. Last updated by No Depression Jun 24.
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