So, here it is! These are the top nine albums I listened to this whole year. Note that the albums may not be from 2009, but rather this is the year I listened to them the most:

Against Me! – Searching for a Former Clarity
When I first listened to Against Me! I wasn’t quite sure what to think about it. I didn’t like it to be honest. But this album changed my mind. Songs like Don’t Lose Touch, and Miami kept me coming back to this album all summer long, and wanting to participate in some anarchy like I did in high school. The energy, and raw east coast punk sound are the reasons why this album is in my top 9.

NoFx – Coaster
I wanted to take 2009, and use it to start building my cd collection again. I hadn’t bought a cd in years, aside from one or two here or there. So one day at Futureshop I decided to give it a shot, and see if I still had what it takes to buy a cd. Coaster was one of them. I didn’t even know NoFx had a new album, so I grabbed it without a second thought. It’s straight up NoFx, no doubt about that. Its crazy riffs, fast drums, and Fat Mikes unmistakable vocals makes Coaster one of my favourite NoFx albums ever.

Rancid – Let the Dominos Fall
I’d been waiting for this for over a year. Ever since their last album, Indestructible, I wanted to know what Rancid would do next. And I’m not disappointed. Rancid has always been good to have that wicked, west coast punk/ska mix that makes you want to move your feet and bob your head. You can hear the age in Tim’s vocals, but it doesn’t take away from the album at all, and only adds to the overall Rancid experience. I was absolutely disappointed I could not see Rancid play while I was in Toronto during the summer.

Hilltop Hoods – The Hard Road Restrung
When I first started talking to a girl I would spend a lot of the summer with, she suggested I listen to this album. I looked them up first, and wasn’t quite big on the hip hop thing, but was intrigued that they were from Australia, so I grabbed the album. Since then I’ve listened to it countless times, and opened my play list to more hip hop. Not only is the album great, it made me actually like hip hop albums, instead of a few random songs here and there.

Playing for Change – Songs Across the World
I love this album. It is possibly the best idea for a musical project I’ve ever encountered. The album features some 75 musicians (including choirs), most of whom have never met in person. The album was recorded all over the world by taking a recorded track from an artist, say, in New Orleans, and recording another artist over it from, say, Amsterdam. It’s incredibly inspiring, and amazing music.

Flogging Molly – Float
At first I was nervous about getting a new Flogging Molly album. I was a little disappointed with Whiskey on a Sunday, and even though Flogging Molly doesn’t play traditional songs, some of them had grown to be traditional to me. Turns out, this album has a whole slew of “new traditional” songs. Soon after hearing Float I was obsessed. They toured across Canada, and I was lucky enough to go to their show in Moncton with Nitro. Potential highlight of the night: Drinking Flogging Molly’s Guinness. Closely followed by leading the crowd in a chant of FLOGGING. MOLLY.

Broken Social Scene – You Forgot it in People
Ok, so I listened to this album before 2009, but winamp is stupid, and didn’t tell me it was an album. ITunes is great for that. Anyway, I was at a coffee shop one day when I heard them playing this album, and thought “There are a lot of songs on this album that I like, I’ll listen to it when I get home.” And I did. And I didn’t stop for a week or more, and it’s still on my iPod, and still gets regular play. My favourite thing about this album is the fact that it’s almost, with few exceptions, one long track. It’s an older album, but it’s great.

Good Lovelies – Self titled
I already spoke about this album is recent business, but it’s on the list. Good Lovelies have a sound that I thought was long gone, never to return. I’m so glad I found these ladies, and that they invited me to come to their show. They’re entertainers, and damn good ones. I can’t wait to see the ladies again, and you can be sure that when I get the chance, I am going to.

Jay-Z – Blueprints 3
A lady, the same one who told me about the Hilltop Hoods, told me that Jay-Z’s album was leaked, and that it was good. I liked a couple of his songs, but I didn’t go out of my way to get it right away. My roommate was watching Much Music one day during the hour a day when they actually play music, his video for Run This Town was on. Rihanna’s chorus was what grabbed me at first, then it was Jay-Z’s clever lyrics. Kanye West is a dick, but he’s in there too. Once I got the album, it had a few good songs that quickly jumped up my iTunes top 25 tracks. Jay-Z does have some song writing skills, and I’ll hand it to anyone who can rhyme that fast, and make it sound good.

If you’d like to check out my top 8 of oh 8 you can follow this link http://m-tothe-at.livejournal.com/2008/12/18/