Top 25 Songs for September and October

25. Best Coast - This Is Real
24. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin - Sink/Let It Sway
23. Best Coast - So Gone
22. Tim Kasher - A Grown Man
21. Deerhunter - Revival
20. The Vaselines - No Hope
19. Best Coast - Make You Mine
18. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin - Made To Last
17. Deerhunter - Desire Lines
16. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin -Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro
15. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin -Back in the Saddle
14. Tim Kasher - No Fireworks
13. Sufjan Stevens - Bad Communication
12. Best Coast - Something In The Way
11. Jimmy Eat World - Coffee And Cigarettes
10. Sufjan Stevens - Vesuvius
9. Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz
8. Best Coast - When I'm With You
7. Sufjan Stevens - Too Much
6. Sufjan Stevens - Futile Devices
5. Local Natives - Airplanes
4. Sufjan Stevens - I Want To Be Well
3. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin -Everlyn
2. Tim Kasher - Strays
1. Sufjan Stevens - Impossible Soul

RS: What's your current take on Pinkerton?

Rivers: To me it's a totally brilliant album, so personal, there's such a strong vision, and it was a real joy to go back and crack open the sessions and listen to the tracks one by one and gain inspiration from that. It seems like it's really stuck in people's minds that I disowned or disavowed the record and I'm not sure where that came from.

RS: In 2001, you said the album was "hideous" and a "hugely painful mistake."

Rivers: That's what's so great about it! I didn't mean "hideous" in a negative way. I would say that it's a hideous record in many ways - it's ugly and dark and twisted and embarrassing. Anyway, in 2001 and 2002, I said a lot of inflammatory things.

RS: Like calling your fans "little bitches"?

Rivers: Exactly. I had a way with words then, and I'm still facing the consequences.

Needless to say, I'm awfully excited to see the album performed live.

Top 25 Songs for July and August

25. Sun Kil Moon - You Are My Sun
24. Local H - California Songs
23. Menomena - Queen Black Acid
22. Free Energy - Dream City
21. Best Coast - Crazy For You
20. Sufjan Stevens - Heirloom
19. Sun Kil Moon - Third And Seneca
18. Best Coast - Happy
17. Lil Wayne feat. Drake - Right Above It
16. Sun Kil Moon - Alesund
15. Local H - Fritz's Corner
14. Sufjan Stevens - Arnika
13. Stars - Wasted Daylight
12. Free Energy - Dark Trance
11. Best Coast - Goodbye
10. Sufjan Stevens - Djohariah
9. Arcade Fire - Suburban War
8. Sufjan Stevens - From The Mouth Of Gabriel
7. Best Coast - The End
6. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
5. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People
4. Free Energy - Bad Stuff
3. Best Coast - Girlfriend
2. Arcade Fire - Ready To Start
1. Best Coast - I Want To

Top 25 Songs For May and June

25. Lucero - The War
24. Broken Social Scene - World Sick
23. Tokyo Police Club - Favourite Food
22. The New Pornographers - World Sick
21. Sun Kil Moon - Lost Verses
20. The New Pornographers - My Shepard
19. Broken Social Scene - Meet Me In The Basement
18. The Hold Steady - The Sweet Part Of The City
17. Sun Kil Moon - Glenn Tipton
16. The New Pornographers - Valkyrie In The Roller Disco
15. Sun Kil Moon - Moorestown
14. The New Pornographers - We End Up Together
13. Tokyo Police Club - Wait Up (Boots Of Danger)
12. The Hold Steady - A Slight Discomfort
11. The New Pornographers - Moves
10. Lucero - Sixteen
9. Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit
8. Sun Kil Moon - Tonight In Bilbao
7. The Hold Steady - The Weekenders
6. The New Pornographers - Up In The Dark
5. The National - Terrible Love
4. The National - Sorrow
3. Broken Social Scene - Art House Director
2. Tokyo Police Club - Frankenstein
1. Sun Kil Moon - Tonight The Sky

Top 25 Songs For March and April

The Top 25 is on life support, but it's not dead yet. In fact, the May/June list figures to be exceptionally good.

25. Joanna Newsom - Good Intentions Paving Company
24. Rogue Wave - Good Morning (The Future)
23. The Besnard Lakes - Glass Printer
22. Joanna Newsom - You And Me, Bess
21. Shearwater - Black Eyes
20. Joanna Newsom - Go Long
19. Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
18. The Besnard Lakes - The Ocean, Like The Innocent, Pt. 2: The Innocent
17. The Besnard Lakes - Light Up The Night
16. She & Him - Thieves
15. Joanna Newsom - Autumn
14. Shearwater - Castaways
13. The Besnard Lakes - Land of Living Skies Pt. 2: The Living Skies
12. Joanna Newsom - On A Good Day
11. Jónsi - Boy Lilikoi
10. Joanna Newsom - Soft As Chalk
9. Joanna Newsom - Jackrabbits
8. She & Him: Over It Over Again
7. Joanna Newsom - '81
6. Titus Andronicus - No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future
5. Titus Andronicus - Four Score And Seven
4. Joanna Newsom - In California
3. Titus Andronicus - Theme From Cheers
2. Titus Andronicus - To Friends Old and New
1. Joanna Newsom - Does Not Suffice

Top 25 Songs For January and February

25. Spoon - I Saw The Light
24. Yeasayer - Madder Red
23. Surfer Blood - Twin Peaks
22. Phoenix - Courtesy Laughs
21. Spoon - Got Nuffin
20. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
19. Los Campesinos - Romance Is Boring
18. Yeasayer - Love Me Girl
17. Spoon - Before Destruction
16. Phoenix - Consolation Prizes
15. Japandroids - Sexual Aerosol
14. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
13. The xx - Shelter
12. Phoenix - Long Distance Call
11. Spoon - Out Go The Lights
10. The xx - Intro
9. Phoenix - Sometimes In The Fall
8. The xx - VCR
7. Phoenix - Lost And Found
6. Spoon - Goodnight Laura
5. Phoenix - One Time Too Many
4. Japandroids - Press Corps
3. Spoon - Trouble Comes Running
2. The xx - Crystallized
1. Phoenix - Rally

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #2

Japandroids - Post-Nothing

I’m still not entirely sure how they did it. I don’t know how Japandroids made one of the most pulsating, re-listenable albums of the year with just guitar, drums, and vocals - and hardly a single overdub to speak of. I’m not sure how they turned what would have otherwise been merely an exuberant album about girls and drinking into something provocative with just a few scattered, harrowing lyrics about feeling your youth slip away. Part of me doesn’t care to know.

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #3

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #4

Ida Maria - Fortress 'round My Heart

Ida Maria has one of the best voices in Rock and a knack for writing killer hooks, but above all else, she has a fascinating persona. Fortress ‘round My Heart’s references to casual fucks, whiskey, and losing control are more than just titillating though; they also make the narrator so human that the tales of jilted lovers, loneliness, and love that outlasts a relationship become that much more poignant.

To boot, Fortress ‘round My Heart has the most hilarious lyric of the year in its favor: singing about a lonesome man who offers to give a prostitute the world in return for staying the night, Ida wonders “how it will go when God hands over the whole wide world to a 43-year-old hooker from downtown.

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #5

Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy

















Pitchfork nailed it for a change: "[E]asily the best Built to Spill album of the decade-- an improbable late-career reawakening and heartening evidence that becoming dependable doesn't mean having to settle for being predictable."

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #6

Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #7

A.C. Newman - Get Guilty

Top 30 Songs of 2009

30. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Wind Phoenix (Proper Name)
29. A.C. Newman - All My Days And All My Days Off
28. Superdrag - Deathblow To Your Pride
27. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Some Trees (Merritt Moon)
26. Pearl Jam - The Fixer
25. Andrew Bird - Anonanimal
24. The Antlers - Wake
23. Superdrag - Aspartame
22. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
21. Illinois - Broken String
20. Phoenix - 1901
19. The New Pornographers - Hey, Snow White [Destroyer Cover]
18. Japandroids - Wet Hair
17. Built To Spill - Aisle 13
16. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
15. Wilco - Wilco (The Song)
14. Kid Cudi - Up Up & Away
13. The Dodos - Troll Nacht
12. Superdrag - Try
11. Phoenix - Rome
10. Say Hi - Maureen
9. Japandroids - I Quit Girls
8. Kevin Devine - Carnival
7. Phoenix - Lasso
6. Cursive - Let Me Up
5. Ida Maria - Oh My God
4. Kevin Devine - Brother's Blood
3. Phoenix - Listzomania
2. Bon Iver - Blood Bank
1. Illinois - Are You Coming With Me?

Top Ten Albums of 2009: #8

The Antlers - Hospice

Much has been made of Hospice’s subject matter and with good reason - the album’s unflinching discussion of mental illness, abortion, death, dying, and ill-fated love is legitimately haunting. However, the Antler’s debut also owes a major debt to compelling songwriting and clever arrangements. Without the potent horns that close “Bear,” the resounding organ that signifies liftoff on “Wake,” or the memorable melodies throughout, the listener’s desire to reach for a drink - if not a razor blade - by the time front man Peter Silberman concludes the album with coos of “You're screaming, and cursing, and angry, and hurting me, and then smiling, and crying, apologizing,” would not be nearly as strong.

Top 25 Songs For December

25. Old Canes - Flower Faces
24. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Janglin
23. Vivian Girls - Can't Get Over You
22. The Antlers - Kettering
21. Old Canes - Little Bird Courage
20. Ida Maria - Morning Light
19. Cass McCombs - You Saved My Life
18. Ida Maria - Keep Me Warm
17. The Antlers - Two
16. Ida Maria - Stella
15. Japandroids - The Boys Are Leaving Town
14. Ida Maria - Queen Of The World
13. Califone - Krill
12. Ida Maria - Forgive Me
11. The Antlers - Bear
10. Regina Spektor - Hero
9. Califone - Funeral Singers
8. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
7. Japandroids - Crazy/Forever
6. The Antlers - Wake
5. Japandroids - Sovereignty
4. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
3. Japandroids - Wet Hair
2. Ida Maria - Oh My God
1. Japandroids - I Quit Girls