Favorite songs of the year:

1. "My Girls" - Animal Collective

This song accounted for at least 3% of all smiles in 2009.

2."Lust for Life" - Girls

This is the song that I always get stuck in my head even though the only lyrics I remember are "I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish I had a loving man in my life". The song is good enough that I'm not embarrassed by singing them out loud.

3. "Too Many Birds" - Bill Callahan

There were two other songs on this album that I probably listened to more than this song, but that's because they were the first two tracks on the album. The simple yet stunning buildup of "If you could only stop your heartbeat for one heartbeat" is maybe the most memorable part of a wonderfully purposeful album.

4. "Sing Sang Sung" - Air (Youtube Disabled Embedding)

This song is what it feels to be a piece of toast while peanut butter and honey are being spread upon it. Gooey sweetness.

5. "Walkabout" - Atlas Sound

Bradford Cox is one of the most prolific songwriters of the last few years, and this song is him at his most infectious.

6. "Deadbeat Summer" - Neon Indian

This song is the reason "chillwave" will be added to the dictionary next year... and then forgotten about.

7. "Handreader" - Shahs (Check discography for full EP download)

I don't think I've ever heard a cooler vocal effect.

8. "Feel It All Around" - Washed Out

Washed Out's "Life of Leisure" was my favorite EP of the year. I can't tell if this song is more unfuckwithable or fuck-to-able.

9. "Eight Legs" - Vampire Hands (This song isn't streamable, but check out the others)

The thing that separates Vampire Hands from most modern rock bands is that Colin Johnson's lyrics are as beautiful as the music that he sings them over.

10. "Echo" - R. Kelly

By :20 into this track it's pretty easy to understand why this is one of The Undisputed King of R&B's best songs ever.

11. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear"

This probably would have rated a little higher if I wouldn't have listened to it, like, 5 million times already.

12. Maybe So, Maybe No" - Mayer Hawthorne

Mayer Hawthorne is a dorky white dude has the silky smooth voice (and balls) to pull off neo-soul.

13. "Hole in My Head" - Box Elders

Omaha's Box Elders are young, dumb, and full of short songs that illustrate the previous two points.