Focus: Best Music of 2009

Album of the Year: 'Far' by Regina Spektor

Where past efforts by Spektor have resonated with a special brand of adorable quirkiness and nonsensical lyricism layered with the occasional heartbreakingly beautiful love song, "Far" dares to be something different. Yes, Spektor is quirky as ever - she sings like a dolphin on "Folding Chair" - but there is also a sense of grand discovery, a sound much larger than the pint-sized pianist has ever dealt with.

Songs like "Dance Anthem of the '80s" and "Eet" raise the ceiling on the limits of her innocence, while "Laughing With God" shows an almost cynical maturity as Spektor recounts tragedy and loss; it ends in existentialist thought when she declares that no one laughs at God, but rather we all laugh with him.

"Far" hits its crescendo on what just might be Spektor's most powerful song yet, "Blue Lips," a slow, building shout into the dark that sums up the maturity and progress on which the album is built. With practically no instrumentals, Spektor whispers the lyric of her career as she begins the song, "He stumbled into faith and thought/ 'God, this is all there is?'" before the track explodes into a sound that can only be described as larger than life. In a year where great music releases were few and far between, "Far" stands radiant, defiant and bold. -Stephen Ortiz

Pop/Rock Album of the Year: 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' Phoenix

French band Phoenix's 2009 album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," blew away its competition this year with sheer quality. The 10-song disc is nearly perfect, from its amazingly catchy singles "Lisztomania" and "1901" that ruled the radio this summer, to its two-part epic "Love Like A Sunset," a powerful instrumental leading into a short and incredibly sweet, quiet capper. Phoenix has successfully crossed the Atlantic, as "Wolfgang" is easily the year's best rock album. -Joe O'Leary

Hip-Hop Album of the Year: 'BlaQKout' DJ Quik & Kurupt

Though no one's going to look back and front like Quik and Kurupt's masterpiece "BlaQKout" represented any kind of paradigm shift for rap, it's refreshing to hear a couple dudes in their mid-30s draw on what made them great in the first place. That is, instead of emptily flossing their cultural importance to cover up an obvious and embarrassing creative rut (what up, Hova). This first collaboration between the Crip and the Blood is an ideal match - Kurupt's assertive, stream-of-consciousness flow perfectly foils Quik's more laidback, consistently quotable lyrics and angular, sample-heavy West Coast production. The result is two legends on top of their games and a gloriously weird and creative rap album that only gets better with repeat listens. -Kevin Keller

Metal Album of the Year: 'Wrath' Lamb of God

Lamb Of God's third major-label album, "Wrath," was one of those "best of both worlds" situations. The band worked hard at tightening execution, exploring a more melodic tone and composing music as opposed to just recording it. But while "Wrath" showed how Lamb of God has progressed leaps and bounds, it also happens to be one downright brutal album, and doesn't easily let the listener forget that. -Ortiz

R&B Album of the Year: 'Love vs. Money' The-Dream

It's no secret that the South's where it's at when it comes to this decade's most interesting production, and The-Dream team of Tricky Stewart and Los Da Mystro is at the forefront of the R&B game. If you're into cool sounds (who isn't?), the synth trumpets washing over "Rockin' That S---," the keyboard bounce of "Mr. Yeah," or the rolling, rubbery drums driving "Kelly's 12 Play" should fill your appetite. Oh yeah, and The-Dream managed to make a pretty damn compelling concept album too, writing some of his most hummable melodies and interesting lyrics along the way. -Keller

Punk/Emo Album of the Year: 'It's Blitz!' Yeah Yeah Yeahs

For many people, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs had mostly been a singles band up until this year. That all changed with the band's third album and somewhat radical aesthetic departure "It's Blitz!" Trading guitar for synth allowed the band to explore moodier, more spacious ground and led to one of the most fascinating rock albums of the year, and certainly the band's most cohesive yet. -Keller

Indie Album of the Year: 'Sunshower' Jupiter One

Much of the pleasure derived from Jupiter One's sophomore effort comes from its eclectic mix of sound. One track will pound you with electronic grooves masked by sunny day guitar riffs ("Volcano") and then the next will mellow it out with some modern day folk about burning down an ex-lover's building (the excellent "Flaming Arrow"). It's fun, catchy and wildly original. -Ortiz

Best New Artist: Passion Pit

Passion Pit exploded onto the music scene this year with their debut album "Manners." With songs like "The Reeling" and "Sleepyhead," their incredibly catchy hooks caught many an ear among fans of electro-pop. With every spin of the album, it's easy to find a new favorite song. Their music is very happy and positive, and their enthusiasm shows. It's impossible not to smile while listening. -O'Leary