My Favorite Songs, 2009: The First Half

Few if any of us see (and document) as many live shows as our own Sung, right here at Losanjealous. Having recently inexplicably found himself with a 30-minute block of down time, he now shares a few songs he’s been enjoying during the first half of 2009 with you, dear reader. Enjoy! -ed

My favorite songs (in alphabetical order by artist) from the first half of ’09. Mixtape at your own risk:

1) Animal Collective – “My Girls”

Is it cool this week to like or not like this album? Dunno it’s hard to keep up. Live, I enjoy “Lion in a Coma” the most, but on the album this ode to the familial unit gets my vote. It’s the drums that make the song for me. (photos)

2) Antony & The Johnsons – “Dust and Water”

One of those songs that is probably best first listened to without trying to make out the lyrics. Still feel bad for Antony having to fry in the Coachella sun this year. (photos)

3) Camera Obscura – “My Maudlin Career”

I never bought their stoic image, especially after the last album Let’s Get Out of This Country. This song, despite its title, is another uptempo tune from the post-twee Glaswegians. (photos)

4) Clues – Remember “Severed Head”

Every element of this song seems recognizable from various indie hits of yore. It just adds another layer of meaning to the band’s name.

5) Dirty Projectors – “Temecula Sunrise”

Dave Longstreth has been my favorite guitarist for the past couple of years. This is one of the songs that best showcases his fretwork. (photos by Carlie!)

6) Bob Dylan – “Life Is Hard”

Dylan’s voice for the last twenty years or so has been the epitome of the term ‘weathered’. This song seems to have all of his different vocal incarnations sometimes in the same verse.

7) Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”

Like “My Girls”, this is another obvious song on another obvious album. It must be obviously good. (photos)

8 ) The Maccabees – “Love You Better”

If the music on this song and others on the album remind you of Arcade Fire it’s because the producer Markus Dravs also worked on Neon Bible. My favorite young British band. (photos)

9) Phoenix – “Liztomania”

I know you have to filter out the ridiculous from blog commentary, but it’s hard for me to ignore people saying that Pheonix is this year’s Vampire Weekend. They’ve been around for ten years for chrissakes.

10) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Hysteric”

The beginning of this song sounds unassured. Then the lyrics reveal the song’s subject, the vulnerability of falling in love, with Karen O eventually dropping her cool gloves to proclaim, “You suddenly complete me.” (photos)