Best Of 2009- Top Albums 5-1

Alright this is it. Thanks for sticking with me. Am I completely predictable? Probably. But I am who I am and I like what I like. What were your top albums of 2009?

5. O Pioneers!!!- Neon Creeps
"My Life As A Morrissey Song"
I'm going to start this off by stating the obvious: O Pioneers!!! fucking rule. They're like Chuck Ragan fronting an old school Against Me! with lyrics that are simple, repetitive (but not too much so), and relatable. Neon Creeps just saw OP!!! getting better, with a bigger sound but without losing what made their debut, Black Mambas, great; raw energy.

4. Set Your Goals- This Will Be The Death Of Us
"Gaia Bleeds (Make Way For Man)" (Link Removed)
Set Your Goals completely outdid themselves on this record, something I didn't think was possible after the amazingly pirate themed Mutiny!. This album has so much emotion and honesty in it, especially one of my favorites "The Fallen". Death of Us also has one of their most badass and brutal songs, "Gaia Bleeds".

3. Regina Spektor- Far
"Eet" (Link Removed)
I'm a sucker for anything with piano and I'm an even bigger sucker for Regina Spektor's voice, so this album was pretty big for me this year. Her lyrics are so honest and the stories she tells are so weird, it's hard not to be drawn in. I was a little let down by Begin To Hope because there was less piano but Far has completely restored my faith in her.

2. Bomb the Music Industry!- Scrambles
"(Shut) Up the Punx!!!"
This should come as no surprise to anyone. I love Jeff Rosenstock and all of the music he makes. Scrables is BtMI!'s best album yet. The lyrics are as good as ever and the music is still completely badass. There are curve balls around every corner, whether they're random samples, songs heavy with piano, or the brutal "Gang of Four Meets the Stooges (But Boring)".

1. Manchester Orchestra- Mean Everything To Nothing
"Mean Everything To Nothing" (Link Removed)
This album didn't leave my car stereo for about four straight months after it first came out. It's so raw and southern, I can't help but rock out to it. Andy Hull's voice is so much better in Mean Everything and his lyrics cut deep. The sound on this album is huge and I really couldn't say enough good things about it.