This is a list of ten albums that I have come back to again and again in 2009, in no particular order, except for number one.

Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
I’ve been listening to a lot of tamer and quieter things this year. There’s almost no more reliable way to do that than with Bill Callahan; you know you’re in good hands. With his warm voice and simple arrangements, Callahan seems to be making music for posterity.

Elvis Perkins – Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Elvis and his band have the kind of big, rustic sound that comes from having a tuba and an upright bass on stage at the same time. They create this American amalgam that draws equal parts from front-porch folk and a New Orleans funeral. The music is far more dynamic and celebratory than his earlier work.

Check out the Elvis Perkins song Shampoo on youtube.

Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
This album was released in the first few weeks of 2009, but it’s still one of the year’s best. From end to end, the music is almost too intense for casual listening. It’s a beautiful and haunting experience. The cover photograph of butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno is full of drama and (accurately) hints at what’s inside.

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions – Through the Devil Softly
I was lucky enough to see Hope and co. on tour in October, when she played most if not all of this album live. It was perfect; you could recline in the seats of the Lakeshore Theater and let the thick reverb wash over you. Even if the recorded album doesn’t sound quite as big, a release from Hope is a magical thing.

Check out the Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions song Blanchard on youtube.

Dan Deacon – Bromst
I don’t know how much analog equipment and live instrumentation Deacon uses in his compositions, but he is able to get this nice, warm sound. To be honest, it’s an adjustment to think of Dan Deacon as more than just party music, but the track “Wet Wings” offers evidence. The album’s most “experimental” track, he builds a vocal loop into a crescendo that would make Steve Reich proud. Songs like that and “Snookered” also make this a great headphones album.

Lightning Dust – Infinite Light
A spin-off of the modern psychedelic rock band Black Mountain, Lightning Dust creates sparse, melodic rock with a gothic tinge. The songs all have space to breathe, but the band wisely keeps vocalist Amber Webber’s voice front-and-center amid the strings and pianos. Infinite Light is their second release and is much brighter than their self-titled debut.

Check out the Lightning Dust song Antonia Jane on youtube.

Atlas Sound – Logos
Brandon Cox really knows his stuff. It’s no small feat to blend near-constant vocal harmonies, distorted guitars and soft synths into something so damn catchy. This album is one of few to survive the hype it received. Perhaps the most dynamic album on this list, I love the drones and textures that weave throughout.

Red Heart the Ticker – Oh My! Mountains Below
I remain a sucker for banjo and for male/female harmonies, so it’s no surprise that I love this album. It’s mellow and beautiful but takes a surprisingly poppy turn towards the middle with “Head of a Lion,” complete with hand claps. Think of this as something between Peter and the Wolf and the Be Good Tanyas.

Castanets – Texas Rose, Thaw & the Beasts
You might call it “freak folk” or “noise country” or some other valid nonsense, but Raymond Raposa has been doing it for years and I love it. He mixes acoustic guitar, electronics and his idiosyncratic voice into something special. Texas Rose may not be as emphatic a musical statement as Cathedral or First Light’s Freeze, but it doesn’t have to be to be one of my favorites of the year. It’s more sparse and concerned with empty spaces than earlier albums.

No. 1: The XX – XX
This is the dark horse of the year for me. I just can’t believe I’m listening to a band’s debut album. Remember the Chris Isaak song Wicked Game? Every track on this album seems to be steeped in that mood, but instead of Isaak crooning, The XX offers Prince’s Minneapolis sound pushed through a minimalist post-punk filter. Rounded out with understated electronics and whispered vocals, this is the perfect 2 a.m. album. It’s so precise and so shockingly good.

Check out The XX song Night Time on youtube.

Some other things that I loved and that everyone else loved too: Phoenix, God Help the Girl, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, the Mountain Goats, and Sonic Youth.