Music: Saturday Mixtape: The best singles of 2009, in no particular order
- Lots of great singles came out this year – pieces of memorable mind candy worthy of (more than) a few minutes of your time. Here are a few of our faves.
- one Instant euphoria, in just a few words. What else could you want?
- two Crocodiles hit our Jesus & Mary Chain soft spot; they get in easily.
- three St. Vincent makes every second of “Actor out of Work” count.
- four Best use of synthetic hand claps goes to YACHT this year.
- five “Sunlight” by Tune-Yards has such a simple, organic sound.
- six Bradford Cox works well with Animal Collective members.
- seven The Big Pink gets a lot out of a really awesome lyrical hook.
- eight The best part of Antony’s “Another World”? The empty spaces.
- nine Girls, the band, exposed sadness through unending optimism.
- ten Cass McCombs’ hazy take on alt-country had an obvious peak.
pulled off a neat trick with “The Ballad of the Sin Eater,” turning in solid commentary of America’s place in the world during the height of the Bush era. With the Iranian election still fresh, it’s a line of thought in need of reevaluation.
” was an amazing, vitriolic statement on spirituality, with “Twice Born” playing centerpiece. From Sufjan Stevens to The Thermals, religion plays a huge role on both sides of this debate.
analyzes the nature of indifference with “Don’t Vote,” which plays like a modern “Okie from Muskogee.”