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Best Albums of 2009... so far, so good... so what!

Now that we've reached and subsequently passed the halfway point in 2009, time to sit back and take stock of the best music January through June had to offer.

1. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (Reprise)
Another winner from the best American metal band going right now. Prog in all the right ways, surprisingly melodic and still fierce as hell.

2. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)
The dark drone metal masters create an album that defies easy categorization, incorporating everything from acid jazz to choral music to conch shells (no really).

3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
By sharpening their songcraft and absorbing lots of dance rhythms has allowed the Collective to give us one of their most listenable and blissful albums yet.

4. Dinosaur Jr - Farm (Jagjaguwar)
The reunion rolls on, with an album that just might even surpass the original trilogy that gave these guys their killer reputation. Every nook and cranny is packed with hooks and crunchy Crazy Horse solos.

5. Wilco - Wilco (the album) (Nonesuch)
It doesn't break any new ground for the band, but serves as a terrific summary of everything they do well - from Tweedy's intimate lyrics to sonic playfulness that reveals boundless depth in these seemingly simple pop songs.

6. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (Domino)
One of the most pleasant surprises of 2009, this is one of those albums that sneaks up on you and demands your attention. "Stillness is the Move" might just be single of the year.

7. Coalesce - Ox (Relapse)
Nothing better than having the veterans kick back with an album a decade later than positively obliterates the countless imitators the band has spawned.

8. Sonic Youth - The Eternal (Matador)
Much like the new Wilco, this album serves as more of a band sampler than a dipping of toes in a new pool. Still, Sonic Youth reflecting is leaps and bounds above most bands half their age.

9. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Slumberland)
Endlessly derivative, but still the some of the best thirty-five minutes of pop pleasure this year has blessed us with.

10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (Interscope)
For a band that built its early reputation on skronk and intensity, its somewhat surprising that their best album yet nods more to the dancefloor than the dark corners of post-punk.

11. Kylesa - Static Tensions (Prosthetic)
Thanks to two fantastic drummers, this is one of the heaviest and most intense sounding metal albums of the year. Just when I thought sludge had little new to offer...

12. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (V2)
After a stunning SNL performance that turned heads, Phoenix finally shows the masses what tuned in fans have known for years - namely, these guys got hooks upon hooks. "Listzomania" and "1901" are both pure pop magic.

13. Nomo - Invisible Cities (Ubiquity)
Who knew some of the grooviest Afro-beat in the 21st Century would come from Ann Arbor, Michigan? Well, those of that have been following these kids through four fantastic albums knew.

14. Handsome Furs - Face Control (Sub Pop)
I was a big supporter of this duo's first album, but I'm glad to see that an even better follow-up has led to some much deserved attention. I've had at least seven of these songs stuck in my head at one point or another this year.

15. Isis - Wavering Radiant (Ipecac)
Ever wonder why critics still refer to all young post-metal bands as NeurIsis? Because these guys helped set the template and are still marking out territory all their own.

16. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (Capitol)
Stripped down to basics, this is a sweeping concept album about love, magic and forest animals. In no way should it be one of the most engaging albums of the year, but it is. Kudos guys.

17. Wooden Shjips - Dos (Holy Mountain)
Detractors call these guys repetitive and boring, but they're missing the point. They may be a one note band, but when it comes to kraut-infused psych, its a great effing note.

18. Tombs - Winter Hours (Relapse)
Climactic bombast without the slow build, these guys are like the Michael Bay of post-metal. And I mean that in the most positive way possible.

19. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer (Jagjaguwar)
Another great album for fans of quirky pop infused with lots and lots of prog rock, these guys continue to surprise.

20. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (Warp)
The best easy-listening album of 2009! Really, its a compliment. A breezy listen that hits all the right pleasure centers.

21. Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand (Vice)
For all the talk about these guys' wild stage shows, people tend to forget just how tuneful and melodic they can get in the studio. Of course it gets drenched with a fine layer of sleaze, but still.

22. K'naan - Troubadour (A&M)
Really confused as to why this dude isn't mega right now. Too thought-provoking for those still figuring out what the hell Lady Gaga is singing about? To me, this lives up to all the hype Wyclef never delivered, mixing world music, hip-hop, and intelligent, thoughtful lyrics in a compelling manner.

23. Lindstrom & Prins Thomas - II (Eskimo)
Tempting to call this the best electronic record of the year, but that would be about like calling Mastodon the best classical album of the year. This is fuzzed out psychedelia at its peak.

24. The-Dream - Love vs. Money (Radio Killa/Def Jam)
Another entrant in the "should really be massive by now" sweepstakes. Terius Nash is on fire right now, living up to his promise as the Prince of the '00s.

25. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns (Astralwerks)
Who knew we needed a new Kate Bush? Stunningly produced, gauzy pop that winds its way into your head and lodges itself their for weeks on end.

The Honorable Mentions:
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino)
Cobalt - Gin (Profound Lore)
Glasvegas - Glasvegas (Columbia)
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South (Merge)
Obits - I Blame You (Sub Pop)
Morrissey - Years of Refusal (Attack/Lost Highway)
Fever Ray - Fever Ray (Rabid)
Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Downtown)
Silversun Pickups - Swoon (Dangerbird)
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (ANTI-)
Dan Deacon - Bromst (Carpark)