Beginning December 21 through December 25, we’ll be posting Top 10 Albums of 2009 lists as determined by Loud Loop Press editors and contributors. Then beginning December 28 through January 1, we’ll up the ante by posting Top 10 Albums of 2000-2009 lists once again determined by our esteemed writers. Today, contributor Britni Day spices things up with her list for the Top 10 albums of 2009.

10. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Before I begin, I’m going to state that I am not usually a fan of these new fangled “supergroups”. Personally, I think they are cash cows feeding on the wallets and souls of fans. But (and this is a huge but, because I feel a little dirty saying this), this album left me saying, “Huh. Well, would you just listen to that.” Maybe it’s because I like Led Zepplin and Foo Fighters. And maybe Josh Homme’s vocals have grown on me quite a bit. Either way, when you blend these three together it works really well. It seems like they have put their musical egos aside and come together with all the good elements each one has to offer to make this album. I hear Zepplin, I hear Foo Fighters, and I hear Queens of the Stone Age, but it all works together. They do need to work on song titles, and lyrics, but the sound is pretty good. The single “New Fang” is the catchy single on the album. Homme seems to come through with some heavy guitar and fancy vocals more than Dave Grohl or John Paul Jones. However, that isn’t the setting for the rest of the album. All three get their turn at putting in sounds from their original bands. Call it a guilty pleasure, but I like what they are doing here.

9. Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Stop seething, Hipsters, I put her on here.Natasha Khan turned loose her primal desert wild child alter ego (“Pearl”) on her Two Suns album this year and I’m pretty glad she did. Khan continues to tell her graceful, magical fairy tales with her rich voice accented by a mix of tribal beats and 80’s synth pop. The album opens with “Glass” where Khan stretches her vocal chords to the rafters. Her lyrics tell a sci-fi, fantasy story that I could imagine stars David Bowie. Khan does move away from her poppy side later on in the album. “Siren” is intensely passionate in both lyrics and composition with a mix of piano, orchestral elements, and vocal layers. She continues to set a plethora of moods, tell incredible stories, and extend her musical reaches with Two Suns.

8. The xx – xx
Like your indie pop brooding with a side of funky groove? Then the xx’s self titled debut album is right up your alley. Although our own Dan Henshaw already did a sexy little review on this one, I have to put in my two cents. Young as they are, the xx created an album that sounds experienced enough to make them veterans. With indie, R&B and post punk influences, it’s surprising that the xx make minimalism into an effortless venture. Their music has been so carefully tweaked, sculpted, and perfectly set that you would think it comes with a bow. The simplicity of each one of their songs is flawless but very artistically considerate. There are no headaches, no whiny Moogs that needn’t be there, it’s just gorgeous and refreshing. Dan is right though, the xx does sneak up on you. And before you know it, they are on your top ten albums of the year list without fail.

7. Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Always moving themselves a little to the left of the typical Britpop sound, Kasabian ups the ante with West Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Instead of the House-ey dance beats they are known for, seems that they added a little more groove to album in the form of hiphop, psychedelic and even surf-rock beats (thank the musical gods for the likes of Dan The Automator). It’s a very welcome addition to a band that was getting a little stagnant in my book. Yet, it was a welcome relief when the first track, “Underdog”, rocked hard with quite a nice beat behind it. “Fast Fuse” takes the album a little farther with its unexpected and driving surf-rock style of the drum and bass. “Fire” is an impressive ride that starts out a little wild-west and ends nothing like it began by mixing touches of Luscious Jackson’s disco, pop sound. The elements of Kasabian’s swagger and sound still shine through with highly memorable, larger-than-life songs. Kudos Kasabian, but next time lets not take 3 years to figure out the next step.

6. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Singer from The Knife, Karin Dreijer, makes her solo debut album so quirky and experimental, it almost can’t be taken seriously. Yet, that’s exactly why it’s so incredible. Her unmistakable vocals from The Knife are back over what I can only describe as wistful-electronic, indie-Caribbean-beat fusion. Unusual synth melodies and even weirder beats pepper all her songs. Her lyrics are a mix of child-like simplicity and more profound phrases that sent me reeling into the depths. She tosses out thoughts like, “I’ve never liked that sad look from someone who wants to be loved by you” from “When I Grow Up”, turning uncanny emotions into easy poetry. Not even Bjork, the queen of quirk herself, could pull off some of what Dreijer does in this album. Her song “If I Had A Heart” is a dark, quiet, intensely brooding example of the lengths that Dreijer decided to explore. The filter she uses is completely haunting with a slow American Indian sounding beat and melody. But she keeps a modern electronic drone tone that’s almost maddening. The strange, emotional waves that Dreijer sent me out into the middle of made this album a brilliant piece of something completely different. It gives me my faith back that the world is not full of cookie cutter crap radio hits.

5. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Yes, Andy Kahn had this album up first, but I’m pretty sure I heart them more. With the happiest pop I’ve heard since The Lightning Seeds’ Sense album, Phoenix comes on strong with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. It’s almost impossible not to shake it a little bit to any song on this album. And that’s precisely why I’m enamored with Phoenix. We all need some feel good music, and it’s double fantastic that the songs are also extremely well written, beautifully composed, and each unique in their own right. The first two songs off the album “Lisztomania” and “1901” are currently wide-spread hits, but “Love Like a Sunset, Part 1” is a delicate crescendo into a glorious peak of guitar, synth, and drums. It’s mysterious, beautiful and made me want to be in his shoes when he saw the sunset that inspired the song. It turned on all my complete girlie emotions. Phoenix is the current leader of the pop movement and the future does look bright with them around.

4. Alice in Chains – Black Gives way to Blue
What an incredible come back after a lead singer with an unmistakable voice dies. A mere 14 years after their last album, Alice in Chains didn’t reinvent themselves, they didn’t find Jesus, and they certainly didn’t get haircuts. The band hired new lead singer William DuVall (a very close likeness of Layne Stanley vocally) and put out a new rock-your-face album with that classic early 90’s metal sound. Black Gives Way to Blue sounds like Stanley never left our world, and brought back a comforting nostalgia when things for metal were good. The dual vocals between DuVall and Jerry Cantrell achieve a level of broodiness, only made darker with churning guitars and driving bass and drums behind them. It’s wonderfully grumpy as Alice in Chains should be and I’m awe-struck that the true sound of the band wasn’t touched. Even their acoustic songs are still Alice in Chains. I truly hope this means that 90’s metal has finally risen from the grave to slap that “nu-metal” crap upside the head. I’ll bet Nickleback is first on their list.

3. Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Silversun Pickups bring Carnavas up a notch with the sound of Swoon. Brian Aubert’s whisper pretty vocals are once again highly enjoyable over contrast of fast-paced beating of drums, fuzzy wailing guitars and the never ending drive of the bass. The first hit single, “Panic Switch”, demonstrates this entirely. But, it’s really the opening song “There’s No Secrets This Year” with it’s shredding James Iha-esque guitars, but happy subtle synth sounds in the back-ground are the perfect setting for the rest of the album. Although highly comparable to early Smashing Pumpkins, the Silversun Pickups seem to have come into their own yet a second time with Swoon. The flow of the album is almost fearless, with its touches of dreamy shimmery pop melodies threaded with blasting rough true 90’s alt-rock guitar. The best part about it all is the Silversun Pickups still sound like themselves and it’s freaking beautiful.

2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
What a delicious little tray of ear treats Grizzly Bear presented with Veckatimest! The psychedelic indie folk rockers are just as impressive as ever with this album. It has to be said that Grizzly Bear makes music for musicians. They use instruments way out of the realm of ordinary to make unimaginable sounds (raise your hand if you have any idea what an Omnichord is). It’s all so intelligently composed, and skillfully mastered that you just have to take a step back and admire it. Some of my favorites are the first song on the album, “Southern Point” sounds like 60’s psychedelic folk meets an old sea shanty. Layers upon layers of acoustic guitars, synths and a soft wispy drum sound fill this song out with dreamy angelic vocals. Then, the album moves into the sweet, Brian Wilson-esque harmonies of “Two Weeks”. It’s precious and shimmery with simple musical elements used by genius minds. The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint with track after track of music to leave you near swooning.

1. A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Ashes Grammar
After many trials for A Sunny Day in Glasgow, a tribulation comes through in the form of Ashes Grammar. ASDIG has all the spirit of My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze coursing through their veins, but has refined the usual “wall of noise” crashing Jazzmasters with intricate instrument and vocal layers. The delay pedals are absolutely still there, and you couldn’t understand the lyrics if your life depended on it. But there’s a more modern, polished sound with both drums and vocals having been brought to the foreground. “Failure”, although not aptly named, embodies all the sparkly, atmospheric sounds the album has to offer. And the first single, “Shy”, is structured, yet holds onto the ghostly, dreamy vocals for which ASDIG is known. Overall, the album is uplifting and composed with perfection and complete beauty that flows from one track to the next just like the songs themselves. Ashes Grammar is the most impressive album that has come out this year. ASDIG is the future of cerebral shoegaze and I can’t wait to see what comes out of these youngsters next.