I’ve been asked “what’s your favourite album of 2009″ several times, and I’ve even been asked to make my top albums of the decade list, but I really can’t do it. It’s almost impossible for me to make a list like that, – there is so much good music, and I can’t say that one is better than another.

What I like about year-end lists is that that I sometimes discover albums I haven’t heard, and that’s the kind of list I want to make. Here are my recommended releases of 2009, listed alphabetically, not by “best” or “worst”. I have put some of the releases in bold, and that’s the ones that really makes my heart beat faster, – the ones I hope to carry with me for several years into the future.

I know I should have made links to all the artists, but when you see the number of albums I have mentioned here, I guess you understand why I haven’t…

Most of these albums are available on itunes, 7digital, emusic, amiestreet, spotify, cdbaby, platekompaniet or directly from the artists/labels. If you want to know more about some artists, search for them on google or myspace.

Let’s start with albums from artists beginning with A: (Prepare for an overdose of good releases…)

(Listen to some of the A artists in this spotify playlist)

Adrian Crowley – Season Of The Sparks

Afternoon Naps – Parade

Alela Diane – Alela & Alina (feat. Alina Hardin) – EP

Alela Diane – To Be Still

Alessi’s Ark – Notes From The Treehouse

Allo, Darlin’ – Henry Rollins Don’t Dance (single)

The Amazing – The Amazing

Amy Aislers Set – The Lights Are Out EP

Anna Jarvinen – Man Var Bland Molnen

The Antlers – Hospice

The Apples In Stereo – #1 Hits Explosion

The Arctic Flow – I Saw The Silver Sun (free from http://holidayrecords.net/)

Arthur and Martha- Navigation

Asobi Seksu- Hush

Atlas Sound – Logos

Au Revoir Simone – Still Night, Still Light

To see what artists beginning with B I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(Listen to most of the B recommendations on this spotify playlist)

Baby Grand – Coming True

The Ballet – Bear Life

Balmorhea – All Is Wild, All Is Silent

Bat For Lashes – Two Suns

The Bats – The Guilty Office

Beat The Radar – To The City From The Sea

Bellman- Mainly Mute

Beth Jeans Houghton – Hot Toast vol. 1 (ep)

The Big Pink – A Brief History Of Love

Bill Wells & Maher Shalal Hash Baz – Gok

The bird and the bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future

Black Moth Super Rainbow – Eating Us (not sure if it’s a 2009 release)

Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer EP

Blue Roses – Blue Roses

BMX Bandits – The Rise & Fall of BMX Bandits

Boat Beam – Puzzle Shapes

Bombadil – Tarpits and Canyonlands

The Bon Bon Club -  Sex On Fire (single)

The Boy Least Likely – To The Law of the Playground

Brakes – Touchdown

Bishop Allen – Grrr…

Brilliant Colors -  Introducing

Broadcast And The Focus Group – Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age

BrotherSister – The Wunder Tales

Brown Recluse – The Soft Skin

Burning Hearts – Aboa Sleeping

Butcher Boy -  React Or Die

Bye Bye Bicycle – Compass

To see what artists beginning with C I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list with some of these releases can be found here)

Camera Obscura -  My Maudlin Career

The Candle Thieves -  The Sunshine EP

Caroline Weeks – Songs For Edna

Cats On Fire -  Our Temperance Movement

Casa Murilo – The Waldemar Thranes Debacle (ep)

The Champagne Socialists -  Blue Genes 7″

Charles Spearin – The Happiness Project

Children And Corpse Playing In The Streets -  Honey, I´m Home

Christopher Sander – Hej Hå!

Cineplexx -  Nuevahola

The City and Horses- I Don’t Want to Dream

Clare & the Reasons – Arrow

The Clientele – Bonfires On the Heath

Cloud Control – Cloud Control – EP

Cloud Control – Gold Canary – Single

Clue To Kalo – Lily Perdida

Cola Jet Set – Guitarras y Tambores

Colin Clary – Every little thing counts

Colourmusic – Yes! EP

The Crayon Fields -  All The Pleasures Of The World

The Crepes – What else

Cryptacize – Mythomania

To see what artists beginning with D I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list with some of these releases)

Darren Hanlon – Pointing Ray Guns at Pagans

Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern – Pram Town

Dead Mellotron – Ghost Light Constellation (free album)

Dear Reader – Replace Why With Funny

Death Cab for Cutie- The Open Door (Audio Version) – EP

Deep Sht- Weird You

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

Depeche Mode – Sounds Of The Universe

The Depreciation Guild – Dream About Me

The Depreciation Guild – In her gentle jaws

Desolation Wilderness – New Universe

Devon Williams – Sufferer (single)

Dinosaur Jr. – Farm

Dreamdate – Patience

The Drums – Summertime EP

Dylan Mondegreen- The World Spins On

To see what artists beginning with E I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify with some of these releases)

Efterklang – Performing Parades (live)

Egil Olsen- Nothing Like The Love I Have For You

Einar Stray- Favors & fields EP

Elenette – Neurosor

Elephant Stone- The Seven Seas

Elizabeth Fraser- Moses

Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets

Emily Rodgers – Bright Day

Emmy The Great- First Love

Empty set – As Neat As a New Pin

Engineers – Three Fact Fader

Epic45 – In All The Empty Houses

Erik Enocksson- Man tänker sitt

Eux Autres – You’re Alight

Exlovers – You Forget So Easily – EP

(spotify list for some of the f’s and g’s)

Fanfarlo – Reservoir

Faunts – Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.

The Felt Tips -  Bought And Sold (single)

Fergus & Geronimo -  Blind Muslim Girl (single)

Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion (not sure if this is from 09, but that’s when I got it)

A Fine Day For Sailing – Honeylands

Fireflies – Butterscotch EP (free ep)

Fjordne – The Setting Sun

Fontän – Winterhwila

Foxes! -  Who Killed Rob? (single)

Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land (single)

friska viljor – For New Beginnings

Fruit Bats – The Ruminant Band

To see what artists beginning with G I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list for some of the f’s and g’s)

God Help The Girl -  God Help The Girl

The Golden Rule – The Golden Rule EP

Golden Silvers – True Romance

The Good Natured – Your body is a machine EP

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

Gustaf Spetz – Good night Mr Spetz

(spotify list for some of the h’s and i’s)

Hanne Hukkelberg – Blood from a Stone

The Harts Naive – We Don’t Feel

Hauschka – Small Pieces (mini album)

Hauschka – Snowflakes & Car Wrecks (mini album)

Headlights – Wildlife

Heather Woods Broderick- From The Ground

Here We Go Magic- Here We Go Magic

The Hi-Life Companion- Say Yes!

Hiawata! – These boys and this band is all i know

The Hidden Cameras – Origin:Orphan

Hildur Gudnadottir- Without sinking

The Hillfields- It’ll Never Be The Same Again

The Holy Roman Army- How the Light Gets In

Hong Kong In The 60s- Willow Pattern Songs

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions- Through The Devil Softly

Horse Shoes – The Imperial School

To see what artists beginning with I I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list for some of the h’s and i’s)

I Was A King – I Was A King

Inch Chua – The Bedroom (free album)

Ingenting – Tomhet, Idel Tomhet

Inner Banks- Songs From Disko Bay

Internet Forever- Cover the Walls (single)

(spotify list of some of the j’s and the k’s)

Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone Music From Kerouac’s Big Sur

Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard- ‘Em Are I

Jenn Grant- Echoes (not sure if it’s a 2009 release)

Jenny Owen Youngs – Transmitter Failure

Jeremy Warmsley – 5 Versions (free ep)

Jesca Hoop – Hunting My Dress

Jesper Norda- You know EP (free ep)

jj – jj n° 2

Joel Alme- You Will Only Get It Once (single)

John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen- For Sant Til Å Være Godt

Johnny Flynn- Sweet William – EP

Jon Hopkins- Insides

Jonathan Johansson – En hand himlen

Julie Peel – Near The Sun

The Just Joans/Smittens- The Just Joans/Smittens Split (single/ep)

To see what artists beginning with K I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list of some of the j’s and the k’s)

The Kabeedies- Rumpus

Katsen  – It Hertz!

Kazumasa Hashimoto   – Tokyo sonata soundtrack

Kings Of Convenience  – Declaration Of Dependence

Klaus & Kinski  – Por Qué No Me Das Tu Dinero – EP

Kråkesølv  – Trådnøsting

(spotify list of most L’s)

Lake Heartbeat  – Trust In Numbers

Laura Gibson – Beasts Of Seasons

Lacrosse  – Bandages for the heart

Left With Pictures  – Beyond Our Means

The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

The Legends   – Over And Over (single)

The Leisure Society  – A Matter of Time – EP

The Leisure Society   – A Product Of The Ego Drain (mini album)

The Leisure Society   – The Sleeper

Let’s Wrestle  – In The Court Of The Wrestling Let’s

Liechtenstein   – Survival Strategies In a Modern World

Line Larsen   – One of You – Single

Lily Allen   – It’s not you it’s me

The Little Hands Of Asphalt  – Leap Years

Local Natives  – Camera Talk

The Lodger   – I Think I Need You EP

Love & Happiness  – A: Stockholm B: Göteborg (single)

Love Is All   – Last Choice

The Lovely Eggs  – If You Were Fruit

The Lower 48   – Everywhere To Go

Loyal Trooper   – The Doctor (single)

Lucky Elephant  – Starsign Trampoline

Lullatone   – We Will Rock You… To Sleep: An Introduction to Lullatone

Lulu & The Lampshades   – Feet To The Sky (single)

To see what artists beginning with M I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list with most of the m’s)

Maia Hirasawa  – GBGVSSTHLM

Maple Leaves   – Kirsty / Easy Speak (free single)

Maps   – Turning The Mind

Maribel   – Aesthetics

Meeting of important people – s/t

Martin Carr   – Ye Gods (and little fishes)

The Mary Onettes  – Islands

Masha Qrella   – Speak Low – Loewe And Weill In Exile

Max Richter   – Henry May Long

Max Richter   – Memoryhouse

Mayer Hawthorne   – A Strange Arrangment

Me and the Horse I Rode In On   – Home and Other Places I’d Like to Visit

The Megaphonic Thrift   – A Thousand Years Of Deconstruction

Meso Meso   – Spoon

Metric   – Fantasies

Mexican Kids At Home  – Recycled songs for a happy environment

Mixtapes & Cellmates   – ROX

Micachu   – Jewellry

MJ Hibbett & The Validators   – Regardez, Ecoutez Et Repetez (not sure if this is a 2009 release)

Modular   – Fantasías de un Robot Psicodélico

Morrissey   – The HMV / Parlophone Singles 1988-1995

Morrissey   – Years of Refusal

Moscow Olympics  – beko_12 (free single)

Motifs   – People Like Us (ep)
Motifs   – Holiday records ep (free)

Múm   – Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

Musette- Datum

My Latest Novel -  Death And Entrances

My Sad Captains – Here & Elsewhere

To see what artists beginning with N I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list with most n, o and p’s)

Nat Johnson And The Figureheads- Roman Radio

The Nightgowns – Sing Something

Nikasaya – One Summerheim

Nils Frahm- The Bells

Noah And The Whale- The First Days Of Spring

Norma Sass – A Dance Of Victory The Morning After (ep)

(spotify list with most n, o and p’s)

Oh No Ono – Eggs

Ohbijou – Beacons

Ola Podrida – Belly of the Lion

Ólafur Arnalds – Dyad 1909

Ólafur Arnalds – Found Songs

(spotify list with most n, o and p’s)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- Higher Than The Stars (ep)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Pants Yell!- Received Pronunciation

The Paper Merchants- A friend of mine

Papercuts – You Can Have What You Want (Bonus Track Version)

The Papertiger Sound- The Last Days Are Taking Forever

Parker Lewis- Rak som en pil

Pascal Babare – Thunderclap Spring

Pastels/Tenniscoats- Two Sunsets

PATS – Nevadaflickan

Peggy Sue – Body Parts & First Aid

Peter Broderick- 4 Track Songs

Peter Parker -  Swallow the rockets 7″

Piroth- Safe Haven

PJ Harvey / John Parish- A Woman A Man Walked By

Pocketbooks – Flight Paths

Pomegranates – Everybody Come Outside!

Portrait Painters- Forgive/Forget – Single

The Postmarks- Memoirs At the End of the World

Prefab Sprout- Let’s Change The World With Music

Princeton- Cocoon of Love

The Puncture Repair Kit- The Sinking Of The PRK

To see what artists beginning with R I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list of most r’s and s’s)

Race Horses – Cake (single)

Race Horses – Man in my mind (ep)

The Radio Dept.- David (single)

Reverie Sound Revue – Reverie Sound Revue

Rhys Marsh And The Autumn Ghost- Dulcima

Ringo Deathstarr – In Love (single)

Rose Melberg- Homemade Ship

Roses Kings Castles- Apple and Engines (ep)

The Rosie Taylor Project – Lovers Or Something Like It (single)

The Rumble Strips – Welcome To The Walk Alone

Run Toto Run – Catch My Breath (single)

Run Toto Run – Plastic Gold (single)

(spotify list of most r’s and s’s)

Sad Day For Puppets- Cherry Blossom (single)

Sad Day For Puppets – When You Tell Me That You Love Me / Withering Petals And Dust (single)

Samtidigt Som – Flykt, kärlek och broderskap

Scary Mansion- Make Me Cry

The second hand marching band – a dance to half death

The See See – Keep Your Head – Single

Seeland – Tomorrow Today

Serengeti & Polyphonic – Terradactyl

Sharon Van Etten- Because I Was In Love

Sharon Van Etten – (Homerecordings/demos)

She Keeps Bees – Nests

Shelby Sifers – Are You Devo (single)

Shuta Hasunuma – Pop Ooga

Sian Alice Group – Troubled, Shaken Etc

Skansros – Skansros

Sky Larkin – The Golden Spike

Slaraffenland- We’re on Your Side

Sleep Whale – Houseboat

The Sleeping Years- Into Sunlight

Slow Club – Yeah So

Snippet – I love your tshirt

Small Color – In Light

So Cow – So Cow

Soap&Skin – Lovetune For Vacuum

Socialist Leisure Party- Tactical POP! For Coffee Cadets

Solander – Since We Are Pigeons

The Sound of Arrows-  Into the Clouds (ep)

The Soundcarriers – Harmonium

South Ambulance – EP#4

Speck Mountain – Some Sweet Relief

Spiral Stairs – The Real Feel

Standard Fare- 15 (single)

Stars of Sunday League – The Boy’s Got Prospects – EP

Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy – Present Unseen Music Unheard Words

Stornoway – Unfaithful (single)

Stornoway Zorbing (single)

Strawberry Whiplash – Picture Perfect EP

Stricken City – Songs About People I Know

Sufjan Stevens- The B.Q.E.

Summer Cats – Songs For Tuesdays

Super Furry Animals- Dark Days/Light Years

Susanna & The Magical Orchestra- 3

Susumu Yokota – A Flower White EP

Susumu Yokota- Mother

To see what artists beginning with T I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list with most t+u+v+w+x)

Taken By Trees- East Of Eden

Taxi Taxi! – Still Standing At Your Back Door

Telekinesis – Telekinesis!

Tender Trap – Fireworks (single)

Tenniscoats – Temporacha

Terry Hall- Laugh…..Plus!

That Ghost- Young Fridays

Their Hearts Were Full of Spring- How I Wasted My Youth

Theoretical Girl – Divided

This is head – 0002 (single)

Tikkle me – Butterflies in my tummy (single)

The Tiny -  Gravity & Grace

Tiny Ruins- Tiny Ruins (demo)

Tom Brosseau- Posthumous Success

Toro Y Moi- Causers of This

Tune-Yards – Bird-Brains

Tvärvägen – Sånger från Tvärvägen

(spotify list with most t+u+v+w+x)

The Unthanks – Here’s the Tender Coming

(spotify list with most t+u+v+w+x)

The Very Best- Warm Heart of Africa

The Very Most -  Autumn EP

The Very Most – Spring EP

The Very Most – Summer EP

The Very Most – Winter EP

Very Truly Yours – Reminders

Vetiver – Tight Knit

Volcano Choir – Unmap

The Voluntary Butler Scheme- At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea (Bonus Track Version)

The Voluntary Butler Scheme – Trading Things In

Voxtrot – Berlin, Without Return…

To see THE LAST PART OF THE LIST OF ALBUMS I recommend, click the READ MORE link:

(spotify list with most t+u+v+w+x)

Wake The President – You Can’t Change That Boy

Wave Machines – Wave If You’re Really There

We Show Up On Radar- Mountain Top

We Were Lightning – So You Spat At The Moon? -Ep

We Were Promised Jetpacks- These Four Walls

When I Was 12 – Dear Eskimo

Wild Honey – Epic Handshakes and a bearhug (free album)

Wildbirds & Peacedrums – The Snake

Wisdom Tooth – Cathedral Park (free album)

The Wooden Birds -  Magnolia

Woodpigeon- Treasury Library Canada

Wool strings – From The Morning

Wool Strings – Language of the snow

Wool strings – Now I’m home

Wool strings – Our spring to their summer

Wool Strings – Two EP’s and More

(spotify list with most t+u+v+w+x)

The xx -  xx

+ all the rest:(spotify list for almost all the rest)

Yael Meyer – Heartbeat EP

Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs

Yonlu – A Society In Which No Tear Is Shed is Inconceivably Mediocre

Yoyoyo Acapulco -  The Sudden Death Of A 7″ Pet

Yukihiro Takahash – i Page By Page (not sure if it’s from 2009)

Zoey Van Goey – The Cage Was Unlocked All Along

2 Out Of 3 Rule -  Really Elementary

RECOMMENDED COMPILATIONS:

VARIOUS – Beautiful Star – The Songs of Odetta

VARIOUS – Not Given Lightly (A Tribute to the Giant Golden Book of New Zealand`s Alternative Music Scene)

VARIOUS -  Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill

VARIOUS – Oslo 2 (Bands from the Oslo indie pop scene)

VARIOUS – Razzia vol 2 – There´s a Razzia going on

VARIOUS – Brownswood Bubblers Four (Compiled By Gilles Peterson)

VARIOUS – Holiday Records Pop Music Compilation Volume One (free from Holiday records)

VARIOUS – Birdsongs, Beesongs – Eardrums Spring Compilation 2009 (free from eardrumspop.com)

SOUNDTRACK – Where the Wild Things Are (Motion Picture Soundtrack): Original Songs by Karen O and The Kids

I hope you found some new music on this list! Put your recommendations and comments in the comment field!