Sorry about the lack of posts this weekend.  Between family, friends, food and beer, we were quite busy.  We hope you all had a spectacular Thanksgiving weekend.

Today we’re starting our Best of 2009 list with a few albums that didn’t make our year’s Top 40 (which we’ll start counting down tomorrow).  To make the final list, we both made individual Top 40′s, weighted our results and combined them.  We think it’s a pretty fair and accurate representation of the year in music.  We’re just one of many of these type of lists that have been and will be cropping up, so we’re happy you’re coming to our small corner of the blogosphere to get it.  With that, let’s dive in:

Crocodiles – Summer of Hate
Andy’s Rank: 28 :: Dave’s Rank: Unranked

Wavves led the lo-fi noise-pop charge out of San Diego in 2009 with their curious festival appearances, willingness to feud, and a unique ability to polarize over whether or not their music was actually good.  But while Wavves grabbed headlines, their San Diego counterparts Crocodiles made an album that was equal parts noise and pop, and equally headline worthy.

Crocodiles – I Wanna Kill (mp3) from Summer of Hate

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard – One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Music from Kerouac’s Big Sur
Andy: 30 :: Dave: Unranked

Not unlike the documentary for which this album was written, this Farrar/Gibbard partnership feels long and winding; it captures in song form a small piece of the uniquely American viewpoint that the open road creates.  The album meanders, takes its time, stops at Scenic Overlooks – and will easily score your next automotive venture into unfamiliar parts of the world.

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone (mp3) from One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Music from Kerouac’s Big Sur

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Andy’s Rank: Unranked :: Dave’s Rank: 34

I truly wanted to love this album yet was ultimately disappointed, though mainly due to expectations. While assuredly polished and concise, it contained little of the feeling so magnetizing in the band’s other efforts. Instead of the usual experimentation of seeing where a Wilco album would meander towards, the record sounded regimented. That is not to say there aren’t moments of brilliance (the attached song being exhibit number one), and after all I did have it within my top forty. But overall I didn’t love it, and Andy was actually further disappointed with it than I.

Wilco – One Wing (mp3) from Wilco [The Album]

Julian Casablancas – Phrazes for the Young
Andy’s Rank: Unranked :: Dave’s Rank: 32

Another album I wanted to love and ended up liking, Julian Casablancas’ solo effort left something to be desired. Often times moments of brilliance mixed in with a steady dose of good makes for favorite record material. Moments of very good mixed with a steady dose of meh makes for what could have been.

Julian Casablancas – Glass (mp3) from Phrazes For The Young

Like Andy mentioned, we are close to beginning our year-end lists so we are desisting with our 1K’s and other regularly scheduled programming for a bit. This will be my last edition until the new year. If you have no clue what I am speaking of, here is what I have done so far.

77. The Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup (mp3) from The Very Best Of The Foundations (3:00) [Time Remaining: 680:47]

This is just a happy (sounding) song with some fairly sad lyrics that I can always sing along with. I think someone told me about, or forced me to listen to, some cover of this song but I don’t believe it’s possible to top this.

78. The Strokes – New York City Cops (mp3) from Is This It? (3:38) [Time Remaining: 677:09]

This song and album started getting big during my sophomore year of college. I was using audiogalaxy as the program of choice for my downloads and I got this album as it was originally intended. This particular song was attached to the effort along with some supposedly too-sexy album art. Then terrorists decided to attack NYC and the group denigrated in this song were forced to become heroes and a national rallying point behind the horror. Naturally, another song was added to replace this song on the U.S. release, as it should have been. But it’s too bad about the timing, because this is my favorite off the record.

Unfortunately, my subscription to Sirius/XM is running out shortly. It has provided me a surefire way of finding good new music. As a music consumption master, I read about lots of new bands but honestly don’t have the time to check everything out. I may have heard of a band but never actually sampled their music due to the time constraints. While driving I have nothing else to do besides listen to music, flip the bird, curse and shake fists. I tried Alt Nation but they played too much shit mixed in with the good, so while doing those things listed above I have listened mostly to Sirius XM U as the station of choice. This track/band is just one of the many I heard while listening and is now on my radar, when I may not have given them a real chance otherwise.

And to all those who celebrate this Thanksgiving, have a great day and enjoy the turkey.

Throw Me The Statue – Waving At The Shore (mp3) from Creaturesque