2009 is a tough year to judge. I’ve checked out more albums this year than any year in the past. Well over 1,000. And there have been quite a few great ones as well. When this list began, it had 110 albums. I abandoned my top 33 and 1/3 for 45, and then said “screw it” and upped the number to an even 50. These are the top notch albums of the year, all worthy of praise.

The Mountain by Heartless Bastards hasn’t been out all too long and it’s already gearing up to be one of the top releases of the year. The title track, especially, is one about which to get excited. It’s got that laid-back rock drawl you’d generally associate with the South, not Dayton, from whence the band originates.