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.

WHY? The distinct capitalization and weighty punctuation are fit for embellishments: WHY? And yes, that is also the question: Why haven’t I given this band ear time? I cannot begin to answer the question, nor can I drum up any of the countless excuses that should be so easily on the tip of my tongue. After all, I recall seeing Rubber Traits come across the desk at KZUU in 2006 (approximately six months prior launching this site) and I noted the unique cover art, and heard great …