Albums that Pitchfork Forgot

A couple weeks ago I started to put together a list of my favorite albums from 2009, and then finals time came around so I had to put it on the back burner. I finally have some free time now, but all the year-end lists are already out and sadly, they all read the same: Animal Collective, The Xx, Dirty Projectors, Phoenix, Grizzly Bear, and Fever Ray are in almost everybody's top 10. Now don't get me wrong, I'm down with all of these artists and think their albums were really good, but I'm more than a little disappointed by the homogeneity in the lists. Does everybody use Pitchfork as their one-stop shop for new music? So in response I want to share my five favorite albums of the year that I haven't seen on many lists.

5. Nosaj Thing: Drift

LA-based producer Nosaj Thing really surprised me with his first full-length, released on Alpha Pup Records. Drift, as the name suggests, floats all around the sonic map, from Flying Lotus-esque electro hip-hop to ambient electronica to glitchy IDM and even to electro-boogie. "Coat of Arms" is my favorite track off the album, with a future funk sound reminiscent of Dam Funk, but it's hard to choose standouts on an album that functions so well as a whole. Nosaj Thing exhibits meticulous compositional skills, layering squelchy synths over a framework of drums that sound organic in that trademark West coast way. The album constantly evolves, swapping one ethereal landscape for another, and the result is a perfect soundtrack for a late-night drive.

Nosaj Thing - Coat of Arms

Buy Drift at TTL

4. Simian Mobile Disco: Temporary Pleasure

By far the biggest artist on my list, Simian Mobile Disco got tons of attention for their lead single "Audacity of Huge," which features Yeasayer's Chris Keating and is one of my favorite dance tracks of the year. It could just be me, but it seems like most of Temporary Pleasure, on Wichita Recordings, got largely overlooked considering the success of their first album. SMD always blows me away with their restraint and subtlety. Their sound is never over the top but it feels like it's continually building up to an explosion that could occur at any moment. "Synthesiser" might be my favorite track for the breakdown alone, but "Bad Blood," featuring Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, is also a top pick.

Simian Mobile Disco - Synthesise

Buy Temporary Pleasure at Beatport

3. Chiddy Bang: The Swelly Express

Philly's Chiddy Bang first made waves early this year with their creative re-working of MGMT's "Kids." Their style's really fresh in comparison to the dull, recycled sounds that seem have dominated hip-hop for the past few years. Xaphoon Jones crafts banging beats with an electro flavor, and Chidera Anamege rattles off sharp lyrics with some of the best metaphors I've heard in a while. The Swelly Express is true hipster-hop, maybe even more so than Kid Cudi, but it's a superbly-produced and entertaining album (technically it's a mixtape, but I'm not a man of technicalities) that tells the story of Chiddy Bang's ascent in the record industry. The duo brought Passion Pit aboard for "Truth," a super fun and catchy track that you'll actually enjoy having stuck in your head, and a couple other standouts are "Fresh Like Us" and "Silver Screen."

Chiddy Bang - Truth (feat. Passion Pit)

Get The Swelly Express for FREE at Pretty Much Amazing

2. El Remolón - Pibe Cosmo

El Remolón (real name Andrés Schteingart) is one of my favorite discoveries of the year. He previously produced IDM and techno under the name Drole, but I never heard about him until he became El Remolón. Released by Buenos Aires-based label ZZK, his debut album Pibe Cosmo is an incredibly unique and rich album that takes you on a journey across South America, making stops along the way to highlight the continent's diverse musical styles. It immediately captivated me with the opening track, "La Bonita," which ranks among my favorite tracks of the year. With an infectious sample of a Guarani children's choir that Schteingart recorded while visiting an indigenous tribe in the jungle, it's a perfect song to just sit back and relax to. Schteingart clearly has a keen ear for combining traditional styles (most notably cumbia) with a wide range of modern elements like squelchy synths and processed vocals. Also be sure to check out the outstanding "Escape" and "Negros Cumbieros," although I highly recommend giving the whole album a listen.

El Remolón - La Bonita

Buy Pibe Cosmo at TTL

1. Dam Funk - Toeachizown

Between Madlib's latest installations in his Beat Konducta series, a new Dilla compilation, and Mayer Hawthorne's breakout success with A Strange Arrangement, it was quite a year for Stones Throw Records. Their best release of 2009, though, was Dam Funk's fantastic Toeachizown. I absolutely cannot resist this new future funk sound. Produced using only analog synths and drums, it's simultaneously a throwback to old-school R&B jams and a visionary exploration of futuristic soundscapes. 2050 via 1980. The first listen of Toeachizown seems to be a daunting task, and I admit I was a bit apprehensive to devote over two hours to the 24 track album. Once you turn it on, though, you'll get so wrapped up that you won't want it to end. It's lush and relaxing with spacey, rippling synths, but it's also funky as hell thanks to its chunky drums and squiggly melodies. It's engaging, nuanced, and perfect for when you need a little boost or want to just chill out. There's not a single track that I wouldn't recommend off this album, but "LAtrifying" is probably my favorite, with "The Sky is Ours" and "Killdat a.k.a. Killdatmuthafucka" close behind.

Dam Funk - LAtrifying
Dam Funk - The Sky is Ours
Dam Funk - Killdat a.k.a. Killdatmuthafucka

Buy Toeachizown at TTL and pre-order the 5LP box set!