It's been an interesting year overall, mainly in the fact that I can actually remember very little about it. I think it's an age thing to be quite frank. However, I've managed to put together a few lists of bits that are worth a mention when discussing 2009...

Let's start with the albums...

10 - Ian Brown - My Way
Rather than being a particularly great album, it was nice to hear Browny return to some semblance of form. The accompanying gigs were still as tone deaf as ever, but My Way did have some unexpectedly decent tunes on it...

9 - School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
Steeped in soaring melodies and swirling psychadelia, Ben Curtis's post Secret Machines project was a very pleasant affair. That various tracks seem to be synched up for TV adverts should be annoying, but on the contrary, it's always lovely to hear them...An alternate version was recently released which I am yet to indulge in, but the alternate version of the below song is magic.

8 - Dinosaur Jr - Farm
The band responsible for one of the worst gigs I've ever attended around 14 years ago were not one that I'd have put money on making a fantastic record in 2009, but they only bloody did. Managing to surpass their excellent 2007 comeback album Beyond in all areas, Mascis and Barlow created a melodic LP that stands alongside any from their career...Also, J Mascis looks awesome with grey hair.

7 - Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Difficult third album syndrome saw the Monkeys pitch up at Josh Homme's doorstep allowing him to take the reins on this intriguing album. Darker and more grown up than the previous two, Humbug saw Alex Turner and co writing more than just clever lyrics and catchy choruses...The next album should be very interesting indeed.

6 - PJ Harvey & John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By
The follow up collaboration to Polly and John's excellent Dance Hall at Louse Point was an eerie guitar-heavy reminder to the Florences and Ladyhawkes of the world that 'girls in the music industry' don't have to dress up as pixies and write drab pop music to get ahead. An intense and brilliant album.

5 - Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
A much better album than anyone with such a childish band name deserves to make, Tarot Sport was a strange beast. Equal parts droney electronica and psychedelic noise, Andy Weatherall's production was very evident and created a bizarre listening experience...

4 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Many people's favourite album of the year, and a damn good one to boot, Animal Collective transcended the cool, undiscovered band void to achieve a degree of mainstream success. Bizarrely, for some reason, I always thought they came from Brighton. Shows what I know. In fact, why are you even reading this?

3 - Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter
Sheffield's favourite son (well, after Sean Bean surely) returned to the fold with a sparser, more intimate album than his previous efforts and listening to it felt like he was sitting in your living room. Which is really nice, as long as you have plenty of booze. Surely Hawley (how poetic) is just an album or two away from becoming a genuine national treasure...

2 - Dead Weather - Horehound
On first listen, this was a bit disappointing, but the more you stick with it, the deeper it gets. Fantastic shouty vocals from Alison Mosshart. Brilliant everything else pretty much from Jack White. 'I Cut Like A Buffalo' was the scariest funky track of the year. Seriously, it seems like the bloke can do no wrong at the moment. A semi-honourable mention to Them Crooked Vultures for releasing a passably average album, but it was great to hear Grohl back behind the drums...

1 - Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Despite in many places sounding like the Dracula musical from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Wild Beasts' second album was a delight. Slightly surreal, slightly reminiscent of Anthony & The Johnsons, but harbouring pure pop sensibilities, it was a surprise that kind of came out of nowhere to take my top spot. So, very well done.