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Some tracks I’ve liked a lot this year, in no particular order:

Voxtrot — The Start of Something

This is at least three years old, but I bought the [Kids At The Club](http://www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk/hdif001.html) compilation this year and this is the first track. I could, and have, play it over and over again. Also, listen and download the MP3 free [at Last.fm](http://www.last.fm/music/Voxtrot/_/The+Start+of+Something). ### Carl Sagan — A Glorious Dawn

I [wrote about this](http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2009/10/11/dawn.php) in October, and you can [get the free MP3 here](http://www.symphonyofscience.com/). ### The Deirdres — Milk is Politics

I heard this at the end of 2008, but never mind; I didn’t do a list last year and I played this a lot in 2009 too. Twee young folk xylophone nonsense. [The Deirdres on Myspace](http://www.myspace.com/thedeirdres). ### Cassie — Me and You (Cabide DJ mix) Another one I heard in 2008 but which I kept playing. To hear it you’ll have to go to [Cabide DJ’s download page](http://cabidedj.com/index2.php?page=dj/musicas.php) and click “Montagem Cassie - Me And You Cabide Dj” to download the free MP3. I tried a couple of other tracks and they’re also crazy sample cut-up Brazilian DJ madness. I love music that sounds broken. Originally heard on the [Mudd Up! podcast](http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/DR). ### Camera Obscura — Honey in the Sun

Hard to decide which track to choose from My Maudlin Career ([on Spotify](http://open.spotify.com/album/4MlYueB39zmkX1ScPAdczS)), with French Navy ([on YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH9n8LVY0vs)) a close second. I love the horns. ### Emmy the Great — Canopies and Drapes

(Or Canopies and Grapes in some places.) I could pick almost any track from First Love (hear it all at [Last.fm](http://www.last.fm/music/Emmy+the+Great/First+Love) or on [Spotify](http://open.spotify.com/album/3r05pRY88M5NRwmIybNzaj)). I’d heard most of them in previous years, but the album’s release means I can use any of them again this year. Seeing her live in store at [Pure Groove](http://www.puregroove.co.uk/) was a good point of the year. ### DJ Earworm — United States of Pop 2008

I didn’t know most of these tracks (like I don’t know most of the ones in 2009’s version) but I love a good mashup and this sounds fantastic. Amazing. Download the free MP3 [at DJ Earworm’s site](http://djearworm.com/united-state-of-pop-2008.htm). ### Durrty Goodz — Switching Songs pt 2

I’m not pretending to be into whatever kind of music this is (Grime? Garage? No idea) but I love this. The speed, the changes in rhythm, the excitement, the relentlessness. I should find more of whatever it is. ### God Help the Girl — Act of the Apostle

I’m melting. Wow. It’s hard to choose a particular track from their album (self-titled, on [Spotify](http://open.spotify.com/album/1LKP4f0spUhJvF3wlx5fJr)) as it’s all wonderful. Seeing them at the 100 Club, from which that video’s taken, was one of the life-affirming high points of the year. Also try, at YouTube, not live, [God Help the Girl](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9zQggfpYEM) and [I’ll Have To Dance With Cassie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSmflWZiz9M). ### Pocketbooks — Footsteps

Like Los Campesinos’ You! Me! Dancing!, Pocketbooks’ Cross the Line has been gently fighting its way onto my end-of-year lists for consecutive years. So here’s a different track from a band who I’ve probably now seen live more than any other, more by accident than design to be honest, but I do very much like them. Their album, Flight Paths, came out this year, isn’t on Spotify, but you can buy it from [their site](http://www.pocketbooks.org.uk/music.html) or hear more [at MySpace](http://www.myspace.com/pocketbooks). ### Pomplamoose - Single Ladies

Seems to be a big hit on the web (I came across it via Kottke) and justifiably so. A lovely cover of an awesome pop song. You can download it for free, plus other tunes, [on MySpace](http://www.myspace.com/pomplamoosemusic). So, there we go, the hour’s deadline is coming round and we’re done for 2009. It appears that my recent musical loves are either tuneful, sickeningly twee indie-pop or crazy, speedy, mashed-up oddness. Other things I’ve listened to this year include: the excellent [Dandelion Radio](http://dandelionradio.com/); various old NME compilation cassettes ([Pogo a Go Go!](http://dalstonoxfamshop.blogspot.com/2009/08/nme-021-pogo-go-go.html), [Jive Wire](http://dalstonoxfamshop.blogspot.com/2008/04/nme-002-jive-wire.html), [Mad Mix II](http://dalstonoxfamshop.blogspot.com/2007/02/nmes-mad-mix-ii-1983-cassette-comp.html) and [Ace Case](http://dalstonoxfamshop.blogspot.com/2006/09/nme-ace-case.html) (and see the comments on that post for links to loads more on Divshare)); and a load of [old techno](http://techtech2009.wordpress.com/) which has, sadly, completely disappeared. Oh, and in the summer I played [this mix](http://www.stupidfresh.com/2009/05/highs-in-low-70s.html) quite a bit, so save it up for a few months and give it a spin in summer 2010.

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