2009 really was a remarkable year. Things that shouldn’t have succeeded did; we saw a rap-rock album, a long-anticipated sequel, yet another Jack White side project, and a “hot” rapper release a much-hyped debut. Those things shouldn’t have worked, yet they were all really impressive.

So here’s my belated “Ten Best Albums of 2009” (as always, in alphabetical order).

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I know, I know… I promised you guys that I’d give you my best of 2009 and I contend that I’ll still give it you in the relative future. I’d even meant to offer it up this week, but then just this afternoon I felt really strongly about something.

But what’s funny is that now, twelve hours later, I don’t feel quite as strongly. I got sucker-punched by reality. It was the sort of hit that causes you to reevaluate things and really take stock. Unfortunately it’s got nothing to do with music, so I won’t dwell on it here.

Instead, I want to attack the current musical climate, yet again.

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So, Vampire Weekend is a pretty popular band right now. In fact, their Contra is the highest profile release of the year thus far. And I’m really seriously debating picking it up.

But I’m torn. I’m all for good music and I enjoy trends as much as the next guy, it’s just that Vampire Weekend still seems like a ton of hype and I’m not really one to buy into hype.

Plus, I feel like I’ve heard their stuff before. And I sort of have.

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A new year has arrived, and with it come expectations. There are debuts that should be followed up on. There are delayed albums that should finally be released. There are artists that are due to release something new. The beginning of a new year is a wondrous time to be a music fan.

And being the music fan that I am, I’ve compiled a list of artists that I expect to see albums from this year. For some of them, I’m just being greedy. For others, I think that something new is due. And for still others, albums have been announced, so I’m well within my rights to have expectations.

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[Editor's Note: My Top 21 of the 21st (So Far...) is a retrospective feature where our writers were invited to write a list of top 21 favorite songs, albums or anything else music-related, of the new millennium, explaining why it was picked, or what particular significance it has had over the past ten years. (There is an ongoing debate on whether or not 2000 A.D. counts as part this millennium. For sake of argument, we're going to go ahead and count it. Hey, a lot of good music came out that year, anyway, so suck it up, and enjoy the feature.)]

It’s nutty. This was the first decade where I was an adult through the entire thing, thus it’s the first decade where I’ve really been able to have an opinion about the “best of the decade” topics. It’s a weird feeling; it’s excitement coupled with obligation.

There were so many albums that having to winnow it down to just over twenty of my favorites was difficult. I literally obsessed over this list.

Anyway, here it is. And as I always do, it’s in alphabetical order.

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I’ve finally accepted that I’m an old man.

I guess I’m not that old, and not in the “old guy still clinging desperately to his youth” stage of my life, but I’m your standard Gen X cat. I’ve never tried to be a hipster and I’m fully content in my age bracket.

That said, I’ve finally accepted that I’m an old man and that hip-hop in its current state is for kids. It’s no longer designed to appeal to me and it no longer does.

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You know how sometimes you discover something that completely blows your mind? Maybe it’s a melody or a lyric; perhaps it’s a cover of one of your favorite band’s songs that makes you hear the original in a completely new way.

Well, I had my mind blown this week by a parody of a Muppet. Sad Kermit is the thing on which I’m currently fixating.

Now, as someone who grew up in the ’80s, Muppets were a fixture in my life. Sesame Street was the place I wanted to visit, while The Muppet Show seemed like the most awesome place on the planet. And when I got the chance to see it, Fraggle Rock looked pretty cool as well. Needless to say, my interest in Muppets has pretty much been hardwired into my brain.

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I can’t front: I’m really stuck trying to find something to write about. I’ve been wracking my brain for over an hour trying to think of something music-related to post. I’d sworn that I had some ideas of things to write about this week, but I guess none of them stuck, or had the legs to build an actual column around.

So I’ve decided to just write about the random thoughts relating to music that I had this week. But be warned both 50 Cent and Sufjan Stevens will be making appearances…

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I sort of enjoy holiday music, not so much because it gets me in the holiday spirit, but rather because I work at a place that plays the same essential mix, year-round. No matter what time I get to work I’m practically guaranteed to hear either Indigo Girls or John Mayer within 15 minutes of arriving.

But right around Thanksgiving those kind folks at Muzak begin to mix in some holiday songs. It’s pleasant, not only because it’s an influx of songs my coworkers and I aren’t sick of, but also because it’s not uncommon for us to start singing along. But that’s not enough.

I really think that we’ve got to start creating some Thanksgiving songs. Personally, I think that there should be festive songs from November all the way though to the new year. And if you include Halloween songs, you could even start at the end of October. I know that it’s a lofty goal, but I really do think that it’s feasible. And I’ve got an idea of how you could create an amazing Thanksgiving album.

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Through a convoluted series of events, I picked up Drake’s debut EP, So Far Gone, this week, and I’ve finally made my mind up about the guy.

Actually, they weren’t that convoluted, I guess. I’d seen an ad for The Shield complete-series box set, which both intrigued and irked me. I mentally committed to buying it despite owning all of the individual seasons. I went to The Sound Garden to trade in my individual seasons and got store credit. As I was shopping, I saw Chris Walla’s Field Manual with a “2 for $10″ sticker and I looked for something else to complete the deal. Eventually, I found So Far Gone, which has helped me form my opinion of Drake.

Basically, I’m not a fan.

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