Justin Currie
Singer/Songwriter
(www.myspace.com/justincurrie, www.justincurrie.co.uk)

Justin Currie: I have no difficulty in selecting Smog's Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle as my album of the year. It is as sophisticated as an Art Deco wristwatch and features the most elegant string arrangements since Lambchop's Nixon. The sequence of tracks flows so perfectly that there are no stand-out songs- the whole is ten times greater than any part - but every part is quite stunning in its precision and clarity. Callahan's voice has become a kind of somber bell intoning a very original sort of Soul and quite remarkably there are sections you can dance to. To say that this album relegates Richard Hawley's Truelove's Gutter and Bonnie Prince Billie's Beware into a distant joint-second place is the best compliment I can pay it. ... Read the rest of Justin's list >

The Vinyl Princess
CITC Staff Writer/Musicologist/Vinyl Expert
www.thevinylprincess.com

Vinyl Princess: No particular order, The Vinyl Princess's Top Ten Albums of 2009:
1. The Duke and the King- Nothing Gold Can Stay
2. The Avett Brothers- I and Love and You
3. Stillhouse Hollow- Dakota
4. Hoots and Hellmouth- The Holy Open Secret
5. John Doe and the Sadies- Country Club
6. Old Californio- Westering Again
7. Monsters of Folk- Monsters of Folk
8. Rickie Lee Jones- Balm in Gilead
9. Dark Was The Night- Various Artists
10. Felice Brothers- Yonder Is The Clock

Devendra Banhart
Singer/Songwriter
www.myspace.com/devendrabanhart

Devendra Banhart: The Dream's "Shawty is da Shit" remix featuring R. Kelly.
Neighbors Remix of "More of This" by Vetiver
Yonlu's entire debut album A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre
Master Musicians of Bukkake's Cascade Cathedral
All of Rozi Plain's Inside.Over Here.Master (thanks Viking Moses!)
Susanna's Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos
Aminaz's My Friend
What Laura Says Thinks and Feels - debut album
All of Andrew Birds' Noble Beast (at the moment "Tenuousness" and "Effigy" are on repeat!)
Angels of Light's New Mother. How I Loved You/Everything Is Good Here Please Come Home
We Are Him - Akron Family
Angels of Light Other People & What We Did

Rick Moody
Author, Musician (Wingdale Community Singers)
www.myspace.com/thewingdalecommunitysingers

Rick Moody: Thirteen Things
"Slim Slow Slider," by Van Morrison, Astral Weeks Live At the Hollywood Bowl (Listen to the Lion Records)
Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy, Sun Ra and His Arkestra (Evidence)
Songs to Grow On for Mother and Child, Woody Guthrie (Folkways)
Stay the Same Never Change, a film by Laurel Nakadate
...see the rest of the list

David Porter
Editor-at-Large, Caught in the Carousel

David Porter: The Albums I Listened To Most In 2009
1. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
2. The Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle + Powder Burns
3. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
4. Sade - Lovers Rock
5. Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas
6. Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swingin' Lovers
7. Maria Bethania - Tua & Encanteria
Fave Five Illegal Downloads (tell no one)... Read the rest of David's list >

Matt "MV" Valentine
Musician, MV & EE
(www.myspace.com/mveebummerroad)

Matt Valentine: 1. Flower - Corsano Duo - "Another, I Couldn't Possibly" from The Chocolate Cities Cdr (Private Press/No Label)
These two are an instrumental unit, yet the sheer vocal narrative of their music is tantamount to a Proustian song cycle. They rip like all the heavies of every era in the DIY / free folk underground but the sound is totally unparalleled, truly radiating the meridian of the east/west divide. Here they are recorded live from the tapers pit, producing this 'miniature' at just over 3 minutes which is a feat unto itself in the raga idiom. Astounding freedom tone humming eternally outside of Top 40 like no other. ...Read the rest of Matt's list >

Scott Warren
Singer/Songwriter
www.scott-warren.com

Scott Warren: What I've Been Listening To This Year (some old, some new).
1. John Martyn - Solid Air
I have a coffee table book called "The Mojo Collection" and it has reviews of their fav releases from 1953 through 2003. This review came up in one of my random page turns and after sampling it on Amazon, I had to buy it. I had heard of John before, but never his music. Really beautiful stuff...
Read the rest of Scott's list

Peter Hamm
Punk Editor, CITC

Peter Hamm
10. Broadway Calls - Good Views, Bad News: when subject matter near and dear to "ourselves" is put in the hands of 3 eminently talented musicians, you occasionally come up with something as strong as Good Views, Bad News.

9. Clock Hands Strangle - Distaccati - Italian for detached. Go ahead, become engaged to Distaccati...
Read the rest of Peter's list

Dave Gleason
Singer/Songwriter, Dave Gleason's Wasted Days
www.myspace.com/davegleason

Dave Gleason
1. Clarence White - White Lightnin' comp on Sierra Records. (More great Clarence White related pickin').
2. I See Hawks In L.A.--Hallowed Ground (Another fine record, boys).
3. Old Californio--Westering Again (Thanks for letting me be a part of this fine record, guys).
4. Buck Owens--Live In Scandanavia, Sundazed Re-Issue (Wow. Country/Rock comes to Bakersfield then goes overseas.)
5. Bob Dylan--Telltale Signs, Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Keep 'Em coming-I can't get enough).
6. *Great surprise of the year* I was not aware of the great band Magnolia Electric Co. until I played a show in L.A. with them. Their album Josephine is great.

Gabriel Sullivan
Singer/Songwriter
www.myspace.com/gabrielsullivan

Gabriel Sullivan
Best Album: Chris Gaffney Tribute Album - Man of Somebody's Dreams
This album was some of the most heartfelt music I've heard all year. Dave Alvin telling stories of him and Gaffney growing up in Artesia was one of the most honest things I've heard come out of speakers in a long time. Calexico's cover of "Frank's Tavern" was absolutely the most far from the original cover on the album, but the beauty in it stood out above all the rest.

Best Song:
Read the rest of Gabriel's list >

Matthew Edwards
Singer/Songwriter, The Music Lovers/Solo
www.myspace.com/themusiclovers

Matthew Edwards
1. Sound baths at the Integratron in the Landers in the Mojave
2. Meredith Axelrod and Craig Ventrusco at Amnesia in SF most Fridays
3. The Unthanks' Here's the Tender Coming - record of the year!
4. Graveyard and Citadelle live at The Café Du Nord, S.F - such riffage, such psych, phew!
5. Vera Gough live at the Dark Room SF, and... Read the rest of Matthew's list >

Old Californio
Great American Band
www.myspace.com/oldcalifornio

Old Californio
(The band decided to let each member get two picks)

Rich Dembowski - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Wilco (the album)
Neil Young Archives Vol.1

Justin Smith - Drums
Ashes of the American Flag (DVD)
Grateful Dead - Road Trips: Vol. 2, No. 2 - Carousel 2/14/68 (Released 2009)

Alex Green
Editor, Caught in the Carousel

Albums:
1. Dept. Of Energy - Faster
2. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
3. The Church - #23
4. The Duke and the King - Nothing Gold Can Stay
5. The Music Lovers - Masculine, Feminine
6. Scott Warren - Quick Fix Bandage
7. Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up
8. Classics Of Love - Walking In Shadows
9. The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock
10. Mary Onettes - Islands

Live Show: Trashcan Sinatras, Café DuNord, San Francisco. Wow.