Songs To Learn and Sing

Who doesn't like making compilations? Nick Hornby got the self-flagellating aspect of creating the ideal compilation surprisingly spot on in 'High Fidelity'. There's a futile desire that upon creating a compilation for someone, they'll pick up on the same nuances you did, they'll listen to that moment exactly 3'32" in and exclaim 'Fucking hell!' during that chord change.
I've always followed a rigidly enforced set of unwritten rules, one of which was never, never to include two songs by the same artist. And so at the year's end, I've decided to collate the songs which, in 2009, caused my jaw to drop on more than one occasion, some more than others but all personal highlights. In many cases, they emerged from albums which just didn't measure up - I still haven't bought into the Grizzly Bear myth - but as stand alone tracks, they're quite wonderful. 'Jim Cain' opens things up simply because I've lived and breathed this song more than any other in 2009.

'Jim Cain' - Bill Callahan
'Summer Haze Parade' - Adrian Crowley
'Foreground' - Grizzly Bear
'The Trapeze Swinger' - Iron & Wine
'To Ohio' - The Low Anthem
'I Miss You' - Mark Eitzel
'The First Days of Spring' - Noah & the Whale
'Daniell in the Sea' - Riceboy Sleeps
'Remorse Code' - Richard Hawley
'Cross' - James Blackshaw
'The Fireside' - Yo La Tengo
'A Down and Dusky Blonde' - God Help The Girl
'Heart Skipped A Beat' - The XX
'Fall Aside' - Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions
'I Was Young When I Left Home' - Antony
'Train Song' - Feist & Ben Gibbard
'Movement III: Linear Tableau With Intersecting Surprise' - Sufjan Stevens