As the decade comes to close, the album as a medium seems to be disintegrating rapidly. To that end, 2009 will likely be remembered as a year with few classic albums.

But cheer up, there’s a shining light at the end of this dark tunnel. No, we haven’t figured out a way to end the economic depression or bring Michael Jackson back to life. We’ve done something even better — we’ve assembled our staff to determine the best albums of 2009.

Although there were few superstars, there was plenty of excellent music worth celebrating — and we’ve pulled it all together and wrapped a neat little bow around it as our present to you, our faithful readers.

In fact, we’ve even included our individual staff lists so that you can see what kind of freaks we have writing for Stranger Dance. No need to thank us, it’s just the responsible thing to do at the end of a decade.

25) Richard Swift – Atlantic Ocean

After two lackluster outings, Swift returns as the rightful heir to the Randy Newman / Harry Nilsson / Van Dyke Parks throne. His rabid eclecticism might keep him from selling millions, but Swift’s albums are musical kaleidoscopes that pull from pop, R&B, rockabilly, Motown and nearly any other genre that strikes his mood and his songwriting chops are as sharp as any out there. –Jay

24) Flaming Lips – Embryonic

And the award for album best listened to under the influence goes to… Embryonic. But seriously, the Flaming Lips haven’t done anything better since 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. This unapologetic dive into ’60s/’70s acid-rock is a trip worth taking even without the aid of any, ahem, substances. –Peter

23) The Pains of Being Pure of Heart – The Pains of Being Pure of Heart

Sure, the sound is a derivative rehash of (insert late-’80s/early-’90s jangle pop or shoegaze band here) but nothing can take away from the fact that the Pains of Being Pure at Heart write excellent, catchy songs.

Full of unabashedly sugary hooks and waves of shimmering distortion, the eponymous debut by the New York quartet is and driven by an undeniable rhythmic churn. This is a hell of a record, worth a spot on this list for “Young Adult Friction” alone. –Scooter

22) Lotus Plaza – The Floodlight Collective

A seminal road-trip album. Echoing vocals and perfectly lazy guitar riffs; Floodlight compliments a coastal jaunt to SoCal as well as it does a desert exploration. Seamless song cohesion has the 45-minute effort ending as soon as it began, truly allowing the listener to become lost in Lotus Plaza’s sound. –Kyle

21) The Dodos – Time to Die

The hype from 2007’s Visiter hadn’t even remotely died down when the Dodos released Time to Die in 2009. In fact, when the album leaked before the official release date, the band promptly responded by pushing up the digital release date and selling the album for $2.99 on Amazon, pushing them to the top of the Amazon MP3 charts and kickstarting the 2009 rendition of the Dodos revolution.

Time to Die, helmed by Phil Ek, is an extension of what made Visiter such a stellar and unique effort in the first place — nimble fingerpicking, insatiable energy, pop-inspired vocals and experimental percussion, all wrapped around a down-home, folksy heart. The Dodos continue to represent, from an eclectic and forever-growing circle, some of the best of what the Bay Area music scene has to offer. –Anna

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