2009's Best Music So Far

Now that 2009 is more than halfway over, James Montgomery runs down the best albums of the year—so far—on MTV:

• Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion: The No. 1 pick is “the only thing I can remember that has actually lived up to the hype, if not exceeded it.”
• Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: “Retro pop hyper-focused on a futuristic re-imagination of post-modernism and neo-classicism as proletarian touchstones? That you can dance to?” earns album No. 2 spot.

• Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted: “Yes, seriously,” she made it into the top five. Clarkson is “finally realizing her full potential as a pop megastar.”
• Wilco, Wilco (The Album): “Jeff Tweedy and company appear to be aging gracefully here and, in the process, they've created the summertime anthem for anyone who owns a battered Volvo wagon and spends their Saturdays playing kickball in McCarren Park.”
• Mos Def, The Ecstatic: This is “the album his fans have been waiting for since 1999’s milestone Black on Both Sides. Welcome back to earth, Ford Prefect.”

For the rest of the top 10, and honorable mentions, click the link below.