Editors' Choice for October 2009

These songs are far too durable to be disregarded as kitsch, and are all worthy of Black Dynamite.

— Dave Shim

Her debut solo recording issued on the David Lynch MC imprint.

— Thom Jurek

Bradford Cox’s second solo album is more eclectic than the first, balancing Deerhunter’s pop instincts with his own experimental bent.

— Heather Phares

Georgia psychedelic metal band grows by evolutionary leaps and bounds on 2009 sophomore record.

— Jason Thurston

Including 20 "alternate versions" (i.e., 2009 remixes), this five-disc package is a generous and representative overview of the gifted and prolific Barry White.

— Rovi Staff

GIVE UP THE GHOST trumps THE STORY because Carlile allows herself to lighten up too.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Collaborating with the Focus Group, Broadcast channels acid rock and library music into some of their trippiest work.

— Heather Phares

Doug Martsch's indie rock stalwarts continue to create witty wordplay and quirky hooks on 2009 record.

— Jason Thurston

Boston's veteran heavy hardcore warriors continue to astound, whether with friends or alone, on eighth record.

— Jason Thurston

Sony/Legacy's comprehensive, career-spanning Daryl Hall and John Oates box set.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Straightforward, cleanly produced, consistently laid-back.

— John Bush

With big hits, expertly chosen album tracks, rarities, and previously unreleased cuts, the four-disc, 99-track Dolly is a substantial and entertaining testament to Parton's skills.

— Rovi Staff

A generous amount of modern--yet unapologetically nostalgic--synth funk from a former L.A. session musician.

— Dave Shim

On LOVE IS NOT POP the pair have opened up El Perro's approach beyond the limits of the past.

— Tim Sendra

Classic American folk-rock and psychedelia, with Brit-folk discipline and leftover traces of the acid folk of their origins.

— Thom Jurek

One of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerizing albums of 2009.

— James Christopher Monger

Working with Andrew Weatherall, the duo trades their debut’s noise for massive, often euphoric grooves with more cerebral impact.

— Heather Phares

European duo concoct all sorts of inspired indie pop cuteness on 2009 debut.

— Jason Thurston

Quiet and intimate, Grant Hart's third solo album is easily his richest outing to date, a bracing and overdue reminder of his songwriting excellence.

— Rovi Staff

Optimistic yet not saccharine, alternative pop/rock crooner Grant Lee Phillips imbues his praiseworthy fifth solo outing with the positive vibes of new fatherhood.

— Rovi Staff

These tracks can be as off-putting as they are exhilarating.

— Andy Kellman

War on Drugs frontman's sophomore solo disc shifts between gritty numbers and steady ballads.

— Jason Thurston

The CD captures the entire performance in nearly pristine sound.

— Thom Jurek

If this is not the most live-sounding dance album made with synthetic instrumentation, it must be pretty close

— Andy Kellman

The most sonically and compositionally accessible album they've cut thus far.

— Thom Jurek

Splendor in the Grass’ mellow charm draws inspiration from lounge and ‘70s AM pop.

— Heather Phares

R.E.M. rock & roll on this nearly ideal live set, drawing deeply from their back catalog and road-testing material for their 14th album, Accelerate.

— Rovi Staff

A grounded, no-frills album, sometimes sweeping in scope but always reminiscent of a live recording.

— Dave Shim

Has a solid foundation that's absolutely classic in feel but also features those quirky, sick-o rhymes that are distinctly post-Shady.

— Dave Shim

Textured and patient post-rock with a metal influence on the third album from Chicago’s Russian Circles.

— Gregory Heaney

Stimulating, complex, and sonically sprawling, Husayn's first solo album features a dozen collaborations and tips toward spirituality and ancient Egyptian roots.

— Rovi Staff

At the peak of their powers and conveying immense warmth, the Clientele have created a perfect autumnal English pop record with Bonfires on the Heath.

— Rovi Staff

The Flaming Lips challenge themselves and listeners on this noisy yet reflective 18-track double album.

— Heather Phares

Released two years after the Once soundtrack, this album finds the group pairing intimate lyrics with sweeping pop/rock.

— Andrew Leahey

Integral part of the Eagles and Poco delves further into the country rock frontier.

— Jason Thurston

Packaged in a small plastic crate, this five-disc set surveys each era of hip-hop's premier label and focuses on the hits.

— Andy Kellman

Released to acknowledge the fifth anniversary of Kode9's Hyperdub, these two discs should be the starting point for anyone late to the party.

— Andy Kellman

The astonishingly good Texas trio tears from garage punk to free jazz to psychedelic to prog on its exciting, engaging debut.

— Rovi Staff

This four-song cycle blends electronics, acid-tinged guitar, and layers of drums into an appealing blur.

— Heather Phares