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9 days until the greatest thing to happen in a desert since Jabba the Hut forced Princess Leia to wear that bikini – the return of Coachella. To prepare for the release of the final schedule, I’ve broken down the acts into star ratings that work as follows:

****  Do not miss this show

***    I really want to see this and will do what I can

**      Would love to see but may get sidetracked by a churro

*        Would rather watch Perry Farrell DJ (just kidding)

Comments and/or snark follows each act. Within each star grouping, I have then mercilessly ranked each act in order again. So, for example, I would really like to see The Specials. It’s just that I want to see Them Crooked Vultures a bit more.

As always, a few comments for perspective:

+ I like seeing stuff I haven’t seen before when I go to festivals so most acts get heavily docked if I’ve seen them a few times (unless you are Muse and you are headlining). I note who that applies to in each case so adjust accordingly.

+ Mellow and singer/songwriter rarely work as well at large festivals like this so acts like Local Natives slip a bit most of the time.

+ I like to gamble on acts that will likely either amaze or disappoint and these ratings will continue to change up until the moment I’m at the show. Thank me if you love a show I recommend but don’t blame me if you don’t. Fair?

Without further ado, the ratings:

Everyone around here knows that Dan is the music-ologist of the group. His recent 100 songs of 2009 post will no doubt be inspiring me throughout 2010. But while spending some time with his list, I realized that the way we experienced music this year was really different. Which is funny, because Dan is the guy I spoke to about music the most this past year.

So, in an effort to show an alternative view of the music world, I present my favorite albums of the past year. There are a couple key differences between our lists that reflect our different listening styles:

• These albums weren’t necessarily released in 2009, but albums I discovered in 2009. I’m not a “new music” searcher, I just kinda stumble upon stuff haphazardly throughout the year.
• These are albums, not singles or tracks. Ironically, I left the “singles” mentality during music’s transition to digital distribution. I’ll discover a song I like and I’ll need to hear the album.
• I’ve tried to keep it to one album per artist, but this was the year I found the Beatles. And I can’t just pick one Beatles album, dammit.
• I’ve tried to approximate what season I discovered the music in. It reflects how long the album has “been with me” – which (sometimes)  effected its position. It’s not anymore specific than that because I have the memory of a goldfish.
• I have a really obsessive relationship of album artwork – so you, dear reader, get to enjoy the fruits of my artwork searches.
• I’ve tried to post a link on the album in some form or fashion – note that some of them are obscure or prohibitively expensive. Sorry, I’ve got weird musical tastes.

Here it is again, my favorite 100 songs of the past year. This, of course, is not an exact science but that didn’t stop me from painstakingly ranking each one. The list follows but first some rules and caveats:

+ They are listed in reverse order because that is the only real way to do a list. Any of you with any sense of drama will listen to the whole thing from 100 slowly building up to number 1, at which point you will practically be bursting with excitement.

+ These are tracks, not singles. Again, radio is dead. I don’t even know if a lot of these are even singles or not. It’s like knowing what time your favorite TV show is on. Who cares?

+ I only have one song per artist because the list is way cooler that way. No one wants a list with a bunch of tracks by one band hogging up the Top 50. I had more than 100 great tracks by different artists so let’s share the wealth a little.

+ They were all released in 2009 on either an album or as a single. “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon made a lot of lists this year but came out December 15, 2008. No cheating, people.

+ If I’m wrong about the release date of something, blame Wikipedia and Rhapsody.

Yo, GOOD Magazine. I’m really happy for you, and I’mma let you finish, but I have one of the best infographics of all time:

Click to enlarge.

For a reaaalllly big version, click here.

Every year since 2005, Lollapalooza (a three day music festival) has taken place in Grant Park here in Chicago (Denuo’s base of operations). Every year since 2005, I’ve gone to Grant Park to listen to bands, eat rib sandwiches, and spend more time outside than anyone with Irish ancestry should. Every year since 2005, I’ve written a recap of the bands I saw and the overall experience. The first couple years I would just e-mail the reviews and anecdotes of 20 hours worth of music to some friends, none of which are music fans. Last year, on an old blog, I took my reviews public.

This year, lucky denuology fan (go sign up for fan club), you get to read the recap here. Same gimmicks as last year, just a new home.