CD of the Week: Kings of Contradictions

The Followill boys traded in thrift shop clothes and garage band sounds for Fifth Avenue threads and arena-rocking musicianship for their 2008 worldwide smash Only by the Night. And while the follow-up Come Around Sundown stops just short of outright rejecting fame, high fashion and rock hedonism, the sons and nephew of a preacher man sound like they want to go home again.


“It’s in the water, it’s where you came from,” Caleb Followill wails over an ‘amen’ gospel corner and the familiar wall of ringing guitars from cuz Matthew on “Radioactive,” while on “The Face,” the frontman croons, “If you give up New York, I’ll give up Tennessee.”

It’s an interesting benchmark for Kings of Leon whose quest for authenticity sometimes conflicts with the instantly anthemic music they, now, prolifically craft. While showing disdain for bandwagon fans live, Caleb’s made-for-rock growl and his relatives’ growing mastery of their instruments seem poised to once again to get more people to hop onboard.

The Top Songs and Albums of 2009

So, what were the Top Songs and Albums of 2009?
The WTMD staff weighs in below.

Join the debate by submitting your votes for the Top Songs by 12 p.m. Monday, December 21st.

We'll have it all figured out in time for the Top 89 Songs of 2009 Countdown on Wednesday, December 30th.

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Kristin Bachran, Membership Coordinator
Top 10 Albums

• Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You
• Siversun Pickups, Swoon
• Dan Auerbach, Keep It Hid
• Joshua James, Build Me This
• Metric, Fantasies
• Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is
• Umphrey’s McGee, Mantis
• Eels, Hombre Lobo
• Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career
  
  

Top 10 Songs

• The Swell Season, "Low Rising"
• Silversun Pickups, "Panic Switch"
• Phoenix, "1901"
• Joshua James, "Coal War"
• The Avett Brothers, "I and Love and You"
• Camera Obscura, "French Navy"
• Passion Pit, "Little Secrets"
• Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, "Home"
• Neko Case, "This Tornado Loves You"
• Tegan and Sara, "Hell"
  

Erik Deatherage, Morning Show Host

Top 10 Albums

• Bell X1, Blue Lights on the Runway
  
• Neko Case, Middle Cyclone
  
• Cotton Jones, Paranoid Cocoon
  
• U2, No Line on the Horizon
  
• Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
  
• M. Ward, Hold Time
  
• Maia Sharp, Echo
• Robyn Hitchcock and Venus 3, Goodnight Oslo
  
• Sea Wolf, White Water, White Bloom
  
• Roman Candle, O Tall Tree in the Ear
  

Top 10 Songs

• Neko Case, "This Tornado Loves You"
  
• Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, "Gunpowder"
  
• Company of Thieves, "Oscar Wilde"
• Charlie Mars, "Listen to the Darkside"
  
• U2, "Moment of Surrender"
  
• Lily Allen, "Everyone's At It"
  
• Derek Trucks Band, "Down in the Flood"
  
• Wye Oak, "For Prayer"
  
• Erin McKeown, "Santa Cruz"
• Guggenheim Grotto, "Fee Da Da Dee"

Frank Diller, Online Services Manager
Top 10 Songs

• Phoenix "1901"
• Joshua James, "Coal War"
• The Hold Steady, "Atlantic City"
• Tommy Tucker, "Keep Good Time"
• Death Cab for Cutie, "Little Bribes"
• Sleigh Bells, "Ring Ring"
• Ben Harper and the Relentless7, "Shimmer & Shine"
• Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, "Sugarfoot"
• Neko Case, "This Tornado Loves You"
• Wilco, "You Never Know"

Matt Galler, Weekend Host
Top 10 Albums

• Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavillion
• Sea Wolf, White Water, White Bloom
• Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest
• Joshua James, Build Me This
• Pearl Jam, Backspacer
• The Dead Weather, Horehound
• Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• Peter Bjorn and John, Living Thing
• Death Cab for Cutie, The Open Door EP
• Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
  

Top 10 Songs

• Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks"
• The Avett Brothers, "I And Love And You"
• Death Cab for Cutie, "Little Bribes"
• Animal Collective, "My Girls"
• Sea Wolf, "Wicked Blood"
• Manchester Orchestra, "I’ve Got Friends"
• Regina Spektor, "Eet"
• Joshua James, "Coal War"
• Tegan And Sara, "Hell"
• Fleet Foxes, "Mykonos"

Ryan Glaeser, Operations Manager; Stuck in the Jam Host
Top 10 Albums

• Phish, Joy
  
• Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• Portugal the Man, The Satanic Satanist
• Silversun Pickups, Swoon
• Passion Pit, Manners
• Heartless Bastards, The Mountain
• Umphrey's McGee, Mantis
• Ben Harper and the Relentless7, White Lies for Dark Times
• The Doves, Kingdom of Rust
• Monsters of Folk, Monsters of Folk

Top 10 Songs

• Phish, "Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan"
  
• Wilco, "Wilco (The Song)"
• Phoenix, "1901"
• Phoenix, "Lisztomania"
• MGMT, "Kids"
  
• Tegan & Sara, "Hell"
  
• Cage the Elephant, "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked"
  
• Death Cab for Cutie, "Meet Me on the Equinox"
  
• Silversun Pickups, "Panic Switch"
  
• Passion Pit, "Little Secrets"
  

Nick Jackon, Baltimore Unsigned Producer
Top 10 Albums

• Langhorne Slim, Be Set Free
• The xx, xx
• The Avett Brothers, I And Love And You
• Wale, Attention Deficit
• Bat for Lashes, Two Suns
• White Rabbits, It's Frightening
• fun., Aim & Ignite
• Regina Spektor, Far
• Vandaveer, Divide & Conquer
• Sunbears!, Dream Happy Dreams

Top 10 Songs (Again No Order)

• Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. “Home”
• The Avett Brothers, "Kick Drum Heart"
• Andrew Bird, “Anonanimal”
• The Decemberists, “The Rake’s Song”
• Umphrey's McGee, “Cemetery Walk”
• Animal Collective, “My Girls”
• Conor Oberst, “Nikorette”
• The Dead Weather, "Hang You From The Heavens"
• Vandaveer, "Divide & Conquer"
• Manchester Orchestra, "I've Got Friends"
  

Melissa Lauren, Weekend Host
Top 10 Albums

• Monsters Of Folk, Monsters Of Folk
• Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
  
• Miike Snow, Miike Snow
• Heartless Bastards, The Mountain
• Wye Oak, The Knot
• Silversun Pickups, Swoon
• Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is
• Avett Brothers, I and Love and You
• Florence and the Machine, Lungs
• Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You

Top 10 Songs

• Wye Oak, "For Prayer"
• Miike Snow, "Animal"
  
• Heartless Bastards, "The Mountain"
• Florence and the Machine, "Dog Days Are Over"
• The Noisettes, "Never Forget You"
  
• Bat For Lashes, "Daniel"
  
• Joshua James, "Annabelle"
  
• Brendan Benson, "A Whole Lot Better"
  
• The Avett Brothers, "Kickdrum Heart"
  
• Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, "Sugarfoot"

Tyler Laporte, Mid-Day Host

Top 10 Albums

• Ben Harper & Relentless7, White Lies For Dark Times
• Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
• Phish, Joy
• Dan Auerbach, Keep It Hid
• Mos Def, The Ecstatic
• Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavillion
• Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest
• Avett Brothers, I and Love and You
• Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey & the Groo Grux King
• Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is
  

Top 10 Songs

• Animal Collective, “My Girls”
• Cold War Kids, “Audience”
• Passion Pit, “The Reeling”
• Monsters of Folk, “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)"
• Silversun Pickups, “Panic Switch”
• Neko Case, “This Tornado Loves You”
• La Roux, “Bulletproof”
• Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks”
• Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, “Get Yo Sh&T”
• Brendan Benson, “A Whole Lot Better”

John Mathews, Afternoon Host
Top 10 Albums

• Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard, One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur
• Robben Ford, Soul On Ten
• Derek Trucks Band, Already Free
• Brand New Heavies, Live In London
• Monsters Of Folk, Monsters Of Folk
• Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Levitate
• Joe Louis Walker, Between A Rock And The Blues
• Del McCoury, Celebrating 50 Years Of Del McCoury
• Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue
• Heartless Bastards, The Mountain

Top 10 Songs

• Heartless Bastards, "The Mountain"
• Robben Ford, "Indianola"
• E. Joseph & The Phantom Heart, "The Ghosts Around You"
• Green Day, "Know Your Enemy"
• Derek Trucks Band, "Days Is Almost Gone"
• Mike Zito, "Time To Go Home"
• Eric Roberson, "Borrow You"
• Monsters Of Folk, "The Sandman, The Brakeman And Me"
• Dead Weather, "Hang You From The Heavens"
• Foo Fighters, "Wheels"

Don Rogers, Weekend Host
Top 10 Albums

• Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard, One Fast Move and I'm Gone
• Brandi Carlile, Give Up the Ghost
• Gomez, A New Tide
• Kasabian, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
• Muse, The Resistance
• Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg
• Ben Harper and Relentless7, White Lies for Dark Times
• Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11
  

Top 10 Songs

• Vandaveer, "Divide and Conquer
• Muse, "Uprising”
• Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, "Born Again”
• Gomez, ”Airstream Driver”
• Kasabian, ”Fast Fuse”
• One Eskimo, ”Kandi”
• Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar, ”California Zephyr”
• Sara Watkins, ”Long Hot Summer Days”
• Silversun Pickups, ”Panic Switch”
• Death Cab For Cutie, “Meet Me on the Equinox"
  

Amy Wielunski, Membership Director
Top 10 Albums

• Joshua James, Build Me This
• The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You
• Good Old War, Only Way to Be Alone
• Portugal. The Man, The Satanic Satanist
• Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11
• Neko Case, Middle Cyclone
• M. Ward, Hold Time
• Sara Watkins, Sara Watkins
• Andrew Bird, Noble Beast
• Pink Martini, Splendor in the Grass

Top 10 Songs

• Andrew Bird, "Fitz and the Dizzyspells"
• K'naan, "Waving Flag"
• Joshua James, "Coal War"
• The Avett Brothers, "Kick Drum Heart"
• Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, "Sugarfoot"
• Portugal. The Man, "People Say"
• The Very Best, "Warm Heart of Africa"
• Noisettes, "Never Forget You"
• One Eskimo, "Kandi"
• Langhorne Slim, "Say Yes"

Steve Yasko, General Manager
Top 10 Albums

• Chris Isaak, Mr. Lucky
  
• Bruce Springsteen, Working on a Dream
  
• Robbie Williams, Reality Killed the Video Star
• Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• The Young Dubliners, Saints and Sinners
• Portugal the Man, The Satanic Satanist
• The Rurals, Rural Disco Vibes, Vol. 1
• Rosanne Cash, The List
• Monsters of Folk, Monsters of Folk
• Ingrid Michaelson, Everybody
  

Top 10 Songs

• Chris Isaak, "We Let Her Down"
• Bruce Springsteen, "The Wrecking Ball"
• Phoenix, "Lisztomania"
• Depeche Mode, "Wrong"
• Rosanne Cash, "Sea of Heartbreak"
• The Avett Brothers, "I and Love and You"
• Brett Dennen, "Heaven"
• Chuck Prophet, "Let Freedom Ring"
• One Eskimo, "Kandi"
• Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, "Sugarfoot"
  

Kings of the Night

A grand statement, but Kings of Leon should make a pretty big impression on tonight's Saturday Night Live!
The will be playing music from Only By The Night which comes out next Tuesday, but I think this family band (3 brothers & their cousin) could be even more.
They've put together 23 home videos of their everyday antics with a dash of in-studio performances and honestly I think the guys are hysterical an should be in some skits on SNL, but tell me what you think from this Kings of Leon video.