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George Graham's Best of 2009 Albums List

These albums were selected by Mixed host George Graham from the over 500 CDs featured during the year on the New Releases segments presented daily on Mixed Bag. The Mixed Bag musical styles include rock, folk, blues, reggae, world music, Celtic, electronic, and other varieties presented on the program. The emphasis is on records that received little or no attention in the commercial media. Selection criteria include originality, uniqueness of sound, and quality of musicianship.

The lists are arranged chronologically by month of release.

* designates Homegrown Music Artists.
Recordings featured on the on the Mixed Bag Weekly Album Review (Wednesdays at 9:00 PM) are linked to the review on this website.

January

Neco Novellas: NEW DAWN KU KHATA (4Q/Time Square)
Godinez Brothers: TIMING IS EVERYTHING (independent) *
Guggenheim Grotto: HAPPY THE MAN (UFO Music)
New Standards: ROCK AND ROLL (Princess)
Duncan Sheik: WHISPER HOUSE (Victor)
Bill Evans and Megan Lynch: LET'S DO SOMETHING (Native & Fine)
Saffire the Uppity Blues Wome: HAVIN' THE LAST WORD (Alligator)
BeauSoleil: ALLIGATOR PURSE (Yep Roc)
Guy Davis: SWEETHEART LIKE YOU (Red House)
Jorma Kaukonen: RIVER OF TIME (Red House)

February
Tom Rush: WHAT I KNOW (Appleseed)
Shemekia Copeland: NEVER GOING BACK (Telarc)
Umphrey's McGee: MANTIS (SCI Fidelity)
Bad Plus: FOR ALL I CARE (Heads Up)
Zydecosis: ZYDECO ALL NIGHT (Vinyl)
Andy Scott: DON'T TEMPT FATE (independent)
Joe Bonamassa: BALLAD OF JOHN HENRY (J & R Advenures)
Jordan Tice: LONG STORY (Patuxent)
Matt and Shannon Heaton: LOVER'S WALK (Independent)
Idan Raichel Project: WITHIN MY WALLS (Cumbancha)
Wally and the Paupacks: WALLY AND THE PAUPACKS (independent) *
Coryell Auger Sample Trio: COOLIDGE RETURNS (independent)
Steve Forbert: THE PLACE AND TIME (429)

March
Luka Bloom: ELEVEN SONGS (Bar/None)
Joe Rathbone: MID JULY (Prime Cut) *
Caroline Doctorow: ANOTHER COUNTRY (Narrow Lane) *
Madeleine Peyroux: BARE BONES (Rounder)
J.J. Cale: ROLL ON (Rounder)
Marianne Faithfull: EASY COME EASY GO (Decca)
Vienna Teng: INLAND TERRITORY (Zoe)
Kelly Carmichael: QUEEN FAREENA (Daystreet)
Colin Linden: FROM THE WATER (True North)
Eric Lindall: GULF COAST HIGHWAY (Alligator)
Chris Joss: STICKS (ESL)
Chicago Afrobeat Project: OFF THE GRID (independent)
Amadou & Mariam: WELCOME TO MALI
Bela Fleck: THROW DOWN YOUR HEART: AFRICAN SESSIONS (Rounder)
Sara Watkins: SARA WATKINS (Nonsuch)
Black Bear Crossing: THE SEA (independent) *
Halloween Alaska: CHAMPAIGN DOWNTOWN (ESD)

April
Indigo Girls: POSEIDON AND THE BITTER BUG (Vanguard)
Decembrists: THE HAZARDS OF LOVE (Capitol)
Cassandra Wilson: CLOSER TO YOU: THE POP SIDE (Blue Note)
56 Men: 56 MEN (independent) *
Jay Smar: HERTITAGE AND COAL MINING SONGS (Fuzzy Bugger) *
Kelleigh McKenzie: CHANCES (Zatchabilly)
Easy Star All-Stars: EASY STAR'S LONELY HEARTS DUB BAND (East Star)
David Wilcox: OPEN HAND (What Are)
Roy Rogers: SPLIT DECISION (Blind Pig)
Buckwheat Zydeco: LAY DOWN YOUR BURDEN (Alligator)
Mike Farris: SHOUT LIVE FEATURING THE MCCRARY SISTER (Columbia)
Deanna Bogart et al: 11th HOUR (Vista)
Alison Brown: COMPANY YOU KEEP (Compass)
Chris Orbach: SECESSION (High Functioning) *
Bob Dylan: TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE (Columbia)
Eddi Reader: LOVE IS THE WAY (Rough Trade)
Chick Corea & John McLaughlin: FIVE PEACE BAND LIVE (Concord)
Vignola Collective: GYPSY GRASS (Dare)
Doerfels: WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR (Patuxent) *
Daredevil Christopher Wright: IN DEFERENCE TO A BROKEN BACK (Amble Down)

May
Zee Avi: ZEE AVI (Brushfire)
Michelle Shocked: SOUL OF MY SOUL (Mighty Sound)
Mat Burke: HOW TO YOU LIKE ME NOW (independent) *
Calaveras: GREEN GIRL (Fennel & Mustard)
Angelica Grim: LOOK FOR ME (Patuxent) *
Matt Miskie: A BEND IN THE RIVER (independent) *
PLAYING FOR CHANGE: [various artists] (Hear Music)
Rob Lutes: TRUTH AND FICTION (independent)
Dave Alvin: DAVE ALVIN AND THE GUILTY WOMEN (Yep Roc)
Steve Earle: TOWNES (New West)
Matt Macaulay: WISH I COULD MAKE YOU DANCE (independent) *
Rick Estrin and the Nightcats: TWISTED (Alligator)
Tori Amos: ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN (Universal)
Elvis Costello: Secret, Profane and Sugarcane (Hear)

June
Blame Sally: NIGHT OF 1000 STARS (Opus)
B.D. Lenz: HIT IT AND QUIT (independent) *
Carbon Leaf: NOTHING RHYMES WITH WOMAN (Vanguard)
Nomo: INVISIBLE CITIES (Ubiquity)
Nanci Griffith: THE LOVING KIND (Rounder)
Sarah Jarosz: SONG UP IN HER HEAD (Sugar Hill)
Cary Cooper: DIRTY LITTLE SECRET (indpendent)
Anna Dagmar: Let the Waves Come in Threes (independent) *

July
Waifs: Live from the Union of Sound (Compass)
Brad Hammonds: Through It All (independent) *
Jenni Muldaur: Dearest Darlin' (Dandelion)
Wilco: (The Album) [Nonesuch]
Levon Helm: Electric Dirt (Vanguard)
Shawn Colvin: Live (Nonesuch)
Del McCoury: By Request (McCoury Music)
Brian Blade: Mama Rosa (Verve)
Richard Shindell: Now Far Now (Signature Sounds)
Bob Malone: Ain't What You Know (Delta Moon) *
John Scofield: Piety Street (Emarcy)
Candy Kane: Superhero (Delta Groove)
Cyril Neville: Brand New Blues (M.C.)
Wiyos: Broken Land Bell (independent)
Sonny Landreth: Levee Town Expanded Edition (Landfall)
John Hammond: Rough and Tough (Chesky)
Stephanie Davis: Western Bling (Recluse)
Joe Henry: Blood from the Stars (Anti-)

August
Wailin' Jennies: Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House (Red House)
Peter Mulvey: Letters from a Flying Machine (Signature Sounds)
Will Hoge : The Wreckage (Ryko)
Jack Hardy: Rye Grass (Great Divide) *
Robert Cray Band: This Time (Nozzle/Vanguard)
Robben Ford: Soul on Ten (Concord)
Dede Wyland: Keep the Light On (Patuxent)
Greencards: Fascination (Sugar Hill)
John Flynn: America's Waiting (independent)
Elizabeth and the Catapult: Taller Children (Verve Forecast)
Kyle Hollingsworth: Then There's Now (SCI Fidelity)
Subdudes: Flower Petals (429 Records)
Richard X. Heyman: Intakes (Turn Up)
Spencer Day: Vagabond (Concord)
Chris Koch: Songs from the Coastal Evacuation (independent) *
Madness: The Liberty of Norton Folgate (Yep Roc)
Looping Jawharp Orchestra: Elephant Road (independent)
Mike Dugan and the Blues Mission: From the Rough (Rave On) *
Ricky Skaggs: Sings the Songs My Dad Loved (Skaggs Family)
The Lost Fingers: Lost in the 80s (Tandem)

September
Imogen Heap: Ellipse (RCA)
Carla Ulbrich: Live from Outer Space (Romantic Devil) *
Emmitt-Nershi Band: New Country Blues (SCI Fidelity)
Round Mountain: Windward (Red Shield) *
Jeff Golub: Blues for You (EI)
Chris Ayer: Don't Go Back to Sleep (ARC)
Erin McKeown: Hundreds of Lions (Righteous Babe)
Blaire Reinhard Band: Steps on the Ceiling (independent)
Rosanne Cash: The List (Manhattan)
Chris Smither: Time Stands Still (Signature Sounds)
John Fogerty: The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (Verve Forecast)

October
Michael Jerling: Music Here Tonight (Fool's Hill) *
Rickie Lee Jones: Balm in Gilead (Fantasy)
David Grier: Evocative (Dreadnaught)
Asylum Street Spankers: God's Favorite Band (Spanks-a-lot)
Badlees: Love Is Rain (S.A.M.) * String Cheese Incident: Trick or Treat (SCI Fidelity)
Maura Kennedy: Parade of Echoes (Planned Effervence)
Kings of Convenience: Declaration of Dependence (Asral Werks)
Dan Merrill: Tomorrow to Yesterday (AMG) *
Peter Bradley Adams: Traces (Sarathan)
Brian Scary and the Shredding Tears: Mad Valentines (Old Flame)
Ben Sidran: Dylan Different (Nardis)
Angelo M.: Steelwork (independent)
Joss Stone: Colour Me Free (Virgin)
Blind Boys of Alabama: Duets (Saguaro Road)
Bill Frisell: Disfarmer (Nonesuch)
Heather Masse: Bird Song (Red House)

November
Norah Jones: The Fall (Blue Note)
Al Stewart: Uncorked (Wallaby Trails)
Tom Waits: Glitter and Doom Live (Anti-)
Gillian Grassie: Serpentine (Harp Power)
Kenny Young and the Eggplants: The House at Creepy Lake (Cheese Thing) *
Sharon Shannon: Saints and Scoundrels (Compass)
Beat Circus: Boy from Black Mountain (Cuneiform)
Tom Flannery: Pete Townshend's Ghost (independent) *
Sarah McQuaid: I Won't Be Home Til Morning (independent)

December
Rob Drabken: On These Heavy Feet (independent)
Bad Lieutenant: Never Cry Another Tear (Original Signal)

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