As of August I’d picked off my 18 favourite songs of the year so far:

• neko case . middle cyclone
• von bondies . chancer
• dan auerbach . heartbroken, in disrepair
• john frusciante . unreachable
• heartless bastards . be so happy
• and you will know us by the trail of dead . ascending
• and you will know us by the trail of dead . fields of coal
• ume . the conductor
• thermals . when i died
• william elliott whitmore . old devils
• yeah yeah yeahs . heads will roll
• japandroids . heart sweats
• great lake swimmers . still
• rural alberta advantage . the dethbridge in lethbridge
• antlers . two
• antlers . kettering
• lightning dust . i knew
• now, now every children . everyone you know

Five more have made the grade:

• wye oak . tattoo
• wye oak . mary is mary
• drummer . mature fantasy
• drummer . diamonds to shake
• xx . crystalised

I suppose this means my ‘best songs of 2009’ list won’t really be a surprise when I post it in December.