Really Good Albums I Missed The First Time Around

One of the surprisingly nice things about taking a holiday over the Christmas/New Year break was the ability to load up on some really top-notch albums that I was too busy to listen to in 2009 proper. It's a good time of year - all my friends have compiled their Best Of lists and it's a three week period with no new music coming out, so here's a quick list of what I grabbed to help fill some of those quite hotel/airplane/bus hours:

Mos Def, The Ecstatic - This is the album I regret not hearing until the end of the year the most. You should all probably stop what you're doing and listen to it now.

Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus - I initially downplayed this was as "contemporary alternative music for forty-year olds." I guess I just got old.

Girls, Album - The single is catchy as all get out and the album reminds me of the excitement that people used to have about Elvis Costello.

The Antlers - Hospice