From start to finish: Best CDs of ‘09

Keeping up with the growing trend of energetic electronic indie music, Passion Pit gives fans something to dance and to sing along to with Manners. The band's sound is comparable to that of bands like MGMT and Ratatat. Comprised of Michael Angelakos (lead vocalist and keyboardist) and Ian Hultquist (guitarist and keyboardist), along with Ayad Al Adhamy on the synthesizer, Jeff Apruzzese on the bass and bass synthesizer and Nate Donmoyer on the drums, Passion Pit's music has an edge that fits nicely on the indie shelf but also has some distinct characteristics of its own. Tracks like "Sleepyhead," "Little Secrets" and "The Reeling" — which enjoyed spot No. 29 on the the Billboard Alternative Songs chart for the fall of this year — feature high-pitched voices paired with synthetic harmony and beats.

The charming Vancouver native is back with his fourth studio recorded album release. On his Web site, Michael Bublé says his album is the "ultimate record about the inevitable roller coaster ride of relationships." Crazy Love is chock-full of romantic ballads, a seductive jazzy sound and soulful melodies. Since making it big worldwide in 2003, Bublé has sold more than 22 million albums to romantics and jazz-lovers the world over and has become a multi-Grammy-winning artist. Bublé's soothing voice, charm, and sexy edge make this album a must-listen for 2009. He covers classic tracks like "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison, "You're Nobody Until Somebody Loves You," "Cry Me a River" and "Georgia on My Mind." Bublé attributes his style and vocalistic qualities to the likes of Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, Sinatra, Ray Charles and Elvis Presley, and his music has a universal appeal.

Eminem is back with a 20-track studio album, Relapse. It is his sixth release and the one that terminated his five-year musical hiatus. (We haven't seen an album from Slim since 2004's Encore.) Marshall Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem, has told  various news sources that his inspiration comes from the ending of his drug rehabilitation and fall back into drugs, bringing out his crazy fictional alter-ego "Slim Shady." The album holds true to Slim's standards of explicit lyrics, but one thing's for sure — Eminem's success is merited. Every track, including "Old Time's Sake" featuring Dr. Dre, "We Made You," "3 a.m." and the most popular, "Crack a Bottle," featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, include head-nodding beats and freestyle rap flows. The real Slim Shady's record sales for Relapse already stand at 1,533,000 copies in the U.S.

Raditude, released Nov. 3, is Weezer's seventh studio recorded album. This new album doesn't stray far from the energetic Weezer-esque sound fans know and love, with the exception of the track "Can't Stop Partying," featuring Lil Wayne. The biggest hit, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," is still on MTV's Hot List. The song sounds like 1950s rock with a  modern twist. Since their first self-titled album was released in 1999, Weezer has recorded five other studio albums prior to Raditude. The dynamic foursome delivers yet another toe-tapping tune with catchy, amped up beats and lyrics. The album is perfect for those looking for high-energy dance-rock tracks that don't sacrifice creativity or lyrics and actually tell a story.

21st Century Breakdown was released on May 15, 2009. Billie Joe Armstrong and the boys are back with their eighth album and their second rock opera, following the album American Idiot. Known for their politically-charged statements, anti-authority state of mind and "nothing is sacred" conclusions about our nation's government, 21st Century Breakdown follows suit. The album is divided into three acts, "Heroes and Cons," "Charlatans and Saints" and "Horseshoes and Handgrenades." The connecting thread between the acts is the story of a young couple, Christian and Gloria, and their challenges in the United States in a post-Bush era. Pretty heavy, huh? Well the guys may not be soft-spoken or timid, but they send out their messages effectively with a sound that is all their own — punk-rock and pop in a mélange dominated by a generous helping of anger. As long as there is some form of authority in our country, the guys in Green Day will have something to sing about.

In the Hip-hop and rap world, most artists don't last past their twenties, but Jay-Z has been around for a while — he is now 40 years old. Jay-Z has defied standards and continues to define them on his own. The Blueprint 3 is the third installment of the Blueprint trilogy — The Blueprint came out in 2001 and The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse was released in 2002. The album sold 476,000 copies in its first week alone, and features many popular tracks, including "D.O.A. (Death of Auto Tune)," "Empire State of Mind," featuring the soulful piano R&B goddess Alicia Keys, "On to the Next One" featuring Swizz Beatz, "Already Home" featuring Kid Cudi, "Run This Town" featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, "Off That" featuring Drake, and "Young Forever." The Blueprint 3 is nothing short of a solid comeback for the artist who had announced his retirement from the rap scene, planning to focus on producing from there on out.

Only By Night is Kings of Leon's fourth studio-recorded album, following 2007's Because of the Times. The boys (Caleb, Jared, Matthew, and Nathan) of the Followill family of Nashville, Tenn. are an international sensation. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 51st Grammy Awards and the single "Sex on Fire" won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Caleb's raspy, sensual voice paired with the unique rock sound that is all their own has given them the best-selling album of all time in the UK, surpassing Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. Top tracks include "Closer" — which Caleb says is about a lovesick vampire — the hit "Use Somebody," "Crawl," "Sex on Fire," which puts the sexual undertones of all the groups' songs right out in front, "Notion," and "Revelry." The Kings of Leon's success looks like one that has no foreseeable expiration date.