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This week we’re happy to present you with three individual Top 20 Albums of 2009 lists, from all over the globe. Agree? Disagree? We don’t really care, but leave your comments below.

Here we are on our third Top 20 Albums of 2009 list, though hopefully I think you’ll all agree that each list is refreshingly different.  My list is perhaps quite heavily weighted towards UK bands, as well as a few minor label bands, so apologies if  a couple of these albums are a little difficult to track down.

20. The xx - xx
As Giang said in his top 20, this is a sparse, stripped down album that works really well when your brain is exhausted and you don’t want to have to concentrate too hard. Given how simplistic this album is, it’s very listenable.

19. Goonies Never Say Die – In a Forest Without Trees
For me, 2009 was largely dominated by instrumental bands. I tried not to include too many in my list, but sometimes it just seemed necessary; enter Goonies Never Say Die, an instrumental band from Blackpool, England. Recently signed to indie label Deep Elm, GNSD fall into the more rock-based instrumental category, though their use of jangly tremolo guitar, and their slant towards the melodic prevent them from sounding too forceful and in-your-face.

18. The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come
What else can I say, other than it’s another Mountain Goats album. The slower, more methodical pace of this album means that it never seems quite as urgent or as vibrant as some of the older Mountain Goats albums, but this is still worth checking out.

17. Scott Matthews – Elsewhere
On Elsewhere, singer-songwriter Scott Matthews not only showcases some solid guitar work, but also manages to make the album sound incredibly busy by adding a whole host of instruments to the mix. The fact that Robert Plant provides guest vocals on the track 12 Harps, and it’s often difficult to discern which voice belongs to who, is also testament to the quality of Scott Matthews vocals.

16. The Phantom Band – Checkmate Savage
Like Russ’s list, my list also features a lot of Scottish bands; The Phantom Band being the first of many. However, Checkmate Savage is a far more challenging listen than most of the albums on this list; bass heavy and unconventional at every turn, this album definitely requires some work to get into, but it’s worth the effort.

15. If These Trees Could Talk – Above The Earth, Below The Sky
The second album from Akron, Ohio based instrumental post-rock band ITTCT. It’s a slightly darker, more dense album than it’s predecessor, but is every bit as fascinating a listen.
Interesting factoid: the song Malabar Front from ITTCT’s self-titled debut album featured on the soundtrack to PS3 game inFamous.

14. Old Canes – Feral Harmonic
I am a massive fan of The Appleseed Cast, but there’s just no escaping the fact that their last few albums have been a little… lacklustre. However, when I heard how fresh Old Canes’ first album (fronted by The Appleseed Casts Chris Crisci) was, I was completely blown away. Whilst their second album, Feral Harmonic, isn’t quite as fresh it still encapsulates the same beautiful, rustic, manically instrument-laden sound that made the first album great.

13. Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band – Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band
Seattle-based band Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band are a difficult band to classify, though one word I would definitely use to sum them up would be quirky. This is another band that takes a bit of effort to get into, though once their off-brand groove gets into your head, it’ll stay there for a while.

12. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Album opener And The Hazy Sea gives you a good idea what to expect from Why There Are Mountains. As an album it’s fairly manic, swinging wildly from ethereal and whispered, to raucous and screaming at the drop of a hat. The track What Dogs See deserves special honours for being one of the most haunting songs I’ve ever heard in my life.

11. Blindfold – Faking Dreams
Blindfold are an Icelandic four-piece who currently reside in London, and whose music often draws comparisons to bands such as Sigur Ros and Radiohead. After listening to Faking Dreams it’s easy to see why; the album sounds like a bizarre hybrid of both bands. Whilst this may sound like a jarring combination, the end result is a beautifully serene, warbled, and sleepy affair, that is both relaxing and dream-like. It’s probably best not to listen to this album while operating heavy machinery though.

10. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
Initially, I was a little confused by this album – at first it reminded me of a more accessible version of the Fleet Foxes, but I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that there was something strangely vapid about it. After repeat listens though, the album really starts to shine, especially in the less accessible latter half of the album. It’s not perfect (there are a couple of instances where the lyrics are terrible) but it is a solid album.

9. Tubelord – Our First American Friends
Another UK band, Tubelord first came to my attention earlier in the year when I picked up their first two brilliant EP’s. Whilst singer Joe Prendergasts voice is perhaps an acquired taste, their music and energy is reminiscent of a more pop-oriented version of At The Drive In, so when their debut album miraculously appeared I was naturally very curious. Personally, I don’t think the album hits the same highs as the first two EP’s, but it’s still a great start from a band who clearly have a lot of potential.

8. mewithoutYou – It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All A Dream! It’s Alright!
If you’re a fan of Neutral Milk Hotel and secretly wish that they had made another album before they split up, then this is the album for you. On It’s All Crazy!… mewithoutYou do an admirable job of recreating the Neutral milk sound whilst still sounding original. My only criticism is that because this album sounds so similar to Neutral Milk Hotel, mewithouYou come across as being imitators rather than true challengers to the crown. They still make a damn good attempt at it though.

7. Cursive – Mama, I’m Swollen
I’m not going to lie, Cursive are one of my favourite bands of the last few years. Much of this is to do with the fact that Tim Kashers lyrics are often scathing and grim renditions of the world around him; the process of him singing them aloud being his cathartic way of exorcising them from his system. I often feel that listening to Cursives music is like the aural equivalent of watching someone vomiting up wretched black lumps from the pit of their stomach - whilst it’s unsettling to be around, it always seems best to just let them get it out of their system.
While Mama, I’m Swollen is perhaps Cursives weakest album in years, it’s still a great, socially aware album, that refuses to choke back the bile and criticism within.

6. Maybeshewill – Sing The Word Hope In Four-Part Harmony
Maybeshewill are not only an Instrumental band from Leicester, England, but they are also the owner/operators of indie record label Robotneedshome (check out their site for a whole bunch of free downloads). As far as instrumental bands go, Maybeshewill fall into the heavier end of spectrum, though they do a good job of balancing this out by incorporating a lot of piano, samples and programmed beats. Though this album may not be as immediate as their debut, Not For Want Of Trying, it sees a maturation of the band as a whole, particularly in the growth of their social conscience.

5. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four walls
Given that these guys have appeared on Russ and Giangs list do I really need to say anything more? We Were Promised Jetpacks are Scottish and they’re great. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Just buy the damn album already!

4. Broken Records – Until The Earth Begins To Part
Another Scottish indie band, Broken Records are a seven-piece band of multi-instrumentalists with a tendency to swap instruments during gigs. Featuring full-time violin, cello, and trumpet players, Broken Records aren’t quite as conventional as most of the other bands on the list, a point reinforced by the slower, more sombre, meticulously instrumented sound maintained throughout the album.

3. And So I Watch You From Afar – And So I Watch You From Afar
Epic, brutal, loud, and brash, the debut self-titled album from instrumental band ASIWYFA will knock you on your ass with its gigantic guitar riffs and deft instrumentation.  The bands tagline is We are the bull, you are the china shop.  Speaking as someone who has caught ASIWYFA live and couldn’t hear properly for the next 24 hours, all I can say is: believe it!

Check out: Set Guitars To Kill; Start A Band; These Riots Are Just The Beginning

2. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
It’s a telling sign that I had this album for less than a week when I started considering this for the list.
My first exposure to this band was with their single Little Lion Man, though I have to admit to being initially underwhelmed. That is, until I heard the follow-up single Winter Winds and immediately thought of Neutral Milk Hotel. With banjos.
The rest of the album is a mostly quiet, acoustic affair – though one with lots of banjo – that manages to be both understated, yet interesting at the same time. The only problem I have with this album is that I’m now completely obsessed with banjos.

1. Fanfarlo – Reservoir
I first stumbled across Fanfarlo a little while ago, and when I first heard them I thought they sounded like a carbon copy of the band Beirut – albeit with less of an Eastern European edge to their music. In fact, I initially thought that I might find them a little too derivative to really enjoy, but somehow, after hearing the album in its entirety a couple of times, listening to it became an essential part of my daily routine.
By far the strangest thing though, is that after becoming familiar with the album, I really can’t put my finger on why I thought Fanfarlo sounded so similar to Beirut in the first place.