#1: DIRTY PROJECTORS "Bitte Orca" Offbeat afrobeat art rock from Brooklyn with David Byrne as a witness (and collaborator).

#2 TOR SUFJAN STEVENS "Illinoize" Heady indie folk remixed with old school emcees (Grand Puba, Outkast, Pete Rock) makes for the best mashup ever.

#3: PASSION PIT and MIIKE SNOW It's a tie! Both debut indie-electro artists with incredible beats and falsetto vocals.

#4: WILCO "The Album" Some say it borders on being "adult contemporary" but that just means it's a "timely album for grownups."

#5: KINGS OF CONVENIENCE "Declaration of Dependence" Who would've thought the most romantic dudes on earth were from Norway.

#6: BLAKROC Real life mashup of The Black Keys and NY's finest emcees including Mos Def, Ludacris, RZA...

#7: ANTONY THE JOHNSONS "The Crying Light" Shivering-yet-powerful, indie-yet-classical.

#8: JOHN MAYER "Battle Studies" It's not a love/hate thing, more like love/jealous thing I have with him.

#9: EL MICHELS AFFAIR "Enter the 37th Chamber" Live instrumental versions of Wu-Tang Clan songs is by far the best concept album of the year.

#10: PHOENIX "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" Breakthrough French pop/rock group makes proverbial waves across actual seas.

#11: WOODEN BIRDS "Magnolia" Not just cuz I interviewed them, this is really one of the best albums of the year.

#12: MAXWELL "BLACKsummers'night" Sometimes you just need some Smoove B style R&B to get you in the mood.

#13: SILVERSUN PICKUPS "Swoon" Yeah they sound like the Smashing Pumpkins, but that's a compliment.

#14: KID CUDI "Man on the Moon" Impeach Kanye! And make Cudi hip-hop's new president.

#15: JULIE PEEL If you like moody indie folk (i.e. Cat Power) you'll love Peel's debut album "Near The Sun."

#16: VOLCANO CHOIR "Unmap" - Bon Iver side project that's more ambient, equally as haunting.

#17 TORTOISE "Beacons of Ancestorship" The all-star collective takes instrumental post-rock to another level, once again.

#18 HONEY CLAWS Electro hip-hop with an emcee who sounds like Q-tip but he's a white boy from Austin.

#19: IRON WINE "Around The Well" If you're into sensitive beard rock for hipsters, check out Sam Beam's double disc of rarities.

#20: JAMES YUILL "Turning Down Water For Air" The best folktronica album of the year, if there is such a category.

Go to Last.fm to listen to Peter's Best of 2009 albums and watch exclusive interviews here

See more MP3.com Best of 2009 lists here or launch the CBS Radio player to listen here