Best Rock Albums in 2009, so far

Here are my fave albums:

Sonic Youth The Eternal
Rancid Let the Dominos Fall
Pearl Jam Backspacer
Helado Negro Awe Owe
Dave Alvin Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women
Elvis Costello Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
Neko Case Middle Cyclone
Wilco Wilco
The Vines Melodia
Bat for Lashes Two Suns
Coldplay LeftRightLeft
Rural Alberta Advantage Hometowns
Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Jack Johnson En concert
Chasing Kings The current state of our future
Kate Havnevik Unlike Me
Grizzly Bear Vackatimest
Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz!

Dgarretson, I second that album, Them Crooked Vultures is something Special!

I didnt think anything would surpass Keep it Hid but this might be the one. Ive heard the album three times but cant yet cast my final vote.

That Auerbach is tasty and earns a place next to old Savoy Brown.

Still need to find that Sonic Youth. A great review in NYTimes last week of The Eternal in concert.

Department of Eagles "In Ear Park". The alter ego of Grizzly Bear has grown on me after learning that the band toured with Radiohead. Though operating on a smaller scale than Radiohead, Grizzly/DOE and RH have same ability to turn linear structures into psychedelic taffy.

Alice in Chains "Black gives Way to Blue" is outstanding.

I was very skeptical about the new singer being able to fit into the band after Layne Staley's passing. Layne was such a huge part of the signature sound of AIC. Then I saw them at the House of Blues a couple of months ago with the new singer, and quite frankly he blew me away. He nails the old AIC material with an almost eerie similarity to Layne, and still has his own sound. I liken the transition to when Bon Scott of AC/DC died and Brian Johnson stepped in and the transition was nearly seamless. I will probably get a few who disagree with me about that, but it's just my opinion.

The new material is vintage Chains, and a refreshing injection into today's rock. I sorely missed AIC's presence in music after Layne Staley's death, and somehow AIC has managed to pull off a fully legitimate comeback.

If you liked all the old AIC catalog, you will love the new album. It's the real deal IMHO.