September was a month of new albums that punched me square in the face (Jay-Z, David Bazan, Fun., The Avett Brothers), seeing Joshua James live and buying all his material that I didn’t already own, and a few things I bought and/or listened to during my trip to Australia.

October has begun, and with it will surely come an onslaught of contemplative and dark albums. David Bazan and Joshua James got a jump start on that, but I think my must-have fall album for 2009 has yet to unearth itself. I am taking suggestions.

1. Jay-Z – “Jockin’” (The Blueprint 3)
2. Lily Allen – “I Could Say” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)
3. Jay-Z – “D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune]” (The Blueprint 3)
4. Bruce Springsteen – “Nebraska” (Nebraska)
5. Bruce Springsteen – “Highway Patrolman” (Nebraska)
6. Jay-Z – “Young Forever” (The Blueprint 3)
7. Fun. – “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)” (Aim and Ignite)
8. Fun. – “The Gambler” (Aim and Ignite)
9. Joshua James – “Wilted Daisies” (Build Me This)
10. Wilco – “Via Chicago” (Summerteeth)
11. Joshua James – “Coal War” (Build Me This)
12. Clues – “You Have My Eyes Now” (Clues)
13. Joshua James – “Lawn Full of Marigolds” (Build Me This)
14. Jonsi & Alex – “Daníell In The Sea” (Riceboy Sleeps)
15. David Bazan – “Hard to Be” (Curse Your Branches)
16. David Bazan – “Bless This Mess” (Curse Your Branches)
17. David Bazan – “In Stitches” (Curse Your Branches)
18. David Bazan – “Bearing Witness” (Curse Your Branches)
19. The Avett Brothers – “I and Love and You” (I and Love and You)

Well, now that I’m back from Australia, I suppose I should catch up and show you what I was listening to last month. Lots of Bruce Springsteen, natch. And I started going through all the Tom Waits albums I somehow have not listened to up to now. And then I got on a plane to Sydney, sans iPod, and discovered the only on-board music options worth listening to as I fell into a Tylenol PM coma were Coldplay and Lily Allen.

Enjoy!

1. Antony & the Johnsons – “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (Dylan Mania)
2. Joker & Ginz – “Purple City” (Purple City / Re-Up)
3. Lori McKenna – “Witness to Your Life” (Unglamorous)
4. Drake – “Best I Ever Had” (Best I Ever Had)
5. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – “Home” (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros)
6. Bruce Springsteen – “Atlantic City” (Live in New York City)
7. Tom Waits – “Big Joe and Phantom 309″ (Nighthawks at the Diner)
8. Bruce Springsteen – “Tenth Avenue Freezeout” (Live 1975-1985)
9. Hammock – “Mono No Aware” (Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow)
10. He Is Legend – “Don’t Touch That Dial” (It Hates You)
11. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – “Going Up the Country” (Kitty, Daisy & Lewis)
12. Tom Waits – “Chocolate Jesus” (Mule Variations)
13. Bruce Springsteen – “Thunder Road” (Born to Run)
14. Plants & Animals – “Bye Bye Bye” (Parc Avenue)
15. The Dead Texan – “A Chronicle of Early Failures, part 2″ (The Dead Texan)
16. Sigur Rós – “Gong” (Takk…)
17. Lily Allen – “The Fear” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)
18. Coldplay – “Death and All His Friends” (Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends)

A pretty small music month, for some reason. I think I spent a lot of time going over old favorites. Regardless, there are some gems here.

1. Fredrik – “Black Fur” (Na Na Ni)
2. P.O.S. – “Purexed” (Never Better)
3. M83 – “You Appearing” (Saturdays=Youth)
4. Caroline – “Winter” (Murmurs)
5. Soul-Junk – “Ill-m-i” (1956)
6. Ingrid Michaelson – “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Be OK)
7. Adele – “First Love” (19)
8. Jens Lekman – “The Opposite of Hallelujah” (Night Falls Over Kortedala)
9. Lily Allen – “Everyone’s At It” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)
10. Laura Gibson – “Shadows on Parade” (Beasts of Seasons)
11. Joe Bonamassa – “Feelin’ Good” (The Ballad of John Henry)
12. Duffy – “Live and Let Die” (War Child: Heroes)
13. Lily Allen – “Fuck You” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)

Fredrik’s “Black Fur” is a warm piece of freak folk. When I don’t know what to listen to I just let it loop over and over.

All of Laura Gibson’s new album is phenomenal, but “Shadows on Parade” — the opening track — is a personal highlight.

Lily Allen and P.O.S.’s new ones are catchy start to finish and the War Child compilation is a winner.

And Jens Lekman? I was listening to the new Morrissey record and recalled a song I thought was his, but it turned out to be Lekman’s. Go figure.