This isn't meant to be an evaluation of the best music of '09--I'm no authority on music. This is a list, according to personal relevance, of all the songs that have kept me alive and have gotten me through the brutal year that was. I may be scarred for life, but, as of yet, as of now, I'm alive and f*cking kicking.

(Happy New Year)

• Ma vie en L'air by Jeanne Cherhal
• Half-day Closing by Portishead
• Help, I'm Alive by Metric
• Down River by The Temper Trap
• Breathe by The Cinematic Orchestra
• Battlefield by Jordin Sparks
• Pull my Heart Away by Jack Penate
• When I Grow Up by Garbage
• Tout le Monde by Carla Bruni
• The Lucky One by Au Revoir Simone
• Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine
• I'll See You When We Get There by Coolio