Radio America

Most of the time I don't mind that the music I like is never on the radio, and usually I understand why. ‘Crystallized’ is an amazing track, but it will never make it into the American Top 40. But there are a few albums every year that surprise me by not making the leap from Britain to major play in the US. They're not the most innovative albums of the year, or even necessarily my favorites (though I did enjoy them), but they should have been more popular in America. Here are my top 5 for 2009:

1. Little Boots-- Hands
The Lady Gaga comparisons-- sparkly outfits, bleach blonde hair, propensity for infectious dance beats-- are easy to make, so I'm shocked that Little Boots didn't find success in America this year. Though synth-heavy ‘Tune into My Heart’ might not have made it stateside, tracks like ‘Remedy’ and ‘Meddle’ are incredibly radio and club friendly. And Little Boots (at least in my opinion) seems much less cloyingly image focused than Lady Gaga and her rubbish tea cup.

2. White Lies-- To Lose My Life
They might be a little doom-and-gloom side with tracks entitled ‘Death’ and ‘Nothing to Give,’ but White Lies sound like The Killers locked themselves in a room with only Joy Division albums for six months and recorded the results, which should be a recipe for rock and college radio success. Combined with their number one debut in January and gig blitz across Europe this year, they're my pick for most likely to succeed among across the pond in 2010 if ‘Farewell to the Fairground’ or ‘To Lose My Life’ breaks through.

3. Florence + the Machine-- Lungs
The brilliantly minimalist punch of ‘Kiss with a Fist’ alone should have been enough to jump-start Florence Welch's US career, but despite her stratospheric rise to fame in England she's still under the radar here. Excuse the obvious comparison, but she seems like a potential heir to the Amy Winehouse English songstress title stateside. The impossibly catchy hook of ‘Drumming Song’ seems like her best chance for American success in the coming year.

4. Arctic Monkeys-- Humbug
I debated this one because Arctic Monkeys haven't failed to make it in America so much as been willfully ignored by radio here. Despite their astronomical buzz and far greater name recognition than any of the other bands on this list, I've yet to hear an Arctics song outside the most obscure depths of college radio and the lonely indie show that plays very early on Saturday mornings on my local Baltimore station. Humbug is by far the band's least British album, altered by Josh Homme's desert rock production and Turner's least slang-ridden lyrics, so it might be their best chance to break the American market. But catchy ‘Crying Lighting’ and ‘Cornerstone,’ one of the best songs in the Arctics catalogue, have failed to crack the Top 40 like ‘Brianstorm’ and ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ before them.

5. The Maccabees-- Wall of Arms
This one might just be wishful thinking on my part, but I loved Wall of Arms and thought it had some pop gems that could have done well on the radio in a place that Jason Mraz usually fills (I meant that as a compliment.) ‘Kiss and Resolve’ and ‘Love You Better’ have sparkling choruses that make them radio ready, though I have my doubts that they can succeed if ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ couldn't.

Runners Up:
Pete Doherty-- Grace/Wastelands
This one is hugely unlikely, but I just had to include it because it was one of my favorite albums of the year. It's also Doherty's most radio-friendly production by far, especially considering America's stricter censorship laws. But that doesn't mean it's objectively radio-ready. ‘Arcady’ might be an okay single....a girl can dream, right?

Franz Ferdinand-- Tonight
A great redeeming album for Franz after the somewhat lackluster YCHISMB, but they already got some radio play for ‘Take Me Out’ a few years ago, so I couldn't really include them. That said, I think ‘Ulysses’ and ‘Twilight Omens’ should have had legs here.