“Ron Asheton forever.” This simple yet eloquent dedication to the founding guitarist of The Stooges, who died at his home in Ann Arbor last January at the age of 60, is found in the liner notes of my favorite album of 2009.

That would be “The Eternal,” by indie rock icons Sonic Youth. Still featuring original members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, the band’s trademark guitar attack is in full effect, with the songs taut and to the point, containing little room for self-indulgence. Midland, Michigan native Steve Shelley, who’s been in Sonic Youth for almost 25 years now, anchors everything with his rock-solid drumming, and the whole album bristles with savage energy. I do believe Mr. Asheton would have heartily approved of the proceedings.

Here is the rest of my top 10 album list for 2009:

2. Mark Knopfler: "Get Lucky"
3. Bob Dylan: "Together Through Life"
4. Sufjan Stevens: "The BQE"
5. Bebel Gilberto: "All In One"
6. Andrew Bird: "Noble Beast"
7. Neko Case: "Middle Cyclone"
8. Amadou & Mariam: "Welcome to Mali"
9. Grizzly Bear: "Veckatimest"
10. Mark Eitzel: "Klamath"

Former Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler has released a string of terrific solo albums without a ton of fanfare, and “Get Lucky” is particularly well done. With the sensitivity and keen eye of a top short story writer, Knopfler’s character studies are astounding in their ability to capture someone’s personality with just a few lyrics. His guitar playing is magnificently soulful as well. Can’t wait to see him at the Michigan Theater on April 27.

Bob Dylan’s “Together Through Life” came as quite a surprise, as few expected such a relatively quick follow-up to “Modern Times,” which he released in the fall of 2006. While sporting some intriguing arrangements with many songs, including Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo on accordion, Bob’s latest came up a little short lyrically at times. Yet a minor work by Dylan is akin to a minor film by Alfred Hitchcock — still essential.

The Detroit-born singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens went symphonic on his sprawling album “The BQE,” a multi-media work commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Stevens drew inspiration from a highly unlikely source, The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, an ugly, ill-conceived roadway with narrow lines, no shoulders and bad visibility. The music on “The BQE” is radiantly beautiful and bears influences that harken back to everyone from George Gershwin to Philip Glass to The Beatles. How nice it would be to experience this glorious work in, say, the Power Center during the 2010 Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Fingers crossed.

Brazilian vocalist Bebel Gilberto, daughter of bossa nova founder João Gilberto, calmed recession-weary nerves in a big way with the lilting sounds found on “All In One,” while Chicagoan Andrew Bird reached new heights on his complex “Noble Beast.” Inventive and refreshingly offbeat, Bird’s live performance at the Borders on Liberty Street last year was jaw-droppingly awesome as well.

With the exception of 2 albums, there was little consensus among critics when it came to items on their 2009 top 10 lists, and both of these releases appear on mine, too: Neko Case’s “Middle Cyclone” and Grizzly Bear’s “Veckatimest.” Case is a singer-songwriter with alternative-country leanings, and her 5th studio album is something pretty special. “Middle Cyclone” has hauntingly compelling lyrics filled with images of nature and features members of Calexico and Los Lobos as well as The Band’s Garth Hudson. She shined on a recent episode of Elvis Costello’s Sundance Channel television show “Spectacle,” where she was paired with Sheryl Crow, Ron Sexsmith and Jesse Winchester.

I first experienced the Brooklyn-based indie rock band Grizzly Bear when it played a dazzling set of tunes as the opening act for Radiohead at Ohio’s Blossom Music Center in the summer of 2008. My appetite was fully whetted for “Veckatimest,” which is named after an island in Massachusetts and sounds like an update of the classic Beach Boys album “Pet Sounds” — melodic yet experimental, and compelling from start to finish.

Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are a husband-and-wife duo who first met while attending a school for the blind in West Africa. “Welcome To Mali” is, for my money, the dance record of the year, filled with infectious rhythms and feel-good vibes. Mark Eitzel’s “Klamath” was released independently late in the year and with a low profile, but it’s well worth seeking out. The first solo album in several years from the American Music Club frontman has the powerful intimacy of Nick Drake at his best.

And 2010 is getting off to a fast start, with new albums from indie-rockers Spoon and Vampire Weekend right around the corner, along with one by the incomparable vocalist Patty Griffin.

As for the Ann Arbor scene, I can’t wait for the next move from Ann Arbor’s My Dear Disco, the hottest band around, and I also anxiously await something fresh from the always captivating singer/songwriter Chris Bathgate, who hasn’t released an album in over 2 years. Let’s also hope for a comeback from the gifted quintet Tally Hall, who are way overdue for something new. And finally, my own tip-of-the-hat to a vital U.K. musician who died last January at the age of 60: John Martyn forever.

Martin Bandyke is the 6-10am morning drive host on Ann Arbor’s 107one. Follow him on Twitter @martinbandyke and at his web site.