...some looks back.

And now, some songs that were released in 2009 that you may have missed out on, because of their limited release/exposure. None of these had a place on a full-length album (well, one was on a compilation), so it wouldn't surprise me if even fans of these artists aren't aware of these tracks.

As an aside, I'm sure you're aware the end of the year is almost here, and if you're wondering, yes, I will be doing a best-of list for 09. Touchdown is definitely imminent on that one, but don't start holding your breath just yet - there's still some time before that happens.

Thom Yorke
- "All for the Best"

Radiohead's frontman recorded this cover of jangle pop group Miracle Legion for the Mark Mulcahy tribute album Ciao My Shining Star (which, for the record, is an excellent release). Yorke's voice and talents are very suited for Mulcahy's song, which he turns into a relaxed-but-sublime electronic soundscape; what really makes it work is that he doesn't lose sight of the fact that it is, at its core, a simple love song. This cover is by far the best thing to come from the Radiohead camp in 2009, and puts Yorke's original single (as well as Radiohead's two tracks) to shame. This is absolutely essential for any fan of Yorke, Radiohead, Mulcahy, or music.

Das Racist
- "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"

Okay, so a lot of you have probably heard this song, but I don't care; if even one of you hasn't, NOW IS THE TIME. This hip-hop duo made quite an unusual entrance into the music world, with this song that's about exactly what it says it's about; a combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. The beat in this song is some jumpin' shit, so it doesn't matter at all that the lyrics are ridiculously silly (and honestly, the singalong potential only makes the song better). Irony-fueled hipster banality, or summer anthem of 2009? You decide.

Why?
- "Close to Me"

I guess 2009 was a good year for covers. Then again, when you have Why? covering The Cure, magic is bound to happen. In an odd turn of events, Why? took a Cure song that doesn't really sound like the Cure, and turned it into a gloomy-but-pretty affair that, well, sounds like the Cure. But Yoni Wolf is no stranger to that sound, so the band seems to feel right at home here. This track kinda got lost in the mania over Eskimo Snow, so be sure not to miss it.