2009 was the year when motel Hentai opened doors. During the past 12 months it was a haven for tens of alternative albums, music for freaks and charmingly disturbed personas - the motel's regular clientele. Here's a look back at some of this past year's highlights. This is by no means a comprehensive list of albums, as the motel's owner is too lazy and preoccupied watching a re-runs of "Psycho", "Rosemary's Baby" and "Suspiria" to put much effort in. Motel Hentai's staff favourite was, without any shadow of a doubt, "Primary Colours" - the second album from one of the UK's best new(ish) bands (the other being Selfish Cunt) - The Horrors. While their fantastic debut "Strange House" was written off in some quarters as a Screaming Lord Sutch meets B-horror flicks pastiche, the sophomore effort offers an entirely different approach, sound and perspective. At times gothy, at others reminiscent of Joy Division's heyday, this is one hell of an inventive and deep work. No wonder Damon Albarn took notice. And, in contrast to so many other hyped-up young bands, The Horrors' second album is actually better than their debut. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - It's Blitz! A band who are constantly moving and changing. They started out with a garage rock EP blast in 2001, went a bit arty three years later ( "Fever To Tell"), surprised us yet again with the more acoustic "Show Your Bones" in 2006 and then reverted back to a more rockier sound the following year. This Spring they presented us with their "pop" album - the brilliant "It's Blitz!" PJ HARVEY & JOHN PARISH – A Woman A Man Walked By They've been working together since the 80s and get on better musically than two hardcore alcoholics in yer local. A passionate album, full of fire and isnpiration. SONIC YOUTH - The Eternal After so many years, they still have it in them to produce an album of pure genius. Read a proper review further back in this section. TINARIWEN – Imidiwan Tuareg desert blues. They call them the "guitars of the revolution". Now that the Mississippi delta has been overexposed fand exploited or so many years, perhaps the most authentic blues you'll get nowadays most probably comes from these former soldiers of Gaddafi. TIGA - Ciao! Compared to its predecessor "Sexor", this one is somewhat deeper and darker, but still has that electro-house-funk charm about it. FILTHY DUKES – Nonsense In The Dark Modern day London in electro colours, played by Londoners, in a night club where you've to risk your health and virginity for once in your boring life. BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA – Songs From Lonely Avenue As usual, one of the biggest rock'n'roll/rockabilly legends in modern history rocks the guitar like he would a young beauty in some dance hall back in the 50s. This time there's some croonery too, from the man who would never venture outside of his home in a tracksuit and without the best coiffure there is. CORNERSHOP - Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast So the Cornershop of delightful music is back and open again...about bloody time too. After 2002's criminally overlooked "Handcream For A Generation" Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres seemed to vanish into thin air for a while. Apparently, they were working on a film, as well as waiting for the "right moment" to release this album, after having gone through a somewhat rough patch wherein even Tjinder's wife "didn't want to listen to Cornershop". Well, they've come up with a truly triumphant collection of songs, just as good (if not as diverse) as their previous outing.. In these days of strictly genre-identified "rock" music seeking a certain "target audience", bands like Cornershop are, sadly, a rare phenomenon. Put it this way - their last album should have been HUGE, yet it wasn't. That record was as close to a perfect contemporary rock'n'roll album as you can get. And YET, despite a tour with Oasis, the "units" shift did not....Blah, who cares in late 2009, we've got a brand new, sparkling, radiant, shiny, optimistic Cornershop album out and about....This time they're releasing it themselves. Because they're a bit fed up with record labels,you see, and probably because labels aren't exactly handing out contracts nowadays anyway. Opening track "Who Fingered Rock'n'Roll" is a glorious piece of humorous sunshine classic rock'n'roll, reminiscent both in sound, vibe and lyrical arrows to 2002's outstanding "Lessons Learned From Rocky 1 to Rocky 3". NOUVELLE VAGUE – 3 It was six years ago that French musos Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux came up with the idea of executing a bossa nova/Continental style revamp of some classic alternative/new wave/post punk tunes and then dressing the entire adventure in some conveniently in-vogue French chic...And boy, did it work! The first Nouvelle Vague album was an absolute smash, thus forcing a band from Berlin, bearing the same moniker to unwillingly change its name....Some of the female singers on that debut, like Camille, found further fame in the UK, where previously amazing French bands like Les Rita Mitsouko had been neglected due to idiotic English ignorance and arrogance...Well now the tide has truly turned and we're not only talking Daft Punk, Air and Ed Banger Records here...Nouvelle Vague is a truly "European" project, in the most chique sense...That first album was a smash, the second a tad repetitive and tiresome, but the new one is definitely more alluring - least of all in its choice of songs - than anything Mark Ronson could ever come up with. ZU – Carboniferous When a madman of Mike Patton's calibre likes you music, this means you, too, are mad...and insanely talented too. An acquired taste. PASSION PIT – Manners Electro-pop-disco with vocals reminiscent of Bee Gees and Sparks delight. Nice one. IGGY POP – Preliminaires Iggy goes French! Strange, a tad comical and quite charming actually. This is "Avenue B" sang mostly in Moliere, Rimbaud and Edith Piaf's mother tongue by the man with the most impressive torso in rock. We don't laugh, we like it, we feel a warmth there....You should try it. REVEREND AND THE MAKERS – A French Kiss In The Chaos Remember Tomorrow never Knows - that unbeliavable, innovative and epic, ending track on the Beatles' "Revolver" album? Well this Sheffield lot provide similar cosmic orgasms for one's ear. THE DEAD WEATHER - Horehound One look at this band's line-up will tell you everything. HTRK – Marry Me Tonight London band, supported The Horrors. Their latest album is definitely worth a listen or fifty. ZOOT WOMAN – Things Are What They Used To Be One of the UK's more original and colourful bands. Glad to have them back.