I woke up this morning and saw this headline: Worried world begins welcome of a new year.

I guess. I won’t lie to you: 2009’s gonna suck, at least here in America. While I agree with Michael Miner in that I think we’ll take it easy, but take it, looking down the barrel of bankruptcy has me paranoid and I read enough econ blogs that I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.

These days everyone’s doing their “best of” lists, which is nice enough but won’t prep you for the malaise. Here’s a playlist in the spirit of the blues.

1. “Things Done Changed,” Notorious B.I.G. Arguably the best song from arguably the best rap album ever made.

2. “Fillmore Jive,” Pavement. The “Four Quartets” of indie rock. Good night to the rock and roll era.

3. “The National Anthem,” Radiohead. Maybe my favorite song to listen to really loud with headphones, edging out Yo La Tengo’s cover of “Little Honda.” Honorable mention: “Idiotheque.”

4. “Preachin’ Blues (Up Jumped the Devil),” Robert Johnson. My favorite of his songs (“the blues is an achin’ old heart disease / like consumption, killin’ me by degrees”).

5. Couldn’t decide here: “Doin’ the Cockroach,” “Custom Concern,” “Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset,” “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes,” “Out of Gas,” Modest Mouse. If pressed I’d go with “Out of Gas,” (“opinions are like kittens, we’re always givin’ them away”) but virtually anything off This Is a Long Drive, Lonesome Crowded West, or Moon & Antarctica would work. Modest Mouse will be the soundtrack of the new Depression.

6. “The Seed Song,” Mountain Goats. I know you’re waiting for the ironic ending. I know you’re waiting for the punchline.

7. “Salad Days,” Minor Threat. The core is getting soft.

8. “Palmcorder Yajna,” Mountain Goats. If anybody comes to see me, tell ’em they just missed me by a minute.

9. “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night,” The Hold Steady. We dictate our doxologies and try to get sleeping kids to sit up and listen.

10. “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn,” the Pogues. Listen to it while you’re drinking tonight, and note the annotation.

11. “The Day John Henry Died,” Drive-By Truckers. An aggregator doesn’t think about its daddy / an aggregator doesn’t need to write its name

12. “Wanted For Life,” David Byrne and Brian Eno. My favorite cut off their secular gospel album.

13. “Cell Therapy,” Goodie Mob. Wu-Tang x Tom Waits + conspiracy theory = win.

14. “Thank You For Talking To Me Africa,” Sly and the Family Stone. “Muzak with its finger on the trigger” – Greil Marcus.

15. “Foot of Pride,” Bob Dylan. Ain’t nothin’ left here partner / just the dust of a plague that’s left this whole town afraid. Dylan’s angriest song.

16. “Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts,” Bob Dylan. The drillin’ in the wall kept up, but no one seemed to pay it any mind.

17. “Ten Second News,” Son Volt. People tend to forget how great Trace is.

18. “The Gold We’re Digging,” Parts & Labor. Fantastic live band.

19. “Paper Planes,” M.I.A. All I want to do is take your money.

20. “This Year,” Mountain Goats. I am going to make it through this year, if it kills me.

Honorable mention: “Fire Up the Batmobile,” Liz Phair. You can’t get your money back / you can’t pretend that isolation is the same as privilege

Blip.fm playlist here.