Here is #21-#30 of MW2K.
So there might be some surprises in this list.
So enjoy this part.

21. Demon Day – Gorillaz (2005)


Who thought their second would be as big as their first album.
Best tracks are Dare, Dirty Harry and Feel Good Inc.

22. Ashtray Rock – Joel Plaskett Emergency (2007)


Album is simply a rock driven album with some poppy sound. Great conceptual album about the town he live and what it was like being a teenager.
Best tracks are Drunk Teenagers, Fashionable People, Face Of The Earth, Nothing More To Say and Snowed In/Crusin’.





23. Graduation – Kanye West (2007)


One of his better albums that was released in this decade. Mix of R&B/Hip-hop. First time hearing a Kanye West sampling a Daft Punk track.
Best tracks are Stronger, Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Flashing Lights and Homecoming feat. Chris Martin.



24. Come Away With Me – Norah Jones (2002)


Norah’s sultry vocals got people loving her music. Also made blues/jazz very popular.
Best tracks are Don’t Know Why, Come Away With Me and Turn Me On.


25. It’s Blitz – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2009)


A change in sound in previous efforts when you listen to Zero and Heads Will Roll. The band justs want to party.
Best tracks are Zero, Heads Will Roll, Skeleton, Dull Life, Runaway and Hysteric.




26. Face Control – Handsome Furs (2009)


Their second album is more of a dance album and you can’t stop dancing to it.
Best tracks are Legal Tender, Talking Hotel Arbat Blues, I’m Confused, Thy Will Be Done and Radio Kaliningrad.


27. The Love Below/Speakerboxx – Outkast (2003)


When the duo released this album, it is was a change in style with both musicians. Big Boi with his rap/hip-hop and André 3000 going into pop, funk, R&B and jazz.
Its one of those double albums that makes you decided which one you like the most.
Best tracks on Speakerboxx are Ghetto Musik, The Way You Move and Flip Flop Rock
Best tracks on The Love Below are Hey Ya!, Roses, Love In War, My Favorite Things and Take Off Your Cool feat. Norah Jones


28. Some Are Lakes – Land Of Talk (2008)


Very gritty, rocking with some added indie rock and pop which is great to listen to.
Best tracks are Yuppy Flu, The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle), Give Me Back My Heart Attack, Young Bridge (I like the P-Dub version alot), Corner Phone and Got A Call.







29. Alright Still… – Lily Allen (2007)


Debut album by Lily and it was all in the help with Myspace. Alright Still… showcased the talent of her music and lyrics full of British alternative-grime-pop. Love or Hate her, she knows how to get people talking.
Best tracks are Smile, Knock ‘Em Out LDN, Littlest Things

30. Where The Bungalows Roam – Jim Bryson (2007)


The reigning Ottawa King of Folk-Rock at the moment. “Where The Bungalows Roam” is a very acoustic, mellow album. A really great album which is catchy, enjoyable and emotional
Best tracks are Flowers, By The Bridge, Clear The Crowds, The Wishes Pile Up, Fire Watch, All The Fallen Leaves and The Options.

TOP 10 VIDEOS OF 2009

01. The Walkmen – On The Water

02. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll

03. Tim Williams – I Hit Another Wall

04. Peter, Bjorn & John – It Don’t Move Me

05. Handsome Furs – I’m Confused

06. Phoenix – 1901

07. deadmau5 Ft. Rob Swire – Ghosts N Stuff

08. Fever Ray – Keep The Streets Empty For Me

09. The Foxes – Lover, Killer

10. Mew – Repeaterbeater

WATCH THE COMPLETE LIST HERE: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=799B0B95CBA806EB

I’m not completely happy with this list.  I’ve been agonizing over it for about a month now, and no matter how I work it, it doesn’t seem to come out right.  I listened to about 250 albums this year, a paltry percentage of the number of total releases.  Even out of those, I only listened to maybe 40 of them multiple times.  I believe in order to really understand an album, you have to listen to it upwards of 30 times, and you can only have so many albums like that in your life at one time.  Making a list of albums, then, seems to be so pointless and somehow dishonest.  All but eight of these artists already had songs on my Favorites Songs list.  Moreover, the whole list seems sort of mainstream/Pitchforky to me.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn’t fulfill the purpose of this list: to help readers discover new things they may have missed over the year.  Maybe this is actually an indication that the good music really makes it through, and we can have faith in the indie rock portion of the music industry.  Maybe it just means I have boring taste.

I tried to strictly stick to my favorite albums, but that didn’t quite work.  I listen to that Bishop Allen album all the time, but really feel that it doesn’t deserve to be on a year-end list.  I rarely listen to Circulatory System, but I find that album continually exciting when I do listen to it.  The album I picked as number one probably isn’t my favorite favorite album of the year, strictly speaking, but I wanted it to be number one for many different reasons.  So, in the end, I’m not really sure what this list is.  A list of albums that I really enjoyed, in a vague order, that I also feel are somewhat important to this year.  I hope someone finds something new from this list.  All of these albums are very good, if not great.  Yes, there were better albums that came out this year, but this is the list I made.

I’ve included my favorite song from each album, unless it was on my Favorite Songs list, in which case I’ve included a different favorite.

25) Signal Morning - Circulatory System Before I heard this album, I knew nothing about Circulatory System.  I didn’t know that they’ve been around for ten years now, and I didn’t know that Jeff Mangum (of Neutral Milk Hotel) is occasionally involved in the project.  All I knew was that I was astounded by how different and how good so many tracks on this album were.  A few tracks are nearly regular rock songs (“Round Again”), a few are noisy experiments (“Blasting Through”), and few are psychedelic masterpieces (“overjoyed”).  Nearly every song on here is a strange gem in one way or another.  It’s an invigorating listen, and a good introduction some more out-there music if you’re usually tentative about these sorts of things.

MP3: “this morning (we remembered everything)” – Circulatory System

24) Monster Head Room - Ganglians This album is almost dull at times.  There’s only so much 60s-garage warbly vocals layered over alternately strummy and twangy guitars that can stay interesting.  But I find Ganglians’ musical project as a whole to be very, very good.  It’s not so much the individual songs on Monster Head Room, but rather the idea of the album, that I find intriguing.  I like that the songs “Candy Girl” and “Modern African Queen” make sense together on the same album.  All of the tracks are vaguely unpolished, but with such nice background “oohs and aahs” and extra psych guitar parts scattered throughout, that they’re just as well-thought out as they ought to be.  Just like the album as a whole.

MP3: “Cryin’ Smoke” – Ganglians

23) Embryonic – The Flaming Lips Embryonic is terrifying.  The album cover is unsettling.  The first words you hear are “She submits as she dominates.”  There are 18 tracks and the album is over an hour long.  The sounds throughout are as thick and alien as everything that’s always come from the cracked head of Wayne Coyne, but are now all dark and frightening, instead of fun and pleasantly existential.  I’ve never liked such an upsetting album so much before.  Once again, Mr. Coyne and his merry band of musicians have created something that sounds like nothing else, and absolutely stands out because of its own insanity.

MP3:“The Ego’s Last Stand” – The Flaming Lips

22) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart I did not intend or want to include this album on my list.  I think this album is overrated.  However, back in February, there was one night when I was really sick with a fever.  I almost never listen to music when I fall asleep, but I felt so strange that night that I decided to put this album on.  As I was drifting off, I came to this feverish realization where I really “got” this album.  That sounds really stupid, but it’s had a secret soft spot for me ever since then.  The songs are very well-constructed and compact.  It’s all just a tad too glossy, but I can’t deny that at least a third of the songs on TPOBPAH are going to be classics.

MP3: “This Love Is Fucking Right” – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

21) Gather, Form & Fly - Megafaun This album likes to trick you.  At first glance, it seems like another good, sleepy folk album.  But then they started dropping songs like “The Process” and “Darkest Hour.”  There are few albums that have such a wonderful, subtle sense of humor right alongside the folksiest of songs.  Plus, all of this is accomplished in an incredibly listenable way.  I feel about Gather, Form & Fly much the same way I do about Signal Morning.  If this type of folk-noise album usually scares you off, this is a great entry point into the genre.

MP3: “Darkest Hour” – Megafaun

20) Rejoicer - Grooms Grooms used to be called Muggabears.  When they were Muggabears, they played a particular brand of noisy rock.  I always thought that the band was good, but felt that if you chose to play that kind of noise music it couldn’t just be good.  It had to be really, really good.  Then, Muggabears (wisely) changed their name to Grooms and put out this incredible album that got weirdly little notice from the bigger blogs.  The twisting melodies and bass lines on this record are endlessly fascinating.  They remind me so much of a young, updated Sonic Youth, and their live show is just as killer as a young Thurston and Kim must have been.  Travis Johnson’s voice is both gloriously strong and mercurial- even paced and then breaking into a falsetto fitting of the screechy guitar parts.  One of the most impressive up-and-coming acts of the year.

MP3: “Dreamsucker” – Grooms

19) Watch Me Fall - Jay Reatard This slot was either going to go to Harlem’s Free Drugs or Jay Reatard.  Ultimately, I had to give it to Reatard.  Forgetting entirely about the persona that Jay Reatard has cultivated, especially this year, this is a wonderful, fun album.  I don’t understand why the suburban kids of American aren’t listening to this instead of all that pop-punk nonsense on the radio.  Reatard truly is one of punk’s finest songwriters.  He understands the original 70s ethos of playing delightfully optimistic songs about terrible things, and he brings enough originality to the table that it’s all still applicable to a post-modern, more current angst.  Coming back to his ethos, it’s also fascinating to hear this tough figure unraveling throughout the album.   Listen to “Can’t Do It Anymore.”  What a great pop song about trying to hold it together.

“Can’t Do It Anymore” – Jay Reatard

18) Con Law - Generationals If Generationals have one problem, it’s that they haven’t quite figured out how to make a song build yet.  But, they have perfectly, utterly, mastered the art of the hook.  The number of songs with perfect hooks on this album is astounding.  ”Nobody Could Change Your Mind,” “Angry Charlie,” “Faces in the Dark,” “When They Fight, They Fight,” and “Bobby Beale” all have great hooks that get in your head.  Chances are, if you are a living person who likes rock music, you will adore this album.

MP3: “Nobody Could Change Your Mind” – Generationals

17) Why There Are Mountains - Cymbals Eat Guitars This album deserves recognition based on “And the Hazy Sea” alone, but the rest of the album is also very solid dude rock.  I think Pitchfork actually said this in their original review of the album, but Why There Are Mountains is great suburban driving music, and I only wish that I’d had this album in high school.

MP3: “Some Trees (Merritt Moon)” – Cymbals Eat Guitars

16) Born Again Revisited - Times New Viking The noise!  The glorious noise!  It’s no secret that Times New Viking is one of the best noisy bands out there.  This latest effort is just more confirmation that this is a very important band.  First of all, I love that these guys are from Ohio.  It’s nice they’re not from Brooklyn for some reason.  As for the actual album, it just sounds so pleasing to my ears.  Maybe scuzzy pop songs are the theme to my list this year, but I love finding the buried gems of melody in these songs.  It takes just enough work that it’s an incredibly satisfying but fun listen.

“No Time, No Hope” – Times New Viking

15) Album - Girls I was very, very resistant to this album at first.  I knew it was fun and I knew that every single person I knew liked it.  To me, this signaled that maybe the album was a little too easy to be great.  Despite my desire to keep listening to it, I buried my adoration of Girls in the bottom of my hype-hating heart.  Then, they put out a music video with microphone penises.  The tide was turned, and I was officially won over.  Yes, most of the songs on this album are fun and easy.  But they’re also brilliant.  It’s very difficult to write such well-constructed, upbeat songs, and the half-joking half-pleading vocals give the album a wonderful sarcastic edge.  This is the album I’ll be giving my nephews when they’re teenagers, hoping that it’ll influence them enough to get into indie rock from the 2000s.  I have full confidence that it will.

“Ghost Mouth” – Girls

14) Face Control - Handsome Furs This album has been criminally overlooked.  I don’t know how Dan Boeckner (of Wolf Parade) comes up with so many good songs, but there are really some astounding tracks on this album.  I’m not normally a fan of the whole dancey rock with synths thing, but these songs are actually just very, very good.  I think that’s why the general public who typically likes this dancey rock sort of thing that’s been so popular this year (I’m particularly thinking of Florence and the Machine and Phoenix, for example), hasn’t taken hold of this album in the same way- because the songs are good and a little more challenging than we usually expect from this genre.  I don’t know.  Maybe I watched the “I’m Confused” zombie music video one too many times, but I will defend this album’s awesomeness (without much coherent argument) to the bitter end.

MP3: “I’m Confused” - Handsome Furs

13) Bromst - Dan Deacon This album builds so slowly that the first audible sound doesn’t even begin until forty seconds have already passed.  And, as said in my “Snookered” write-up, build is what this album is about.  I think I like this album so very much because I’m so surprised how much Deacon has matured.  His Santa Claus-like physique and jolly nature make him a figure to root for, but his wacky tunes and fun live show didn’t exactly make me think he’d ever produce such a stunning piece of art.  But I’m so glad he proved me wrong, and it feel so good to love this album.  Darker, more complex, grander, Bromst is incredible.

“Woof Woof” – Dan Deacon

12) Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors Yeah, it’s good.  It’s really, really good.  This is, in my estimation, the “best” album to come out this year (maybe MPP, but probably Bitte Orca).  There’s not much I can really say about this that hasn’t been said.  But, my favorite reason why this album is so innovative and important, is its amazing incorporation of female hip-hop vocal styles into Longstreth’s weird brand of guitar rock.  It’s incredibly fitting that Beyonce was at their pool party show this summer.  I hear Beyonce all over this album.

“Temecula Sunrise” – Dirty Projectors

11) Power Move - Screaming Females I listened to this album a whole lot this year.  It’s good.  It’s definitely good.  But looking back, I think the reason I’ve enjoyed it so much is because it’s really inspiring to hear such a good female lead guitar player.  Not just a female guitar player, but a true female front-man, who really kicks serious ass, without being generally labeled as a “girl band.”  Maybe that shouldn’t be a reason to pick this as my number eleven album of the year, but also, maybe it should be.  Plus, these are some serious kick-ass harder rock songs no matter which way you slice it.

“Sour Grapes” – Screaming Females

or:  …a year of Fridays and Falling in Love,
or:  Not another fucking ‘09 list?

I remember a time where I used to be ahead of the curve. Or at the very least, I felt like I was. It might have only been for a week some time around 1993 or 1994, but I was there. I know I was. I could feel it.

I should clarify at this point, that when I say “ahead of the curve” I’m referring to the knowledge of bands that weren’t quite famous yet. And when I say “curve”, you need to understand that, where I was from the curve wasn’t exactly what you’d call, “pronounced”. Or even a curve really. As discussed previously, living two hours drive south of the most isolated capital city in the world made keeping close to the cutting edge of anything pretty hard [1]. And I should state for the record that this isn’t about trying to stay cool or keep up with the kids. I like the music I like because of how it makes me feel, and I’ve never been one to blindly follow what everyone else is listening to for the sake of fitting in. Nor is it about dropping band names in an effort to make an impression on people. Once upon a time, maybe. In fact this used to sum me up pretty well:

But not now. Now, it’s more about finding the soundtrack for my ever-shifting mood. One of the things I find most frustrating in life is not being able to find the right song to listen to at any given time. I’ve wasted mornings sitting in front of iTunes, trying to find the perfect soundtrack to start my day. My Apple-branded phone is filled with as much music as it can handle, and if something isn’t on there, I carry my Apple-branded music device with me everywhere as a back-up. And if – for whatever reason – I don’t have that song I need ready when I really really need it, well it may as well be the end of the world as we know it. And I don’t feel fine.

At the start of 2009 I was feeling incredibly out of touch. I needed new music, and I didn’t know where to start. My tour of duty in Cape Town had separated me from reliable internet and up-to-date music stores, so I decided to take the OCD approach to getting caught up: I made an Excel spreadsheet of the top albums of the year as listed by a handful of blog sites I visited regularly, as well as a number of respected music magazines [2]. I then sorted the lists by artists to see who appeared most frequently, and how high they appeared on average. After determining the highest performers, I started the listening process – youtube, myspace, iTunes – pretty much anywhere that would stream me grabs of the top ranking albums. And after a good long while, I learned three things:

1. One of the albums ranked consistently in the top 5 – if not at number 1 – I already owned and loved – Dear Science, by TV on the Radio
2. One of the albums I’d consider my favourite from the year – Elephant Shell by Tokyo Police Club – wasn’t anywhere to be found, and,
3. I really didn’t understand the appeal of Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver.

And that was it. Both the Foals and No Age albums from 2008 eventually managed to find their way into my libary – Foals‘ Antidote being a highlight of my ‘09, albeit a year late. And after forgoing half of Elbow’s set at V to check out M83 based on their inclusion everywhere, I picked up Saturdays = Youth as soon as I was able, and was not disappointed.

This is all my very non-roundabout way of saying, as I feel I spent most of the year catching up on last year, I don’t really feel all that qualified to be commenting on what happened in music over 2009. Scanning through the already large pile of ‘Best of ‘09′ lists that are finding their way out to the blog-o-sphere, I get the impression that my list of bands or artists I didn’t listen to over the past 12 months would probably overshadow those I did – this is due in part to the three months of the year I lost listening to Handsome Furs on repeat.

So rather than rehashing everyone else’s lists  (Bat for Lashes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs both put out awesome albums this year, Grizzly Bear and Fever Ray fall into “I’m not sure yet”, and I’m filing Animal Collective under “I don’t get it” for now), I thought I’d write about a handful of albums that found their way into my space that aren’t getting much of a look in now the year is over.  In no particular order, here are some of my musical highlights from this year that you may or may not have read about elsewhere:

Soulsavers – Broken
The follow-up to It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land would have to have been my most anticipated album of this year, purely based on the promise of a Mark Lanegan/Mike Patton collaboration. And even though Snr. Patton’s performance was a blink-and-you’ll-miss it-affair, Broken follows on nicely from the tone set by …The Way you Land. Dark, moody and dripping with atmosphere.
Highlight: Unbalanced Pieces

My Jerusalem - Feathers EP
Singer/songwriter and part time Dulli collaborator Jeff Klein got together with Dave Rosser (The Twilight Singers), Ashley Dzerigian (Great Northern), Rick Nelson (Pollyphonic Spree) and Cully Symington (Bishop Allen) and put out an EP containing 5 finely crafted tracks that hint of great things to come. Which I don’t mind, as long as it doesn’t delay the new Twilight Singers [3] album at all.
Highlights: Sweet Chariot, Turtledove

Julian Plenti is Skyscraper
In lieu of a new Interpol record (word is we’ll get that next year), Paul Banks went out on his own and under the name Julian Plenti. And while it took me a while to shake the feeling I was listening to Interpol-lite, there are a handful of great tracks on this album that make me curious enough to here more of his solo effots.
Highlights: Games for Days, Only if you Run

Silversun Pickups – Swoon
While I don’t want to be yet another making unnecessary Smashing Pumpkins comparisons, I’ll just go on and say it – Silversun Pickups do Billy Corgan better than Billy Corgan. And I don’t even think they sound all that similar. Silversun Pickups capture the same feeling I used to get driving around our home town aimlessly, listening to Melon Collie and the Infinate Sadness and Siamese Dream on repeat. Unlike their first album Carnavas, Swoon took some time to sink in for me, but when it did, it hit pretty hard.
Highlights: Growning old is Getting Old and It’s Nice to Know you Work Alone.

Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer
Even though this album as a whole didn’t leave as strong an impression as I’d hoped, Idiot Heart comes pretty darn close to being my song of the year. And I can’t help but think the reason the rest of the album didn’t click for me was because I couldn’t get past this track.  Just over 6 minutes of perfection. Builds, hooks, pauses – all in the right places. If there had been some sort of guarantee that I’d hear this at least once on a Saturday night while out somewhere, I would’ve left the house far more than I did during 2009.
Highlights: Idiot Heart, Silver Moons

And in the interest of being a completest, the list of bands I’ve seen live in ‘09 looks something like this: Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Dillinger Escape Plan, Anberlin (twice), Alkaline Trio, The Killers, Human League (one song, but it was Electric Dreams, so I’m counting it), Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow, M83, Louis XIV, Madness, TV on the Radio, Fantomas, The Grates, Arctic Monkeys (yawn), Maximo Park, Handsome Furs, Tori Amos, and thanks to a wonderful birthday present from a lovely lady, I saw The Gutter Twins in Melbourne, and shook hands once again with Mr. Greg Dulli.

—–

Looking back, I’m almost positive I’m forgetting something. If I had to be pushed to name my favourite album of 2009, it’s probably going to be The Twilight Sad’s Forget the Night Ahead, which I’ve already rambled about previously, hence it not featuring here. Having said that, if you ask me again tomorrow I might just change my mind. 2010 is already looking to be a big year in music for me. March in particular will be an amazing 90-a-pallooza-like timewarp – seeing Faith No More and Jane’s Addiction at Soundwave, followed by Dinosaur Jnr, Pavement and The Pixies, all in the space of a month. And then there are new releases – albums from Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, and (maybe) Arcade Fire and Band of Horses, and of course The Twilight Singers.

And with that, if you feel I’ve missed anything or anyone, or have any suggestions for my catching up list in 2010, please feel free to comment below. Thanks for stopping by, Internet.

—–
[1] At this stage you’re probably thinking, “That’s great Mark, but are you ever going to write about anything that isn’t about you in high school?” To be honest, I’m not sure. I still feel like I’ve got a few stories to tell, and while people are still interested, I’ll probably keep telling them. Whenever this stops getting interesting, please do let me know.

[2] Which, now that it’s written down looks like an oxymoron.

[3] My anticipation for which is reaching rather uncomfortable proportions.

It’s such a weird time of year, as it starts getting colder in most places, probably especially in our hearts and in our memories, and yet we cast our gaze ever backwards, trying to search our sonic amusements from the past year for value. What was important. What was worthy of being called “the best of” this odd little year that was.

I could wait forever for your answer and you could wait even longer for someone else’s answer, but here’s mine. I hope other members of Counterforce will pipe in at some point with albums/singles/music they valued in the past year, especially as we start cutting up everything of pop culture into lines to put in lists and snort up. But this is my picks, music-wise, albums either released or leaked into the blogosphere and my world this year, split unnumbered into three categories:  The Best Of and Somewhere In The Middle and Albums That Let Me Down This Year. That’s probably about as clear as I can be with categories. Now, let’s take a look back…

THE BEST OF:

Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest.

Broadcast, Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age.

As I’ve seen many people say online, you might like this album if the album title alone attracts your interest. Simply put, this feels like a lovely dream pop/electronica soundtrack to a 60s horror movie about wandering sonic textures hunting down pop songs that I desperately wish was waiting out there for me to discover it.

St. Vincent, Actor.

The best album produced via GarageBand with songs inspired by Woody Allen and Disney movies ever.

Mos Def, The Ecstatic.

Fuck Buttons, Tarot Sport.

Japandroids, Post-Nothing.

Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Quite frankly, car commercial music has never sounded this good.

mewithoutYou, It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All A Dream! It’s Alright!

The Raveonettes, In And Out Of Control.

A Place To Bury Strangers, Exploding Head.

Where noise rock, shoegaze, space rock, post punk, and a truckload of dissonance all combine into a giant wall that falls down on you, crushing you. Or, exploding your head, if you will. Not a band for everyone, and definitely not an album for everyone, but if you love sonic death waves, this will be your bag.

Lisa Hannigan, Sea Sew.

I’ve been a huge fan of Hannigan’s work with Damien Rice but always disturbed that she’s been relegated to being in his backing band when her talent has always seemed up and front there with Rice’s own. And honestly, I can only watch/listen to a sad man moaning and keeping a girl down for so long. I hope this is the beginning of Hannigan conquering more and more accolades.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It’s Blitz.

Oh yeah, remember that this came out earlier this year? A solid album, definitely, but not totally compelling in a long term sense, but maybe nothing can be after a mountain like “Maps.” Regardless, I think this album works as a whole and still carries several excellent cuts on it. Silly though it may be, “Soft Shock” is a personal favorite of mine.

The-Dream, Love vs. Money.

Fever Ray, Fever Ray.

Beach House, Teen Dream.

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE: Albums that are solid, but perhaps over hyped a tad. Or, albums that I like but sadly don’t love.

Andrew Bird, Noble Beast.

“Baroque pop” is how Wikipedia describes this album, and I can see it. It’s indie rock, and it’s well done, but it’s not my usual cup of tea. And I think the album reinforces that, actually, by always impressing me, surprising me with it’s mechanical beauty, but never making me feel like I am a part of it.

Mr. Hudson, Straight No Chaser.

The album is not so bad, but “Supernova,” the Kanye-produced (who also guests, of course)(and continuing his quest to either become European or just conquer European music) lead single by this British artist is my pick for what should be one of the songs of the year:

Bat For Lashes, Two Suns.

Dinosaur Jr., Farm.

Girls, Album.

Good, solid music, but not worth the hype. Praise comes too easy to some people who are not gifted with the depth of thought or true judgment.

The XX, xx.

See above, though this album has more going for it than the Girls album, I feel. Years from now, or possibly just months and days (with the way my life is going) I will quite possibly fall in love with this album. It’s simple in a way, understated, clumsy in a practiced way. There’s a nuance to it, but make no mistake: This is a album for the loneliest, horniest of hipster.

Handsome Furs, Face Control.

No longer a side project and now what feels like a good and proper musical collaboration between Dan Broeckner and his wife Alexei Perry. It fascinates me that their reference to New Order got this album delayed while it was cleared legally. There’s a beautiful rhythmic groove hatched in this album.

Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion.

This is, without a doubt, the album to take drugs to and then take your clothes off to of the year. Enjoy it with another person, but it’s still good by yourself too.

Sonic Youth, The Eternal.

La Roux, La Roux.

A shock and a revelation as far as European dance music goes. Bright, shiny, and beautifully off kilter.

Mirah, (A)spera.

…And You Shall Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Century Of Self.

Micachu and the Shapes, Jewellery.

Third Eye Blind, Ursa Major.

Originally entitled “That Hideous Strength,” taking it’s title from C.S. Lewis, this is a nostalgia pick that doesn’t totally betray me but there’s nothing resembling fireworks on this album. I’m probably the biggest fan in the world of their previous album and this one feels exactly like it was: six years late and the product of a long drought of writer’s block, but definitely the work of the same artist. The band will release their own version of Amnesiac, entitled Ursa Minor, at some point.

Atlas Sound, Logos.

Vivian Girls, Everything Goes Wrong.

Mastodon, Crack The Skye.

Art Brut, Art Brut vs. Satan.

It’s a crazy, fun music party until someone has the balls to challenge Satan. And this English/German indie rock band, with beautiful production by Black Francis, who take their name from Jean Dubuffet’s name for outsider art, lose to Satan, of course. But it’s a tight, clean, and highly listenable loss.

Metric, Fantasies.

Amy Millan, Masters Of The Burial.

The Antlers, Hospice.

Florence And The Machine, Lungs.

The album is decent enough, but all you really need to know is the song, “Dog Days Are Over.” Give it a listen and then tell me if I’m wrong.

ALBUMS THAT LET ME DOWN THIS YEAR: Maybe they’re not terrible, maybe they have some strong points, but like I said, they let me down.

Doves, Kingdom Of Rust.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow, Ashes Grammar.

U2, No Line On The Horizon.

Still the biggest band in the world, no matter how much it upsets your stupid sensibilities. The sad thing about being on the top though is that you can only fall down.

Julian Casablancas, Phrazes For The Young.

I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t expect much from Casablancas. This album isn’t horrible by any means, but never lives up to the possibility you felt in it’s lead off single, “11th Dimension.” The rest of the album, which references Oscar Wilde in it’s title, feels like a few normal rock songs with extra silly production layered onto them by Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis. If I was in junior high, or at least floating around somewhere in the first few years of high school, I would probably think this was the greatest thing ever and might request it at a dance or something. And possibly adding insult to injury, I give you the song (which I actually like quite a bit) by Courtney Love that’s about Casablancas:

The Boy Least Likely To, The Law Of The Playground.

Brand New, Daisy.

Better Than Ezra, Paper Empire.

Another nostalgia pick. BTE, actually, used to be my favorite band. It’s a long story, one that started with a girl, but thankfully, at the end of the story I was left with the better of the two: the music. Now I feel like I don’t even have that. For a band that that mines a brand of “cool” and “joy” that is wonderful and easy to inhabit, I would easily recommend this band. Their previous album was slyly wonderful, as were all of their albums before that.

The Mars Volta, Octahedron.

I think I’m just over this. I appreciate music that sounds like you’re on drugs but I have grown to dislike the Mars Volta’s evolving sound into my needing to be drugs to find an appreciation groove in what they do.

Well, this has been my 2009 in music, for the most part. The best of, the solid and entertaining, and the stuff that let me down. There’s some highs and lows in here, as far as music released/leaked this year goes, but these are my peaks and valleys. What do you think? And what was your year in music like?

Finally the time has come and I reveal to you my Top 10 Canadian albums of 2009.
Hope you like what’s in store in the Top 10. It was a hard decision, hoping you will like this. So cheer and jeer.

1. Three (Volume 1, 2, 3) – Joel Plaskett


2009 was Joel Plaskett’s year just because he released THREE not as just one but three albums in one. How ambitious and epic is that? He has proven to himself and Canada that he can do that.
Album is a mix of rock and folk with some maritimes sound. Nice that he has his dad, Rose Cousins and Ana Egge on the album too. Best tracks are Through and Through and Through, Let You Down, In The Blue Moonlight, Deny, Deny, Deny, On and On and On.

2. The Balconies – The Balconies


Some of you maybe surprised that they are #2. It is an amazing album, full of great pop rock alternative tunes. Best tracks are Lulu, 300 Pages, The Slo, Elephant Lamp, Ghost Fever, Battle Royale, Rest Up

3. Battles On – The Ghost Is Dancing


Another surprise that put them in a higher spot. But this album sort of spoke to me when I was feeling down. A great catchy, accessible pop rock album which sometimes Rajiv from Oh No Forest Fires plays live with them. Best tracks are Failed Of A Dream Architect, Battles On, Rogues & Heroes, This Thunder, Stick Together, Strange Times, Flashing Pictures and Without Friends

4. …And The Ever Expanding Universe – The Most Serene Republic


This has to be their best album they have put out. Very accessible to listen to and different styles of music. Just say its out of this world. Best tracks are Bubble Reputation, Heavens To Purgatory, Patternicity, Catharsis Boo, Don’t Hold Back, Feel A Little Longer and No One Likes A Nihilist.

5. Face Control – Handsome Furs


Enjoyed the second album alot and its a step up from Plague Park. Full of great electronica-dance-rock sound. Best tracks are Legal Tender, I’m Confused, Thy Will Be Done, Radio Kaliningrad

6. Family – Think About Life


After seeing them live various times. Finally picked up their album and was blown away on how fun this album is. They bring out the party out of everyone. Best tracks are Johanna, Havin’ My Baby, Sweet Sixteen, Young Hearts, The Wizzard, Set You On Fire, Life Of Crime.

7. Borders – Green Go


This band from Guelph just put out this great electro-pop-rock-dance album. Best tracks are Borders, Put Your Speed On, You Know You Want It, Bang, Watch Your Step and Fool Me Once

8. Beacons – Ohbijou


They finally released their second and its just a lovely indie orchestral pop album to listen to. Best tracks are Wildfires, Black Ice, Cliff Jump, Cannon March, Thunderlove, New Years and We Lovers

9. Invisible Republic – Young Galaxy


Their second is a departure from the first which was more of dreamy pop sound. It is more a rock driven album.
Best tracks are Long Live The Fallen World, Oh Sister, Destroyer, Pathos, Light Years, Queen Drums andFirestruck

10. The Happiness Project – Charles Spearin


One of the unique albums of 2009. Where Charles Spearin interview his neighbors and synch the audio with his music. Its a crazy blend of experimental and avant-garde.
Best tracks are Mrs.Morris, Anna, Vittoria and Vanessa.

Hoped you liked the Top 50 albums of 2009.

My turn to play amateur music critic…

I’ll admit, I’m influenced by the behemoth that is Pitchfork.com.  I cannot deny this.  When I was younger, the gospel that was Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine, helped lead me to music in the 80’s and 90’s that I would have never heard on my own or heard mentioned by mainstream media.  To a young music adventurist, they acted as a treasure map for my curious mind.  Take Pavement, for instance; my choice for heaven’s house band.  There’s no way in hell I would have found these guys while aimlessly perusing the aisles of record stores, without first being tipped off to their greatness by the good folks at Spin.

Pitchfork now satisfies that role for me.  Granted, being in my mid-30’s, I’m most likely at the outer edge of their demographic, but I would have missed a great deal of worthy music over the last couple of years if not for them.  And they dig much deeper into the musical underground than the aforementioned paper-based predecessors.  They’re like a pastry chef from a far-off, mysterious land, making wonderful batches of new, exotic cookie dough and allowing me to take a nibble.  All I have to do is decide whether or not I want to put the cookies in the oven and make sure they don’t burn.  I’m not even sure that makes sense.  You can tell where my mind is this holiday season.

These are the songs I enjoyed listening to the most throughout the year.  There is no attempt to say these are the best songs of the year, just my personal favorites.  Let me rephrase that slightly…these are my personal favorites right now.  In a couple of weeks, this list could look different, but the brush had to come off the canvas at some point.

#20: Au Revoir Simone “All or Nothing”

#19: The Rural Alberta Advantage “Drain the Blood”

#18: Handsome Furs “All We Want, Baby, is Everything”

#17: Major Lazer “Can’t Stop Now”

#16: Black Moth Super Rainbow “Born on the Day the Sun Didn’t Rise”

#15: Late Of The Pier “Random Firl”

#14: The Thermals “I Let It Go”

#13: Cymbals Eat Guitars “And the Hazy Sea”

#12: Jason Lytle “Brand New Sun”

#11: The xx “Islands”

#10: Radiohead “These are My Twisted Words”
Every town in America has a kid in Little League who is miles ahead of the rest of the league talent-wise.  He can pitch, field, throw, run, and hit better than everyone else.  When he comes up to bat, opposing pitchers tighten up, infielders take step into the outfield grass, and the outfielders back up to the fence.  It does not matter who pitches to them or what type of defense the other team plays, this stud will find a gap or hit a home run damn near every time he comes to bat.  Now, imagine that kid decides to sit out most of the game, but takes just one at-bat to keep his reflexes sharp.  Of course, he hits a long drive to left-center that easily clears the fence.  That is Radiohead with this song.  They are better than every other band currently playing today and they can hit a home run every time they come to bat, even if the only thing they release all year is a single.

#9: Atlas Sound “Walkabout”
I’m not sure whether I like this song so much because Bradford Cox, as Atlas Sound, has finally allowed a bit of fun and whimsy to creep into his solo music, or because it prominently features Noah Lennox, a.k.a. Panda Bear, from Animal Collective.  I think I’ll go with the latter.  This almost sounds like a missing track from Panda Bear’s own solo album Person Pitch album from 2007.

#8: Sonic Youth “Antenna”
During my freshman year in college, the Goo album sucked me into the Sonic forcefield, and they’ve had me locked in their tractor beam ever since.  They’ve released a ton of albums since then, some good, some not so good, but this year’s The Eternal is right up there with the best.  It’s not quite Sister or Daydream Nation, but it’s pretty damn good.  This song is a throwback to that era of Sonic Youth.  It would fit on any album from Sister to Dirty.  It’s that solid.

#7: White Rabbits “Percussion Gun”
I’d never listened to the White Rabbits until this year’s album It’s Frightening. “Percussion Gun” is the first song on the album and it’s fucking great.  I love this song.  I love how they convey a sense of nervous anticipation, I love the wonderful harmonies on the chorus, I love that Britt Daniel from Spoon produced this. The rest of the album is well worth the listen, but this is the keeper of the bunch.

#6: Discovery “Orange Shirt”
Similar to Atlas Sound, this is another song by 2 guys who are members of more popular bands, Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend.  If you get excited over 80’s synth-pop sprinkled with hip-hop, dance, and Jamaican undertones, then this album is for you.  “Orange Shirt” is the best example of how fun this whole album is.  You cannot feel bad after spending 40 minutes with Discovery, and like Neon Neon last year, they have tongue firmly in cheek. “Sleep on the train to Tokyo, Google yourself when you get home” may be the lyric of the year.

#5: Phoenix “1901″
There were 3 songs, in particular off the Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix album, that stuck in my head: “Lisztomania”, “Love Like a Sunset”, and “1901″.  Yet, “1901″ is the song that I kept coming back to from an album that got played more and more on my iPod as the year progressed.  From the first time I heard it, it sounded like a thousand songs that I’d heard before.  And I mean that as a tremendous compliment.  It’s on my list of songs that seemed like they were freshly plucked from the branches of a ripe tree bursting with juicy pop gems.

#4: Animal Collective “My Girls”
In 2009, if you listened to music, you had to love Animal Collective, or so I’m told.  So, here is my requisite AC song.  In all seriousness, this song would make any top list over the past 10 years without a problem.  I’ll skip the superlatives with Animal Collective.  They’ve all been used and I’ll end up being accused of plagiarism.  The problem is, all the superlatives are justified, especially for this song, their most accessible and catchy yet.

#3: Girls “Summertime”
As with Animal Collective and the superlatives, I’ll skip the whole back story of Girls leading up to this debut album and just stick to the songs.  “Lust for Life” and “Hellhole Ratrace” seemed to be the critics’ go-to choices from this amazing album called, appropriately enough, Album. They’re amazing tracks in their own right, but my choice is “Summertime”.  Oh man, from the instant I heard this, I knew that I could put this song on at any moment and disappear.  My thoughts fade to a sun-kissed, golden California beach as friends gather in the sand…drink, smoke, get merry, grab a guitar, put your arm around your girl…it’s totally intoxicating.  Then the distortion and fuzzed-out guitar waves crash over you as you’re enveloped in the sound like a warm blanket and slowly, slowly ride it back home.

#2: Jay-Z “Empire State of Mind”
If you’re a filmmaker and you want to have your movie seen for years to come, it’s best to make a Christmas movie.  Even if the movie is so-so, there is a built-in audience of millions every year who’ll watch any halfway decent holiday movie during that month between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You have the classics, like It’s A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story; of course those will be on every year.  But you’ll also see Deck the Halls or Surviving Christmas or Christmas With the Kranks every year.  If the subject matter didn’t involve Christmas, these movies would be long forgotten. Instead, they’ll be on TBS for years to come.  Writing a song about a geographic area or location could be the same way, i.e. “Miami” by Will Smith or “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” by George Strait.  The great ones, like “New York, New York” or “I Love L.A.” stand the test of time and would be heard for years even if they weren’t associated with their respective cities.  Add “Empire State of Mind” to that list.  Jay-Z’s ode to his hometown is letter perfect, the beats are right on, and Alicia Keys just kills on the chorus.  It also helped that the Yankees won the World Series as this song reached the peak of its popularity.  Plan on hearing this for the next 50 years.

#1: Grizzly Bear “Two Weeks”
Supposedly, Brian Wilson took 6 months to record his greatest song, “Good Vibrations” in 1966.  Between the multi-part harmonies, countless session musicians, and his crazy paranoia, he created a 3-minute, 30-second masterpiece that 40+ years later still sounds fresh and innovative.  If Grizzly Bear had recorded “Two Weeks” back in 1966, it would have taken them at least 6 months.  It’s such a simple, yet complex song.  It aims for the heavens and, in the process, rockets with ease into outer space.  The vocal arrangements are second-to-none, the musical pacing is just right, but the secret weapon is the drumming (as is usually the case with great songs).  It grows on me the more I listen to it.  I can only hope that I’ll find as much pleasure in this song 40 years from now.

Alright kids, this was probably one of the more difficult choices i’ve had to make in a long time; and I think that’s saying something, something really pathetic. However, my pathetic being is not the point of this whole thing, so we will move on. So, here we go, I give you my picks for the top ten best albums of 2009:

1. Grizzly Bear : Veckatimest

2. Animal Collective : Merriweather Post Pavilion

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs : It’s Blitz

4. The XX : XX

5. Phoenix : Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

6. Heartless Bastards : The Mountain

7. Japandroids : Post-Nothing

8. Mew : No More Stories Are Told Today, I’m Sorry, They Washed Away

9. Handsome Furs : Face Control

10. Dan Auerbach : Keep it Hid

I had to make some tough cuts, and I’m sure Elliott will disagree, but here are some of the amazing runners-up; I insist you listen to them as well:

And So I Watch You From Afar : And So I Watch You From Afar; The Dirty Projectors : Bitte Orca; The Flaming Lips : Embryonic; Metric : Fantasies; Cymbals Eat Guitars : Why There Are Mountains; Eels : Hombre Lobo; Jarvis Cocker : Further Complications

I guess I could have made this whole thing into a top twenty, but that would have been far too easy.

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment.

(One spot per artist; if multiple albums from the same artist are chosen, they must occupy the same spot.)

White Denim – Fits

White Denim, as a name, sounds a lot more like some Gary-Numan-sampling electronica duo from Brooklyn, but in an effort to defy classification, the band’s music sounds more like a progressive-indie-funk five-piece from Southern California.  (In actuality, they’re what can only be referred to as a “power trio” from Austin, Texas.) Whether it’s the swampy blues-rock of “Say What You Want,” the sótano y garaje rock of “El Hard Attack DCWYW,” or the funky Lizard King swagger of “Sex Prayer,” Fits constantly melds disparate genres with brutal, shameless efficiency. What’s more, it ratchets every one of them to 11 and beyond. Simply put, it is a big mess of cherry-picked fits, but it fits.

White Denim’s “Say What You Want,” from Fits.

Atlas Sound – Logos

Bradford Cox loudly decries critics who insist his cover art is some kind of cathartic expression of fragility; and really, you can’t blame him. Five minutes spent listening to an interview with the man behind Atlas Sound and Deerhunter can only lead to the conclusion that Cox isn’t necessarily trying to accomplish something concrete; his passion is in the gory details of the process. Logos is so steeped in hushed, creative takes on pop, folk, and Cox’s own bizarre brand of doo-wop, it succeeds primarily in creating a blushingly intimate mood, but also in peeling back the amped-up trappings of Deerhunter to reveal the core elements of Cox’s songwriting aesthetic. It’s so good, in fact, that Logos can really only constitute more fuel for the flames of fierce, hung-jury debates about Atlas Sound v. Deerhunter. Litigation is not the optimal route of medifore here, however, as choosing which Bradford Cox record to put on is a lot more like standing at an unmanned Sno-Cone machine and dallying about which flavor to try first.

Atlas Sound’s “Shelia,” from Logos.

Volcano Choir – Unmap

Trying to surmise the reasoning behind Justin Vernon’s indefinite break from music is likely to yield the following bullet points: For Emma, Forever Ago; Blood Bank; A Decade With Duke; the names of countless concert venues and festival shows; now comes Unmap. His spacey penchants not reaching full fruition with Bon Iver, Vernon instead teamed up with Collections of Colonies of Bees and the result was a record teeming with surreal life, uneasy atmospheres, (dare we ressurect the term?) math-rock vicissitudes, a track devoted entirely to the mbira, and a redux of one of the most righteous investigations of Auto-Tune this decade. No one’s quite sure where his Vernon’s horse is headed, but he’s sure jockeying a winning record and a boatload of headroom.

Volcano Choir’s “Island, IS,” from Unmap.

Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms

Having both his quartet Neon Indian and his solo project VEGA brought to their fullest potentials in a single year would have been a fantastic way to close the decade for Alan Palomo. While the glo-fi peaks of his Well Known Pleasures EP were exhilarating, Neon Indian is the burbling and smoked-out stunner that Palomo was imagining out of the recesses of his misspent time (“Should Have Taken Acid With You”). His audience, however, was the real recipient of the summery warmth of the kind gift: a beachy record they didn’t know they wanted until they needed it. Sure, it didn’t hit the street until October – in the end, it just meant a different kind of  Indian summer.

Neon Indian’s “Should Have Taken Acid With You,” from Psychic Chasms.

Baroness – Blue Record

Something of a slow starter, Blue Record shunts the lead-off single tendency that many bands of their ilk rely on to keep their listeners on the line. The record steams forward, perhaps on curiosity alone, before “The Sweetest Curse” strips the mask, but it’s the centerpiece “Swollen And Halo” that drops its shoulder and violently pushes the pillars out from under the balcony with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. We can’t quite call it just a thunderous progressive metal album, with its glimmering acoustic numbers “Steel That Sleeps The Eye” and “Blackpowder Orchard,” and the surprisingly Corgan-esque intro to “The Gnashing.” All the same: this ain’t your Miles Davis Kind of Blue.

Baroness’ “War, Wisdom and Rhyme,” from Blue Record.

Japandroids – Post-Nothing

Japandroids can scarce be out-crazied by any other lo-fi outfit. Guitarist Brian King’s shining, splayed chord structure is only caught in a whirlwind of hissing hi-hat and Keith Moon-esque drum fills for just over a half-hour, but it’s more than enough to drill Japandroids’ grunge-era tuneage into one’s brain.  Post-Nothing strips the paint off of power-pop, and, short a bassist, Japandroids’ sound simply defies their two members.

Japandroids’ “I Quit Girls,” from Post-Nothing.

Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

Part optical illusion, part Queen’s The Miracle, the strange, intangible essence of the cover art for Two Dancers has, like the album, become a favorite over a much longer period of time than many of the other albums here. Perhaps it’s the detached, minimal arrangements or the oft-shunned falsetto voice, but the wondrous motifs so casually tossed off here are a rich intoxicant, if given enough time. Calculated basslines pulsate underneath Hayden Thorpe’s theatrical, affected vocal and the most entrancing guitar lines this side of Interpol. There’s even a kind of charming chumminess to upbeat cuts like “All The King’s Men.” Most engaging of all,  though, is the crystalline title track doublet, cascading down gently like the illuminated snowfall under a distant highway light.

Wild Beasts’ “We Still Got The Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues,” from Two Dancers.

Handsome Furs – Face Control

After the resounding success of two Wolf Parade albums, Dan Boeckner’s more extended tenure with his wife Alexei Perry in Handsome Furs was long overdue. Plague Park yielded promising results, but for a seasoned working-class musician like Boeckner, the sophomore slump is but a myth, no more to be regarded than the next puff on his second cigarette. The whole of Face Control is a foot-stomping, hard-strumming, sexy shot of modern electro-rock. And yet, at the end of this short paragraph, there’s the overwhelming feeling that our primary justification for loving Handsome Furs the way we do is that Dan Boeckner is flipping awesome, and that’s all that should have to be written here.

Handsome Furs’ “I’m Confused,” from Face Control.

The Antlers – Hospice

Hospice is very much like the group’s namesake – graceful, seemingly brittle, and slowly and intricately growing before falling off completely. Lead vocalist/guitarist Peter Silberman takes great pains to lovingly unpack his six-, seven-, eight-, and even nine-minute epics, seemingly drawing each fragile one out of a box and holding it this way and that in front of a class of gasping and silent onlookers. The cover implies a warmth in the impending embrace of hands, but Silberman’s digital wind howls restlessly, and the carefully enunciated vocal whispers send a shiver up one’s spine. Hospice is quite plainly a beautiful record, but The Antlers do us one better: it’s an evocative unfurling of physical and emotional trauma from start to finish.

The Antlers’ “Sylvia,” from Hospice.

Mew – No More Stories…

It gets harder and harder to classify Mew as a progressive rock band, because they have so many other variables mixed in that dilute the term’s meaning. Their Bee Gees vocals (“Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy”), tempo-benders (“Introducing Palace Players”), ethereal, ghostly and ghastly interjections (“Repeaterbeater”), flirtations with pop (“Beach”), sober elegies (“Cartoons And Macrame Wounds”), and somber reservations (“Silas The Magic Car”) all dodge in and out like forest foxes after a clarion call.  It’s so varying that it makes the band seem less like a fine, even clay, and more like a stratified Play-Doh ball of sundry shapes and colors, rolled up with the dirt and errant Cheerios. It isn’t to say that there’s something for everyone on No More Stories…, just that their approach never seems to retread and always seems to stimulate that particular part of the brain that says I don’t know what this is, but I like it.

(Full-length review here.)

Mew’s “Beach,” from No More Stories Are Told Today I’m Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I’m Tired Let’s Wash Away.

Memory Tapes – Seek Magic

It isn’t just the thick wall of dangerously danceable electronica that ultimately draws you in, it’s the heartfelt outpouring of lyrical emotion on tracks like “Stop Talking:” “My God, I can’t see how we are in love.” One can almost hear the New Jersey roadside passing by on “Green Knight,” which even turns a gymnasium basketball game into a filler beat. And on comfortably washed-out hazes like “Swimming Field,” the sudden, resonant beating of drums encapsulates that epiphanic moment we all crave in music. Memory Tapes may merely be the latest iteration of the solo-electro wunderkind, but Dayve Hawk’s dreamy, sweet Seek Magic cuts through the pack and makes it an especially memorable year for Gothenburg-based label Sincerely Yours.

Memory Tapes’ “Stop Talking,” from Seek Magic.

jj – jj N° 2

If there were a genre we would not have predicted to make a resurgence, it would undoubtedly have been afro-pop. But here at the end of the decade, with records from bands like Vampire Weekend, The Very Best, and jj gobbling up spots on best-of lists, it has a pleasant little beachhead going for itself. The last place, in fact, any of us would have thought to look for it would have been in Sweden, from a band who are labelmates with The Tough Alliance under their Sincerely Yours banner. “I never thought about you this winter / I never thought ’bout you this spring,” singer Elin intones on “Are You Still in Vallda?,” infusing the track with a nonchalant, classy afro-pop prowess — the melodies are heart-rending and the arrangements simple and meaningful. It’s funny, in a way, since jj have more or less chosen, as some artists do, to remain below the radar; now that they’re nowhere to be found, they’re on full display more than ever before.

jj’s “Me & Dean,” from jj N° 2.

The xx – The xx

It was written somewhere that the term “chill” has been overused, and needs to be ditched at the end of the decade. If that’s true, there’s probably no better parting use than to describe The xx’s unexpected emergence from London. Channeling equal parts Joy Division, Interpol, and (of all groups) The Postal Service, The xx weaves their own intoxicating, smoldering brand of passion on the call-and-answer dialogues between frontpersons Romy Croft and Oliver Sim. Lest their praise degrade to commentary that should include the word “prodigy,” our astonishment at their maturity comes not as an epiphany regarding their age as human beings, but together, as a band, as this is very nearly the debut album of the year. It’s certainly the best double-lower-case-band album, if only by a nose.

The xx’s “VCR,” from The xx.

St. Vincent – Actor

Just like the artist who created it, Actor is an ever-deepening chasm of creativity and spastic instrumentation. All of Annie Clark’s sundry influences come crashing sidelong in like scenes from Alice In Wonderland, never explaining their presence or questioning their placement. It’s perhaps best seen in the de facto late-night variety show single, “Marrow,” which turns a feather-light woodwind introduction into a funky, dance-rock cry for H-E-L-P. When her fuzz-encrusted Harmony guitar and driving floor toms are absent, the record bangs out cyclonic, rapturous orchestrations that are so neat and tightly sealed that you half expect them to sweep the stoop and put your furniture in order. More importantly for Ms. Clark, she appears to have found a rich and compelling artistic voice on Actor that begs listen after listen.

(Full-length review here.)

St. Vincent’s “Actor Out of Work,” from Actor.

Micachu & The Shapes – Jewellery

A chorus of hopping voices welcomes a one-string riff from Mica Levy’s “chu” guitar on “Golden Phone,” before the found-sound and relentlessly catchy singalong chorus take over, then make way for a forearm-mashed organ. Probably the most charming element of Jewellery is its homey sound, pulling in appliances, repeated conversation segments, running water, and prepared guitar for what sounds, in places, like a creative pro’s take on a 5th grade world music concert. Yet, for all the doctored, schizoid source material, Mica’s voice is unrestricted, forming the backbone of her crafty pop gems. Here’s hoping Micachu can be among the artists remembered in a decade that redefined pop more than any other since the 60s. Grimy, undeniably atonal, and ruthlessly riffy, Jewellery is arguably the debut of the year.

(Full-length review here.)

Micachu & The Shapes’ “Lips,” from Jewellery.

Antony & The Johnsons – The Crying Light

Antony Hegarty and his rotating cast of Johnsons are some of the few remaining entertainers in the service of the idea that music can be both extremely classy and extremely arty. Hegarty’s voice, three LPs in, still full of stunning passion and relentless, impassioned vibrato; he still finds new ways to embody the image of a star-crossed gentle giant. His vulnerability is countered with the most detached, agonizing chill that only leaves the listener with uncomfortable, insatiable states of quandary. The Crying Light is a sensual, aching album that cannot be ignored.

Antony & The Johnsons’ “Aeon,” from The Crying Light.

Cass McCombs – Catacombs

Whenever folk and country seem to be running out of options, there comes an almost epiphanic arrival of some nonchalant, cigarette-flicking savior, sometimes even in the form of an artist who’s been kicking around for the better part of a decade. The shuffling, unassuming latest from Cass McCombs carries both the urgency of the city life he’s been inextricably servant to for the last decade, combined with the lounging ease of his California home. It’s a dichotomy in theory only, however, because Catacombs isn’t some grand amalgamated statement, it’s just a simple, troublingly deep folk/country record.
(Full-length review here.)

Cass McCombs’ “Dreams-Come-True Girl,” from Catacombs.

Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Jon Philpot’s Bear In Heaven steps up from their debut in one strict way, chiefly: it’s got obvious singles. At the risk of sounding needlessly reductive, Bear In Heaven simply make pop music, but their sound goes so much farther than the shallow depths that tag (sadly) still implies. It carries with it the expansive nature of the band’s southern rock stomping grounds, but certainly skirts the makings of inner-city Hotlanta clubs with the electrified 80s dabblings that fire the arrangements and engender a measure of mystique (“Lovesick Teenagers”). It’s a pensive, stoic collection of tunes that quickly mirror the saddened, drippy eyes that stare ever-so-longingly from their red background.

Bear In Heaven’s “Wholehearted Mess,” from Beast Rest Forth Mouth.

Dan Deacon – Bromst

Dan Deacon’s cyclic, monolithic Bromst is an engaging look inside of the mind of the madman himself. The molten, oozing passion he dumps over every track is evident best in his live shows; he celebrates every crowd he meets and show he plays with such intensity that he threw out his back and had to be hospitalized, which resulted in the cancellation of the last leg of his tour. (If that’s not commitment enough for you, you can always try the Flaming Lips, who also, conveniently enough, released a killer record this year.) Lumbering from ecstatic outbreaks to crushing sadness, Bromst isn’t just the music and the lights, it’s the whole party – and the after-party, the food on the drive home, and the crying on your best friend’s thigh.

(Full-length review here.)

Dan Deacon’s “Red F,“ from Bromst.

The Flaming Lips – Embryonic

As much as has been said about the Flaming Lips not wearing their collective ages on their sleeves, it’s their growing intensity and passion for music that just barely registers as a point of concern on the listeners radar; there’s just an inkling that they are coming to terms with their mortality, and they aren’t going to sit around and let it happen to them. The stark display of world-weariness and wincing concern on Embryonic are perhaps only the razor tip of this comprehensive double-disc effort; it’s one that further explores the band’s remarkable knack for molding an atmosphere of listener empathy amidst a plethora of fidgety arrangements. It’s true to form, but only in the sense that the Lips have an incredible track record for innovation.

(Full-length review here.)
The Flaming Lips’ “Watching The Planets,” from Embryonic.

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

A semi-serious take on pop-rock from Versaille, France, sounds like such a contradiction, but Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix artfully walks the line between hookiness and camp. Phoenix deftly navigate the tasteful use of synth in their guitar-pop method, cope with the lack of a permanent drummer, and field the many complications of living such stylish, opportunistic lives as successful French thirtysomethings. There’s little music-wise that is more enjoyable than seeing a truly talented group hit their stride with an improvement on an already-proven formula (It’s Never Been Like That); Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a lithe and insanely catchy resurgence for a band that might be considered past their prime in the American pop scene. Don’t let the album title fool you, this album is an instant genre and decade classic.

Phoenix’s “Lisztomania,” from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye

The pop-culture value of speed-metal-lords-of-wankery Dragon Force was inflated enough to land them the Final Challenge gig for would-be Guitar Heroes, but really, they’re essentially relying on the D&D subculture’s fierce appreciation for lore and the brute force of their own irksome histrionics  to awe teenage boys a la Spinal Tap. Mastodon, on the other hand, is the kind of band that — despite the over-the-top themes and twelve-minute epics with titles like “The Czar: Usurper / Escape / Martyr / Spiral” — exercises a remarkable amount of care for their craft. In short, they’re the kind of no-holds-barred progressive metal band you want to have on hand at 4:30 on a Friday. The level of consistency with which they produce their skull-crushing records is staggering, and what’s more, they’re catering to the skinny-jeansers nearly as much as the circle-pitters; that they’ve garnered a significant indie following should stand as testament to the universal appeal of their floor-shattering riffage. This latest entry undoubtedly cements Mastodon’s entry — along with bands like Sunn O))) and ISIS — on the short list of bands still innovating in their sphere. Chock full of the Valhalla-esque imagery for which Mastodon is so famed, Crack The Skye oozes atmosphere and panache, but it also recounts Brann Dailor’s tangibly agonizing loss on the title track. Leviathan remains an incredibly popular entry in the catalogue — and make no mistake, its gut-shot recoil remains as potent as ever — but we are here to tell you that Crack The Skye might be Mastodon’s best record yet.

(Full-length review here.)

Mastodon’s “Crack The Skye,” from Crack the Skye.

Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

‘Please’ or ‘thank you?’ Dave Longstreth’s Projectors are really only Dirty in the sense that they’ve sullied their grand indie songwriting with — steady yourselves — a wealth of technical prowess. It wouldn’t take long on YouTube to find a host of impassioned late-night TV performances by the Projectors; even the producers and executives in charge of wrangling talent for those shows could see the apparent market value for their Friedberger-esque indie-prog-rock, Billboard charting hits or not. Consequently, the constituents of the independent music scene have this funny and frustrating habit of deciding that a given band isn’t, well, independent enough for them. Typically, it’s a fiery blog-comment troll trying to cash in on some form of cred currency, real or imagined. This year, the Projectors were a ripe target because of the insatiable buzz surrounding Bitte Orca. We, however, don’t pull any punches; this record is simply one of the most stunning things we’ve heard in a long time, and we have zero reservation regarding it as such and telling you, the reader, that you should make it a priority to get your hands on a copy. But harkening back to our original question: is it ‘please’ or ‘thank you?’ That question may yet go unanswered directly, but we offer the simple truth that some of the best answers are questions in themselves: why not both?

(Full-length review here.)

Dirty Projectors’ “Useful Chamber,” from Bitte Orca.

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

The quantity — nay, the iota — of worth that separates Veckatimest from HeiBräu’s Album of the Year has a name, and it is Fall Be Kind. It is with a heavy, grudging reluctance that we place Grizzly Bear just to the side of the pinnacle. This kind of painstaking evaluation should speak volumes about the depth that Veckatimest plumbs — whether it’s an exploding line of heads for the “Two Weeks” video, or a swaying Jay-Z during a live rendition of “Ready, Able” — but said pains are mere trace elements to the care and passion that is evident under every spectacular fold of this record. The band is a delight to see on stage; their intimate soundscapes are in many places replaced with a thudding, jazzy immediacy, but the shining centerpiece of their aesthetic remains unfettered: their trembling, emotive harmonies. The independent music scene is too often gifted with truly superb albums like this one, where the hype is so seemingly insurmountable. There were choice words said, here and elsewhere, about the overcoming of that grand speculatory process back when the album was released, but what was said then is as true now as ever: Grizzly Bear doesn’t have the outlandish (and, at times, fabricated) creative penchants that some of their peers might, but Veckatimest is more about setting bars, not shattering barriers. That may sound like a slight, but when the album is re-released for its tenth anniversary, and is once again heralded as a mind-blowing display of musicianship and songwriting, we’ll look back and nod approvingly.

(Full-length review here.)

Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks,” from Veckatimest.

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion / Fall Be Kind EP

Until Fall Be Kind was released, any of the top three bands could have made a credible bid for album of the year, but the November-released EP was a late-game score in sudden death overtime for Animal Collective. Their relevance and importance in the decade are undeniable, and Merriweather Post Pavilion — scrath that, all of 2009, releases and concerts alike — stands thus far as the crown jewel in the band’s shimmering circlet. Just as Fleet Foxes’ Sun Giant was in 2008, Fall Be Kind is simply too rich with the same stunning material as its parent LP to simply write off as EPs often are: fan-only collectibles. What Animal Collective represent, essentially, is a full-circle success of the introduction of electronica en masse to the independent music world. Some would argue it started with the legendary Kid A, others insist it was the groundwork laid by forerunners like Four Tet and Clinic, but everyone agrees that the best and brightest evolution of it for the past year has been Animal Collective. Nevermind that they wrangled the first-ever legal sample from a Grateful Dead song for “What Would I Want? Sky” — the Dead’s “Unbroken Chain,” for those paying attention — the trio represents a kind of subcultural “mainstream” embrace of washed-out, soggy pop and folk to a degree that was unheard of at the turn of the millennium. “My Girls,” the year’s best, earliest, and most obvious theme choice, perfectly melds Noah Lennox’s parental woes later heard on “Also Frightened” with the exultant screams of Strawberry Jam’s “Peacebone.” “In The Flowers” is like a helicopter landing into a field of dreams, lush with life and buzzing with activity, and the supreme “Summertime Clothes” rides an opening riff akin to a cross between a noisy washing machine and a bevy of restless city cars. Each track takes on its own praiseworthy identity, but ultimately, there’s very little left to be said about such a momentous record — especially now that it’s been around for the better part of a year. The outdoorsy, earthy motif the band envisioned (and for which the record is named), however, is still ringing through those trees, and it’s hard to imagine a more exquisite close to an incredible decade of music: one that is joyful, singalong, and immensely unifying.

Animal Collective’s “In The Flowers,” from Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Yep – it’s that time of year. The release calendar is a wasteland through the holidays, there are at least 3 albums I’m really looking forward to in January, but in the meantime, we’ve got a month or so to decide on the best records of the year. So for the last few weeks, I’ve been listening and relistening to the year’s crop, jockeying position, and here’s the deal.

The Top Ten:

1) Japandroids: Post-Nothing

This has been sitting at #1 since I first heard it late in 2008 on imeem (and trust me – no one gives less of a crap about imeem than me – that’s how much I wanted to hear it). Then they got picked up by a label, released it, I bought it the day it came out on iTunes, they got picked up by another label and it was rereleased, and then they went on tour and came nowhere near here. Oh well. The album – it’s a blast of guitars and noise and lyrics written as if nothing mattered by girls. It makes me feel like it’s 1995 and I’m much younger than I am. It has the line “we run the gauntlet / must get to France / so we can french kiss some French girls,” which is ridiculous. But then that same song has the lyrics “she had wet hair / say what you will / I don’t care, I couldn’t resist it,” which makes total sense to me.

2) Telekinesis: Telekinesis!

This one came out of nowhere, but if you can’t trust Merge with power-pop, than what can you trust them with? So it’s a total summer record – big hooks, catchy choruses, ba ba bas and la la las, and though it does make me want a new Beulah record pretty badly (or at least for Miles Kurowsky to finish his solo album), it also pretty much rules all by itself.

3) Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer

The title is untouchable, the album art is hideously awesome, and it’s totally the catchiest thing Spencer Krug has ever done outside of Wolf Parade. I’ve enjoyed all his records, but this one is by far the easiest to love, with the most memorable songs, not the least of which is the 10+ minute suite that closes the record and manages to one-up the also pretty awesome “Kissing the Beehive” at the end of the last Wolf Parade album.

4) Handsome Furs: Face Control

The other guy from Wolf Parade (Dan Boeckner), with the second best Wolf Parade side-project of the year. But it’s close – this easily outstrips his first record as Handsome Furs, with songs that aren’t as claustrophobic or mannered. And the promo shots he and his wife took for promotion of the record are hotttt.

5) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: s/t

Three new bands in my top 5, which bodes well for the future. This one is a total throwback – this record could have been released at any point in the early 90s and I wouldn’t have batted an eye. It’s also incredibly catchy and fun and addicting – AND they released three singles with b-sides AND an EP this year. An embarrassment of riches.

6 ) The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come

It’s not Tallahassee, or Get Lonely, or Heretic Pride, but it’s a new Mountain Goats record, and so far, that gets it into my top ten by default.

7) Yo La Tengo: Popular Songs

There really aren’t any tricks left up Yo La Tengo’s sleeves at this point in their career, but their ability to spit out late-period gems that don’t sound warmed over or derivitave is positively shocking at this point. This record should have been their Steel Wheels or All That You Can’t Leave Behind or something, but it’s at least as good as any of the past 5 records, all of which are pretty damn good.

8 Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Honestly this record doesn’t belong as high as it is on its collective merits (most notably because of its atrocious sequencing) – there are at least 5 songs that I could take or leave. But the other 5 are so good that they make you forget the weak spots, with the record’s true triumph being “Lisztomania” – easily the best song of the year.

9) Say Hi: Oohs and Aahs

I went back and looked; if I had heard of Say Hi in 2006, Impeccable Blahs would have been my #2 of the year (albeit a distant second to Boys and Girls in America). As it is, I had fun discovering them this year, and this record is pretty good too.

10) The Antlers: Hospice

This was my sleeper – I heard it pretty early in the year and didn’t care much for it, but by the end of the year it was the record that I put on every time I wanted to hear something new but didn’t have anything specific in mind.

The rest:

11) The Thermals: Now We Can See

After The Body, The Blood, The Machine, I was really hoping this record would be better.

12) Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: Vs. Children

13) The Dodos: Time to Die

Not nearly as good as the last record, but “Fables” comes a pretty close second to “Lisztomania” as song of the year.

14) David Bazan: Curse Your Branches

For the faint of faith.

15) Dead Man’s Bones: s/t

Ryan Gosling follows in the footsteps of Zooey Deschanel (or Don Johnson, if you will), and makes a surprisingly good album. Really.

16) Bishop Allen: Grrr…

17) Built to Spill: There is No Enemy

18) Cymbals Eat Guitars: Why There Are Mountains

19) The Veils: Sun Gangs

20) The Drums: Summertime!

21) White Rabbits: It’s Frightening

22) The Decemberists: Hazards of Love

23) An Horse: Rearrange Beds

24) The xx: s/t

25) Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz!

To recap:  As for My Favorite 50 Songs of 2009, I made a few rules for myself.  First, a band can only appear once.  Also, this is purely about singles I enjoy.  For instance, I would never put Harlem Shakes’ Technicolor Health on my favorite albums list, but “Sunlight” made it pretty high on this list because it’s a great pop song.  I like a lot of Grooms’ songs and think they’re probably better than many of these, for instance, but none of them made it onto this list because they work much better as a group of experimental songs on an album.  This gave me a chance to give recognition to many bands from this year I would otherwise have left out.  And, for the record, I think this list of songs is less important but more fun than my forthcoming list of best albums of 2009.  You can download all of the songs by clicking on the words in bold.

So here it is, the third installment of My Favorite 50 Songs of 2009.

30) “Idiot Heart” – Sunset Rubdown I thought Dragonslayer was pretty good, but it didn’t capture me the way Sunset Rubdown’s previous works have.  I think that’s mostly because Spencer crafted it more for a live setting.  And this song ROCKED in live settings this year.  It gets off to a slow, interesting start.  But the end is stunning with the repeated line, “I hope that you die in a decent pair of shoes/We’ve got a lot a lot of walking to do.”  A cinematic, narrative song with the edge of lyrical nonsense that Kurg always brings to Sunset Rubdown songs.  Even though the album wasn’t a classic, this song is.

29) “Hey Boy” – The Magic Kids Is this song utterly derivative?  Yes, sure.  It is the catchiest, most adorable song to come out this year with an amazing 50s rock vibe mixed with a Beach Boys Je ne sais quoi?  Yes, definitely.  If this song doesn’t make you smile, I’m worried for your poor, broken heart.

28) “Beach Comber” – Real Estate I think Real Estate is my favorite band from this year.  I love everything about this song.  From the opening lines, “What you want is just outside your reach/Keep on searching,” to the easy, flowing guitar riff at the end.  This song is what I want life to be like.  Somehow the tone of the song is hopeful, without being overly sentimental.  It’s all deceptively simple.  Real Estate is one of those bands that come together in just the right way.  Musical magic.

27) “Rain On” – Woods I used to think that Woods sounded like some sort of mystical, forgotten late 60s band.  As the year has progressed, I’ve realized that they sound like 2009.  In fact, I think when we look back on this time in a few years, Woods and Real Estate will have the sound that will ultimately come to define this era.  I like “Rain On” so much that I’m not really sure what to say about it.  Listening to it is like reading a really good book.  It completely transports you into a place other than your own and you want to stay there.  It’s always a little jarring when you finish the book and realize that it’s not a place you can permanently inhabit.

26) “The Other Side” – Paul and the Patients This song consists entirely of awesome guitar build and fun, catchy chorus.  It seems somehow appropriate for this very dude-centric band to have a song entirely about build-up and release.  I admire its pleasant simplicity (much more so than their other single, “Blogspot”) and I wish this band had gotten more buzz this year.

25) “Bone Jam” – JEFF The Brotherhood JEFF The Brotherhood had one of the most exciting live shows I saw this year.  With just drums and guitar, they create really hard songs that are still catchy as hell.  There were a lot of two-man “garage” bands in 2009 (JTB does NOT want to be called a garage band), and these guys were far and away the best.  This is an amazing song, which helps, but they too have that inexplicable mix of charisma and talent.

24) “Bell” – Screaming Females I heard about Screaming Females before I listened to them.  My only thought was what a terrible band name Screaming Females was, especially for a female-fronted band.  Visions of bad Sleater-Kinney impersonations ran through my head.  Then I pressed play on “Bell,” and realized that Marissa Paternoster is one of the most kick-ass guitarists and rockers on the indie scene right now.  Man, woman, or child- she can shred.  Screaming Females melted my face at Market Hotel earlier this year, and I’ve been listening to this song on repeat ever since.

23) “The Red Bow” – That Ghost I’m glad That Ghost came out with an EP this year.  Their latest album, Young Fridays, came out in 2008, so I can’t include it on any of these lists.  ”The Red Bow,” is excellent, though, and is definitely an evolution from That Ghost’s output last year.  It’s still got that amazing nineteen-year-old-phenom-in-their-bedroom feel, but is a little angrier, edgier, and slightly less Bright Eyes-y than his previous songs.  Plus, some of these lyrics are just amazing.  ”I’d much rather just cut my legs off/So you can carry me home on your own.”

22) “Lust For Life” – Girls This song is so good (and so popular) because everyone can relate to it.  ”I wish I had a suntan/I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine.”  Who doesn’t?  The gender confusion, the honesty of admitting to being “fucked in the head,” the adolescent hopefulness; this song has it all.  It’s by far one of the least inventive and challenging songs on Girls’ excellent album, but it’s the most fun.  And at the end of the day, how can you not love a song who’s music video includes penis microphones?  I mean, really.

21) “Talking Hotel Arbat Blues” – Handsome Furs Absolutely one of the most underrated albums all year.  This is my favorite song off of Face Control.  Maybe I’m a shameless Wolf Parade fan, but seriously, but could one band have more top-notch side projects?  Dan Boeckner’s grungy guitar mixed in with his girlfriend’s energetic synth playing creates an entirely new sound for us to enjoy.  I really, really want to use this song in a WWII movie montage.  Fighting, sprawling, and passionate.

head bopping fuzzy riffs never fail

Handsome Furs: Radio Kaliningrad

Great label always delivers . . . Sub Pop

We return to La belle province, specifically Montreal, for today’s post. Given the breadth of talent heralding from the PQ, it is likely that Montreal will warrant more than its fair share of posts. Today, we appraise the latest release from husband/wife duo Alexei Perry and Dan Boecker (also known for his efforts with Wolf Parade) who joined forces in 2005 to bring to light the musings of Handsome Furs. Released in 2009, Face Control is the band’s sophomore album where electronic drum beats and balladry collide to present a selection of tracks accessible to a wide array of spectators. There is something for everyone on this album, Talking Hotel Arbat Blues will appeal to punk purists; whereas, Radio Kaliningrad channels the electronic vibe favoured by club-kids. The repetitive beats and lyrics on more than a few tracks (namely; Evangeline and White City) may invoke idleness in some listeners. Often times, it is expected that these tracks will reach new heights; however, on occasion they do fall flat. Fans may be left wanting more from a band whose freshman experiment was such a success. Nevertheless, the minimalist feel to this album does not negate its quality. The album is cleanly crafted and features superb vocal performances from Dan Boecker. Moreover, Handsome Furs’ song writing proficiency is masterfully showcased on Face Control. The pureness of the band’s writing craft can be examined on Nyest Spasiba. Given the success of the husband/wife teams featured thus far on Mantra & Melody, including yesterday’s highlighted artists, The Arcade Fire, it may be time to break out the guitar to practice some new cords. My wife can definitely hold her own on the keys. If only we could sing!

Through and through, Face Control is a solid album. Check out some of the album’s hits (including; Evangeline and I’m Confused) at CBC Radio 3: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/Handsome-Furs.

Next Post: The Acorn – Glory Hope Mountain (2007)

Das ist doch mal was. Gestern hatten wir das Thema “Musikindustrie und Angst vor dem Netz” und gratis Musik – heute legen wir nach. Insound feier Geburtstag. Es gibt 50 x lecker Musik für null Taler. Wer mag folgt diesem Link.

Wer ist dabei? Newcomer und Einsteiger, welche es nötig hätten zu verschleudern? Weit gefehlt, schaut selbst, denn geschenkt gibts:

Cymbals Eat Guitars, Grizzly Bear, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Japandroids,Sonic Youth, Sunset Rubdown,Cold Cave, Passion Pit, The Antlers, Girls,Wavves, Phoenix, Dan Deacon, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, Beirut, Camera Obscura, HEALTH, Woods, Dinosaur Jr., Neon Indian, Deer Hunter, The Dodos, The Vaselines, Fever Ray, Washed Out, Neko Case, M Ward, The Thermals, Yo La Tengo, Isis, The Boy Least Likely To, Thee Oh Sees, Iron and Wine, Handsome Furs, White Rabbits, Jason Lytle, The Tallest Man on Earth, Marissa Nadler, Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs, Black Dice, YACHT, Langhorne Slim, Clues, A.C. Newman, DOOM, Asobi Seksu, Jarvis Cocker…

… ne Menge. Denkste das ist genug? Wenn nicht, hier gibts mehr für umme. Gefunden bei stylespion

Der hier ist für zwischendruch:
Einfach schön: Bic Runga – The Be All And End All

To help get you in the Halloween spirit, I’ve put together a little list of relatively recent spooky videos…

The Mumlers “Coffin Factory”

Dead Man’s Bones – “Dead Hearts”

Metric –  “Monster Hospital”

Handsome Furs – “I’m Confused”

But let’s not forget about this classic:

*And if you live in the New York area, be sure to come out to see Mount Eerie tonight at the Market Hotel. Should be a good time. Phil Elverum is simply fantastic.

Its the time of the year that i(heart)music does the Hottest Bands in Canada.
Click here for the full results.
This is their fifth year while this is my second time doing this.
Here is my top 10 form 2008.

For those that want to cheer or jeer. Please make a comment.
Here is my top 10 for 2009 who is considered the hottest.

1. Basia Bulat



2. Joel Plaskett



3. Bruce Peninsula



4. Handsome Furs



5. Said The Whale



6. The Ghost Is Dancing



7. Japandroids



8. The Rural Alberta Advantage



9. The Balconies



10. Green Go

I have to say that seven of the nominees was in the Top 30.
It was also a hard decision on who I wanted to put down in my Top 10.
Someone wanted me to put down Dog Day (who I never heard and seen live) which I changed to The Rural Alberta Advantage.
Overall I am surprised to who is #1 in the Hottest Bands in Canada this year.

“Baby we can get you anything you want, any time you want. But you won’t know what it’s for.”

Handsome Furs – Legal Tender

Handsome Furs – Handsome Furs Hate This City

Handsome Furs – Evangeline

Where’s all the great music of 2009? I can’t think of one true standout (except the Beatles Box-sets which contains music from 40 years ago). I miss my MGMT, Vampire Weekend bubblegum albums or new releases from all the great artists of yesteryear who either released nothing, useless comps, or lost their magic entirely=Modest Mouse. So I’m peeking on my iTunes and checking everything from 2009 that I bothered to get and well here’s the definitive list so far.

The best of 2009:

The biggest let downs of 2009:

The lackluster 2009 aka what’s been overhyped to death (in no particular order):

Those are the words someone used to describe this video when posting it on my friend’s FB wall. Big words to live up to and it did so gloriously (you have to watch the entire thing). Can’t embed it unfortunately so here it is.

Also I’m just going to vent here quickly. I am pretty sick of cool liberal hippy college kids and their obsession with all of the indie trash that’s developing in the 21st century. Grizzly Bear, Handsome Furs/Wolf Parade, what is this shit? And why the fuck does everyone like them? They can make song that is pleasant and “quirky” sounding… whoa. No

(This was secretly just an attack on one of my friend’s music tastes. )

I partake in the Chinese phenomenon of “parking” myself.

seems like the good news regarding live shows this autumn keep pouring in. finally, after a long and somehow boring summer, it’s time to hit the concerts again and get the parties going. Here’s a round up of the events you just HAVE to be present at:

IAMX Live in Bucharest

IAMX Live in Bucharest, at Fratelli Studios, Thursday October 1st. Former Sneaker Pimps front man, Chris Corner, brings his new project to Bucharest to the delight of his fans here in Romania. I’ve seen a Tour Diary on MTV the other day and all I can say is that I can’t wait to see this live show.

IAMX – Think of England (from the album Kingdom of Welcome Addiction, released May 2009)

Those Dancing Days @ Control Club

Things get even better this Friday with the concert of Swedish indie pop babes Those Dancing Days. Have a listen below. It’s the only introduction worthy of the dancing concert this will surely turn out to be. Those Dancing Days will be performing at Control Club on Friday, October 2nd. This concert will also mark the club’s first year of existence, one that’s been filled with great performances and that promises a whole lot more for the future. So, make sure you get there early as it will surely fill up over capacity.

Those Dancing Days – Those Dancing Days

Handsome Furs

I’ve already mentioned that one of my favorite live acts this year is coming back to Bucharest (which they fell in love with apparently) here. Just a quick reminder, Handsome Furs will be playing at Control Club on October 16. Thanks OneDay.

Thieves Like Us

And now, for the grand act, the Swedish-American electro super group… pararararararam… THIEVES LIKE US will be performing at the same Control Club on October 30. Now this will be something out of this world, I can bet all my money on it. I’ve been humming “going down town with the drugs in my body” ever since yesterday when I first found out about this live gig. I think this is going to be just as good as the Zombie Zombie concert back in June (which by the way was THE BEST live act I’ve seen in Romania). Without further due, I give you…

Thieves Like Us – Drugs in my body

Thieves Like Us – Your heart feels

and my personal favorite

Thieves Like Us – Desire

and the video for Desire because it contains footage from one of my all time favorite movies, Jean-Jacques Beineix’s 1981 master piece, Diva. if you haven’t seen it, please do.

I really want this guy to be my friend.

So what’s he so excited about? Only the spiritual successor to one of the most widely used synth/vocorders out there (that and he just seems to be that kind of guy…which is awesome). Don’t believe me? Ask LCD Soundsystem, The Killers, The Handsome Furs, Soulwax, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Royksopp, Justice, Chromeo, The Crystal Castles…you get the idea.  They all used the microKorg in recording/live sets/battling dragons.

So, the microKORG has been around for about 7 years and the XL launched this spring rocking some very chic neo-vintage styling. I love that description by the way. More stuff needs to fit a neo-vintage design standard. I am calling to design people everywhere, give me more neo-vintage! Anyway, the new microKORG is getting rave reviews and with the $500 dollar pricetag it’s not horribly overpriced, but there are cheaper options no doubt.

Hmmm, impulse buy? Maybe.

Go listen to some Handsome Furs…right…now.

Handsome Furs at Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney 29/08/09…

You can also see Derek’s photo’s here.