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31 December 2009

What were your favorite albums of 2009? [More:] I look forward to this time of year because I'm a sucker for Year End Best of lists. Usually most of my entertainment purchases the first few months of the new year are things I discovered from other people's best of lists, plus I'm up for just about any reason to talk about music, books, and movies.

My whole top 50 with commentary and links is over here, but here's my Top 10 of 2009:

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (Anti)
- Fox Confessor was my favorite album of 2006, and this is a grand follow up. Many listens later I was still discovering little music tidbits and lyrical twists - I don't always know exactly what she's singing about, but I love sound of her words and the images she conjures up.
- Neko's website
- “This Tornado Loves You” on Letterman
- “People Got A Lotta Nerve” video

2. Madness - the Liberty of Norton Folgate (Yep Roc)
- The original line-up returns for their first album of original material in a decade, and it might be the most consistent album of their career. This is classic British pop in the tradition of Keep Moving (1984) and Mad Not Mad (1985). It’s great to have Madness back and is such fine form.
- band site
- "Dust Devil" video
- album sampler

3. Coconut Records - Davy (Young Baby)
- This is the second album from Jason Schwartzman's one-man pop project of relaxed, expertly crafted pop numbers with an almost sublime beauty. At times there's a slightly melancholy Elliot Smith vibe, but more often his style seems more influenced by mid 60's radio pop.
- MySpace page
-"Microphone" video
-"Any Fun" video

4. AC Newman - Get Guilty (Matador)
- On his second solo album Carl Newman doesn't deviate much from what's he's been doing with New Pornographers, except ere he has a bit more latitude to make the arrangements quirkier and the instrumentation just a little more eclectic. Newman takes a classic power pop songwriting base and rebuilds the songs into something much more interesting, but he never sacrifices catchiness.
- his website
-"Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer" DUMBO session

5. Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 - Goodnight Oslo (Yep Roc)
- This is the most straight forward batch of songs Robyn has had in...well...maybe ever. It's been a long time since a new Robyn Hitchcock album has excited me this much, and it’s reminded me why he was such an important artist for me in the 80's and 90's.
- Robyn's website
- "I'm Falling" video

6. the Krayolas - Long Leaf Pine (No Smack Gum) (Box Records/Talking Taco Music)
- This San Antonio band is equal parts Tex-Mex and Mersey Beat, with a little bit of ZZ Top, Mike Nesmith, and an Americana twist on Badfinger thrown into the mix. All of the playing is top notch, and many of thee songs are complimented by a killer horn section. Almost any time a song from this album comes up on shuffle I end up playing the whole album. I have no idea why this wasn't one of the much buzzed records of 2009.
- band site

7. Milk and Honey Band - Dog Eared Moonlight (Ape Records)
- Lush, pastoral pop with shimmering guitars and rich harmonies from Andy Partridge's Ape Records. The songs are intricately crafted with beautiful multi-layered melodies. Occasionally they build up an epic Coldplay feel, but they never lose any of the intimacy that makes the record so special. It's become a late night headphones favorite.
- band site
-special effects house Framestore's montage using "Waste of Time"
- "Just You" video

8. VV Brown - Traveling Like the Light (Island UK - coming out on Capitol in 2010)
- The debut album from UK soul/pop singer V.V. Brown was probably my most played album of the Summer and is still a staple on my MP3 player. She genre jumps and throws in an eclectic mix of influences, but this is basically a poppy R&B dance party record.
- VV's website
-"Shark in the Water" video
-"Crying Blood" video

9. the Leftovers - Eager to Please (Oglio)
- This is classic big hook power pop with a high energy punk pop kick and one of 2009's most fun records. I hear early Beatles, Material Issue, the Ramones, Velvet Crush, and the Buzzcocks and a bit of supercharged bubblegum. This is driving-fast-with-the-top-down Summer music that screams to be played loud and often. They get some help from members of the Muffs, the Donnas, the Romantics and the Rubinoos.
- MySpace
- label's artist page with snippets
- "Telephone Operator" video

10. Duckworth Lewis Method - the Duckworth Lewis Method (1969 Records)
- This quirky Irish band features Neil Hannon (the Divine Comedy) and Thomas Walsh (Pugwash) and their debut album is entirely about the sport of cricket. The band is even named after a somewhat controversial mathematical cricket score keeping method. This record is delightfully fun and distinctly British - all with a great sense of melody and some fantastic harmonies. I hear bits of the Kinks, later XTC, and the pseudo music-hall style that so many UK artists in the 60's experimented with.
- artist site
- "Meeting Mr. Miandad" video

What albums did you dig this year?
I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I post this, but:

Fire! - You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago
Mountains - Choral, Etchings
Topaz Rags - Capricorn Born Again
Dam-Funk - Toeachizown
Vijay Iyer - Historicity
Borah Bergman Trio - Luminescence
Nomo - Invisible Cities
El Michels Affair - Enter the 37th Chamber
Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Links Pt. 2
Spiritual Singers - Ntsamina
Delroy Wilson - Dub Plate Style
posted by box 31 December | 09:53
I've only bought two new albums this year, Neko Case and Wilco. The Wilco was mostly "meh" and I haven't listened to Neko's enough yet so say if I like it or not. Looking through my Amazon history tells me that I bought 16 albums this year but only those two were actually from this year. I'm usually a few years behind, at best.

There's so much good old music that I haven't caught up to yet that my I don't have much motivation to keep up with current music.
posted by octothorpe 31 December | 10:20
Slack, I've been reading through your (and Our Mutual Friend's) top lists and thinking, hm, I have no top albums of this year. I'm not even sure I have ten albums released this year. My plan for the weekend--in between more family visiting and putting my teaching notes together--is to search the harddrives to see if I even have 10 albums released this year. Then listen to them. And then comment whether or not any of them are in the least noteworthy. I suspect only Brief History of Love by the Big Pink (which Our Mutual Friend disliked) made any impression on my at all.
posted by crush-onastick 31 December | 10:35
Slack, thanks for the excellent post. I intend to check out your links from home.

I was jazzed about more music last year than this year. I'm probably underexposed, but it wasn't a very tuneful year for me.

My stand outs were Michael Franti & Spearhead, "All Rebel Rockers" - which is a 2008 release that I didn't hear it until this year, and Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeaus Phoenix."

Let me also admit that I scorned with my faux cool scorn Sting's Holiday album (even the phrase makes me itch) "If On A Winter's Night." But I actually like some of it, and the whole thing is interesting. Not what I expected and pre-judged in my mind.
posted by rainbaby 31 December | 10:40
Oh, sorry if sounded like I was dumping on this post. I'm actually interested what other people are listening to, just not able to keep up myself.
posted by octothorpe 31 December | 10:54
I plan to post my faves when I get home and can share a track or so from each one. (Not finding many good videos/links on the web for them.)
posted by BoringPostcards 31 December | 11:01
I wish I could do a nice top ten or something, but I think I only bought three albums of new music that were released in 2009. They have all been quite enjoyable though. FWIW, they're Dinosaur Jr.'s Farm, William Elliot Whitmore's Animals in the Dark, and Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez.
posted by ufez 31 December | 13:41
Oh, I did go to the CocoRosie show and discovered that the opening act, Katie Stelmanis, was pretty wonderful. I have not yet picked up her album, though.
posted by crush-onastick 31 December | 15:01
Notes From The Treehouse by Alessi's Ark is my only true love of the year. I've seen her play lots and she is the most charming person in the world.

I've also seen Marina and the Diamonds six times. She doesn't have an album out yet be she is going to be huge next year.
posted by cillit bang 31 December | 15:33
My favorite album of the year was easily Dinosaur, Jr's Farm. It was like they'd never been away. Loud, crunchy, and AWESOME.

Pieces (MP3)
Over It (video-pretty funny)


A close second is Plushgun's Pins and Panzers. It's bedroom pop that sounds like it came from 1986 instead of 2009.

How We Roll (MP3)
Dancing In A Minefield (video)


The rest of these aren't in any particular order.

Eels Hombre Lobo (12 Songs of Desire) An odd little song-cycle about a werewolf, or just a guy with angry animal urges.

Lilac Breeze (MP3)
Fresh Breeze (video)


Black Lips 200 Million Thousand A local band who I finally caught up with this year.

Short Fuse (MP3)
I'll Be With You (video)


Black Moth Super Rainbow Eating Us Not quite as wonderful as their previous one, Dandelion Gum, but still great.

Born On A Day The Sun Didn't Rise (MP3)


Ray Davies & The Crouch End Festival Chorus The Kinks Choral Collection This should have been a mess, but instead it's really great. Ray Davies backed by a choir, soaring through old Kinks songs. It's wild.

We Are The Village Green Preservation Society (MP3)
Waterloo Sunset (MP3)


The Antlers Hospice A really heartbreaking album that seems to tell the story of taking care of a loved one during a long illness. Beautiful and haunting. This would probably be near the top of the list, but it's almost too powerful to listen to very often.

Bear (MP3)
Kettering (video)


j.j. No. 2 Sunny, beach-y pop music so wispy it's barely there.

From Africa to Malaga (MP3)


The Hidden Cameras Origin-Orphan Probably their slowest, least frenetic album, but it still sounds overflowing.

Walk On
(MP3)
In The Na (video)


St. Vincent Actor An early 2009 favorite that I still listen to a lot.

Black Rainbow (MP3)
Actor Out of Work (video)


Other good albums I heard this year came from:

Sonic Youth
Sunset Rubdown
Neko Case
Adam Marsland
White Rabbit
Kanye West (came out in late 2008, actually)
A.C. Newman
Cornershop
Flaming Lips
Jarvis Cocker
Moby
posted by BoringPostcards 31 December | 16:31
My list with descriptions and clips is over here

In short:

Touchdown – Brakes
Watch Me Fall – Jay Reatard
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Let’s Wrestle – In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s
The Wildhearts – Chutzpah!
Art Brut – Art Brut vs Satan
Bob Mould – Life and Times
Spinnerette – Spinnerette
Therapy? – Crooked Timber
Zoot Woman – Things Are What They Used to Be
posted by dodgygeezer 31 December | 18:43
I should check out Madness and Dino Jr
posted by dodgygeezer 31 December | 18:54
Yeah, I want to check out Madness and Therapy? and the Leftovers. Top of the to-do list for 2010.
posted by BoringPostcards 31 December | 19:51
I have bought (or otherwise obtained) no new albums this year, apart from buying my partner Pink's Funhouse album. I haven't even obtained any new old albums this year. What a sad situation.
posted by dg 01 January | 07:07
Boring Postcards, I got El Hombre Loco this year. I like one or two of the tracks, but it wears a little thin. Great music for October, though.
posted by rainbaby 01 January | 22:38
Ooh, I nearly missed this. Okay, here's a reasonably long list. All links go to MySpace pages as that's where you're going to get free listening. Hopefully the artists have stuff from these albums on there:

* The Wildhearts: Chutzpah!
* Brakes (AKA BrakesBrakesBrakes in the USA) - Touchdown
* A Camp - Colonia
* Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
* Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
* Mastodon - Crack The Skye
* The Veils - Sun Gangs
* Silversun Pickups - Swoon
* The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock
* U2 - No Line On The Horizon
* Cracker - Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey
* Jets Overhead - No Nations
* Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
* Future Of The Left - Travels With Myself And Another
* Mindy Smith - Stupid Love
* Noah And The Whale - The First Days Of Spring
* The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love
* Editors - In This Light And On This Morning
* La Fleur Fatale - Silent Revolution
* Brothers Of End - The End
* Matthew Good - Vancouver
* Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
* Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
* Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Men
* Therapy? - Crooked Timber

Lots of good stuff out in 2009, looking forward to 2010. The year starts off promisingly with new albums by Vampire Weekend, Eels and Patty Griffin.
posted by TheDonF 02 January | 08:41
Let us now meet my new kitty. || I just checked in this book.

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