Wherein Mark and Jack attempt to catalog the new albums we've listened to this year. We'll try and keep it simple. It's not really a "best of" list, more of a "things we just really like this year" list. Also note that if one of us lists something and not the other, it's probabaly because the other hasn't listened to it much yet. (But intends to.)
Feel free to tell us about/ berate us for any records we missed in the comments section.
MARK LIKES the National - High Violet There's no "Mistaken for Strangers" or "Abel" to give it an adrenaline shot. But High Violet has such an amazing sense of mood and sound and so perfectly uses Matt Berninger's (ever improving) baritone to sing their best lyrics yet that it is better off staying at a slow pace. It's subtle but not boring. "Buzzbuzz Ohio"
the Tallest Man on Earth - the Wild Hunt The latest "early Dylan," or so they tell me. Quotable legend-building lyrics like "Rumor has it that I wasn't born / I just walked in one frosty morn / into the vision of some vacant mind." "King of Spain"
Vampire Weekend - Contra A healthy middle finger to the haters, a second serving of Ivy League, superficially-cosmopolitan pop to the fans. "Run"
Sleigh Bells - Treats All swagger. Think M.I.A., Ratatat, Santigold, Fuck Buttons. Music so loud, driving, filled with hooks. Voice a little cutesy. Clocks in at 32 minutes–five more would be too much, but at half an hour it's perfect. "Crown on the Ground"
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor It is trendy, bordering on "if you like the Dodos, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, and My Morning Jacket, try," except I really like the album. It hasn't gotten old. "Airplanes"
JACK LIKED Hot Chip - One Life Stand There's no musician I can think of offhand that crafts songs so precise, so emotional and yet so flippant. I think they know exactly what they're doing, though: Take a listen to "I Feel Better". Perfectly crafted, but not exactly "hip" (autotune doesn't have much hipster cred). One wonders how firmly their tongues are lodged in their cheeks. At the same time, though, there's a level of sincerity one doesn't find in more jokey electronic indie bands these days.
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening 3:06. That's how long it takes This Is Happening to begin in earnest it's also the moment I was hooked to this album start to end. You can hear it developing from a mile away, and when that release comes in the form of a huge drumbreak and dirty synth keys, it's cathartic. Every song, save "Dunk Girls," my least favorite on the album, has a similar buildup-release-cooldown. I heard this was Murphy's last LCD album. If that's the case, he picked a great note on which to end.
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor They might be extending the Civil War/ end of relationship metaphor a bit farther than necessary. Nice idea though. Besides, Ian Graetzer has a fantastic "Jeff Tweedy/ Craig Finn/ guy from the Constantines" type voice where he half sings/ half yells verbose things over Thermals punk chords. The part in "A More Perfect Union" where he yells "No, I never wanted to change the world, but I'm looking for a new New Jersey/ Because tramps like us, baby, we were born to die!" and that solo begins... I kind of want to kick someone's ass. Elsewhere, a few songs sound like a more intelligent Rancid, some like The Walkmen, and others a bit like Neutral Milk Hotel. In other words, this band was made for you and me.
Black Keys - Brothers This album is really long. Longer than it needs to be, maybe, at 15 songs. But the fact remains that the first three and last three tracks are some of the most ambitious out good 'ole Keys have ever attempted. More falsetto, please!
Caribou - Swim I still don't know what to make of this album, but I like the fact that whenever I listen to it I feel like I'm wandering aimless in the Canadian hinterland.
BOTH LIKED Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record Mark: This album brings up all sorts of good associations for me stretching back to high school. The opener suggests U2, "Meet Me in the Basement" sounds like a Bradford Cox collaboration, "Sentimental X's" has a Postal Service feel, and the album closes with a distinct M. Ward flair. A handful of moments on this album even remind me of Juny (seriously, listen to the opening lead guitar in "World Sick" or the synth on the chorus of "Texico Bitches"). Jack: I have nothing to add aside from my already-stated affinity for "Chase Scene". A great album-lover's album.
Beach House - Teen Dream Mark: Tony says their sound "seems to speak to 'these days,'" and I'd say that's about right. Dan M. says "Zebra" makes him think of the civil war, which I don't quite understand, but I don't think it's bullshit. I suppose I'd say that Beach House has a foot in some trends without sounding trendy. Or to put it as pithily as possible, Beach House is of the moment but not ephemeral. Jack: I think this is one we disagree about. (If I correctly understand him.) I love this record. It's like My Bloody Valentine on quaaludes (maybe it's the fact that you can't always tell which voice is singing and which is singing background... their voices meld so well together). At any rate, it gives me a bit of a tingle inside whenever I hear the weird buzz of "Silver Soul". I just want to hear it again.
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach Mark: Chill, electronic hip-hop. Imagine TV on the Radio relaxing by a pool (or a beach! a plastic one!) with a margarita, only they're talking about the end of the world. Jack: Musically, it's invigorating: The Snoop Dogg song after the intro, with its G-funk bass, signals greatness that follows on every track of the album. Highlights include "Sweepstakes" (Mos Def), "Some Kind of Nature" (Lou Reed) and "Rhinestone Eyes" (Damon Albarn all by his lonesome). But all purely musical considerations aside— thematically, that is— it's a pretty stunning concept album. I'd venture that Plastic Beach is going to be THE definitive album of "these days". (Sorry Beach House.) Why's that, you ask? Oh, I dunno. Just a hunch...
the New Pornographers - Together Mark: There are some mediocre moments (even Neko Case's voice can't lend life to "My Shepherd") but on the whole it's a thoroughly enjoyable album that earns the power-pop billing. Jack: Hello, Neko. I still love your voice. Could you just tell Carl Newman to write you some barn burners like he used to? If I wanted to hear midtempo alt rock, I would listen to your solo albums. (And I do. They're good.) At least we got "Your Hands Together" out of it. Also, Dan Bejar: Never change. Finally, good call giving Kathryn Calder her own song and not just having her sub for Neko during live shows. Still guys, good effort overall.
Spoon - Transference Mark: I like the album, especially when I'm driving. I love "Trouble Comes Running" with all my heart, and the part of "Written in Reverse" where Britt Daniel screams "IIIIIIIII'mm-nossstandinere!" makes me want to get in a fight. Jack: Notthebest, butstillprettygood. I mean, it's Spoon. It's not like it's possible to suck. "Who Makes Your Money" just might be the coolest song they've recorded. Maybe not the best. Just cool.
Now, the only question I have is: Does this give all of us ins next time they play in our respective areas? I am eying that Off Broadway show with even more an interest now.
It's that time of year again. Yep: Year-end list season. We at the SadBear, along with a few compatriots, have taken it upon ourselves to compile lists of our favorite albums from 2009. Note that we are not exactly calling these the "best" albums of the year. These are simply a few albums released in 2009 that each of us found compelling. Top two, top five, top ten, whatever we thought was enough.
One thing is clear: We all have different tastes. There's not one album that appears on every notable list. Not surprising, considering our indidivual music tastes.
To see each person's lists and explanation of why we enjoyed the albums that we enjoyed, see after the jump.
Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard (and Jack Kerouac), One Fast Move and I'm Gone: Music from Kerouac's Big Sur - Especially the first song on the album, California Zephyr. I like the sweet optimism and resignation in the song. I like the use of the word "Zephyr," and the song really captures some great scenes of a cross-country trip and the whole spirit of Jack Keroauc's sense of being lost and at home at the same time.
-Steve Earle, Townes - I like Steve Earle. I probably like his versions of these songs better than the originals. I was also impressed by the way he did this whole project as a tribute that didn't tip over into hagiography or romanticization. At this point in my life I appreciate people who have and demonstrate a vision of art that's not about the Dionysian and self-destructive. I kind of felt Earle was rescuing this work from the stupid ravages of "look ma, I'm killing myself with art," and maybe this was his way of telling Townes and also Earle's own younger self that the music, actually, would have been better if he could have found away to settle down and be okay.
-Bob Dylan, Christmas in the Heart - Maybe I only like this because I'm an eternal Dylan devotee and also this album does a really good job at supporting the thesis of a piece I've been working on for way too long now about Dylan's religious development. But ... I actually think the album is hilarious and awesome. It sounds like a drunk uncle leading an egg nog sing-a-long, has the aesthetics of an AA meeting on Christmas Eve, and could easily be preformed by a Pentecostal Pastor caught up with the spirit of the season and crooning along to a "Season's Greetings" mix CD played on an oversized boom box in a store front church.
-Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, "Home (single)" - I haven't heard the whole album and I am somewhat antagonistic towards anybody doing the faux-hippie thing, but I liked Home, the single from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. If I told you why I liked it, it'd sound like I was talking about what they have here in Germany at the "disco," like Lady Gaga or Justin Timberlake or even Madonna, and it is all those things, catchy and poppy, fun and danceable, and also it's weird, with like the aesthetics and sound of a one-man-band in the park and also a commune at the same time, which is a contradiction, I know, but one that makes you want add some music while you listen. Which is pretty cool. As is the whistling intro.
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion 2. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic 3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest 4. Dan Deacon - Bromst 5. The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come 6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix 7. The Antlers - Hospice 8. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs 9. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer 10. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Jon Oatess
These are my five favorite albums, in alphabetical order (by title).
Flaming Lips - Embryonic Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come Animal Colelctive - Merriweather Post Pavilion Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures Wilco - Wilco [The Album]
I have a list that's not really in any order of 2009 albums**. I thought I had a "Top Ten List" in which all albums were in specific order. But it never works out that way, so I ditched it. I guess I'll do it alphabetically by band.
-Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion— Remamber the term "freak-folk"? Sounds so dated now, especially that the ultimate prognosticators of it are doing full-on psych rock.
-Arctic Monkeys, Humbug— Josh Homme forever and ever, amen. These blokes actually have some muscle behind their Kinks-wannabe story-songs, and it kicks some major ass.
-Boston Spaceships, The Planets Are Blasted - Bob is in full-fledged Who-mode here with his own personal power trio. It's the best thing he's put together, since, jeez... Universal Truths and Cycles? And even that had like 18 tracks. This is short(er) and has virtually no throwaways— a rarity in the GBVerse. Supposedly the other album he recorded with them this year is even better (on top of the two or three solo albums which aren't as good), but I have not heard it yet.
-Ha Ha Tonka, Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South— My greatest-ever under-the-radar find. They're from Springfield so I sort of like to consider them "my band." Anyway, the album: Lots of foot stompin', hand clappin' and good ol' hillbilly twang filtered through Uncle Tupelo grage/ country punk and a tinge of the Shins.
-Grizzly Bear, Veckatimist— A little boring, yes, but perfect mood music. Great dynamics: The musical highs hit just perfectly after lulls in songs to warrant repeat listens.
-Mos Def, The Ecstatic— "Magnetic, the flows are athletic..."
-Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix— I have never been to Paris, or Versailles, but listening to this is what I imagine living in France would be like: Walking by in the morning, drinking coffee and having lunch at an outdoors cafe in the afternoon, and going clubbing by night. Idealistic, yes. But Phoenix are the Platonic form of French cool.
-Thermals, Now We Can See— Hutch Harris. The man knows how to write a fucking guitar hook. Billie Joe Armstrong obviously needs to be taking notes these days.
-Wavves, Wavves— Washed out harmonies on top of distorted fuzz guitar. Basically, my wet dream when it comes to music.
**Other than all of that, I mostly just listened to a bunch of Neil Young, R.E.M., and Uncle Tupelo/ Wilco. Whoopie.
"Turns out I don't really listen to new music without having Jack as my roommate. Here are the albums I most obsessively listened to in 2009, by year of release."
Yip/Jump Music, Daniel Johnston
More Songs About Buildings and Food, Talking Heads
69 Love Songs, Magnetic Fields
Albatross: How We Failed to Save the Lone Star State with The Power of Rock and Roll, Fishboy
That's right, I'll drop some Chaucer references on our fuckin blog. You a-holes can nerd out about fonts and I'll do so about really liking to read the C-Tales in their original Middle English.
I'd like to throw my dissenting hat in the ring, most because I disagree with the title "unworthy" for this years' release schedule. All of these listed "noteworthy" albums fall short of "worthy" because, well, most of 'em aren't even in the top ten.
+ Battles – Mirrored + Black Lips – Good, Bad, Not Evil + LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver + Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta! + Justice – Cross + Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover + !!! - Myth Takes + Daft Punk – Alive 07
James Murphy has released 2 albums in the past 18 months. One was a single track (45:33 minutes long) of beats, blips, and bombast. It's a workout mix, but it is also sweet. The other one was Sound of Silver.
Gogol Bordello is authentic Eastern European stomp/ punk/ dub reggae/ a drunken night on the town with some Ukranian sailors (as opposed to Beirut, who just sounds like Stephen Merritt anyway).
Justice said "Let there be rock and roll, and then once they created it and called it good they actually renamed it dance.
Sunset Rubdown IS BETTER THAN WOLF PARADE. Which might not be a legitimate criticism, but considering how much all of our friends love it, begs the question WHY HAVEN'T ANY OF THEM BESIDES ME HEARD IT?
!!! debases rock'n'roll to sexual urges and impulses. Yes, this has been done before (see: Chuck Berry, Elvis) but !!! do it in such a way that you feel like fucking, dancing, taking mushrooms AND playing air guitar. Eat your motherfucking heart out, Jimi.
And Daft Punk takes all of their already awesome songs and combines them. Like, not just one after another. But into one another
But wait. That's only 8. What's left?
+ Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? + Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Self-parody, maybe. Cell phones and Outback steakhouse, yes. But the most fun I have ever had listening to an album on repeat without getting old? Yes. 12 minute dance epics about depression? Yes.
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is not Kill the Moonlight. No. Of course not. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a different record than Kill the Moonlight. That's the point. KIll the Moonlight was sexy, immediate, sparse. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is romantic, a gradual incinerator - full. Did you hear those horns?If you listen close, you can hear him talking and them humming the guitar line before the guitar line starts.
