Joy DivisionMy 25 Favorite Albums of 2009:
25. Sun O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions // Ambient, noise; Almost simultaneously scary and beautiful at times. ***
24. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust // KOR is no Lost Souls, but it does have some pretty great moments. Even if the album itself is sort of schizophrenic with its flashes of what-the-kids-want-now electronic pop, “Winter Hill,” “Spellbound,” and “Lifelines” are sure to please any fan of well-crafted, layered brit-rock. All in all, it’s nice to see an elegant and bold return to form for them after a couple of boring affairs. ***
23. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today... // The first thing you notice about Mew upon first listen is how unique they are. (Labeling them properly certainly requires hyphenated words.) This is pretty impressive considering how accessible they are. The other striking thing you notice about them is their keen sense of melody, rhythm, and production. “Introducing Palace Players,” “Repeaterbeater,” “Hawaii,” and “Tricks Of The Trade” would be the standouts for me. The whole album is pretty remarkably paced though. Even if it's not as good as ATGHK. Great “pretentious art rock” band. ***
22. Delorean - Ayrton Senna EP // I love this dance-y electronic pop music that's very much in the vein of Air France, Cut Copy, etc. It is quite addicting and I can't wait to see them in March. "Senna" has one of the best grooves this year and the remix is probably even better. ***
21. Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth // Art-y indie rock in the vein of TV on the Radio or Yeasayer, but more sublime. It's a grower. "You Do You," "Lovesick Teenagers," and "Casual Goodbye." ***
20. Sonic Youth - The Eternal // What really can I say about a band that has quite honestly shaped the way I listen to music? Even though I didn’t care for Rather Ripped, this band has gone through several transformations since the glory days. And they pretty much do what they want at this point, as they have absolutely nothing left to prove. Add “Massage The History” to the list of SY classics. ***
19. Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP // Atlas Sound's Logos was pretty good too, but this is more consistent I think. Short and sweet effort from my neighbor. I love Atlanta! ***
18. 800beloved - Bouquet // Understated (and underappreciated) throwback to 80s indie pop music. Kinda like the XX, but better. "Skeleton Collection" will stop the world and melt with you. ***
17. The Antlers - Hospice // Pitchfork discovery right here. Funeral-esque in feel. Not as majestic or anything although it has its moments. Very depressing, but that won't stop you right? Overall pretty sincere and heartfelt stuff. "Two" is really good, but I still like "Kettering" the best. I got this really eerie sense of dread the first time I heard it. Like I was really in for it. ***
16. Various Artists - 5: Five Years Of Hyperdub // Double-disc dub-step compilation. If you like dubstep and Burial, you'll dig this. If not, you probably won't. Speaking of Burial, he's on it. And "Fostercare" is one of his best songs. Zomby, Darkstar, Ikonika, and King Midas Sound are really good too. ***
15. Fleeting Joys - Occult Radiance // Shoegaze by-the-numbers. And my favorite kind of shoegaze as well. Not the droning brit-pop of yesteryear kind (The Sleepover Disaster). Or the scuzzy Sunset Strip BRMC/JAMC kind (Gliss). But rather takes its playbook from the genre's early 90's canon. It's basically this year's best attempt at recreating MBV's Loveless. Doesn't succeed, of course, but it sure is pleasant. Even great at times. Especially on "You Are The Darkness." They really need to tour. ***
14. O+S - O+S // Orenda from Azure Ray. Would probably rate this higher, but I've only been listening for a month. Very much in the vein of Cat Power, et al. Straightforward, heart-on-sleeve female singer-songwriter kinda stuff. Very well-produced. I dig it. "New Life" is as elegant as they come. ***1/2
13. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar // Sprawling ambient/ dream pop album. Better and more coherent than their solid debut. With its vast scope and indirect approach to song structure, it really tries to eschew the concept of zeroing in on a single track. But I pinpointed the ones with some of the best moments. "Close Chorus" and "Passionate Introverts." But you really owe it to yourself to experience this spacious album in its entirety. Headphones recommended. ***1/2
12. Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind // Best post-rock band in existence? i'm probably rating this so high because i saw them live and was completely floored. If you dig this kind of loud-quiet-loud instrumental stuff at all, I'd check them out. "The Battle To Heaven" is a titan of a song. ***1/2
11. Love of Diagrams - Nowhere Forever // Noise-rock/indie rock. Got dropped by their label. A very good thing because it made them release a great album. The self-titled EP showed potential, but didn't contain anything special. Well, now they are. Think Dirty-er Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, etc. Grows on you with repeated listens. ***1/2
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! // You've all probably heard this, but "Zero" is one of the songs of the year. By the way, none of them are subpar. ***1/2
09. The Horrors - Primary Colours // Joy Division, Pornography-era Cure, accessible Bauhaus, etc. post-punk throwback band. This time, album delivers. Unlike, say, The Killers and other pop bands like that, Horrors dare to use feedback and other atonal qualities to give their songs more character and definition. A band that I thought/hoped would really get huge this year and usher in a "New Ice Age," but didn't. Oh well. ***1/2
08. Metric - Fantasies // I listened to this more this year than probably any other '09 album. First 6 songs are impeccable. The "Waves" b-side wasn't included. If it was, this album would be top 5 material easy. The last 4 songs are spotty and don't really measure up to the first 6 IMO, but what can ya do? I'm sure you've all heard this. ***1/2
07. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion // You've all heard this. I'm not big on Animal Collective, but I really did enjoy the even-numbered songs on this album. "Bluish" is amazing. "My Girls" is too. The odd-numbered ones got old after an initial fascination back in January. [On a side note: they really fell back out of favor with me after their latest EP though. I don't want to hear songs about smoking weed and watching construction workers pissing.] ***1/2
06. Fever Ray - Fever Ray // Hey it's what's-her-face from The Knife. No, but seriously. I like this more than I like The Knife's albums to be honest. It's much more intimate. "When I Grow Up" and "Keep The Streets Empty For Me." ***1/2
05. White Lies - To Lose My Life // Post-punk, new wave, brit-rock band in the vein of The Sound, Interpol, Editors, etc. The first three songs on this album are spectacular. Utilizes one of my favorite guitar sounds of all-time. ***1/2
04. Yagya - Rigning // Perhaps the best ambient artist currently recording music? Eno and Aphex Twin 's best ambient work had this evocation of modern environments: airports, hospital waiting rooms, other modern facilities. Yagya is all about nature. Rigning isn't groundbreaking like his 2002 Rhythm Of Snow album, but anywhere's a good starting point with him. ***1/2
03. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart // Shoegaze/Twee-pop. In fact, the ultimate splicing of these two genres. I'm sure you've heard it, but if not, it is a must-hear. If this band dared to crank their amps up sometimes (such as at the end of "Stay Alive"), they'd be out of this world. Anyway, this album is really addicting. Every song above average and memorable. ***1/2
02. National Skyline - Bliss & Death // Art rock/shoegaze. NatSky's first new album in 8 years. Jeff Garber was in the emo-turned-heavy-post-punk band Hum during the mid-90s. This band was formed because he wanted to record a really long song. That song didn't happen and they made some incredible art rock recording instead that sounded like they could have been answers to OK Computer or Priest = Aura. This album is less experimental than their earlier stuff, but still very well-produced and lush. Lots of good songs with interesting twists and turns. "Glimmer," "Revenge," and "Kingdom." The guitar textures of Dempsey (also from The Joy Circuit) are lovely and often evoke late 80s and early 90s indie bands. Great for headphones. ***1/2
01. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns // The only 4-star album for me this year. And it's a good one. Kind of like Saturdays = Youth last year, but everything is sultry; sweet; and sophisticated in that very feminine way. I knew this girl had talent with Fur and Gold in 2006, but now she's truly released something spectacular. Album does seem to kinda taper off toward the middle-end, but it really doesn't. It only seems to because "Pearl's Dream" is so damn good. And not even a song as good as "Good Love" (which would be the standout on most albums) can follow it. "Daniel" is appearing in many top 10 song lists this year - and I don't disagree. But "Pearl's Dream" is still better. Hell, "Glass" and "Sleep Alone" would probably make my Top 20. This album is just phenomenal and I love Natasha Khan very much right now. ****
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Other albums I heard this year with star ratings and key songs:
AC Newman - Get Guilty [***]
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast [***]
Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP [*1/2]
Asobi Seksu - Hush [**] "Familiar Light"
Atlas Sound - Logos [***] "Walkabout" and "Quick Canal"
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue [**]
The Black Lips - 200 Million Miles (WORST album of the year)
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP [**1/2]
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career [***] "French Navy"
The Church - Untitled #23 [***]
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains [*1/2]
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love (2nd worst)
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca [**]
dredg - The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion [**1/2]
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening [**]
Engineers - Three Fact Fader [**1/2]
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport [***] "Surf Solar"
Girls - Album [*1/2] "Hellhole Ratrace"
Gliss - Devotion Implosion [***]
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest [***] "Two Weeks" and "Ready, Able"
Headlights - Wildlife [***]
JJ - jj n 2 [**]
Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper [***]
Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers [***] "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time"
Memory Tapes - Seek Magic [***] "Bicycle"
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone [**]
Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms [*1/2]
Passion Pit - Manners [**]
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [***] "1901"
Real Estate - Real Estate [*1/2]
Scarlet Youth - Breaking The Patterns EP [***]
Screen Vinyl Image - Interceptors [***]
A Shoreline Dream - Recollections Of Memory [***]
Silversun Pickups - Swoon [***] "Panic Switch"
The Sleepover Disaster - Hover [**1/2]
St. Vincent - Actor [***]
Dark Was The Night [***] "Tightrope" and "Lenin"
Volcano Choir - Unmap [***]
Wavves - Wavves (3rd worst)
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers [***] "The Fun Powder Plot"
William Basinski - 92982 [***]
The xx - The xx [**]
YACHT - Mystery Lights [***] "Psychic City"
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs [**1/2] "More Stars Than There Are In Heaven"
25. Sun O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions // Ambient, noise; Almost simultaneously scary and beautiful at times. ***
24. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust // KOR is no Lost Souls, but it does have some pretty great moments. Even if the album itself is sort of schizophrenic with its flashes of what-the-kids-want-now electronic pop, “Winter Hill,” “Spellbound,” and “Lifelines” are sure to please any fan of well-crafted, layered brit-rock. All in all, it’s nice to see an elegant and bold return to form for them after a couple of boring affairs. ***
23. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today... // The first thing you notice about Mew upon first listen is how unique they are. (Labeling them properly certainly requires hyphenated words.) This is pretty impressive considering how accessible they are. The other striking thing you notice about them is their keen sense of melody, rhythm, and production. “Introducing Palace Players,” “Repeaterbeater,” “Hawaii,” and “Tricks Of The Trade” would be the standouts for me. The whole album is pretty remarkably paced though. Even if it's not as good as ATGHK. Great “pretentious art rock” band. ***
22. Delorean - Ayrton Senna EP // I love this dance-y electronic pop music that's very much in the vein of Air France, Cut Copy, etc. It is quite addicting and I can't wait to see them in March. "Senna" has one of the best grooves this year and the remix is probably even better. ***
21. Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth // Art-y indie rock in the vein of TV on the Radio or Yeasayer, but more sublime. It's a grower. "You Do You," "Lovesick Teenagers," and "Casual Goodbye." ***
20. Sonic Youth - The Eternal // What really can I say about a band that has quite honestly shaped the way I listen to music? Even though I didn’t care for Rather Ripped, this band has gone through several transformations since the glory days. And they pretty much do what they want at this point, as they have absolutely nothing left to prove. Add “Massage The History” to the list of SY classics. ***
19. Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP // Atlas Sound's Logos was pretty good too, but this is more consistent I think. Short and sweet effort from my neighbor. I love Atlanta! ***
18. 800beloved - Bouquet // Understated (and underappreciated) throwback to 80s indie pop music. Kinda like the XX, but better. "Skeleton Collection" will stop the world and melt with you. ***
17. The Antlers - Hospice // Pitchfork discovery right here. Funeral-esque in feel. Not as majestic or anything although it has its moments. Very depressing, but that won't stop you right? Overall pretty sincere and heartfelt stuff. "Two" is really good, but I still like "Kettering" the best. I got this really eerie sense of dread the first time I heard it. Like I was really in for it. ***
16. Various Artists - 5: Five Years Of Hyperdub // Double-disc dub-step compilation. If you like dubstep and Burial, you'll dig this. If not, you probably won't. Speaking of Burial, he's on it. And "Fostercare" is one of his best songs. Zomby, Darkstar, Ikonika, and King Midas Sound are really good too. ***
15. Fleeting Joys - Occult Radiance // Shoegaze by-the-numbers. And my favorite kind of shoegaze as well. Not the droning brit-pop of yesteryear kind (The Sleepover Disaster). Or the scuzzy Sunset Strip BRMC/JAMC kind (Gliss). But rather takes its playbook from the genre's early 90's canon. It's basically this year's best attempt at recreating MBV's Loveless. Doesn't succeed, of course, but it sure is pleasant. Even great at times. Especially on "You Are The Darkness." They really need to tour. ***
14. O+S - O+S // Orenda from Azure Ray. Would probably rate this higher, but I've only been listening for a month. Very much in the vein of Cat Power, et al. Straightforward, heart-on-sleeve female singer-songwriter kinda stuff. Very well-produced. I dig it. "New Life" is as elegant as they come. ***1/2
13. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar // Sprawling ambient/ dream pop album. Better and more coherent than their solid debut. With its vast scope and indirect approach to song structure, it really tries to eschew the concept of zeroing in on a single track. But I pinpointed the ones with some of the best moments. "Close Chorus" and "Passionate Introverts." But you really owe it to yourself to experience this spacious album in its entirety. Headphones recommended. ***1/2
12. Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind // Best post-rock band in existence? i'm probably rating this so high because i saw them live and was completely floored. If you dig this kind of loud-quiet-loud instrumental stuff at all, I'd check them out. "The Battle To Heaven" is a titan of a song. ***1/2
11. Love of Diagrams - Nowhere Forever // Noise-rock/indie rock. Got dropped by their label. A very good thing because it made them release a great album. The self-titled EP showed potential, but didn't contain anything special. Well, now they are. Think Dirty-er Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, etc. Grows on you with repeated listens. ***1/2
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! // You've all probably heard this, but "Zero" is one of the songs of the year. By the way, none of them are subpar. ***1/2
09. The Horrors - Primary Colours // Joy Division, Pornography-era Cure, accessible Bauhaus, etc. post-punk throwback band. This time, album delivers. Unlike, say, The Killers and other pop bands like that, Horrors dare to use feedback and other atonal qualities to give their songs more character and definition. A band that I thought/hoped would really get huge this year and usher in a "New Ice Age," but didn't. Oh well. ***1/2
08. Metric - Fantasies // I listened to this more this year than probably any other '09 album. First 6 songs are impeccable. The "Waves" b-side wasn't included. If it was, this album would be top 5 material easy. The last 4 songs are spotty and don't really measure up to the first 6 IMO, but what can ya do? I'm sure you've all heard this. ***1/2
07. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion // You've all heard this. I'm not big on Animal Collective, but I really did enjoy the even-numbered songs on this album. "Bluish" is amazing. "My Girls" is too. The odd-numbered ones got old after an initial fascination back in January. [On a side note: they really fell back out of favor with me after their latest EP though. I don't want to hear songs about smoking weed and watching construction workers pissing.] ***1/2
06. Fever Ray - Fever Ray // Hey it's what's-her-face from The Knife. No, but seriously. I like this more than I like The Knife's albums to be honest. It's much more intimate. "When I Grow Up" and "Keep The Streets Empty For Me." ***1/2
05. White Lies - To Lose My Life // Post-punk, new wave, brit-rock band in the vein of The Sound, Interpol, Editors, etc. The first three songs on this album are spectacular. Utilizes one of my favorite guitar sounds of all-time. ***1/2
04. Yagya - Rigning // Perhaps the best ambient artist currently recording music? Eno and Aphex Twin 's best ambient work had this evocation of modern environments: airports, hospital waiting rooms, other modern facilities. Yagya is all about nature. Rigning isn't groundbreaking like his 2002 Rhythm Of Snow album, but anywhere's a good starting point with him. ***1/2
03. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart // Shoegaze/Twee-pop. In fact, the ultimate splicing of these two genres. I'm sure you've heard it, but if not, it is a must-hear. If this band dared to crank their amps up sometimes (such as at the end of "Stay Alive"), they'd be out of this world. Anyway, this album is really addicting. Every song above average and memorable. ***1/2
02. National Skyline - Bliss & Death // Art rock/shoegaze. NatSky's first new album in 8 years. Jeff Garber was in the emo-turned-heavy-post-punk band Hum during the mid-90s. This band was formed because he wanted to record a really long song. That song didn't happen and they made some incredible art rock recording instead that sounded like they could have been answers to OK Computer or Priest = Aura. This album is less experimental than their earlier stuff, but still very well-produced and lush. Lots of good songs with interesting twists and turns. "Glimmer," "Revenge," and "Kingdom." The guitar textures of Dempsey (also from The Joy Circuit) are lovely and often evoke late 80s and early 90s indie bands. Great for headphones. ***1/2
01. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns // The only 4-star album for me this year. And it's a good one. Kind of like Saturdays = Youth last year, but everything is sultry; sweet; and sophisticated in that very feminine way. I knew this girl had talent with Fur and Gold in 2006, but now she's truly released something spectacular. Album does seem to kinda taper off toward the middle-end, but it really doesn't. It only seems to because "Pearl's Dream" is so damn good. And not even a song as good as "Good Love" (which would be the standout on most albums) can follow it. "Daniel" is appearing in many top 10 song lists this year - and I don't disagree. But "Pearl's Dream" is still better. Hell, "Glass" and "Sleep Alone" would probably make my Top 20. This album is just phenomenal and I love Natasha Khan very much right now. ****
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Other albums I heard this year with star ratings and key songs:
AC Newman - Get Guilty [***]
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast [***]
Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP [*1/2]
Asobi Seksu - Hush [**] "Familiar Light"
Atlas Sound - Logos [***] "Walkabout" and "Quick Canal"
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue [**]
The Black Lips - 200 Million Miles (WORST album of the year)
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP [**1/2]
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career [***] "French Navy"
The Church - Untitled #23 [***]
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains [*1/2]
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love (2nd worst)
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca [**]
dredg - The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion [**1/2]
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening [**]
Engineers - Three Fact Fader [**1/2]
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport [***] "Surf Solar"
Girls - Album [*1/2] "Hellhole Ratrace"
Gliss - Devotion Implosion [***]
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest [***] "Two Weeks" and "Ready, Able"
Headlights - Wildlife [***]
JJ - jj n 2 [**]
Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper [***]
Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers [***] "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time"
Memory Tapes - Seek Magic [***] "Bicycle"
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone [**]
Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms [*1/2]
Passion Pit - Manners [**]
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [***] "1901"
Real Estate - Real Estate [*1/2]
Scarlet Youth - Breaking The Patterns EP [***]
Screen Vinyl Image - Interceptors [***]
A Shoreline Dream - Recollections Of Memory [***]
Silversun Pickups - Swoon [***] "Panic Switch"
The Sleepover Disaster - Hover [**1/2]
St. Vincent - Actor [***]
Dark Was The Night [***] "Tightrope" and "Lenin"
Volcano Choir - Unmap [***]
Wavves - Wavves (3rd worst)
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers [***] "The Fun Powder Plot"
William Basinski - 92982 [***]
The xx - The xx [**]
YACHT - Mystery Lights [***] "Psychic City"
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs [**1/2] "More Stars Than There Are In Heaven"
