10. FRANZ FERDINAND | Tonight
09. PHOENIX | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
08. METRIC | Fantasies
07. JULIAN CASABLANCAS | Phrazes for the Young
06. CYMBALS EAT GUITARS | Why There Are Mountains
05. THERMALS | Now We Can See
04. AVETT BROTHERS | I and Love and You/GRIZZLY BEAR | Veckatimest
03. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE | Merriweather Post Pavilion
02. THE VERY BEST | Warm Heart of Africa
01. PASSION PIT | Manners
My Top Albums of 2009
Here's the list, folks. I tried to find the albums on Lala, hence the linked titles. Give them a listen for free there if you're interested. Do it before Apple turns the site into an arm of iTunes!
01 - Curse Your Branches - David Bazan - I've long been a fan of Mr. Bazan's work, but rarely has he been this "on." Each song on here is perfectly crafted and really interesting, from both musical and lyrical standpoints. Love it.
02 - Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors - This is, admittedly, a kinda weird album, but man, oh man is it fun to listen to. The lead guitar work is nutty, the vocal harmonies are prominent and precise, and the structures of the songs owe enough to pop music to be followable, but there are always at least a couple of tricks to keep you guessing and relistening.
03 - Noble Beast - Andrew Bird - Andrew Bird gets a bit back on course and put out the fitting follow-up to "Mysterious Production of Eggs." While nothing on here is quite as immediately satisfying as "Eggs," the more I listened to this, the more rewarding I found it.
04 - Middle Cyclone - Neko Case - Another triumphant disc by Ms. Case. She's such a great singer and interesting songwriter. I particularly love the piano chorus on the Nilsson cover.
05 - Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear - This is likely to be in the top five or so of every critic's list this year, so I doubt I can say anything to shed any light on it. Two Weeks is a rad song.
06 - Actor - St. Vincent - St. Vincent took everything from her prior disc and improved on it for this one. I love the complex instrumentation on these songs. I wonder if the other members of Sufjan's entourage have as much talent?
07 - Dark Was the Night - Various Artists - I can't believe I'm actually putting a compilation disc on my list, let alone one that is two discs long. That said, this is a simply phenomenal release, with a really great who's who in indie music these days. Also, any album that can put a one-two-punch like The National's "So Far Round the Bend" and Yeasayer's "Tightrope" back to back deserves some serious acclaim.
08 - Hazards of Love - The Decemberists - They're my favorite band. Of course they're going to make my list.
09 - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective - Like the Grizzly Bear album, this is going to be on a ton of lists. It's Pitchfork's album of the year and it's really good. Also, my sons love "My Girls."
10 - Manners - Passion Pit - Finn really got me into this album if you can believe it. I liked it before he heard it, but his insistence on listening to "dance music" ("Little Secret" and "Make Light," specifically) so often this summer really made me love this disc.
Honorable Mentions:
Person to Person - Foreign Born
Embryonic - Flaming Lips
See Mystery Lights - YACHT
The Ecstatic - Mos Def
Bromst - Dan Deacon
Hospice - The Antlers
Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free - Akron/Family
Catacombs - Cass McCombs
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
Top Songs of 2009:
There were some really fantastic songs this year, that you should hear, if you're so inclined.
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
Lisztomania - Phoenix
So Far Round the Bend - The National
Psychic City (Voodoo City) - YACHT
Please, Baby, Please - David Bazan
People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case
Cannibal Resource - Dirty Projectors
Two - The Antlers
My Girls - Animal Collective
The Rake's Song - The Decemberists
Movement III/Movement IV - Sufjan Stevens
Little Secrets - Passion Pit
Walkabout - Atlas Sound
Tightrope - Yeasayer
When it Stings - Pictures of Then
Nothing to Worry About - Peter Bjorn & John
Science is Real - They Might Be Giants
Best Reissues:
There was this band called The Beatles who had their catalog remastered and reissued. I kinda liked that a little bit.
Top Five TV Shows of 2009:
Lost
Party Down
Fringe
True Blood
Top Chef
Community
Finn & Leif's Favorite Songs of 2009:
The Alphabet (Backwards)
The Alphabet
Wake Up - Arcade Fire
My Girls - Animal Collective
Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles
Ob La Di, Ob La Da - The Beatles
Polly Wolly Doodle - Wiggleworms
Nine Bowls of Soup - They Might Be Giants
Party in My Tummy - Yo Gabba Gabba!
White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
Bob the Builder Theme - Bob the Builder
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
2010 Sneak Peek:
Here are some bands whose forthcoming albums I'm looking forward to.
Frightened Rabbit
Retribution Gospel Choir
Yeasayer - Odd Blood (I've heard it. It rocks the 80's vibe big time and is soooo good.)
A new Sufjan Stevens album maybe, please?
The Shins
The Decemberists
Spoon
Twin Making Sounds
(Most of) My Favorite Albums of the Decade:
I'm very sure I've missed a few here, so the comments section will likely have a few additions in the coming days.
Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams - 2000
Ágætis Byrjun - Sigur Ros - 2000
Figure 8 - Elliot Smith - 2000
Kid A - Radiohead - 2000
Birds Flying Away - Mason Jennings - 2000
Rome (Written Upside Down) EP - Les Savy Fav - 2000
Poses - Rufus Wainwright - 2001
The Strokes - This is It - 2001
White Blood Cells - White Stripes - 2001
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco - 2002
Hearts of Oak - Ted Leo/Pharmacists - 2003
The Black Album - Jay-Z - 2003
Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins - 2003
Funeral - Arcade Fire - 2004
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - 2005
The Mysterious Production of Eggs - Andrew Bird - 2005
Picaresque - The Decemberists - 2005
Gimme Fiction - Spoon - 2005
Illinois - Sufjan Stevens - 2005
Apologies to the Queen Mary - Wolf Parade - 2005
Everything All The Time - Band of Horses - 2006
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Neko Case - 2006
Writer's Block - Peter Bjorn & John - 2006
Return to Cookie Mountain - TV On The Radio - 2006
Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer - 2006
Boys & Girls in America - The Hold Steady - 2006
Boxer - The National - 2007
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes - 2008
Feed the Animals - Girl Talk - 2008
Hey all,
It's time for the time-honored, annual tradition of crafting and sharing our lists of favorite things. For the uninitiated, please follow loosely the rules and categories below. Feel free to pick and choose in which ones you will participate, or create your own subcategories. It's a free-for-all.
The Top Ten
List your ten favorite albums (released between 12/1/08 and 11/30/09) in order of preference. A little sentence or two about the qualities of each album are encouraged.
Click the link below for more categories:
11-20/Honorable Mentions
List as many (or as few) albums that didn't quite make it to the top ten. Again, personal reflection on the album is always encouraged.
Missed the Boat in 2008
Your favorite albums from last year that you didn't get around to enjoying until this year. 3- 5 albums is usually enough, but go crazy if you like.
Biggest Disappointments
Did you have high hopes for an album(s), only to have them dashed against the rocks of mediocrity? Tell us the details, please.
Diamonds in the Rough
Sort of a cousin to the Biggest Disappointments category. Were there great tracks on otherwise crappy/boring/sub-par albums?
Favorite albums 2000-2009
The decade of the aughts is nearly behind us. What were your favorite albums of the last ten years?
'10 Wishlist
What releases are you most anticipating for 2010? Which ones have you already heard you internet-addicted, bit-torrenting music thief?
Best Live Shows
Who/What/When/Where/Why
Dust-off's
What older albums from your collection did you come back to and really enjoy?
Genre Sucker
What genre (if any) did you favor over the others this year?
Over-hyped?
What was least deserving of unadulterated praise?
Other Media Exist
Perhaps you're not a music-snob. Tell us of something else you enjoyed seeing/reading/doing this year.
| So I think I just sent you a partial email. Stupid technology. I can't remember if this is what I wrote before, but I'll try. Jessica's Top Nine Songs of 2008 to Listen to On Repeat During the Wee Hours of the Morning. 1. The Virgins - "Rich Girls" Best super-hipster dance song of 2008. I didn't want to like it, but I couldn't help myself. 2. Fleet Foxes - "He Doesn't Know Why" Sometimes I dislike (or ignore) the things that everybody else likes, simply out of principle. But I really like this entire album. And this song? "I was looking at you there and your face looked wrong"? Come on. It's good. You want to sing along; so do it. 3. The Dodos - "Eyelids" Yes, it's only 57 seconds long, but it's the best song on the album. 4. Bon Iver - "Re: Stacks" Again, I can understand if you're sick of hearing about this album, or if you think it's overrated. My initial attraction to the whole project was how and where it was recorded. I've been in Boston for three and a half years now, and although I know dozens and dozens of people from New York, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, even Florida, (etc.) my interactions with other Midwesterners (particularly Plains States Midwesterners) is limited and rare. People have no idea where Iowa is. Or, they say the name of the state (or the Midwest) like it's in quotes. Seriously. So when I stumbled across this album and read about the whole Wisconsin/hunting cabin thing, I was intrigued. And then the music was utterly sad-bastard. Perfect. I don't know what he's saying during the chorus, something about stacks and racks and backs and something-something-low/load... The point is, "Skinny Love" is a good song; "Re: Stacks" is a great one. It's sad and leisurely in that movie soundtrack kinda way. 5. French Kicks - "Said So What" You should listen to this band. On the surface, it might be easy to mistake them for just another super-trendy-hipster-fashionista band, but they consistently put out excellent music. I saw these guys open for Ladytron a few years ago, and they rock live. (Even though all the cool kids in the crowd were too anxious to hear "Seventeen" to appreciate them.) 6. Panda Bear - "I'm Not" I'm cheating with this one - the album was out in 2007, but I didn't hear it until 2008. "Comfy in Nautica" is a great song, sure, but "I'm Not" is more distinctive. But seriously, what's with all the animal name bands? I tried to explain this to a friend of mine, but he seemed to think I was crazy. There are a lot of animal band names, right? Or did I just not notice until this year? 7. Atmosphere - "Shoulda Known" Yes, I realize this is the song from the album that all the stiletto and halter top wearing nineteen year old girls with fake id's will "woo" at and dance to. "Woooo! Ohmahgawd I luv this song! Woooo!" But don't let those squealing, Red Bull-and-vodka'd-up idiots prevent you from shaking your own ass when you hear it, 'cause you should. It's a baby-making song (just don't listen to closely to the lyrics if you're actually making babies and not just, you know, practicing). 8. MGMT - "Electric Feel" (Hangs head in shame.) 9. Wolf Parade - "Call It a Ritual" I don't like the second album as much as the first and I wasn't, initially, particularly impressed by this song. Then I saw them live. Spencer Krug was wearing capri pants - and he was still a million times cooler than everyone else. Best show I saw all year; quite possibly the best show I've ever been to, actually. Anyrate, good tune. Top Eight Movies of 2008 Keep in mind that I have yet to see some of the later-released films of 2008. But so far and in no particular order... 1. In Bruges. Hilarious. 2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 3. Reprise. Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it. 4. WALL-E. No kidding. 5. The Wackness. 6. The Dark Knight. 7. Tropic Thunder. So funny I almost peed. 8. Frost/Nixon. Top Nine WORST Movies of 2008 Hyun and I see a lot of movies. Two (sometimes three) a week. Yes, that's a lot and no, I don't have kids. Also? Grad school. I don't have the money to travel or buy things, so movies it is. 1. Charlie Bartlett. What a truly awful movie. What was Robert Downey, Jr. doing in this? 2. Vantage Point. In general, I don't usually agree with the broader public's taste in movies, but in this case I do. We saw this in a packed theater on a Friday night and it was excruciatingly heavy-handed, and everyone knew it. It's an action/drama film, but the audience couldn't stop laughing. Kind of restored my faith in humanity. 3. 10,000 B.C. You may be asking, Jessica, why do you see such shitty movies? My answer is that we see a lot of movies - not everything that comes through the theater, but pretty close. And so when it's a Friday afternoon and you've seen everything else you might decide to see the big, shiny, CG action-packed piece of crap, okay? 4. Wanted. Angelina Jolie sucks. Sorry. James McAvoy is lovely, but the ideology of this movie stinks. It is, essentially, a flashy, exploding, blood and guts advertisement for fascistic (is that a word? it is now) monarchy. This movie is so frighteningly unaware of its own ridiculousness. 5. Speed Racer. I wanted to punch that kid and that monkey. 6. Sex and the City. I know it's a guilty pleasure for a lot of people (for me as well, I guess; I did see the movie after all), but it exemplifies pretty much everything that's wrong with our society. Sorry. 7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars. So bad we walked out (we NEVER walk out of movies) and watched the last half of Tropic Thunder again. 8. Righteous Kill. Who continues to let Pacino and De Niro "act"? Can they be put out to pasture already? 9. 88 Minutes. Absolutely, hands down the worst movie I saw this year. Maybe the worst movie I have ever seen. We walked out of this one as well. Opening serial killer scene with two female, Asian roommates (who may or may not have been sisters) that totally fetishizes both women. They're strung up and killed (well, one of them is) in a fashion that I can only describe as pornographic. Jump to Al Pacino's 18 year old girlfriend doing naked yoga in their apartment. And that's when we left. What a steaming pile of shit, pardon my French. |
Mickey said I NEEDED to do a post, so here it goes - my top 3s.
Top 3 Albums:
Fleet Foxes. Finn really, really likes listening to this (well, with Mickey holding him down saying "you will like indie music")
Bon Iver. This was 2007, but if other people list it in 2008, so will I. I, like Erika, listened to Skinny Love for a week.
Girl Talk. Yes! I love this album. We had to stop listening to it in the car when Finn sang "whadcha know about that? I know all about that" with the music. (yes, that really happened, and yes, he could have chosen worse lyrics to sing).
Finn's top 3 requested songs:
Crane Wife 3 (Decemberists)
Sons and Daughters (Decemberists)
Rocky Raccoon (Beatles)
Top 3 Girls' Nights Out:
Sex & the City/Brewhouse/Red Star
My Birthday at Red Star/Brewhouse/Red Star
The first time we all went out post-babies to the Brewhouse and Red Star
Top 3 reasons we had to take Gracie to the vet:
bladder incontinence (she is now on estrogen, much like a menopausal woman)
yeast infection in her ear
torn CCL
Top 3 worst radio shows (since Justin did it):
Prairie Home Companion
Speaking of Faith
Midday with Gary Eichten (Let's listen to a speech and then talk about something entirely unrelated and boring)
Top 10 best radio personalities:
Kai Ryssdal
Scott Jagow (I have a thing for the marketplace men)
Kerri Miller
Neal Conan
Liane Hansen and Will Shortz during the Sunday morning puzzler (sorry Justin, I like Will)
Peter Sagal/Carl Kasell (I bet Justin hates wait, wait don't tell me)
Lynne Rossetto Casper
Steve Inskeep
Michele Norris
Robert Siegel
Dear readers, I apologize for the laziness of my lists. They are written for a different forum that I contribute to and contain preaching-to-the-choir details and explanations considering the current content and the level of musical depth in this group. I bow to your superior elitism and creative writing skills.
I will thank you for all contributing though, I get a nice laugh every year reading your lists.
Bryan
Favorite albums 08 (new releases):
1) Fleet Foxes - self titled
My morning jacket meets the shins. I'll admit that there isn't stunning originality here but they do what they do very well. Plus, My Morning Jacket's release this year was pretty disappointing and the Shins released last year. I'll settle for a combination of the two...for now.
2) The Walkmen - You and me
Can't get enough of the bluesy rough-around-the-edges vocals and unpolished feel of this album. Occasionally I like my albums shimmering with perfect and sparkly production but I would never want The Walkmen to go that route (see Girl Talk). Its the most endearing aspect of their music.
3) The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
Folksy lo-fi with simple melodies and witty lyrics. 2 parts poet : 1 part musician.
4) Girl Talk - Feed the animals
This music is the complete opposite of my personality. Maybe it gives me the most to learn from. Did I mention its freely available on the interweb? If you haven't heard of GT its a genre called mashup which consists of samples on top of samples mixed with samples in a light sample sauce. The central core of the music is hip hop so be prepared for swares.
5) Sea and Cake - Car Alarm
The Sea and Cake are an old standby for me. Again, I find myself liking a vocalist that wouldn't last one second on american idol. He sings with very airy-whisper-voice that doesn't quite seem to be hitting the notes on perfect pitch. I'm pretty sure he would fail out on Rock Band too. The music is kindof a softer jazz that can occasionally stumble upon something that resembles rock.
Favorite albums 08 (old releases):
1) Boston - self titled
I'm pretty sure Rock Band had everything to do with my rediscovery of this album.
2) U2 - War
Never a disappointing listen. Remember when Bono used to be so relevant?
3) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Shake the sheets
Good positive energy. A pick-me-up when everything sounds too depressing.
4) Fulflej - Wack Ass Tuba Riff
Fun pseudo-seriousness. Sometimes its fun to get really amped-up about things that don't matter in the big picture...like the difference in quality between casette tapes and cds or vhs and dvd...
5) Superdrag - In the valley of dying stars
One of my old standbys for a rockin' air guitar bang on your steering wheel good time.
Favorite Songs (new releases):
Single Ladies - Beyonce
White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
California Girls - The Magnetic Fields
Kids - MGMT
In the new year - The Walkmen
Favorite Songs (old releases):
Hand in my pocket - Alanis Morrisette
Peace of mind - Boston
40 - U2
Moonage Daydream - David Bowie
Under the bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Be sure to click "read more" at the bottom, because for some reason, the summary version of this is just picking random sentences and putting them as my post. Makes it very odd. The full version seems to work.
Welcome to the most informed James McDonald Top 10 post in history. This is largely thanks to 89.3 The Current, which despite abandoning common sense and leaving the listening area, James is still able to stream online from his office. James misses Minnesota.
10: Ben Folds - Dr. Yang. I miss the 5 (three), but Mr. Folds does just fine by himself. Keep it up, Ben.
9: The Kooks - Always where I need to be. I'm not sure why I don't want to like these guys, but I can't. I can't not like them, and I don't know why not.
8: Michael Franti and Spearhead - Hey World. What can I say. I wear a black suit with a black topcoat, black leather gloves, little designer glasses, black wingtips, and go to court to represent the biggest nameless faceless organizations ever conceived. Banks. Let me live vicariously through Michael Franti for a bit, eh?
7: The Hold Steady - Lord I'm Discouraged. I had absolutely no idea these guys could play like this. I always liked them, but this solo is so insanely over the top that it comes all the way back around and becomes cool again. And not just cool, but rad. And that's hard to do.
6: Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer. Where's my slingblade?
5: MGMT - Time to Pretend. Awesome. This is some of the stuff I always wanted to do with Pictures of Then, but didn't have the talent or the drugs to pull off. Super super super catchy.
4: She and Him - Why do you Let Me Stay Here. Who would have thought the girl from Elf and Almost Famous is ... a part of this? How much of a part is she really? Is the other guy doing 90% of this? Either way, someone's doing good work here.
3: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal. The recording itself is the best part. I imagine it was recorded in a massive abandoned wooden church that's been snowed in for weeks. They're living by candle light and eating beans over a fire of broken pews. That's the sound I hear. Probably happened in some dude's basement with a laptop.
2: The Ting Tings - That's not my name. Groove music for people that aren't suicidal or medicated. This song gets better and better as it progresses. It's like a happy version of Soul Coughing's stuff. On a sidenote, I heard it acoustically once in studio and it sucked. Don't be something you're not. The album version, like Ron Burgundy, is the balls.
1: Delta Spirit - Trashcan. How did someone not come up with this piano riff before? I love the recording (see Fleet Foxes). Too many songs like this are ruined by being massively overproduced (see Modern Country Music). This is a good example of hands off producing. Short, simple, interesting, catchy. It sounds freaking great. Makes me want to buy a piano.
No Points Awarded To
1: Bon Iver. I do not understand you. Your songs all sound the same. Whiny, and in falsetto. I do not like you.
2: Oasis. Some people like your new stuff because it sounds like your old stuff. It sounds to me as though you took your old stuff and remixed it on a fisher price 4 track.
3: Conner Oberst. A LOT of people like your stuff. I cannot stand you. You sound like you researched Bob Dylan and determined that you absolutely have to sing like crap if you have deep and creative lyrics. Please stop being popular so I can ignore you and don't have to continue wondering what I'm not understanding.
Thanks for reading.
James
