Mickey's Lists 2009!

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

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Let the listing begin!

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.

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Let me try this again.

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.

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Keely!

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

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Bryan's favs '08

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

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Christmas Rambo's Top 10 (+/- 4)

Despite my best efforts, I did manage to listen to 5 or 6 new albums this year while constructing my basement masouleum (spellcheck? persnickity?), which I think constitutes a quorum, or a plural majority, or some other term that I don't understand.

 

6. Fleet Foxes "Poorly Mixed Music"- Speaking of not understanding, I do not understand the appeal. This music is boring. Just because you wear flannel but don't work in a Oregon lumberyard does not make your music cool. Mickey, I even tried listening to "Ragged Wood" a number of times, which I was hoping would be a song about the dangers of lumberjacking (again, based on the flannel) or possibly a caveat about failing to use lotion during "me time." Seriously, though, I don't get it.

 

5. Metallica - "Death Magnetic" -

Metallica - Our last album sucked. Everyone hates us. What should we do? Make another therapy documentary?

Rick Rubin - Make the same album you made 20 years ago, like your fans have been saying for the last 19.9 years.

Metallica - Really?!?!

 

There are some beautifully heavy moments here ("The Judas Kiss"), but the lyrics and singing are SO awful that it's impossible to love ("My Apocalypse"). I guess the appeal in the old stuff is that it will never be reproduced. Ever.

 

4. Smoking Popes - "Stay Down" - Okay, the only time I listened to this was in a car in Wisconsin, and there was something seriously wrong with my sensory processing system. Or seriously right. Anyway, Mickey was saying...something...about the album. And there was, like, the best song I'd ever heard. And then the worst--yeah, it was terrible. Actually, I'm not sure. Was the album called "Muffin?"

 

3. My Morning Jacket - "Evil Urges" - The good here is excellent rock - the title track, "Amazed," "Highly Suspicious" and "Aluminum Park." James's falsetto is fantastic, and the guitar interplay is excellent. Lyrically, it's good and not just pretentious. Warning: there is some serious Yacht Rock on here. I mean, some serious "F___ you, Loggins" s___. 

 

2. Girl Talk - "Feed the Animals" - Sometimes, you'll find yourself at work, absentedmindedly completing a task, and a student/coworker will ask, "What are you saying to yourself?" Not realizing you were singing anything, you look down and see your lips mouthing, "B_____ was pai'/ Dat's all I gotta say," over and over, from your new favorite CD.

 

If you're going to legally download one album this decade and pretend you can't pay for it, close your "In Rainbows" browser tab and go to "Illegal Art" immediately. I would rescind my Obama vote and cast one for Greg in a second, if I could. He can make consensus out of anything.   

 

Best moment - Shawty Lo/ Blur/ Elvis Costello on "Here's the Thing." Holy s____.

 

1. Vampire Weekend - I really wanted to hate these guys. I hate the Manhattan/Cape Cod focus. I hate the look. I hate an omnipresent organ/piano. But it is so ridiculously good and it makes you feel good and it has made Christmas Rambo into a good person. C-Ram walked into a Vietnamese grocer, laid down his bandolier of alcohol and weapons, and asked, "Is your bed made? Is your sweater on? Do you something something? Like you know I dO, oO, oO! oO, oO!, oO!" And then everybody was singing and was happy and shared some pho.

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James's Top Ten!

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

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RE: Join my network on LinkedIn

To Whom It May Concern:

I'm not sure where you found this email address, but rest assured I am not interested in your "LinkedIn" Network. I'm just here to check the meter, love. And to write my Top Ten. No time for the old (linked)"in out."

10. Of Montreal | Skeletal Lamping: I love this band so much I've even seen the singer's hog. I'd link the pic, but I don't want to run the risk of another tubgirl. This album almost lives up to that dong. It's better than tubgirl.

9. The Kooks | Konk: Fun!

8. Hot Chip | Made In The Dark: Compelling unexpectedness at every turn, plus hooky enough for the mainstrizzeam and dance-y enough for E-Dog.

7. Mates of State | Rearrange Us: A great marriage of melody and harmony, drummer and organist.

6. The Hold Steady | Stay Positive: Holly was a hoodrat, Craig probably hit that shit; thenhe got three albums out of it.

5. Blitzen Trapper | Furr: Fewer noisy moments than Wild Mountain Nation, which I like. Lost the lo-fi edge to their sound, which I am indifferent about. Wrote some bitchin' melodies and got a little jammy, which I love! Alright!

4. (tie) The Killers | Day & Age: I never thought I'd like a Killers album. But then I never thought the Killers would make Day & Age. I always saw it as a Springsteen/ Bowie/ Talking Heads collabo. Or that's what it wounds like to me anyway.

4. (tie) MGMT | Oracular Spectacular: Please pass the acid. Then write a song about things I like using notes and tunes I like!

3. Fleet Foxes | s/t: If I could rate a Body of Work of the Year... wait, I can. See below.

2. Girl Talk | Feed the Animals: Better than before. Tortfeazor's got nothing on this chump. More like Tubman than Tubgirl.

1. Vampire Weekend | s/t: A little kwassa kwassa, a little soukous, a little literature. Something for every ethnomusicology major/ prat/ me!!!! The melodies, the instrumentation, the attitude make this unlike anything I had ever heard. Too bad they weren't around the night back in '02 when we owned New York, maybe we could have pulled a name drop or two.

Body of Work of the Year (a Back-Handed Award, granted by discoursive essay):

Hey, Fleet Foxes. Good year, huh? Yeah. I know, right? Listen, about your Body of Work: dudes, the Sun Giant EP was just so good. Mykonos is your best song. Your absolute best. Oh, you know?!? Well shut the fuck up then because I'm not done. Okay. Mykonos is your best song. English House is a great fucking song. Shut up, shut up for a second. Drops in the River is as ambitious if not moreso than anything on your self titled record. That EP was so damn good! But the LP, dudes. Man. Not a let down in any sense, but still a letdown to me. It just begs the question: do you have any pot?

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1) Blizten Trapper –furr

The best raddest record of the year.

 

2) My Morning Jacket Evil Urges (June 10, 2008)

Rock and roll, fun and a song about a librarian, how could I not.

 

3) Haley Bonar | Big Star

I am glad all Minnesota artists are not bound for early artistic death.

 

4) re-release Whiskeytown's "Strangers Almanac" as a double-disc deluxe edition

Young drunk Ryan Adams runs a close second to Kevin Costner and slightly above Richard Dean Anderson in my heros book.  It is a re-release, but the new material alone makes it.  NOTE: I also may add Jeremiah Johnson to my heroes list even though he is a fictional character.  I can never make a final determination though because Christina thinks this beautiful film is boring, yet (yet!) she bought it for me.  Explain that to me please.

5) Josh Ritter - Live at the 9:30 Club

I realize re-releases and live albums are a bit faux pas on this blog.  Forgive me.  This is a hangover pick from last year's Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter.  Live he sounds pretty amazing (not that I would know of live music in North Aurorastan).  Don't believe me?  Check out this hyper linked text to another website with the information of which you do not believe in here, or here.

Honorable Mention for best church choral ensemble

Fleet Foxes  

 

Honorable Mention for artist most in need of Paxil

Bon Iver 

I do have a weak spot for this type of music I am just not sure I know how to "Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere"? 

 

Poopiest poop of the year

The Cardinals Cardinology listening to the free stream of this album when it came out was one of the worst decisions I made in 2008. 

 

Did Mason do anything this year?  If he did it also belongs here.

 

Special Bonus Rankings:

Best Internet Release of the Year

Jon La Joie Bootlegs & B-Sides

Worst Radio Programs

1) Weekend America

2) Day to Day (ha ha you're canceled, thank you economy)

3) Using a public non-profit news station's airtime (and website) to promote a "position" opposing light rail.   I am not a journalist but this seems a bit unethical.

4) Car Talk

Best Irish Whiskey
Jameson (I know you're 400 years old Bushmills, but you're simply not as smooth.)

Worst things
 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources- Killing sleeping bears, mismanaging the deer herd, million dollar game warden parties and taking 5 years to finish an environmental impact statement for Polymet.  They literally had to study deer herd migration patterns through an existing mine pit. 

Best Smile
Maarit's

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The Top of the Pops in 2008 (according to Erika)

Top Ten Albums:

10. it's a toss up between The Tallest Man on Earth-- Shallow Grave, and Lykke Li-- Youth Novels

9. Women-- s/t

8. Azeda Booth-- In Flesh Tones

7. Fleet Foxes-- (on a related note, have you listened to their first album? it's like they know they're on to something, but they caaaan't quite pull it together. it's sort of funny and totally endearing.)

6. Shearwater-- Rook

5. Dodos-- Visiter

4. No Age-- Nouns (this should probably be ranked higher. one of the few truly durable albums of the year.)

3. Bon Iver (who didn't have Skinny Love on repeat for at least a week?)

2. The Walkmen-- You & Me

1. Beach House-- Devotion (obsessed!)

Dust-offs/Other stuff I've been enjoying:

Electrelane-- The Power Out (SO. GOOD.)

Junior Boys-- So This is Goodbye (it refuses get old)

Built to Spill-- The Normal Years

Other Good Stuff (not necessarily born in '08):

YouTube video: Drinking From Cups

Books: White Noise by Don DeLillo; Oh What a Wonderful World It Seems by John Cheever

Movies: Persepolis, Dark Knight, The Orphanage

Blogs: Cassette From My Ex, The Sartorialist 

Baby: Leif 

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Kyle's Tops

Thought I'd throw in my top albums before the fork names theirs. I
haven't looked at anyone's list yet to keep a virgin mind in there.

I'll start at the top with the best since number one is the only one I
feel that strongly about.

1. Fleet Foxes - Whatever the Name of that Fleet Foxes Album Is
Best album of the year, bar none. Even their live youtube video
footage is awesome.

The rest is all kind of any order

2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Ever Ago
Solely because I think every list needs some Wade music.
3. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
4. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
5. Vampire Weekend
6. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
7. Smoking Popes - Likely since I haven't listened to enough albums

Other than this, my life is so disgustingly work-related that I can't
even comment. I listened to the Deerhunter album once which seemed
OK, but it needs more listens. I hope to do better next year.

Good live shows this year:
Ryan Adams continues to impress, his band is tight.
Deerhoof was great, I'd like to see them again, but we only caught a few songs.

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Report from Stillwater Prison - Adam's List

Sexiest Albums of the Year!

1. Bon Iver -  For Emma, Forever Ago  

2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

3. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals

4. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

5. Sun Kil Moon - April

6. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

7. Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords

8. Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid 

9. American Music Club - The Golden Age

10. Ray LaMontagne - Gossip in the Grain

2008 Disappointments

Mason Jennings -  Annual winner/loser for the past 6 years.

Ryan Adams - How did someone so interesting become so boring?

Guster - Your disappointments also transfer year to year even if you don't release new material.

2008 Guilty and Not So Guilty Pleasures

Pandora - I recently fell back in love after entering "Sigur Ros" as a new station.

"You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds - Does the new album suck? Yes it does.  Does this song suck? I don't think so. I think it's awesome.

"Valerie Plame" by The Decemberists - This track proves they can continue to make music that still sounds new and original. 

Google - Whatever I need, you provide. Thank you for now offering Chrome, Streetview, Sketchup, Video Chatting, Goog-411, and Google SMS. 

Slickdeals.net - Jessica (Keller) Williams, I blame you for this addiction.

Increased whiskey, scotch, bourbon, and brandy consumption - What can I say?

Jenny Lewis - Her voice is so hypnotic. 

Tubguy - One guy sitting in a tub with a recent copy of The Week, some bubbles, and three fingers of Findlaters. 

Chris Dane Owens' "Shine on Me" video - Hard to believe he could follow up the amazing production work on Animal Planet's "Who Gets the Dog?" with this masterpiece.

Looking Forward To In 2009:

New Franz Ferdinand album

New Sufjan Stevens album

Live @ GAC 10 year reunion concert (November 2009)

New DJ Tort Feasor track

Robert Skoro sightings (0 in 2008)

6 figure deal for The Great American Novel (I'm looking your way Random House.) 

New Jens Lekman album

New seasons of Flight of the Conchords, Lost, and Big Love.

Wii Motion Plus

A worthy successor to Settlers of Catan (Ticket to Ride?)

More Christmas Rambo

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Mickey's Lists of 2008!

Mickey's Top Ten of 2008
1 - Fleet Foxes - s/t - This and Girl Talk may as well be tied for best, but longevity may favor the Foxes. Also, I can play it in front of the boys, which I can't say for Girl Talk.

2 - Girl Talk - Feed the Animals - Was there any inkling Mr. Gillis could have outdone Night Ripper? Not only does he do things one better, he also gave away the album for free.

3 - Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight - These guys manage to be cliched on paper: Acoustic guitar, keyboards, drums, bitter songs about breakups. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

4 - Dr. Dog - Fate - Another triumph by the boys of Dog.

5 - Smoking Popes - Stay Down - Dear Rivers Cuomo, Please relinquish your first two Weezer albums to Josh Caterer. Thank you. - Mickey Pearson (PS to the haters - I understand that Little Jane-Marie is unapologetically cheesy, but I'm a father now and can sympathize with Caterer.)

6 - TV on the Radio - Dear Science, - This band is unstoppable.

7 - Haley Bonar - Big Star - She may have abandoned Duluth, but it seems to have benefitted her outlook on life, as the songs here have a tinge of Prozac to them.

8 - Department of Eagles - In Ear Park - The lead Grizzly Bear dude does roughly the same thing as his GB stuff, but manages to make it a lot less echoey and more structured. Delish!

9 - The Dodos - Visiter - Sort of like Animal Collective's Sung Tongs, but more accessible. Lots of fun.

10 - She & Him - Volume One - Zooey Deschanel showcases her awesome voice with M. Ward's great musicianship behind.

More past the break...

Honorable Mentions:
The Decemberists - Always the Bridesmaid series
Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Doomtree - S/T
Tim Fite - Fair Ain't Fair
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - Pershing
Rhymefest - Man in the Mirror
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

Albums I'd probably like a lot if I'd listened to them more:
The Knux - Remind Me In 3 Days...
Jeremy Messersmith - The Silver City
Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

Best Songs, alphabetical by artist: (Download this mix here)
Furr - Blitzen Trapper
Highway 16 - Haley Bonar
Gold And a Pager - The Cool Kids
Valerie Plame - The Decemberists
No One Does It - Department of Eagles
Foam Hands - Destroyer
Fools - Dodos
Gander Back - Doomtree
From - Dr. Dog
Big Mistake - Tim Fite
Ragged Wood - Fleet Foxes
The Modern Leper - Frightened Rabbit
Tracks 1-6 on Night Ripper - Girl Talk
Lisa - Albert Hammond Jr.
One For the Cutters - The Hold Steady
Will Get Fooled Again - Max Tundra
Cookie Breath - Nathan McKee
Time to Pretend - MGMT
You Swan Go On - Mount Eerie w/Julie Doiron & Fred Squire
Autoclave - The Mountain Goats
A Few Words In Defense of Our Country - Randy Newman
Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River
Carolina Drama - The Raconteurs
Sentimental Heart - She & Him
Inní mér syngur vitleysingur - Sigur Rós
If You Don't Care - Smoking Popes
Boring Fountain - Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
Golden Age - TV On the Radio
Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
The Grey Estates - Wolf Parade

Finn's Favorite songs of 2008:
1 - Riding in My Car - Wiggleworms
2 - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - They Might Be Giants
3 = Yellow Submarine - The Beatles
4 - White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
5 - Streets of Fire - The New Pornographers

Best (read: only) movie I saw in the theater:
The Dark Knight

Wishlist '09:
A new Sufjan Stevens album, please
The Shins
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Spoon

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Listing 2008! NOW!

Welcome to the top tens blog. It's a yearly tradition for us to get our lists of best things together and celebrate our phenomenal taste.

If you're here, you probably received an e-mail or facebook thing regarding submissions and such, so refer to that. The post preceding this one (Rules 2008) has guidelines for the uninitiated. If you're nerdy like me, you can subscribe to the RSS feed at the bottom of the page so you can be notified when new posts & comments are available.

Let the listing begin!

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The Rules - 2008

Here are the suggested categories and guidelines for top ten list submission. 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 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 2007

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?

'09 Wishlist

What releases are you most anticipating for 2009? 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.

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Grant's Top Ten

2007 Top 10:

1) Radiohead - In Rainbows
2) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
3) Amon Tobin - Foley Room
4) Art Brut - It's a Bit Complicated
5) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
6) Spoon - GaGa...
7) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
8) Black Lips - Good Bad not Evil
9) Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis
10) Dizzee Rascal -Maths + English

Honorable Mention:
Elliott Smith - New Moon


Top 3 albums that Timbaland made so much worse in 2007:
1) Bjork - Volta
2) M.I.A. - Kala
3) Timbaland - Shock Value

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Kyle's Top Ten one Worst

Tops

10.  Band of Horses
9.  Animal Collective
8.  New Pornos
7.  Menomena
6.  The Good, the Bad, and the Queen
5.  Battles
4.  Patrick Wolf
3.  Okervil River
2.  Spoon
1.  The National

Worst of All Categories (topping My Humps of a previous year)

Soulja Boy

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Bryan's top picks

Because of my underexposure to new music and overexposure to pure science, I will have to try something different this year.  I’m going to let the statistics speak for themselves without dolling them up with artificial subjectivity purely for street cred.  Here is what iTunes tells me I listened to the most this year:

 

Bryan’s Tops circa 2007

 

1. The Shins – Wincing the Night Away
2. Radiohead – In Rainbows
3. Damon Albarn and Co. – The Good, The Bad, The Queen
4. The Chemical Brothers – We Are the Night
5. Underworld – Oblivion with Bells
6. Jarvis Cocker – The Jarvis Cocker Album
7. The Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist
8. Beck – Timebomb (single)
9. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Some Loud Thunder
10. Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity

 

Honorable mentions:

 

Fiest – The Reminder

Studio – Yearbook 1

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

 

You might observe that I need a special weighting feature to rearrange the albums in an order that prioritizes fast movers which came onto to the 2007 scene late (Underworld) above those which have been out for awhile (The Shins).  I will let you know when I have developed such a weighting feature.  Additionally, I will tell you that every album beyond Sky Blue Sky falls under the category 4 listens or less (noise level). The most listens (maximum signal) goes to The Shins with only 18 plays.  As my signal/noise ratio is quite low this tells you that I didn’t listen to music nearly as much as I should have. Lastly, I will also comment that I didn’t like “We Are the Night” that much but I obviously kept listening to it desperately wanting to enjoy it...

 

Thanks for sharing everyone,

B

 

 

 

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Rob's Tippy Top Tens/ 2007

Due to the release of several boss albums between December 15-31 2006, I decided to hold off on listing my 2007 Tops until the end of the calendar year. Apologies to the new Lupe Fiasco (released Dec. 18, 2007), here are my Top 10:

10. Wincing The Night Away/ The Shins
9. Transparent Things/ Fujiya & Miyagi
8. A Weekend in The City/ Bloc Party
7. In Rainbows/ Radiohead
6. Alive 2007/ Daft Punk
5. Cease to Begin/ Band of Horses
4. Our Earthly Pleasures/ Maximo Park
3. Ga x5/ Spoon
2. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?/ Of Montreal
1. Sound of Silver/ LCD Soundsystem//

Others of Note I Really Liked:

Eponymous/ The Good, The Bad, & The Queen
Let's Stay Friends/ Les Savy Fav
The Magic Position/ Patrick Wolf
We Were Dead Before We Even Released This Record/ Modest Mouse (feat. Sean Primley)

Looking Forward to in '08:

New Franz
New Sufjan
New Vampire Weekend
Bonin' my new Wife
Reading more of Wade's novel submissions
Time with E-Dog
Time with my dog
More Adam
Stickin' it to the man, my new Wife

Mickey, thanks for hosting this; Micah, fun seeing you at Trivia, Last but not least, I'd like to thank the Lord for my music taste. Without Him, well, I'd rather not think about that. Think about that, haters.

-Rob

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Adam Says!

Adam Says!

Top Seven Albums 2007

1. Jens Lekman - This is the only album of the year that I can play
over and over and not be bored. This was also the only concert I saw
in 2007. He's so awesome.
2.The Tough Alliance -awesome
3. Band of Horses - awesome
4. Rilo Kiley - awesome
5. Okerville River - awsome
6. Iron & Wine - almost awesome
7. Ryan Adams - Just for fun!
8. ?????? The soundtrack to Dewy Cox is pretty funny.
9. ?????? Panda Bear Sucks!
10. ?????? It has not been my favorite year for music.

Top Three Skoro Sightings of 2007

1. March @ 331 Club - It was the last Sunday living in NE before
Nicole and I moved to Stillwater, so we decided to take advantage of
the discounted Bloody Marys. I had two of them and then decided to
break the hard news to Skoro. He seemed to understand the significance
and was sorry that I had to go.

2. March @ 331 Club - Later that evening, Robert Williams and I
decided to beat the crap out of everyone at 331 bar trivia. We won a
bar tab which allowed us the extra confidence to bullshit with Skoro.
He asked for my ID claiming to have forgotten me from 4 hours
previous. Rob asked if we could trade the bar tab for a copy of
'Proof'. That didn't fly, so he made us his favorite drink, the
Sidecar.

3. July @ Afton - After swimming at Afton State Park, Nicole and I
were driving home and stopped at a roadside garage sale. Skoro and
friends pulled up and looked around too. A friend of his purchased an
ice cream sandwich at a nearby gas station. He looked as though he
recognized me. I made no such look.

Top Six Lines from the Great American Novel

1. Justin tossed the bit of Internet in Mickey's cage.
2. His strokes were wild and free. His golf cart was fast and
careless. He was laughsterbating into a Nepali ornamental headdress.
3. "So they sent the message, a $10,000 bill upon which Rob had
supposedly written "Let's Party," then drawn some breasts upon
one-time Secretary of the Treasury Salomon P. Chase, before signing it
simply "Rob!"
4. "Mr. President," said Private Boline, "if he isn't ready, I didn't
graduate from college."
5. The man had flashed the gorgeous ocular magnets again, thrown the
frisbee out of bounds to lose the game, and sashayed away.
6. Kyle's scrotum had returned to human size, but Billington was
running up and down the shoreline, playing with Kyle's pants.

Top Four Ways to Get the Final Point in Settlers

1. Build the longest road by stealing it from someone else
2. Play a victory point card after just having bought it
3. Build a City for the first time and still win
4. Lay down the third soldier card to get the Largest Army

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