2009 Year End Round Up

[erik.]

Well guys and gals. First off hope everyone had some good recent holidays and here's to an improving 2010. I know things have been relatively quite round here the past couple months, but being a sort of tradition I thought I go ahead and start the post for the best of 2009.

Top Music
1. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
2. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
3. Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers
4. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - The Century of Self
5. MuteMath - Armastice
6. Fastball – Little White Lies
7. As Cities Burn – Hell or High Water
8. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
9. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
10. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
11. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
12. Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
13. Editors - In This Light and On This Evening
14. The Church – Untitled #23
15. Muse – The Resistance
16. Rob Thomas - Cradlesong
17. Bell X1 – Blue Lights on the Runway
18. Franz Ferdinand – Tonight
19. Cartel – Cycles
20. New Found Glory – Not Without A Fight

Top Movies
Star Trek, District 9, Inglorious Basterds, Angels & Demons, Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

Alright, look forward to some lists from others, any comments, and of course more good music in 2010.

[texasyesfan]

Interesting that you posted this now Eric. I had actually been working on my top music list over the past couple of weeks. Here it is as it stands today. It may change over the next week or two, as I go back and listen to each album more critically. I'll post my "final" listing on Facebook with some comments in the near future.

1. Fastball - Little White Lies
2. Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy
3. Rocco Deluca - I Trust You To Kill Me
4. Wilco - Wilco
5. Billy Harvey - The Everlasting War
6. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
7. Buttercup - The Weather Here
8. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
10. The Bird And The Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
11. St Vincent - Actor
12. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
13. Muse - The Resistance
14. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
15. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Disappointments:
1. Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
2. Neil Young - Fork In The Road

Best EP:
Modest Mouse - No One's First And You're Next

We do have a few in common, Eric, although I was surprised to see DMB's new record at the top of your list. I was a big DMB fan years back but got turned off by their more recent stuff and didn't really pay attention to Big Whiskey. I'll have to go back and check it out.

*(edit: I left out Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca. How on earth could I have left it out? I think I thought it was from 2008. First revision coming soon.)

[erik.]

Yeah I'd been thinking about it for a while too, re-listening, etc. I figured I had to take into account some of the albums that I couldn't help but keep playing because they were so poppy and energetic which is why bands like Cartel and NFG made the longer list.

Yeah, DMB is a surprise to me also. I used to like them back in the mid-90s but fell off when their stuff became far too commercial and just lost the uniqueness. But this album has much more emotion and much more heart to it. I think much of it as a result of the death of their saxophonist in 08. Much of the album is in memoriam to him - his likeness is on the cover, the first song Grux is a sax solo, and he was the Groogrux King.

I'm glad to see you liked Grizzly Bear. Their sound is so intriguing. Every time I hear them I think of redwood forests in California and old 50s station wagons. It's weird, it's like it's so warm and comfortable. To me they're like Radiohead meets the music from Pete and the Wolf.

And I totally agree about the Modest Mouse EP, it was fantastic. Whale Song and King Rat are wonderful and both had beautiful videos.

I'll have to address some disappointments and left offs separately, but in the meantime here are two more bests:
Best Soundtrack – New Moon
Best Compilation – Dark was the Night

[erik.]

Leavings - Okay so I left off some albums that could have or should have been in the list. "It's Blitz!" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and "21st Century Breakdown" by Green Day. I like "It's Blitz" but I found that I didn't listen to it nearly as much as others or even listen to the whole thing through a lot. I'm more saddened by Green Day. I like them and I liked the album; however, I think that this album was overdone by a mile. They put too much effort into make a concept or rock opera album and I think spent less time in realizing a well made album. It feels long, way long, even just a few songs in. This is somewhat due to long and often repeated instrumental sequences that feature frequently throughout the album. I somewhat feel that taking the best 10 or so of the albums best songs would have made for a better more consistent effort. Others that I enjoyed but just didn't get into well enough for consideration – The Horrors "Primary Colours", Julian Casablancas "Phrazes for the Young", Phoenix "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix", 30 Seconds to Mars "This Is War", Devendra Banhart "What Will We Be", John Mayer "Battle Studies".

Disappointments – First Wilco. I hate it. I did like the album. I was; however, hoping to get a bit more of what the band developed musically in "Sky Blue Sky" with this album. The Bravery took a turn to the darker synth side with "Stir the Blood". The vocals, lyrics and feel of the album are so depressing, and it generally lacks the up tempo somewhat up beat singles that have been present on the first two albums. Our Lady Peace "Burn Burn". I have been desperately waiting for OLP to make and OLP album again. "Spiritual Machines" is just beautiful, but the band's decision to ditch Arnold Lanini was a mistake and it cost them their guitarist. The band's Bob Rock produced albums, and this self-produced album have found the band struggling (unsuccessfully) to define themselves as a more commercial rock band. The sad thing is that they already defined themselves perfectly with their first 4 albums. Third Eye Blind "Ursa Major" was front loaded with 4 decent songs while the rest of the album suffered from uninspired ballads, bad rap attempts, poor and ineffective lyrics, etc. such that listening beyond the first several tracks is hard task to accomplish. With the start of the album I had reasonably high hopes, but they fell flat quickly and hard beyond track 4.

[erik.]

PS - First recommendation for 2010 "Astro Coast" by Surfer Blood. And Vamp-heads can rejoice for "Contra" today. Some will be pleased to know that I'm listening to it, and will do some for a bit before offering any comments about it. Going good so far though.

[shinobiman]

OK here goes...

1. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
2. Fastball - Little White Lies
3. Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers - Pandemonium Ensues
4. Muse - The Resistance
5. Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
6. Band Of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
7. The Elms - The Great American Midrange
8. Weezer - Raditude
9. Jet - Shaka Rock
10. Cheap Trick - The Latest
11. The Love Willows - Hey! Hey!
12. Blue October - Approaching Normal
13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
14. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
15. Living Colour - Chair In The Doorway
16. Collective Soul - Collective Soul
17. Morningwood - Diamonds & Studs
18. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
19. Tinted Windows - Tinted Windows
20. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

I actually really LOVED Third Eye Blind's new album... although I agree with you in that it does lose steam after the 4th song... but the songs towards the end of the album are beautiful and the lyrics speak volumes to me (on songs like Dao Of St. Peter and Monotov's Private Opera).

Biggest Surprise of 2009 -
The Love Willows - Hey! Hey!

This unknown duo came out of nowhere for me when they appeared on itunes randomly. The album was only released digitally. It was intended for a physical release in 2008, but the record company dropped the band before it could be released. Interesting story about this band. Light hearted power pop with a female vocalist whose voice just captivates me for some reason. They are a duo, and the male/female harmonies are spectacular. Definitely check these guys out.

Biggest Disappointment of 2009 -
Superdrag - Industry Giants

One of my favorite bands releases an uninspired and boring album.

So far in 2010... OK GO has wowed me with a fantastic new album (Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky) that actually changes up their sounds a bit... but it's brilliant. I mean... seriously... going to be hard to top this album. It might just be my number 1.

Have not had a chance to sit down and little to Vampire Weekend's new one yet... plan on doing that soon.