Better late than never. This was a weirdly weak year for albums, despite an incredible crop of singles. Its possible that this was due more to my listening habits than anything, but it wasn't like I wasn't finding time for complete album listens. It just seemed like the quality level on albums was very uneven.
Neither The Mint Chicks nor the Phoenix album felt like a #1 to me, but I gave the nod to the former because I got more front-to-back enjoyment out of it than any other albums of the year. I suspect the Phoenix album is better, and may even age better, but it didn't actually rock me as hard. The rest of the top 6 is rounded out by 4 interesting albums with very specialized uses, the japandroids and wavves albums provide energetic slices of post-grunge, and the Islands and TPOBPAH albums start off strong, but both crap out in the second half (which is becoming something of an Islands specialty). The grouping is more coincidental than planned, but its a concise way to stand in for my usual mini-reviews.
Don't get me wrong, there's good stuff on here, it's a combination of interesting experiments and solid rock performers. There's just not much that really blew my mind out. The good news is, 2010 looks to more than make up for it.
01. the mint chicks - screens
02. phoenix - wolfgang amadeus phoenix
03. dan deacon - bromst
04. dirty projectors - bitte orca
05. future of the left - travels with myself and another
06. busdriver - jheli beam
07. japandroids - post-nothing
08. wavves - wavves
09. islands - vapours
10. the pains of being pure at heart - the pains of being pure at heart
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
contenders
I just realized I never put up my 2009 albums list. Maybe its because 2010 already has a list that would compete with the whole of 2009's list. For now, here's my favs of the year:
1. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast - duh
2. Fang Island - Fang Island - ratatat + lightning bolt + journey
3. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach - possibly my favorite damon album since blur - blur
4. Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing - slightly shameless fun
5. Broken Bells - The High Road - ive cooled on this a bit, but still quite good
1. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast - duh
2. Fang Island - Fang Island - ratatat + lightning bolt + journey
3. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach - possibly my favorite damon album since blur - blur
4. Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing - slightly shameless fun
5. Broken Bells - The High Road - ive cooled on this a bit, but still quite good
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
if you missed it
here are my favorite 50 albums of the decade.
tell me yours!!
serious frontrunner for 2010's best of list is Surfer Blood's Astro Coast. I am strangely super fucking obsessed with this album.
best albums of 2009 coming soon!
tell me yours!!
serious frontrunner for 2010's best of list is Surfer Blood's Astro Coast. I am strangely super fucking obsessed with this album.
best albums of 2009 coming soon!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Favorite Songs of 2009
It was a mediocre year for albums, but a killer year for songs. The good news is, that makes it easier to share my favorite music of the year. List with listenable, if low quality, links follows. Enjoy!
1. Dananananaykroyd - Some Dresses (video)
One of my songs in a very long time, and there was no real question from Autumn onward that it would be my favorite of the year. Punches with energy and optimism over a series of manic beats, shouts, hooks and hooks and starts and stops and bursts of shouting and beats and hooks. And its, in detailed fashion, about making dresses, of all things? This is the best parts of the best parts of my year.
2. The Pains of Being Young at Heart - Young Adult Friction
This song will make you fall in love with the everything. Best played at 1000% volume hurtling down freeways.
3. Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
I can't explain why this song is great. On paper its nothing special. And yet, stillness is the move.
4. Animal Collective - My Girls
Its surprisingly a nostalgia-inspiring song, given that it evokes, 2001 style, times long before and long after we're alive. Also an awfully original song, straddling the freak folk AC made its name on and a whole new kind of tripped out raveup. Still the most overrated album of the decade though.
5. Pearl Jam - The Fixer
Shockingly good song from a band I figured was finished. Everything just works here, best straight up pop song of the year.
6. Islands - Vapours
Great chorus. Its enough to make you wish the Unicorns were back together all over again.
7. Phoenix - Love like a Sunset
So pretty, such a good build. No trace of a hook as good as 1901's, but a much more satisfying, lasting song.
8. The Kingsbury Manx - Well, Whatever
The best song the shins never wrote.
9. Busdriver - Least Favorite Rapper
How come all busdriver's best songs involve him getting upstaged by his guest stars; Nocando's lines are some of the best rhymes of the year. Awesomely dense, spazzy production.
10. Dan Deacon - Build Voice
This is the perfect way to start this album. It is the onrush of the everything at once, and it can be as scary or as brilliant as you make it.
11. Phoenix - 1901
12. MGMT - Kids
13. Late of the Pier - Broken
14. Future of the Left - Stand by / Your Manatee
15. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
16. Busdriver - Sorry Fuckers
17. The Mint Chicks - Hot on your Heels
18. Lee Fields - Ladies
19. Wavves - Beach Demon
20. Clues - Cave Mouth
1. Dananananaykroyd - Some Dresses (video)
One of my songs in a very long time, and there was no real question from Autumn onward that it would be my favorite of the year. Punches with energy and optimism over a series of manic beats, shouts, hooks and hooks and starts and stops and bursts of shouting and beats and hooks. And its, in detailed fashion, about making dresses, of all things? This is the best parts of the best parts of my year.
2. The Pains of Being Young at Heart - Young Adult Friction
This song will make you fall in love with the everything. Best played at 1000% volume hurtling down freeways.
3. Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
I can't explain why this song is great. On paper its nothing special. And yet, stillness is the move.
4. Animal Collective - My Girls
Its surprisingly a nostalgia-inspiring song, given that it evokes, 2001 style, times long before and long after we're alive. Also an awfully original song, straddling the freak folk AC made its name on and a whole new kind of tripped out raveup. Still the most overrated album of the decade though.
5. Pearl Jam - The Fixer
Shockingly good song from a band I figured was finished. Everything just works here, best straight up pop song of the year.
6. Islands - Vapours
Great chorus. Its enough to make you wish the Unicorns were back together all over again.
7. Phoenix - Love like a Sunset
So pretty, such a good build. No trace of a hook as good as 1901's, but a much more satisfying, lasting song.
8. The Kingsbury Manx - Well, Whatever
The best song the shins never wrote.
9. Busdriver - Least Favorite Rapper
How come all busdriver's best songs involve him getting upstaged by his guest stars; Nocando's lines are some of the best rhymes of the year. Awesomely dense, spazzy production.
10. Dan Deacon - Build Voice
This is the perfect way to start this album. It is the onrush of the everything at once, and it can be as scary or as brilliant as you make it.
11. Phoenix - 1901
12. MGMT - Kids
13. Late of the Pier - Broken
14. Future of the Left - Stand by / Your Manatee
15. Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire
16. Busdriver - Sorry Fuckers
17. The Mint Chicks - Hot on your Heels
18. Lee Fields - Ladies
19. Wavves - Beach Demon
20. Clues - Cave Mouth
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