Greetings! I know it has been a while since the last time I posted, and for this I sincerely apologize. My blogging efforts found themselves in political angst.
Anyways, you may be asking yourself "why the hell is he writing a 2009 list? that was so one month ago." Well, in answer to your question, I absolutely hate the rush of lists that come out (sometimes even before the year ends).
These lists are typically generic across the board and I suppose are just for one blog or magazine to compete with another. I wanted to take my time to find some incredibly solid albums that may not have received the attention and recognition deserved. Good albums need time to sink in, and usually I discover awesome albums a year after they're out. I'm glad I waited because I didn't listen to the #1 and #2 albums until January of this year.
Disclaimer: If you're expecting Animal Collective's M.P.P. to be on this list, stop reading.
Oh, and before I start, there are absolutely NO local albums on this list. There were so many fantastic releases, and I didn't want to order them into a list. You can see a far-from-complete, yet still incredibly long list (and mix, yay!) on the dotmatrix project's blog.
This post will focus on 20 albums (with small blurbs) and later this week I'll post the final 5 with more detailed reviews.
Below, for your listening pleasure is a mix of the first 20.
25. Pure Reason Revolution - Amor Vincit Omina: PRR's sophomore album is an evolution from their debut "The Dark Third," an astral folk/new prog concept album with a continuous flow, brilliant layering of three guitars and some incredibly dynamic vocal harmonies. "A.V.O." examines a harder, more techno/electronica driven sound. The band had label problems and several member changes, but the intricate vocal harmonies are still present as you can hear on "Deus Ex Machina."
24. These days it's pretty hard to find good rock & roll. Well, The Discipline's "Smoking Kills" hits the nail on the head. Just listen to "Yours for the Taking" and you'll see what I mean.
23. Remember the 90's alternative band Toad the Wet Sprocket? Ever wonder what happened to lead singer Glen Phillips? No? Well, you should probably start wondering now. In his new folk-rock band, Works Progress Administration, Glen works with members of Nickle Creek, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello & The Impostors, and Fiction Family.
22. John Vanderslice is one of those people in "indie" rock who lurks in the shadows. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met, he is involved with many other band's projects and he's well known in many music circles, yet his albums never really get the attention they deserve for their innovation and careful production. Vanderslice is in love with analog recording and his albums are well produced, lyrically sad and musically upbeat. "Romanian Names" is a fantastic pop rock record that demands multiple careful listens.
21. Music in foreign languages can bother some people. You spend more time trying to figure out what they're saying and not enough on the music. I have no idea what Kent is saying, but the way the lyrics blend with the dance beats and swirling keys. I have no problem understanding the message.
20. Remember how I mentioned good rock is hard to find? Well, really fun, smart rock is harder to find. The Rifles' sophomore album "the Great Escape" is straight up fun, and everything we loved about British rock from the 90's.
19. Like John Vanderslice, Andrew Bird has a tendency to release fantastic albums, yet is overshadowed by Pitchfork's Animal Collective wet dreams. There is no doubt that Bird is one of the most talented, versatile violin players (and one of the best professional whistlers around). "Noble Beast" is full of feel-good songs laced with quality musicianship.
18. Punk is one of those genres that started with purpose and then turned into immature, middle school level crap with absolutely nothing to say. The Riverboat Gamblers take their sound where punk should be: intelligent and to the point. "Underneath the Owl" is a solid album and it will make you want to jump up and rock out.
17. The Protomen are known for their rock operas about Megaman. And since I am completely uncultured in the video game world, I really had no interest. This is until I heard "Breaking Out" off of "Act II: The Father of Death." I still don't know anything about Megaman, but the passion and careful production echo what Bruce Springsteen would be like if he really loved video games.
16. I say Wasilla, Alaska and immediately Sarah Palin comes to mind. Now (depending on your politics) your opinion of Wasilla might change when you hear Portugal. The Man's new album "The Satanic Satanist." PtM dabbles in progressive rock with poppy-hooks and political intelligence. "People Say" hooked me on the band, and for good reason. I hope it does the same for you.
15. Aviv Geffen is loved and hated in Israel. He has the bi-sexual stage attitude of David Bowie and a political spirit that we saw in American protest singers in the 70's. "Aviv Geffen" is his first album in English. It's sad, passionate and beautiful. "Cloudy Now"-a song previously written in English for Blackfield, a project with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, and reworked for this album-is a fantastic representation of Geffen's work.
14. I admire instrumental bands who can create captivating music. Today our attention spans tend to require lyrics or else we'll get bored. Album Leaf's "A Chorus of Storytellers" will not leave you bored. It's especially good music to put on as you lay down and relax.
13. Bomb the Music Industry! likes to release their albums for free. And no, they don't suck. They're raw, but the production isn't lacking. They're sarcastic and they're angry and "Scrambles" is a solid album. Get it, it's free!
12. I'm a sucker for really good folk-rock that takes a soulful direction. Canada's The Wooden Sky released a beautiful album last year entitled "If I don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone." It's in the same musical vein as The Snake The Cross The Crown and you will want to listen to it on repeat.
11. William Elliot Whitmore makes you want to drink whiskey. "Animals In the Dark" is a more than just a man-and-guitar folk album. Whitmore's voice has so much to say and you can tell he's putting his soul into these songs.
10. When I heard that the Black Keys were doing a hip-hop album (entitled Blackroc) with some well known rappers, I became very excited. The album is exactly what I expected, except for the tracks featuring Nicole Wray. Her voice is gold and it fits perfectly on her two featured tracks. The rest of the album is solid, but Wray is what takes this album to another level. Honestly, I hope the Keys and Wray write an album together.
9. Metric has an ability to make fantastic synth and guitar hooks that support the dark mind of singer Emily Haines. "Fantasies" is no exception, and is a top-quality pop-rock album.
8. Lucero is one of those bands that you might not know of, but probably should. "1372" Overton Park" is one of the few really talented bands keeping alternative country alive and well.
It rocks and it has soul and it's an album you want to throw on when you're going for a drive.
7. "Kingdom of Rust," is the latest album from UK band Doves. Overshadowed by bands like Radiohead and Muse, Doves are lost in the spotlight. Their latest is absolutely beautiful, which was expected since it took them forever to release it.
6. Porcupine Tree is starting to build a strong reputation for fantastic, evolving song-craft. The Incident is a continuously flowing album (with the exception of 4 bonus tracks on a separate disk) that looks at various different "incidents" in life, good and bad. There are elements of PT's softer-poppy elements, industrial creepiness, and hard-driving metal in "The Incident." It's an overall solid album, but it still has nothing on the likes of "In Absentia" and "Signify." Side note: I included 2 songs from the album because they're short and fit together seamlessly.
5. You'll have to wait and see!!
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