Ok, so, I looked up a list of upcoming albums in December. Since none of them trigger my oh shit what is that going to sound like radar, I figured I'd go ahead and post my top 10 albums of the year 2009. Now, if Pitchfork's list looks similar to mine, it'll be like they stole my idea!
10. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
I am such a sucker for cute/pretty sounding twee pop. When I first got into this whole indie music/U92/having faith in modern music again kind of thing, one of the first Xs I played was Belle & Sebastian. Now, the chamber-pop genre has become one of my favorites, so you can see why I would put this on a year-end list. As for you, the reader, you should listen to this because it's orchestral without sounding over-produced, happy, cute, poppy, (ballroom) dancey, and by the way Tracyanne Campbell's voice is fucking beautiful. Best cuts: "French Navy," "Honey in the Sun," "The Sweetest Thing," "Careless Love."
9. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
Their best album since the rest of the band left J Mascis on his own (for those who don't know, that was after Bug came out), Farm rocks harder than any album that came out this year. This is their second release after reforming the original trio, and the idea of having that original lineup is sounding more and more like a good idea. The longest and best track, "I Don't Wanna Go There," blows any entire rock album released this year out of the water with a 3+ minute J Mascis guitar solo, while "Over It" combines clever lyrics with pop hooks that you can still rock out to. Overall, it is a must-have for guitar enthusiasts and really anyone who likes straight-up rock music. I don't know why mainstream rock stations don't catch on to what's actually good. I choose: "I Don't Wanna Go There," "Over It," "Said the People," "Plans," "I Want You to Know."
8. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Music like this makes me miss doing Nonverbal Communication. Featuring probably the longest track I've ever played (in regular rotation) not involving a smoke break, this album sounds like Dan Deacon teamed up with Panda Bear and Boards of Canada to create a 7-track epic full of the perfect combination of background noise, ambience, and pop sensibility. Said long track, "Olympians," exemplifies this best here; while there's a combination of driving percussion and noise in the background, there's still an ambient air of calm, and, like, only 4 chords. Eleven-minute pop songs can be done, even with no words. There's two of them on this album, plus a few others that are just as great. Picks: "Olympians," "Surf Solar," "The Lisbon Maru," "Space Mountain." Or just listen to it the whole way through.
7. Matt and Kim - Grand
This album, in a word, is fun. Pure, clean, unadulterated fun. It's simple; it's two people just making music together, something I wish I could find a friend and the creativity to do that with. It's also poppy; all of the songs are very catchy, and "Daylight" was used on a fucking Bacardi commercial. I had girls who heard me talk about that song tell me in their bug-eyed blonde this-is-familiar-to-me voice, "OH YEAH! You mean that song from the Bacardi commercial??" But I digress. Grandshows Matt and Kim as pop music's White Stripes; just two people making great, happy music. And it sure sounds like they're having a hell of a time. Some fun songs: "Daylight," "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare," "Don't Slow Down," "Lessons Learned."
6. Passion Pit - Manners
Here's just another album that showcases indie's move closer and closer towards electronica, so why does it belong up here? They do it damn well, that's why. A pop gem to say the least, Manners takes dance music and puts it in band form, kind of like this one band called Cut Copy that put out my favorite album of last year. Now they may not be Cut Copy, but that's all right; the two are different breeds of electro-band. "Little Secrets," one of the highlights, shows that the most; it's an electro-pop song that makes people dance like it's hip-hop and tricks metal fans like myself to headbanging to it. The album as a whole is not necessarily cohesive, but there is some great music to be heard from it, and hopefully this relative newcomer will put out more in the future. Dance to "Little Secrets," "Sleepyhead," "The Reeling," and "Kingdom Come," among others.
5. Girls - Album
You know how people feel some kind of strange enlightenment when they join some right-wing crazy Christian organization, are "born again" and are supposedly saved for eternity? Well, former Children of God cult member and Girls frontman Christopher Owens found some musical enlightenment of his own when he escaped the cult and started a band. The first song on the album (yes, it is titled Album), "Lust for Life," could be seen as Owens' cry out for escape from his former trapped life put to song, while "Hellhole Ratrace," the album's 7-minute centerpiece, could be seen as his expression of his feelings while living inside the twisted world of the Children of God. Now I'm not the best interpreter of lyrics by any means, but whatever the lyrics are about, they are sure set to some damn good music. Jangly, raw, and with chord progressions that could take an aging hippie back, it's music that can cheer you up, make you cry, and if you want to concentrate on the lyrics, make you think, too. Thumbs up to "Lust for Life," "Hellhole Ratrace," "Laura," "Ghost Mouth," and "Big Bad Mean Motherfucker."
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Self-titled/Higher than the Stars EP
The blue writing designating The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's (heretofore referred to as the POBPAH) self-titled release near the beginning of this year as a Medium still boggles my mind. When I first heard this band, I was nothing short of blown away to the point of calling into the station and asking what it was, then seeing with shock and amazement that it was placed on the blue shelf. "Young Adult Friction" is one of the best pop songs of this decade, let alone this year, and a good few of the other tracks come quite close. On the EP, released later in the year, the title track alone convinced me that I can't leave the EP as simply an honorable mention, so in a way, this is kind of like ranking a band's body of work this year as one slot on an albums list, but hey, if you don't like it, don't check me out, don't check me out, don't check me ou-o-ou-out. The whole things are great, but some recommendations: "Young Adult Fricton," "Higher than the Stars," "Come Saturday," "A Teenager In Love," "Falling Down," "Everything With You."
3. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
If you've been listening to the Flaming Lips for the past decade, you might be surprised as to why I played a track from this album on No Remorse. Yes, the metal show. To explain: "Worm Mountain," with help from none other than MGMT, is a stomping electro-doom explosion. To those who are confused by this description, the Flaming Lips used to be pretty much a punk band on acid, and for their latest release, they've taken elements of their acid punk days (most noticeably from 1990'sIn a Priest Driven Ambulance) and bits and pieces of their later, more grandiose work and turned it into the new-old Flaming Lips for the new decade. The double album is filled with different sounds and different styles, from "Worm Mountain"'s electronic sludge to "I Can Be a Frog" featuring Karen O on the phone to the battle-cry of "Watching the Planets" to the most 2000s-era Flaming Lipsy track, simply titled "Evil." It's not as out there as, say, Zaireeka, but it's certainly the Lips' most challenging and least accessible album since then, and that is definitely not a bad thing. Freak out with "Evil," "Worm Mountain," "Watching the Planets," "Silver Trembling Hands," "The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine," "I Can Be a Frog," and the rest.
2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear may be starting to get huge. They're on the fucking Twilight soundtrack and they still sound great. But this is not about the Twilight soundtrack, it's about these guys' unpronounceable album that happens to be my second favorite release of this year. When this came out, needless to say I was excited. I even got to go see them live shortly after they released the album, so that made it that much more awesome. What wasn't awesome was that no one seemed to recognize that there was a song besides "Two Weeks" on the album. Now, "Two Weeks" is an amazing song, but you simply can't discount tracks like "Southern Point," "While You Wait for the Others," "Ready, Able," "Fine for Now," "I Live With You," "All We Ask," you get it. You know the music is awesome. But what surprised me was that this album debuted in the Top 10. If that means Grizzly Bear will soon be on a major label, I hope to some great spirit in the sky that they don't lose the beauty of their music. Although that song from the Twilight soundtrack they did ain't half bad. Track picks: ... didn't you read the paragraph?
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion/Fall Be Kind EP
You knew it was coming. You knew since the beginning of this year that Merriweather Post Pavilion was so awesome that it would be this year's trump card, and that this is the first in what will most likely be a much-repeated pick for Album of the Year. Every song on this album is a wash of psychedelic goodness that is also somewhat accessible. You can even find a good message embedded within the lyrics of "My Girls," one that talks about how the simple life is really the way to go, which is kind of ironic since Animal Collective's music isn't exactly simple. You've heard about this album about a million times over and you probably want me to tell you why I lumped in Fall Be Kind as well. Like with the POBPAH (finally got to use that acronym), I'm including the band's body of work this year (reissues and collections don't count) instead of just naming one album, and goddamn does Fall Be Kind earn its stripes. "What Would I Want? Sky," featuring the first ever Grateful Dead sample (from Unbroken Chain), may be even better than "My Girls," while the first track, "Graze," goes from an ambient, light-mooded psychedelic synth wash into, once those last two minutes start, a pan-flute filled "elf jam" that sounds like it's straight out of the Renaissance Festival. The last three tracks are also quite good, but the EP is definitely carried by the first two. And even though it's not carried by its full-length predecessor, it certainly deserves its "buddy spot" alongside my favorite album of the year 2009. Listen to 'em all.
And now... for the METAL!!!
10. Dethklok - The Dethalbum II
Ok, sure, they're a cartoon. But don't let that fool you, because Dethklok is for real and here to stay. They're quite possibly the best promotional tool that a cartoon series has ever had, and to boot, they make great, brutal music as well, courtesy of Brendon Small's talent and the fact that they have Mr. Gene Hoglan behind the skins. Track picks: "The Cyborg Slayers," "Comet Song," "Murmaider II: The Water God," "Bloodlines."
9. De Magia Veterum - Migdal Bavel
Are you a black metal purist? Then you'll find a wonderful addition to your collection in De Magia Veterum's release this year. This album is so packed with raw power that all of the static included in the tape-player-sounding production just adds to the dark feeling. A key track is the Burzum-esque "The Boat of Uta-Napishtim," a 6-minute assault that will have you wondering at what points you have to headbang because it goes SO DAMN FAST. Track picks: "The Boat of Uta-Napishtim," "Migdal Bavel," "Zaota," "Curse of Canaan."
8. Kylesa - Static Tensions
Kylesa's brand of stoner-sludge that they put out with this year's release appears to be the psychedelic revival's harder side. Loaded with plenty of reverb and ambient sounds, it's something that can be used to introduce any neo-psych-listening hipster into the larger world of metal music that isn't covered by Pitchfork. Track picks: "Nature's Predators," "Unknown Awareness," "Scapegoat," "Said and Done."
7. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
The name Mastodon just implies great music, and this year's Crack the Skye is no exception. An album that interestingly enough features no growling vocals, this new release really shows off Mastodon's proggier side, especially on single "Divinations" and 10-minute epic "The Czar." Fans of the band will love it, newcomers will like it, and even people who have never listened to metal can certainly appreciate it. Track picks: "Divinations," "The Czar," "Quintessence," "Oblivion," "Ghost of Karelia."
6. Children - Hard Times Hangin' at the End of the World
Perhaps this year's most straight-up metal release, Children's debut release is probably the happy medium of anything anyone can love about metal, and in this case, that's certainly not a bad thing. Featuring the epicness of prog metal (but not overly proggy) and the speed of thrash metal (but not so fast that the melodies are lost in the speed), this music can't be strictly applied to one subgenre of metal, which is why it appeals to all different kinds of metal fans. Track picks: "Advanced Mind Control," "Time is the Living," "Nuclear Bummer," "Subterranean Cities."
5. iwrestledabearonce - It's All Happening
This is probably the ranking that I will get the most shit for, but I don't care how over-effected, comedic, gay, whatever descriptor you want to use for this band, I still think it's awesome. There are plenty of good things about being able to go out on a limb and throw the General Lee horn into a spaz-metal-deathcore-whate
4. Isis - Wavering Radiant
Judging by my love for post-rock, you know this album was going to appear somewhere on this list. This time adding Adam Jones of Tool to the mix, Isis throws us one of their heaviest offerings of post-sludge, and it sounds fantastic. It may have some of the best bookending tracks I've heard, and it certainly doesn't have a narrow middle either. Adjusting the volume on this kind of music can also really affect the way you listen to it; up high, you can headbang away, whereas down low, it serves as an ambient background that can be almost relaxing. Metal mood music at its finest. Track picks: "Hall of the Dead," "Stone to Wake a Serpent, "20 Minutes/40 Years," "Threshold of Transformation."
3. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
Being relatively new to the world of slow metal, I wasn't aware how slow it could get until hearing this album, and needless to say I was completely blown away. When this came out, it was described as "drone-doom from Hell," which immediately got excited. I never knew, though, that drone could be taken to this level, and that it could be so effective at blasting your eardrums. As Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley would say, maximum volume yields maximum results, and they couldn't be more right. When I got a chance to play this on the air, the more I turned up the monitors, the more I was amazed with the wash of growling guitars that were enveloping me in a Sunn O))-brand (the band is named after amplifiers) coffin. That is all well and good, but what really sets this album apart is Attila Csihar's voice. Originally well-known as the vocalist on Mayhem's classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Csihar's extremely low, even lower than I can muster, voice reverberates along with the guitars, creating an eerie, ambient, yet wholly mind-blowing metal experience. All four tracks are great, but if you're a first timer, listen to "Big Church [megszentségteleníthetetle
2. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
Sorry, BTBAM. This isn't Colors. But don't let that fool you into thinking this is a subpar album by any means. Sure, there are less weird breakdowns that set their previous effort apart from any metal album this decade, but their more straightforward sound on this album sounds just about as great as its predecessor, and it works beautifully on The Great Misdirect. BTBAM once again sets the standard for progressive metal with its unbelievable riffing, major-key progressions, and, as always, the stunning, shocking, yet ever-so-fitting breakdowns that sprinkle throughout the album. However, this album has much more of a traditional death metal feel to it, begging comparisons to pioneers such as Death and Obituary. If that doesn't sell it for you, just pick it up and listen for yourself. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. This one's one to listen to the whole way through.
1. Eagle Twin - The Unkindness of Crows
Someone still has to explain to me how I missed out on sludge metal all these years. Thankfully, this is Eagle Twin's debut, so I didn't have to miss out on one of the best bands in the business. The Unkindness of Crows leads you in slowly, and then slowly and continuously pounds your eardrums until, after you're done, your ears aren't hurting from the volume but the desire to hear it again and again and again. The music takes you on a slow march through a quagmire of sticky guitar sounds and sinister vocals, around its own little world where your prize for finishing the daunting task is to go around again, and you love it. While listening to it where no one can see me, I can't help but fashion myself a creepy grin as I let the sounds pummel me. You don't need too much in the way of melody or complicated guitar work to make something great, and that is proven here sevenfold with each track that is heard. It's not too complicated, it's not overproduced, and the less knowledgeable would scoff and say that they could play that just as easily, but if they tried, they probably wouldn't come close to my favorite metal album of 2009. As expected, listen to the whole thing.
Honorable mentions for any genre:
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (also the winner for most overrated album of the year; while, yes, it was good, I don't see what was the huge deal)
The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
The Horrors - Primary Colours
M. Ward - Hold Time
Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do
MSTRKRFT - Fist of God
Dan Deacon - Bromst
Obscura - Cosmogenesis
Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive
Absu - s/t
Old Man's Child - Slaves of the World
Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade
Japandroids - Post-Nothing
An assortment of my favorite tracks of the year:
The Hood Internet - "The T-Pains of being Pure at Heart," "I Love Friction," "The Reeling Police," "Two Weeks of Hip-Hop"
The POBPAH - "Young Adult Friction," "Higher than the Stars"
Animal Collective - "What Would I Want? Sky," "My Girls," "Summertime Clothes," "Graze"
Grizzly Bear - "Southern Point," "Two Weeks," "While You Wait for the Others"
The Flaming Lips - "Evil," "Worm Mountain," "Watching the Planets"
Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
Camera Obscura - "French Navy"
Sunn O))) - "Big Church [megszentségteleníthetetle
Matt and Kim - "Daylight," "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare"
Jay-Z - "Empire State of Mind" (ft. Alicia Keys)
Variety Lab - "We Should Be Dancing"
Passion Pit - "Little Secrets," "Sleepyhead," "The Reeling"
Julian Casablancas - "11th Dimension"
Think About Life - "Havin' My Baby"
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - "Fields of Coal"
Asobi Seksu - "In the Sky"
Atlas Sound - "Walkabout"
The Very Best - "Warm Heart of Africa"
The Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You," "January Wedding," "Slight Figure of Speech"
Band of Skulls - "Hollywood Bowl," "Cold Fame"
Fuck Buttons - "Olympians," "Space Mountain"
Boys Noize - "Jeffer"
Children - "Advanced Mind Control"
Eagle Twin - "Murder Of..." "Birds of Black Hot Fire," "Crow Hymn"
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "...And the Hazy Sea"
Dan Deacon - "Red F"
Dirty Projectors - "Stillness is the Move," "Two Doves"
Dappled Cities - "The Price"
Dinosaur Jr. - "I Don't Wanna Go There," "Over It"
Discovery - "I Want You Back" (Jackson 5 cover)
Easy Star All-Stars - "A Day in the Life" (Beatles cover)
Girls - "Lust for Life," "Hellhole Ratrace," "Laura"
Gregory Pepper & his Problems - "It Must Be True"
k-os - "Burning Bridges"
Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire"
Lightning Bolt - "Colossus"
Metric - "Help I'm Alive"
MSTRKRFT - "Bounce"
Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve"
Nous Non Plus - Catastrophe
One Hundred Hurricanes - "Back On Your Own"
Peter Bjorn & John - "Nothing To Worry About"
We Were Promised Jetpacks - "Keeping Warm"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"
OK, now I'm done.
10. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
I am such a sucker for cute/pretty sounding twee pop. When I first got into this whole indie music/U92/having faith in modern music again kind of thing, one of the first Xs I played was Belle & Sebastian. Now, the chamber-pop genre has become one of my favorites, so you can see why I would put this on a year-end list. As for you, the reader, you should listen to this because it's orchestral without sounding over-produced, happy, cute, poppy, (ballroom) dancey, and by the way Tracyanne Campbell's voice is fucking beautiful. Best cuts: "French Navy," "Honey in the Sun," "The Sweetest Thing," "Careless Love."
9. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
Their best album since the rest of the band left J Mascis on his own (for those who don't know, that was after Bug came out), Farm rocks harder than any album that came out this year. This is their second release after reforming the original trio, and the idea of having that original lineup is sounding more and more like a good idea. The longest and best track, "I Don't Wanna Go There," blows any entire rock album released this year out of the water with a 3+ minute J Mascis guitar solo, while "Over It" combines clever lyrics with pop hooks that you can still rock out to. Overall, it is a must-have for guitar enthusiasts and really anyone who likes straight-up rock music. I don't know why mainstream rock stations don't catch on to what's actually good. I choose: "I Don't Wanna Go There," "Over It," "Said the People," "Plans," "I Want You to Know."
8. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Music like this makes me miss doing Nonverbal Communication. Featuring probably the longest track I've ever played (in regular rotation) not involving a smoke break, this album sounds like Dan Deacon teamed up with Panda Bear and Boards of Canada to create a 7-track epic full of the perfect combination of background noise, ambience, and pop sensibility. Said long track, "Olympians," exemplifies this best here; while there's a combination of driving percussion and noise in the background, there's still an ambient air of calm, and, like, only 4 chords. Eleven-minute pop songs can be done, even with no words. There's two of them on this album, plus a few others that are just as great. Picks: "Olympians," "Surf Solar," "The Lisbon Maru," "Space Mountain." Or just listen to it the whole way through.
7. Matt and Kim - Grand
This album, in a word, is fun. Pure, clean, unadulterated fun. It's simple; it's two people just making music together, something I wish I could find a friend and the creativity to do that with. It's also poppy; all of the songs are very catchy, and "Daylight" was used on a fucking Bacardi commercial. I had girls who heard me talk about that song tell me in their bug-eyed blonde this-is-familiar-to-me voice, "OH YEAH! You mean that song from the Bacardi commercial??" But I digress. Grandshows Matt and Kim as pop music's White Stripes; just two people making great, happy music. And it sure sounds like they're having a hell of a time. Some fun songs: "Daylight," "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare," "Don't Slow Down," "Lessons Learned."
6. Passion Pit - Manners
Here's just another album that showcases indie's move closer and closer towards electronica, so why does it belong up here? They do it damn well, that's why. A pop gem to say the least, Manners takes dance music and puts it in band form, kind of like this one band called Cut Copy that put out my favorite album of last year. Now they may not be Cut Copy, but that's all right; the two are different breeds of electro-band. "Little Secrets," one of the highlights, shows that the most; it's an electro-pop song that makes people dance like it's hip-hop and tricks metal fans like myself to headbanging to it. The album as a whole is not necessarily cohesive, but there is some great music to be heard from it, and hopefully this relative newcomer will put out more in the future. Dance to "Little Secrets," "Sleepyhead," "The Reeling," and "Kingdom Come," among others.
5. Girls - Album
You know how people feel some kind of strange enlightenment when they join some right-wing crazy Christian organization, are "born again" and are supposedly saved for eternity? Well, former Children of God cult member and Girls frontman Christopher Owens found some musical enlightenment of his own when he escaped the cult and started a band. The first song on the album (yes, it is titled Album), "Lust for Life," could be seen as Owens' cry out for escape from his former trapped life put to song, while "Hellhole Ratrace," the album's 7-minute centerpiece, could be seen as his expression of his feelings while living inside the twisted world of the Children of God. Now I'm not the best interpreter of lyrics by any means, but whatever the lyrics are about, they are sure set to some damn good music. Jangly, raw, and with chord progressions that could take an aging hippie back, it's music that can cheer you up, make you cry, and if you want to concentrate on the lyrics, make you think, too. Thumbs up to "Lust for Life," "Hellhole Ratrace," "Laura," "Ghost Mouth," and "Big Bad Mean Motherfucker."
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Self-titled/Higher than the Stars EP
The blue writing designating The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's (heretofore referred to as the POBPAH) self-titled release near the beginning of this year as a Medium still boggles my mind. When I first heard this band, I was nothing short of blown away to the point of calling into the station and asking what it was, then seeing with shock and amazement that it was placed on the blue shelf. "Young Adult Friction" is one of the best pop songs of this decade, let alone this year, and a good few of the other tracks come quite close. On the EP, released later in the year, the title track alone convinced me that I can't leave the EP as simply an honorable mention, so in a way, this is kind of like ranking a band's body of work this year as one slot on an albums list, but hey, if you don't like it, don't check me out, don't check me out, don't check me ou-o-ou-out. The whole things are great, but some recommendations: "Young Adult Fricton," "Higher than the Stars," "Come Saturday," "A Teenager In Love," "Falling Down," "Everything With You."
3. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
If you've been listening to the Flaming Lips for the past decade, you might be surprised as to why I played a track from this album on No Remorse. Yes, the metal show. To explain: "Worm Mountain," with help from none other than MGMT, is a stomping electro-doom explosion. To those who are confused by this description, the Flaming Lips used to be pretty much a punk band on acid, and for their latest release, they've taken elements of their acid punk days (most noticeably from 1990'sIn a Priest Driven Ambulance) and bits and pieces of their later, more grandiose work and turned it into the new-old Flaming Lips for the new decade. The double album is filled with different sounds and different styles, from "Worm Mountain"'s electronic sludge to "I Can Be a Frog" featuring Karen O on the phone to the battle-cry of "Watching the Planets" to the most 2000s-era Flaming Lipsy track, simply titled "Evil." It's not as out there as, say, Zaireeka, but it's certainly the Lips' most challenging and least accessible album since then, and that is definitely not a bad thing. Freak out with "Evil," "Worm Mountain," "Watching the Planets," "Silver Trembling Hands," "The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine," "I Can Be a Frog," and the rest.
2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear may be starting to get huge. They're on the fucking Twilight soundtrack and they still sound great. But this is not about the Twilight soundtrack, it's about these guys' unpronounceable album that happens to be my second favorite release of this year. When this came out, needless to say I was excited. I even got to go see them live shortly after they released the album, so that made it that much more awesome. What wasn't awesome was that no one seemed to recognize that there was a song besides "Two Weeks" on the album. Now, "Two Weeks" is an amazing song, but you simply can't discount tracks like "Southern Point," "While You Wait for the Others," "Ready, Able," "Fine for Now," "I Live With You," "All We Ask," you get it. You know the music is awesome. But what surprised me was that this album debuted in the Top 10. If that means Grizzly Bear will soon be on a major label, I hope to some great spirit in the sky that they don't lose the beauty of their music. Although that song from the Twilight soundtrack they did ain't half bad. Track picks: ... didn't you read the paragraph?
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion/Fall Be Kind EP
You knew it was coming. You knew since the beginning of this year that Merriweather Post Pavilion was so awesome that it would be this year's trump card, and that this is the first in what will most likely be a much-repeated pick for Album of the Year. Every song on this album is a wash of psychedelic goodness that is also somewhat accessible. You can even find a good message embedded within the lyrics of "My Girls," one that talks about how the simple life is really the way to go, which is kind of ironic since Animal Collective's music isn't exactly simple. You've heard about this album about a million times over and you probably want me to tell you why I lumped in Fall Be Kind as well. Like with the POBPAH (finally got to use that acronym), I'm including the band's body of work this year (reissues and collections don't count) instead of just naming one album, and goddamn does Fall Be Kind earn its stripes. "What Would I Want? Sky," featuring the first ever Grateful Dead sample (from Unbroken Chain), may be even better than "My Girls," while the first track, "Graze," goes from an ambient, light-mooded psychedelic synth wash into, once those last two minutes start, a pan-flute filled "elf jam" that sounds like it's straight out of the Renaissance Festival. The last three tracks are also quite good, but the EP is definitely carried by the first two. And even though it's not carried by its full-length predecessor, it certainly deserves its "buddy spot" alongside my favorite album of the year 2009. Listen to 'em all.
And now... for the METAL!!!
10. Dethklok - The Dethalbum II
Ok, sure, they're a cartoon. But don't let that fool you, because Dethklok is for real and here to stay. They're quite possibly the best promotional tool that a cartoon series has ever had, and to boot, they make great, brutal music as well, courtesy of Brendon Small's talent and the fact that they have Mr. Gene Hoglan behind the skins. Track picks: "The Cyborg Slayers," "Comet Song," "Murmaider II: The Water God," "Bloodlines."
9. De Magia Veterum - Migdal Bavel
Are you a black metal purist? Then you'll find a wonderful addition to your collection in De Magia Veterum's release this year. This album is so packed with raw power that all of the static included in the tape-player-sounding production just adds to the dark feeling. A key track is the Burzum-esque "The Boat of Uta-Napishtim," a 6-minute assault that will have you wondering at what points you have to headbang because it goes SO DAMN FAST. Track picks: "The Boat of Uta-Napishtim," "Migdal Bavel," "Zaota," "Curse of Canaan."
8. Kylesa - Static Tensions
Kylesa's brand of stoner-sludge that they put out with this year's release appears to be the psychedelic revival's harder side. Loaded with plenty of reverb and ambient sounds, it's something that can be used to introduce any neo-psych-listening hipster into the larger world of metal music that isn't covered by Pitchfork. Track picks: "Nature's Predators," "Unknown Awareness," "Scapegoat," "Said and Done."
7. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
The name Mastodon just implies great music, and this year's Crack the Skye is no exception. An album that interestingly enough features no growling vocals, this new release really shows off Mastodon's proggier side, especially on single "Divinations" and 10-minute epic "The Czar." Fans of the band will love it, newcomers will like it, and even people who have never listened to metal can certainly appreciate it. Track picks: "Divinations," "The Czar," "Quintessence," "Oblivion," "Ghost of Karelia."
6. Children - Hard Times Hangin' at the End of the World
Perhaps this year's most straight-up metal release, Children's debut release is probably the happy medium of anything anyone can love about metal, and in this case, that's certainly not a bad thing. Featuring the epicness of prog metal (but not overly proggy) and the speed of thrash metal (but not so fast that the melodies are lost in the speed), this music can't be strictly applied to one subgenre of metal, which is why it appeals to all different kinds of metal fans. Track picks: "Advanced Mind Control," "Time is the Living," "Nuclear Bummer," "Subterranean Cities."
5. iwrestledabearonce - It's All Happening
This is probably the ranking that I will get the most shit for, but I don't care how over-effected, comedic, gay, whatever descriptor you want to use for this band, I still think it's awesome. There are plenty of good things about being able to go out on a limb and throw the General Lee horn into a spaz-metal-deathcore-whate
4. Isis - Wavering Radiant
Judging by my love for post-rock, you know this album was going to appear somewhere on this list. This time adding Adam Jones of Tool to the mix, Isis throws us one of their heaviest offerings of post-sludge, and it sounds fantastic. It may have some of the best bookending tracks I've heard, and it certainly doesn't have a narrow middle either. Adjusting the volume on this kind of music can also really affect the way you listen to it; up high, you can headbang away, whereas down low, it serves as an ambient background that can be almost relaxing. Metal mood music at its finest. Track picks: "Hall of the Dead," "Stone to Wake a Serpent, "20 Minutes/40 Years," "Threshold of Transformation."
3. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
Being relatively new to the world of slow metal, I wasn't aware how slow it could get until hearing this album, and needless to say I was completely blown away. When this came out, it was described as "drone-doom from Hell," which immediately got excited. I never knew, though, that drone could be taken to this level, and that it could be so effective at blasting your eardrums. As Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley would say, maximum volume yields maximum results, and they couldn't be more right. When I got a chance to play this on the air, the more I turned up the monitors, the more I was amazed with the wash of growling guitars that were enveloping me in a Sunn O))-brand (the band is named after amplifiers) coffin. That is all well and good, but what really sets this album apart is Attila Csihar's voice. Originally well-known as the vocalist on Mayhem's classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Csihar's extremely low, even lower than I can muster, voice reverberates along with the guitars, creating an eerie, ambient, yet wholly mind-blowing metal experience. All four tracks are great, but if you're a first timer, listen to "Big Church [megszentségteleníthetetle
2. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
Sorry, BTBAM. This isn't Colors. But don't let that fool you into thinking this is a subpar album by any means. Sure, there are less weird breakdowns that set their previous effort apart from any metal album this decade, but their more straightforward sound on this album sounds just about as great as its predecessor, and it works beautifully on The Great Misdirect. BTBAM once again sets the standard for progressive metal with its unbelievable riffing, major-key progressions, and, as always, the stunning, shocking, yet ever-so-fitting breakdowns that sprinkle throughout the album. However, this album has much more of a traditional death metal feel to it, begging comparisons to pioneers such as Death and Obituary. If that doesn't sell it for you, just pick it up and listen for yourself. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. This one's one to listen to the whole way through.
1. Eagle Twin - The Unkindness of Crows
Someone still has to explain to me how I missed out on sludge metal all these years. Thankfully, this is Eagle Twin's debut, so I didn't have to miss out on one of the best bands in the business. The Unkindness of Crows leads you in slowly, and then slowly and continuously pounds your eardrums until, after you're done, your ears aren't hurting from the volume but the desire to hear it again and again and again. The music takes you on a slow march through a quagmire of sticky guitar sounds and sinister vocals, around its own little world where your prize for finishing the daunting task is to go around again, and you love it. While listening to it where no one can see me, I can't help but fashion myself a creepy grin as I let the sounds pummel me. You don't need too much in the way of melody or complicated guitar work to make something great, and that is proven here sevenfold with each track that is heard. It's not too complicated, it's not overproduced, and the less knowledgeable would scoff and say that they could play that just as easily, but if they tried, they probably wouldn't come close to my favorite metal album of 2009. As expected, listen to the whole thing.
Honorable mentions for any genre:
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (also the winner for most overrated album of the year; while, yes, it was good, I don't see what was the huge deal)
The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
The Horrors - Primary Colours
M. Ward - Hold Time
Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do
MSTRKRFT - Fist of God
Dan Deacon - Bromst
Obscura - Cosmogenesis
Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive
Absu - s/t
Old Man's Child - Slaves of the World
Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade
Japandroids - Post-Nothing
An assortment of my favorite tracks of the year:
The Hood Internet - "The T-Pains of being Pure at Heart," "I Love Friction," "The Reeling Police," "Two Weeks of Hip-Hop"
The POBPAH - "Young Adult Friction," "Higher than the Stars"
Animal Collective - "What Would I Want? Sky," "My Girls," "Summertime Clothes," "Graze"
Grizzly Bear - "Southern Point," "Two Weeks," "While You Wait for the Others"
The Flaming Lips - "Evil," "Worm Mountain," "Watching the Planets"
Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
Camera Obscura - "French Navy"
Sunn O))) - "Big Church [megszentségteleníthetetle
Matt and Kim - "Daylight," "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare"
Jay-Z - "Empire State of Mind" (ft. Alicia Keys)
Variety Lab - "We Should Be Dancing"
Passion Pit - "Little Secrets," "Sleepyhead," "The Reeling"
Julian Casablancas - "11th Dimension"
Think About Life - "Havin' My Baby"
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - "Fields of Coal"
Asobi Seksu - "In the Sky"
Atlas Sound - "Walkabout"
The Very Best - "Warm Heart of Africa"
The Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You," "January Wedding," "Slight Figure of Speech"
Band of Skulls - "Hollywood Bowl," "Cold Fame"
Fuck Buttons - "Olympians," "Space Mountain"
Boys Noize - "Jeffer"
Children - "Advanced Mind Control"
Eagle Twin - "Murder Of..." "Birds of Black Hot Fire," "Crow Hymn"
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "...And the Hazy Sea"
Dan Deacon - "Red F"
Dirty Projectors - "Stillness is the Move," "Two Doves"
Dappled Cities - "The Price"
Dinosaur Jr. - "I Don't Wanna Go There," "Over It"
Discovery - "I Want You Back" (Jackson 5 cover)
Easy Star All-Stars - "A Day in the Life" (Beatles cover)
Girls - "Lust for Life," "Hellhole Ratrace," "Laura"
Gregory Pepper & his Problems - "It Must Be True"
k-os - "Burning Bridges"
Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire"
Lightning Bolt - "Colossus"
Metric - "Help I'm Alive"
MSTRKRFT - "Bounce"
Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve"
Nous Non Plus - Catastrophe
One Hundred Hurricanes - "Back On Your Own"
Peter Bjorn & John - "Nothing To Worry About"
We Were Promised Jetpacks - "Keeping Warm"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"
OK, now I'm done.
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