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2009 End of the Year List
Jake Cary
Reviewed by: Jake Cary [Thu, January 07, 2010 @ 9:43:27 PM]
Jake Cary
Honorable Mentions
Fake Problems - It’s Great to be Alive
Good album, but great live performances. Catch these guys if they’re coming near you.
Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg
Not as impactful as ‘Sometimes Things Just Disappear,’ but definitely worth your money.
Idle Warship - Party Robot
If you dig hip-hop and/ or R&B this is definitely a mixtape you should check out. Free download at myspace.com/idlewarship
Dead Swans - Sleepwalkers
Comparable to Converge, but with less of the 6 minute build-ups. If you like Converge’s more punk sounding stuff, you’ll love this.
Owen - Ugly on the Inside
The best thing Owen has released in quite a while. I know people that don’t even like Owen that dig this record. If you’re a fan of anything similar to this (Elliott Smith, Iron and Wine, etc.) order yourself a copy.
O’ Pioneers!!! - Neon Creeps
An album that seems to be forgotten with so many big-name releases, but one that gets better every time I put it on.
Fun. - Aim and Ignite
If you liked The Format, this is a no-brainer. If you didn’t like The Format, you probably won’t dig this either.
Top songs of the year
(In no particular order)
Better Than Ezra - Blacklight
I don’t ever listen to any other song on this album, but despite being surrounded by boring, unoriginal tracks, this one is actually a gem. Although it’s a bit silly, it makes up for that in how fun it is. I dare you to listen to this and not bob your head. Can anybody confirm or deny that this might get some club play? Because it should.
Owen - Ugly on the Inside
Go through a breakup and listen to this song, and you’ll understand why it made this list. As was said in our full review of the record, it’s strange hearing such a pretty song about such heartbreaking things, but it gives us a great reminder: no matter how ugly things are, it’s possible to create something beautiful out of it.
Fun. - At Least I’m Not as Sad (As I Used to be)
Nate Ruess is one of my favorite musicians today. I think he is one of the most genuine people currently making music, and he has no delusions about the things he, or other people have done. The whole album is really great, but this just edges out a couple of other tracks on the album to be the best. Similar to BtMI!, this one acknowledges that things aren’t perfect, but they could definitely be worse.
Bomb the Music Industry! - (Shut) Up the Punx
Although in the typical surroundings of audiophiles it’s easy to forget, we are still the minority when it comes to music. Bomb! preaches unity, but doesn’t get all preachy about it.
All the people who have barbecues to feed their friends and family/ Shut up the punx!/ All the people writing zines with information, not just blaming things/ Shut up the punx!/ All the boys and girls are fed up with just saying that were punk, we say, Shut up the punx!
Bruce Springsteen - The Wrestler
Winner of the Golden Globe for best original song, Springsteen does a great job of matching the pace and feel of the song to those of the film. It’s sad and pretty and some of the best stuff Bruce has done since ‘Tom Joad.’
Elvis Costello - Hidden Shame
Between Springsteen, Costello, and a great Sinatra Christmas album that just got released, this was a great year for my father’s music. The rest of the album varies from great to forgettable, but Hidden Shame makes this album worth picking up if you’re a fan of Costello.
Top ten albums of the year
10. Japandroids - Post-Nothing
It’s a shame that this record wasn’t put out on Polyvinyl until August, but it’s nice already knowing what my favorite record of next summer will be. Even here in this dreary, chilling Midwestern weather, Post-Nothing is so lively and full of energy that one can’t help but look forward to a season full of road trips and open windows.
9. Jonsi & Alex - Riceboy Sleeps
If you enjoy styles of music that are over-hyphenated you’re probably already familiar with Jonsi’s work in Iceland’s post-rock champions Sigur Ros. If you do, and if you are, this is definitely an album you should pick up. The group is comprised of Jonsi and his boyfriend Alex, and the result is over an hour of somewhat experimental, extremely personal music. Much quieter and slower-paced than the last Sigur Ros release, but not as creepy as Von, this is one that fans of older Sigur Ros will find pretty crucial.
8. David Bazan - Curse Your Branches
David Bazan’s first solo release is gonna be a hard one to top, but I suppose that’s when people have been saying about his bands for a while. Simple, delicate and throught provoking, Curse Your Branches is one for anybody with interest in religion, as well as music.
7. Murder by Death - Finch
Almost not included on this list because of its length (just under 23 minutes), Finch eventually ended up here because it is the best thing the band has put out in three years. The release is all instrumental, and was conceived when author Jeff Vandermeer contacted the band about creating a score to go alongside a science fiction book he had written. For fans of the band’s early, instrument driven songs, this is how great you hoped Red of Tooth and Claw would be.
6. Cursive - Mama, I’m Swollen
Tim Kasher is one of the few people that I follow year in and year out through multiple bands. His work in Cursive and The Good Life has cemented him as one of the Midwest’s premiere song writers, and he did not disappoint in 2009. The album seems more concise than the band’s last release, Happy Hollow, and sounds like a combination of The Ugly Organ and The Good Life‘s Black Out. If you’ve never liked the stuff he put out before this, you probably won’t be turned by this one. However, if you’ve dug anything he’s been a major part of then this is a record you need to hear.
5. Bomb the Music Industry! - Scrambles
Along with Tim Kasher, Jeff Rosenstock is another of the few musicians I follow pretty closely. The heart behind BtMI!, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Pegasuses-XL came through hard with their newest Quote Unquote/ Asian Man release Scrambles. It’s nice listening to a record and getting the feeling of ‘Yeah, things are pretty messed up. But it’ll get better.’ Jeff sings about some pretty lousy times, but the listener ends up with a feeling that everything is going to be okay, and that’s kind of refreshing. Read the full review HERE.
4. Brand New - Daisy
By the time my record store got this in on wax I had heard so many bad things about it I was really worried that I was going to hate it. Thank goodness I was wrong. It’s different, definitely, but if you’ve been a fan of Brand New for a while you clearly have heard them go through some major changes in their sound, and even though this is much more abrasive and wild than The Devil and God, it seems like an evolution rather than a misstep. Just don’t ask for your dollar.
3. Converge - Axe to Fall
I should probably just save this as a template for the next time Converge releases a record, because it’s almost identical to the blurb I wrote in ‘07 for No Heroes. The new record is innovative but familiar, and it is absolutely vicious. I can’t remember hearing drumming this good in recent history. Converge shows that they’re on top of not only their game, but on top of the entire hardcore genre.
2. Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!
One of the best summer albums I have ever heard. I’ve talked to quite a few people about certain albums fitting into certain seasons: if you agree with that statement, get this record before the sun shows up again in 2010. Pop music that is simply infectious with hooks that won’t leave your head until this time next year. The album provides a very important reminder to all of us music nerds: ‘Lighten up. Music should be fun.’
1. The Antlers - Hospice
Written during a period of solitude after spending a considerable amount of time in a children’s cancer ward, Hospice is the best example I have ever encountered of music being therapeutic. The only problem I have with this album is that the vocals are a bit low in the mix: however, this could be on purpose, in order to really cause the listener to focus on the experience of the music, which is really the way this should be listened to anyway.
Notice this list is not ‘feel-good albums of the year.’ This album will make you sad. It might make you cry. But if you can find beauty in things that aren’t happy, please pick up this album.
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