The Best of 2009 - 10 Albums

Well, sorry for the hiatus. This and that, you know. Anyway, I'm not drinking again for the month of January, so I'll be posting more than you could possibly want. To begin, after your 2009 list fatigue has hopefully ended, here's the first of mine. These are the top 10 albums, in my opinion, that were released this calendar year. I don't claim that they are the universal best. These are my favorite. They tend to err on the side of solid, well thought out pop-rock, and I'm not apologizing for that. Enjoy

[click to download a .zip file of each album]

10) Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
Incredibly dense and witty lyrics with a great britpop sound. Jarvis has quickly become one of my favorite lyricists. The mostly-instrumental "Homewrecker!" sounds like a drunken spy theme, the title track is a catchy gem, and "I Never Said I Was Deep" has my favorite lyrics of the year; he's like a younger, thinner, skeevier, and British Randy Newman.

9) Wilco - Wilco
Wilco gives me a lot of trouble. On one hand, I love some of their songs. On the other hand, I get so bored some of their songs. This album brings me a few I love ("Sunny Feeling," "You And I" with Feist," "You Never Know") and some I would toss aside ("I'll Fight," "One Wing") But, its strong enough to hold up as an album that works front to back. And on top of it all, it has the trifecta, something that to my knowledge only Bad Company has also accomplished: a band with an album and a song on that album all with the same name. For that alone, it's worth a listen.

8) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Any album that starts off with such a hit as "Lisztomania" deserves to be considered very high on a best-of list. Even though these guys are smelly Frenchmen, and I'm not particularly into their earlier stuff, I cannot deny how kickass this LP is. It's pop perfection. Throw in "Rome" for some ambient melody, "1901" for some pulse pop, and "Armistice" for some rock, and you've got a solid tracklist that will stand a long test of time.

7) fun. - Aim and Ignite
fun. is a group of veteran musicians in a new outfit, really stretching the limits of pop-rock. There's everything in here. Narrative melodies that sound like they're out of RENT ("Be Calm"), spastic orchestral arrangements that Jeff Lynne would salivate over ("All The Pretty Girls"); and Queen-esque epics ("Benson Hedges"). "Barlights" is a great NYC-tribute song that's great to listen to while walking through the city, and "The Gambler" is an acoustic, heartfelt ballad. Every song is a new feeling and sound, but it's all incredible cohesive. I hope to hear more from these guys soon.

6) Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johanssen - Break Up
This album was recorded in 2007, but not released until this year. Why? No idea, but I think it was a good move. Scarlett's distracting fame-quotient cooled down a bit, so you're able to enjoy her voice more here (it's very throwback, alá Zooey) without the baggage. But honestly, this album is an example of Pete's amazing songwriting ability (he also put out another album this year, Back & Forth, which wasn't as solid overall, but had some great tracks). We've got the summer-sounding pop triumph of "Relator," the classic emotive Yorn-ballad "Someday," and the funky country-rock of "I Don't Know What Do." What does Scarlett bring to the table? Well, most Yorn albums are depressing in tone, but this one, even with it's emotional lows, feels optimistic the whole way through. It might be Pete's happiest album yet, despite it's title.

5) M. Ward - Hold Time
And we're in the top 5. M. Ward makes the list twice, but this time it's for his amazing solo album. It's not incredibly diverse in sound; full of reverb, acoustic guitars and driving snare drums, but M has a way with mood music. The instrumentation perfectly accompanies the lyrics. From the She & Him outtake of "Never Had Nobody Like You," to the Buddy Holly cover "Rave On," to the unplugged shuffle of the Wes Andersen ready "Shangri-La," it's tight the whole way through. My personal favorite is "Epistemology," a catchy alt-pop single, if not for the opening lyric alone: "I was raised in a Catholic School/learned who to fight with and to pray to." Yeah.


4) Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
In what seemed to be a lacking 12 months for music (at least in my eyes, but 2008 was so damn good it was hard to follow), Mr. Strokes arrived in November with this record to save the year. It really is worth the hype. A quick 8 tracks that are as good, if not better than the last full Strokes record. For a purist like myself, I'm always hesitant when a rocker adds so much synth, but he fleshes out all the electronic noises so they sound like distinct instruments, not just background coverup noise. The album opens with "Out of the Blue" which is furious and fun. "4 Chords of the Apocalypse" is maybe the best song title I've ever heard (and the music matches). "11th Dimension" is the single, and it's a perfect pop song. My favorite is "Ludlow St.," a drunken ode to NYC, with the best lyric of the year, and the theme of my unfortunate sober January: "Everything seems to go wrong when I stop drinking."

3) Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
I had to warm up to this record. When some of your favorite musicians go all "Traveling Wilburys" on you, expectations soar. And when they don't hit that mark exactly as you had imagined, you can go cold quickly. Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis had been hyping this projects for years, and I got too excited about it. So when it came out and proved to be a thoughtful, roots-rock LP, and not a mind bending, pop-soaked greatest hits album, I was thrown off. But after proper vetting, I realized what an awesome record I had on my hands. It's simultaneously familiar sounding and off the wall: "Dear God" is gospel mixed with 90's R&B, "Say Please" is classic rock mixed with alt-country; "Losin Yo Head" is punk mixed with britpop. There's slow folksy wannabe cowboy-ballads ("Man Named Truth") and uptempo and silly melodies somehow fleshed out into full songs ("Goodway"). And there's the epic closer "His Master's Voice," my personal favorite. But through all the genre-bending, the distinctive sounds of Jim, Matt, Conor and Mike shine through both individually, and in how well they know each other and work together. And that's how a supergroup should be.

2) Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day
Me and Brian Williams love these guys. For some people, they're hit or miss. But BriWi and I know what's up. There's a distinctive sound to Deer Tick, that mostly comes from the lead singer John's gravely growl. I like to call it hungover folk; quick, loud, rough with a tinge of anger and pain. Fingerpicking guitars and strong basslines dominate the tracks, from the appropriate opening song "Easy," to the slower "Hell on Earth." Some sound like 50's prom music ("Stung," "Smith Hill"), others like country-fried breakup songs ("Little White Lies," "Ghost"). And then there's the most fun song they have, "Straight Into A Storm" which is a Chuck Berry rocker with some impressive throwback guitar rock. These guys should have a bright future in the indie scene.

1) Brendan Benson - My Old, Familiar Friend
I'm throwing you a curveball, I know. You probably didn't hear about this album. Just trust me on this one. Brendan, as I've said before, is the other guy in The Raconteurs; the one who's not Jack White. But I promise you, once you listen to this record, you'll realize how much influence he has on Jack and on that band. Brendan is a pop craftsman in the tradition of Paul McCartney, Pete Townsend, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, and even Ryan Adams. Every song grabs from from the beginning, and you're aching to hear the chorus. The verses remain interesting and not too long. The middle eight, or the bridge, is the perfect buildup to the climax. And there are layers to every song. The first time, you listen for the hook. Then the lyrics. Then the instrumentation. Then you go back and head something you missed. And so on. This album is what I love about pop music, and very well defines my ideal style. Listen to every track, I'm not going to name the good ones; they're all so fucking great. That's why I listened to this record more than any other his past year, and recommend it to you as the best album of 2009.

Playlist: Pop Rock Pitch Meeting

Sorry for the hiatus; I've been trying to actually make some kind of career out of writing, so it's been hard to blog when my typing fingers are bleeding from banging out unfunny dialog all night. But I'm back, no more excuses, with free music.

My roommate and I play a game where we pitch new movies using ridiculous parings, i.e. "Its like Jaws meets Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" or "Think Pirates of the Caribbean with a touch of Love Actually." Maybe you have to be there. Regardless, for this crop of pop I have for you, I'm going to try this style as well. Bear with me, it'll work. Enjoy!

The Features - Lions
Pitch: Kings of Leon meet The Kinks
Slightly more sinister, yet at the same time brighter, than KOL. The choral chant on this song will stick in your head for days. iPod commercial fodder for sure, despite the introspective and dark verses. I'm told this is the current Nashville sound.

fun. - All the Pretty Girls
Pitch: ELO meets musical theater
I know it sounds a little gay, but I don't mean it as in cliché "musicals." It's full of spastic instrumentation and narratives, almost operatic breakdowns, with that Jeff Lynne Beatle-y brightness and catchiness. A second single, "Benson Hedges," may give you more of an idea. My favorite new band, including the guy from The Format.

Flying Machines - On A Whim
Pitch: ELO meets Queen
Yes, more Jeff Lynne. It's amazingly catchy and spastic, like Fun., but less horns and strings and more guitars and bass. It's got the rock side of Queen and he has a bit of Freddie Mercury in his voice.
disclaimer: DSST brings to my attention that they are one of the bands with an NBCU "residency." i had no prior knowledge to this before rocking out to them.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Pitch: Cure meets MGMT
Hipster pop with an 80's sonic structure and a very vulnerable and honest vocal melody. Party in Brooklyn.

The Postelles - 123 Stop
Pitch: Elvis Costello meets The Strokes
Young NYC guys, who have Albert from the Strokes producing them, churn our peppy, unapologetic pop. This song is specifically Elvis Costello vocally and with its staccato guitar and bass.

Mason Jennings - Ain't No Friend Of Mine
Pitch: The Black Keys meet Beck
This song is as straightforward as the pitch; dirty simple blues with syncopated vocals. Throughly bad-ass, especially for the arpeggio breakdown.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed
Pitch: Bon Iver meets Conor Oberst
Not quote country-fried, but definitely cold-weather sounding. It's got a rambling and depressing story, with a slow buildup into a full on barn-burner. By the end, you're caught up in some fast and drunk party around a bonfire in the woods.

The Explorers Club - Don't Forget the Sun
Pitch: The Beach Boys meet, well, the Beach Boys
There's nothing but adoration for Brian Wilson here. No other influence but Surfs Up and Endless Summer here. But, they do a great job at it, even miming Mike Love's lead vocals. All original songs, but they sound like covers. Which is a good thing. More proof in another single "Forever."

Song of the Day 10/20/09

Sloan - Take It Upon Yourself

I like this song. It's a light, lo-fi pop song by Sloan, the Canadian Oasis. Seriously, they're huge up North. Even bigger than Barenaked Ladies. Which, as we all well know, is a huge deal. I really liked their 2006 single "Who Taught You To Live Like That?" and the album it comes from Never Hear The End of It was very ELO-esque. But this song is nothing like that; it's like a throwback to the 90's when they were throwingback to the 60's. Woh.

Playlist: The Music of Fall

Football is dominating my weekends; I start to sweat less waiting for the subway; my favorite dive bars and restaurants are busier with NYU undergrads; new TV shows capture my nights; and I begin to terribly underpack when I go out to CT or up to Boston. It's that time of year. And with it, a few songs that just feel like Fall. Some sound like tailgating with a cold beer in iced-through hands, others remind me of that punch-to-the-gut dread when you know you forgot to do your homework. Still others convey the reds, browns and oranges of this time of year. But mostly, they are just songs that I first got into, or first meant something to me, around this time of year in my past. Will they mean the same to you? Maybe not, but each does have a undeniably "Autumn" tone. Enjoy.

Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain
For me, this is the single most exemplary Fall song. Obvious rain comparisons aside, it sounds of those autumn colors, it's at a tempo of calmness, and bleeds that self-reflection that comes from watching leaves fall and walking with your hands stuffed in your coat for the first time.

Steely Dan - My Old School
The title and lyrics of this one bring this one to the list. But the music, from the marching-band horns (especially with syncopation in the breakdown middle-eight and outro), to the crunchy guitar that sounds like it's being played by a guy wearing a turtleneck, and the simple piano driving some kind of narrative flashback, firmly plant it in September for me.

Ben Folds Five - Barrytown
BF5 are one of my favorite bands, and got me through a lot during college. I know this is a Steely Dan cover, and trust me, there are plenty of Ben's songs that could fit here, but "Barrytown" is a snapshot of the trio as they were breaking up, and being their last recording together, it sounds somber and very settled. It's sad, but confident. It's like watching nature slowly die off and hibernate for the impending winter.

Ryan Adams - Goodnight Rose
New York City Autumns are a whole different beast compared to those in New England, where I grew up and went to college. Here, it gets very blustery and cold almost overnight, and since you don't have the turning trees to show the transition, one can assume it's Winter before Fall even begins. But you have to enjoy Fall, let go of Summer, and prepare for the Winter. This song is off Ryan's 2007 album Easy Tiger and reminds me of that.

Bright Eyes - Four Winds
A roots-rock abstract-narrative full of fiddles, mandolins, organs, dobros, banjos, harmonicas, washboards and acoustic guitars. It sounds like a barn. A party in a barn. Catchy as hell, and fits a drive through the countryside when the leaves are at their peak.

Counting Crows - Rain King
Bringing it way back. This reminds me of high school. Actually, I'm pretty sure all Counting Crows songs remind me of the fall, or at most the winter. But this one feels like a Saturday afternoon when it's still warm enough to relax outside, but you're not sweating, and you're wearing you've got your brand new Football or Rugby sweatshirt on.

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Another high school song, with no apparent correlation to Fall other than it's the song I always wanted to play in my band, and we usually started practicing again more once school started. Also, fall of sophomore year was when I set up my parents HiFi for the first time, and Changes was the album of choice.

Oasis - She's Electric
One last throwback to HS. What white teenage male from the suburbs didn't worship Oasis in the late 90's? Like the Counting Crows, I could have put any song by the Gallagher brothers on here. But "She's Electric," because of the Harrison-esque guitar playing, makes it on the list. Which is a perfect segue into...

George Harrison - Wah-Wah
I've always been a Paul fan, and have had undeniable John love too. But not until I was well into my 20's did I get deep into Paul or John's solo material. George, however, I knew right away. To the uninitiated, All Things Must Pass is George's first solo record, released less than a year after The Beatles broke up. It's an opus, chock full of amazing songs that he had been storing up for years; ones Lennon/McCartney wouldn't let him put on the albums. Why does it remind me of Fall? Mostly because of the album art. But because of that, the music followed suit.

Steve Earle - City Of Immigrants
Here's the one song on this list I will probably introduce you too. Steve's a country singer who's had his share of problems with the needle, the law, and women (married 7 times). You may know him as Waylon from The Wire. Here's a song about his adopted home of New York City, with a perfect world-music feel to fit his roots sensibility. I got into this song in the fall of '07 and didn't stop listening to it until the Giants won the Super Bowl...

KISS - Back In the New York Groove
...because then I had to listen to this song. This is the New York Football Giant's touchdown song. So if you're playing along at home, it's Autumn, so football, so the Giants, so KISS. I know, it all makes perfect sense.

Kings of Leon - Revelry
This is my personal favorite song by the Followills off Only By The Night. It's spacey in a late night, cold, Fall in the City kind of way. You know what I'm talking about: the night when you're walking home alone from the bar at 3AM, maybe not quite as drunk as your friends were, but content. You huddle into your coat collar, walk tight and a little quicker than usual, and smile devilishly knowing that despite everything else that may be tough, you're young and having the time of your life. Or something like that.

The Shitty Beatles? They suck.

So Julian Casablancas, the lanky misanthropic lead singer and songwriter for the Strokes is putting out a solo record, Phrazes for the Young on October 19th. The first single is "11th Dimension" and it rocks.

To me, it sounds like a remix of a song from the second half of The Strokes' First Impressions of Earth, as if someone stripped the vocals and layed under them some hipster techno. But hey, its kinda growing on me. We'll see how the rest of the album turns out in a few weeks.

(and as for the post title, it's obviously from Wayne's World, but The Strokes used to play secret NYC gigs as the Shitty Beatles once they became popular. Also, countdown to the arrival of the Mono Box Set has begun, so I'm keeping it all tied together. SYNERGY!)