Best of 2009

Okay, peoples. It is the time of the year for “best of” lists and I am going to add another one to the mix. For your reading and potential listening pleasure is my Best Music of 2009 list. These albums have been hand-picked from the crap-load of new music I have listened to this year. I hope you enjoy.

1.) Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Elvis Perkins in Dearland. My Album of the Year, folks. Singer-songwriter Elvis Perkins has not had a happy life. His father, Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame, died of AIDS when he was a teenager and his mother, photographer Berry Berenson, was on the ill-fated American Airlines Flight 11. Needless to say, both his debut (Ash Wednesday) and his phenomenal follow-up, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, are not happy albums. Perkins’ folk-rock style is remarkable, and displayed magnificently in tracks such as “1,2,3-Goodbye”, and “Shampoo”. However, the stand-out track is “Doomsday”. With its steady bounce and drinking song rhythm, the end of the world never seems so welcoming.

2.) These Four Walls, We Were Promised Jetpacks. The absolutely horrible band name should not distract you from this album, this Scottish quartet really knows how to craft great songs. On their debut, they hone the sound of Scottish greats Big Country and make soaring songs about mundane things, like walking home drunk from a bar. Seriously, that is what the opening track, “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning”, is about… and it’s brilliant.

3.) Post-Nothing, Japandroids. On the other side of the band name spectrum, the awesomely named Japandroids released their debut to much hype and fanfare. Post-Nothing does not disappoint. The Vancouver two-piece rocks out from beginning to end with distortion-heavy songs, my favorite of which is all about trying to "French-kiss some French girls"(on “Wet Hair”). Hey, at least they have aspirations.

4.) There Is No Enemy, Built to Spill. There is No Enemy is Built to Spill’s tightest and most consistent release since the epic Keep It Like a Secret. I could elaborate, but it is a Built to Spill album; which means it has the Built to Spill sound, pseudo-jams, and soaring guitars we have grown to love. And that is a good thing to hear.

5.) Travels with Myself and Another, Future of the Left. Future of the Left's sophomore debut, Travels with Myself and Another, is the sound of Future of the Left coming into their own. The songs are still angry, political, and heavily sarcastic, but the difference is they have found their sound. Steve Albini produced this record and helped Future of the Left tighten things up and let them thrash around. Only more greatness can come from this band.

6) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. I almost did not listen to this album purely based on their name. Terrible. It would even be a mediocre album name, but what can you do. Anyway, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s debut is fantastic. The Brooklyn band has crafted PERFECT pop songs. Think Belle and Sebastian with distortion and a little less sadness. This is a beautiful summer album.

7.) Why There Are Mountains, Cymbals Eat Guitars. Call 2009 the “Year of Awful Band Names”. The oddly named Cymbals Eat Guitars’ debut album packs in soaring guitars and arena rock sound into 9 finely crafted songs. While they wear their influences on their sleeves (mostly Pavement), Cymbals Eat Guitars use the inspiration of those bands well. Liam thinks they rock. You should listen to him, the kid has an ear for rock.

8.) Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, Bill Callahan. Like Matt Berninger of the National, Bill Callahan sings with a very distinctive baritone voice. His voice really lends to the wonderful despair in most of his songs, like in “Eid Maw Clak Shaw”: “Love is the King of the Beasts/And when its hungry it must kill to eat.” Yep. Pretty much.

9.) Noble Beast, Andrew Bird. Andrew Bird has been getting better with every album and Noble Beast is no exception. The album’s almost ethereal quality fits beautifully with Bird’s simple but powerful arrangements. And as most Andrew Bird fans know, it’s all about the whistle, man.

10.) Dragonslayer, Sunset Rubdown. Frontman Spencer Krug is the man. He is also a busy man being in four other bands: Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, and Fifths of Seven (all Canadian). Out of all of them, Sunset Rubdown is his band, and he has molded it into something beautiful. With Krug’s warbling vocals, great songwriting, lush synths, and tight rhythm section, Dragonslayer is capable of making hairpin melodic turns mid-song, with the greatest of ease. It also gets my vote for Best Album Name.

11.) Life of the World to Come, The Mountain Goats. I like the Mountain Goats. Phil introduced me to them and two things immediately stood out: John Darnielle’s nasally vocals and the biting lyrics. This guy is really bitter; so it came as to some surprise that all of Life of the World to Come is based on the Bible. The songs are all about loss, redemption, and things you can never take back. In his own words: “12 hard lessons the Bible taught me, kind of.”

12.) The Atlantic Ocean, Richard Swift. Richard Swift’s first true LP since 2005’s Dressed Up for the Letdown, displays everything wonderful about the singer-songwriter. The Nilsson/Beatles-esque melodies and harmonies are spot on, while his cutting lyrics indicate the four years between albums have not been very pleasant. Swift’s misery is our gain.

13.) Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective. I first listened to Animal Collective’s albums Sung Tongs (2004) and Feels (2005) and was underwhelmed from all of the hype I had heard about them. As a result, I ignored 2007’s Strawberry Jam and was mum on hearing about their new album. I’ll admit it, I was strong-armed into listening to this album by the constant showering of attention given to them by indie music. So, I decided to give Merriweather Post Pavilion a try. To quote a friend: “It’s turbo diesel sweet.” The tinkling piano, synth beats, and great harmonies really make this busy album a treat. Stand-out “My Girls” would be bumpin’ at a Club Yates Pajama-Jammy-Jam.

14.) The Sound the Speed the Light, Mission of Burma. Mission of Burma has now released more albums since their reunion, than they did their first go-round in the early 80s. It is an amazing feat, considering what most reunions sound like. Unlike their last two albums, the Sound the Speed the Light, explores more atmospheres albums and finds them tuning it down, just a little. However, songs like “1,2,3 Partyy!” shows what makes Mission of Burma such an amazing band and comeback story.

15.) Earthly Delights, Lightning Bolt. Lightning Bolt is not your typical two-piece. The Providence noise rock duo consists of bassist Brian Gibson and drummer Brain Chippendale. The heavily distorted bass and insane drums make listening to Lightning Bolt an experience you will not forget. Listening to Earthly Delights is like listening to a chainsaw trying to cut through a steel plate, put distortion on it, and crank up the noise to 11. It is simultaneously loud, pounding, aggressive, and awesome. Perfect for beating the crap out of people and driving.

16.) Forget the Night Ahead, The Twilight Sad. Forget the Night Ahead is the Scottish band’s (and FatCat label-mates to fellow Scottish bands We Were Promised Jetpacks and Frightened Rabbit) fuzzy (meaning it sounds like there is a general fuzz over the entire album) second studio release. Like its predecessor, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (2007), it seems evident that frontman, James Graham did not have a good childhood. Whether he is writing songs about houses burning down, children being locked in closets, and growing up in unhappy households, this band is not something you listen to, to pick up your spirits. It is depressing music, in a good way.

17.) The Hazards of Love, The Decemberists. Writing a concept album/rock opera about a pregnant woman who is running away from a queen trying to steal her baby, and a man who wants to kill her is a difficult task. However, it works and this is probably the most Decemberists-like album the Decemberists have produced. The Hazards of Love is all things weird, beautiful, and at times horrifying. It would be interesting to see this performed onstage as a play.