2009 was a year of great music. This year's top 10 list finds a lot of past top 10 winners just missing the list while some new names make debuts this year. Sad bastard songs beat out more upbeat tracks as my favorites this year. There were a lot of honorable mentions which I hope to spotlight in a post about some of my favorite songs this year! (As always, my list of albums that came out this year that I want to listen to but haven't yet is staggering!)

10. Glee Soundtrack Vol. 1 - Auto-Tuned like whoa, and maybe a bit overhyped, the Glee Soundtrack is still one of the most fun, put-it-on-in-the-background, sing-it-loud-in-a-gay-bar albums of the year. I can't stop going back to those Amber Riley songs. She's a star in the making.

Stand Out Tracks: Don't Stop Believing, Bust Your Window, Hate On Me

9. Metric - Fantasies - These Canadian rockers return with maybe their best album yet (although they are all so good) and Emily makes good on the fact that she is the sexiest singer of our friends up North. From the first track to the last, this album is winner after winner.

Stand Out Tracks: Help I'm Alive, Gimmie Sympathy, Stadium Love

8. Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds & A Sound - Blind Pilot was a surprise highlight at the 2009 Lollapalooza festival and I consider them this year's "Wild Sweet Orange" in that regard. Highly listenable music from a singer with a smooth as silk voice and a band that includes upright bass, trumpet and more. This year they completed a Ditty Bopsesque bike tour and also joined fellow Portland natives, The Decemberists for some shows. Oh yeah, and they stole my heart!


Stand Out Tracks: Oviedo, 3 Rounds and a Sound, I Buried A Bone

7. Freelance Whales: Sure, a number of the Freelance Whales songs are downright derivative of Sufjan Stevens, but I prefer to think that these young, banjo-plucking, infectiously upbeat kids are fans who took Sufjan's lead as a base on which to build something uniquely theirs. They are one band you don't want to miss live - seeing this energetic group hopping from instrument to instrument throughout the night will leave an ear-to-ear smile on your face.

Stand out Tracks: Generator ^ First Floor, Broken Horse, Hannah, Kilojoules

6. Phosphorescent - To Wille I'll admit it - at first I didn't realize that all of the songs on Phosphorescent's 2009 album, To Willie, were Willie Nelson cover songs until my coworker pointed it out - a tribute to Willie in the vein of Willie's own 1977 cover album To Lefty from Willie. I wasn't familiar with Willie Nelson music, but Phosphorescent's versions of these songs are heartbreaking and beautiful. I'm a fan now - which may be the best compliment one can give a cover album!

Stand Out Tracks: Reasons to Quit, Can I Sleep In Your Arms, I Gotta Get Drunk

5. Islands - Vapours Canada's second entry to the top 10 is Quebec's Islands. While they have tied their 2008 ranking for "In Arm's Way" at number 5 and dropped 2 spots from 2006's Return To The Sea at number 3 - Vapours is just as good, if not better! I do miss the band members from Return to the Sea and Arm's Way, the more electronic vibe on Vapours is extremely fun and probably more quickly likable than their previous work.


Stand Out Tracks:Switched On, Tender Torture, Everything is Under Control, Heartbeat

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Phoenix managed to release an album so catchy and fun this year that it blew the band into the mainstream. Other than the fact that it has been a bit annoying hearing "have you heard this great new band, Phoenix" and the fact that this album means I get to hear far fewer songs live from my still favorite Phoenix album, Alphabetical, Phoenix deserves all the accolades they are receiving. It's great to see that they spent the last three years honing their craft and it has paid off!

Stand Out Tracks: Listomania, 1901, Rome

3. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love The Decemberists had a hard task in front of them, following up the astounding "The Crane Wife." One first listen, The Hazards of Love failed for me - an attitude of the album taken by a good number of reviewers. However, a day after the album was released online I was lucky enough to see the Decemberists play the Hazards of Love for the first time in its entirety at SXSW. Afterwards I saw the CD for what it is - an epic masterpiece. It is definitely an album that begs to be seen live, from cover to cover. The CD is a story, and listening to tracks individually is kind of like reading just a chapter in a book - once you know the book well that might be enjoyable, but you have to fall in love with the whole story first. I can't wait to see what they do next!

Stand Out Tracks: The Wanting Comes In Waves (Reprise), The Rake's Song, The Hazards of Love 4

2. Chris Garneau - El Radio 2007's #1 just barely misses out on the #1 spot for 2009. It was so close it was whatever the music equivalent of a photo finish is, because El Radio picks up where Chris Garneau left off, taking his music to whole new levels. While the CD has a number of more upbeat songs than his previous work, there are still quite enough tear-wrenching heartbreakers to keep me sad happy - with Cats and Kids appearing to be almost a sequel song to "Music For Tourists" song We Don't Try, about the death of a friend. I wouldn't kick a song off of this CD.

Stand Out Tracks: The Leaving Song, Hands On the Radio, No More Pirates, Cats and Kids

1. The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin: Like Chris Garneau in 2007 whose CD I listed as #1 was actually first released in 2006, The Low Anthem's CD Oh My God, Charlie Darwin was first released in 2008 and rereleased in 2009. The album moves from song to song with a beauty and grace and sends chills down my spine - from the opening falsetto ballad Charlie, to Cage the Songbird, all the way to the final OMGCD, this folksy Americana album is almost a religious experience and the songs seem reverent and spiritual despite the inspiration of the world's most famous naturalist. The lead singer describes the experience of listening to the album as being akin to "taking shelter during a lightning storm among nostalgic remnants in a water-damaged church, who’s new tenants – rats, owls, stray dogs and snakes – comprise a burgeoning, cacophonous, dog-eat-dog ecosystem." The CD has a common thread although as you listen to it you'll be constantly surprised at the variety in the singer's voice, from the Josh Ritter like "Ticket Taker" to the more raucous "Horizon Is A Beltway" and even the instrumental "Music Box" The variety of instruments played on the album and at their live shows is staggering, and help to build an album that elevates and craddles the lyrics and comprise an album that I feel will be timeless.

Stand Out Tracks: (Don't) Tremble, Charlie Darwin, To Ohio, Ticket Taker

For all of you hipsters out there that still enjoy a good Trent Reznor song, he has made his entire new album available via a free download on the Nine Inch Nails website.

Check it out and happy listening.

http://nin.com/

I just read a huge article on Rolling Stone this morning about some quality releases coming out in 2008. Those that I am really jacked up about:

-Coldplay
-Death Cab
-Weezer
-Ben Folds
-Ray Lamontagne
-Jason Mraz ( I have complete faith that he can put out another good album even though he is batting .500 right now)
-This new band that I have enjoyed on the Internet called Tokyo Police Club

Check it out. (Unfortunately you have to click through each page of the 65 pages) How can you not be excited about a Tom Petty side project?!?!

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/19830818

Kyle's Notes:

I thought I would chime in with some of my most anticipated upcoming releases. Also, I actually laughed out loud at your "This new band that I have enjoyed on the Internet" comment. Their first album came out almost 2 years ago!

Islands
Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos
The Spinto Band
Rachael Yamagata
The Lovely Feathers
No Doubt
Tilly And the Wall
Phoenix
Simple Kid
Anathallo
Submarines

Today former N*Syncer Lance Bass joined past and present Irish boy-banders Stephen Gatley (Boy Zone), Mark Feehily (Westlife) and UK's former boybander Kevin McDaid (V) in their attempts of forming a new boyband, er, boi band. Men*Sync? Backdoor Boys? New Kids on The Cock? 98 Degrees...of man on man action? Ie. he's a big homo. All we need is a fifth to make it a proper boy band. My fingers are crossed for Robbie Williams. I could take that. Ba da bum.

But seriously. This was breaking news (from People magazine) on both CNN, and yahoo (along with an article about J. Timberlake's new CD... which I am guessing appeals to the same demographic). Now the articles are everywhere (and I'm shocked that none of them have included that super gay Rolling Stones cover where the band is all covered in glitter). The media deluge may be a bit excessive, but congrats still to Lance Bass (who was apparently born into gayitude with that porn name of his.) About time a US boy bander came out, even if it is because of evil bloggers ratting him out. I'm kind of conflicted... on one hand, leave the guy alone. On the other hand I am sure he will be happier now, so it is a good thing. He can be all public with his already out beau (winner of season 4 of the Amazing Race). That's a great thing. And I think that it will make all of those people that were sad he didn't get to go to space a little happier knowing that at least he is getting some trouser rocket.

Come on...I had to.

It's been a bad month for robbery.

Kyle Riabko had to cut his tour short when his van and trailer were stolen in Philidelphia (including a 1966 Fender Jaguar, a vintage Ludwig drum set and an Elrick MJS5 bass guitar, as well as much more gear.) I don't even know anything about instruments and it still hurts me to read that. Kyle is about the nicest dude I've had the pleasure of meeting, and he's got a pretty bad ass name if I do say so myself, so I feel particularly bad for him.

Before you Chicagoans start casting stones at Philly, look at the log in your own eye. While playing their gig in Chicago, Elf Power had their van broken into and all of their clothes robbed. Not as bad, but still, I bet they were cool clothes. I bet some even had neat buttons. You heartless animals.

So, if you feel as bad for these guys as I do, you should check out there music, if you like it buy something from them and drop them some words of encouragement, here and here.

And by the way, that WAS two biblical references in one post. I feel like I need to do something dirty now to balance things out.

I am almost always sad when I hear that a band is breaking up. I think of the countless hours they spent conceptualizing, recording, promoting and touring. I think of the nights they spent directly before releasing their CD... the anticipation and the dreams. Even if I don't love the band I still feel for them... it is always hard leaving your dreams behind and hoping that the dreams ahead are just as promising.

So, lets all bid farewell to Blue Merle. Sure, they might have sounded (a lot) like Chris Martin's bluegrass side project. But they were catchy and had a lot of musical talent. This was a breakup that I didn't see coming. Their first single "Burning in the Sun" got quite a bit of airplay and their extensive touring, including Lollapalooza, was building up a noticeable fan base. I am positive that Blue Merle's music will live on in the form of Luke Reynolds, the band's lead singer, who will be continuing to play new solo material as well as Blue Merle favorites. The band's other Luke is currently touring with MIchelle Branch's The Wreckers.

Another band is leaving us that didn't get to the point Blue Merle had, but had been doing it for longer. The Argument has been making music for nearly a decade. They make the kind of music that sounds great blaring from a frat house on a hot summer day or in American Pie 7: Stifler's Dog. While at awarestore I listened to a lot of bands promo CD's and the Argument is one of those that I thought had some potential.

So, if you are fans of the bands or if you have never heard them, head over to their sites and say goodbye and good luck and check out their stuff. Just because they are breaking up doesn't mean that it isn't the perfect time to get into them. I'm sure both bands would appreciate another fan ten years from now saying "I'm still listening to them."

Is just what I'm going through. At the moment that is extreme happiness.

I started listening to Mr. Damien Rice in early 2002 (hot on the heels of my return from Ireland). After moving to Kentucky, Damien was the first concert I saw... I drove by myself up to Louisville. The concert was easily one of the best I have seen (the only on that tops it was the final JLC show, and that was in large part due to a lot of emotional sentiment). I had gone not expecting much and instead had been floored. You can read more about that show on my friend Shannon's page. Speaking of which I have met a lot of my favorite people through Damo shows...Courtney, Shannon, Courtney again...and the rest (I learned that trick from early Gilligan's Island). I also got exposure to one of my current favorite bands: The Frames.

Even from the first shows I saw in early 2003, Damien had at least another album worth of material recorded and he promised it would be around soon. Every year since then I have listed the Damien Rice CD (along with Fiona Apple's long-awaited CD) as my most anticipated new CD of the next year on year end articles. We've instead received 4(!!!) releases of "O," a b-sides album (the contents of which I already owned having dilligently purchased all of the singels and a Live CD/DVD. Other than that the only new studio music we have heard have been Unplayed Piano and Cross-Eyed Bear. But no new album in sight.

If that weren't bad enough, Damien hasn't been back since I saw him in early 2004. 2 years with no hints of him coming back to the US.

According to the Damien Rice website, Damien Rice is currently planning a tour of the US for June/July with Fiona Apple. I think I just squealed. No. I'm sure of it.

Continue reading "What I Give to You..."

Sufjan Stevens recently won the New Pantheon Music Award joining the ranks of...no one really considering this was the inaugural year for the awards. The awards take a look at those great albums mostly ignored by the Grammys... albums that are critically acclaimed or masterfully constructed but have sold less than 500,000 copies. Celebrity and industry judges such as Elijah Wood, Ben Gibbard and my hero Nic Harcourt could nominate up to 7 worthy albums. Then, those nominations were whittled down to ten finalists.

As much as I love Sufjan (nominated by Jason Mraz?!? Cool!), I probably would have chose Fiona Apple as winner from the finalists. (Fiona was nominated by Elton John, Dave Matthews, Beck, Shirley Manson and more.) There was some really steep competition though, and it is just nice that these great bands are getting recognized.

It's also fun to look through the full list of nominations and see who all the nominators chose. It makes me like them all just a little bit more. For example John Cameron Mitchell nominating Andrew Bird = GLEE! I also think it is very cute and touching that Tony Kanal (from No Doubt) nominated Matt Costa, since Matt's CD was produced by Tom Dumont (of No Doubt). Awwwww. I'm sure he didn't do it just because of Tom, it is a great CD, that just touches me in my No Doubt places of awwwness (as does Tony's bio which mentions being in the studio to work on the new No Doubt CD! WOOHOO!). Look at the nominators before you look at the nominated CDs and see if you can guess who nominated what!

Seriously though, take a peak at the Nominated CDs if you want some great suggestions for new music from people who know their stuff.