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Oh yes, it's time. Just as we have done for a few years now, the music nerds here at CoN go on a late-year riff about what they thought was awesome for that year (or, sometimes, what was terribly disappointing). It's great fun, by and large, and will no doubt help you find something new to listen to - well, probably not in my list, but maybe in others. Here are the first two threads, in case you're curious: 2007 2008

Anyway, I have a really long list this year, relative to my contributions from years past; I think the reason is simply that this year was a banner year in the Bender household for music that suited my tastes. So here it is, and let it be a jumping-off point for you to compile and contribute your own, unless you're a lazy bugger.

In no particular order:

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
I'm a sucker for a girl singing alt-country, and Neko Case is probably top of the list for that subgenre these days. She started out performing with New Pornographers, a set of indie darlings in their own right, but I find that Case's voice is best suited to be accompanied by as many acoustic instruments as possible, and at least one slide guitar. After hearing about her for years, I finally tried her out when this album dropped, and I found it really satisfying with it's melancholic and sometimes dark arrangement and lyrics.
Try These Out: This Tornado Loves You, Don't Forget Me

Metric - Fantasies
I saw part of Metric's set at All Points West in the summer of '08; I liked what I heard, but didn't hear enough of it because at a big music festival there's just no time to catch everything. However, I grabbed their 2009 album as quickly as I could, and I heart it so. It's loud rock with a girl fronting, which in and of itself is rare enough; however, this band has an even more unique flair that, in their own way, reminds me a bit of the early days of Garbage (though, clearly, more of a straight rock sound than Shirley Manson's electronic rock).
Try These Out: Satellite Mind, Gimme Sympathy

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
This is another band that I'd heard wonderful things about over the last couple years, but I'd never had an opportunity to hear. That changed this year, when my local listener-supported indie station put "French Navy" into heavy rotation; I was hooked in the first fifteen seconds of my first listen. Not only does that lead single have my vote for best single of the year, the album as a whole might have that accolade to go with it. It's got a great retro sound; it feels warm and inviting throughout, and the lead singer, Tracyanne Campbell, has just a lovely, distinctive voice.
Try These Out: French Navy, You Told a Lie, Swans

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
YYYs are one of the most polarizing bands I've ever tried to talk about with anyone, I think. They're a band that you either seem to love right out of the gate, or hate immediately and permanently. I can understand both; the band has a tendency to get a little too into their noise, and it doesn't work for all their songs. However, for their third major LP, they seem to have gotten wise; the wall of sound has gotten just a bit lower, and Karen O (note the name, you'll see it again) has moved on to a sound that is less of her stressing her voice and more of what most would consider real "singing" - it's similar to the sound that made her famous in the first place, on "Maps" way back when. "Hysteric" might be the best song the band has ever put out, and "Softshock" isn't lightyears behind (and neither of those was even the album's lead single!).
Try These Out: Hysteric, Softshock

Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
You might think, "finally, he comes up with a band not fronted by a chick." Um, don't get too used to it, I guess. I saw Franz Ferdinand about this time last year, touring in support of their soon-to-be-released new album. (Note, that was a fantastic show, which also introduced me to one of my best of 2008, Airborne Toxic Event.) The album is really as great as the show - it's approachable, it's danceable, and it has the band's best blend of thunder and calm of any of their career. If you would trust anyone to do a concept album revolving around a night of over-the-top partying followed by the consequences, well, these guys are a good group to turn to.
Try These Out: Bite Hard, What She Came For

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - Break Up
I really couldn't have fathomed this album showing up here when I first heard it was coming out. I'm not crazy about Johansson as an actress, really, and I don't usually think of actresses moving well into the realm of musical artists (though I knew that her album of Tom Waits covers was supposed to be pretty great - I just couldn't bring myself to hear it). Likewise, I never really got into Pete Yorn's last solo album, though the two before it were both magnificent. I started to change my mind when the duo started streaming the first single, "Relator;" it was vintage Yorn with his somewhat-whiny-nasal tone and upbeat, kind of jangly hook, with Johansson's dusky singing voice suited it well, all wrapped up into a sub-three-minute package. Then I listened to the whole album, and discovered that the whole thing's kind of like that, and it's just a lot of fun to listen to for a record that is a concept album about a relationship collapsing upon itself.
Try These Out: Relator, Shampoo

Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
Speaking of surprises! I haven't really enjoyed a DMB studio album in a decade, truth be told, with Before These Crowded Streets being the last that I truly loved. Later releases had some okay tracks here and there, aside possibly from Stand Up, which really was a dearth of quality, and as such I didn't even have plans to try this one out. One thing changed my mind; one night a few months ago, I decided to stop and watch part of a concert from the band on Palladia, during which I learned that Leroi Moore (the band's original saxophonist) had died. That kind of grabbed me, as DMB were such a big part of my music in high school and University, and as such I stuck around to hear more of the show, which featured a few songs from the new album. Anyway, when I finally got around to listening, I was very pleasantly surprised. This disc is further from their weaker albums, and much, much closer to what made them famous in the first place - "Dive In" grabbed me in much the same way that "#41" did back when I first heard it over ten years ago. This album is just fun to listen to, even if you have to remind yourself that they'll never again hit their late-90's peak.
Try These Out: Lying in the Hands of God, Dive In

Karen O and the Kids - Where the Wild Things Are (soundtrack)
Another surprise is that a movie soundtrack is on this list. Since most soundtracks are either just scores or a compilation of tracks from different artists, they don't usually fit on a list like this; however, the quality of this soundtrack is a direct connection to the fact that Spike Jonze started out as a music video director before he went to film. Karen O brought Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a metric ton of talent, along with some regular everyday children, into the studio to put out this soundtrack, and it's just nothing but raw childlike glee funneled through music created by and for adults. I don't think you can really not feel good after listening to this disc.
Try These Out: All Is Love, Sailing Home

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
These guys seem to be everywhere now; I can think of at least three commercials where I've heard their song "1901" (and you, no doubt, have heard them too). It seems that every year there are more bands that I kind of consider "Strokes-Sound-a-Likes," where a band comes from more or less nowhere but has that kind of do-it-yourself, garage-band sound that seems really appealing. Those bands aren't always good, but I think that Phoenix is - particularly for being a bunch of Frenchies.
Try These Out: Lisztomania, 1901

Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
Another indie, undergroundish group that I'd listlessly tried to approach before in the past, and I guess just never felt like getting into. I was wrong to do so. These little Canuck sisters put out a ridiculously good album this year; it's unique vocally, lyrically, and musically, even though it feels to me like it takes some influences from Sleater-Kinney (a good thing, I think). It's an album that has a lot of synth and other 80's-esque sounds in it (seriously, check out "Alligator"), but in a way that I don't think would put off anyone who doesn't like that kind of sound.
Try These Out: Hell, Alligator, The Cure

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
I loved Lily Allen's debut - it just had a great, "I don't give a [bleep]" attitude about it, swinging from mildly mischievous to harsh across a great, second-wave ska sound. This year's effort broadens her sound by adding in a bit more typical pop, and a lot more electronic sound throughout; the result still has the dancy beat of the first album, but feels more complete and rounded, more polished than its predecessor. Additionally, this newest release adds in far more in the way of sweeter, lovey songs that are, surprisingly, among the best of the album. Finally, there's "Not Fair," which, while not a very family-friendly song, is hilarious and has an amazingly clever cowboy-movie theme backing it. I've read recently that Allen thinks she's done with music. God, I hope not - there are not nearly enough girls with her ridiculously hot accent in the States.
Try These Out: The Fear, Not Fair, Chinese


Now, an honorable mention: the first two Glee soundtracks. Absolutely awesome. Just like the show. Because, you know, they're from the show.

Not too much that disappointed me this year, either, obviously, given the length of my list above. I wasn't terribly happy with the latest U2; not that it surprises me terribly, I guess, but this album honestly just bored me. I know I need to give it another try, but I just don't really want to. And, finally, buried here at the bottom of the post, is the new Muse. I was really interested in this album, and started getting worried about it when I started seeing some of the reviews out there. Hint: the more pessimistic reviews are right. I found the entire album to be unapproachable, and intentionally unapproachable, as if Matt Bellamy has decided that he just doesn't want people to like his music because they don't deserve it. I will say, though, that the leadoff track is pretty solid - it just sets a tone that the rest of the album can't match.

There you go. I know at least someone was waiting for this thread to kick off, and now it has. Enjoy.


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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

i havent really listened to a lot of very popular music lately, although i cannot stand whats on the radio. what really made 2009 for me was Muse's new album, The Resistance. i absolutely love everything that comes out of Muse, and this album was no different. especially songs like Unnatural Selection and MK Ultra

also, i love phoenix

This post has been edited by dont chocobos rule? on 3rd December 2009 20:33

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Aujourdhui a commence avec toi.

These first ones are in rough order of preference, or how much they impressed me.

Metric - Fantasies
This and The Bird and the Bee release are tied up for favorite release of the year. I was on a huge Garbage kick right before I picked this album up a couple months ago and this album was exactly what I needed at that point. Not to say that it's even similar Garbage but it just seemed like a natural next step.
Try These Out: Gimme Sympathy, Collect Call, Sick Muse

The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns are Not Just the Future
Like I said, I loved this album. Such a weird, jazzy, electronic charm to the whole thing. I highly recommend this album to everyone.
Try These Out: Everything is Ending, Polite Dance Song, Love Letter to Japan

Math the Band - Don't Worry
Everyone should at least check out this band, and this album. A great combination of chiptune, punk, and garage. When I got this album I was kind of disappointed because a lot of the tracks were previously released on an EP that I already had, but objectively this is definitely their best album. I just got into this band this year but they introduced me to an entire subgenre of music like it, including Best Fwends and Totally Michael.
Try These Out: Tour De Friends, It's Gonna Be Awesome, Hang Out Hang Ten

Children of Nova - The Complexity of Light (EP)
Great progressive band. Very reminiscent of the Volta. Some have even said a rip off, but I don't care. This EP is great.
Try These Out: The Fall of Aphonia, The Complexity of Light

Karen O and the Kids - Where the Wild Things Are (soundtrack)
Not much I can say here that josh hasn't already said. Great both in and out of the context of the movie.
Try These Out: All Is Love, Sailing Home

Modest Mouse - No One's First and You're Next (EP)
I love Modest Mouse so much, and this EP is great. NotThe Whale Song is probably my favorite Modest Mouse song since maybe Lonesome Crowded West. It's definitely worth the purchase, especially for any fans of the band at all. For an eight song EP it really is some of their most varied work, something for everyone here.
Try These Out: The Whale Song, History Sticks to Your Feet

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
For the first half of the year I would have said this is my favorite album of the year by far but it's lost a some of it's edge over time. I still think it's a great album, though.
Try These Out: Skeleton Key, Paris

Dan Deacon - Bromst
This was my introduction to Dan Deacon and it was a slightly deceptive one to be honest. Of the Mountains was what got me really hooked but that song is pretty unique on the album. If you're into weird electronic, check it out!
Try These Out: Of the Mountains, Snookered

Some other great albums out of this year:

Passion Pit - Manners
Múm - Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know
Muse - The Resistance
The Fall of Troy - In the Unlikely Event
Built to Spill - There is No Enemy



The only other two albums I payed for this year that were at least okay:

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Rodrigo y Gabriella - 11:11

Anything else I got this year wasn't really worth mentioning, but I still have a lot of music I have to catch up on. It seems like the Resistance was an incredibly polarizing album of the year. I don't think I've met someone who just mildly enjoyed it. Looking back on that list, this year was a really great year for female vocalists for me. What's up with that?

Edit

Oh, and on the topic of shit music this year: Raditude. What the hell has happened to you, Weezer?

This post has been edited by FallingHeart on 3rd December 2009 21:47

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"We're not tools of the government or anyone else. Fighting... fighting was the only thing I was ever good at, but at least I always fought for what I believed in." - Frank Yeager (a.k.a. Grey Fox)

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dreading finally having to write up this post. All the same, this is still the thread I look forward to most every year. Most of my list is indie-pop oriented this year, as it's been an amazing year for the genre, but there are a few other gems as well. All in all, I think 2009 has been a much better year than 2008 was. Rarely does one say that an artist's new release was better than their previous works, but this year was full of exceptions to that rule. Include a handful of impressive new artists and you've got the fixings for a great year. I'm warning you all now, this is going to be a massive wall of text. Right, well, let's get on with it, shall we?

Metric - Fantasies
It's been said once or twice already, but this truly has been a huge year for bands with female vocalists. That being said, I think it only appropriate to begin my list with the best of that class. This album is a much more mature production from the band, in terms of lyrical and song content, but also in production value. It's certainly a much more refined, elegant body of work than the usual raw-quality most Metric albums have had in the past. Full of synth-pop hooks and brilliant vocal deliveries, Fantasies is without a doubt one of the most impressive releases to come out in '09. If you bought this album over iTunes, you'd have also received acoustic versions of "Gimme Sympathy" and "Help, I'm Alive". Both of which are absolutely haunting and brilliant.
Recommended Listening: Satellite Mind, Gimme Sympathy (acoustic version)

Tegan & Sara - Sainthood
Forgoing their old, simpler format of acoustic guitars and the occasional drum beat, these two sisters have really come a long way over the years. Sainthood, I think, is Tegan & Sara at their very best, which is saying quite a mouthful because their last album, The Con, remains one of my favorite albums of all time. Like Metric, they decided on going with a larger production and a fuller sound, invoking several 80's pop themes in subdued, approachable fashion. Ever featuring their now signature alternating, harmonal vocal delivery, it would be an understatement to say Tegan and Sara really delivered the goods here.
]Recommended Listening: Hell, Alligator, Arrow

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
This album is nothing short of spectacular. Featuring a sound that can only be described as a modern throwback to 50's rock with a hint of cabaret and tied together with a brilliant vocal delivery by Tracyanne Campbell, this album exists in a category of it's own. I guess that's to be expected when you get produced by Jari Haapalainen of The Bear Quartet and feature appearances by Björn Yttling, of Peter Bjorn and John. Each song stands well on it's own right, but more impressively, they all flow brilliantly one into another, all without making their style come off as forced or gimmicky. Warm, easy to listen to and vastly approachable, this belongs in everyone's library.
Recommended Listening: French Navy, The Sweetest Thing, Careless Love

Matt & Kim - Grand
It's hard to describe all the things that define Matt & Kim musically. They're energetic and frantic, yet artful in their delivery and intensely catchy. Grand is a lo-fi example of what the indie scene ought to be; a perfect amalgamation of concept and content. It's got spunk and a care-free sort of feel that makes this album more approachable than their previous release, so I would definitely recommend this body of work as a starting point to anyone unfamiliar with their music. My only complaint is that the album as a whole is very short, each song generally being anywhere from just over a minute to just under 3. As a whole, the album spans just under half an hour. This, however, is only a minor tick on an otherwise brilliant album.
Recommended Listening: Daylight, I'll Take Us Home, Lesson Learned

Lights - The Listening
This girl just absolutely knows how to compose catchy songs. Her songs are simple, though masterfully composed, and rely heavily on synth-powered electronic riffs layered on top of each other. What really impresses me about Lights is the way she manages to keep her material easy to listen to and not overly electronic, especially in today's world of heavily abused auto-tune, drum machines and techno-beats. There's something very relaxed to her approach
that sets this album apart from the others. She's definitely an artist to keep an eye on in the future.
Recommended Listening: River, Saviour, The Last Thing On Your Mind, Lions!

Passion Pit - Manners
Shock! Another electro-pop, indie band! When Passion Pit released their Chunk of Change EP at the tail-end of 2008, I was sure that their upcoming album was going to be great. In this, I was not disappointed. I don't know how else to describe Manners except as a decadent. It's clear that this was an album made with the intention of pushing the boundaries of what people would except from the genre, and while sometimes it comes off a little strong, or "indie-for-the-sake-of-indie", it's still a brilliant collection of tunes that you cannot help but want to dance to.
Recommended Listening: Moth's Wings, To Kingdom Come, Little Secrets

Taking Back Sunday - New Again
The fourth album release from the Long Island based pop-punk powerhouse group, and the first album featuring new guitarist Matthew Fazzi, formerly of Facing New York. This album features everything you could ever expect from Taking Back Sunday: clever lyrics, catchy riffs and brilliant vocals. This album thematically takes a step away from their usual niche, and is a much more personal work. For example, the track Capital M-E deal with the departure of their former guitarist, or Lonely, Lonely dealing with the solitude of being on the road, away from home for months on end, constantly surrounded by strangers. Of the albums included in this list, New Again has definitely been listened to the most.
Recommended Tracks: New Again, Cut Me Up Jenny, Summer Man

Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
The definitive hardcore album of the last two years, to say the very least. This album is innovative, aggressive, witty and unforgettable. Drawing from mathcore, southern rock and with a pop sensibility that makes this album less intimidating than any of their previous works, it'd be an understatement to say Every Time I Die had outdone themselves when they made this album. Opting to have it recorded at a local, low-end studio, the album has the sort of sound you'd attribute to a live-recording without losing anything in clarity. As a result, it's a much more raw sounding body of work, and the high energy of their live performances carries through.
Recommended Listening: The Marvelous Slut, Wanderlust, Who Invited The Russian Soldier?

Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
This album is probably the only metal album that was released this year that impressed me at all. I don't know if this is because the genre as a whole has become an overwhelming disappointment or because these guys, without fail, produce brilliant and mind blowing music. Every time they release an album, I find myself saying "There is no possible way their next album can top this!" Well, they somehow manage to do so each and every time. I submit that their drummer is a robot, because the speed and precision he plays with, combined with the complex nature of what he plays is outright impossible for any human man to accomplish. The same, of course, can be said for any member of this band, however. It's hard for me to talk about anything this band does without gushing, I just love them that much. The Great Misdirect takes their eclectic style one step further, drawing influences from nearly every other genre, featuring acoustic ballads, flamenco-style drive guitar back and forths, ukuleles and banjos, and even a full orchestra in the closing track. This album is only six-songs long, however, in a Dream Theatre like fashion, each song is anywhere between seven minutes to eighteen, and they do so without ever feeling like the song is dragging on or getting repetitive.
Recommended Listening: Swim to the Moon, Desert of Song, Fossil Genera - A Feed From Cloud Mountain

Moneen - The World I Want To Leave Behind
Moneen hasn't put out an album since their 2006 release, 'The Red Tree". So, suffice it to say that I eagerly awaited the release of this album for some time now. It, in terms of style, is very similar to the previous album, featuring heavy use of melodic guitar riffs, energetic drum riffs and layered vocal lines. A mix between post-hardcore and pop-punk, this album appeals to fans of the genre, but I would definitely recommend it to someone who otherwise would never give it the chance. Definitely a more mature body of work than their previous albums, it resembles the Vheissu album released by Thrice some time ago.
Recommended Listening: The Long Count, Hold That Sound, The Glass House

This Will Destroy You - Field Studies EP (feat. Lymbyc Systym)
These guys are masters of post-rock in a way that no words can do justice. Take the best of Explosions in the Sky, add the soundscaping, atmospheric qualities of Mogwai, then add a twist of warm summer nights and you have this band. This E.P. expands on the post-rock genre by including subdued electronica overtones and a hint of raw, garage rock styled drumming. This album is essentially the perfect soundtrack to any evening, and frequently used by yours truly whenever studying, reading, or writing. A must have for anyone who appreciates post-rock.
Recommended Listening: Narita, Brutalism & The Worship Of The Machine
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Disappointments of the year:

Muse - The Resistance
I really tried to like this album. Honestly, I did. In the time leading up to it, based solely off the single, I expected something equally as brilliant as their past works. Why wouldn't I, after all, Muse had yet to disappoint me. Well, it happened. Once the initial "this is Muse, therefore this must be excellent" wore off, the album grew to be quite stale and, if I wasn't already a fan of the band, would find this body of work entirely unapproachable. The music comes off as artful for the sake of being so in that everything is completely over the top. Now, that isn't always a bad thing, but here it's just too much. As it is now, the only tracks I enjoy are Uprising and MK Ultra. The rest have sadly just fallen flat.

The Fall of Troy - In The Unlikely Event
I expected this, as I was not at all a fan of Manipulator, their last official album. What small glimmer of hope I had in this band returning to their old ways when they released Phantoms on the Horizon vanished as soon as I heard the opening track to this epic let down. The frantic guitar playing has become predictable and boring, the eclectic, raw nature that once defined their music has been dumbed down, stripped and made into standard song progressions, even the singing has become softer. There isn't a single track on this album that honestly sounds like The Fall of Troy to me, and it's heartbreaking. Doppelganger is still one of my favorite albums of the last decade, so it pains me to see this band fall so far.

Dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
I have no idea what happened to this band. Catch Without Arms was a masterpiece and probably one of the best examples of functional art rock. Each song held it's own as unique and unforgettable. On this album, however, not a single track stands out. No hooks, no chills, no moments where I'd need to sit down, just the overwhelming desire to pretend this album never happened.

Thrice - Beggars
After the Alchemy Index, I knew it would be difficult for Thrice to release something as impressive, and certainly it'd take them some time to compose any worthwhile material. It seems that instead, they opted quantity over quality, pumping out this album less than a year after the release of their final Alchemy Index collection. The result is something listenable, but lackluster. Most of these songs fall flat, lacking the drive of previous works from this once great band. I hope they find their grove again.

Weezer - Raditude
This band used to be the epitome of cool. Especially during the high school years, I don't think there was a single band that brought people together like Weezer did. Their music was catchy without sacrificing substance, simplistic and rocking all the same. Raditude is the natural progression from their last album, which was equally unimpressive and just as heart breaking. I keep hoping that Rivers will come up with another Maladroit and it sadly never happens.

AFI - Crashlove
With the incredible collection of music that was Decemberunderground and AFI's general tendency to never disappoint, I was very excited about the release of this album. Especially since this band has never kept a specific format for more than an album, making them one of the more difficult groups to classify. Well, this album is disappointingly classifiable enough: it sucks. Gone are the sing-a-long choruses that made their songs so infectious or the clever lyrics that set Davey Havok apart as a brilliant songwriter. This was, for me, the most heartbreaking release of 2009
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Honorable mentions for notably good albums that I enjoyed but didn't end up at the top of my list:
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Ghinzu - Mirror, Mirror
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
MSTRKRFT - Hand of God
Oceansize - Home and Minor ep
HORSE the band - DesPirate Living
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Its Blitz!

This post has been edited by Dragon_Fire on 5th December 2009 09:05

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Okay, but there was a goat!

As you let me know long ago, Jav, I DID forget Matt & Kim. When I first saw them in 2007, I knew that eventually they'd blow up. While I'm always a little bit melancholy that a hidden gem hits it big, not so this time. Their album is unspoiled by being a major release, still just as fun and dorky as anything they did before. Now they're just doing it on MTV (you know, when MTV has music).

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Quote (dont chocobos rule? @ 3rd December 2009 20:33)

i havent really listened to a lot of very popular music lately, although i cannot stand whats on the radio.

Ditto on both counts.

Although I'm a musician, I don't listen to music very frequently (since, when working, I focus better without music, or when listening to music without lyrics). In fact, I can't remember the last album I purchased, or when I purchased it.

But yeah, nothing I hear nowadays really stands out to me.

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EGG TOSS
YOU CARRY
EAT A BAG
LEMON-DY
HEAD SAUCE
JIM CARREY
IN A BEAR
HEAVEN PEE
DAFFY-ROTH
- brentalfloss