Best Albums of 2009
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
As a fan of metal, prog-rock, and hard classic rock there is no better album this year. The only competition was Them Crooked Vultures (which is also on my list). This album is more classic rock to me than metal. There are some blazing fast hard parts to this album but mostly it’s a very surreal slow swirling vortex sound meant to represent “air”. All of their albums represent an element (earth/fire/air/water). This album is also a concept album about astral travel and Rasputin (and air). That’s metal. Needless to say I saw them play this album all the way through twice live this year. It was great. I listened to this cd so many times it wouldn’t work any more. I had to get another. It also obtained the rank “best album to listen to driving fast through torrential rain” this year. Every time the rain would get insane while I was driving I would toss this album on and it sounded even better. I would have thought this was their “water” album (Not. That would be their Moby Dick concept album Leviathan). Either way this is my favorite album of the year, by far.
Easy Star All Stars - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band
One of my favorite genres of music is dub reggae. This is the best dub reggae album of the year and also a cover of one of music’s most beloved albums The Beatles Sgt. Pepper album. Easy Star’s have also covered Pink Floyd’s Dark Side album and Radiohead’s OK Computer album. All in a dub stylee. They are by far one of the coolest modern dub bands. Everyone who hears this likes it. Since they cover very well written albums by other artists it really shows off how well these songs were written. The Beatles songs still sound great and classic even though they now are reggae. Great musicianship and production.
White Rabbits - It’s Frightening
My friend Megan said she was going to see these guys one night. I skimmed them on youtube and loved it. I bought the album a minute later. Like a lot of today’s indie bands I hear a lot of the Beatles songwriting influence on here. They are minimal yet raw and original. The album is short and concise and a great listen all the way through. It makes me want to sing along which says a lot for it’s catchiness.
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
I don’t really know much about Andrew Bird except that he’s an expert whistler. I wasn’t aware you could perfect it. I saw that one of my songwriting teachers this year was opening for him. I skimmed this album and it sounded very interesting. More than any other album this year, every time one of his songs shuffled into one of my mixes I was amazed at the songs and had no idea who it was. Over and over again it was this album. Probably my most obscure selection this year this album is really a great mix of indie rock, folk, roots music, and modern music. He’s of the singer songwriter genre but very eclectic and also a very talented multi-instrumentalist (he plays violin a lot live while singing). I bet if you get this you’ll also be pleasantly surprised when he shuffles on. You’ll never guess it’s him.
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
If you have ever looked at any of my year end lists these guys are on it if they have put out an album that year. So here’s Humbug. I was thinking what would they do next after their last album. Ideally they’d probably work with Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age. Well yes that’s exactly what they did! They had him produce it and play a bit on it. It takes a few listens to get used to but I really like it. A bit harder edged sounding but still great songwriting and classic tones. If anything they picked up that desert sounding “outlaw rock” sound that I like so much. Another classic.
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Speaking of “outlaw rock” may I present Jack White’s new band. Jack decided to play drums on this album and playing nothing but Quentin Tarantino style retro 50’s blues outlaw rock. And it rocks. I saw them live once this year and they were amazing. Jack is also “that good” on drums where I don’t ever want to see him play anything else (big statement since I love his guitar work). It’s another Dave Grohl type thing. Jack is good on anything. Give him a tuba and he’ll write you a song. He does play guitar live on the last album song where he just tears through a solo. They sound like the best old blues music you never listened to. It really sounds like an album from the late 50’s-early 60’s. I wasn’t sure why Jack picked a relatively unknown female singer to front the band but seeing her live made it clear. She has a great voice and can really wail. If you like any old blues, Tarantino type movie music, or anything Jack White has ever done you need this. Probably my favorite video of the year also.
Them Crooked Vultures
I was glad to hear three of my favorite musicians ever were putting out an album together as a supergroup. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and Dave Grohl (do I need to spell it out? Nirvana, Foo Fighter, Queens of the Stone Age, Probot, etc.). I’ve heard many say that all Grohl and Homme ever did as teens was to rock out playing to Zeppelin and that is what this sounds like. Two high school kids playing with their idol. And it does. And it’s great. Since Homme sings and comes up with the words the most obvious sound is the Queens sound. I hear that more than Zepp or Foo. But it’s really quirky. You can tell the other two added nuances and changes to every little piece available. Plus they jam a lot. Once again it’s “outlaw rock”. If you like hard rock I’d recommend it.
Dan Deacon - Bromst
If you don’t know who Dan is it’s hard to explain. He makes music with a table full of effects pedals and sine wave generators. Music like you’ve never heard before. Truly modern. His live show is something I have never seen either. I saw him twice this year live. Since there is no band it’s not about that. It only reminds of something tribal of people dancing naked yelling at the moon. Not literally but quite closely. It’s all about the people live and it’s amazing. The best cheap shows I have seen this year. This new album took a different direction from his last album and is way more mellow but very cerebral. If you like electronic music buy it. Very avante garde. This video has Cheer Brigade playing with him (a 12 piece marching band who actually crashed at my buddy's place that night). I saw Dan later that night with this same setup. But 99% of the time it's just him playing with his table of pedals alone in the middle of the crowd.
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II
This album isn’t for the weak of heart or those afraid of profanity and foul language. But at the same time it’s a lyrical masterpiece. The Chef from Wu-Tang follows up Pt.I of this album from 1995 just 14 years later. It took awhile but is very well thought out. Plenty of top notch production, guest stars, rhymes and flows, and beats. If you like any Wu or previous Chef sh*t you need this. Best gangster rap album of the year.
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
I’ve always liked Mos but I thought his output has went downhill since after The New Danger. This album should have followed that one. Instead he busied himself with acting and Def Poetry and many other things. Which is fine. This album could only have come out after all of that and where he is at right now in his life. It is Mos in his top form. Great production, guests, and rhymes. Where Raekwon is gangster rap Mos is more indie hip hop or old school. It’s a good compliment to the only other hip hop album on my list. If you liked any Mos or old Mos, this is most definitely for you.
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Asides from White Rabbit this album is the catchiest album of the year. I feel like singing along to all of it. From what I can tell everyone does. They really blew up this year. I recently saw them play an acoustic show and all 10,000 people were singing along. They just have “that”. They also have a really interesting sound based on classic singer songwriter formulas backed by very modern electronic sounds. I assume that has something to do with them being French and being friends with Daft Punk. There’s a certain electro rave funk subtlely going on behind seemingly simple pop songs. It’s very amazing stuff for fans of all music. I think more people were curious about what this album was whenever I played it this year. That’s why they blew up. A good one.
Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.
DJ Spooky - The Secret Song
Spooky fills out my list this year. He has always been my favorite modern dj. He mixes and meshes things without any regard to commercial sales or attention. He is a true artist. He mostly plays at museums and is also a visual artist of sorts. This album is a very cool mix of hip hop, classic rock, electronic grimey funk, and symphonic sounds. If you like avant garde music then this is the best album of the year in that genre. Well he gives Dan Deacon a run for his money.