1. The Antlers – Hospice
The Antlers – Bear
Brent: This album grew and grew over 2009 until it was pretty impossible for me to not put this at #1. I was positive I would have phoenix in this spot, but The Antlers hits me on a completely different level. It’s not “fun” music but it is an album I can play over and over again, hearing new things. The piano roll on Atrophy always gets to me. It’s a very orchestrated album that also has a raw sound to it, and in a weird way reminds me of ..Aeroplane of The Sea or a Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It’s a very emotional album that cuts pretty deep.
Ryan: This one came on strong in the end. I first had it 3rd on my list, but the more i listened to it and read the lyrics the more i realized that i couldn’t put an album that is so emotionally amazing, stirring, crushing, and hope inducing anywhere but number one. Most albums i try and read the lyrics to get the full breadth of an album, but this album actually made me wanna seek out the lyrics. It isn’t unlike the wrens’ Meadowlands, in that it is so personally exposing that the lyrics are almost mumbled in a “not sure if i should say this” kind of way. This gives it an air of mystery that had me quickly getting on my computer to follow along (thanks lyrics.com).
This album actually took some time to fully take in (still is), and i enjoyed that journey quite a bit: not a small feat in this day and age of consume quickly…then onto the next band/album/genre. What’s the cliche they say: “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”?. Seems appropriate since the album itself is a such an epic journey of love, pain, guilt, regret, sadness, hope, and redemption.
2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Phoenix – 1901
Brent: One of the best albums I have heard in the past decade, the french pop can be turned on at any time during a party to get people moving. One of the most naturally talented bands out there, they seem to just be able to make these gems of songs like they are breathing air. Even in concert they don’t do much, but they just have that thing that makes them intriguing. The lyrics in this album are completely weird too, not necessarily in their content, but in the way the words mix together and go with the music , on paper, seems a little jarbled, but it works in the song and somehow still makes some sense. “Love Like A sunset” is the song that changes this album into something else, the buildup is amazing.
Ryan: Every year when it comes to top ten lists i am always torn with the question of what’s more important: fun albums or deep albums. In the grand scheme of things i guess it’s just overall enjoyment…and although this album isn’t “blazing new trails” or having me rethink the meaning of life, it was so damned fun it couldn’t be ignored. Not only poppy, dancy and fun, but also an album that, despite many many listens, never got old. It put the band on the map, crossed the band over into the non-indie world, and seemed to be playing at every store in the mall (not to mention commercials), and i was happy to hear it no matter the setting. That and the drummer is insane live. youtube it.
3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective – My Girls
Brent: At the Beginning of the year this was already being touted as the best album of the year by some, and for good reason. It has some amazing songs on it in”My Girls”, “Summertime Clothes”, and “Brothersport”. The reasons for it not being higher in the count are because it sometimes gets a bit “long in the tooth”, slightly repetitive after a few listens. Nevertheless, Animal Collective continue to impress and evolve in surprising ways, it is truly an album that takes you down an incredibly imaginative path.
Ryan: Speaking of “blazing new trails”, animal collective have been doing it for some time now, and on this release they finally reigned it in enough to make it more digestible to the masses. Some super AC fans mention how they hate that they did this, but i think it’s harder to edit than to just throw everything into a big bowl and mix it together. And by doing it they created an album that not only has some catchy ass songs, but didn’t give up that much of their artistic direction to acheive it. It’s like “My Girls” was the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland…looks nice enough…why not follow it…then BOOM…into the rabbit hole.
4. Mew – No More Stories / Are Told Today / I’m Sorry / They Washed Away // No More Stories / The World Is Grey / I’m Tired / Let’s Wash Away
Mew – Repeater Beater
Brent: Mew just get better and better with each release, they have complex music that doesn’t sound like it’s trying to hard to be complex, and the vocal melodies are otherworldly. “Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy” is the song that made this album for me, and their experimentation on “Repeaterbeater” produces a great reversed-out effect that i’ve never heard before. The best part about MEW is when you see them live it sounds even better, and it’s amazing they can pull off all that instrumentation and that voice with such ease. It’s also fun, when talking about this album, to say the album name in full whenever you have to reference it.
Ryan: Most overlooked album of the year. I don’t know what it is about mew that people don’t acknowledge them, their from some far off distant land? Their written off as just another prog band? Their album covers are too weird? Their name is too phonetically close to Muse? Well whatever it is, i guess it’s more for us. This album is what they call “a grower”. There are some songs that hit you right out of the gate (”Repeater Beater”), others that don’t quite hit their stride until about a minute in (”Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy”), and many take multiple listens (for me anyways) till they click. But eventually they all click to create one of the more epic, layered, and impressive albums of the year.
5. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Fever Ray – Triangle Walks
Brent: It’s arguable that this album could be better than any Knife album, it starts off very dark and moody and then grows into something more hopeful and “poppy”, at least by Knife standards. This album sounds amazing when listening on headphones, it’s perfectly produced and their are many layers to it, turn up “Triangle Walks” really loud and put on a good pair, you’ll know what I mean. Once the music pops in on the second song, I am hooked in and it’s tough to put down after that. This is another contender for best album cover of the year.
Ryan: Fever Ray and The Knife are creating some of the most creepy, haunting, and cutting edge electronic music out there today, and this album isn’t any different. This reminds me a lot of my #1 album of 2006, The Knife’s Silent Shout, and a strong case could be made for it to be higher on this list, but really that’s splitting hairs. This album and band might single-handedly be the reason i decide to go to coachella this year.
6. Memory Tapes – Seek Magic
Memory Tapes – Bicycle
Brent: Seek Magic is one of the freshest sounding releases in 2009, it’s probably the least dark album in our top 10, next to Phoenix, and something that I can play any time of day and listen to the album front to back in one sitting. This album was at #1 for a short period in time during our top ten debate, but I think the main reason it isn’t higher is because it tends to feel a little bit like a bunch of separate songs rather than a cohesive album. Not that this is always a bad thing, but you can feel the difference in “maturity” between an album like Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and Seek Magic. Either way, absolutely love the “hazy dance” feel this album has. This also gets my vote for best album cover of the year. On a side note, I love that the album name and band name seem to fit this music perfectly. It would be annoying if the band name was something like “Mr McGoo’s Donkey Poo” and still had the same music, I’m sure I would still like it, but would be a bit annoyed.
Ryan: There was a lot of talk in blog-land this year about bands in the alleged “glo-fi” (pitchfork said it..not me) genre: Washed Out, Tori y Moi, Salem…but Memory Tapes was the standout of the bunch. By far, imo. The songs on Seek Magic seem more complete and put together than some of the bedroom experiments coming out of other bands, and a lot of the songs are extremely danceable. If I had the album on vinyl the “Bicycle” and “Green Knight” areas in particular would be especially worn down, as they coupld pretty much be played on repeat for days and i don’t think i would mind. The amazing part is how many sounds, styles, samples, and instruments can be crammed into this album with it still feeling light, catchy, and seamless. Impressive. I look forward to seeing where he goes next.
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Dull Life
Brent: YYY’s went into more of a pop direction with this release and it worked out well for them, you could see them starting to do that on Show Your Bones but It’s Blitz is way more thought out and a more complete album. There isn’t a bad song on the it, one catchy song after the next with some impeccable production. It’s great to go back to Fever To Tell and hear how they transformed their raucous raw rock sound into what it is on this album, it’s actually pretty brilliant.
Ryan: Similar to my feeling on the Phoenix album, this album was just damned fun, and despite repeat listens, never got tired. Yah, the YYY’s veered some from their garage guitar rock aesthetic, but it was a recklessly fun detour to take with them. “Zero” could be a strong contender for song of the year, and Karen O’s wail still “has me at hello” (yes, it’s a Jerry McGuire quote…get over it…it’s a good movie). Like brent said…it’s just relentless hit after hit with some moving more into the dance direction while others show a softer side of Ms. O. Just an all around great album.
8. Grizzly Bear – Veckatamist
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Brent: Grizzly Bear always takes a little patience, but in the end it pays off. The slower songs are all too easy to turn off, and this album definitely has those songs that weigh on you… but they have perfectly balanced those songs out with some of the best singles of the year in “Two Weeks” and “Cheerleader”. You can tell they put a lot of work into this album, and even the songs that seem to go nowhere go much farther than the songs that went nowhere on Yellow House. Because even when Grizzly Bear is going nowhere, they do it in completely interesting ways (”Southern Point” is a pretty interesting journey). Overall, I don’t know of another band that is doing vocal harmonies this well, possibly Fleet Foxes.. but where Fleet Foxes are loose and somewhat organic, the harmonies of GB are insanely intricate and complex. A good example of where the patience pays off is “All We Ask”.. when they jump into the last quarter of the song it’s like opening a window and then you wonder, why couldn’t they have done that the entire song.
Ryan: I have to admit, it took me quite a bit to get into this album. Ever since Yellow House, Grizzly Bears talent has been obvious, but for some reason i couldn’t get into it…till i heard “Two Weeks” (also arguably one of the top songs of the year), and finally i was able to make that turn and enjoy quite a nice time in the hushed, harmonious, hodged-podged percussive, organic land of Grizzly Bear USA. It’s weird and crazy without seeming weird and crazy…it’s still comfortable and something you can snuggle up into. It’s also an album i feel like i will listen to in 10 years and think “wow, this was and is still pretty amazing”.
9. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
Bat For Lashes – Daniel
Brent: Worst album cover of the year, but one of the best musically, so it’s forgiven. BFL carries her mystery over from the first album and transforms it into something not unlike Kate Bush, although with a completely different imagination. This album reveals itself gradually, at first it can come off as somewhat narrow. However, Bat for Lashes is never a stranger to fantasy and mysticism, and this atmosphere she creates opens itself up to you more and more on repeated listens. Sometimes I listen to this album alone, in the dark, with my glitter pants on, neon warrior paint around my eyes, holding a tiki torch, and dancing around a crystal disco ball in my apartment…errr I mean I put it on while I read a good novel.
Ryan: I listened to this album quite a bit when it first came out, especially the single “Daniel” (also top song contender) and then put it away for a while until i re-listened a couple months ago and was blown away with just how much i hadn’t realized just how good this album was. Yah it’s a bit dramatic, and at times Natasha Khan can sound like Sarah McLaughlin(”Travelling Woman”) and Tori Amos (”Moon and Moon”) rolled into one…but it’s the sides of Tori Amos/Sarah McLaughlin that i liked the best: Moody, sexy, dark, mysterious, and good as hell. Yes, i think i just admitted i liked Sarah McLaughlin..it’ll be ok…step away from that “unsubscribe” button. Kate bush…how about Kate Bush!! Really they’re not that different from each other, and Bat for Lashes takes that sound and molds it into her own little mystic mysterious world – even adding in some strokes of disco and tribal beats in some of the songs. I mean the girl even had The Karate Kid painted on her back for the “Daniel” single cover. DAGGER!
10. Junior Boys – Begone Dull Care
Junior Boys – Work
Brent: Unabashedly, I think I had a few solo nighttime dance parties to this album this year. Seeing JB live for the first time sealed the deal for me and I am now a full fledged fanboy. These are some swanky tunes with highly underrated songwriting. And, the thing I love about Junior Boys is it sounds like they are having too much fun making this music, and that comes through in the live shows as well. Clever turns of the phrase, minimal electronic beats that do an amazing job of filling in the gaps, some great traditional rock guitar solos, an infectious breathy voice, and perfect dynamic changes are why this album deserves to be in the top 10. I get giddy when the blips come in on “Dull To Pause”.
Ryan: I am not shy about my love for the Junior Boys, which by putting them at 10 really does show that i didn’t like it nearly as much as their previous two; the themes weren’t as good and cohesive as those albums, but what this album lacks in depth it surely makes up for in sexy dance tracks in spades. Similar to brent’s solo dance parties (pffft) just last week i found myself playing this album while stuck in traffic on my way home from work. Let’s just say i got some weird looks, and my steering wheel won’t quite be the same after that. (Note: your steering wheel is not designed to act as a drum). Does he sound like George Michael in some of the songs? Yes, but that’s what they do (we’re talking “good 80’s George Michael that your crush in middle school was in love with” here…not that i would know (bastard)) and they do it good. Even better live. The more i listen to it actually, the more i wanna move it up higher on this list…but for now we’ll just stick with it here. Speaking of…i think i know what i’m playin’ during todays friday commute.
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Uncategorized, animal collective , bat for lashes , fever ray , grizzly bear , junior boys , memory tapes , Mew , phoenix , the antlers , top ten , yeah yeah yeahs
