Journal

Hello there! Well, since I began seriously listening to music, I'd say this is my second-favorite year in music after 2007. There were a lot of very solid albums, and particularly in the last couple of months 4 of my top favorite bands have released new albums. There was a little lull for me in new music in the middle of the year, but there were a lot of great releases in the beginning and the end of the year, some by new bands I liked, and others by old favorites. Overall, a great year! And I am running out of room to fit them all on my ipod...I'll have to find a solution to that.

I had the opportunity to go to 3 concerts: Mae/Barcelona/Person L/Tokyo, Dillo Day (Estelle/The Decemberists), and The Rocket Summer/Forever The Sickest Kids/Sing It Loud/My Favorite Highway. The first one was my favorite.

Here are my ranked album reviews: (some of them were released in 2008, but I started listening to them mostly in 2009)

14. Taking Back Sunday – New Again: 5.5/10
I’m pretty mixed on the new TBS album. I really like “Sink Into Me”, it is very catchy so I’m glad they chose it as their single. However, a lot of the rest of the album is just too raw and edgy sounding that it doesn’t sound very good to me.

13. David Cook – David Cook: 7/10
I’ve never really watched American Idol, but I liked his three radio singles quite a bit so I thought I’d check out the whole album. I really like a couple other songs on the album such as “Heroes” and “Permanent”, the album does get a little old as the songs kind of sound the same, but overall I was glad I checked out the album!

12. Hoobastank – For(n)ever: 7/10
Like other bands, their music has gradually gone more pop than rock as time goes on. For Hoobastank it works okay, but I do prefer their older sound. My favorites from this album were “You’re The One”, “All About You”, and “I Don’t Think I Love You”. It’s too bad this album kind of flopped commercially when it was supposed to be their comeback album, but well, their last two albums were better.

11. The All-American Rejects – When The World Comes Down: 7/10
“Gives You Hell” definitely grew on me and became a huge radio hit, but the definite stand out tracks for me are “Another Heart Calls” and “Mona Lisa (When The World Comes Down)”. There a couple other good songs on the album, such as “Breakin’” and “Fallin’ Apart”, but quite a bit of the album didn’t stand out much to me. I think their last album had more solidly great tracks.

10. Weezer – Ratitude: 7/10
I was pretty happy with this album, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is extremely catchy, and I also love "Put Me Back Together". There are a couple other interesting tracks but a couple that don't really work for me. Weezer isn't one of my favorite bands but I do like them, I would have loved to see them with MCS and Jack's Mannequin if it was less expensive...

9. The Fray – The Fray: 7.5/10
The Fray’s second album definitely has a couple standout tracks; “You Found Me” is my most played song of this year, and I also love “Syndicate”. “Never Say Never”, “Say When”, and “We Build Then We Break” are also good tracks, but overall there was a higher proportion of tracks on their first album that I enjoyed. So for specific songs I would pick this album, but for the album as a whole I would go with their first one.

8. Mat Kearney – City of Black and White: 7.5/10
Mat makes really beautiful music on this album without sounding a bit boring to me, which is the problem I have with listening to this genre of music too much. “Fire and Rain” is my favorite track, and I love the tune to “Here We Go” that kind of sounds like Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated”. Pretty much every track I’ve listened to is great if I’m in a bit of a slower mood. I did drop the rank of this album a bit from my half-year review though, because I was in a bit of a Mat Kearney fad at that point.

7. Kings of Leon – Only By The Night: 7.5/10
Kings of Leon had a great year this year, and I really liked "Use Somebody" and checked out the whole album. "Sex On Fire", "Notion", "Crawl", and "Be Somebody" are other standout tracks, and I really like their sound and their guitar rhythms. I wasn't too keen on their older stuff when I tried listening to it, but I will definitely be checking out their future albums.

6. The Killers – Day & Age: 7.5/10
I love “Spaceman”, “Human”, and “This Is Your Life”. I could listen to those three songs multiple times…. “spaceman says everybody look down”, “are we human, or are we dancer?”, the wooohhh part of This Is Your Life. But unfortunately, I can’t really get into the rest of the album as much. I still love The Killers though.

I haven't been listening to some of these albums for too long, but they are definitely my top 5 albums of the year!

5. Dashboard Confessional – Alter The Ending: 9/10
I’m really glad they’ve gone back to their full-band rock sound because I think I like it better. There are some really good tracks on the album, such as “Get Me Right”, “Until Morning”, “Even Now”, and “No News Is Good News”. This might be one of my favorite albums by them, but I think it needs a little more time to grow on me. It took me a bit to get around to listening to it, but I've listened to it a lot over the past few weeks!

4. Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane: 9/10
I couldn’t really get into Jon Foreman’s solo stuff, so I was really looking forward to this album. “Mess Of Me” was a very awesome opening single, it was so good that I must say I was a bit letdown (pun not intended) that the rest of the album wasn’t quite as awesome. However, I do love “Always”, “Hello Hurricane”, and “The Sound”. Hopefully a couple of the songs at the end of the album will grow on me. Overall, another solid release by them!

3. Cartel – Cycles: 9.5/10
This album is fantastic, and is probably my favorite Cartel album so far. There are very few weak tracks on it and I can pretty much get into every song’s pop-punk rhythms. My favorite song is “Typical”: it is pretty simple rhythm-wise but it is very catchy and I love what is done with the vocals. My other top favorites would be “Let’s Go”, “The Deep South”, and “27 Steps”. Cartel is definitely back from their sophomore slump!

2. Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns: 9.5/10
This album was technically released in 2008, but it was one of my favorite albums of the year. Most of the slow songs grew on me, especially “Crack The Shutters” and “The Golden Floor”. And of course I’m a big fan of the more upbeat tracks “Take Back The City”, “Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands”, and “Disaster Button”. The balance of slower and faster tunes makes this album very listenable for many different moods.

1. Relient K – Forget And Not Slow Down: 9.5/10
It was very close, but I’d have to say this was my favorite album of the year. The entire album is just very catchy but quite easy-listening as well, so that you can listen to it pretty much anytime. “Part Of It” doesn’t stand out too much at first but it is a great song, and “Savannah” has a very unique sound. My other favorites are “Sahara” (very nice different sound by them), “If You Believe Me”, “I Don’t Need A Soul”, “Candlelight”, and the title track. Pretty much most of the album…my only complaint is the lack of harder rock songs, like “I Need You” or “Be My Escape”. Overall, awesome album!

You might notice that none of the albums got a 10/10…I believe the only albums I would give a perfect score to at the moment are Yellowcard – Paper Walls and Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American. A number of these albums came pretty close though. :P

My top 10 songs of the year:
1. The Fray – You Found Me
2. Relient K – Sahara
3. Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane
4. The Killers – This Is Your Life
5. Switchfoot – Mess Of Me
6. Snow Patrol – Take Back The City
7. Cartel – Typical
8. Relient K – If You Believe Me
9. The Fray – Syndicate
10. Relient K – Forget And Not Slow Down

Some other songs worth mentioning:
Sherwood – Around You (maybe I need more encouragement to listen to the whole new album…when I tried to it seemed really slow and I couldn’t get into it)
Owl City – Fireflies, Hello Seattle (should I check out their whole album?)
Snow Patrol – Give Me Strength
The Rocket Summer – Hills And Valleys
Phoenix – 1901
Mae – The House That Fire Built, Night/Day (still need to listen to (a)fternoon)
Muse – Uprising
Matt & Kim – Daylight
My Favorite Highway – Bigger Than Love
Nickelback – If Today Was Your Last Day
30 Seconds to Mars – Kings and Queens
Breaking Benjamin – I Will Not Bow
Lifehouse – Halfway Gone

I was very happy with this year in music, but some artists I am looking forward to next year are Motion City Soundtrack, The Rocket Summer, Lifehouse, and Goo Goo Dolls. Thanks for reading if you made it all the way down here, and please leave a comment!

first off, let me say i was so disappointed that Sick Puppies were so early on the bill. 30 minutes? please, they deserve to get a much better billing than that. They rocked it as usual, the crowd was into the set even though it was at 5:30.

next up, Dead by Sunrise. so it's chester's new band, so what? i didn't like them much, figured it was just because i was bitter because they got higher billing than Sick Puppies. The crowd pretty much agreed with me, looked like most everybody was sleeping.

Flyleaf, every time i see them i am amazed again. i like that lacey introduced themselves as "we're flyleaf, we're from texas". i knew they were from belton, but never new that she graduated from arlington high school. i wonder if she ever climed at dyno-rock when i worked there.

Papa Roach - they are so awesome live. i tend to forget that between the times i see them.

Breaking Benjamin - i was so looking forward to seeing them. they are one of my favorites. i'm not sure they translate into me loving them live. but i just might have been tired by then. getting old sucks......

It was very hard to limit the list down to 15 albums since there were tons of amazing albums in 2000's but I managed to do it finally. Once again I had a self imposed rule that no more than 1 album per band. Here it goes:

A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms (2000)
Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)
Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane (2002)
Kings of Convenience - Riot On An Empty Street (2004)
Breaking Benjamin - We Are Not Alone (2004)
City and Colour - Sometimes (2005)
dredg - Catch Without Arms (2005)
Poets of the Fall - Signs of Life (2005)
John Mayer - Continuum (2006)
Fair to Midland - Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times is True (2007)
Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008)
Animals as Leaders - Animals As Leaders (2009)
Freak Kitchen - Land of the Freaks (2009)
Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (2009)

Even though I said there's no particular order, I think Blackwater Park was THE best album of this decade...

The most important bands of the decade for me were:
Opeth
Riverside
Freak Kitchen

There are many more albums that I wanted to put in this list but I didnt want to make a big list so I put the ones that I enjoyed the most.

Cheers!

In no particular order:

Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
Isis - Wavering Radiant
Freak Kitchen - Land of the Freaks
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Loch Vostok - Reveal No Secrets
Megadeth - Endgame
dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
Animals as Leaders - Animals As Leaders
John Mayer - Battle Studies
Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Phoenix Effect - Cyanide Skies
Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect

And here’s a list of songs off of every single album that I listed above. (Note that I had a self-imposed rule that no more than 1 song per album):

Riverside - Left Out
Porcupine Tree - The Blind House
Loch Vostok - Loss Of Liberty
Freak Kitchen - One Last Dance
Dredg - Gathering Pebbles
Isis - Hall Of The Dead
Dream Theater - The Count Of Tuscany
Breaking Benjamin - Crawl
Transatlantic - Is It Really Happening?
Megadeth - Bite The Hand
Phoenix Effect - A Perfectly Good Day
John Mayer - Assassin
Pearl Jam - Amongst The Waves
Between The Buried And Me - Mirrors
Animals As Leaders - Behaving Badly

There are also 2 DVDs that I think everyone who's into heavy metal has to watch:
1- Iron Maiden - Flight 666
2- Pain of Salvation - Ending Themes

The albums that disappointed me a bit this year:
1- Muse - The Resistance
2- Lacuna Coil - Shallow Life
3- Queensryche - American Soldier
4- Stratovarius - Polaris


Overall I think it was a great year for heavy metal. I had a hard time putting in order the albums i liked so i decided to make the list randomly, which means that there were some really good albums this year :)

Looking forward to an even heavier 2010!

Cheers..

20) ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - The Century of Self

18) Zombi- Spirit Animal

19) Michael Giacchino - Star Trek OST

17) Mute Math - Armistice

16) Regina Spektor - Far

15) Brian Tyler - Fast & Furious OST

14) The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die

13) Thrice- Beggars

12) Alexisonfire- Old Crows, Young Cardinals

11) InMe- Herald Moth

10) James Horner - Avatar OST
Horner is definitely one of my favourite composers and he, like Cameron, had been working on Avatar for quite some time. Inevitably I'd put both the film and the soundtrack on a precariously high pedestal, but thankfully I can say that my expectations have been met. Horner has the rare gift of being able to seemlessly draw an emotional connection between the film and the music, it's his forté, and it's something that really enhanced my enjoyment of the film.

09) Muse- The Resistance
Let's face it, Muse have a pretty impecable reputation. Since the highly acclaimed Showbiz was released in 2000 they've just been gathering speed and gathering awards and graced us with arguably the best album of 2006 in the form of BHaR. So the new album was never really going to live up to expectations was it? That album was the apex of their sound, and while the new album is a logical progression of their sound toward a more electronic vibe, the record feels disjointed and doesn't quite gell properly. Regardless, it's still excellent music and I was pleased that Muse didn't stray TOO far towards an electronic sound like so many bands have this year.

08) Paramore- Brand New Eyes
I know I'm probably going to lose cool points for putting a pop-punk band in my top 10 but sod it! Paramore are great fun, their songs are extremely catchy and just really easy to switch off and listen to. Hayley's vocals are strong, the guitars are solid, the drums make you want to get up and jump around a bit. Brand New Eyes has a pleasant dynamic to it, it satisfies my need for something upbeat and it also slows things down with thoughtful (if somewhat angsty) tracks and even throws in a couple of nice acoustic songs.

07) Mastodon- Crack the Skye
This is one of the last albums I got in 2009 and it's also one of the best. I've heard Mastodon's name floating around for a long long time but never had the inclination to check them out, thus I cant compare this to their past work. Anyway it's a great slice of progressive metal which reminds me, for some reason, of a metal version of The Mars Volta. Theres a banjo at the beginning of one of the songs. A metal band. Using a banjo. Awesome.

06) Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Carnavas, their previous album, was a brilliant record. SSPU's suffer in the same way that Muse struggled to live up to their previous offering. It's a valiant effort though, offering some really catchy riffs (especially Panic Switch), well built-up vocals and very solid and consistant instrumental performances. That's kind of the problem though... they are a little TOO consistant. The band havn't really pushed themselves beyond the Carnavas sound.

05) Fightstar- Be Human
These guys really work their socks off - three albums in as many years, while still finding the time to tour. Be Human is a dramatic and theatrical album that showcases how Fightstar can range from tender melodies to dark and raw metal. You'd think something like that would be hard to resolve, but it all comes together in a surprisingly cohesive and catchy chunk of awesomeness. I think the Busted demons are well and truly burried.

04) Bear McCreary - BSG S4 OST
Bear (firstly, what an awesome name) was at number 12 last year and has risen gracefully to number 3 this year. As I said last year, he just gets better and better, and the soundtrack for Battlestar Galactica Season 4 isundoubtably his best yet. Bear has the same gift as Horner that allows him to convey and enhance the emotion of the show, the soundtrack glides flawlessly from the opening haunting track 'Gaeta's Lament' through a rollercoaster of his diverse signature themes featuring tribal drums, gaelic instruments, piano sonatas and orchestras, wrapping things up with a series of beatifully emotive choir/orchestra pieces that perfectly reflect the events at the end of this fantastic show.

03) Finch- S/T EP
I feel like I'm in the minority when I say I enjoyed Say Hello To Sunshine more than the also excellent precursor, What it is to Burn. The band had gone beyond the safezone of the stereotypical emo punk sound toward a more technically proficient post-hardcore style, and basically this EP (yes yes, I know it's not an LP, I dont care!)
is more of the same. The EP is a perfect blend of harmony and aggression but for me it's the drumming of Drew Marcogliese that really stands out. The new album should be great.

02) Karnivool- Sound Awake
Australian progressive rockers Karnivool's latest offering really impressed me. Ian Kenny, lead vox unquestionably has one of the best voices in the business right now and his epic sustained harmonies are what really make this album special. Everything I crave is there... big guitar riffs, inventive and powerful drumming, intricate guitar wankery, a bassline as thick as a wrestler's neck, a big dollop of reverb and epic vocals to boot.

01) dredg- The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
This album was not an instant hit with me. I was initially surprised that there weren't songs that hooked me straight away as was the case with Bug Eyes, Tankbark, Same ol Road, Sanzen for the previous two albums. After a few listens it really clicked with me, though, and quickly cemented its place at the top of my list.
Firstly, the production on this album is incredible, so much detail and texture. Gavin's voice contiues to amaze me, Dino's drumming is flawless as always, the guitar is much more subtle than other records, but finds a perfect balance with the thick bassline. The album really highlights Dredg's ability to fuse pop-rock with experimental progressive rock in a really unique and special way.


Biggest letdowns of 2009 -
Pure Reason Revolution - Armor Vincit Omnia
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Cave In - Planets of Old
Them Crooked Vultures - S/T

Honourable Mentions -
Katatonia - Night is the New Day
Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
Isis - Wavering Radiant
Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony
Gallows- Grey Britain

Shinedown
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Led Zeppelin
Breaking Benjamin
Papa Roach
System of a Down
Metallica
Radiohead
Megadeth
3 Doors Down
Disturbed
In Flames
Three Days Grace
Hinder
The Beatles
Killswitch Engage
Chevelle
KoЯn
Alter Bridge
Muse
Nirvana
Nickelback
10 Years
Trivium
Incubus

01 - Normalsi - Wróbel
02 - Zeus - Im Bliżej, Tym Dalej
03 - Votum - Stranger Than Fiction
04 - Cowder - Patrzysz
05 - BANAU - ADHD
06 - Carrion - Sztandary Eloi
07 - Tegan and Sara - Hell
08 - Rammstein - Pussy
09 - Totentanz - Na Koniec Świata (Live)
10 - Hetane - machines
11 - Depeche Mode - Wrong
12 - Farben Lehre - Urwis
13 - Carnal - More
14 - Hasiok - Źle jest
15 - Rachael - Watchsick
16 - Tymon & The Transistors - Goodbye
17 - Black River - Too Far Away
18 - Rootwater - Visionism
19 - Slayer - World Painted Blood
20 - Strachy Na Lachy - Żyję w kraju
21 - Thy Disease - Sinner In Me
22 - dziwy - ROGI
23 - Billy Talent - Devil On My Shoulder
24 - Hadouken! - M.A.D.
25 - KISS - Modern Day Delilah
26 - Fever Ray - Seven
27 - De Press - Wilki
28 - Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
29 - Joan as Police Woman - OVERPROTECTED
30 - Portishead - Chase The Tear

PROPOZYCJE DO LISTY (proposed tracks):

31 - Lynyrd Skynyrd - God & Guns
32 - Vitamina - Odmiana przez osoby (czyli nieodwołalny paradygmat Józefa K.)
33 - Chevelle - Letter From A Thief
34 - Snoop Dogg - I Wanna Rock
35 - Oqrde - Schematy
36 - Sade - Soldier Of Love
37 - The Killers - Mr. Brightside (Live)
38 - Czarno-Czarni - Znikający pas
39 - Lachowicz - Like A Pig
40 - Rotten Bark - Chillin' Out (Retarded Knight)


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