Journal

While it was a hard year for some in general, in terms of music this year was very interesting indeed. There were some surprising things on the way and others, not so surprising, going on. I found it easy to predict Lady GaGa's success, for example. Pop music needed someone new or at least reinventing old pop "virtues". ;) But then I didn't think I'd ever like her as much as I do now (thanks to The Fame Monster).
The biggest surprise for me was Bat for Lashes. I'd heard about Natasha and her band before but always thought they wouldn't bring anything new to my musical world. How wrong I was... And now Two Suns is one of my favorite albums this year. Sometimes change comes fast.
There were lots of new interesting things in general. It's all in my summary below. I hope your musical year 2009 was as good as mine. :)

A personal summary

Favorite albums of 2009

Tori Amos – Abnormally Attracted To Sin, Midwinter Graces
A Fine Frenzy – Bomb In A Birdcage
Florence + The Machine – Lungs
Marina & the Diamonds – The Crown Jewels EP and various singles
Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Lady GaGa – The Fame Monster
The Swell Season – Strict Joy
Charlotte Martin – Piano Trees

Plus some inofficial things like the Mad Fast Acoustic Tour Rehearsal of Charlotte Martin and Tori's live concert on Facebook.

This year's best albums are for me Two Suns and Midwinter Graces.




Song of the year

Fast Horse by Tori. By far the most important song for me this year. Really mirrored some personal feelings and always was some kind of support for me.

Honorable Mentions: Just So by Obél,When I Grow Up by Fever Ray, I Am Not a Robot and Mowgli's Road by Marina, Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence, Blow Away by AFF, Travelling Woman and Peace Of Mind by BFL and last but not least Tori's Snow Angel and Winter's Carol.


Newcomer of the year



Marina & the Diamonds. She's just beginning but next year she's gonna blow it. 2010 is Marina time! :D


New discoveries

Marina & the Diamonds - favorite: Mowgli's Road
Florence + The Machine - fav.: Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Fritz Hayden - fav.: Doncha Know
Bat for Lashes - fav.: Glass
Obél - fav.: Riverside
Dear Euphoria - fav.: Pop pills
Happy Rhodes - fav.: Immortality (cover)
Jennifer Grassman - fav.: Show it All
Brendan Croskerry - fav.: She's Alright
Kerli - fav.: Walking On Air
Kari Bremnes - fav.: Birds
Tri Yann - fav.: Tri Martolod
Alan Stivell - fav.: An Alarc’h
Damien Rice - fav.: 9 Crimes
Digital Noise Academy - fav.: Melting Inside
Gossip - fav.: For Keeps
Bryan Matuskey - fav.: My Holding On
Mr. Meeble - fav.: Dragonfly
Fever Ray - fav.: When I Grow Up
Miike Snow - fav.: Burial
Deadmau5 - fav.: Ghosts N Stuff
Arcade Fire
Gabriela Kulka
Polly Scattergood
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu


Most-played artists

1 Tori Amos 2,971
2 Charlotte Martin 791
3 Kate Bush 659
4 Nightwish 381
5 Snow Patrol 381
6 Marina & the Diamonds 327
7 Loreena McKennitt 263
8 Lady GaGa 247
9 Bat for Lashes 238
10 Tina Dico 223


Most-played albums

1 Tori Amos – Abnormally Attracted To Sin 889
2 Charlotte Martin – On Your Shore 311
3 Snow Patrol– A Hundred Million Suns 302
4 Tori Amos – American Doll Posse 234
5 Loreena McKennitt & Douglas Campbell – Elemental 206
6 Charlotte Martin – Mystery, Magic and Seeds 179
7 Bat for Lashes – Two Suns (Special Edition) 169
8 Tori Amos – Scarlet’s Walk 146
9 Kate Bush – Hounds of Love 142
10 Marc Cohn – Marc Cohn 141


Most-played songs

1 Loreena McKennitt & Douglas Campbell – Lullaby 206
2 Tori Amos – Fast Horse 165
3 Tori Amos – Welcome To England 100
4 Celtic Woman – The Voice 90
5 A Fine Frenzy – Come On, Come Out 86
6 Tori Amos – Ophelia 75
7 Bon Jovi – Have A Nice Day 71
8 A Fine Frenzy – Blow Away 67
9 Snow Patrol – Take Back The City 65
10 Snow Patrol – Disaster Button 65