Journal

...and the artists are:
Pinback
Minus the Bear
Madvillain
Four Tet
MGMT

read the full article here and let me know what albums you can't wait for! :)

Itt kezdődik

100. The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage (2009)
99. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends (2007)
98. Bat for Lashes - Fur and Gold (2006)
97. Beck - Modern Guilt (2008)
96. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice (2007)
95. Melvins - (A) Senile Animal (2006)
94. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)
93. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell (2003)
92. Young Widows - Old Wounds (2008)
91. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing (2008)

90. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
89. Enon - High Society (2002)
88. The Avalanches - Since I Left You (2000)
87. High Places - High Places (2008)
86. The Mae Shi - HLLLYH (2008)
85. The Tough Alliance - The New School (2005)
84. The Long Blondes - Couples (2008)
83. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (2004)
82. The Thermals - Now We Can See (2009)
81. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals (2007)

80. Boris - Pink (2005)
79. CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (2007)
78. The Magnetic Fields - i (2004)
77. The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic (2000)
76. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin (2007)
75. Off Minor - Some Blood (2008)
74. Sigur Rós - Takk... (2005)
73. HEALTH - Get Color (2009)
72. Cut Copy - In Ghoust Colours (2007)
71. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat (2004)

70. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forevor Ago (2008)
69. Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You (2001)
68. Beach House - Devotion (2008)
67. Primal Scream - XTMNTR (2000)
66. The National - Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (2003)
65. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (2006)
64. Animal Collective - Feels (2005)
63. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (2006)
62. 31knots - The Days and Night of Everything Anywhere (2007)
61. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise (2005)

60. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
59. Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow (2003)
58. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)
57. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (2007)
56. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine (2004)
55. TV on the Radio - Dear Science (2008)
54. The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
53. Converge - No Heroes (2006)
52. Magik Markers - Boss (2007)
51. Dirty Projectors - Bitter Orca (2009)

50. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (2007)
49. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000)
48. The Angels of Light - We are Him (2007)
47. Panda Bear - Person Pitch (2007)
46. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park (2008)
45. Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (2002)
44. Liars - Drum's not Dead (2006)
43. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (2008)
42. Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (2008)
41. Fennesz - Endless Summer (2001)

40. No Age - Nouns (2008)
39. dälek - Absence (2005)
38. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
37. Black Lips - Good Bad not Evil (2007)
36. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
35. Why? - Alopecia (2008)
34. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
33. Holy Fuck - LP (2007)
32. Sonic Youth - Murray Street (2002)
31. M83 - Saturdays = Youth (2008)

30. Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light (2009)
29. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (2006)
28. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
27. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (2007)
26. Brian Wilson - SMiLE (2004)
25. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
24. of Montreal - Hissing fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (2007)
23. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)
22. Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane (2008)
21. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)

20. Fugazi - The Argument (2001)
19. The National - Alligator (2005)
18. Mount Eerie, Julie Doiron, Fred Squire - Lost Wisdom (2008)
17.Xiu Xiu- Fabulous Muscles (2004)
16. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything that Happens will Happen Today (2008)
15. Woven Hand - Ten Stones (2008)
14. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
13. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (2002)
12. Atlas Sound - Logos (2009)
11. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans (2004)

10. Deerhunter - Microcastle (2008)
9. At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command (2000)
8. The Knife - Silen Shout (2006)
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
6. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
5. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (2008)
4.Arcade Fire- Funeral (2004)
3. Shellac - 1000 Hurts (2000)
2. The Microphones - The Glow Pt. 2 (2001)
1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)

I didn't link to songs...too lazy! Last.fm's system is irritating hah.

1. How did you get into 29? (The Used)
A music video in grade 7. I believe it was for All That I've Got.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? (David Bowie)
Ohh. As The World Falls Down. :] <3

3. What’s your favorite lyric by 33? (Soundtrack)
It's not a real artist...there's a lot of songs. :P

4. What is your favorite album by 49? (Port Blue)
Err, I dunno; both are good.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own? (Dashboard Confessional)
I have all of them on my Zune, save for whatever songs I didn't like enough to keep.

6. What is your favorite song by 50? (Electric President)
Ten Thousand Lines.

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad? (Bjork and Say Anything are jointed for this one)
Some of BJORK'S songs can be really melancholy. Maybe Undo? And Say Anything...I kind of only like Alive With The Glory of Love and that sometimes makes me sad if I am feeling lonely. Sooo.

8. What is your favorite album by 15? (The Maine)
Can't Stop, Won't Stop.

9. What is your favorite song by 5? (Death Cab for Cutie)
A Lack of Color. Coney Island.

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy? (Nobuo Uematsu)
I like a lot of his songs! Obviously. I can't pick just one..

11. What is your favorite album by 40? (The Postal Service and Boys Night Out joint)
Brand New Colony and Medicating, respectively.

12. What is your favorite song by 10? (Emanuel)
Soundtrack to a Headrush.

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30? (Final Fantasy)
Driving in the car with my sister.

14. What is your favorite song by 38? (Bjork...for the sake of not explaining Say Anything again)
Possibly Maybe. Or It's In Our Hands.

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy? (Owl City and From First to Last joint)
The Saltwater Room, Rainbow Veins, and The Tip of the Iceberg for Owl City...FFTL is my screamo anger band.

16. How many times have you seen 25 live? (The Radio Dept.)
Never.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23? (The Good Life)
Drinking With The Girls, in Emo Game....2?

18. What is your favorite album by 11? (The Teenagers)
Reality Check.

19. Who is a favorite member of 1? (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Anthony Keidis! <3

20. Have you ever seen 14 live? (M83)
Nope. :[

21. What is a good memory involving 27? (New Young Pony Club)
Watching Moonlight.

22. What is your favorite song by 16? (Explosions in the Sky)
Your Hand In Mine and also The Only Moment We Were Alone.

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47? (Savage Garden and Daphne Loves Derby joint)
Truly Madly Deeply when I was like 5 and idk for DLD.

24. What is your favorite album by 18? (Pompeii)
Assembly.

25. What is your favorite song by 21? (AFI)
The Killing Lights, probably. Or Summer Shudder. Or Silver and Cold.

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26? (Broken Social Scene)
Guilty Cubicles.

27. What is your favorite album by 3? (PlayRadioPlay!)
I don't have one. He only had two, the rest was myspace released. And even the albums contained a lot of MS songs.

28. What is you favorite song by 22? (David Bowie)
Ashes to Ashes, Underground, As The World Falls Down, Changes...etc..

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32? (Bright Eyes)
It's Cool, We Can Still Be Friends.

30. What is you favorite song by 8? (Minus the Bear)
Pachuca Sunrise, Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse, orr The Pig War. I love them.

1. How many times have you seen 17 live? (Taking Back Sunday)
Never :[.

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy? (Frou Frou)
Hear Me Out.

33. What is you favorite album by 12? (Hammock)
Err, can't pick.

34. What is the worst song by 45? (We The Kings)
Not sure.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34? (As Tall as Lions)
Ghost of York.

36. What is you favorite album by 48? (30 Seconds to Mars)
Ohh, idk.

37. How many times have you seen 42 live? (Pinback)
Neverrr.

38. What is you favorite song by 36? (Architecture in Helsinki)
Like a Call.

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28? (The Cure)
Secrets.

40. What is your favorite album by 7? (Stars)
Heart. Or Set Yourself on Fire. Or the Sad Robot one.

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy? (HYDE)
Naw, I listen to him more when I'm kind of indifferent.

42. What is your favorite album by 41? (Postal Service and Boys Night Out joint)
Give Up, and I can't pick BNO.

43. What is your favorite song by 24? (Copeland)
I don't really listen to them a whole lot anymore. Pin Your Wings, maybe.

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46? (Savage Garden and Daphne Loves Derby joint)
Nothing for DLD. Loveeee with Savage Garden. It is like a theme song for us. :D

45. What is your favorite song by 35? (Metro Station)
Errr. Probably Shake It.

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy? (Los Campesinos!)
You! Me! Dancing! and Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #1 and International Tweexcore Underground.

47. What is your favorite album by 4? (Taniuchi Hideki)
Errr, Death Note Soundtracks.

48. Who is a favorite member of 37? (Fujita Junpei)
It's just one person. o_o

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43? (IAMX)
Simple Girl. <3

50. How many albums do you own by 20? (Owl City and From First to Last joint)
All of them except the latest FFTL, minus songs I've deleted and not liked.

Rolling Stone recently came out with their top 100 songs of the decade and it really disappointed me. Not only was their list mostly composed of major label artists, but it also lacked a lot of the hindsight of the past decade, focusing only on artists from the past few years.

I vowed then and there to make a better list -- I'm not saying that these are the best 100 songs of the past decade, but I think this list better represents artists large and small, singles and non-singles, and also reflects music of the past decade more than what Rolling Stone put out there. You're welcome to disagree with me as you like.

1. At the Drive-In - Arcarsenal
2. Radiohead - Knives Out
3. Shipwreck - Melusine
4. Deltron 3030 - 3030
5. Deftones - Change (In the House of Flies)
6. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
7. !!! - Feel Good Hit of the Fall
8. Interpol - Obstacle 1
9. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Another Morning Stoner
10. The Dismemberment Plan - Following Through
11. Rainer Maria - Artificial Light
12. Queens of the Stone Age - Go With The Flow
13. The Black Keys - 10 A.M. Automatic
14. Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger
15. M83 - 0078h
16. Reverend and The Makers - Heavyweight Champion Of The World
17. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Heart in the Hand of the Matter
18. Fugazi - The Kill
19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control
20. Muse - Stockholm Syndrome
21. The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
22. Secret Machines - Faded Lines
23. William Shatner - Common People (feat. Joe Jackson)
24. System of a Down - Chop Suey!
25. Mew - Snow Brigade
26. Unwound - October All Over
27. Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights
28. Sonic Youth - Reena
29. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - At Last Is All
30. The Appleseed Cast - Fight Song
31. Blonde Redhead - Dr. Strangeluv
32. Soulwax - NY Excuse
33. Editors - All Sparks
34. Cave In - Anchor
35. Kasabian - L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)
36. Minus the Bear - Pachuca Sunrise
37. Les Savy Fav - The Sweat Descends
38. Mastodon - Blood and Thunder
39. The National - Apartment Story
40. Probot - Shake Your Blood
41. Deastro - Vermillion Plaza
42. The Walkmen - The Rat
43. Nada Surf - Hi Speed Soul
44. The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So
45. dredg - Bug Eyes
46. British Sea Power - Carrion
47. Gorillaz - DARE
48. Test Icicles - Circle Square Triangle
49. Starflyer 59 - Things Like This Help Me
50. The Jim Yoshii Pile - Up - Silver Sparkler
51. Sonic Youth - Pink Steam
52. Faunts - M4 (part ii)
53. Beck - Gamma Ray
54. Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
55. The Kills - Love Is a Deserter
56. Headlights - It Isn't Easy To Live That Well
57. A Perfect Circle - The Outsider
58. 120 Days - Come Out (Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone)
59. Peter, bjorn and john - Young Folks
60. Radio 4 - All In Control
61. Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
62. Ikara Colt - Automatic
63. TV on the Radio - Halfway Home
64. Soulwax - Accidents and Compliments
65. A Place to Bury Strangers - My Weakness
66. Deltron 3030 - Positive Contact
67. Telefon Tel Aviv - The Birds
68. Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective - Miami
69. The Black Angels - The First Vietnamese War
70. Klaxons - Two Receivers
71. The Rapture - Sister Saviour
72. Beck - Think I'm In Love
73. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
74. The Raveonettes - Dead Sound
75. Wilderness - Marginal Over
76. DeVotchKa - Transliterator
77. Whitey - Stay On The Outside
78. Nine Inch Nails - Echoplex
79. Radiohead - Reckoner
80. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
81. John Frusciante - Omission
82. HEALTH - We Are Water
83. The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Tears
84. Battle - Tendency
85. Death Cab for Cutie - Meet Me On the Equinox
86. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Love Burns
87. Guitar Wolf - Invader Ace
88. Interpol - Specialist
89. The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
90. The Faint - Agenda Suicide
91. Primal Scream - Accelerator
92. Calla - Simone
93. The Life and Times - My Last Hostage
94. The Gossip - Listen Up!
95. Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire
96. Tracer - Indigenous
97. Bloc Party - Luno
98. The Raconteurs - Steady, as She Goes
99. Les Savy Fav - Hold on to Your Genre
100. The Flaming Lips - Pompeii Am Götterdammerung

Flogging Molly
Grand Ole Party
Heartless Bastards
Jenny Lewis
Jimmy Eat World
Kings of Leon
The Kooks (3 times)
Minus the Bear
The Morning Benders
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Whigs
Weezer
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Ziggy Marley

This year, particularly in music, was an odd year for me. The first half of the year was dominated by electronic music, whether it be electro-rock, airy dream-pop tunes, or retro lo-fi synth-pop. I finally attended the Ultra Music Festival after years of wishing that I could go. The festival was a great time and Miami is a fantastic city. The second half of the year involved a major shift to indie rock, freak folk, shoegaze, and post rock. While I still listened to electronic-influenced music, it was mostly combined with indie elements. This shift was likely a result of getting a radio playlist show on Indiespot on Metaphoric (check out my main page for information), which has me consistently looking for brand new alternative and indie tunes and artists. Fun times…but without further ado, here is my 2009 Year in Review.

To make the top albums list somewhat easier for myself, I’m going to split my list into an overall top list and a more electronic-focused list. It seems to be the only way I can manage to figure this out.

Top Twenty-One Amazing Albums of the Year





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21. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor (Best Tracks: Sun Hands, Airplanes)

20. Grammatics – Grammatics (Best Tracks: D.I.L.E.M.M.A., Murderer)

19. The Antlers – Hospice (Best Tracks: Kettering, Sylvia)

18. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (Best Tracks: My Girls, Summertime Clothes)

17. Mute Math – Armistice (Best Tracks: Backfire, Burden)

16. Nurses – Apple’s Acre (Best Tracks: Technicolor, manatarms)

15. Bombay Bicycle Club – I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose (Best Tracks: What If, Always Like This)

14. Post War Years – The Greats and the Happenings (Best Tracks: White Lies, Soul Owl)

13. The xx – xx (Best Tracks: Shelter, Crystalised)

12. Tune-Yards – BiRd-BrAiNs (Best Tracks: Hatari, Sunlight)

11. dd/mm/yyyy – Black Square (Best Tracks: I'm Still In The Walls, Infinity Skull Cube)

10. The Whitest Boy Alive – Rules (Best Tracks: Island, 1517)

9. Ramona Falls – Intuit (Best Tracks: I Say Fever, Russia)

8. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Best Tracks: 1901, Love Like a Sunset)

7. Faunts – Feel.Love.Thinking.Of (Best Tracks: Out On A Limb, Alarmed/Lights)

6. The Appleseed Cast – Sagarmatha (Best Tracks: A Bright Light, The Road West)

5. Wild Beasts – Two Dancers (Best Tracks: Two Dancers (i), We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues)

4. The Maccabees – Wall Of Arms (Best Tracks: No Kinds Words, Love You Better)

3. Mew – No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories the World… (Best Tracks: Introducing Palace Players, Vaccine)

2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (Best Tracks: Two Weeks, Fine for Now)

1. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic (Best Tracks: The Ego's Last Stand, Silver Trembling Hands)

Top Ten Electronic/Dance Albums of the Year




10. DatA – Skywriter (Best Tracks: Aerius Light, Electric Fever)

9. Yuksek – Away From The Sea (Best Tracks: Extraball, Tonight)

8. Moderat – Moderat (Best Tracks: Seamonkey, Rusty Nails)

7. Amanda Blank – I Love You (Best Tracks: Shame On Me, Might Like You Better)

6. Felix da Housecat – He Was King (Best Tracks: Kickdrum, Machine)

5. Simian Mobile Disco – Temporary Pleasure (Best Track: Turn Up The Dial, 10000 Horses Can't Be Wrong)

4. The Juan Maclean – The Future Will Come (Best Tracks: Happy House, The Simple Life)

3. Peaches – I Feel Cream (Best Tracks: More, Take you On)

2. Vitalic – Flashmob (Best Tracks: Poison Lips, Still)

1. Röyksopp – Junior (Best Tracks: Vision One, True To Life)

Top Ten EPs of the Year




10. Memory Cassette – Call & Response
9. Ted & Francis – Ted & Francis
8. Tesla Boy – Demo EP
7. Maserati – Passages
6. The Golden Filter – The Golden Filter
5. Delphic – Counterpoint / This Momentary
4. Animal Collective – Be Fall Kind
3. Weird Tapes – Get Religion
2. Washed out – Life Of Leisure
1. We Plants Are Happy Plants – 548 EP

Artists with a Release Worth Mentioning
Air
A Place to Bury Strangers
As Tall as Lions
Bat for Lashes
Black Moth Super Rainbow
brazos
brothersister
Bruce Peninsula
Dan Deacon
Fever Ray
Florence + The Machine
Fuck Buttons
The Horrors
Matt & Kim
Memory Tapes
The Mercury Program
Rubik
Silversun Pickups
Teengirl Fantasy
We Were Promised Jetpacks

Best Albums I Discovered in 2009 Not Released in 2009


3. Kelley Polar – I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling
2. Télépopmusik – Angel Milk
1. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Live Shows and Events in 2009
Concerts Attended – 30 (Will likely be 31)
Festivals Attended – 4

Venues Most Frequented
Ottobar – Website – Baltimore,MD – 7 times
Sonar – Website – Baltimore, MD – 7 times
9:30 Club – Website – Washington, DC – 3 times

Best Live Shows/Concerts*

10. Junior Boys/Woodhands/Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt – Sonar – Oct 30th
9. Depeche Mode – Lollapalooza – Aug 9th
8. MSTRKRFT/Spank Rock/Amanda Blank – Sonar – April 4th
7. Sébastien Tellier/Lemonade – 9:30 Club – April 3rd
6. The Juan Maclean/The Field – Pure – May 22nd
5. Friendly Fires – Black Cat – March 24th
4. Mute Math/As Tall as Lions – Sonar – Sept 24th
3. Peaches – 9:30 Club – June 17th
2. Simian Mobile Disco/Feadz/Triobelisk – Sonar – April 25th
1. Rabbit in the Moon/Pendulum – Ultra Music Festival – March 27th

*I expect to add Lake Trout to this list before the end of the year.

To see the rest of my 2009 shows, refer to the Shows of 2009 journal entry.

Best Music Blogs or Websites

5. DecoyMusic
4. Pasta Primavera
3. Consequence of Sound
2. Stereogum
1. RCRD LBL

Most Anticipated for 2010
Band of Horses – Night Rainbows
Beach House – Teen Dream
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Klaxons – TBA
Lake Trout – TBA
Menomena – TBA
Minus the Bear – TBA
Radiohead – TBA(?)
Röyksopp – Senior
Spoon – Transference
The Strokes – TBA(?)
Télépopmusik – In the Air
These New Puritans – Hidden
Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Gwen Stefani, 2x (2006, 2008)
Badfish, 3x (2007, 2008)
The World/Inferno Friendship Society, 2x (2009)
Sigur Rós (2008)
Andrew W.K. (2008)
Kings of Leon, All Points West Music Festival (2008)
Radiohead, All Points West Music Festival (2008)
Reel Big Fish (2009)
Dropkick Murphys (2009)
The Music Brothers (2009)
Lupe Fiasco (2009)
N*E*R*D (2009)
The Twilight Sad (2009)
Mogwai (2009)
No Doubt, 3x (2009)
Mono (2009)
Grouper (2009)
Animal Collective, 2x (2009)
Here We Go Magic (2009)
Grizzly Bear, 2x (2009)
Katzenjammer, 2x, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
Dirty Projectors, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
St. Vincent, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
Santigold, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
TV on the Radio, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
Chairlift, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
Bon Iver, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
of Montreal, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
The Decemberists, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
The Mars Volta, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
Wailing Souls, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2009)
Metric (2009)
Real Estate (2009)
Woods (2009)
Wavves (2009)
Blonde Redhead (2009)
Beach House (2009)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 2x (2009)
BLK JKS (2009)
Neon Indian (2009)
múm (2009)
Minus the Bear (2009)
Sonic Youth (2009)