Journal

Honorable Mentions:
A.C. Newman - Get Guilty
Atlas Sound - Logos
Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
Clues - Clues
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There are Mountains
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
Handsome Furs - Face Control
Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective
Metric - Fantasies
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
Thee Oh Sees - Help
Why? - Eskimo Snow
Wilco - Wilco(The Album)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

15. Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

It was a big fucking mountain

This album was my first experience with SFA , but it won’t be the last. Their brand of quirky psychedelic rock is easy to love. The riffs are great, the lyrics amusing, and the album never drags even at its 1 hour length. The middle two tracks best sum up the album. Cardif In the Sun] is an eight minute chilled out psychedelic jam, and The Very Best Of Neil Diamond is…well another psychedelic jam but has one that has hilarious lyrics.


14. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs


Popular Songscan be divided into three parts;Here to fall, the next 8 tracks, and the last 3 tracks. Here to fall is the opener and is utterly badass. Just a spectacular bassline accented by great drums and some nice strings. The next eight tracks are either effortlessly good or the slightest pieces of music Yo La Tengo has created. I agree slightly more with the former position. The middle of the album is really a hodgepodge of the numerous styles Yo La Tengo has dabbled in over the last 20+ years. By Two’s would effortlessly slide into the middle of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, Nothing to Hide could be added in to Fakebook quite easily, and so on. But the tracks are good to great and are for the most part worthy additions to the Yo La Tengo catalog. The last three songs are all 9 minute or more epics. More Stars Then There Are in Heaven is a just gorgeous atmospheric guitar and vocal piece. The Fireside is this minimalistic little acoustic guitar piece. Then And the Glitter is Gone is a noisy guitar jam a la Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind. All three work well to some extent but More Stars is the highlight. Just a beautiful piece of music. All three of these parts combine to a very good, if not great album

13. City Center - City Center


I described Bleed Blood as part Panda Bear part Disco Inferno. That really holds true for the whole album. A sample based record with pretty vocals reminiscent of Person Pitch which uses some rather intriguing sounds reminiscent of Disco Inferno. All of this is accompanied by some pretty guitar work. The album succeeds in creating a great atmosphere. Plus one half of City Center is Fred Thomas of the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor area, so it’s the closest thing to a local artist that I’ve been a big fan of which is kind of cool.

12. Timber Timbre - Timber Timbre



Timber Timbre succeeds in being evocative of a particular sound in atmosphere. It’s a combination of Taylor Kirk’s haunting voice and the production in which every instrument is pristine and which creates the feeling that the band is playing right behind you just out of sight. Think kind of a more folk version of the Walkmen. Where the Walkmen feel like a drunken night in the city Timber Timbre are more of a drunken night in the wilderness. The album is at turns haunting, creepy, and badass. It is a subtle album but one that rewards repeated listens.

11. Reigning Sound - Love and Curses


Is there another lover in your room? Does he even know about me!?

It is really hard to argue with infectious and energetic garage rock music like Reigning Sound make. The songwriting and music alone would be enough to keep me coming back but it’s all topped off with Greg Cartwright’s voice, which is in turn raspy and endearing, and the simple but touching lyrics.

10. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle


I ended up in search of, ordinary things, like how can a wave possibly be?

The first thing that needs to be mentioned about Bill Callahan is his voice. It’s powerful and commanding in a way only Leonard Cohen does better. Whether he’s properly singing or doing more of speak-sing his voice just demands your attention. The vocal highlight for me is on My Friend which delivers in a downright sinister voice. I’ve only just started to explore Bill Callahan/Smog’s back catalog so I can’t comment on how this compares musically to his past work, but there is a great use of strings on this record to accent the guitar and percussion.

I used to be sort of blind, now I can sort of see

Callahan lyrically is great. He has a penchant for little throw away lines akin to Destroyer that reveal themselves over time has being brilliant. Each time I listen to the record I find some new lyric to love. A slow burner is a good way to describe the record as a whole. I’ve found it impossible to get sick of this record.


9. Ganglians - Monsters Head Room


Take myself out to pasture, smoke my reefer in the back room

Yeah I think that lyric about sums it up. For the most part Ganglians are making chill as fuck smoking music. Very Beach Boys vocals and I’m still not sure that To Juneisn’t sampling some long forgotten Pink Floyd song. They certainly have a bit of weirdness to them with some odd noises thrown into the music like the middle of The Void. They also rock out from time to time to great success. I haven’t listened to their s/t yet so I don’t know if that is something new for them. The contrast between the more rocking out parts and the chill rest of the record is great though.

8. The Antlers - Hospice


Hospice was a very refreshing listen for me because it is such an “indie rock” album of the kind that I don’t listen much to anymore. When people think of indie rock they generally think of these little pussy singer songwriters and bands like Death Cab for Cutie, and they pay nice acoustic guitar, throw in some piano, have pretty voices, and sad lyrics. Now The Antlers aren’t some guilty pleasure, they are a great band, but on first listen there is a passing familiarity to the standard “indie” sound. But Hospice succeeds for several reasons. Frontman Peter Silberman has a great voice that lends the perfect level of emotion to the, yes rather sad, lyrics. Musically The Antlers are more about creating an atmosphere then a pretty little pop song. A good portion of the songs throw in a decent amount of noise and distortion into the mix.

Hundreds of thousands of hospital beds, and all of them empty but mine

Hospice is one of the more depressing concept albums out there. It tells the story of a man in love with a women dying of cancer. Silberman pulls it off well, mostly due to a great vocal performance and keeping away from too many clichés in the lyrics.


7. Japandroids - Post-Nothing


She had wet hair I don’t care what you say I couldn’t resist it
Let’s get to France so we can French kiss some French girls

Japandroids for the most part like to pound on the drums, turn the guitar up to 11, and shout, mostly about girls and getting girls. It’s a very earnest coming of age record. It really is the earnestness that saves them, that and the really catchy song writing. Nearly all of the lyrics repeat in the songs which is befitting considering their simplicity. But the singing is so heartfelt that they really are quite touching. Mostly the songs do a great job of evoking a feeling of nostalgia for youth. It’s somewhat depressing that I already relate to this at age 20. Musically Japandroids are like a more accessible version of No Age. The guitar sounds less like noise and more like guitar. But for two guys they really do make an incredible amount of noise. They were the band that I regret not seeing most at Pitchfork Music Festival.

It’s raining in Vancouver but I don’t give a fuck

The second half of the record does take a darker slightly quieter turn but the general structure of the songs isn’t that different. Just replace lyrics about going out and getting girls, with lyrics about heart break and how things aren’t working out anymore. The same earnestness is there as is the noise.


6. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone


The next time you say forever I will punch you in your face

Neko really isn’t doing anything here that she didn’t do on Fox Confessor or Blacklisted. Despite that fact Middle Cyclone may be her best work. Her songwriting is better than ever and perfectly accents her amazing voice. She mixes in two covers with her twelve original pieces, including a fantastic cover of Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth. Middle Cyclone has an undeniable charm from the ridiculously awesome cover to the touching lyrics.




5. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport


This certainly came out of left field for me. I downloaded and listened to this on a complete whim, I don’t even remember the exact reason. I don’t listen to either noise or much electronic music or anything that you really want to qualify this as. Basically it is rather symphonic yet heavily distorted electronic music. I had never heard anything quite like it yet I found it immediately catchy in way. At the very least it is engrossing. More than anything that I’ve listened to in a long time Tarot Sport is easy to get lost in.

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix


Lisztomania and 1901 are really fucking great but I’m going to ignore those two songs for a moment. The rest of the album is nearly as great. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix doesn’t quite perfect the 4 minute pop song but it comes damn close. I think people get to Love Like a Sunset Part 1 realize this isn’t like the first three songs and give up on the album. There are two problems with this. First Love Like A Sunset is fucking great, second if you can suffer through the excruciatingly long 5:39 run time of Sunset then the rest of the album continues in the vein of the stellar first two tracks. Lasso is just as catchy as Lisztomania and Girlfriend makes you want to dance just as much as 1901. The second half isn’t quite as cheery as the first three songs(except for Lasso which is maybe the cheeriest song on the album) but if you give it a few listens it’s just as infectious.


3. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic


you see, that's the difference between us

From the very first notes you know this isn't Yoshimi. This album is dark, psychedelic, and scary. The album is mostly noisy jams grooving around a bass line. Wayne Conyne's vocals resemble his symphonic efforts on Yoshimi only a fraction of the time. The rest of the time his voice sounds distant and awkward has he howls and yelps. It really is something that you have to get on board with. The album succeeds in creating an atmosphere but more then that in succeeds in being exciting. Maybe this shouldn't effect the merits of the album but for The Flaming Lips to make something at this stage in their career is amazing. Personally I feel like they took a big chance and it really worked well.

When she's high

Embryonic does poke its head out of the depths every once in a while for great effect. I Can Be A Frog starring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's is the most light hearted affair on the album. It works well as a breath of fresh air going into the last quarter of the album. Silver Trembling Hands is the closest the album gets to the symphonic pop of Yoshimi. But even that song is rather tense, with the rapid drum beat propelling everything forward. Finally we have closer Watching The Planets. You really need to listen to this song with decent speakers/headphones otherwise your missing the point of the song. The percussion in this song is unreal. The whole album has this really primal feel to it, but this is the first track that really revels in that fact and celebrates it.


2. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer


I certainly have a slight bias for anything related to Spencer Krug. He’s unquestionably my favorite musical artist of the last half of the 2000’s. But my confidence in him producing great music was somewhat lessened leading up to the release of Dragonslayer. After making me fall in love with him in 2005 with Apologies to the Queen Mary Krug solidified that love with the first proper Sunset Rubdown, the brilliantly quirky Shut Up I Am Dreaming in 2006. He proved that he literally could do no wrong in my eyes with his spectacular contributions to Beast Moan and another Sunset Rubdown album Random Spirit Lover in 2007. But then At Mount Zoomer came out, and while it is certainly a good record, was a letdown compared to Apologies, and his contributions to the second Swan Lake record which came out early 2009, were not as good as the tracks on Beast Moans. Then the track list comes out and there are only 8 songs, one of which was already on the Swan Lake record. But whatever trepidation I had went out the window when the record leaked and I just listened to it. My first impression was that it was very good, but certainly in 3rd place behind Random Spirit Lover and Shut Up I Am Dreaming. Most of this had to do with my lukewarm feelings towards the closing track, Dragon’s Lair, which with a 10:28 run time consisted of over 1/5 of the forty-eight minute album.

Maybe these days are over over now

Dragonslayer feels like a more mature Sunset Rubdown. Random Spirit Lover was a dense, chaotic, heavily produced, clusterfuck of an album. Dragonslayer is more restrained, slower, and clearly designed to be played live. But the gorgeous melodies are still there, Spencer Krug still yelps(though not as much), and he still sings about ridiculous things. His lyrics still sit on that border between gibberish and genius. Like Random Spirit Lovers he still touches on musicians, acting, and of course lyrically seems to inhabit a world of mythology and mysticism. The lyrics are meant to be taken seriously but Krug obviously has a slight sense of humor about them as evidenced by making the last track title a stupid(yet amusing) pun that plays off the title of the album.

It’s time for a bigger kind of kill

Dragon’s Lair is what ended up changing my opinion album from, “obviously 3rd place”, to certainly on par with Shut Up I Am Dreaming, or close to it at least. The song is reminiscent of stuff off At Mount Zoomer in that it is very prog rock. At first it didn’t seem to deserve its ten minutes but in the end the song is just refreshingly deliberate. It builds up its melody slowly and the payoff is worth it. Krug has already tackled the dense hyperactive song that does ten different things in 30 seconds.Silver Moon opens up the album expressing that an era is ending. Dragon’s Lair closes by proclaiming that its time to do something bigger. It’s very fitting and I’m excited to see what that something is.

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion


If I could just leave my body for the night

Every time I really sit down and listen to Merriweather Post Pavilion I realize that In the Flowers is way more awesome than I give it credit for. If I were to redo my songs of 2009 list right now In the Flowers would make the top ten. My love of this album can really be summed up by my love of the opening song. A little over a year ago this album hilariously and fittingly leaked on December 25th, 2008, Christmas Day. In the middle of the day, after I had opened gifts in the morning but before guests came over for Christmas dinner, I sat down, downloaded, and listened. I was somewhat smirking as the pretty little synth, sample, keyboard, whatever emerged out of the slightly noisy beginning to the record. However I just burst out smiling at 2:31. A lot of hyperbole surrounds this record but that one moment is one of the most spectacular things I’ve heard. I think it’s rare that a song is built around one moment like In the Flowers obviously is. But that moment really does set the stage for Merriweather. From that point on the listener knows what to expect.

Just one sec more in my bed

The rest of the album continues the success of In the Flowers. Interspersed throughout the record are moments of bliss similar to that 2:31 mark. The start of the second part of My Girls, the “and I have a question” part in Also Frightened, the last half of Daily Routine, like all of Bluish, and the breakdowns in the first and last thirds of Brother Sport. Consistency is what saves Merriweather from its own hype, song after song they keep the promise they made with In the Flowers.

Actually make that 52, added a couple tracks that I forgot about half way through the write ups and didn't see the need to delete Approach the Throne and Spiders just to make it an even 50.

52. Clues - Approach The Throne
Cool song from debut album fronted by ex-Unicorns Alden Penner. Far more satisfying then any Islands one.

51. Swan Lake - Spider
I threw this song up here because I think it shows Swan Lakes true potential. Beast Moans and Enemy Mine are both alright but has nothing on any of its members primary projects. Honestly for the most part this song is nothing more then an average Bejar track. But then it ends with Bejar repeating the line "they want you", first Mercer joins in, then Krug. It's somewhat chilling and very cool. i wish they would do more things like this.
Favorite Lyric -
They want you

50. Thee Oh Sees - Ruby Go Home
Great bit of 60's style garage rock.

49. Cymbals Eat Guitars - And The Hazy Sea
Such a great opening. One of the cooler bands to see at Pitchfork musical festival since it seemed obvious that it was the biggest show they had ever done to that point. They opened with this song there, and it worked great as well. I like the screams after the silence at 3:37

48. The Twilight Sad - I Became A Prostitute
A highlight off Forget the Night Ahead, an album full of catchy, shoegazy, indie rock.
Favorite Lyric -
bleed you dry
we're taken half your tide
if we bleed you dry

47. Metric -Gimme Sympathy
Catchy, affecting pop song.
Favorite Lyric -
Who would you rather be
The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
Oh seriously
You're gonna make mistakes you're young
Come on baby play me something,
Like here comes the sun

46. Reigning Sound - Break It
Great opener to Love and Curses.
Favorite Lyric -
Cause it still thinks that you are mine
And it still seems to think you are so kind
So do it a favor and help it to remind
And break it for me one more time
One more time

45. Das Racist & Wallpaper - Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell (Wallpaper. RMX)
Shut the fuck up if you don't like this song
Favorite Lyric -
IM AT THE PIZZA HUT
IM AT THE TACO BELL
IM AT THE COMBINATION PIZZA HUT AND TACO BELL!

44. Lotus Plaza - Red Oak Way
Lotus Plaza got unfairly ignored amongst the other Deerhunter related releases this year. Red Oak Way is a great piece of hazy dream pop

43. Matt & Kim - Daylight
As infectious as anything that came out this year.

42. The Antlers - Epilogue
The beautiful closer to Hospice. Absolutely spectacular live. Musically it is somewhat a reprise of Bear stripped down to its core. The part from 3:42 leading up to the coda is incredible
Favorite Lyric -
When I try to move my arms sometimes, they weigh too much to lift.
I think you buried me awake (my one and only parting gift.)
But you return to me at night,
just when I think I may have fallen asleep.
Your face is up against mine,
and I'm too terrified to speak.

41. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others
The vocal part towards the end is awesome.

40. Handsome Furs - Radio Kaliningrad
The kind of energetic rock song Dan Boeckner is known for.

39. St. Vincent - The Strangers
An awesome introduction to Annie Clark and her music. Starts off like some nice female-fronted pop a la Feist, then kicks your ass with some awesome guitar out of nowhere.

38. Dinosaur Jr. - Said The People
"sad" rock music like only J. Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. can do(and Built to Spill I guess). Great vocal perfomance and awesome guitar solo.

37. Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is the Move
I never really got into Bitte Orca but this song is bizarrely catchy. The violins in the last part are a nice touch.

36. Bill Callahan - My Friend
Nice lyrics and vocal delivery. I love his delivery of "my friend", its almost sinister sounding.
Favorite Lyric -
Now I'm not saying we're cut from the same tree
But like two pieces of the gallows
The pillar and the beam
Like two pieces of the gallows
We share a common dream--
To destroy what will harm other men
My friend

35. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Stay Alive
Very pretty hazy pop song. Also congrats for coming up with maybe the worst band name of the decade.

34. The Flaming Lips - Worm Mountain
Of the the more rocking out parts of Embryonic. Apparently MGMT contributed to this, I'm assuming with some of the noise and distortion. Like most of Embryonic, a great bass line is what keeps this song going.

33. Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You
Neko at her peak. A great opener to Middle Cyclone
Favorite Lyric -
climb the boxcars to the engine
through the smoke and to the sky
your rails have always outrun mine
so I
picked them up and crashed them down
in a moment close to now
cause i miss
I miss x10

32. Wilco - I'll Fight
Great vocal performance from Tweedy.
Favorite Lyric -
And if I die
I'll die
I'll die alone like Jesus
On a cross
My faith cannot by tossed
And my life will not be lost
If my love comes across

31. Destroyer - Bay Of Pigs
The problem with Destroyer's latest album Trouble in Dreams was that for the first time since 2000's Thief Dan Bejar sounded like he was repeating himself. Trouble in Dreams was basically Rubies pt. 2. Looks like Dan decided that was an issue too, if this EP is anything to go by. Bay of Pigs is a nearly 14 minute epic of ambient disco. Four minutes of ambient music open up the track before the first synths enter. From the there the song goes on for 8 more mintues as Bejars rather dark lyrics contrast with the upbeat synths, guitar, and handclaps. The ambient music returns to close out the track and is rather sinister and more in tune with the lyrics then the middle part of the song. It's an epic and exciting song and hopefully Dan keeps following this route for his next album.
Favorite Lyric -
I was ripped on dope. You were a ray of sunshine.
I was a hopeless romantic. You were swine.
You've got to spend money to make money.
You've got to stop calling me "honey".

30. Atlas Sound - Walkabout
Walkabout is basically exactly what you'd expect a collaboration between Bradford Cox and Panda Bear to sound like. A hazy pop song with pretty vocals.
Favorite Lyric -
What did you want to see?
What did you want to be when you grew up?

29. Timber Timbre - Magic Arrow
Utterly badass song. Very evocative, feels like something you'd listen to while driving in the middle of the desert at night by yourself.

28. Why? - Into The Shadows Of My Embrace
The highlight off Eskimo Snow, typically great lyrics from Yoni and the song has an infectious energy to it.
Favorite Lyric -
they said sex will keep you young and make you older at the same time,
they said sex will have left you aged normally,
and so i guess it's sorta like smoking and walking at the same time
in that it will have left you aged normally

27. A.C. Newman - The Heartbreak Rides
Probably some inconsistency with this songs placement here compared to the decade list but I'm not to worried about it. Regardless it is a great power pop ballad like only AC Newman can make

26. The Flaming Lips - See The Leaves
4:24 of a rough bassline with Wayne chanting out the lyrics. Does a good job encapsulating what is so great and exciting about Embryonics more freak out parts. Ends with a wavering synth(I think? not sure really) that is beautifully haunting.
Favorite Lyric -
See the leaves
They're dying again
See the moth
It's flying again
See the grass
It's dying again
See the sun
It's trying again

25. Japandroids - The Boys Are Leaving Town
Post-Nothing is about growing up, girls, and boys trying to find girls, and Japandroids are about screaming this idea out to anyone who will listen and making a lot of noise while they do it. This song opens the album by focusing on the growing up theme. The only lyrics are the ones I list below, but they sound so excited and emotional when shouting them out that they're really all that's needed.
Favorite Lyric -
the boys are leaving town
will we find our way back home?

24. Metric - Help I'm Alive
A great, atmospheric, sinister pop song.
Favorite Lyric -
Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer

23. Phoenix - Lasso
Only song off Wolfgang that I really wish was longer. Infectiously endearing chorus.
Favorite Lyric -
Where would you go
Where would you go
With a lasso?
Could you run into
Could you run into
Could you go and run into me?

22. Sunset Rubdown - Idiot Heart
Scattershot drums and guitars open the song, and the song is kind of interpolish as Krug sings about idiots and Icarus. The song breaks open after a nice little reprise of the chorus from The Men Are Called Horsemen and rocks out the rest of the way. Great vocals from Krug and backing vocals from Camilla.

21. Atlas Sound - Shelia
A simple pretty, if dark, pop song.
Favorite Lyric -
Shelia,
Shelia,
You'll be my wife and share my life,
You'll be my wife, you'll share my life.
We will grow old,
We will grow old.
And when we die we'll bury ourselves,
And when we die we'll bury ourselves.
'cause no one wants to die alone

20. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Pretty vocals, euphoric, all and all a pretty great song.

19. Sunset Rubdown - Nightingale / December Song
Pulsing drums pervade and drive the entire song. The guitars and distortion only accent this centerpiece. The great thing about this song is how it subtly builds up momentum without you noticing.
Favorite Lyric -
so let me hammer this point home
i see us all as lonely fires that have burned alive as long as we remember
but like all fireworks and all sunsets, we all burn in different ways

18. City Center - Bleed Blood
Part Panda Bear part Disco Inferno. Distorted drums and a heavy bass pervade this song accompanying rather pretty vocals.

17. Reigning Sound - Debris
Reigning Sound have this amazing ability to churn out great heartfelt rock song after rock song.
Favorite Lyric -
Is there another lover there in your room, does he even know about me?

16. Atlas Sound - Quick Canal (w/ Laetitia Sadier)
8 minute epic off Logos. A repetitive disco sort of beat pervades the song and accompanies Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab on vocals. The song has a great momentum and the combination of the noisy music and pretty vocals is great.

15. The Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands
The closest to Yoshimi the Lips get to on Embryonic, and even then that's only during the chorus. The rest of the song with pulsing drums and keyboards creates a tense undercurrent for the chorus. The "when she's high" chorus is classic.

14. Animal Collective - Brother Sport
Animal Collective letting it all out. The build up in the middle before the climax is great.
Favorite Lyric -
I know it sucks that daddy's gone
But try to think of what you want
You got to open up your
Open up your, open up your throat
Matt!

13. Yo La Tengo - Here to fall
Great drumming and bass line. This song blew me away when they opened live with it. The strings are a nice tough that they didn't have live. The lyrics are pessimistic, hinting at bad times to come, yet reassuring. The music actually goes well with the lyrics, giving them a tense undercurrent.

12. Neko Case - Red Tide
Spectacular vocals, the live versions of it that I've seen seem great if you can find one
Favorite Lyric -
I want to go back and die at the drive in
Die before strangers can say
I hate the rain
I hate the rain

11. Bill Callahan - Eid Ma Clack Shaw
Nice strings, great vocals, but this song is about the lyrics. The song is touching 'till the punchline then its hilarious.
Favorite Lyric -
I fell back asleep some time later on
And I dreamed the perfect song
It held all the answers, like hands laid on

I woke halfway and scribbled it down
And in the morning what I wrote I read
It was hard to read at first but here's what it said

Eid ma clack shaw
Zupoven del ba
Mertepy ven seinur
Cofally ragdah

10. Sunset Rubdown - Silver Moons
Restrained for a Spencer Krug song, Silver Moons has Sunset Rubdown turning over a new leaf. Slow and deliberate this song took awhile for me to get into but it has a great melody and some great backup vocals from Camilla.
Favorite Lyric -
maybe these days are over, over now
maybe these days are over, over now
and i loved it better than anyone else you know
and i believe in growing old with grace
i believe she only loved my face
i believe i acted like a child
making faces at acquired tastes
and now silver moons belong to you

9. Fuck Buttons - Surf Solar
Maybe I was just in the right mood(read: slightly drunk) when it came on, but Surf Solar hit me harder then any song as in a while. Other songs on Tarot Sport are just as good but they didn't leave the initial impression Surf Solar did. I don't really listen to much noise or electronic music so I've really no basis for comparison when talking about Fuck Buttons. Basically its very distorted, symphonic, electronic music. Surf Solar is both catchy and engrossing and makes its ten minutes feel like three.

8. Ganglians - Valient Brave
Part Beach Boys part I don't really know. The pounding percussion at 2:26 is ridiculously awesome.

7. The Flaming Lips - Watching The Planets
This track really needs to be heard on either great headphones are a decent stereo system. Listening to it through shitty computer speakers really doesn't cut it. Live they use a big ass gong to help with the monstrous percussion this song delivers. The return of the percussion after the brief silent moment is awesome. And if you haven't already you need to see the music video.
http://www.nme.com/video/bcid/49582897001

6. The Antlers - Two
Great emotionally affecting lyrics backed by one a catchy guitar piece which is probably the happiest thing about Hospice.
Favorite Lyric -
There's two people living in one small room,
from your two half-families tearing at you,
two ways to tell the story (no one worries),
two silver rings on our fingers in a hurry,
two people talking inside your brain,
two people believing that I'm the one to blame,
two different voices coming out of your mouth,
while I'm too cold to care and too sick to shout.

5. Yo La Tengo - More Stars than there are in heaven
As beautiful as anything Yo La Tengo has created. Slowly unwinding over ten minutes this pretty song perfectly fits the title.
Favorite Lyric -
We'll walk hand in hand
Never as we planned
And even those we never knew
Fast they disappear from view
Fading world without a price
Right before our very eyes
Melts before our very eyes
Dies before our very eyes

4. Animal Collective - Bluish
The prettiest thing that AC has done since Winters Love. Just a great melody and nice sentimental lyrics

3. Modest Mouse - The Whale Song
Just when I thought Issac Brock couldn't do it any more he whips this out. Possibly their best track since The Moon & Antarctica, The Whale Song is a nearly instrumental, atmospheric, 6 minute epic. Featuring some of the most typical Modest Mouse guitar work that has been mostly absent from their last two albums. Usually I would put a favorite lyric on a Modest Mouse song but, though they aren't bad, they aren't the point here. The song builds up for the first three minutes, takes a brief break half way through for the lyrics, and then builds up to a frenzy to end the song. This song features Issac Brock down in a darker place then he has been in the last two albums, "God I wish I could find my way out" he sings. Please don't your music is better if you stay down there.

2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Runaway
Zero and Heads Will Roll are both great but this is the true highlight of It's Blitz! Gorgeous and haunting Runaway is the YYYs most emotionally affecting song since Maps. I'm actually pretty neutral on Karen O's vocals but she really kills it here.
Favorite Lyric -
Run, run, run away
Lost, lost, lost my mind
Want you to stay
Want you to be my prize

1. Phoenix - Lisztomania
That first "from the mess to the masses" absolutely floored me the first time I heard it. Simply the catchiest, most joyous pop song of the last few years.
Favorite Lyric -
So sentimental, no not sentimental,
but romantic

1- Todd - Big Ripper
2- Reigning Sound - Love And Curses
3- Nashville Pussy - To Hell With Texas
4- Enrico Rava - New York Days
5- Eilen Jewell - Sea Of Tears
6- Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
7- Shonen Knife - Supergroup
8- Wooden Shjips -Dos
9- Flipper - Love
10- The Fresh and Onlys - S/T
11- The Hunches -
12- Cococoma - Things Are Not All Right
13- Son Volt - American Central Dust
14- Shit & Shine - 229-2299 Girls Against Shit
15- DC Snipers - S/T
16- Dinosaur Jr - Farm
17- Hex Dispensers - Winchester Mystery House
18-John Fogerty & The Blue Ridge Rangers - The Blue Ridge Rangers
19- IMPEDIMENTS - S/T
20- Black Hollies - Softly Towards The Light

Alphabetically. I've come to realize how ridiculous it is to actually try and rank these.

1. A.A. Bondy – When The Devil's Loose
I wish I had a porch and lived in a cabin out in the country. Until the song ends. Then take me back to my normal, yuppie life with high-speed Internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0DWZ3VBROw

2. Animal Collective – My Girls
The song that turned these unlistenable noisemaking jackasses into everyone’s favorite jam band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol2MJf6XNE

3. Annie – Songs Remind Me of You
“You’re So Vain” for disco-loving homosexuals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y3FFWPBvBs

4. Big Boi – Shine Blockas (feat. Gucci Mane)
Party at my place, y’all. Shine Blockas will be on repeat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxBt_p8gFkw

5. Boston Spaceships – Tattoo Mission
A Robert Pollard song with a string hook and a Led Zeppelin riff. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy, but it's actually really good.

6. Bruce Springsteen – The Wrestler
The Ram jumps off the top rope, the screen goes black, Bruce Springsteen does his thing and I cry. God damn this is some powerful stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRUEKJIcvbo

7. Built to Spill – Done
It’s kind of funny that I find a song about loneliness to be so comforting. Goes to show I’m not much of a lyrics guy.

8. Built to Spill – Hindsight
“Hindsight brings me down / keeps me on the ground.” Yeah, hindsight hit me pretty hard this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Ppc_4Be5o

9. Candlemass – If I Ever Die
Oh. My. God. It’s about time someone released a balls out metal song again where the lead singer doesn’t sound like Doctor Claw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG9InehQEos

10. Clipse – Kinda Like A Big Deal (feat. Kanye West)
I feel like kinda like a big deal when this comes on my iPod as I walk my dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diEVUSBnNc8

11. Clutch – 50,000 Unstoppable Watts
Rage Against the Machine – Sanctimonious Douchebaggery + Awesome Blues Rock = This Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDoKyzHzP14

12.CunninLynguists – Don’t Leave (When Winter Comes) (feat. Slug)
These dudes put out some weed-brownie party song that everyone seemed to really like this year (it wasn’t very good), but you cats are in denial if you think it even came close to this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmpc6vqUyO0

13. Delorean – Seasun
Great song for driving at night. Incidentally, it would be perfect for a car commercial. Let's just hope and pray that never, ever happens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axi7mudxdmk

14. The Depreciation Guild – Dream About Me
Proof that shoegaze isn’t just a bunch of fuzzy, sad bastard music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXFj94qr0R0

15. Dinosaur Jr. – I Don’t Wanna Go There
I always knew these guys could crank out some extended guitar jams with the best of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qwWbVjKBR0

16. Dinosaur Jr. – Over It
Good alternative to emo for overcoming your sorrows. Works much more quickly, too. I’m movin’ on, dude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgTJtdn6VjM

17. Dusty Kid – Moto Perpetuo
Oh man, if I ever went to a dance club and the DJ played this techno monster, I'd be throwing some wicked dice rolls on that dance floor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlRlqiXvyCw

18. Faunts – Feel.Love.Thinking.Of
Tyler and imaginary girl fall in love while this song is playing in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_SJXtaTmBc

19. Girls – Lust For Life
Cool song, but I wish I’d never watched the uncensored video where the dude uses a guy’s dong as a microphone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuoTjYYqe4c (Not the uncensored version)

20. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Oh, yay, it’s everyone’s favorite new band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ

21. JJ – Ecstacy
This song takes the only good thing about Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop” and makes it safe for white Brooklyn kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQgjpkbZ2AU

22. Joker & Ginz – Purple City
I’ve never wanted window-rattling bass in my car until I heard this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bIR_YmiuVw

23. Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension
Julian, I’ve really missed you. I’m sorry I said the last Strokes album sucked. Can we be friends again?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_h5DMHh5_M

24. Mastodon – Divinations
They took the original Mastodon formula of really heavy riffs and added radio-friendly hooks. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but that shit actually works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxelXPg961M

25. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Young Adult Friction
The first time I heard this song, I was on my way to purchase barstools from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It deserved so much better than that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4itzHRpltQ

26. Raekwon – 10 Bricks
Just one step below “Verbal Intercourse” and “Knuckleheadz.” If you’re familiar with those songs, you’ll know that’s incredible praise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS2dN99KxM

27. Reigning Sound – Stick Up For Me
Memphis feels exactly how this song sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSjdW8I19BQ

28. Shpongle – Electroplasm
I don’t do mushrooms or LSD or the like, but if I did, I would choose this to soundtrack the experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3E--ZXTVdw

29. Washed out – Feel It All Around
I want to disappear in this song. Preferably some friends could come with me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PuCkZ1ALkI

Here is some stuff I dug this year......

1) Deerhunter……….Rainwater Cassette Exchange (Kranky)
2) Thee Oh Sees…….Help! (In The Red)
3) The Girls……………..Album (True Panther Sounds)
4) Wavves…………..Wavvves (Fat Possum)
5) Japandroids………Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl)
6) Pains of Being Pure at Heart…..S/T (Slumberland)
7) Almighty Defenders…………….S/T (VICE)
8) Strange Boys…………..Strange Boys & Girls Club (In The Red)
9) Flaming Lips…………...Embryonic (Warner Bros.)
10) Intelligence……………..Fake Surfers (In The Red)
11) Dan Auerbach…………...Keep It Hid (Nonesuch)
12) Reigning Sound………….Love & Curses (In The Red)
13) King Khan & BBQ ……..Invisible Girl (In The Red)
14) Beck…………Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico (Self-Released)
15) Those Darlins…………….S/T (Thirty Tigers)
16) No Age…………………Losing Feeling EP (Sub-Pop)
17) Times New Viking……..Born Again Revisited (Matador)
18) The Gossip…………………..Music For Men (Columbia)
19)Raveonettes………………In & Out Of Control (Vice)
20) Tegan & Sara……………..Sainthood (Sire)
21) Digital Leather…………….Warm Brother (Fat Possum)
22) Jay Reatard…………………Watch Me Fall (Matador)
23) People Under the Stairs…….Carried Away
24) Woods………………………..Songs Of Shame (Woodsist)
25) Mastadon……………………..Crack The Skye (Reprise)
26) Cymbals Eat Guitars…………..Why There Are Mountains (Self-Released)
27) The Crocodiles…………………Summer Of Hate (Fat Possum)
28) The Ettes………………………..Do You Want Power (Ingrooves)
29)The Coathangers………………..Scramble (Rob’s House)
30) Flight of the Conchords……….I Told You I Was Freaky (Sup-Pop)

:)

Alternative Addiction
Wednesdays 12pm-3pm
Only on WMEB 91.9FM Orono, ME
Listen online at www.wmeb.fm!
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October 14, 2009

1. Radiohead - Myxomatosis
2. Alberta Cross - ATX
3. Jay Reatard - Faking It
4. Mission of Burma - Good Cheer
5. Reigning Sound - If I Can't Come Back
6. Turbo Fruits - Mama's Mad Cos I Fried My Brain
7. Wild Beasts - This Is Our Lot
8. The Shagbots - Consequences
9. Muse - Undisclosed Desires
10. The Queen Killing Kings - Reinventing Language
11. Deluka - Finito
12. La Roux - Fascination
13. Editors - Papillon
14. Modest Mouse - The Whale Song
15. Alec Ounsworth - South Philadelphia
16. The Rifles - Sometimes
17. The Cinematics - Moving To Berlin
18. Rubik - Fire Age
19. The Temper Trap - Fader
20. A Place to Bury Strangers - Keep Slipping Away
21. The Feelies - Moscow Nights
22. Plastiscines - Barcelona
23. Arctic Monkeys - Potion Approaching
24. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Roll Up Your Sleeves
25. Flight of the Conchords - Carol Brown
26. The Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands
27. They Might Be Giants - I Am A Paleontologist
28. The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa
29. Rainbow Arabia - Harlem Sunrise
30. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
31. The Grates - Carve Your Name
32. Blitzen Trapper - Silver Moon
33. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - 103
34. No Age - You're A Target
35. Monotonix - Spit In Your Face
36. The Jaguar Club - Sleepwalking
37. WhoMadeWho - The Plot
38. Phoenix - Armistice
39. The Swimmers - A Hundred Hearts
40. Mew - Cartoons And Macrame Wounds

1. Lee Dorsey- Love Lotsa Lovin'
Lee Dorsey is a smooth criminal. He testifies the gospel of mackin' 'n' smackin'. Uh, yeah... that's it. He's telling you what he needs and gets his point across fairly well. I'm pretty sure he's talking to a specific female, but for some reason he addresses all of us as well. Almost as if not her, someone else will do. It's all a number's game, folks.

2. The Gore Gore Girls- Atlanta
atlanta's a cool town, I think. Never been myself. A lotta good bands come from there, though. The Black Lips, The Lids, Mastodon, Gaye Blades, The Carbonas, et al. I'm assuming the Gore Gore Girls are aware of at least some of this.

3. The Replacements- Seen Your Video
Videos were a big deal in the 80's, less of a deal in the 90's but still important, and now in the age of youtube and camera phones anybody can make them. This is from that first, golden age of the music video. The Replacements are undoubtedly trying to make a statement here. It's hard to tell what, however, since the song is an near instrumental. They don't want to know something. This much is clear.

4. The Sonics- Psycho (live)
The template for most modern garage bands. These guys worshipped at the altar of Little Richard until the british invasion came along and added The Kinks and The Yardbirds to their holy trinity.

5. The Strange Boys- Sugar Pie Honey Bunch
This guy's voice is awesome. I mean, does he hit all the notes? Not really, but he makes up for it with feeling, which is what most blues legends did. If I made a mix for my parents, this would probably be on it, along with the Reigning Sound.

6. Tom Waits- Chocolate Jesus
There was this cable access TV show in st. louis when I was a teenager called "Black Jesus." This always pops into my head when I hear this song. The guy'd go around and interview people on the street in a non-politically correct way, but it wasn't like he was playing the role of a shock jock either. Everything about his persona was genuine from the jehri curl down. Tom Waits is singing about candy himself, but you smell where I'm going with this. Mule Variations is such a good album.

7. The Feederz- Bionic Girl
The Feederz were the first hardcore band, or at least the first one to put out an album. Don't believe me? This came out in either '78 or '79. Listen to it. The anger. The speed. It's the first. The proof is on the sleeve.

8. Cheap Trick- Dream Police
What if there were a dream police? Obviously their uniforms would be all white, and they would be split between half 70's long haired studly dreamboats and half quirky people, half of them equipped with a double necked guitar. This last fourth would be the riot squad. In a perfect power pop world. Apparently perfect power pop worlds have fascist undertones.

9. Johnny Powers- Trouble
Johnny Powers covering Elvis Presley's "Trouble." It's not as good as the original, but that's not to say it's subpar. It just doesn't have one of the greatest rock 'n' roll vocal stylists of all time singing it.

10.The Million Dollar Quartet- That's My Desire
This song does, although it's Jerry Lee Lewis whose doing the singing. It was recorded in the presence of Elvis, though, so maybe he's featured in a cough in the background or something.