Welcome to the annual “Top Albums of the Year” list. As I expected, 2009 was an amazing year for music. Putting together this list was much harder than I anticipated. There were so many quality albums that did not make the cut and I’m sure I’ll kick myself two months from now for leaving something off. At this point in time, I’m confident that this list accurately represents my idea of the must-own albums of 2009.
Fuzzy Lion Top Albums of 2009.
25. Spiral Stairs – The Real Feel
Best Tracks: “Cold Change”
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“True Love” / “Wharf Hand Blues”
24. Imogen Heap – Ellipse
Best Tracks: “First Train Home”
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“Wait It Out” / “Between Sheets”
23. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
Best Tracks: “Oh No”
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“Fitz and the Dizzyspells” / “Effigy”
22. The Clean – Mister Pop
Best Tracks: “Tensile”
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“Are You Really On Drugs?” / “All Those Notes”
21. Kevin Devine – Brother’s Blood
Best Tracks: “Time To Burn (Another Bag of Bones)”
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“Carnival” / “It’s Only Your Life”
20. Dashboard Confessional – Alter the Ending
Best Tracks: “Everybody Learns From Disaster”
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“I Know About You” / “Belle of the Boulevard”
19. Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Best Tracks: “There’s No Secrets This Year”
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“Panic Switch” / “It’s Nice To Know You Work Alone”
18. Two Tongues – Two Tongues
Best Tracks: “Wowee Zowee”
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“Crawl” / “Tremors”
17. The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
Best Tracks: “To Ohio”
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“Champion Angel” / “The Horizon Is a Beltway”
16. Blue Roses – Blue Roses
Best Tracks: “Greatest Thoughts”
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“Can’t Sleep” / “I Am Leaving”
15. Moby – Wait For Me
Best Tracks: “Wait For Me”
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“Slow Light” / “Mistake”
14. Headlights – Wildlife
Best Tracks: “Dead Ends”
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“Secretss” / “Telephones”
13. Mike Doughty – Sad Man Happy Man
Best Tracks: “(I Want To) Burn You (Down)”
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“Nectarine (Part Two)” / “(I Keep On) Rising Up”
12. Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Best Tracks: “Just Breathe”
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“The Fixer” / “Speed of Sound”
11. Fanfarlo– Resevoir
Best Tracks: “Drowning Men”
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“Coments” / “Ghosts”
10. Great Northern – Remind Me Where the Light Is
Best Tracks: “Warning”
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“Mountain” / “Story”
9. Metric – Fantasies
Best Tracks: “Gimme Sympathy”
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“Help I’m Alive” / “Collect Call”
8. Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
Best Tracks: “More Stars Than There Are In Heaven”
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“If It’s True” / “All Your Secrets”
7. Jónsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps
Best Tracks: “Happiness”
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“Atlas Song” / “Daniell In the Sea”
6. Wheat – White Ink, Black Ink
Best Tracks: “El Sincero”
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“Changes Is” / “Music Is Drugs”
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
Best Tracks: “Hysteric”
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“Skeletons” / “Zero”
4. Regina Spektor – Far
Best Tracks: “Folding Chair”
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“The Calculation” / “One More Time with Feeling”
3. Phoenix– Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Best Tracks: “Countdown”
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“1901″ / “Love Like a Sunset, Pt. II’”
2. Passion Pit – Manners
Best Tracks: “Moth’s Wings”
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“Sleepyhead” / “Let Your Love Grow Tall”
1. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Best Tracks: “Magpie To the Morning”
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“I’m an Animal” / “Middle Cyclone”
Neko Case’sMiddle Cyclone was my favorite album of 2009. Not only is Neko my favorite female vocalist of all time, every track on Middle Cyclone is hauntingly beautiful and extremely well written. The record also features guest appearances by her New Pornographers cohorts, which is always a positive in my view.
I am super excited for some albums on the horizon of 2010, most notable the new Frightened Rabbit album as well as Jónsi’s (of Sigur Rós) solo effort. Eels also has a new album coming out very soon which appears that it may be my favorite since Daisies of the Galaxy.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support and here’s to an amazingly musical 2010!
It’s been pathetically long since I last updated this blog but I have no intentions of letting it die. A new career change among many personal life stuff have kept me insanely busy, but I’m still listening to amazing music all the time. My Top Albums of 2009 list will be posted shortly, so stay tuned!
It’s not too late to get into the “BEGN: Buy Early, Get Now” pre-order, which includes a stream of the album available now. (I did it and it’s fantastic!)
The Traveling Circus features Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Augustana along with Counting Crows in a very unique setup. Rather than each band playing their respective set, The Circus features an entire evening of music with all artists collaborating on each other’s songs at once. The result is a one-of-a-kind live mashup which has been getting rave reviews from all that have attended thus far.
“We want to give fans a completely different concert experience this summer than they’ve been getting,” says Adam Duritz from Counting Crows. “We’re turning your normal concert experience on its head. We’re going to go out on the road with a bunch of our friends and we’re all going to play shows together. No more ‘too short’ sets from the bands you love.
“Make sure you come out early, because when the curtain rises, Counting Crows, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Augustana are all going to be right there together on that stage, along with any other friends and special guests happen to be in town and feel like joining the circus for a night.
“We won’t know what we’re going to do until we do it but we’re gonna try and make a glorious noise. One way or another, by the time me and my pals walk off that stage, we’re gonna make sure you remember that the Circus came to town.”
Along with this excitingly unique tour comes a truly interactive website which features videos, photos, interactive maps and much more.
You can catch the Traveling Circus at one of the following tour dates:
Aug 4 – Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie w/ Augustana
Aug 6 – Biloxi, MS – Beau Rivage Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
Aug 7 – Orange Beach, AL – The Amphitheater at The Wharf*
Aug 8 – Tunica, MS – Harrah’s Casino Tunica- Events Center*
Aug 11 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium*
Aug 12 – Atlanta, GA – Chastain Park Amphitheatre*
Aug 14 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre*
Aug 15 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live*
Aug 17 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall*
Aug 18 – Miami, FL – Bayfront Amphitheatre*
Aug 20 – N. Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues*
Aug 21 – Charlotte, NC – The Uptown Amphitheatre at The Music Factory*
Aug 25 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom w/ Augustana (and special guests)
Aug 26 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theatre*
Aug 28- Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Resort Spa and Casino Event Center*
Aug 29 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena*
Aug 31 – Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion*
Sept 3 – New York, NY – Rumsey Playfield at Central Park Summerstage* (SOLD OUT)
Sept 5 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion*
Sept 6 – Canandaigua, NY – Constellation Performing Arts Center w/ Augustana
* w/ Michael Franti & Spearhead and Augustana
If you have never experienced Counting Crows live, you are truly missing out on one of the best touring acts of their generation. There’s a reason that this band constantly sells out tours every time they play!
Lastly, if you’re a Twitter user and looking to follow one of the site’s most entertaining tweeters, check out Adam Duritz Twitter Page.
On May 29, 2009, Pela performed four new songs acoustically at the KEXP studios. Those acoustic gems have now been released for download. Unfortunately, it was one large podcast file which I so graciously cut up into individual tracks for your (and my) listening pleasure. The four songs they played were: “Augustine,” “Strange Days,” “Juarez” and “East Los Angeles.” Enjoy, and remember to support KEXP for continuing to provide such great music!
Now you can color with cred! The new Indie Rock Coloring Book is apparently the first ever indie rock coloring book filled with mazes, connect-the-dot games and of course coloring pages. Whether you are a music fan just looking for an excuse to color or trying to get your child to listen to something other than Sesame Street’s Greatest Hits – coloring just became cooler.
The Indie Rock Coloring Book gives you the chance to color in and around some of indie music’s most beloved bands like The National, Rilo Kiley, The Shins and more. The book is being released by Montreal-based nonprofit Yellow Bird Project, who collaborates with indie rock musicians to create unique T-shirt designs that benefit an array of charities. You know what that means? All proceeds of the book go to charity.
On July 21st, Boston’s Wheat will release their new album White Ink, Black Ink, the followup to 2007’s Everyday I Said a Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square.
I have been a huge Wheat fan since I feel in love with their sophomore record Hope and Adams. The band had a brief stint with Columbia for their fantastic album Per Second…Per Second…Per Second…Every Second (2003) but have since disappeared from the spotlight. I personally was disappointed with Everyday I Said a Prayer…, but my faith has been restored with White Ink, Black Ink.
From the opening track “HOTT,” which is an abbreviation of “half of the time,” White Ink, Black Ink is the proper follow-up to Per Second… that the band should have released. From lush and gorgeous songs like my personal favorite “El Sincero” to the driving grungy guitar/piano anthems like “Music is Drugs,” I’m excited to say that the Wheat that I have grown to adore is back.
There’s really no point in giving a full review of a Fleetwood Mac’s concert at Madison Square Garden last night because as amazing as you imagine it would be is only a fraction of how great it actually is. Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood are rock royalty and still know how to bring it today.
Here’s a video I shot of “Gypsy” which includes an interesting story told by Stevie beforehand.
Yo La Tengo will be releasing their new album titled Popular Songs on September 8th. Matador Records describes Popular Songs as a large departure for a band that is already famous for their “stylistic range”:
Even for longtime followers of Yo La Tengo, the stylistic range encompassed on ‘Popular Songs’ is startling ; the band aren’t merely conversant with rock & pop subgenres stretching into the double digits, but their unselfconscious mastery of such is simply uncanny. Without absolving you of the sacred responsibility of listening to this album from start to finish (with no commercial interruptions!) , we can say with full confidence there are portions of ‘Popular Songs’ where a cursory needle drop reveals a band that doesn’t sound instantly like Yo La Tengo — or at least how you recognized them prior to now. In the words of Mike Wolf, “Yo La Tengo is not afraid. They walk confidently forward, into the unknown, hand in hand. And 12 (or 14) albums in, they may just be hitting their stride.”
It’s hard to imagine parts of a Yo La Tengo record that don’t sound like Yo La Tengo, but perhaps it’s because I’m too in love with this band and just about everything they’ve ever released. The longtime YLT fan has learned to appreciate the not-knowing what you’re going to get with this band and that’s part of the reason they are so beloved and still have a great career.
Passion Pit’s debut full length Manners is for sale today only for $2.99 as part of AmazonMP3’s “Deal of the Day.” Whatever you are doing, stop, and head over to cash in on this deal. Manners is easily one of the best releases of 2009 and will be on just about every “best of” list come December.
Last night, the band held their album release party in NYC via party boat!
The US tour kicks off May 23rd and features the following dates:
Passion Pit Tour Dates:
5-23 George, WA – Sasquatch! Music Festival
05-24 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
05-26 San Francisco, CA – 365 Club
05-28 West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
05-29 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
05-30 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
06-02 Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
06-03 Austin, TX – Emos
06-04 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
06-05 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
06-06 Atlanta, GA – The Drunken Unicorn
06-08 Richmond, VA – The National
06-09 Washington, DC – Black Cat
06-11 Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
06-13 Covington, KY – Mad Hatter
06-14 Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Ballroom
06-16 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Place
06-17 Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place
06-18 Boston, MA – Paradise
06-19 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
06-20 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
07-01 Longon, UK – Heaven
07-04 Malsaucy, France – Eurockeennes
07-18 Suffolk, UK – Latitude Festival
07-19 Ferropolis, Germany – Melt Festival
08-09 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
09-11 Isle of Wight, UK – Bestival
10-02 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
10-27 London, UK – Koko
“Blue Lips” is another new track from Regina Spektor’s forthcoming album Far. “Blue Lips” will be available to buy this coming Tuesday as part of a two-song mini-EP available via iTunes, and will also contain the previously previewed “Laughing With.”
Tori Amos will be hitting the road in support of her forthcoming album Abnormally Attracted to Sin, which is due on May 19th. Tori is also giving away the first single, “Maybe California,” as a free download and ringtone.
Tori Amos Tour Dates:
07/10: Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater
07/11: Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
07/13: Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
07/14: Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
07/16: San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s
07/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
07/18: Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
07/20: Salt Lake City, UT @ Abravenal Hall
07/21: Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
07/23: Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
07/24: Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Theatre
07/25: Austin, TX @ The Long Center for the Performing Arts
07/27: Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
07/28: Orlando, FL @ Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
07/29: Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach @ The Jackie Gleason Theater
07/31: Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
08/01: Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
08/03: Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
08/04: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
08/05: Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
08/07: Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre
08/08: Detroit, MI @ Detroit Opera House
08/10: Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
08/11: Montreal, QC @ St. Denis Theatre,
08/13: New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall,
08/15: Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
08/17: Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
Fans who pre-order the album on iTunes will be given an opportunity to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.
If you haven’t been to Daytrotter in a while, now would be a good time to do so. Over the past month there have been some exceptional sessions recorded and available as free downloads. Some of my favorites include:
Last night, Pela and The Postelles performed at the WFUV Alternate Side launch party at Mercury Lounge. Alternate Side is the new indie focused streaming radio station from Fordham University, the same folks who bring you WFUV.
Pela performed in front of an intimate crowd and absolutley killed on stage as usual. This is the first time the band has played Mercury Lounge in a couple of months and new songs that didn’t make it on the set list from last time were showcased last night.
According to the Alternate Side website, videos of the performance will be uploaded later today, but in the meantime you can check out a few shot by yours truly; all three are new songs on Pela’s forthcoming record Rise Ye Sunken Ships. Enjoy!
