My Favorite Albums of 2009
I didn’t buy a lot of music this year. I seemed to continue to backtrack through old stuff that has slipped through the cracks. However, thanks to some kind friends and great websites I managed to stay a tiny bit connected. I think I only saw a few shows: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Vetiver, and The Radio Dept.. Not a great year for live music and me. So, here’s a list in no particular order. I also tried to include some LaLa‘s links to a song or snippet. Support these artists. Buy their music.
Tap Tap – On My Way My friend, James Dugan, introduced me to the band Hefner back in the mid-90s. They are without question my “most favorite” band. Thanks James. Last year, he introduced to Tap Tap’s debut which was incredible. It’s hard to believe the follow-up that came out this year, On My Way, is even better. It takes a while to grow on you, but when it does you’re hooked. Feels like the Kinks at times, but with a more home-made sound. It was, according to my itunes, my most played record of 2009. I couldn’t find a legal stream of one of their new songs, so here’s a track from the debut entitle 100,000 Thoughts. Buy it here.
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The XX – XX I kept hearing about this album and finally downloaded it. On first listen it didn’t do much for me, but it turned out to be something I played almost daily while working. It’s minimal, poppy, sometimes sonic – a real dreamy record that you don’t tire of. It was also Rough Trade’s album of the year – so there’s some cred for you. Buy it here.
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Devendra Banhart – What Will We Be He’s been one of my favorites for years now and this is one of his best. Really interesting song arrangements, beautiful lyrics and completely bizarre in parts. Great stuff. Buy it here.
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Woods – Songs of Shame I heard their cover of Graham Nash’s “Military Madness” on East Village Radio and was immediately intrigued. The 1971 Nash album Songs for Beginners is one of my all-time favorites and the cover Woods did was great. Soon after I picked this up and listened to it for a good chunk of the summer. It feels really outdoorsy, sun-kissed and homemade. Buy it here.
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Girls – Album My one friend called this album the pinnacle of hipster drivel. Perhaps? The video for “Lust for Life” looks like a Terry Richardson low budget video. However, the song is probably the song I had stuck in my head most of the year other than the various Sesame Street songs embedded in my brain thanks to my 2 year-old son. The rest of the album is nowhere as fantastic as “Lust for Life”, but still a solid piece of work. Buy it here.
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Sharon Van Etten – Because I was in Love Yet another minimal modern folk record. Although, this one comes with astonishingly full vocals. Sharon’s voice is haunting. The songs are all lyrically rich and her range surpasses many of her contemporaries. I am surprised this wasn’t on more lists I read. I couldn’t find a legal stream for her, but you can download an mp3 from the great Brooklyn Vegan site. Buy it here.
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Built to Spill – There is No Enemy It’s amazing that the best band in the Pacific NW in 2009 is the same band that was the best band in the Pacific NW in the late 90s. A lot of people will argue with that, but Built to Spill put out their best record since Perfect From Now On. My only regret was not seeing them live this year. Fantastic record that gets better with every listen. The best thing to come out of Idaho since the potato. Buy it here.
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Harper Simon – Harper Simon I love Simon & Garfunkel. I “celebrate their entire catalog.” Paul Simon is one of my favorite songwriters and his voice is pure bliss. Harper Simon, his 37 year-old talented son, sounds a hell of a lot like a young Paul. This record was, for me, almost like a new Paul Simon record (from back in the day as they say). The melodies are catchy and there is some great harmonizing in the production. Paul co-wrote two tracks, but don’t take anything away from Harper. Definitely one of the hidden gems of the year. Buy it here.
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Vetiver – Tight Knit The second Vetiver album, To Find Me Gone, is one of my all-time favorites and, sadly, this one doesn’t get too close to that. It is still, however, a terrific album full of beautiful melodies that make me dream of the West Coast. It’s timeless really as the sounds hark back to the early 70s. Definitely a record for warm Summer nights. Buy it here.
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City Center – City Center I don’t know much about this band but I read comparisons to Panda Bear and Atlas Sound as well as got to hear some samples over on the ISO50 site. It quickly became my album of choice when on a plane. Luckily, I did a lot of flying this year so I was able to listen to this quite a bit. It puts you to sleep in a good way – broken beats and rhythms with some nice folky pieces thrown in for good measure. Buy it here.