2009 was a surprisingly awesome year for music. And not just for alternative rock and music created by independent artists, but even some of the biggest bands in rock put out albums this year that cemented their legacy. Also, we're all witness to how pop music is acquiring more experimental, electronic and dance backgrounds. I like to think the biggest surprise of 2009 was music generated out of Brooklyn, NY, a music-scene that exploded early in the year and propelled young bands into the mainstream, thanks to the TV, film, and the hipster army. With all of this happening in 2009, I’m very much looking forward to the next year and the decade to come. Here are my favorite albums put out this year: Mike Pop's Top 10 Album of 2009:
10. M. Ward – Hold Time
M. Ward’s songwriting, in my opinion, is like a knowledgeable elder retelling stories to young people and his voice is cordial and soulful. Hold Time is his follow up to 2006’s breakthrough Post-War. And though he commonly works along side Zooey Deschanel in indie folk duo She & Him, it’s great to hear him go it alone (even if Mrs. Zooey Deschanel Gibbard did contribute on two songs; it’s good to have friends).
Suggested Tracks: For Beginners (AKA Mt. Zion), Jailbird, Rave On (Feat. Zooey Deschanel), and Epistemology
9. The xx – xx
Pitchfork media nailed the band’s gimmick on the head when staffer Andrew Gaerig wrote of the band's debut record, "The xx are four 20-year-olds from South London who make predominantly slow, furtive pop music, mostly about sex". This band is young and brilliantly basic, as silence becomes the band's 5th instrument. Though they lost keyboardist-guitarist Baria Qureshiduring during the demanding fall tour, I'd say The xx had one of the best debuts of the year.
Suggested Tracks: VCR, Crystalised, Basic Space, and Night Time
8. Matt & Kim – Grand
A lot can be said for the sound a duo can put out in the 2000s. I like to think it began with The White Stripes and ends with Matt & Kim. If the torch was indeed passed, then Matt & Kim truly elevated the assumption that two musicians using infectious keyboard beats, sing-a-long chants, and a steady percussion section, can turn out a great record. The lead single may have risen to fame due to a recent hip-hop mash-up, but I’ll remember Grand, as a whole, as one of the most likable albums of the year.
Suggested Tracks: Daylight, Cutdown, Lessons Learned, and Don’t Slow Down
7. Discovery – LP
Mark my words, with the critical acclaim this indietronic collaboration of Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend and Wes Miles from Ra Ra Riot received this year, the duo will put out another record before long. Things seemed to click for these two on LP: the songs are catchy, fun to move to, and haven't been ruined by the media (yet). I think Jim would agree that this album is addicting and quickly becomes the life of any party once cued up.
Suggested Tracks: Osaka Loop Line, So Insane, Swing Tree, and Carby (Feat. Ezra Koening)
6. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Once hailed as England’s next big thing, this alternative rock band took a dark turn in 2009. Not for any particular reason other than perhaps reflecting on growing up hopelessly hopeful and in love, in Sheffield during the late 90s and early 00s. The songs on Humbug are more personal, deeper, and sulkier than in any past effort, but it works well for the quartet. Some would say a band’s third album is a make-or-break release, but I believe the Arctic Monkeys already made it to the big times with their first album in 2006.
Suggested Tracks: My Propeller, Crying Lightning, Cornerstone, and Pretty Visitors
5. Big D & The Kids Table – Fluent In Stroll
One of many bands that appear on this list that I witnessed live this year, Big D & The Kids Table took on the subject of love and relationships with the summer’s coolest ska record. I usually enjoy my ska tunes focusing around topics like binge-drinking or attending the hippest party on the east coast, but I am not fighting the direction of this album. Picking up a dub style and female-backing vocals, while dropping the in-your-face punk rock edge, gives us an intimidate take from Boston’s finest.
Suggested Tracks: Doped Up Dollies On A One Way Ticket To Blood, Not Fucking Around, A Kiss A Week, and I,I,I
4. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
Sonic Youth is a band that is eligible for The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and without a shadow of a doubt, I know they'll get in one day. What the band does for alternative music, as well as guitar rock and sound distortion, will be praised further in the future. They've been putting out records since the early 80s, and in the late 00s, they’ve definitely proven a point: if a band can somehow stay true to a form that’s worked in the past and can channel creativity through experience, then an older band can compete with any young guns on the scene today.
Suggested Tracks: Sacred Trickster, Antenna, Malibu Gas Station, and No Way
3. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors had the biggest breakout of the year and I claim this for many reasons. One is the band's connections. I think David Byrne sees a lot of early Talking Heads in this group and that’s why he’s so compelled to work with them. Another is the band’s stage presence. They've hit up all major late night shows and wow the audience every time with their uncanny vocal stylings. Lastly is the 2009 record that brought the band undeniable success at the mainstream indie rock level and should prompt respect from every other band making music today.
Suggested Tracks: Cannibal Resource, Temecula Sunrise, Stillness Is The Move, and Useful Chamber
2. Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream
How could you not hop on The Boss's train this year? The Working On A Dream tour will go down, in many fans' hearts, as one of the best tours in recent history. The later 00s finds Bruce Springsteen reflecting on a simpler life. It’s glorified, but reasonable. The man and his band have done it all in the world of rock and continue to silence doubters. I will forever kick myself for not seeing him when I had the chance. I just hope to God that their will be another tour, to coincide with another brilliant Boss record, in the years to come.
Suggested Tracks: Working On A Dream, What Love Can Do, Life Itself, and The Wrestler
1. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
The tiny, red-headed songstress put out her 2009 record in March and solidified her reign as queen of alternative-country rock. In a year where country music's spotlight shined on female vocalists, Neko Case added the most powerful voice to the obscure genre all year. Her album is an easy-listen, from start to finish, released in a year and time when most people could benefit from a deep breath. Her tunes are conversations, reflections, poems, and prose. She can do all of this on her own and once again, I kick myself for getting hooked onto this record late and not seeing her live at All Points West in August. Middle Cyclone is a concentrated record that hits deep and leaves you floating. And that's why it’s my album of the year.
Suggested Tracks: This Tornado Loves You, People Got A Lotta Nerve, I'm An Animal, and Red Tide
Close Calls:
Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
Jay Reatard – Watch Me Fall
Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz!
Wish I Heard More...:
Japandroids, Grizzly Bear, Major Lazer, Passion Pit, and Tegan & Sara
Next Week: Top 30 Songs of the Decade
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