Top Sixty-Six Albums of 2009: #20 - 1

Hey there loyal, devoted followers (by which I mean myself.. hey, man!), it's me again, with more of this list I should've completed a while ago. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses - I am - but, my PC has been acting up lately, so I've been unable to complete this list. I've decided to dump the reviews portion and just rank the Top 20. I hope you care enough to like, read it, and stuff. Thanks!

#20.
Russian Circles - Geneva
#19.
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds - Dracula Boots
#18.
Part Chimp - Thriller
#17.
DOOM - Born Like This
#16.
Them Crooked Vultures - s/t
#15.
The Vandelles - Del Black Aloha
The record that started this all for me. I heard Del Black Aloha last summer and it completely blew my world wide open. I hadn't cared one iota about searching for new music until this fucker popped into the scenario. Surf and Garage riffs smothered in Noise and polished off with Shoegaze aesthetics. Do yourself a favor and get into these dudes now.
#14.
The Warlocks - The Mirror Explodes
#13.
The Dead Weather - Horehound
#12.
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul
#11.
Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans

#10.
Mars Volta - Octahedron

#9.
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

#8.
Antlers - Hospice

#7.
Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid

#6.
Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

#5.
Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx II

#4.
Mastodon - Crack the Skye

#3.
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

#2.
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

#1.
Dinosaur Jr - Farm

Top Sixty-Six Albums of 2009: #30 - 21

oh, hey, uhh.... yeah, so I've been neglectful. Here's another update, and I'll be quick with the next one, promise!!

#30.
The King Khan & BBQ Show [In The Red]
The King Khan & BBQ Myspace
Invisible Girl is a fun little record. I had never listened to these dudes prior to hearing this, and I'm told most folks don't consider this to be their best output. I can see it, certain songs fall flat to me. However, when they pull it off, they pull it off well, and I like it.

#29.
Baroness - Blue Record [Relapse]
Baroness Myspace
When I first heard this, I wanted to write it off as being derivitive, the 'Mastodon-ization of Modern Metal' is the term I coined. It's just that, with this record, the more I listened to it the more I really liked it. It goes a lot of places your typical metal band wouldn't, while still being balls out heavy.

#28.
Woods - Songs of Shame [Woodsist]
Woods Myspace
This is a really cool record, right here. Woods are from Brooklyn, but you'd figure they're practicing out a barn someplace Upstate. The dudes play sheen Folk music, with full blown delves into straight Psychadelia.

#27.
Catalyst - Swallow Your Teeth [Perpetual Motion Machine]
Catalyst Myspace
Loud, Noisey, Pissed off, The Catalyst's Swallow Your Teeth is a filthy slab of punk rock, and, of course, they're from Richmond. I mean it when I tell you this record is furious, and if you like fast hardcore with an actual sense of melody, you'll dig on this shit.

#26.
Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong [In The Red]
Vivian Girls Myspace
Haha, man, another record I thought was going to completely blow which, as it turns out, is really, really solid. Yeah, they do they lo-fi indie-pop thing that's blowing up at hipster parties all over the US, and they do it really well. Easily some of the most refined and catchy melodies coming out of that whole scene.

#25.
Mount Eerie - Winds Poem [P.W. Elverum & Son]
Mt Eerie Website
Phil Elverum's recent Black Metal obsession has led to some interesting musical output, Wind's Poem is the nesxt step of that. The shit has this oppressive, Bass-heavy production style that gives me this creepy middle of some enchanted forest after midnight vibe. Really cool to chill out to.

#24.
Silversun Pickups - Swoon [Dangerbird]
Silversun Pickups Myspace
These dudes are legit. I wasn't so sure after hearing their first joint, but they improved by leaps and bounds with their sophomore LP. Adding more heaviness, more stylized production, and a stronger sense of song craft, Swoon aims to please, and does.

#23.
Noah and The Whale - The First Days of Spring [Vertigo]
Noah and The Whale Myspace
The First Days of Spring hit me like a brick this year, for personal reasons and all that. On the surface, it's not really all that spectacular: skeletal song-writing, simple lyrics, a strange choral song smack-dab in the middle. However, having gone through similar shit myself, I understood everything he was saying, and the subtleties of the melody really knocked me out.

#22.
Converge - Axe To Fall [Epitaph]
Converge Myspace
This is a cool record, if you know about Converge (which, c'mon, you should by now) then you know what to expect out of anything they release at this point. It's solid, and, personally, I really like the stylistic leaps they took with this joint. Whether it be clicking on some straight bar-rock rhythms, or taking a stab at post-hardcore.

#21.
Capsula - Rising Mountains [B-Core]
Capsula Myspace
This is an awesome record, and HIGHLY recommended (even if it is only #21!!). This shit sounds like The Stooges, The Velvet Undergound and The Stones got together and did some killer mushrooms, wrote a shit ton of songs and then found some random Argentinians to sing them. And yeah, that's totally illogical, but I mean it, this shit is SO good.

Top Sixty-Six Albums of 2009: #40 - 31

#40.
Maribel - Aesthetics [Quince]
Maribel Myspace
A cool little Shoegaze record from another random Euro band. Maribel's Aesthetics, is at first perfectly what it seems to be, that is, dreamy and slow with a female singer who moans more than actually singing. Yes, there's somewhat of a 'formula', yet these guys just do it with precision. Dig deep and you'll see an immense amount of diversity in their song craft. Not all of these songs stick to the same script.

#39.
TV Ghost - Cold Fish [In The Red]
TV Ghost Myspace
When I found out these dudes were from Lafayette, I was fucking stunned. Jaw to the floor stunned. I mean, I guess my monkey brain doesn't think of Lafayette as being a town, with people, and things, and people doing things. So, for something this good to be coming from anywhere in my area is a total shocker, and this thing is good. Weird, noisey post-punk with a strange sense of melody hidden deep beneath it's towering surf rock guitars and electronic squeals.

#38.
Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young [RCA]
Julian Casablancas Myspace
I think this is a really good record, I don't think anyone who likes the Strokes would really argue with me. It captures the same kind of feel, and I dig the 80's send-up vibe the thing has got going on. It's just, man, this dudes melodies get stranger as he gets going along, and the synth in some songs allows him to go off into some serious tangents. I like it though. It's just, I don't know.

#37.
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion [Domino]
Animal Collective Myspace
And now, another review that sounds more like a dis. I have liked these dudes since the first time I listened to Sung Tongs, having been a big Beach Boys fan as a kid, I dug the melodies. Years go by and they release this over-produced stinker. It's decent, a solid release despite my disappointments, I just think it's kind of boring.

#36.
Iron Age - The Sleeping Eye [Tee Pee]
Iron Age Myspace
This Texas Hardcore crew does an amazing job of aping their metal forefathers on this impressive new LP. The obvious connotations here are to Metallica, these guys build and weave dueling guitar lines into some seriously huge song structures. Influences aside, this is an overpowering record. Stretch your neck out, and pull out your air guitar, gentlemen, you're gonna need it.

#35.
Andrew WK - 55 Cadillac [Skyscraper Music Maker]
Andrew WK Myspace
I feel like I kind of already reviewed this one over here: Year in Review: pt. The First

#34.
Brainworms - II Swear to Me [Rorscach]
Brainworms Myspace
This is an impressive set of songs care of another great post-punk act hailing from the RVA. Brainworms do the jangly and chaotic bit with precision and a knack for strong guitar melodies and hard-hitting rhythms. Vocally, it reminds me somewhat of Fugazi, but at the same time of nothing at all. Really interesting.

#33.
A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head [Mute]
A Place to Bury Strangers Myspace
These guys impressed with their debut s/t output, a mix of sheeny shoegaze and ear-splitting noise, but have definitely surpassed themselves with their follow up. The first half is so moody and dark, you'd probably think it was some lost New Order side project. Fans don't bemoan, by the end, it gets going among a similar vein as the first release.

#32.
Do Make Say Think - Other Truths [Constellation]
Do Make Say Think Myspace
Other Truths is a solid new record from Canadian post-rock veterans Do Make Say Think. It's not always you're typical slow, build-y style of the genre, employing powerful rhythms and energetic guitar riffs that counteract their moments of near-ambient beauty. Maybe they haven't mastered the genre like my boys in Mogwai, but for fans of this style, this is a really good one.

#31.
The G - Hold My Gold [SHDWPLY]
The G Myspace
The G employ a no frills brand of indie rock that is, rather refreshingly, similar to mid 90's lo-fi acts like Pavement, Slint, or even early Weezer. Often times challenging, while often times breezy and irreverent, Hold My Gold is an impressive first output from this Phlly five-piece.




yeahhhhhh, so there are more of these coming, but don't bother standing by, it'll take time - on account of my severe laziness.

Top Sixty-Six Albums of 2009: #50 - 41

Alright Fellas and Dames, here's the next installment of my list, fresh and with more reviews!

#50.
Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue [Virgin]
Alice In Chains Myspace
Everyone probably knows, and is sick to death of hearing, the Alice In Chains story, I imagine. So, I'll spare it here. That said, I genuinely like this record quite a bit, as an AIC fan. I've heard the naysayers make their defiant case against it, but, to me, it just sounds like Alice in Chains. The three dudes left standing after the collapse of the 90's incarnation pick up where they left off, as a tribute to Layne, yes, but also as a tribute to themselves. Added plus: Jerry Cantrell still wails.

#49.
Le Corbeau - Evening Chill / Montreal of the Mind [Fysisk Format]
Le Corbeau Myspace
Thiiiis record, man! Evening Chill / Montreal of the Mind is an interesting piece I came across in the late Summer. These guys are Norwegian, I guess, but you'd never guess it. Honestly, I don't know much else about these guys, but the record is like the soundtrack to some Euro Noir film. I can imagine sitting in a smoke-filled bar room, somewhere in France, drinking alone and waiting to make contact with an informant, while this is blaring in the background.

#48.
Wooden Shjips - Dos [Holy Mountain]
Wooden Shjips Myspace
In need of some good Psych-Rock??? This is the record to be on the look for! Taking cues from classic 60's Psychedelia, and modern Noise and Garage, Wooden Shjips sound like if the Jesus Lizard starting taking Peyote on stage. Epic guitar jams that build and build on steady, booming bass and drum blasts. The production is perfect as well, for what these guys are trying to capture, it's lo-fi aesthetic adds to a deeper more natural sound.

#47.
Ty Segall - Lemons [Goner]
Ty Segall Myspace
I was completely wowed by this guys debut self-titled LP, and, of course, was giddy as a school girl to know that there would be a follow up in 2009. However, Lemons was a bit of a let down. It grew on me, and I still enjoy it, but it didn't have the same impact as the s/t. It's interesting to note though, that this record features Ty fronting a three-piece band. The first didn't, and you can hear that in the dynamics of the playing. The songwriting feels more loose, and certain songs swell in ways the first couldn't. So, I'm still with you Ty!

#46.
Bloody Panda - Summon [Profound Lore]
Bloody Panda Myspace
This is going to be one of those reviews, where I talk about a band I know nothing about, who play a style of music I am not 100 percent into, that said: This record is a BEHEMOTH, just a seismically huge hell spawn of a Doom record. I put it on the first time, and lost myself for the hour it droned on. Mood music for the demented, and despite its seemingly trying length, this thing just oozes immediacy from start to finish.

#45.
jj - jj no2 [Sincerely Yours]
I know, I know, by this point, you're thinking "Blasphemy, Phillip, this is more of the Hipster bullshit you ramble on about disliking!" Yeah, maybe it is, but I like it! I can't fucking help it, I like it, okay!?! It's some strange New-Wave, Afro-Pop, Euro-Dance hybrid that, while in theory I would want to avoid like the plague, completely lures me into it's grasp.

#44.
The Fresh & Onlys - s/t [Woodsist]
The Fresh & Onlys Myspace
The debut full length from this San Fran crew, who kept themselves very busy in '09 releasing two LP's and recording another, is a lot like it's peers in many ways. It has a similar beach burn out, lo-fi sound that a lot of So-Cal bands are doing with that whole resurgence out there. The Fresh & Onlys stand alone from the rest, however, due to their maturity. This is Garage Rock for Adults Only.

#43.
Tombs - Winter Hours [Relapse]
Tombs Myspace
I was, most likely, one of few bummed about Anodyne going the wayside. So, when I saw that Mike Hill's new group was releasing their debut LP, I wasted no time checking it out. Needless to say, Hill's still got the touch, this is pretty powerful stuff. Heavy, but not for the sake of being heavy, there is emotion to this and you can hear it in every guttural howl.

#42.
Meth Teeth - Everything Went Wrong [Woodsist]
Meth Teeth Myspace
So it's come to this, I've been dreading to review this one, because, well, I don't really know how to describe it. It's catchy, yeah, the songwriting is good, yeah; but, it's just, kinda weird. With jangly guitars, reverb drenched vocals, and a penchant for melody, Everything Went Wrong is a strange head trip from these upstart Portlanders.

#41.
Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy [Matador]
Kurt Vile Myspace
Mr. Vile is getting a lot of hype lately on the interweb, and maybe, just maybe, it actually is deserving. The guys got a load of talent, and Childish Prodigy really captures that. With sensibilities that go beyond particular genre definitions, he has really crafted a nice, diverse piece of art here. It's 'Bedroom Pop', if that's what you want to call it; but give it another listen and you can hear the outside influences, from Blues licks, to Arena-rock bombastics, to swelling Post-Rock ambience.




next year: #40 - 31

thanks, bye!