Favorite Jams of 2009
Kurt Vile- God is Saying This to You/ Childish Prodigy
Kurt Vile manages to blend elements of Lo-fi, Acid Folk, Drone and Classic Rock into something that is all his own. Listening to either of these records is like experiencing episode of sleep paralysis. Hazy and cerebral. I'm a huge fan of everything he does.
Cass Mccombs- Catacombs.
This is his most accomplished and ambitious album to date. His songwriting is honest and his production techniques are unique and reveal different qualities with each repeated listen.
Cold Cave- Love Comes First
Amazing lo-fi dark wave electronica with some noisy elements. Love Comes First is easily one of my favorite jams.
Smith Westerns- ST
It’s as if Marc Bolan formed a scrappy teenage garage pop band. Catchy, fun and sexy.
The Hunches- Exit Wounds
The Hunches bury some pretty infectious melodies under layers of noisy and sometimes thrashy garage rock. Not invented is quite possibly my favorite song of the year, “today is not birthday, I was born today.” So good.
The Mantles- ST
The Mantles make psychedelic lo-fi garage rock but what sets them apart from their other Silt breeze contemporaries is they actually know how to play their instruments and write good songs.
Tune Yards- Bird Brains
Creative multi-layered eccentrics female freak folk with tribal elements and lots of howling. This girl recently signed with 4AD. I’m sure she’s going to blow up hug in the next year. Listen to “Sunshine”
Micachu and the Shapes- Jewelery
More eccentric female vocals with angular art punk leanings. Simply AMAZING. Possibly my favorite of any of these albums on this list.
Fever Ray- ST
More creepy sytnh (not really poppy though) from the chick from The Knife. The layered analog production on this record is mesmerizing. Best album to smoke weed to of the year.
Ganglians- Monster Headroom
Another lo-fi band that’s actually talented. They blend psychedelic rock with sunny Beach Boysesque melodies and manage to do a lot with very little. Another good album for a hazy afternoon bud session.
Chain and the Gang- ST
Funky, hip, cool garage rock with brilliant lyrics. Completely underrated. Check out
“Death Bed Confession”
The Clean- Mr. Pop
New Zealand’s seminal indie rockers still have it. Listen to “Are you really on drugs” and “In the dream life you need a rubber soul” easily two of their best songs.
Atlas Sound- Logos
Brafford Cox sophomore records is very ambitious. Easily as good as some of Deerhunter’s best stuff
Julian Lynch- Orange You Glad
More pschedellic lo-fi music. Julian Lynch is headed places. Check out “Andaza”
Almighty Defenders-ST
Drunken doo-wop,soul-funk garage rock from the collective talents of Black Lips and King Khan and BBQ. Ghost with the most is one the most groovy and sexy jams ever.
King Creosote- Flick the Vs
Oddball experimental folk from Scotland with elements of electronic and strangely beautiful lyrics.. Check out “Two Frocks at a Wedding”
Woods-Songs of Shame
Earnest lo-fi pop with wonderful songwriting and lyrics. I thought the lead singer was female for the longest time it turns out he’s actually a dude. A perfect album
The Middle East- Songs of the Middle East
Under heard, epic and sad indie with folk elements. Why this didn’t receive more buzz is beyond me. Absolutely beautiful. Put this on when you are in the company of pretty lady.
Black Lips- 200 Million Thousand
I think this is my favorite album by them. Sleazy, druggy garagerock with good songwriting to boot.
King Khan and BBQ- Invisible Girl
This white boy and Indian have a lot of soul. Their catchy jams go well with a night of debauchery.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes- Up From Below
One of those records by indie band that sounds like a classic album from two decades ago. A few of the track off this album are the best songs of year. Epic glam rock hippies if that makes any sense.
Antony and Johnsons- Crying Light
More beauty and more sadness from our favorite transgendered eccentric, Antony is one of the best living artists today.
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Amen Dunes- Dia
Hazy stoner jams. Fucking Great.
Girl-Album
If Elvis Costello was bisexual , smoked weed and listened to 90’s indie rock. You’d have this record.
Cloud Nothings-Turnining On.
Super catchy lo-fi indie pop. I just got this record and I can't stop listening to this record.
Pissed Jeans-King of Jeans
Noisy, cathartic. Good for the gym
The Bitters- Super catchy boy-girl 60's style garage from member's of Canada's Fucked Up.
The Pink Pink-ST
A more bombastic Stone Roses with elements of Primal Scream. Dominoes is one of the best misogynistic songs about being a player ever. Probably my theme song for 09.
Deerhunter-Rainwater Casette Exchange
Proving that Deerhunter aren't just a shoegaze band but capable of writing good pop songs too.
Disappointments of the Year : Fuck these bad records by otherwise good bands.
Grizzly Bear'-Veckaticmist- lame, coma inducing new age shite.
Jay Retard- watch me fall.- Lame
Clipse- Til the Casket Drops.- Lame
All overrated shitgaze and chillwave bands like wavves and Washed Out.
2 comments:
loving king creosote. and of course, tune yards ;o)
Hi Armando, glad you dig the Cloud Nothings album I put out! Give me a shout at bridgetownrecords@gmail.com and I'll hook you up with some new stuff including the companion releases to that album that just came out today.
Best,
Kevin
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