I didn’t want to call this “the best music” of 2009 or even “my favorite music,” because I probably missed something, and I probably listened to something too much just because it was in my cd player. That being said, these are the 5 albums I listened to the most this year.
5. Passion Pit - Manners
I was extremely skeptical of this release before it came out. The band’s Chunk of Change EP had a great back story and some catchy electro-pop gems that garnered a lot of plays and excitement about these guys. “Sleepyhead” is being featured in a new Palm Pre commercial as we speak. But I thought Michael Angelakos had caught lightning in a bottle, and the full-length would surely fall flat. I was wrong. There are at least 3 or 4 new pop anthems featured on Manners, and even the filler is pretty good. Well done.
Essential Track: Little Secrets
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4. Antlers - Hospice
This is my throwback album on the list. Not because it isn’t new, but because it represents something I wouldn’t see myself listening to these days. I left emo in the 1990s. Even though Hospice centers on a very personal, tragic storyline about a crumbling relationship, cancer, and death, it really isn’t that emo. There’s no whining. Nobody is mad at their parents.. wait that’s not true, there’s a “daddy was an asshole/he fucked you up” line, but whatever. Hospice is packed with beauty, dynamics, and true emotion, something that has been lacking from most music released in this age.
Essential Track: Two
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3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
GB has certainly been one of the most buzzed about indie bands of ‘09, possibly with the exception of AnCo and Phoenix. In past efforts, Grizzly Bear has incorporated too much dead space and “dull spots” for a lack of a better term. The dullness is minimized and brilliance maximized in Veckatimest, with at least 6 stand-alone singles and plenty to be gained from each successive listen. Definitely a good place to start if you’re wondering what all the hype is about.
Essential Track: Ready, Able
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2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
This came out very early in 2009, and I’ve sufficiently played it out and/or heard it on the radio so many times that I’m pretty sick of it. Even so, it is a breakthrough for AnCo, who are known for putting off many listeners by making most of their music inaccessible. Most people have taken one side on this group: either they are the saviors of indie, or they are grossly overrated. I think they fall somewhere in between, but nothing should be taken away from this record, either way. Read my post back in January if you want more of my opinions on this band.
Essential Track: My Girls
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1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors (Dave Longstreth) have been around for some time now, but mostly rest on the fringe of chaotic, avante-garde rock. In making Bitte Orca, he finally got his shit together enough to make something that didn’t require LSD to enjoy. With a complementary cast of (mostly) beautiful vocalists, his abstract vision has been realized. I can’t emphasize how good this album is.
Essential Track: Useful Chamber
