Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 73
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

1. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

3. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

4. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

5. Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours - I just opened up for them on Wednesday =)

6. Howie Beck - How To Fall Down In Public

7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

8. Hayden - The Place Where We Lived

9. Sunparlor Players - Wave North

10. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

Link to post
Share on other sites

Tim Easton - Porcupine

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Steve Earle - Townes

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

I would concur with all of these although I only heard the Tim Easton once. The Earle is good, but then you would have to try really hard to screw up an album of Van Zandt covers....

 

LouieB

Link to post
Share on other sites

yay! someone else who agrees Useless Creatures is WAY better than Noble Beast too :D

I sort of felt that way too. I re-listened to it recently and still like it quite alot.

 

LouieB

Link to post
Share on other sites

The only album that I've really loved so far this year is Middle Cyclone (Neko Case).

 

Andrew Bird, M. Ward, Great Lake Swimmers and Vetiver have received quite a few plays but haven't exactly blown me a way. The new Grizzly Bear is growing on me despite the fact that I didn't enjoy Yellow House.

 

I've got another 15 or so albums that have received only 2-5 plays. This weekend I'm trying to go through and give them another chance.

Link to post
Share on other sites

of the 2009 releases i've heard or bought:

 

1. Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective

2. Wilco (The Album) - Wilco

3. Wolfgang Amadaeus Phoenix - Phoenix

4. Reservoir - Fanfarlo

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

50. Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen (horrible album, and I love Bruce)

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would concur with all of these although I only heard the Tim Easton once. The Earle is good, but then you would have to try really hard to screw up an album of Van Zandt covers....

 

LouieB

 

 

really disappointed in the Townes. sounds like earle is drunk and just slurring everything. stand outs are the songs he does with allison and justin. other than that, just a toss off. could've been great. however, i'm just gonna listen to towns.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Are some of you with long lists leaving the Phoenix album off because it's too mainstream?

 

I have a hard time believing anyone wouldn't like it. Maybe you haven't heard it yet.

 

it is very poppy, but SO SO good.

 

album of the summer for me by far, that and maybe Passion Pit

Link to post
Share on other sites

Are some of you with long lists leaving the Phoenix album off because it's too mainstream?

 

I have a hard time believing anyone wouldn't like it. Maybe you haven't heard it yet.

 

Other than the first two songs on the new album, I prefer It's Never Been like that much, much more than this new one. I find it hard to believe that a lot of people don't like that one more. :hmm

Link to post
Share on other sites

i think thing the biggest thing I enjoy about WAP so much is the beefed up production. have always felt their past albums, while great, suffered from pretty hollow production (ala: early Spoon albums)

Link to post
Share on other sites

[rant]

 

I'm leaving off Phoenix and Passion Pit because I'm really not into dance pop. If it's any indication of my tastes, I read a friend's facebook status this weekend about cooking breakfast and listening to Thriller on her turntable, and it made me throw up in my mouth a little. Even if I'm dancing I'd much rather do it to some Stax or Motown than anything inspired by the horrible popular music of the 1980s.

I can at least see the value in Animal Collective thanks to my love for the Beach Boys, but that doesn't stop me from thinking Merriweather Post Pavilion is maybe the most overrated album of the last decade. I much prefer the last Panda Bear record, which also had a lot of filler for a 10 song disc if you ask me.

And don't even get me started on Grizzly Bear...

 

[/rant]

 

My faves of the year so far:

 

Phosphorescent To Willie(number one by a longshot)

Joel Alme A Master of Ceremonies (I think this came out in Sweden last year; I found it on a writer's list in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll. If you like Phil Spector or Okkervil River's poppier material, you owe it to yourself to hear this record.)

Justin Townes Earle Midnight at the Movies

Alela Diane To Be Still

Balmorhea All is Wild, All is Silent

Bonnie Prince Billy Beware

Bosque Brown Baby

M. Ward Hold Time

Red Red Meat Bunny Gets Paid Re-issue

Wilco

Elvis Perkins in Dearland

The Felice Brothers Yonder is the Clock

Iron & Wine Around The Well

Dinosaur Jr. Farm

Link to post
Share on other sites

[rant]

 

I'm leaving off Phoenix and Passion Pit because I'm really not into dance pop. If it's any indication of my tastes, I read a friend's facebook status this weekend about cooking breakfast and listening to Thriller on her turntable, and it made me throw up in my mouth a little. Even if I'm dancing I'd much rather do it to some Stax or Motown than anything inspired by the horrible popular music of the 1980s.

I can at least see the value in Animal Collective thanks to my love for the Beach Boys, but that doesn't stop me from thinking Merriweather Post Pavilion is maybe the most overrated album of the last decade. I much prefer the last Panda Bear record, which also had a lot of filler for a 10 song disc if you ask me.

And don't even get me started on Grizzly Bear...

 

[/rant]

 

My faves of the year so far:

 

Phosphorescent To Willie(number one by a longshot)

Joel Alme A Master of Ceremonies (I think this came out in Sweden last year; I found it on a writer's list in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll. If you like Phil Spector or Okkervil River's poppier material, you owe it to yourself to hear this record.)

Justin Townes Earle Midnight at the Movies

Alela Diane To Be Still

Balmorhea All is Wild, All is Silent

Bonnie Prince Billy Beware

Bosque Brown Baby

M. Ward Hold Time

Red Red Meat Bunny Gets Paid Re-issue

Wilco

Elvis Perkins in Dearland

The Felice Brothers Yonder is the Clock

Iron & Wine Around The Well

Dinosaur Jr. Farm

 

As far as Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, etc. I will mostly concur with you. (I must admit I haven't heard the majority of these records in their entirety) but what I have heard as well as older albums like Yellow House, make me feel pretty underwhelmed. Inide experimental rock sometimes makes the bloggers go wild but the songs just aren't there. It is an insult to people like the Beach Boys or Wilco for that matter to have this stuff compared to them. Just because you fart around the studio and layer harmonies on top doesn't make it worth listening to. I'm just generalizing here about exp indie rock. I tried 5 different times with Grizzley Bear's Yellow House (checking in out from the library) and I just have to admit that that record is not very good IMHO. I'm ranting about your rant.

Link to post
Share on other sites

As far as Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, etc. I will mostly concur with you. (I must admit I haven't heard the majority of these records in their entirety) but what I have heard as well as older albums like Yellow House, make me feel pretty underwhelmed. Inide experimental rock sometimes makes the bloggers go wild but the songs just aren't there. It is an insult to people like the Beach Boys or Wilco for that matter to have this stuff compared to them. Just because you fart around the studio and layer harmonies on top doesn't make it worth listening to. I'm just generalizing here about exp indie rock. I tried 5 different times with Grizzley Bear's Yellow House (checking in out from the library) and I just have to admit that that record is not very good IMHO. I'm ranting about your rant.

 

I agree. I think the only reason people really like them is because they're able to masterfully arrange around the fact that their songs are lacking in substance. I've owned Yellow House for two or three years now, have listened maybe a handful of times, and can't recall a single melody or lyric.

Link to post
Share on other sites

i agree with you gusy for the most part on Yellow House... i found it pleasant but dull for the most part

 

Veckatimest however is a completely different story altogether and tons of songs on it get stuck in my head (even if one HATES Grizzly Bear, i don't know too many people who dislike Two Weeks)

 

Southern Point also reminds me of Fleet Foxes a lot melodically

 

as for Panda Bear's 'Person Pitch'... it only had 7 songs? :unsure

 

honestly, i gravitate more towards rootsier & singer/songwriter stuff than most of my friends, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate and enjoy a lot of stuff outside of that too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ok, well Dr. No I will focus on your positive stuff now. I also love Phosphorescent To Willie, but I'm not sure I can put a cover's album to high up on my list.

I think Iron & Wine is easily my favorite (however also conflicted because it is a Rarities comp)

 

That leaves me with Justin Townes Earle at the top of my list.

 

I'm hoping that Wilco or The Avett Brothers will take the top spot to rid me of this indecision

Link to post
Share on other sites

don't get your hopes too high for Wilco... (not to say i don't like it a lot mind you, but there's a reason it's not listed in my top 20 on the year)

 

as for Justin, i like him a lot but find his records lacking compared to his live show. he should just strip away a lot of the layers imo.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My top records for the year would be:

 

Dark Days/Light Years-SFA

Further Complications-Jarvis Cocker

Dark Night Of The Soul-Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse

Wilco (The Album)

Together Through Life-Dylan

Journal For Plague Lovers-Manic Street Preachers

Lotusflower-Prince

 

I still have to listen to the new Dino Jr and Sonic Youth albums. But I don't think anything will top DD/LY for me.

Link to post
Share on other sites

i agree with you gusy for the most part on Yellow House... i found it pleasant but dull for the most part

 

Veckatimest however is a completely different story altogether and tons of songs on it get stuck in my head (even if one HATES Grizzly Bear, i don't know too many people who dislike Two Weeks)

 

Southern Point also reminds me of Fleet Foxes a lot melodically

 

as for Panda Bear's 'Person Pitch'... it only had 7 songs? :unsure

 

honestly, i gravitate more towards rootsier & singer/songwriter stuff than most of my friends, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate and enjoy a lot of stuff outside of that too.

 

I don't dislike "Two Weeks" so much as I think it sounds like a more boring version of the Dirty Projectors.

 

And you're right about Panda Bear now that I think about it, which sort of proves my point, because in my opinion only 2 to 3 of the songs on that record (and they're great songs, don't get me wrong) are really memorable.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've spent far too much time in 2008's backwaters recently (Hush Arbors, Harvey Milk, Plants & Animals), but these from 09 I've enjoyed:

 

Clark - Totems Flare

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

The Field - Yesterday & Today

Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us

Lindstrom & Prins Thomas - II

Link to post
Share on other sites

I only have 18 new albums this year but so far my favs of those 18 are:

 

1. Mastodon- Crack the Skye

2. Roman Cancle- Oh Tall tree with your ear to the ground (or whatever it is called)

3. Neko Case- Middle Cyclone

4. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimst

 

Those seem to be the ones that always rise to the top when i think about my favs.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No order but if I had to pick a fav so far it would probably be the Pains or Japandroids:

 

Sonic Youth

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Iran

Gun Outfit

A.C. Newman

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit

Japandroids

The Thermals

Animal Collective

Lotus Plaza

Boston Spaceships

Crocodiles

Grizzly Bear

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Justin Townes Earle

Cymbals Eat Guitars

The Love Language

Brakes

New Ruins

 

Like but need more listens:

 

Obits

Camera Obscura

Tommy Keene

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been listening to two songs by the Antlers ('Bear' and 'Two', both available for free download at last.fm) a ton. They're both going to be on the bands forthcoming album "Hospice", which is gona be released August 18th. This has become my most anticipated album of the year, I've played 'Bear' and 'Two' to death and still aren't sick of them. If the other 8 songs are in the same ballpark of great, I see it being a contender for my album of the year.

 

But, up until this point, Veckatimest is my favorite album of 2009. Southern Point is the jam.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...