it was a great year in music, both new and new-to-me music, but none-the-less good music. so let’s get to the point and make this as easy and enjoyable as it’s capable of being. the post is going to go a little something like this:
read it all, pick and choose, do what you wish. just sit back, relax, and let your ears enjoy.
…rod stewart bringing « maggie may« along for a lot of my car rides. i took a lot of trips with bat for lashes, some dream-like and some physically to atlanta. cars, planes, and bicycles–no rides were more fun than being « on a boat » with t-pain and the lonely island guys. i do recall alcohol spillin’ all over my pants while ironically listening to turbulence’s « blame it on the alcohol. » friends, christmas carolers, bike riders, and lindsey buckingham certainly took me down the « holiday road, » and i am more than certain i danced to phoenix’s « 1901 » at least 1,901 times…i participated in « foreplay » for a « long time » with boston at multiple rock band parties, and last but not least, 2009 will always be dedicated to fleetwood mac for being in almost every great memory i had.
i discovered some really great music in 2009, some new-some old.
♫…kate bush- i suppose her prime was late 70′s/early 80′s. i heard « running up that hill » on satellite radio one day and was sold. her style is very « empowering women » (like tori amos and fiona apple) i did an experiment and listened to kate non-stop for a week and it was a pretty great week until sunday rolled around and i discovered that kate bush should never be played on sundays (or perhaps 7 days in a row.)
listen to: cloudbusting — running up that hill
♫…ra ra riot- when you’re declined into a show because of your age, it sucks, and that’s what happened to me a lot at this years sxsw. i do believe everything happens for a reason though, and that happened so i could bum around austin, seeing what other shows i could get into, and came across ra ra riot. it’s a lot of different stringed instrument infused with pop/indie/folk music and….i don’t know, magic? their debut album the rhumb line is a true delight and their drummer was the happiest boy i’ve ever seen on the planet, therefore making me the happiest girl…
listen to: dying is fine — too too too fast — oh, la
♫…roisin murphy- if you’re a grey’s anatomy nut i’m sure you’ve heard her song « ruby blue » but the true excitement behind roisin murphy’s music is in her 2007, uk released album overpowered. it’s club-ish, soulful, and a roller coaster ride. i really wore this album out this year from poppin’ my body to « off and on » and clapping my hands to « you know me better » this is an album to dance your socks off too…
listen to: you know me better — off and on — modern timing
although i discovered a lot of good music, i also found some bad music.
♫…lily allen- it’s not me, it’s you- i can understand the pressure one might go trough after hitting success and the record labels are forcing your next album to come out now, but really lily allen? you could have done better than this. her 2007 release alright, still was so incredibly raw, the track « everything’s just wonderful » can describe that entire album. but i find it’s not me, it’s you to be corporate pop with nothing special at all.
♫…the fray- the fray- unlike lily allen, the fray took their time with their second album and still produced utter-crap. i guess you either have it or you don’t. i really liked their first album with the fuse of piano ballads and pop tunes until grey’s anatomy and every other radio station snatched it up and overplayed it. this self-titled release sounds like christian rock, and nothing is wrong with that if that’s what you’re aiming to sound like, which i don’t think was the case here. every song sounds the same as the last, something an album should never do…
♫…john mayer- battle studies- i can’t say i expected much, but the 15-year-old in me still believes in john. shame on 15-year-old self! no blues, no cutesy lyrics, no bodies that look like wonderlands. it’s just whiny john and his whiny guitar, although if you still don’t want to take my word on this, at least check out a song called « assassians. » it’s the only half-decent part of this whine-fest…
♫…mute math- armistice- muth math is an unbelievably incredible band. their self-titled debut was an experimental, original, and electronic playground filled with keytars and jam sessions. their stage presence is high volume celebrated with a really cool fan base, and i certainty put this band on a pedestal. i feel armistice is trying to reach out to a broader radio demographic and that really takes away from their magic. although i am really disappointed in this album, i highly urge you to check out their first one because it’s probably in my top 5 favourite albums of all time.
you know they say things happen when you least expect it? well these are those songs.
(click on the names and have yourself a party)
throw me in with all of the other (500) days of summer lovers. call me cliche. but it doesn’t excuse the fact that this song plays like poetry. the vocals blend perfectly together and this is the song to drive along too.
sure it was released in 2008, but this song was meant for 2009. it’s oriental vibe mixed with soft beats and haunting vocals are perfect in every way. listen once and you’ll want to listen again, listen twice and you’ll fall in love.
if your parents named you julian casablancas, i would hope your music sounded just as cool as your name, fortunately his does. it’s poppy, catchy, and very danceable, always a good combination.
whether you’re solo, with a group of friends, or lost in a club–this is what you should dance too:
(oh yes my friend, you may click on the photos)
with the exception of howling, shakira’s « she wolf » is 80s-tastic. « fine print » gives full definition to trance music, because i go into one when i hear that song. madonna deserves to be on every list, no matter what the list is about. the cool thing about her « celebration » video is that instead of using professional dancers she used actual madonna fans, and i find that to be really cool. « sweet little thing » speaks for itself. i have always and will always be a fan of basement jaxx. every record of theirs is vastly different yet they all work together as a whole, and that’s one heck of a trait to have. although the song is called « raindrops » it seriously feels like sunshine.
film is a great medium for discovering music, or producing classical songs:
♫…original score by nathan johnson, the music is what truly blooms in this film. everything is so orchestrated and over-the-top these days, and its so nice to see such a simplistic, minimalist approach with a piano and guitar and have the same effect. this score is so lovely.
listen to: penelope’s theme
♫…each day that passes, the more and more i love this film (but more about that when my « best movies of 2009″ list is released next week) the movie is very simple and elegant, and so are the songs, featuring music from the weepies and joshua radin. the real beauty lies within a song from lucy schwartz, i believe to be written for the film, called « gone away. » it pulls at my heartstrings and really rips my heart out…
listen to: « gone away » lucy schwartz
♫…i was pretty darn excited for this film and pretty darn disappointed as well. one thing that caught me off guard though was the soundtrack. what a gem! the 60′s era soundtrack features ray charles and brenda lee with some newer songs inspired by the decade from duffy and more. i didn’t fall in love with this movie, but i did fall in love with it’s music.
listen to: « you’ve got me wrapped around your little finger » beth rowley
♫…ots by mark bradshaw. unfortunately, most of the 8 short songs composed for this film have dialogue in it, there’s simply not enough content. that aside, when the music finally does stand on its own, it sends chills throughout my spine. echos of harps and violins circle the atmosphere and i remember just as i felt watching the film, just as i was suppose to feel, and just as the story wanted me to feel, all because of the music.
listen to: negative capability
nothing is better than the videos you create for the music in your head, but it is pretty darn cool to see how its meant to be seen. i highly enjoyed these music videos this year.
« i’m on a boat » the lonely island and t-pain
probably my favourite video this year, i’ve had so many wonderful memories singing this song. everything from the inflatable dolphin, to the flippy floppies–the mermaid, helicopter, and t-pain. it doesn’t get better than this, and saturday night live or not, the filmmaking in this video is top-par.
« bulletproof » la roux
artistic, stylistic, fun, and unique. not to mention elly’s hair and make-up in insanely awesome!
« daniel » bat for lashes
i always expect something awesome from her videos. the video for « what’s a girl to do » from her first album set the bar extremely high, and she’s met that repetitively. « daniel » is no exception. sure it might be creepy, but its awesome.
« french navy » camera obscura
there’s a special place in my heart for this video. any typical girl who dreams of paris and boys with beards would appreciate.
« why do you let me stay here » she and him
i have repetitively beat myself up over not creating this first. no other video makes me happier. i’m so in love with both of them and could live inside of this video forever.
« when i grow up » fever ray
imo (and a heck of a lot of other people’s opinion) this is the best music video of 2009. i think i first watched this at 2 am, half asleep, and that’s exactly how i was meant to see it. this song is amazing and this video is just the same. the pool, the body paint, the colours–it’s all wonderful.
so, these are some songs that were released in 2009, but are to be released on albums in 2010.
you got it?
« got nuffin«
to be released january 18th, « got nuffin » is spoon’s first single off of their album transference. i’ve had multiple dreams involving the band members of spoon for about 9 years now, and that might be a different blog entirely, but point being- i have a connection with these guys. their concert atmosphere is pretty electric and i really look forward to this album. if it follows along the lines of « got nuffin » then i got nuffin’ to worry about (sometimes i crack myself up)
« the spell«
i may have already heard alphabeat’s february 2010 released album titled the spell (i have friends in high places) and i didn’t enjoy it as much as i wished too, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that this song is incredibly fun and takes me back to the 90′s. the band has quoted that the band black box was their inspiration for this album, and i am very excited (because black box is awesome) and very sad (because i think more bands should pull inspiration from black box)
maybe i should just direct you to listen to black box: ride on time
released on animal collective’s fall be kind ep, i’m not really sure if this will be released on an album, or if there even is an album coming in 2010, because animal collective likes to do that sort of stuff. plus they released a pretty decent album this year titled merriweather post pavilion , which although isn’t on my list, has some great songs, one being « my girls. » unfortunately i like « what would i want? sky » better than any song on that record. so was the case with their last ep water curses and it’s same titled song « water curses » way better than anything on strawberry jam. maybe they should just stick to ep’s…
there were a lot of good albums this year, but not all can make my top 10. so these missed the cake, but are still worthy of a bite.
although it has nothing to do with this blog, i find wayne coyne to be this sexiest man alive. that being out of my system, i always enjoy a lips album. this album was huge, 18 songs huge to be exact with most songs averaging around 6 minutes, and to be quite honest, i haven’t sat through the whole album from start to finish. just bits and pieces here and there–but listening to « silver trembling hands » followed by « virgo self-esteem broadcast » is usually always the highlight of my evening.
listen to: silver trembling hands –virgo self-esteem broadcast
i do heart karen o. and although this album is a little more mainstream, it’s still enjoyable. like halloween music that you’re able to listen to year round.
listen to: heads will roll — dragon queen
chill, electronic, and on the verge of success, the xx feels like last years m83. this album is just very relaxing and well constructed, although their popularity is rising because of a remix of florence and the machines « you’ve got the love » (neither on theirs or her album) it is pretty flippin sweet though, and so is the « crystalised » video, so you better click on it.
listen to: you’ve got the love — islands — crystalised
i’m not going to lie, i was a bit disappointed by this album, but it’s still good enough to make the list. imogen’s speak for yourself was pretty wonderful but still not as wonderful as when she was referring to herself as frou frou and released details. now that is a wonderful album. still, although this album is a little more poppy and a little less experimental, she used some really cool instruments (actually she used a lot of things and turned them into instruments, like showers and fire) it’s still enjoyable to listen too, just not like before…
listen to: tidal — wait it out — bad body double
i know at the beginning i said i’d try to make this as non-scary as possible, and looking back, that post is pretty !@#$ing scary. so if you’re reading this, thanks for toughening it out and sticking in there, or perhaps you read bits and pieces, which is a-okay with me. regardless, here it is:
i feel as if no album really deserves the number 10 spot, and something doesn’t feel right about giving it to wonder but if i’m going to give the 10th spot to someone it’s lisa mitchell. her debut album is so soft and cute and unique. it’s a little too soft, but if you are looking for a quiet sunday then its perfect. i don’t believe this album is available in the states yet, but be sure to search for it. to sum it up perfectly, it’s a nice cup of tea.
listen to: coin laundry — remind me — pirouette
satellite radio repetitively played this album until my brain latched on and said “oh, this is kind of great and i need to listen to this in my own time as well.” and that’s what i did. i never really cared for mgmt because i felt they lacked something. well, whatever it is they lacked, passion pit certainly gained because they hit the nail on the head with children singing, kayne-west like backups, and some crazy synth. « little secrets » is seriously so good i feel like dancing with a bunch of kids in a field, and then i feel really creepy and awkward once the song is over….(the « sleepyhead » video is worth a look also)
listen to: little secrets — sleepyhead — seaweed song
i realize this album has gotten a pretty bad rap because it doesn’t even compare to his earlier albums, and that’s understandable and agreeable, but it’s still a good album. i was lucky enough to see him in october, and although he claimed to be “sick” his musicianship was still incredibly impressive and spot on. he’s really talented and “anonanimal” is in my top if not possibly my favourite song of 2009.
listen to: anonanimal — oh no
i’m a cheater and a liar because this album actually came out at the end of 2008, but you can call me whatever you want, it’s going on my list because 2009 is when this album really shinned. it’s so 80’s fantastic, i feel it could be heard in any john hughes film, yet its still so very strong on its own. every single song is catchy, unique, and awesome. i am completely in love with this entire album from start to finish. each video is really awesome as well.
listen to: paris is burning — morning dreams — back of the van — my delirium
i know it’s on everyone’s 2009 list, but it deserves to be. this album is so insanely creative. if you are into animal collective or fleet foxes, this is something to seriously check out. the first time i listened to “two weeks” was magical and 1000 listens later, it’s still that way, and that says something…..
listen to: two weeks — southern point — while you wait for the others
the first song i heard from st. vincent was “actor” and i hated it. she opened for andrew bird, and that’s when the shell began to crack. have you seen the movie flashdance? do you remember that scene where jennifer beals is dancing around in front of a tv with blue leggings and a crazy strobe light? well, i feel that was her show and this album in a nutshell. it’s split in two between “flashdance crazy” and “disney woodland creatures” and im not sure how she got the two styles to blend together, but they do, and they are beautiful. she’s a siren and this album is so magical and loopy and beautiful. if not any other song on this list, listen to “just the same but brand new” because it brings tears to me eyes.
listen to: marrow — the strangers — just the same but brand new
i feel like 2010 is going to be the year for elly jackson, aka la roux. the world hasn’t quite latched on to her yet, and i’m way ahead of the game when they do, and they will. this is also 80’s but not in a ladyhawke type of way. ladyhawke is happy/magical 80’s and la roux is just complete bad ass 80’s. everything is synth-y and catchy and dancey yet in little moments like “as if by magic” the album breathes and those breaths are so lovely and wonderful.
listen to: bulletproof — in for the kill — as if by magic
i’ve constantly moved this album between 1, 2, and 3 and as soon as i post this blog i will be kicking myself, i know it! a little part of me screams that this isn’t my number one because every time i listen to it, that’s what i feel. her first album fur and gold was just really weird (which i loved) but this album is weird thrown in with dream-like sounds and lyrics, and that makes it really wonderful and beautiful. i do feel strange loving an album so much that sings of wolves and knights, but oh well. i love everything from the tribal drums in “glass” to the haunting sounds in “daniel” and whatever the heck is happening in “pearls dream” but the true gem of this album is “sirens song.” it was one of the best live songs i’ve ever seen performed and filled with so much heart and emotion.
listen to: daniel — pearls dream — good love — glass — sirens song
this was my number one album on my list until i re-listened to all of the albums and had to push it back to number 2. this is my favourite album of the year (but i have my reasons for number 1) the truth is this, there are some songs on this album that are so powerful, i dance and sing until i can’t breathe anymore, but there are also 2 or 3 songs on this album that I don’t really care about, and that’s why its at number 2. like la roux, the world hasn’t latched onto florence yet, but I think 2010 is going to be so huge for this girl, if this album were released in the first week of january, without a doubt it would be on everyone’s lists for 2010. the build up in “dog days are over” is so rewarding and “rabbit heart” is so creative. a song called « swimming » that is on the deluxe album is beautiful with stringed instruments, powerful drums, and broad vocals. all of her songs are loud, powerful, and over the top, except there is one song she rested on the album with called “cosmic love” and that’s where i find it’s true essence. while the harp plays, instruments and vocal ranges are strung together with gold, the heavens have opened up and this song is playing at the gates.
listen to: dog days are over — rabbit heart — swimming — cosmic love
i feel bat for lashes and florence + the machine can only really speak to a certain amount of people who would get it, but wolfgang amadeus phoenix is so universal to speaks to everyone. young, old, hipsters, rappers, country music listeners, religious fanatics, drug dealers, white folks, toddlers. i don’t care who you are, you are capable of loving this album, and that’s why it’s number 1. i’ve followed phoenix for some time and although I love their earlier albums just as much as this one, they really got it right with this album. this is their style, their sound, and how phoenix is meant to be heard. you dance when the album wants you to dance, and when your about to pass out, the album breathes and allows you to do just the same. it’s just as enjoyable sitting down as it was when you were standing up. (and although « listzomania » is theoretically brilliant, i can’t help but love « 1901 » just a little bit more)
listen to: 1901 — listzomania — girlfriend –lasso
that is seriously the longest i’ve ever spent on a post. i hope you’ve enjoyed! i might take a 2 day break after that one and enjoy chirstmas. so have a happy holidays and i hope its filled with new, wonderful music that you’ve discovered here!
xoxo.lindsay
♥.....
