Wow, has it really been over six months since I've posted anything on my blog? I didn't mean to abandon it, but life has been hectic. 2009 seems to have flown by faster than any previous year. I'm convinced time is accelerating, for me at least. I still managed to find some great music, though -- here are my ten favorite albums (in no particular order):
Anjulie - Anjulie - Modern pop/soul/R&B is not my usual cup of tea. But something about this album intrigued me from the moment I first heard a pre-release version back in January. The songs are very polished and well-written, but never feel less than authentic. Anjulie explores themes of obsessive love, relationships, and romance. While her lyrics can be a little too precious at times, they are also playful, engaging, genuine, and accurately reflect the world of a young singer-songwriter in her twenties. She's got the looks and talent to be a bigger "star", but this is an excellent debut based solely on the music.
| "The Heat" | "Love Songs" |
|---|---|
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and Higher Than The Stars EP - A blend of the best of 80s indie-pop with 90s noise-pop/shoegaze touches. Their debut album is loaded with first rate songs -- so many, in fact, they spilled over into another EP of strong material. If being shamelessly retro is so easy, why can't other bands do it this well?
| "Young Adult Friction" | "Higher Than The Stars" |
|---|---|
Girls - Album - Exudes a warm, druggy, D.I.Y. San Francisco vibe. J.R. White and Christopher Owens are neo-hippies for the indie set. What really sets them apart is the ability to write deceptively simple, lo-fi songs that are brimming over with genuine emotion, compassion, and humor. A winning debut.
| "Hellhole Ratface" | "God Damned" |
|---|---|
The xx - xx - The xx specialize in a post-punk minimalism that recalls Young Marble Giants. But they add a modern, glitchy edge similar to recent work by the Notwist. What makes them unique is the strikingly mature songwriting and restrained, yet emotive boy/girl vocals. Yet another excellent debut album.
| "Crystalised" | "Islands" |
|---|---|
Passion Pit - Manners - My favorite electronic/synth pop album since The Postal Service released Give Up back in 2003. Michael Angelikos' falsetto vocals take some time to get used to, but there is no denying the insanely catchy wall-of-sound surging behind him. Hard to believe the whole project started with him trying to record a song for his girlfriend on Valentine's Day and ended up with the release of this debut album. Elvis started out recording songs as a gift for his mother, so I guess it's a time honored tradition.
| "Little Secrets" | "The Reeling" |
|---|---|
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz - The first album of theirs I've enjoyed all the way through. The neo-new-wave sound suits them well. Karen O is in fine voice, and the songs are catchy and memorable. Many of their older fans don't like the more "commercial" sound. But if this is selling out, I'll take some more please!
| "Heads Will Roll" | "Zero" |
|---|---|
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Crisp, direct pop/rock that sounds both fresh and classic at the same time. They make it seem effortless and fun. Not a clunker in sight, even the diffuse, largely instrumental two-parter "Love Like A Sunset" is effective. This album is their second straight home run.
| "Lisztomania" | "1901" |
|---|---|
The Mary Onettes - Islands - If you can overlook the crappy pun of a band name and their heavy indebtedness to their forebearers (The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, countless other first-wave bands), there's a lot to like here. Many of the songs sound like half-remembered, lost classics of 80s alternative, rather than modern day mimicry. For anyone who has a soft spot for that era, be warned, this might get stuck in your tape deck... er, CD player... er, iPod.
| "Puzzles" | "Dare" |
|---|---|
Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts - They bring together so many musical elements, the album can almost seem disjointed. But shining through all the classic rock, jazzy pop, new wave, and neo-disco styles are the soul-infused pipes of singer Shingai Shoniwa somehow making it all work together. Nothing else quite like it.
| "Never Forget You" | "Don't Upset The Rhythm" |
|---|---|
Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers - The Manics are not an easy band to appreciate, and this is definitely not the place to start. That said, if you already understand why their 90s work is essential, you need this album. They've dug back into the lyrics of Richey Edwards, and consciously produced a sequel to their most harrowing album The Holy Bible. But as the AMG review so eloquently put it: Journal for Plague Lovers winds up being The Holy Bible in reverse: every moment of despair is a reason to keep on living instead of an excuse to pack it all in.
| "Journal For Plague Lovers" | "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time" |
|---|---|
Honorable Mention
White Lies - To Lose My Life
Bell X1 - Blue Lights On The Runway
Rupesh Cartel - Anchor Baby
Pony Pony Run Run - You Need Pony Pony Run Run
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
Morrissey - Years Of Refusal
Annie - Don't Stop
Zambri - Bang For Changes [EP]
Free Energy - Free Energy [EP]
Spoon - Got Nuffin [EP]
Reissues
Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky
Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos
Pearl Jam - Ten
Jawbox - For Your Own Special Sweetheart
Def Leppard - Pyromania
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire