Ahhh, the obligatory “Best Of” lists. If anything, they get my blood pumping as I think of the injustice of none of my top ten even making the top 40 for Spin. Then again, I haven’t seen any of these bands listed as “indie darlings” and to my knowledge, none of the band members have appeared in anything resembling Juno or any given Wes Anderson flick.
These are the ten albums that have come out this year that I can’t stop listening to. I continually come back to these, whether it’s in the car, on the computer, or while I’m waiting on some chick with fifty million coupons writing a check at the grocery store. And, in no particular order, are the ten best albums I’ve heard this year:
Thrice – Beggars
Taking every aspect of what they had accomplished in The Alchemy Index, Thrice crafted an album that is as equally explosive as it is introspective. In ten songs, they accomplish an epic amount of musicianship and exhibiting a level of maturity that it takes some bands a lifetime to develop. It is made all the more incredible by the fact that I could care less about any of their work before The Alchemy Index, and now I can’t get over how rounded their new stuff is. God, this album is amazing. Standout tracks: “Beggars,” “Doublespeak”
Teenage Bottlerocket – They Came From The Shadows
I read a statement from Fat Wreck Chords/NOFX’s Fat Mike that said, “I promised myself that I wouldn’t sign a band unless I genuinely liked their music.” This motherfucker has amazing taste. Fat put out some amazing albums this year, including Banner Pilot’s Collapser, American Steel’s Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts and Pour Habit’s Suiticide. But as great as they are, it’s TBR that has me screaming along to every song. These Wyoming punks have put out a hell of an album, filled with the kind of energy that takes over. Dear lady in the Tercel, I was not yelling at you, I was screaming “Todayo!” at the top of my lungs. Sorry. –The Emperor. Standout tracks: “Skate Or Die,” “Todayo,” “Bigger Than Kiss”
Moby – Wait For Me
I think this album was vastly underrated. Though filled with the same lush orchestral soundscapes and sampled gospel-esque vocals that made Play such an amazing album, Moby shows a sort of reservation when it comes to over-doing it. Wait For Me has that multiple dimensionality to it where it lends itself to both relaxing with a book and getting some shit done. While Moby can be outlandish at times, as bald vegan electronic musicians are apt to be, he sure knows how to create beautiful songs that haunt your dreams. Standout tracks: “Hope Is Gone,” “Pale Horses,” “Mistake”
Michael Jackson – The Stripped Mixes
This album caused a bit of ruckus, but here’s one of the times where I will actually defend a major record label, and I have points to back this up. Released digitally on the day of MJ’s memorial, and in CD form three weeks later, a lot of people talked shit on Universal, saying that it was in bad taste and a money-grubbing effort. However, if you have ever worked with a major label you know it often takes weeks to even get approval for a project, let alone the packaging art, actual mixing and mastering, production and shipping. There’s just no way that the juggernaut that is Uni could have pulled that off. Now, I usually don’t give a shit about remastered, digitally remastered or remix albums. I think they are lame. However, what we have here is a collection of early MJ solo stuff, as well as a handful of Jackson 5 jams that have had a majority of the orchestration removed and MJ’s voice cranked in the mix. What you get is an insight into just how talented this guy was from day one. Standout tracks: “I’ll be There,” “Ben,” “I Want You Back”
Lucero – 1372 Overton Park
Lucero has been a favorite of mine for the past four or five years, and I have to say, I think this is their most solid album to date. Now, they have individual tracks on Tennessee, That Much Further West and Nobody’s Darlings, but for an album on the whole, THIS is what it seems they have been striving for. Having added a small horn section has given them a revitalized sound while taking away nothing from the Southern twang this “punk/country-ish” band has become known for. Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle are all known for their scenes, and often pump out clone after clone of musical acts. Lucero manages to break out from the stereotypical Memphis mold, while being a credit to the city’s legacy. Standout tracks: “Darken My Door,” “What Are You Willing to Lose”
La Coka Nostra – A Brand You Can Trust
Between the shit that has infested MTV and crap-hop that seems to be made solely for the purpose of having girls grind their man at clubs, I was worried about the future of hip hop that focused on clever word-play and was made by people who you’d actually want to have a conversation with. Then La Coka Nostra comes on the scene. It doesn’t hurt when your group is made up of House of Pain’s Everlast, DJ Lethal and Danny Boy, along with underground MCs Ill Bill and Slaine. Add fantastic guest spots from Snopp Dogg, Psycho Realm’s Sick Jacken, Cypress Hills’ Sen Dog and B-Real and Immortal Technique. I mean, with this lineup, it would be hard to fuck it up. Standout tracks: “Brujeria,” “I’m An American,” “Fuck Tony Montana”
The Hold Steady – A Positive Rage
Like remasters, live albums hold little appeal for me. Imagine my surprise when the Hold Steady live CD/DVD blew me away. Recorded at Chicago’s Metro Theatre, The Hold Steady blast threw a sixteen song set list that has the perfect balance of the band’s bar-jukebox-ready jams and Craig Finn’s playful banter with the crowd. Finn’s raspy voice is the kind that you try to match when you think no one can hear you, and Franz Nicolay not only plays keyboards, accordion and harmonica, but have you seen his mustache? I can only dream of such manliness. Standout tracks: “Barfruit Blues,” “You Can Make Him Like You,” “Citrus”
Dear Landlord – Dream Homes
Holy shit, where do I begin with this one? The band that’s half Copyrights and half Rivethead somehow quadruples the energy found in either. From the first second of opener “I Live In Hell,” you find yourself assailed by the maximum possible amount of rock that anyone can handle. (You can see what I am talking about by downloading Killer Sharks 2!) Just like most proper punk bands, they keep the songs short (average of 2 minutes each) and filled with fist-pumping energy and plenty of “whoa-ohs” for added sing-along-ability. Possibly the best punk album released this year. It’s fucking awesome. Standout tracks: “I Live in Hell,” “Lake Ontario,” “Whiskey and Records”
The Dear Hunter – Act III: Life and Death
Casey Crescenzo’s bearded ass takes a step back from The Receiving End Of Sirens to create a weird pseudo-prog rock opera filled with lots of references to sex and hookers. I mean, what’s not to like? Layered vocals, a huge variety of instrumentation and Crescenzo’s ability to actually sing versus scream all make this album stand out from the over-produced pop-rock albums that have dominated 2009’s musical landscape. Now I have to go back and listen to the first two acts as well. Standout tracks: “The Tank,” “Mustard Gas,” “He Said He Had A Story”
Austin Lucas – Somebody Loves You
I think if more people were aware of this album, you’d have a lot less people saying “I listen to everything but country.” Lucas and his family of musician types have put their skills to task and come out with an amazingly well-written album that has everything from guitar vocal ballads to banjos, fiddles and the always-welcomed steel guitar. These are instruments that can be employed in everything from forlorn ballads to rowdy bar anthems, and are used perfectly to emphasize the album’s gorgeous imagery. While some of the vocal duos are reminiscent of the Johnny/June Cash ballads, it’s kind of creepy to make that comparison when it’s his sister’s lovely singing. Eek. Standout tracks: “Somebody Loves You,” “Singing Man,” “Wash My Sins Away”
–Jonathan Yost