JIM TESTA – Top 15 Records of 2009
Jeffrey
Lewis – ‘Em Are I –
(Rough Trade)
Screaming Females –
Power Move (Don Giovanni)
Tris McCall – Let The
Night Fall (Melody Lanes Records)
Cymbals Eat Guitars –
Why There Are Mountains (Sister’s Den)
Ike Reilly – Hard Luck
Stores (Rock Ridge)
Roadside Graves – My
Son’s Home (Autumn Tone)
Rick Barry - “This
Antediluvian World” EP (Self Released)
Yo
La Tengo – Popular Songs (Matador)
Ace Enders & A Million Different
People – When I Hit The Ground
(Vagrant Records)
House Boat - Delaware Octopus
(It’s Alive)
Dear Landlord - Dream Homes
(No Idea)
The Riverdales - Invasion
USA (Asian Man)
The Leftovers - Eager To
Please (Oglio)
Ben Franklin – Optimist
(Self-released)
Golden Bloom – Fan
The Flames (The Sleepy West)
PAUL SILVER – Best Of 2009
Many people, when asked to list their top
ten CDs for the year, agonize over it. It
can be a daunting prospect, thinking back
over all the new music that’s come out,
and trying to narrow it down to those discs
worthy of such a listing. For me, though,
it’s pretty simple. I’m really
picky. Music that I like goes into my CD collection.
Music that I really like goes into my iTunes
and my iPod. To qualify to take up precious
memory and listening time when I put the iPod
on shuffle, music has to be really special.
So, here are, in the order in which I wrote
up reviews for them, my top ten CDs of 2009.
There has been plenty of good stuff that's
come out in 2009, but these ten are the ones
that were so good that they've found a permanent
home in my iTunes and my iPod.
CYMBALS
EAT GUITARS - "Why There Are
Mountains" – Unless you've been
living under a rock for the past year you
already know why this is on my list. Not only
is this listed first because I reviewed it
back in January, it was an early favorite
for best album of the year, and no one has
surpassed it.
WHITE DENIM - "Exposion"
- Math-rock, garage, breezy pop, and a hint
of funk - these guys have it all.
WINFRED E. EYE – “Til
I Prune” - Americana with a hint of
psych, the desperate loneliness and hard times
evoked are the perfect soundtrack to the difficulties
of 2009.
THE ANTLERS - "Hospice"
- This had me literally agape, mouth open,
in sheer disbelief of how profoundly beautiful,
sad, and unsettling this album is. This came
the closest to displacing Cymbals Eat Guitars
for my favorite of the year.
BRIAN BOND - "Fire
and Gold" - Quiet neo-folk, singer-songwriter
stuff, with a hint of electronica, very beautiful
stuff.
DETOURNEMENT - "Screaming
Response" - In a sea of commercial "punk"
music as fashion and consumable entertainment,
this is the real thing.
THE GREAT UNWASHED - "EP"
- Great post-punk / post-emo that evoked memories
of bands like Husker Du and Mission of Burma.
LISA GERMANO - "Magic
Neighbor" - Simple and very beautiful,
this proves you don't need a huge production
to create something astounding.
MISSION OF BURMA - "The
Sound The Speed The Light" - It's like
they were never gone. This is classic Burma,
powerful and workman-like.
OS MUTANTES - "Haih
or Amortecedor" - Quirky, diverse, psychedelic
music from Brazil
NOAH WK – Top 30 LP’s and 7-Inches/EP’s
LP’s:
1.
Marked Men - Ghosts
2. Morrissey - Years Of Refusal
3. The Jetty Boys - Sheboygan
4. House Boat – The Delaware Octopus
5. Cheap Girls - My Roaring 20's
6. Dear Landlord - Dream Homes
7. Mean Jeans - Are You Serious
8. Noise By Numbers - Yeah, Whatever...
9. The Used Kids - Yeah No
10. Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall
11. The Riverdales - Invasion USA
12. The Sw!ms - ITEMLORD
13. The Roman Line - Morning Portraits
14. Reigning Sound - Love and Curses
15. Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
16. The Sidekicks - Weight Of Air
17. The Obits - I Blame You
18. Screaming Females - Power Move
19. The Hex Dispensers - Winchester Mystery
House
20. Cococoma - Things Are Not All Right
21. Banner Pilot - Collapser
22. The Leftovers - Eager To Please
23. The Apers - You Are Only As Strong As
The Table You Dance On
24. Christmas Island - Blackout Summer
25. The King Khan & BBQ Show - Invisible
Girl
26. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Can't Maintain
27. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
- The Good Feeling Music Of
28. Daniel Johnston - Is And Always Was
29. Impulse - International Point Of Action
30. Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong
7 Inch / EP’s:
1.
The Ergs! / The Measure (SA) - Split
2. Loblaws / Sci Fi Nightmares - Split
3. Barrakuda McMurder - Slow Crawl EP
4. Kudrow- Lando
5. Cheap Girls / Failures Union Split
6. The Lawrence Arms - Buttsweat and Tears
EP
7. Personal And The Pizzas - Brass Knuckles
8. The Marked Men / This Is My Fist Split
9. The Max Levine Ensemble - Ben Weasel EP
10. Todd Congelliere - People In The Sand
EP
11. Lemuria - Ozzy EP
12. What Happened? - This Is Our Life EP
13. White Wires - Pretty Girl
14. Noise By Numbers - Art Of The Underground
Vol. 43
15. Dear Landlord - Heartbroken Handshakes
EP
16. Dangerous Intersections #3 (Closet Fairies,
Apocalypse Meow, The Dopamines & Todd
Congelliere)
17. Marvelous Darlings - Sleeping Like A Dead
Man EP
18. Sci Fi Nightmares Hatchet
19. Personal And The Pizzas / Coconut Coolouts
Split
20. The Isotopes – Heatseeker EP
21. Marvelous Darlings - Only Ones For Miles
EP
22. Copyrights / Brokedowns Split
23. Suspect Parts - Man Eater EP
24. Marvelous Darlings - Shoot The Piano Player
EP
25. Free Energy - Free Energy EP
26. The Bugs - S/T EP
27. The Statues - We're Disparate EP
28. Merman Records Sea Creatures No. 1 (Fear
Of Lipstick, The Roman Line, Reagle Beagle
& Neutron Bombs)
29. First Base - I've Got A Girl EP
30. Tongan Death Grip - S/T EP
DAN SIANO’S BEST OF 2009
METAL:
1.Porcupine
Tree-The Incident
2.The Chasm-Farseeing The Paranormal Abysm
3.Dream Theater-Black Clouds And Silver Linings
4.Gorgoroth-Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem
Trahunt
5.Mastodon-Crack The Skye
6.Blut Aus Nord-Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue
With The Stars
7.Wolves In The Throne Room-Black Cascade
8.Marduk-Wormwood
9.Immortal-All Shall Fall
10-Amorphis-Skyforger
Honorable Mentions: Behemoth-Evangelion,
Blood Tsunami-Grand Feast For Vultures, Burnt
By The Sun-Heart Of Darkness, Darkest Hour-The
Eternal Return, Funeral Mist-Maranatha, The
Gathering-The West Pole, God Forbid-Earthsblood,
Jesu-Infinity, Napalm Death-Time Waits For
No Slave, Sunn 0)))-Monoliths And Dimensions,
Devin Townsend-Addicted, Wodensthrone-Loss,
Xasthur-All Reflections Drained.
Biggest Disappointment: Brutal Truth-Evolution
Through Revolution. I was really, really looking
forward to this comeback album from this legendary
grind band.Unfortunately, this record is a
terrible, sloppy mess.
NON-METAL:
1.Mono-Hymm To The Immortal Wind
2.Yeah Yeah Yeah’s-It’s Blitz!
3.Johnie 3-Sexbomb
4.Thursday-Common Existence
5.And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead-The
Century Of Self
6.The Mars Volta-Octahedron
7.Rancid-Let The Dominoes Fall
8.Six To Eight Mathematics-High Heels, Whiskey,
& Mayhem
9.Pearl Jam-Backspacer
10.Muse-The Resistance
Biggest Disappointment(s): Weezer-Raditude.
This record made me want to puke. The Red
Album sucked but at least had redeemable tracks
(“Dreamin’” in particular);
this one is crap from start to finish. And
if Rivers Cuomo is some kind of songwriting
genius, then why does he need 8 co-writers
to make a sub par album?
JP SUTCLIFFE – Top 10 Of 2009
1:
CHARTPIMP - PART CHIMP
2: SHIT AND SHINE (LIVE) DVD - BLOOMSBURY
BOWLING ALLEY
3: FLEET FOXES - FLEET FOXES
4: LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN
5: THE WHITE XMAS WE JUST HAD...
6: PHALLUS DEI - AMON DUUL II
7: 3RD GATEKEEPER - SKULLFLOWER
8: TEMPO HOUSE - THE FALL
9: MISHIMA - PHILIP GLASS
10: ANY HEY COLOSSUS TRACK....
NOT ESPECIALLY A REVIEW OF THE YEAR, MUSICALLY,
BUT IT HAS BEEN QUITE A RETARDED YEAR FOR
WONDERFUL COMPOSITIONS.
Deb and Damien Ellinghaus’ Top 3 of
2009
Megadeth
“ Endgame” –Call
him what you will, but Dave Mustaine is still
one of the undeniable champs of thrash, and
“Endgame” reinforces that fact
in spades. With the addition of bass virtuoso
James LoMenzo of Black Label Society, “Endgame”
is everything that Metallica’s “Death
Magnetic” promised it would be: a return
to the classic sound that solidified this
band’s Big Four status. “Headcrusher”
is the perfect Megadeth track: experimental,
contagious and a brilliant combination of
everyone’s talents. This album almost
makes the hardcore fans stop missing Friedman
and Poland. Almost.
NOFX “ Coaster”
–This album retains the quintessential
NOFX sound that fans know and love while tossing
in a few surprises to keep things fresh. “My
Orphan Year” combines just the right
amount of wistfulness with scorn without succumbing
to utter pretention; a feat that Fat Mike
is the absolute master of. Hefe’s multiple
capabilities never cease to amaze me, Smelly
sounds better than ever and Melvin even sings
on key this time (well, almost!) NOFX is a
band that never lets me down, which is why
they’re in my top two.
Slayer “ World Painted Blood”
–Ah, this one took me by surprise. I’m
not a fan of the almost required in order
to call oneself a metal fan “Reign in
Blood.” I much prefer Slayer’s
earlier works, and “World Painted Blood”
invokes that for me while keeping a modern
feel to it. The warring solos are both crunchy
and blessedly short. There’s nothing
more obnoxious than a guitar god who doesn’t
know when to hang it up, and thankfully King
and Hanneman do. The epic “Snuff”
has me pounding even while walking to work.
Deb’s Remaining 7
The
Architects - “ The Hard Way” –
There aren’t enough ways for me to explain
how much I adore this album. This fourth effort
by The Architects (the dudes from Kansas City,
not the Brits!) is easily one of my favorites
this year and possibly this decade. It’s
catchy, sarcastic and doesn’t take itself
too seriously. I frequently wake up humming
“Bastards at the Gate,” and that’s
only one of four solid favorite cuts that
I have. The Phillips brothers have got this
music thing locked down. I already can’t
wait to hear what they come up with next.
Gallows - “Grey Britain”
– Some albums you see other musicians
raving about, and you check them out for that
reason, only to wind up shrugging - not so
with the absolutely brilliant “Grey
Britain.” Gallows has never been known
for their subtlety, and Britain does not disappoint.
Abandoning the majors is the best thing they’ve
ever done, and it shows. The predictable yet
absolutely addictive “London is the
Reason” just makes me fucking feel like
I can conquer anything. Britain is also a
contender for favorite of the decade for me.
The Bouncing Souls - “ Ghosts
on the Boardwalk” – The
20th Anniversary album was released in true
DIY fashion, but with a twist: thanks to the
digital age, the band was able to release
one track on the first of every month, with
a bonus at the end. “Ghosts” encompasses
every flavor within the Souls’ arsenal
and then some. No two tracks are similar –
“Badass” and “Never Say
Die” are true, fast punk anthems, “Gasoline”
and the title track are emotionally optimistic
(sorta the band’s trademark,) “Mental
Bits” is silly and “Dubs”
is a thank you to both a good friend and to
their loyal fans. This band is timeless, and
I will love them till the day that I die.
The Used - “Artwork”-
Gotta hand it to these guys; they have a knack
for seeing to it that no two Used albums sound
alike. Where 2007’s “Lies for
the Liars” was modernly brutal, “Artwork”
just grooves you smoothly through the task
of growing up and releasing all of your grudges.
This album is rocking - a very pleasant surprise
to round out the year with. “Blood on
My Hands” could very well be the best
live Used song I’ve ever heard, and
that’s saying a lot, because their shows
just plow on through. The Used did themselves
the biggest favor of their lives by going
with a new producer this go-round; very refreshing.
Glasvegas - “Glasvegas”
– Where the hell have these guys been
hiding? Scotland’s Glasvegas took awhile
to get this album to us, but once they did,
holy fuck. It is one of the most original
and innovative pieces of work I’ve had
the pleasure of hearing in a while. Their
wall of sound recording style is reminiscent
for me of other bands that I love with a similar
approach: Jawbreaker, Alkaline Trio. “Geraldine”
is my latest anthem – I would kill to
meet that girl! These dudes are the real fucking
deal; these cuts go by so fast, the soothing
sounds of white noise and muted guitars at
the end of the album easing you out of it
still manage to leave you surprised once it’s
over (and ready to play it again.)
Rancid - “Let the Dominoes Fall”
– Tim’s voice is definitely
starting to resemble that of an eighty year
old smoker’s, but that’s sorta
what I love about him. “Dominoes”
is everything that a Rancid record should
be: hooky, humorously violent - a fucking
blast. “Last One to Die” is the
anthem this go-round. You really can’t
be grumpy when this bitch is playing.
Leathermouth - “XO”
– Short, in your face and delightfully
controversial, “XO” accomplished
two things for me. First, it showcased one
of my favorite up and coming guitar players,
Rob Hughes (his band, Marisette, will hopefully
be releasing their first label EP sometime
in the coming year.) I admire Rob’s
ability to convert a simple power chord into
a babbling cauldron of controlled chaos. Second,
it enabled My Chemical Romance’s Frank
Iero to expose a side to his personality previously
known only to fans of his earlier work with
Pencey Prep. Even if this project turns out
to be a one-timer, it was an enjoyable venture.
Damien’s Remaining 7
Dethklok
- “ The Dethalbum II”-
Dethklok is badass, and no one is gonna deny
that fact. Between the beautifully concocted
harmonizing guitar licks, Skwisgaar shredding
and sweeping like no one’s business,
Pickles tearing shit up on skins, Nathan’s
frightening yet soothing growls and yells,
and Murderface’s…uh… mustache?...Dethklok
is a metalhead’s band. However, “Dethalbum
II” shows that Brendan and the gang
mean business as a real band. While all of
the standard Dethklok traits are retained,
there’s an added sense of melody and
musicianship never before heard from this
band. Guitars are layered to create an almost
wall of brutality, licks are laid on top of
each other all over the place, and Brendan
actually ventures above Nathan’s usual
growl range. This album is gonna cement Dethklok
in history as more than just a parody.
Eminem - “Relapse”-
Now, you may be asking yourself, “What
is Eminem doing on here? These people listen
to rap?” I personally have always loved
Em’s work. His mix of deep personal
themes, as well as his off-the-wall “What
the fuck is he saying?” Slim Shady madness
is just plain awesome. “Relapse”
is Marshall’s response to his drug addiction,
and this is his first sober album. But make
no mistake people, Em can still hang with
the big boys without popping pills with them.
His words are still as vicious and true as
ever before, and he’s still got his
way with words. Bravo Marshall, Bravo.
Evile - “Infected Nations”-
Evile is one of the leaders of the new wave
of thrash metal, and rightfully so. Hailing
from the U.K., they are everything thrash
is supposed to be: pounding drums, shouted
vocals, and ridiculously fast riffs and solos.
Their debut album “Enter The Grave”
thrust them into the limelight as one of NWOTM’s
elite. “Infected Nations” shows
that Evile is not just another run of the
mill wannabe slayer band. All the intensity
is still there, however the songs also show
a slower, more riff driven songs, and more
singing on the part of Matt Drake. The rhythm
section, fronted by Drake, Ben Carter (drums,)
and the late Mike Alexander (bass) are tight
in every way, not a beat out of line, and
sets the stage for soon-to-be guitar hero
Ol’ Drake, who beautifully mixes machine
gun precision shredding with nicely crafted
melody riffing thrown in as well. Mark my
words, Evile is going down in history, and
this will be the album that rockets them there.
Gama Bomb - “Tales from the
Grave In Space”- Never heard
of Gama Bomb? Not surprising. Unlike their
U.K. brethren Evile, Gama Bomb, hailing from
Ireland, are a lesser known new thrash band.
But they are among the most talented and deserve
to be right next to Evile. Gama Bomb takes
the party thrash route, with their first two
albums containing nugget after nugget of beautiful
beer- guzzling thrashy goodness. “Tales
from the Grave In Space” is no exception,
and Gama Bomb doesn’t exactly break
any new ground on this album, but they do
just further their place in line for premier
new thrash band. With thrashing drums, crazy
falsetto erratic singing, humorous zombie/mutant/alien/monster
lyrics, and face-melting riffs and solos,
this is one to throw on when the kegger comes
through. Zombies will empty their kegs boys.
Warbringer - “ Waking into Nightmares”-
Yes, this is a recurring theme with me. Yet
another young thrash band up in the greatest
albums of ‘09. Warbringer is an Los
Angeles based band rooted heavily in the style
of old school thrash ala Testament and Exodus,
with hints of old school Metallica (you know,
before they cut their hair and stopped drinking.)
The highlights here are singer John Kevil,
(badass name) bassist Ben Bennet, and drummer
Nic Ritter. Kevil writes very intelligent
and socially aware lyrics, while delivering
them clearly in his harsh voice, while Bennet
and Ritter show their chops with bass-y goodness
and double bass fills galore. But the guitar
section are no slouches, people! Riffs are
well developed and catchy, while ferocious
at the same time, and the solos are always
a nice thing to look forward to. Warbringer,
Evile, and Gama Bomb are all great examples
of good music done right. Although I am forgetting
one band…
Municipal Waste - “ Massive
Aggressive”- That’s right,
The Waste, Richmond’s finest. Beer,
brutality, and more beer are what fuels this
monster of a crossover band. “Massive
Aggressive” is a Waste album, plain
and simple, but any Waste album put out any
year deserves a best of. This album sees Tony
Foresta deliver some pretty thoughtful lyrics
(“Divine Blasphemer”) as well
as standard ridiculousness (“Wrath of
the Severed Head,”) while The Waste
rhythm section (Ryan Waste on six string,
Land Phil on bass, and Dave Witte on drums)
delivers more solid brutality. Crack a cold
one, pop in the CD, and prepare for the headbang.
It’s face-ripping time!
Mastodon - “Crack The Skye”-
Hands down the best album this year. If you
aren’t familiar with metal’s new
forerunners, Mastadon is a Crust/Prog Metal
band hailing from Atlanta Georgia, and they
fuck shit up. “Crack the Skye”
is a thinking metal heads album, with enough
riffs, drum fills, trippy singing, and overdubbing/layering
to make Rush jealous. Simply put, listening
to me rave about this album will not show
you the light. Buy it, immediately, throw
it in, and whatever you do, don’t do
any drugs. You’re about to take a journey.
