The Tape

My Favorites Of ‘09 (So Far)

Written by willshoob on Sunday, 12 of July , 2009 at 8:21 pm

2009 has been a great year for music so far. We’ve seen three of indie rock’s biggest bands release highly acclaimed albums, and we’ve seen some new artists emerge from the unknown. I’m also going to do a small countdown on my favorite ep’s/7s, so keep an eye out for that.

10. Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion is a very good album. Although it is nowhere near the brilliance they reached with Strawberry Jam or Feels, they gave us an uncharacteristically poppy album, full of catchy hooks and upbeat synth lines. The boys have mellowed down their experimental side a bit, which resulted with their integration into the mainstream eye.

Animal Collective- Summertime Clothes (Dam-Funk Remix)

9. Person To Person is Foreign Born’s second release. It was only released a few weeks ago, and it has been playing in my room non-stop since. Every track is great, it shouldn’t be long before the band gets the recognition they deserve. Tracks like “Blood Oranges”, “Can’t Keep Time”, and “Early Warnings” are perfect summertime tracks.

Foreign Born- Can’t Keep Time

8. Busdriver has flown under the radar for many years, and he continues to not get the credit he deserves with his most recent release, Jhelli Beam. The album is very top heavy, with his best tracks all being within the first six songs. This isn’t much of a problem for me though, because those first six are some of my favorite songs of the year. Songs like “Me-Time” and “Scoliosis Jones” show off his flow, while tracks “Handfuls Of Sky” and “Least Favorite Rapper” show his ability to write a catchy hook.

Busdriver- Scoliosis Jones

7. Here We Go Magic have had a fabulous 2009 so far. They first burst onto the scene when they released their self-titled debut album on Western Vinyl. They then gained more attention when they were picked to open for Grizzly Bear on this US tour. Luke Temple is a fantastic songwriter who writes hauntingly catchy tunes. This album was a truly wonderful surprise.

Here We Go Magic- Tunnelvision

6. Bibio was another artist to emerge out of relative obscurity (at least for me) in 2009. Bibio is a fantastic sampler, taking ideas from all facets of music and layering them with his own instruments to create one of the best albums of this year (so far). This is one of the few “electronic” albums that I really enjoyed this year.

Bibio- Ambivalence Avenue

5. Yet another obscure artist in JJ. I know very little about JJ other than the fact that he/she/them make absolutely fantastic music. Haunting lo-fi vocals with acoustic guitar and other electronic instruments characterize this album. My favorite has to be the Lil’ Wayne cover, which they title “Ecstasy”. I’m so glad I found this album, it really has been a treat to listen to.

jj- Ecstacy

4. I really didn’t think much of Discovery when I first heard it, but after every listen the album grew more and more on me. If you are a frequent reader, you know how much I enjoyed it, when I reviewed it here.

Discovery- So Insane

3. Spencer Krug is a Canadian hero. Every project he creates is always a brilliant success. Sunset Rubdown’s latest album is no exception. Songs like “Idiot Heart” and “Silver Moons” highlight the album, while songs like “Dragon’s Lair” and “Black Swan” take a little more patience to listen to (just because they’re so long). I probably only think so highly of this album because I saw them perform tracks off of it live, but my top 3 albums all have that in common.

Sunset Rubdown- Idiot Heart

2. Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest is going to show up on a lot of people’s lists at #1 when the year is done, but we’re only half way through and it isn’t quite my favorite. While I do consider this album to be a brilliant record, filled with amazing harmonies and catchy hooks, the harmonies and hooks weren’t quite as impressive as that of the #1 album.

Grizzly Bear- While You Wait For The Others

1. Dave Longstreth is my hero. This album is one of the more impressive things I’ve heard in a very long time. Combining odd time signatures with catchy choruses and well placed harmonies, every band member is utilized perfectly. Every track on Bitte Orca is tremendous, showing off a different aspect of brilliance within each song. Besides the fact that they’re all outrageously talented, they’re also all very nice people, which is always a plus. Lyrics, shredding guitar parts, outrageous harmonies, odd time signatures, this album has everything a music love needs… That’s why it’s my number one album of the first half of 2009. I can’t possibly see another album overtaking it, but Yoni Wolf and company will be releasing a new disc in 2009, as will Lupe Fiasco. I used to consider Lupe and Yoni to be my two favorite artists by a long shot, but after Bitte Orca, Dave, Nat, Brian, Angel, Amber, and Haley are slowly creeping to the top.

Dirty Projectors- Useful Chamber

Category: Albums, Reviews

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