Best of 2009, Pt. 1
Jan. 3rd, 2010 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urgencytobleedWell, I'm not sure quite how long it will take me to get through everything but I guess I can get started anyway. Before we get onto my top twenty of the year, here are a bunch of other songs I've loved that were released in 2009. A lot of them are from otherwise lackluster albums. Some of them are from compilations, live albums, EPs, singles, etc. They're all quite lovely and I highly recommend every single one. Here are the first ten of... however many I end up with. Enjoy! (Because I actually haven't posted any of them before... which is only due to the fact that I've been terribly lazy all year.) Oh right: album titles are purchase links and song titles are, naturally, download links.
I'm sure there's only one word that comes to mind at the sight of this band's name: cute. Luckily, Agent Ribbons completely delivers on that promise and then some. Natalie Gordon's powerhouse pipes manage to be both adorable and a little bit frightening (she can growl and yelp with the best of them when she feels so inclined) and their whimsical songs sound deceptively large despite the sparse instrumentation and rather simplistic, childlike melodies. Hopefully, these three tracks are only a tantalizing taste of what's to come on Chateau Crone, the band's sophomore album, scheduled to be released in the first half of 2010.
This collection, a tribute of sorts to Canadian musical notables (Leonard Cohen, Ron Sexsmith, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Feist, etc.), featuring Sarah Slean on vocals and the Art of Time Ensemble providing orchestral arrangements and accompaniment, isn't exactly exciting or edgy. In fact, it's pretty safe as far as covers go but Slean's voice, which is, as always, completely sublime, makes it easily worth a listen or two. The title track, a dark, brooding ballad, originally by Lynn Miles, is the clear standout - it is flawlessly executed and, even as a cover, far more interesting than at least half of 2008's disappointingly bland The Baroness.
Acoustic is probably not one of the first words that comes to mind when Asobi Seksu is mentioned; after all, one of the most notable aspects of their music is the fact that it is so layered and complex, characteristics that might not translate very well to a more stripped-down setting. However, as Rewolf proves, it actually works. Here, they take songs from all three of their albums, along with a couple b-sides and a gorgeous cover of Hope Sandoval's "Suzanne," and strip them down to the bare essentials: Yuki Chikudate's airy vocals, acoustic guitar, and light percussion. "Familiar Light" is a highlight because it's the most drastically altered; Chikudate chooses to sing it in a lower range and an ethereal, swirling dreamscape is transformed into a melancholy, minimalistic ballad.
This EP is a return to form of sorts for Carina Round - not that her last album, Slow Motion Addict, was exactly bad but it veered a bit too far into generic rock territory, offering only an occasional glimpse of the raw intensity of her earlier works, that simultaneously unsettling and beautiful dissonance. But with Things You Should Know, she seems to have found her footing again and offers up more of that dark, sensual, and experimental emotional rock she is so good at; no song is a better representation of her talents than this one, which closes the EP on a startlingly flawless note.
The Decemberists' live show in support of Hazards of Love was easily one of the best I've ever seen and though their performance of the entire album was both ridiculously precise and brimming with intensity, this unexpected Heart cover was, without a doubt, the highlight of the whole night. I mean, come on, the band totally rocking out, Shara Worden and Becky Stark on vocals trying to out-diva each other - it was gold, I'm telling you! Though listening to a recording of it isn't quite the same as witnessing it for yourself, it's still pretty fucking epic.
I know what you're thinking: Do the Decemberists really deserve two other mentions along with their high finish in the top twenty (well, I guess I just spoiled that)? But the answer is yes because this song is possibly my favorite thing they released all year even with such steep competition. It's a long one - nearly eight minutes - but each of those minutes is as vital to the song's impact as the one that came before. Just take a single listen and you'll know exactly what I mean - it's a truly stunning, beautiful, and entirely devastating piece of music.
I'll admit, the moment I found out Michelle DaRosa was leaving Straylight Run, my interest level in the band plummeted so drastically it became nearly non-existent. She doesn't exactly have the strongest voice in the world or write the most creative melodies and lyrics but she works very well with what she does have and her music always comes across as very sincere and sweet. These are words that can very accurately be used to describe It Goes On, a short and simple collection of folk-tinged pop songs. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's pretty and warm and nostalgic and overall a highly enjoyable listening experience. My only complaint is that "Take Me" should have made the cut because it would've been nice to have one more punchy, in-your-face upbeat track - and the album's not even close to being bloated so why not?
Everything about this song is perfect: Stacy DuPree's voice has never sounded better, the harmonies are to die for, the lyrics are subtly heartbreaking ("I built a monument/For the love we used to know/But that is far removed/And you say/That I'm going to be okay/And yeah, I'm going to be okay/But it doesn't seem that way/No, love, not today"), and the instrumentation is gorgeous without overpowering the vocals. Basically, it's the most mature Eisley has sounded yet but still just as endearing as their earlier stuff. Also of note on this EP is "Away We Go"; even as a rough demo, it shows immense promise. I'm hoping we'll find it transformed into a fully fleshed-out masterpiece whenever the band decides to stop torturing their fans and release their new album already.
I've never heard the original version of this song but there's just something very nostalgic and wistful about this interpretation of it. It almost sounds like it was recorded in a tin can but at the same time has a very warm aura about it - in a not-too-dissimilar fashion to how the entirety of The Reminder sounds. Leslie Feist and Ben Gibbard's voices fit together like perfectly-shaped puzzle pieces though, admittedly, it doesn't take long for Feist to dominate and Gibbard to settle into the role of ever-reliable sidekick. But there probably aren't many singers who wouldn't be reduced to a pleasant afterthought in the company of Feist.
Greta Salpeter of the Hush Sound crafts a handful of gloriously retro pop gems that can comfortably occupy the same musical niche as, say, She & Him and I, for one, couldn't be more pleased. This song especially is pure aural heaven, guaranteed to get you singing and shimmying along in no time at all. She also seems to have settled more into her new "grown-up" voice since Goodbye Blues and sounds all the better for that.
I'm sure there's only one word that comes to mind at the sight of this band's name: cute. Luckily, Agent Ribbons completely delivers on that promise and then some. Natalie Gordon's powerhouse pipes manage to be both adorable and a little bit frightening (she can growl and yelp with the best of them when she feels so inclined) and their whimsical songs sound deceptively large despite the sparse instrumentation and rather simplistic, childlike melodies. Hopefully, these three tracks are only a tantalizing taste of what's to come on Chateau Crone, the band's sophomore album, scheduled to be released in the first half of 2010.
This collection, a tribute of sorts to Canadian musical notables (Leonard Cohen, Ron Sexsmith, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Feist, etc.), featuring Sarah Slean on vocals and the Art of Time Ensemble providing orchestral arrangements and accompaniment, isn't exactly exciting or edgy. In fact, it's pretty safe as far as covers go but Slean's voice, which is, as always, completely sublime, makes it easily worth a listen or two. The title track, a dark, brooding ballad, originally by Lynn Miles, is the clear standout - it is flawlessly executed and, even as a cover, far more interesting than at least half of 2008's disappointingly bland The Baroness.
Acoustic is probably not one of the first words that comes to mind when Asobi Seksu is mentioned; after all, one of the most notable aspects of their music is the fact that it is so layered and complex, characteristics that might not translate very well to a more stripped-down setting. However, as Rewolf proves, it actually works. Here, they take songs from all three of their albums, along with a couple b-sides and a gorgeous cover of Hope Sandoval's "Suzanne," and strip them down to the bare essentials: Yuki Chikudate's airy vocals, acoustic guitar, and light percussion. "Familiar Light" is a highlight because it's the most drastically altered; Chikudate chooses to sing it in a lower range and an ethereal, swirling dreamscape is transformed into a melancholy, minimalistic ballad.
This EP is a return to form of sorts for Carina Round - not that her last album, Slow Motion Addict, was exactly bad but it veered a bit too far into generic rock territory, offering only an occasional glimpse of the raw intensity of her earlier works, that simultaneously unsettling and beautiful dissonance. But with Things You Should Know, she seems to have found her footing again and offers up more of that dark, sensual, and experimental emotional rock she is so good at; no song is a better representation of her talents than this one, which closes the EP on a startlingly flawless note.
The Decemberists' live show in support of Hazards of Love was easily one of the best I've ever seen and though their performance of the entire album was both ridiculously precise and brimming with intensity, this unexpected Heart cover was, without a doubt, the highlight of the whole night. I mean, come on, the band totally rocking out, Shara Worden and Becky Stark on vocals trying to out-diva each other - it was gold, I'm telling you! Though listening to a recording of it isn't quite the same as witnessing it for yourself, it's still pretty fucking epic.
I know what you're thinking: Do the Decemberists really deserve two other mentions along with their high finish in the top twenty (well, I guess I just spoiled that)? But the answer is yes because this song is possibly my favorite thing they released all year even with such steep competition. It's a long one - nearly eight minutes - but each of those minutes is as vital to the song's impact as the one that came before. Just take a single listen and you'll know exactly what I mean - it's a truly stunning, beautiful, and entirely devastating piece of music.
I'll admit, the moment I found out Michelle DaRosa was leaving Straylight Run, my interest level in the band plummeted so drastically it became nearly non-existent. She doesn't exactly have the strongest voice in the world or write the most creative melodies and lyrics but she works very well with what she does have and her music always comes across as very sincere and sweet. These are words that can very accurately be used to describe It Goes On, a short and simple collection of folk-tinged pop songs. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's pretty and warm and nostalgic and overall a highly enjoyable listening experience. My only complaint is that "Take Me" should have made the cut because it would've been nice to have one more punchy, in-your-face upbeat track - and the album's not even close to being bloated so why not?
Everything about this song is perfect: Stacy DuPree's voice has never sounded better, the harmonies are to die for, the lyrics are subtly heartbreaking ("I built a monument/For the love we used to know/But that is far removed/And you say/That I'm going to be okay/And yeah, I'm going to be okay/But it doesn't seem that way/No, love, not today"), and the instrumentation is gorgeous without overpowering the vocals. Basically, it's the most mature Eisley has sounded yet but still just as endearing as their earlier stuff. Also of note on this EP is "Away We Go"; even as a rough demo, it shows immense promise. I'm hoping we'll find it transformed into a fully fleshed-out masterpiece whenever the band decides to stop torturing their fans and release their new album already.
I've never heard the original version of this song but there's just something very nostalgic and wistful about this interpretation of it. It almost sounds like it was recorded in a tin can but at the same time has a very warm aura about it - in a not-too-dissimilar fashion to how the entirety of The Reminder sounds. Leslie Feist and Ben Gibbard's voices fit together like perfectly-shaped puzzle pieces though, admittedly, it doesn't take long for Feist to dominate and Gibbard to settle into the role of ever-reliable sidekick. But there probably aren't many singers who wouldn't be reduced to a pleasant afterthought in the company of Feist.
Greta Salpeter of the Hush Sound crafts a handful of gloriously retro pop gems that can comfortably occupy the same musical niche as, say, She & Him and I, for one, couldn't be more pleased. This song especially is pure aural heaven, guaranteed to get you singing and shimmying along in no time at all. She also seems to have settled more into her new "grown-up" voice since Goodbye Blues and sounds all the better for that.
