Your "Best of 2009" Lists and/or Write-Ups

[murlough23]

As 2009 winds down (or 2010 winds up - I know we're all busy), and pholks start writing up their lists of favorite records from the past year, feel free to post 'em here. I didn't want to hijack Ian's thread.

Here's mine:

http://www.epinions.com/content_5377204356

Slightly different order from my Music Journal, but I'll update that later. I'm supposed to be on vacation right now...

[bloop]

I think you're assuming a lot of very uncharitable things about the Flaming Lips, not to mention about those of us who appreciate their new record.  It's ad hominem, living room recliner psychology, and says absolutely nothing of any merit.  It'd be offensive if I didn't know better than to take it personally.

Other than that, not a bad write-up.

I don't feel the need to post mine, opting to just make a few small adjustments in the journal.

[spacebrat311]

I'll second what bloop said. For someone who doesn't like having someone assume things about their thought process as a listener, I think it seems a little disingenuous to write some of the things you did.

[bloop]

I'll second what bloop said. For someone who doesn't like having someone assume things about their thought process as a listener, I think it seems a little disingenuous to write some of the things you did.

Indeed.

I'm listening to my confusing album, just to confuse you, and I love it just because it confuses you.

On headphones.   

[Ian]

As 2009 winds down (or 2010 winds up - I know we're all busy), and pholks start writing up their lists of favorite records from the past year, feel free to post 'em here. I didn't want to hijack Ian's thread.

I actually I was kind of hoping people would post their lists in that thread, but that's okay, either way works.

I've listened to those, and they're pretty, but No More Stories (I refuse to type out the full title in a mere summary review) blows them out of the water

Actually they're all pretty damn close.  Easily the best 3 album streak this decade imo.

And Embryonic is great because it's raw, thematic, and best of all stoned out of its mine.  It was the second most exciting listen of 2009 because it felt like anything could happen.  And the songs are there, although sound obviously takes precedence.

[Wildcatblue7]

Because I don't have the energy for a FOR REAL write-up, here's my top five.  Keep in mind I heard about ten albums that were technically released in 2009.   Follow the linkage for samples.


Wale: Attention Deficit
*I know I'm a nerdy white girl from the suburbs, but this kid is awesome.  Not just because he name-drops DC all over the place, either.  Clever rhymes, smooth flow, fantastic instrumentation on beats...Highly enjoyable.
Standout tracks: "Pretty Girls," "Chillin'," "Mama Told Me," "Prescription"

Imogen Heap: Ellipse
*I was shocked to learn how much I enjoyed Imogen when I heard Speak for Yourself for the first time.  Ellipse doesn't have quite the same flow that SFY does, but it's still a high-quality, engaging record. 
Standout tracks: "Canvas" (***BEST), "Tidal," "Swoon"

Silversun Pickups: Swoon
*I discovered this one completely by accident when I heard "Panic Switch" on XM one day.  The main riff/bass line combo hooked me immediately and I picked up the album.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the fuzzy rock I heard; the first seven songs are stellar, and the last three, though not as peppy, still pack a punch.
Standout tracks: "Sort Of," "Panic Switch," "The Royal We"

He is Legend: It Hates You
*I've sung the praises of this album all over the place.  I won't repeat myself.  Suffice to say that I think it is awesome and it hits the spot for me.
Standout tracks: "Mean Shadow," "Dicephalous" (might win for most plays of the year), "Don't Touch That Dial"

Katatonia: Night is the New Day
*I discovered this band this year, thought they were gloomy and doomy and beautiful, bought three of their albums.  Depression can be tasty.  This isn't as strong as Viva Emptiness, but it's still fairly new to me.
Standout tracks: "Forsaker" (just PUNISHING), "Inheritance," "Onward Into Battle"

Others:
Lacuna Coil--Shallow Life

Non-2009 artists/albums I highly enjoyed in 2009:
Gnarls Barkley (both albums)
Outkast
Katatonia--other releases
Lacuna Coil--dominated the early part of the year
Ghostland Observatory
Daft Punk
Michael Jackson (take it back--"They Don't Care About Us" and "Man in the Mirror" got more action that just about anything this summer)

[bloop]

He is Legend: It Hates You
*I've sung the praises of this album all over the place.  I won't repeat myself.  Suffice to say that I think it is awesome and it hits the spot for me.
Standout tracks: "Mean Shadow," "Dicephalous" (might win for most plays of the year), "Don't Touch That Dial"

Hey, we have something in common (both of us have an album in our top 5 that murlough apparently hates)!

I liked the Silversun Pickups album (kind of my comfort-rock album of the year).  I didn't listen to the others you have here.

and best of all stoned out of its mind.

One of my points was that we simply don't know the band members' states of sobriety during the conception and recording of the album.  I know for sure, though, that I enjoy it sober, and I'll grant that I'd probably enjoy it stoned as well.

[enemy anemone]

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Andrew Bird - Fitz and the Dizzyspells (EP)
Dave Rawlings Machine - Friend of a Friend

that's about it. I liked a few songs from Eleni Mandell's Artificial Fire and Neko Case's Middle Cyclone, but overall didn't love the albums. didn't really get into Buddy and Julie Miller's Written in Chalk, either. I liked Eilen Jewell's Sea of Tears pretty well.

not a 2009 release, but new and significant to me this year was the Lord of the Rings Complete Recordings.

[murlough23]

I think you're assuming a lot of very uncharitable things about the Flaming Lips, not to mention about those of us who appreciate their new record.  It's ad hominem, living room recliner psychology, and says absolutely nothing of any merit.  It'd be offensive if I didn't know better than to take it personally.

It was based on things I read in glowing reviews that were not written by anyone from the Phorum, if that helps at all.

What's ironic is that I've had "Silver Trembling Hands" stuck in my head recently despite last listening to the album a week ago. I like that song... except for the fact that it's about a girl getting high. Ugh.

And I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume that an album which advocates using drugs was probably at least partially made under the influence of 'em. That alone isn't a reason to dislike it, but I don't think it's a stretch, either.

[bloop]

I don't think it is clearly advocating drug use, or clearly advocating much of anything for that matter.  Given the surrounding lyrics on that particular track, I think it's open to quite a bit of interpretation (but, like you said, even if that interpretation is correct, it doesn't mean much pertaining to the quality of the song).  At any rate, one shouldn't assume that the band itself was on anything, or make vicious claims about those who enjoy the album like you did.

I want to go listen to something else now to practice being cool, or whatever, but I have dishes to do.

[Ian]

One of my points was that we simply don't know the band members' states of sobriety during the conception and recording of the album.

No, but the recording itself sounds pretty messed up, in a good way.  As for the lyrics... I'd say that "Yes, yes, yes, killing the ego tonight!" could definitely be argued to advocate drugs.  Although there's far more to the album than that.

[Ian]

When I think about all the great music that drugs have given us it makes me smile.

[bloop]

"Yes, yes, yes, killing the ego tonight!" could definitely be argued to advocate drugs.

Yes, it is arguable, but still open to interpretation.  I like that about it.

I'm not going to argue your other points because I think you're right in a way.  A lot of good music has been made under the influence of various substances and, unlike this one, are known to have been.  I wouldn't advocate poisoning one's body as a rule, but it's hard to argue against much of the music of the 60s and 70s in particular.

[ewok20t3]

5. Hands - The Sounds of Earth
Post-metal at it's finest. More than half of this album is instrumental, but it never gets boring. They throw in a surprise in the song "Hope", and "Revelation" is the greatest post-metal song I've ever heard. I never even liked post-metal until I heard this band.
Favorite Tracks: "Revelation", "Hope", Judgment".
Recommended if you like: Isis, Cult of Luna, Neurosis.


4. It Prevails - Capture and Embrace
This band is musically a throwback to Shai Hulud's That Within Blood Ill Tempered. The difference between It Prevails and early Shai Hulud is that It Prevails are not afraid to sing inspirational and extremely catchy chorus' that make me think this is what U2 would sound like if they were a melodic hardcore band.
Favorite Tracks: "Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow", "Brothers To The Flames", "Defenses Down".
Recommended if you like: Life In Your Way, Shai Hulud, Saints Never Surrender, Means.

3. All The Day Holiday - The Things We’ve Grown To Love
I caught this band opening for Mae in October of 2008 and I was amazed. After that point Rolling Stone named them a "breakout band" at Bamboozle and called them "INCREDIBLE". They also won a battle of the bands on absolutepunk.net that allowed them to open for Mew in Chicago. This album would've been my number one album of the year most years (this was an especially great year for me musically). I've been addicted to this album for months. It's catchy, thoughtful, experimental. The band members, although very young, play their instruments extremely well. If U2 and Mute Math had a baby, I think this is what it would sound like. I can't say enough about this album. It blew me away.
Favorite Tracks: "Autumn", "Flowers and Fireworks", "Greener".
Recommended if you like: U2, Mute Math, Copeland, Mew

2. Mae - (m)orning
If this was a full-length album it probably would've been my number one. It's full of catchy yet thought provoking songs that I could listen to over and over. It does very well keeping with it's morning theme and feel. All five of the non-instrumental songs are outstanding and the instrumental songs are pretty good as well.
Favorite tracks: "A Melody, The Memory", "Night/Day", "Boomerang"
Recommended if you like: Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin, Copeland, Sherwood

1. Hands - Creator
It feels odd having the same band twice in my top 5 albums for the year, but then again it's odd that a band release two albums in one year. As much as this band captivated me with The Sounds of Earth when they released it in February, they really grabbed hold of me when they released this album in July. This album is very different from the first and one reason is that they did away with the instrumental tracks that made up the majority of their first album. This album is a mix of so many of my favorite things in music. Overall I would describe this album as ambient praise & worship post-metal, but there is so much more going on here, including traces of melodic hardcore and second wave emo. This is praise and worship music as you've never heard it before.
Favorite Tracks: "Brightest", "The Heavens and The Earth", "Creator". This album is really best heard as a whole, though.
Recommended if you like: Cult of Luna, Life In Your Way, Isis, The Glorious Unseen

[murlough23]

I've listened to a lot of great, imaginative music that I know was made without drugs... and probably some that was made with them. I too cannot argue about the artistic merit some of the great, classic stuff that was made under the influence, other than to wonder if that same great music could have been made sober. In other words, maybe the drugs were a shortcut to get to those wonderful creative ideas, but were they the only way to get the brain to come up with those ideas?

Either way, I respect the artists most on a personal level for whom drugs are not necessary because the music is the drug. All the creative benefits, none of the side effects. (This works with comedy too... Mitch Hedberg was a genius, but we lost him early because he was an idiot in his personal life.)

[bloop]

other than to wonder if that same great music could have been made sober.

This would be an entirely speculative exercise, but I don't think of them as a creative steroid.  The individual still has to have that creative spark, with or without them.

To me, it makes no difference in terms of assessing the music - it is what it is, and should be assessed by what is on the record.  Otherwise, we're reviewing the band, and not the music.  It isn't really my job to judge individuals, but I wouldn't want anyone to self-destruct.  

However, drugs cover a pretty wide swath from what the government has deemed illegal to controlled substances and prescription drugs designed to allow greater focus in some individuals, to over-the-counter medications.  Abuse happens pretty regularly with each (I'd think the death toll from prescription and legal drugs would be higher, however, especially if we include alcohol and nicotine).  The legal lines are pretty clear, but some of the moralistic concepts become a little blurry from this perspective, unless one subscribes to the idea that anything the gov't says is wrong must be wrong.

[murlough23]

This would be an entirely speculative exercise, but I don't think of them as a creative steroid.  The individual still has to have that creative spark, with or without them.

Which would seem to indicate that the drugs aren't really necessary to make the brilliant music.

To me, it makes no difference in terms of assessing the music - it is what it is, and should be assessed by what is on the record.  Otherwise, we're reviewing the band, and not the music.  It isn't really my job to judge individuals, but I wouldn't want anyone to self-destruct.

Knowing what went into the making of a record can help the appreciation of that record, or sometimes hurt it, but yeah, for the most part I try to judge only based on the audio content. It's when I don't like something very much that I try to figure out what went wrong, or what the artist was trying to accomplish that either I don't agree with, or I don't think they managed to pull off. Sometimes that can lead to, "Sheesh, they must have been on drugs", and that's not really a moral judgment, just a statement that they're obviously thinking on a very different wavelength than I am, and I'm not relating to it.

I couldn't draw black-and-white lines and say any artist who records under the influence or otherwise advocates drug use isn't worth listening to - otherwise I'd have to skip certain Radiohead songs and disown the Dave Matthews Band. That would just get legalistic.

And to be fair, some of The Flaming Lips stuff that I like may have been the result of drug use, too.

However, drugs cover a pretty wide swath from what the government has deemed illegal to controlled substances and prescription drugs designed to allow greater focus in some individuals, to over-the-counter medications.  Abuse happens pretty regularly with each (I'd think the death toll from prescription and legal drugs would be higher, however, especially if we include alcohol and nicotine).  The legal lines are pretty clear, but some of the moralistic concepts become a little blurry from this perspective, unless one subscribes to the idea that anything the gov't says is wrong must be wrong.

Use what's legal in the dosage prescribed - go beyond that and you run the risk of screwing yourself up. For legal substances that aren't medicinal, that's more of a grey area, but my personal rule with things like alcohol is don't use it to the extent that you lose control of your faculties or otherwise harm your body. (Which is a good rule for things like caffeine and well, food in general also.)

[murlough23]

2. Mae - (m)orning
If this was a full-length album it probably would've been my number one. It's full of catchy yet thought provoking songs that I could listen to over and over. It does very well keeping with it's morning theme and feel. All five of the non-instrumental songs are outstanding and the instrumental songs are pretty good as well.
Favorite tracks: "A Melody, The Memory", "Night/Day", "Boomerang"
Recommended if you like: Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin, Copeland, Sherwood

Back on topic... I didn't want this to get lost, because I'm glad someone reacted as strongly to this EP as I did. I think it makes a good case for a band not limiting itself to a full-length album format, if they've got a set of songs that breaks up more easily into EP-length subdivisions or whatever. Still, I wouldn't want the "album" to be forgotten as a format and as a general guideline for the amount of content to give out at once. I think it takes a talented band to work on a set of EPs and theme them in a way that makes sense and doesn't just make folks think, "Why didn't you just weed out all but the best stuff and put it on a single disc?" Most bands put filler on their albums to begin with, so maybe shorter but more concentrated bursts of songwriting would be a better approach for them. But stuff like this is probably going to become more and more of a dilemma for me in the future as I try to figure out what's eligible for a year-end list of best recordings. 20 minutes of really awesome music from a single artist is commendable, but should it be lauded more so than 45 minutes from another artists on which two or three of the songs are duds but the rest is pretty solid?

[bloop]

Use what's legal in the dosage prescribed - go beyond that and you run the risk of screwing yourself up.

BZZZZT!  While this is a good rule to generally abide by, a few quick points:

• The Michael Jackson situation:  administered by a doctor at his home.  Too much, true, due to a gross incompetence at the very least (if not foul play).
• Side effects are inherent with many medicines, and some of them are severe.  Listen carefully after those pharmaceutical commercials.  You can solve your ED, but you might have a heart attack (rigor mortis anyone?).
• Medicines have been recalled as plain dangerous beyond the level the authorities are willing to say it's worth the benefits
• Chances are, if a drug has no side effects, it has no effects, either.

And to be fair, some of The Flaming Lips stuff that I like may have been the result of drug use, too.

Then why did you bring it up if its irrelevant after all?

Again, though, the "too" seems to imply you're assuming an, at this point, unproven conclusion.

I missed that Mae EP.

[ewok20t3]

Back on topic... I didn't want this to get lost, because I'm glad someone reacted as strongly to this EP as I did. I think it makes a good case for a band not limiting itself to a full-length album format, if they've got a set of songs that breaks up more easily into EP-length subdivisions or whatever. Still, I wouldn't want the "album" to be forgotten as a format and as a general guideline for the amount of content to give out at once. I think it takes a talented band to work on a set of EPs and theme them in a way that makes sense and doesn't just make folks think, "Why didn't you just weed out all but the best stuff and put it on a single disc?" Most bands put filler on their albums to begin with, so maybe shorter but more concentrated bursts of songwriting would be a better approach for them. But stuff like this is probably going to become more and more of a dilemma for me in the future as I try to figure out what's eligible for a year-end list of best recordings. 20 minutes of really awesome music from a single artist is commendable, but should it be lauded more so than 45 minutes from another artists on which two or three of the songs are duds but the rest is pretty solid?

I agree. I normally wouldn't consider an EP for my year-end list, but I think what makes this one different than most is that a) It's a concentrated project rather than a random collection of songs put out to hold fans over until their next full-length or in between record labels. b) I'm not sure of the exact length, but it's not a short EP by any means. c) I'm a Mae fan-boy and this EP is the best thing they've done since The Everglow.

There's a 3-song EP by a band called Dependency that was outstanding. I really wanted to consider it for my year-end list, but as you said, I can't justify putting such a short recording on my list over a solid 45 minutes of music. If the EP was 8 songs and over 25 minutes, as Mae's was, then it would possibly be a different story.

This is the first time I can remember an EP having such an impact on me throughout a year that it would be in consideration for my year-end list, so I guess I'll just handle it on a case by case basis. (m)orning just had to much of an impact on my listening for me to leave it off my list and still feel like I was giving an accurate account of the music that impacted me the most this year.

[bloop]

I don't think I've ever heard an EP that I would top 5, but that Woman King EP from Iron & Wine a few years ago was amazing.  This year, Fall Be Kind by Animal Collective had that extra something special, too.

[ewok20t3]

I don't think I've ever heard an EP that I would top 5, but that Woman King EP from Iron & Wine a few years ago was amazing.  This year, Fall Be Kind by Animal Collective had that extra something special, too.

Would you put an EP on your year-end list if you thought it was one of the 5 best recordings of the year, or do you feel it's too uneven of a playing field and should be reserved for a separate category?

[bloop]

I rank them alongside everything else, so I haven't ruled it out.  It just hasn't happened.

[spacebrat311]

From my facebook:

10. The Lonely Island - Incredibad

Debut album from the brains who brought you the SNL shorts Lazy Sunday and Dick in a Box. Not much to say beyond that- if you enjoyed their humor on SNL, you'll love it here as well. If not, this isn't going to change your mind. There are a few hiccups and jokes that fall flat, but the highlights more than outweigh any mis-steps.

Highlights:

Santana DVX
I'm On a Boat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU
Lazy Sunday


9. Girls - Album

If growing up in a cult gets you access to the same well of pop songwriting that Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson discovered decades before and have continued to hoard to themselves since, then sign me up. Girls singer Christopher Owens grew up within the Children of God cult, and while this seems to have had minimal visible effect on the subject matter of the album (which is about, well, girls) it will be no surprise to me to see a cult-like fanaticism begin to surround this release much the same way Bon Iver's 2008 release For Emma, Forever Ago has snowballed to fan devotion. While musically dissimilar to Bon Iver, I cannot help but recall the classicism and ear for melody paired with inventive and timeless compositions that made it possible for that album to build the following it did. Basically, if you like music, you will at least like this album.

Highlights:

Hellhole Ratrace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcqwfFKagH4
Lust For Life

8. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

From the opening jangle of guitars and those first lines sung ethereally by Kip Berman, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self titles debut rides a simultaneous impulse to skip and to simply sit entranced. Equal parts Cranberries and My Bloody Valentine, a more innocent and yet appropriately screwed up ode to teenage romance may not exist.

Hightlights:
Contender
Come Saturday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKkzU1ILRI
Young Adult Friction
This Love is Fucking Right!
The Tenure Itch

7. Mos Def - The Ecstatic

Big, brash and brilliant. Mos Def's most recent album features not only some of his finest wordplay, but some of the most powerful verses I've heard in a long time. The production is both classic and forward-thinking, recalling a 90s classic hip-hop sense of rhythm with a musical and thematic response to globalization and contemporary themes—middle eastern and Asian instruments provide a musical texture that matches themes such as the Iraq war and poverty in contemporary life without sacrificing the fun of hip-hop self-aggrandizement and bravado.

Highlights:

Supermagic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEpcweXVJh8
Twilite Speedball
Life in Marvelous Times

6. Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster

With her 2008 debut The Fame Lady Gaga proved that she was the most fabulous kind of anti-pop. Constructing imagery through her extravagant outifts, outlandish music videos and over-the-top public persona, Gaga critiques oppressive pop culture constructs by taking them so far that we become exposed to what our cultural expressions actually say to this generation. It's no secret that the art of pop is first in image and second in song, but her songs are nothing to trifle at. With The Fame Monster and its surrounding media, Lady Gaga ups her game. The pinnacle here is of course "Bad Romance." Honestly, the video just has to speak for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I

5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Saving the world with four part harmonies, Grizzly Bear returns with their most accomplished work to date. The album starts with the one-two classic pop punch of "Southern Point" and "Two Weeks," and the changeup to a quieter aesthetic for the rest of the album may throw listeners on first listen, but upon return, the details of the paradoxically intricate and sparse songs rise to the surface and hook themselves like worms in the ears of the listener.

Highlights:

Southern Point
Two Weeks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ
While You Wait For the Others
Ready, Able

4. the xx - xx

Speaking of sparse, this is an album in which no sound goes wasted. It's hard to believe that this is a debut based on the confidence with which the band creates exactly the right amount of sound to hook the ear, never more and never less. The xx's compositions are simple but never simplistic, confident, but never overbearing. Simply put, it sounds like the work of a band 20 years more mature.

Highlights:

VCR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Vg6F48mA8
Crystalised
Basic Space

3. The Antlers - Hospice

Easily the prettiest record I've heard all year, and its prettiness belies the sheer fucked-upness that underlies the lyrics. Hospice is the sound of snow falling on a cancer ward, the dying people inside somehow made alright by the natural beauty that surrounds them. Indeed, the lyrics detail a narrative involving a hospice worker's romance with a depressive, dying, patient.

Highlights:

Kettering
Bear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxFwAmYuYds

2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

The sound of this album is impossible to encapsulate and describe, as it reaches for everything from wintry folk ballads to Aaliyah R&B to The Flaming Lips' psychedelic post-punk. Instead, I will describe this album in Q&A form.

Q: Is "Two Doves" really the most gorgeous ballad since Nico sang "These Days"?
A: Yes, and it borrows a lot room that song in its approach. Also, it's impossible to hear it and not develop an instant crush on Angel Deradoorian. You'll look for every female friend you have if you're a male and try to get them to sing it for you while you play it on guitar, and by the gods you'll fall in love with them while they do it.

Q: Does the album title mean anything?
A: Little Orca (yes, little killer whale), I shit you not.

Q: WTF is "Stillness is the Move"
A: A quirky, irresistible R&B jam. And yes, it does have the balls to immediately preced "Two Doves."

Q: You really can't tell me what this sounds like?
A: The first song sounds like Grizzly Bear meets the Lips, the second has a little My Morning Jacket in it, you've heard me talk about a few other tracks by now. No, there is no overarching descriptor for the whole project. It's impossibly diverse and yet somehow sounds totally unified.

Highlights:

Cannibal Resource
Stillness is the Move
Two Doves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmmy9Q0bMGo
Useful Chamber

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Texture, Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Dynamic—there is no element of this album musically that does not display a band at the absolute height of its powers. This album washes over you in waves of sound at first listen. Kicking off with hypnotic arpeggios "My Girls" builds the trance with bassy tribal rhythms. The songs that follow are filled with Beach Boys pop hooks, bathed in textures and sonic ideas that seem like they must have arrived in a time machine from two decades in the future rather than four in the past. "Summertime Clothes" hops, skips, and jumps to a perfect summery romantic bliss, while "Brothersport" feels both tribal and barbershop at the same time in its exuberance. Overall a sense of joy and familial bond permeate the album.

To let the music speak for itself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol2MJf6XNE&feature=fvst

Highlights:

My Girls
Summertime Clothes
Bluish
Brothersport

[murlough23]

I'm not sure of the exact length, but it's not a short EP by any means.

It's 37 minutes long. That's longer than some albums. But it is billed as an EP and it is only 5 songs plus instrumental segues. Still, it's impressive that the content is more consistent than that of many full-length albums and that there's as much of it time-wise (though I'd consider a 10 or 11 song album with only 37 minutes runtime to be a bit lean).

c) I'm a Mae fan-boy and this EP is the best thing they've done since The Everglow.

So it's better than Singularity, and... ? There was nothing else in between.

This is the first time I can remember an EP having such an impact on me throughout a year that it would be in consideration for my year-end list, so I guess I'll just handle it on a case by case basis. (m)orning just had to much of an impact on my listening for me to leave it off my list and still feel like I was giving an accurate account of the music that impacted me the most this year.

That's why I set aside a section in my write-up for excellent recordings that didn't fit the format - I can't really rank them quantitatively, but I can say that they are excellent and worth a hearty mention when looking back at the year.

If the entire (m)orning/(a)fternoon/(e)vening project had been completed in 2009, and it was all good stuff, I might have considered lumping them all together as an "album" since it'd amount to about a double album's worth of material. Similar thing for Future of Forestry's Travel project. It's the fact that both projects straddle a year-end boundary that messed me up - I didn't feel right grading them as incomplete projects.

I don't think I've ever heard an EP that I would top 5, but that Woman King EP from Iron & Wine a few years ago was amazing.

Yeah, that one made me wish he'd have just soldiered on and written 4 to 6 more songs of that caliber already. The wait for the Shpherd's Dog was excruciating, but worth it, as it lived up to the potential promised by Woman King and also the project with Calexico.

Would you put an EP on your year-end list if you thought it was one of the 5 best recordings of the year, or do you feel it's too uneven of a playing field and should be reserved for a separate category?

Personally, unless it's part of a more long-term project encompassing several EPs, I'd probably feel like the artist could have kept going and come up with enough good material for a full album, and if they didn't have that much yet, they should have waited. It's not easy to make 20 or 30 minutes of good music, but since I downgrade albums for being short on content even when they're otherwise quite good, it wouldn't be fair for me to rank something with much less content on the same list as those albums - same list should mean same standards.

My criteria for an "album" is generally a 10-song minimum, and no padding it with previously released material. I can make exceptions for songs of a more long/suitelike nature, but if it's just vamping on the same stuff for several minutes, that rule doesn't apply. it gets tricky when some of the "songs" are instrumentals or it's not a "song-oriented" project at all. Calling The BQE an album was probably pushing it.

5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Saving the world with four part harmonies, Grizzly Bear returns with their most accomplished work to date. The album starts with the one-two classic pop punch of "Southern Point" and "Two Weeks," and the changeup to a quieter aesthetic for the rest of the album may throw listeners on first listen, but upon return, the details of the paradoxically intricate and sparse songs rise to the surface and hook themselves like worms in the ears of the listener.

While Grizzly bear didn't make my Top 20, I would describe this album similarly. I probably actually listen to it more than several of the "Honorable Mentions" that I listed. (I'm having second thoughts now about giving Switchfoot that #20 slot when I wasn't that enthused about the album... U2 could have gone there. Possibly Grizzly Bear, too, they were right on the cusp.)

[bloop]

Wow, space.  I like that list.  Lady Gaga right alongside Grizzly Bear and Mos Def.

I'm not sure what to do with The Fame Monster.  It's very short for an album, so much so that one can almost think of it as a bonus disc to The Fame, but it's a fun album.

[spacebrat311]

I ended up deciding that the facts that:

A) It can be bought separately from The Fame as well as with it,
B) Lady Gaga has talked about the fact that it is very thematically separate from The Fame,
C) I didn't get into her soon enough to talk up The Fame last year, and
D) I like it just a bit better than The Fame, even on its own,

gave me the excuse to treat it separately.

[worldofcm]

As 2009 winds down (or 2010 winds up - I know we're all busy), and pholks start writing up their lists of favorite records from the past year, feel free to post 'em here. I didn't want to hijack Ian's thread.

Here's mine:

http://www.epinions.com/content_5377204356

Slightly different order from my Music Journal, but I'll update that later. I'm supposed to be on vacation right now...

I'm so glad you mentioned Falling Up's Fangs.  I haven't been looking at many Top 10 lists - cause I don't want them to influence mine in any way - but I was hoping that record would show up on some else's list besides mine.

Also - John Waller's While I'm Waiting is his sophomore album.  I'm aware that his records are not noteworthy in any way - but like Casting Crowns - there's something about the way he writes his songs and sings them that resonates with people, including me.

[murlough23]

Also - John Waller's While I'm Waiting is his sophomore album.

Did I mistakenly refer to it as his debut album? If so, my bad. I knew that he had recorded another record a few weeks back that contained the original recording of While I'm Waiting's title track. The fact that he had to pimp that song again as the title track of his second record indicates to me that the guy is short on ideas.

But then, he's on Casting Crowns' label, so he's in appropriate company.

[worldofcm]

Did I mistakenly refer to it as his debut album? If so, my bad. I knew that he had recorded another record a few weeks back that contained the original recording of While I'm Waiting's title track. The fact that he had to pimp that song again as the title track of his second record indicates to me that the guy is short on ideas.

But then, he's on Casting Crowns' label, so he's in appropriate company.

I don't think you specifically said it - but it felt implied.  I may have just read it wrong.

[murlough23]

I don't think you specifically said it - but it felt implied.  I may have just read it wrong.

I was in such a hurry to get it done that I probably typed something I didn't mean to.

[ewok20t3]

I'm not sure if any of you keep up with the Pazz and Jop music critics poll every year, but it's always the year-end list I look most forward to. For those unfamiliar, it's a year-end poll of hundreds of music critics with the purpose of coming up with a consensus top album and song of the year. Somewhat surprisingly, the top song was "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z. Not surprisingly, the top album was Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion.

The editor had a pretty, uh,  interesting article about how the younger voters were unable to think for themselves and instead voted on what Pitchfork told them was the best music. You can read that at http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-01-19/music/the-year-of-too-much-consensus, but beware of a couple curse words and the inappropriate ad pictures on the side of the page.

Top 10 Albums:
1   Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Points: 1794
Mentions: 154

2   Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Points: 1463
Mentions: 139

3   Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Points: 1201
Mentions: 106

4   Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Points: 1199
Mentions: 114

5   Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Points: 1169
Mentions: 108

6   Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Points: 1073
Mentions: 106

7   The xx - xx
Points: 977
Mentions: 93

8   Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Part II   
Points: 857
Mentions: 85

9   The Flaming Lips - Embryonic   
Points: 681
Mentions: 65

10   Girls - Album   
Points: 652
Mentions: 63

[murlough23]

The editor had a pretty, uh,  interesting article about how the younger voters were unable to think for themselves and instead voted on what Pitchfork told them was the best music.

As much as I enjoy a good swipe at Pitchfork, that just sounds like sour grapes coming from another music critic site that happens to be a little less influential.

[Ian]

Gah, that Girls album pisses me off to no end.  Such a piece of trash...
Surprised Neko placed so high.  Pretty good album though.
I didn't read the article, but when you have a list like this it's easy to see where one would be frustrated with blind p4k followers.

[bloop]

Whether a fair criticism or not, I'm pretty sure it's a criticism of people who need Pitchfork to tell them what to put on their list rather than a criticism of Pitchfork itself.

[ewok20t3]

Whether a fair criticism or not, I'm pretty sure it's a criticism of people who need Pitchfork to tell them what to put on their list rather than a criticism of Pitchfork itself.

Yeah, that's the impression that I got.

[murlough23]

Whether a fair criticism or not, I'm pretty sure it's a criticism of people who need Pitchfork to tell them what to put on their list rather than a criticism of Pitchfork itself.

I agree. I don't always agree with Pitchfork, but have sometimes found their recommendations to be a valuable resource. That's really all I can ask from a review site. It's nice when one agrees with me more, but I'm looking for recommendations on stuff I haven't heard, not validation on stuff I already like.

But how do they know someone rated an album highly just because Pitchfork did? Pitchfork and I had the same #1 album for 2005, but my opinion of Illinois was formed before I even knew how Pitchfork felt about it.

[bloop]

Yeah, I think he's making a lot of assumptions on the thought process of the voters based on results.

I do like validation from a variety of critics - makes me feel that I'm probably not too far off-base - but I don't really need it.

[murlough23]

Yeah, I think he's making a lot of assumptions on the thought process of the voters based on results.

I'm sure there must be people out there who like stuff (or claim that they do) because they perceive that the cool crowd likes it. I think that can possibly even lead to albums which really aren't that great being revered on rare occasions. But for the most part, especially with genres of music that are more difficult to get into in the first place, I tend to assume people have thought things through for themselves.

NP: "The Same Old Things", The Paper Raincoat

[bloop]

Also, it's ok to be informed by others, and allow some perspective to invade one's bubble.