You asked for it, and you shall receive!
I've actually been thinking about doing this for a while, as I have really been digging some albums this year. Ultimately I couldn't really rank these, but these are roughly in order, starting with my favorite. The crazy thing is I actually had to leave off some albums from this year that I really liked.
Anyway, without further ado, here is my top 10 list for 2009 albums:
(1) White Rabbits - It's Frightening - Just a good, solid album from start to finish. Ultimately I think Green Day's release is a better package all around (and, as we;ve discussed, I have not traditionally been a big green Day fan), but this one gets the edge for me because it is unique, without being weird. A good rock album, one you can turn on and listen to straight through.
(2) Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown - this album really is a masterpiece. There MAY be two songs on this album that I don't like hearing anymore. Music snobs would leave this one off their list, and it is a very commercial album. Mostly, this is a very PROFESSONAL album. Which is what started to impress me about Green Day when I saw them in concert. These guys are pros, they don't mail it in on any song on this album. Bonus points because this album attempts to tell a story from start to finish.
(3) Decembrists - The Hazards of Love - Again, an almost perfect album. This one gets dinged a bit due to the fact that it is kind of strange, and for that reason doesn't have a ton of replay value. At least not all the songs. It, too, tells a story from start to finish. It is strange, but really this album is a masterpiece, and could easily be #1. This is one where the music snobs are right - this really is a great album.
(4) Silversun Pickups - Swoon - Really like these guys. They definitely seem to have been influenced by The Smasking Pumpkins, but certainly have their own sound.
(5) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - A very listenable album from start to finish.
(6) Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free - This album is probably not for everyone, but it is not too "indie" and weird. I really like this one, and have worn it out in my car for a couple of months. Another that you can push "play" and listen to straight through.
(7) Malaki - Ugly Side of love
(8) Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
(9) Japandroids - Post-Nothing
(10) Alberta Cross - Broken Side of Time
Honrable mentions:
Malajube - Labryinthes; Eminem - Relapse; The Dead Weather - Horehound. There are a few others I can't think of right now.
Overall, a banner year for music. Or maybe I just haven't been paying attention in a while. There is also some really good stuff that came out in 2008 that I have kind of discovered lately.
That's cool Beasley - send me your HD and I will hook you up.
I will also get you guys involved in an e-mail chain I get. Guy calls it "The Drop." He is done doing it this year, but he send links, usually with reviews, to 10-15 albums you can download in a zip file and put on i-tunes. It really is cool. He mostly sends out new Indie shit, but there is almost always some new, cutting edge R&B/hip hop in there, Jazz, Hippie Jam Band music - all kinds of stuff.
Posted by: Mike Horner | December 10, 2009 at 05:30 PM
i might get in on this too. i need to expand my listening genres. you do, after all, owe me some music seeing as how you raped my external hd last time you were here.
in the mean time, i will pandora it all! decemberist on now...
Posted by: jb | December 10, 2009 at 04:27 PM
Word. That would actually be a good idea. The hard drive thing. I'll drop you a line.
Posted by: Hoxson | December 10, 2009 at 03:48 AM
Or you could just mail me your ipod and I could load it up here. Would probably save you some money. I have around 70 GBs of music, so I could hook you up.
I guess alot could happen when mailing something that far.
Oooh, I know, buy yourself a huge hard drive (you will want this anyway to back up your i-tunes - trust me) and send THAT to me. Or just send me money for one, I buy you a big old fat hard drive, and then load it up and send it to me. You will want an external hard drive backup anyway, AND a big one will still cost you alot less than purchasing all that music. Let me know. I got tons of other cool stuff.
Posted by: Mike Horner | December 09, 2009 at 02:22 PM
Im gonna gobble it all up.... snarf snarf....
Posted by: Hoxson | December 09, 2009 at 01:33 PM