It seems fitting that I end the year with a post about the only thing that it seemed that I could write about in the last 365 days – music. Honestly, to those who are able to work a hectic job, spend time with a significant other and do whatever else life requires of them and still find time to regularly blog about a variety of topics of interest to them…kudos! 2009 simply didn’t now allow me that luxury, and there’s no telling if 2010 will relent. The benefit to developing software in a fast-paced environment is that when I’m not in meetings or manically scrawling ideas on a whiteboard, it’s “nose to the grindstone” coding and I require a soundtrack for that.
Like bygone years, I have assembled a list of albums released this year that I found to be to my liking. As per usual, here it is in alphabetical order and includes my selection for “album of the year”.
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – The Century of Self
Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Built To Spill – There Is No Enemy
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Dan Deacon – Bromst
Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
Do Make Say Think –The Other Truths
Echo & the Bunnymen – The Fountain
The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
Future of the Left – Travels With Myself And Another
The Horrors – Primary Colours
Idlewild – Post Electric Blues
Japandroids – Post-Nothing
Manic Street Preachers – Journal For Plague Lovers
Matthew Good – Vancouver
Metric – Fantasies
The Most Serene Republic – …And The Ever Expanding Universe
The Pains of Being Pure of Heart – The Pains of Being Pure of Heart
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
A Place To Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Sonic Youth – The Eternal
Sunn O))) – Monoliths and Dimensions
Think About Life – Family
The Twilight Sad – Forget The Night Ahead
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
Some honourable mentions:
The Big Pink – A Brief History Of Love
Lou Barlow – Goodnight Unknown
Muse – The Resistance
NOFX – Coaster
Pearl Jam – Backspacer
The Tragically Hip – We Are The Same
Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker – Questamation
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
I had hoped for the best of Spiral Stairs‘ The Real Feel but I simply would rather see the reunited Pavement come to Toronto. And I was really anticipating Mew‘s follow-up to their excellent And the Glass Handed Kite album, No More Stories, but I found it quite “meh”.
Finally, I’m not Pitchfork nor am I some hipster with black-rimmed glasses, skinny jeans, ironic t-shirts and an iPhone in my hand. That being said, I always try to like an Animal Collective album when it’s released but I’m ultimately disappointed at how unlistenable (to me) their music is. Merriweather Post Pavilion is no exception. It’ll appear at the top of all of the “cool” year end lists, and maybe even some uncool lists too. However, it won’t be on mine. Yuck.
One Response to "fave albums of 2009"
Loved the Metric album!