Your favourite album of 2009

WolfAtTheDoor · 12-10-2009, 02:24 PM

what is it? Be helpful by including a photo, tracklist and a description of why it is your end-of-decade pick. I'll be back with mine.

loveissucide · 12-10-2009, 02:53 PM

1.Wild Beasts-Two Dancers
2.St Vincent-Actor
3.Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest
4.The xx-xx
5.Bat For Lashes-Two Suns
6.Wilco-S/T
7.Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
8.Yeah Yeah Yeahs-It's Blitz
9.Mos Def-The Ecstatic
10.Camera Obscura-My Maudlin Career

1.Wild Beasts-Two Dancers

Really strong set of Associates-influenced indie,with the emotional contrast between raunch and bleakness making it a record of highs and lows which delights and disturbs.And "This Is Our Lot" is the best song of the year.

2.St Vincent-Actor

Really enjoyed the blend of melodic pop sensibilites and experimentalism,with the weirdness of the record really allowing it to stand out from the pack

3.Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest

Perhaps the best record of it's kind since Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, with fantastic songwriting supported by perfectly balanced experimentation to create something very beautiful.

4.The xx-xx

The debut of the year, incorporates dance and R&B influences into indie more subtly than any other record made this year, and the sparseness really brings out how strong the vocals and playing are.

5.Bat For Lashes-Two Suns

Thouroughly enjoyable barouqe pop album, which shows Khan to be the finest heir to the throne of Kate Bush as she balances atmosphere and pop songwriting within a slightly overcooked concept which was nevertheless one of the best records of the year.

abdullah424 · 12-10-2009, 02:56 PM

The Decemberists the Hazards of Love

1. Prelude
2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
3. A Bower Scene
4. Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
5. The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
6. The Queen's Approach
7. Isn't It A Lovely Night?
8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
9. An Interlude
10. The Rake's Song
11. The Abduction of Margaret
12. The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing
13. Annan Water
14. Margaret in Captivity
15. The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
16. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
17. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)

The combination of this being a great album and the best live show I've seen this year easily make it my favorite. If you get a chance to see them perform this album live go.

Sneer · 12-10-2009, 03:09 PM

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Why There Are Mountains

1."And the Hazy Sea"
2."Some Trees (Merritt Moon)"
3."Indiana"
4."Cold Spring"
5."Share"
6."What Dogs See"
7."Wind Phoenix (Proper Name)"
8."Living North"
9."Like Blood Does"

The reason this is my favourite album of the year is because of the way these guys squeeze every last drop of emotion out of themselves and inject it into this wonderfully ambitious and assured debut. It's an album full to the brim with imagination and adventure, not satisfied with being shackled to the conventional rock formula, the music swoops and soars; the elastic song structures twist and bend around a slew of hooks and melodies. Above all else though, they sound like they're having a fucking good time playing this music, nearly as much fun as i had listening to it.

Alfred · 12-10-2009, 04:46 PM

P.O.S. "Never Better"

I'm not the hugest fan of hip-hop on the planet earth. I do enjoy the odd spin of a random album, but very little actually sticks with me. P.O.S.'s "Never Better" is a glorious exception to the rule. It's like he tailored this album specifically for me. It's clear that P.O.S. takes influence from punk, which to me is a wonderful thing. With minimalist production, in-your-face delivery, conscious lyrics, great vocal melodies, and plenty of shoutouts to the punk scene, this album is everything I ever wanted out of hip hop music. So there you have it: album of the year.

Runner Up - Brand New "Daisy"

Rickenbacker · 12-10-2009, 04:57 PM

I was going to go for the Antlers' "Hospice," or maybe that one album by some guys named Animal Collective (

) but...

It's just too good!

39 songs spanning more than 15 records, none of them remotely close to ever being hits. Christ, they have "Romance" on here? ****ing "Romance!" Believe it! The band sounds not just like they're young again; they sound like they're POOR again. Living show to show playing songs that nobody except the hard core fans in the small venue know. Well at least the fans know every word. That's more than can be said for Michael Stipe himself.

"The Animals, how Strange. Try, Try to Stick it In" - West of the Fields

"Now, even in my drug addled early twenties, I know I didn't ****ing write that." - Stipe

Classic.

Disc One

1. "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" (from Accelerate)
2. "Second Guessing" (from Reckoning)
3. "Letter Never Sent" (from Reckoning)
4. "Staring Down the Barrel of the Middle Distance" (Previously Unreleased)
5. "Disturbance at the Heron House" (from Document)
6. "Mr. Richards" (from Accelerate)
7. "Houston" (from Accelerate)
8. "New Test Leper" (from New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
9. "Cuyahoga" (from Lifes Rich Pageant)
10. "Electrolite" (from New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
11. "Man-Sized Wreath" (from Accelerate)
12. "So. Central Rain" (from Reckoning)
13. "On the Fly" (Previously unreleased)
14. "Maps and Legends" (from Fables of the Reconstruction)
15. "Sitting Still" (from Murmur)
16. "Driver 8" (from Fables of the Reconstruction)
17. "Horse to Water" (from Accelerate)
18. "I'm Gonna DJ" (from Accelerate)
19. "Circus Envy" (from Monster)
20. "These Days" (from Lifes Rich Pageant)

Disc Two

1. "Drive" (from Automatic for the People)
2. "Feeling Gravitys Pull" (from Fables of the Reconstruction)
3. "Until the Day Is Done" (from Accelerate)
4. "Accelerate" (from Accelerate)
5. "Auctioneer" (Another Engine) (from Fables of the Reconstruction)
6. "Little America" (from Reckoning)
7 "1,000,000" (from Chronic Town)
7. "Disguised" (Later released as "Supernatural Superserious" on Accelerate)
8. "The Worst Joke Ever" (from Around the Sun)
9. "Welcome to the Occupation"(from Document)
10. "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)" (from Chronic Town)
11. "Harborcoat" (from Reckoning)
12. "Wolves, Lower" (from Chronic Town)
13. "I've Been High" (from Reveal)
14. "Kohoutek" (from Fables of the Reconstruction)
15."West of the Fields" (from Murmur)
16. "Pretty Persuasion" (from Reckoning)
17. "Romance" (from the Made in Heaven soundtrack; later released on Eponymous)
18. "Gardening at Night" (from Chronic Town)

gunnels · 12-10-2009, 04:58 PM

Rickenbacker · 12-10-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunnels

Best anything ever.

merriweather post pavilion is still better , sorry

Dieselboy · 12-10-2009, 06:28 PM

If I'm being absolutely honest here, and go by what I listened to more than anything else, I'm gonna have to say the best album for me this year was:

La Roux - La Roux

Just an unbelievable album full of smart, catchy, 80's-sounding, pop songs. Every song stands on its own on this cd, and is easily distinguishable from the rest. Most people find her voice grating, but I feel like it fits the music really well and actually enjoy it. You can't argue that it's not unique.
I know most will scoff at this choice, but like I said, I'm making myself be honest here.

1. In for the Kill
2. Tigerlily
3. Quicksand
4. Bulletproof
5. Colourless Colour
6. I'm Not Your Toy
7. Cover My Eyes
8. As If by Magic
9. Fascination
10. Reflections Are Protection
11. Armour Love
12. Growing Pains

Runner Ups:

Red Chord - Fed Through the Teeth Machine

Deadmau5 - For Lack of a Better Name

P.O.S. - Never Better

Kirby · 12-10-2009, 08:53 PM

1 Let It Rattle
2 Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)
3 Savion Glover
4 Purexed
5 Graves (We Wrote the Book)
6 Goodbye
7 Get Smokes
8 Been Afraid
9 Low Light Low Life
10 The Basics (Alright)
11 Out of Category
12 Optimist (We Are Not for Them)
13 Terrorish
14 Never Better
15 The Brave and the Snake/ Hand Made Hand Gun (Hidden Track)

This album came out in February, if I remember correctly, and I can still listen to it in it's entirety. P.O.S. has mastered mixing genres and many rappers wish they could do it with half as much finesse and talent as he can. Being a guitarist/singer in his punk band, Building Better Bombs, P.O.S. can play many of his own instruments, and produce much of his own work. Over half of Never Better was produced by P.O.S. Hands down choice for my album of the year.

12-10-2009, 02:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
WolfAtTheDoor ironing your socks Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: I'm in a rocknroll band. huh. Posts: 396	Your favourite album of 2009 what is it? Be helpful by including a photo, tracklist and a description of why it is your end-of-decade pick. I'll be back with mine. __________________ *press your space face close to mine, love*

12-10-2009, 02:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
loveissucide Himself Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Leuven ,Belgium, via Ireland Posts: 1,325	1.Wild Beasts-Two Dancers 2.St Vincent-Actor 3.Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest 4.The xx-xx 5.Bat For Lashes-Two Suns 6.Wilco-S/T 7.Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix 8.Yeah Yeah Yeahs-It's Blitz 9.Mos Def-The Ecstatic 10.Camera Obscura-My Maudlin Career 1.Wild Beasts-Two Dancers Really strong set of Associates-influenced indie,with the emotional contrast between raunch and bleakness making it a record of highs and lows which delights and disturbs.And "This Is Our Lot" is the best song of the year. 2.St Vincent-Actor Really enjoyed the blend of melodic pop sensibilites and experimentalism,with the weirdness of the record really allowing it to stand out from the pack 3.Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest Perhaps the best record of it's kind since Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, with fantastic songwriting supported by perfectly balanced experimentation to create something very beautiful. 4.The xx-xx The debut of the year, incorporates dance and R&B influences into indie more subtly than any other record made this year, and the sparseness really brings out how strong the vocals and playing are. 5.Bat For Lashes-Two Suns Thouroughly enjoyable barouqe pop album, which shows Khan to be the finest heir to the throne of Kate Bush as she balances atmosphere and pop songwriting within a slightly overcooked concept which was nevertheless one of the best records of the year. __________________ www.last.fm/user/p-mccusker http://www.mixcloud.com/pmccusker www.valjester.wordpress.com

12-10-2009, 03:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains 1."And the Hazy Sea" 2."Some Trees (Merritt Moon)" 3."Indiana" 4."Cold Spring" 5."Share" 6."What Dogs See" 7."Wind Phoenix (Proper Name)" 8."Living North" 9."Like Blood Does" The reason this is my favourite album of the year is because of the way these guys squeeze every last drop of emotion out of themselves and inject it into this wonderfully ambitious and assured debut. It's an album full to the brim with imagination and adventure, not satisfied with being shackled to the conventional rock formula, the music swoops and soars; the elastic song structures twist and bend around a slew of hooks and melodies. Above all else though, they sound like they're having a fucking good time playing this music, nearly as much fun as i had listening to it. __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

12-10-2009, 04:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Alfred one big soul Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5,096	P.O.S. "Never Better" I'm not the hugest fan of hip-hop on the planet earth. I do enjoy the odd spin of a random album, but very little actually sticks with me. P.O.S.'s "Never Better" is a glorious exception to the rule. It's like he tailored this album specifically for me. It's clear that P.O.S. takes influence from punk, which to me is a wonderful thing. With minimalist production, in-your-face delivery, conscious lyrics, great vocal melodies, and plenty of shoutouts to the punk scene, this album is everything I ever wanted out of hip hop music. So there you have it: album of the year. Runner Up - Brand New "Daisy" __________________ LAST.FM / VINYL COLLECTION / RYM Last edited by Alfred; 12-10-2009 at 09:23 PM.

12-10-2009, 04:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
Rickenbacker / Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Conn Posts: 1,338	I was going to go for the Antlers' "Hospice," or maybe that one album by some guys named Animal Collective () but... It's just too good! 39 songs spanning more than 15 records, none of them remotely close to ever being hits. Christ, they have "Romance" on here? ***ing "Romance!" Believe it! The band sounds not just like they're young again; they sound like they're POOR again. Living show to show playing songs that nobody except the hard core fans in the small venue know. Well at least the fans know every word. That's more than can be said for Michael Stipe himself. "The Animals, how Strange. Try, Try to Stick it In" - West of the Fields* "Now, even in my drug addled early twenties, I know I didn't ***ing write that." - Stipe* Classic. Disc One 1. "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" (from Accelerate) 2. "Second Guessing" (from Reckoning) 3. "Letter Never Sent" (from Reckoning) 4. "Staring Down the Barrel of the Middle Distance" (Previously Unreleased) 5. "Disturbance at the Heron House" (from Document) 6. "Mr. Richards" (from Accelerate) 7. "Houston" (from Accelerate) 8. "New Test Leper" (from New Adventures in Hi-Fi) 9. "Cuyahoga" (from Lifes Rich Pageant) 10. "Electrolite" (from New Adventures in Hi-Fi) 11. "Man-Sized Wreath" (from Accelerate) 12. "So. Central Rain" (from Reckoning) 13. "On the Fly" (Previously unreleased) 14. "Maps and Legends" (from Fables of the Reconstruction) 15. "Sitting Still" (from Murmur) 16. "Driver 8" (from Fables of the Reconstruction) 17. "Horse to Water" (from Accelerate) 18. "I'm Gonna DJ" (from Accelerate) 19. "Circus Envy" (from Monster) 20. "These Days" (from Lifes Rich Pageant) Disc Two 1. "Drive" (from Automatic for the People) 2. "Feeling Gravitys Pull" (from Fables of the Reconstruction) 3. "Until the Day Is Done" (from Accelerate) 4. "Accelerate" (from Accelerate) 5. "Auctioneer" (Another Engine) (from Fables of the Reconstruction) 6. "Little America" (from Reckoning) 7 "1,000,000" (from Chronic Town) 7. "Disguised" (Later released as "Supernatural Superserious" on Accelerate) 8. "The Worst Joke Ever" (from Around the Sun) 9. "Welcome to the Occupation"(from Document) 10. "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)" (from Chronic Town) 11. "Harborcoat" (from Reckoning) 12. "Wolves, Lower" (from Chronic Town) 13. "I've Been High" (from Reveal) 14. "Kohoutek" (from Fables of the Reconstruction) 15."West of the Fields" (from Murmur) 16. "Pretty Persuasion" (from Reckoning) 17. "Romance" (from the Made in Heaven soundtrack; later released on Eponymous) 18. "Gardening at Night" (from Chronic Town) __________________ last.fm rym Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed Last edited by Rickenbacker; 12-26-2009 at 10:36 AM.

12-10-2009, 02:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
abdullah424 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 351	The Decemberists the Hazards of Love 1. Prelude 2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone) 3. A Bower Scene 4. Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga) 5. The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All) 6. The Queen's Approach 7. Isn't It A Lovely Night? 8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid 9. An Interlude 10. The Rake's Song 11. The Abduction of Margaret 12. The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing 13. Annan Water 14. Margaret in Captivity 15. The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!) 16. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise) 17. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned) The combination of this being a great album and the best live show I've seen this year easily make it my favorite. If you get a chance to see them perform this album live go.

12-10-2009, 06:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
Dieselboy Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 608	If I'm being absolutely honest here, and go by what I listened to more than anything else, I'm gonna have to say the best album for me this year was: La Roux - La Roux Just an unbelievable album full of smart, catchy, 80's-sounding, pop songs. Every song stands on its own on this cd, and is easily distinguishable from the rest. Most people find her voice grating, but I feel like it fits the music really well and actually enjoy it. You can't argue that it's not unique. I know most will scoff at this choice, but like I said, I'm making myself be honest here. 1. In for the Kill 2. Tigerlily 3. Quicksand 4. Bulletproof 5. Colourless Colour 6. I'm Not Your Toy 7. Cover My Eyes 8. As If by Magic 9. Fascination 10. Reflections Are Protection 11. Armour Love 12. Growing Pains Runner Ups: Red Chord - Fed Through the Teeth Machine Deadmau5 - For Lack of a Better Name P.O.S. - Never Better Last edited by Dieselboy; 12-10-2009 at 09:02 PM.

12-10-2009, 08:53 PM	#10 (permalink)
Kirby Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Forest Park, GA Posts: 1,637	1 Let It Rattle 2 Drumroll (We're All Thirsty) 3 Savion Glover 4 Purexed 5 Graves (We Wrote the Book) 6 Goodbye 7 Get Smokes 8 Been Afraid 9 Low Light Low Life 10 The Basics (Alright) 11 Out of Category 12 Optimist (We Are Not for Them) 13 Terrorish 14 Never Better 15 The Brave and the Snake/ Hand Made Hand Gun (Hidden Track) This album came out in February, if I remember correctly, and I can still listen to it in it's entirety. P.O.S. has mastered mixing genres and many rappers wish they could do it with half as much finesse and talent as he can. Being a guitarist/singer in his punk band, Building Better Bombs, P.O.S. can play many of his own instruments, and produce much of his own work. Over half of Never Better was produced by P.O.S. Hands down choice for my album of the year. __________________ ::KirbyISAlmighty::