Well another year has gone by and that means that for the second year running all y'all who care can read about what albums I really liked in 2009. It was a great year for music, so great that I had to expand my list to fifteen albums.
Before I start writing about the top 15 I'd like say a few words about No Line On The Horizon, the album U2 released this year. If you know me well, you know that U2 is the first real band I ever liked and that I'm still a pretty big fan today. I think that No Line is a pretty good album, one without a heavy-hitting jam like "Beautiful Day" or "Vertigo." This is why it didn't sell as well as other U2 albums.
I'd also like to state that I'm listening to Bibio's Ambivalence Avenue for the first time and think it's really good. It probably would have made this list had I first heard it earlier in the year.
OK, here goes:
15. The Very Best-Warm Heart of Africa
This album is a collaboration between a guy from Malawi and two British guys, and is to African music what the California Roll is to Sushi. Although that doesn't seem like a compliment, I still like it, especially "Warm Heart of Africa," which features Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.
14. Atlas Sound-Logos
Bradford Cox is quickly becoming one of my favorite people in music. He seems like a real outsider, that weird guy who sits in his room all day and watches people. I must say that I can sort of relate. Anyway, "Walkabout," which features Noah Lennox, is a standout.
13. God Help The Girl-S/T
Stuart Murdoch is another one of my favorite people in music, and I'll lap up pretty much anything he puts out at this point. A straight up Belle and Sebastian album would have been better, but I can deal with this, especially when its version of "Funny Little Frog" is better than the original on The Life Pursuit.
12. The Antlers-Hospice
Whenever I listen to this I get the same feeling I get when I listen to In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. It's a really sad guy singing about someone who has died. And it doesn't hurt that the guy sings like Jeff Buckley.
11. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart-S/T
A really catchy, fuzzy pop album. All of their songs sort of sound the same, but you won't care because the lyrics are clever. My favorite is "Come Saturday."
10. Discovery-LP
Another catchy pop album, but more R&B-influenced. "Orange Shirt" is a freakin' banger. The only bad track is the muffled Jackson 5 cover.
09. Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
The first two tracks alone are worth the price of admission. "1901" is probably my favorite song of the year.
08. Franz Ferdinand-Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
This is probably my favorite of their three albums. It's funkier compared to the other two, which were more guitar-driven. "Lucid Dreams" is a pretty cool foray into electro.
07. Girls-Album
Really good rock n' roll music. The songwriting is simple and heartfelt.
06. Florence And The Machine-Lungs
Every song has a massive singalong chorus. I can't even pick out a favorite track, all 13 are great.
05. Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest
This is more focused than their last album. They incorporate elements of doo-wop on "Two Weeks" and bluesy-sounding guitar on "While You Wait For The Others," my favorite track.
04. Camera Obscura-My Maudlin Career
What can I say, I'm a real sucker for orchestral pop music. It's easy stuff to wrap your finger around, and Tracyanne Campbell is gorgeous and writes great lyrics.
03. Passion Pit-Manners
This album is so much fun to sing along with because the guy has a really high voice. Melodrama at it's finest.
02. Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavillion and Fall Be Kind
This was the year I started to appreciate Animal Collective. Better late than never, no? Merriweather is just brilliant, especially "Brother Sport." And if the EP is any indication of where they're going, I'll keep being a fan.
01. Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca
I listened to this twice in a row when I first got it. I never do that. It WAS the summer of 2009. Walking up and down the beach, listening to "Temecula Sunrise." Blasting "Useful Chamber" in my car with the windows open at sundown in the middle of July. Me and Lizzy throwing our hands up in the air while listening to "Stillness Is The Move." So many memories, and that's why it's number one.
That's all.
Love,
John
12.05.2009
Soothsaying: The 2010 World Cup
So the greatest sporting event in the world is coming up in 187 days and the draw was announced today. The 2010 Cup will be held in South Africa, and this is a big deal because it's never been in Africa before. I'm predicting right now that the African squads smoke everyone, just like Korea smoked everyone in 2002 when the Cup was played on their turf. Two teams make it out of each group to the Round of 16. Here are my inevitably correct predictions:Group A: 1. Mexico 2. South Africa 3. France 4. Uruguay
Mexico always does pretty well on the big stage. South Africa will make it because they're the home team and they have to make it. France barely qualified in the first place (they got away with a bunch of crap in a playoff against Ireland) and I think they'll suck like they did in '02. And who the hell is Uruguay?
Group B: 1. Greece 2. Nigeria 3. Argentina 4. South Korea
Greece is pretty high up in the FIFA rankings, so I'll pick them to finish first. Argentina should win every year but they don't because, um, I don't know. I've watched South Korea play a few times and they're not as good as they were a few years ago.
Group C: 1. USA 2. Algeria 3. England 4. Slovenia
OK, I'm a bit biased. But the USA looked so good in the Confederations Cup (played in S.A. this past summer) that I can't not pick them to finish first. I think England will come in overconfident after a laughably easy qualifying schedule.
Group D: 1. Ghana 2. Australia 3. Germany 4. Serbia
Germany ain't shit. Ghana destroyed in qualifying. Serbia will tie every match 0-0. And the Aussies are a bunch of rugged motherf-----s who will find a way to win.
Group E: 1. Netherlands 2. Cameroon 3. Denmark 4. Japan
The Dutch always make it through, and Cameroon has been steamrolling cats lately. Japan sucks and I can't believe they actually made it to the Cup.
Group F:
1. Italy 2. Paraguay 3. Slovakia 17. New Zealand
Dude, they're Italy. Paraguay looked good in qualifying. New Zealand is not even in the same league as these teams and only got in because they play countries like Fiji and American Samoa or some shit in qualifying.
Group G:
1. Brazil 2. Ivory Coast 3. Portugal 4. North Korea
Dude, they're Brazil. Drogba and the Ivory Coast will beat Portugal to get through. Cristiano Ronaldo will be out for that game with a vision problem after accidentally squirting a glob of hair gel into his eye.
Group H: 1. Chile 2. Switzerland 3. Spain 4. Honduras
I don't even know. Honduras isn't very good and the Spanish squad consists of male models.
I'm done thinking about soccer for now.
Four Reasons To See It: An Education
1. The main girl (Carey Mulligan) is freakin' adorable. She kind of looks like Jenny Lewis with the red hair and bangs and all. Interestingly enough, the character she plays is named Jenny.2. The clothes worn by her character (and the rest of the cast for that matter) are fantastic. People dressed so much better back in the day.
3. The screenplay was written by Nick Hornby, the workingman's literary genius.
4. The movie actually tells us why going to school is important. Imagine that-a movie that poses a question and gives us an answer to said question! Every high school age punk I know should watch this just for that part.
Definitely worth your time.
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