Best of 2009: 50 - 41

I've realized that if I'm going to get this list done by the end of the year (or so), I've got to write less and post more, so let's get started with the bottom of my top 50 for the year, posted in reverse order. More to come soon!

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50. White Denim - Fits

After falling hard for their previous effort, I found White Denim's Fits to be a welcome return for the Texas trio. Their strange and eclectic brand of rock 'n' roll is refined and - in some ways - improved here, making for some spectacular moments and a generally great time. Definitely one of 2009's overlooked rock records.

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49. Pictureplane - Dark Rift

Dark Rift, is a sprawling collection of avant-garde loops and scratchy production that somehow form cohesive and engaging songs that have certainly made the man behind the music, Travis Egedy, a one-man band to watch down the road. (More from me)

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48. Shuta Hasunuma - Pop Ooga

I'm not entirely sure when the original release date of Pop Ooga was, but I'm gonna go ahead and count this as an 09 release. Japanese glitch electronica artist Shuta Hasunuma has crafted something truly unique and gorgeous here, a record that is challenging, surprising and consistently rewarding. (More from me)

Power Osci (MP3)

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47. Handsome Furs - Face Control

Face Control is an album that, despite its faults, I return to time and time again. It's leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, and the best songs on this record (especially, "All We Want, Baby, Is Everything") are among my favorites for the year. (More from me)

I'm Confused (MP3)

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46. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk

This collection of tunes from the collective mind of Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis could have been a real mess, but instead it's a relatively cohesive and consistently strong set of folk-rock songs featuring some great contributions from each of the three indie superstars. (More from me)


45. Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band

I confess, I didn't really know much at all about Fruit Bats until this year, but their latest, The Ruminant Band, is an undeniably solid and occasionally spectacular indie rock album that has given me cause to check out the rest of their catalog.

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44. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

Wild Beasts' quick followup to their acclaimed debut is just as odd and lovely as their first effort, thanks mostly in part to singer Hayden Thorpe's flamboyant falsetto vocals and a more cohesive approach to the album. It certainly establishes these boys as notable newcomers to the indie scene. (More from me)

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43. Capybara - Try Brothers

Capybara deserve more credit than they've been given for crafting this enjoyably avant-garde folk album (their first record), which is hopefull a sign of even better things to come. Try Brother may have slipped well under the radar this year, but that doesn't mean you should pass it up. (More from me)

Soft (MP3)

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42. The xx - xx

The xx's sparse, dark indie-pop sound made some serious waves this year, and though I'm not a big a fan of their debut as some, it's difficult to deny the strength and beauty of this record. Behind vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, this group has shown a unique and captivating kind of magic. (More from me)

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41. Sonya Cotton - Red River

It's a wonder to me that Sonya Cotton could stay so unnoticed in 2009 with this wonderful record. Red River flows gently with Cotton's soft yet strong voice and gorgeous folk instrumentation, creating a spell over the listener as it goes. This is truly beautiful stuff. (More from me)

Red River (MP3)

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This Week @ In Review Online: Flaming Lips, The Mountain Goats and more

Maybe this should read last week at In Review Online, but these review just got posted recently and I think we've got a good haul for you. My Monsters of Folk review I've already posted, but here's the full list:







Flaming Lips - Embryonic ( by Yorgo Douramacos)
3.5 Stars (of 4)

"If all you think of in connection with Wayne Coyne and the boys is sugary, glacial bliss and secular humanist hymns set against stories about weird aliens and superheroes, here comes Embryonic to remind us just who we’re dealing with."

The Mountain Goats - Life of the World to Come (by Jordan Cronk)
2.5 Stars (of 4)

"...The Life of the World to Come is a deeply penetrating, earnestly manifest song cycle applicable to just about anyone willing to open themselves up to Darnielle’s penetrating realizations."

Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk (by Yours Truly)
3 Stars (of 4)

"You probably won’t want any of these talented musicians to quit their day jobs soon, but this album is more than just a fun diversion—it’s an impressive achievement."

Califone - All My Friends are Funeral Singers (by Jordan Cronk)
3 Stars (of 4)

"All My Friends Are Funeral Singers represents yet another unique and deeply rewarding conflation of a variety of classic and modern American rock and folk signifiers."

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers (by Yorgo Douramacos)
3.5 Stars (of 4)

"...Wild Beasts somehow create echo-drenched theatrical lounge music for tomorrow’s sexier rocket ships."

Review: Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk (* * * *)

If the word “supergroup” makes you uncomfortable, you’re not alone—that term has all too often created false hope for bands that should by definition be excellent but almost never fulfill those high expectations. But as jaded as you may be, it’s impossible not to be intrigued by the idea of folk superstars Jim James, Conor Oberst and M. Ward, together with Bright Eyes member and producer Mike Mogis, teaming up to release a collaborative album. And really, Monsters of Folk, or MOF (as it is frequently abbreviated), would probably only qualify themselves as a supergroup with the same kind of faux bravado carried with their appropriate but silly title, an example of the relaxed, high-spirited atmosphere that pervades the band’s music. That’s not to say their self-titled debut, with roots going back as far as 2005, ever feels lazy or tossed off. Quite the opposite, in fact; the 15 tracks onMonsters of Folk combine to make a better album than some of its creators have made recently as solo artists (Oberst and Ward especially). (Continue Reading...)