Best of 2009

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:20 am

cgarges wrote:
Brant Bjork's Punk Rock Guilt is a terrific limited-eiditon new release that came out this year. It sounds insanely good.

who tracked/mixed?

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:24 am

cgarges wrote:REM- Murmur Deluxe Anniversary Edition (Calbi's remaster sounds great and the live disc is really good)

Man, glad you posted this...I need to pick it up.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:38 am

MoreSpaceEcho wrote:
cgarges wrote:
Brant Bjork's Punk Rock Guilt is a terrific limited-eiditon new release that came out this year. It sounds insanely good.
who tracked/mixed?

Dave Raphael. Man, it sounds good. Total 1971-type record.

mjau wrote:
cgarges wrote:REM- Murmur Deluxe Anniversary Edition (Calbi's remaster sounds great and the live disc is really good)
Man, glad you posted this...I need to pick it up.

It's totally great. If you know this album at all, you'll be blown away by how good it sounds. I'm told (by the official experts) that it really sounds like it did in the control room when they mixed.

The band was also really on top of their game when that live show was recorded. Young and vibrant, but with enough experience under the belt to know how to make it flow.

I haven't picked up Reckoning yet, but I heard a test disc of the remaster and it sounded great, too. I need to get that one, as well.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:15 am

cgarges wrote:Dave Raphael

as i suspected. man i miss that guy around here.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:07 pm

I'll edit here and expand/expound later but to name some that come to mind while I type at work:

Breasts: Breasts - TOMB affiliated, a real nice late-night ride, different vocalists, and yet a cohesive relaxing groove that is nicely recorded - I like this one late-night, and often.

Steve Wynn: Dragon Bridge This is the auteur side of him more than the rocker-side. I enjoy the heck out of this, not the least for it's unusual production and instrumentation. But it's no tick tick tick, but that's mebbe its strength.

Bob Dylan: Together Through Life It's Dylan, it's damn good, we are not worthy.

Gov't. Mule: By A Thread Is there a more consistent, solid, musicianly and interesting blues-rock band out there than these guys? Yes, they always sound like the Mule, but not only is that a good thing, they always seem to progress within their chosen limits.

Sonic Youth: The Eternal Is there a more consistent, solid, musicianly and interesting avant-rock band out there than these guys? You might answer Radiohead, but that would be a matter of choice for some, or as in my case, an acknowledgment of another excellence. But SY just plain noise-rocks, and they evolve, and Kim is still gorgeous. I note that I have located a cuppla bootlegs of the most recent tour and it has made me dig this CD even more, even as I have gone back and dug out Sister.

The Church: untitled #23 They have changed since "Under the Milky Way" (not to mention "An Unguarded Moment"), almost lost the pop edge, become more psychedelic, or at least emphasize that more, and deeper, and somehow more relaxed; this is a dense record in the sense of production - lots going on - but well worth some concentration.

Dino, Jr.: The Farm I liked last year's record better, but this is growing on me. And anything I see with Agnello working on it, I know is gonna sound great.

Bob Mould: Life and Times Sometimes I wish I didn't know as much about his personal life as I do (from interviews) - his confessions are that intimate. And sometimes I wish he'd put another band together just to get a little different take on something - like Barlow does for Mascis, say. But as uncomfortable as it must be to live his life at times, he makes it fascinating, and the music is well-written and arranged and the production often engagingly different (who else gets those acoustic guitar sounds?), and when he rips onna lead ...

U2: No Line On the Horizon Yeah, it's fashionable to hate on these guys, but that's just jealousy. If ever you liked U2, whether the punk of Boy, the arena-rock of War, or the techo of Zooropa, etc., they do it well and in style and if it doesn't sound lie you would make it, it always sounds great. This record is like that, and my fave album of theirs since Achtung Baby, some great singles along the way not withstanding.

Silversun Pickups: Swoon This is 2009's guilty pleasure for me, and that some say it cops Smashing Pumpkins doesn't bother me, and is a lotta why I like it. Pretty, and it rocks.

Drive-by Truckers: Live from Austin: Just a great band playing great songs onna great night, rough and ready and with some very cool guitar work - I note that Cooley is now every bit Hood's equal and I hope they stay the course. Bonus DVD is awesome.

Honorable Mentions (I ain't heard all of yet but have confidence I will like): Built to Spill, The Black Crows, Leonard Cohen, Them Crooked Vultures, PJ Harvey

Shit I ain't get: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shakira, American Idol anything, John "Gargles" Mayer

Trick Fall · Post by **Trick Fall** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 10:01 pm

I think the only two records I enjoyed at all this year were the Phoenix album and the Neko Case record. Not to say there wasn't good stuff, but I didn't hear it.

bedbug · Post by **bedbug** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 5:40 am

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
Circulatory System - Signal Morning
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs

Sean Sullivan · Post by **Sean Sullivan** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:17 am

bedbug wrote: Circulatory System - Signal Morning

That's on my short list of things to buy, I love the first one. It took a long time for a follow up so I sort of forgot about them or thought they were a one-off project band.

Jon Nolan · Post by **Jon Nolan** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:16 am

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: the guy capecelatro record i just mastered for jon nolan is pretty astoundingly wonderful as well.

right?! i can't wait for it to come out!

I sucked as far as buying/listening to new music this year. Keep piling on people. I definitely need some new sounds in me ears.

mhuxtable · Post by **mhuxtable** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:45 am

mewithoutYou - It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright!

holy crap what a great record. Beautiful songwriting, gorgeous arrangements, unique sounds yet again and a brilliant recording! Hands down my favorite record of 2009.

lyle76 · Post by **lyle76** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 3:31 pm

in no particular order:

Califone ? All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
Johnny West ? Creative Nightmares
Bill Frisell ? Disfarmer
Steve Earle ? Townes
Wye Oak ? The Knot
Nomo ? Invisible Cities
Bonnie ?Prince? Billy ? Beware
Lou Barlow ? Goodnight Unknown
Dan Auerbach ? Keep It Hid
Do Make Say Think ? Other Truths

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 9:42 pm

+1 on Califone - how'd I forget? Great record ...

I gotta add Echo & the Bunnymen's Fountain and Built to Spill's ... Enemy, what I just bought yesterday. Echo is a pretty good return to rocking 80's form, and Built to Spill's is engagingly imperfect, ambitous and oddly poppy.

giuseppe_fl · Post by **giuseppe_fl** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:08 am

palinilap wrote:The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

+1

I've been a fan since '92, and initially this was the first record of theirs that I out-and-out hated. Then a switch flipped and now I think it's incredible. Reckon I was totally unprepared for such a sharp, freaky left turn.

The same thing happens to me when a new David Lynch movie comes out. The record kinda feels like a Lynch movie, too: pitch black, right brain, claustrophobic and invigorating.

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 2:10 pm

I've got to give another vote for Bill Callahan. It's a departure from older albums in that no one can say "he's just using a lofi sound ask a gimmick to mask a lack of" yadda yadda because the production is incredible, yet it still undoubtedly sounds like Bill Callahan. From that alone, great record. But the songs, geez. I'm a sucker for that spread out snare sound on The Wind and The Dove. The drum sound on the whole album is fantastic, super dry but super real. Too Many Birds sounds relevant in 2009/10, but could have been written in 1972 and fit in just fine. Classic.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 2:42 am

Converge - Axes To Fall

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