Top 10 Albums of 2009

10. xx by The xx
The xx are a band based out of London, England. Originally a four-piece, formed in 2005, their keyboardist quit in November of this year. The xx exemplify what dream-pop should be with their dual vocal duties of Romy Croft and Oliver Sim. They perfectly harmonize throughout the entire album, their voices both acting very condusively with the smooth bass riffs and synth lines throughout the entire album. The whole thing is very haunting, but equally soothing at the same time. I expect great things to come from this young band in the upcoming years.

9. "Merriweather Post Pavillion" by Animal Collective
"It's like The Beach Boys went all Greenman on everyone". Okay so not exactly, but "Merriweather Post Pavillion" is quite the experience. 2009 has been a big year for this band, with MPP getting hailed as one of the defining albums of the decade before it even came out, but it truly was. Merriweather Post Pavillion is definitely Animal Collectives most accessible album to date, it's far poppier than the rest of their releases which they timed perfectly because this album made the band explode. I heard more people walking around talking about the "Adobe flats" that they wanted for their girls than those screaming out "RA RA ROMA..."so on and so forth. Animal Collective followed this up with their best EP to date with Fall Be Kind featuring the first sample that Grateful Dead has liscensed in "What Would I Want? Sky" and the live favorite "Graze". To put it simple Animal Collective ruled 2009, and when you have and album closer like "Brother Sport" it's hard not to.

8. Album by Girls
Girls frontman Christopher Owens' childhood was spent in the cult "Children of God", which could very well describe the opening songs chorus of "Now I'm just crazy, totally mad". Either way, Christopher Owens was raised in an environment where he couldn't listen to music outside of his cult, however he was allowed to watch movies. These movies allowed him to take in the music of the outside world so to speak. If that's what it takes to make an album like this then sign me up. The album is brutally honest throughout all of its songs. Whether it be in the lines of 'Laura' with "You've been a bitch, I've been an ass. I don't wanna point the finger, I just know I don't like it, I don't wanna do this". The band made a very strong debut in this honest, raw, but still catchy album. And on a side note check out the "Lust For Life" video. A dude sings into another dudes dick.

7. Aim & Ignite by fun.
fun. consists of members of The Format, Steel Train, and Anathallo, so needless to say this band had a lot to live up to but they certainly exceeded all expectations. The band was proven to be accurately named because that perfectly describes this band's sound...fun. The album opens with an orchestral beginning of "Be Calm" which erupts into something so much bigger with Nate Ruess' voice leading the parade of sounds just like he did with The Format. The album has a unique feeling to it, with the combination of orchestral stringed sections, the familiar brass sounds of The Format, and the always interested vocal styles of Nate. For all those hating on the band because they aren't The Format..."Be Calm". The band has put out one hell of a debut album and closed it in one of the most perfect ways possible with the song "Take Your Time (Coming Home)" which goes through so many rises and falls that it can only be explained as a rollercoaster ride of a song. fun. put themselves in an amazing spot here, they put out an album that was damn near perfect which lived up to and exceeded all of the hype and have now seemingly put themselves in the spot of even more anticipation. While most spend the months leading up to the release of 'Aim & Ignite' wondering just how Nate could possibly live up to The Format, many will now wonder just how the band can top their absolutely brilliant debut of 'Aim & Ignite'.

6. The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists
The Decemberists have always been one for story telling, whether it be with 'Picaresque's many songs that thrust you right into the stories of each character, or their first concept album of 'The Crane Wife'. Either way, The Decemberists took it upon themselves to make yet another concept album, this time called The Hazards of Love. The album's story is of a woman named Margaret who falls in love with a shape-shifter named William. I know the story sounds absurd, but by the end of the album you will truly realize the hazards of love. The album has three main characters all of whom are sung by different people. Margaret is Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, William is Colin Meloy, and The Queen is voiced by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. The album feels a bit different than the rest of The Decemberists' albums, one thing being there is far more use of the electric guitar. Either way, the album's story is truly a great one and The Hazards of Love is one of the best examples of Colin Meloy's brilliant storytelling.

5. I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers' major label debut certainly didn't disappoint their die hard fans. The band has continued making their music in that unique style that so many try to emulate but never quite top it. I reviewed this album when it came out so you know the general gist of it, but the album has continued to steam roll through all expectations. The Avett Brothers have continued to grow in fame, and even are playing a New Years Show in Asheville, NC once more. They had to change arenas from Thomas Wolfe to the Civic Center which made many hardcore fans furious, seeing as many purchased scalped tickets for hundreds of dollars since they sold out so quick. The band will surely continue to grow into something bigger than Scott and Seth could have ever imagined being. The Avett Brothers have made a classic in I and Love and You, and I shall end it with the phrase many have uttered before me, "I and Love and This Album".

4. Brother's Blood by Kevin Devine
Kevin Devine certainly had a very interesting year in 2009. His album 'Brother's Blood', his first since 2006's 'Put Your Ghost To Rest' was his first release on his new label, Favorite Gentlemen. After getting a new home to put out his record, nonetheless the home being owned by his good friends in Manchester Orchestra, the album was leaked nearly two months before it's scheduled release. Leak or not, the album was released in April and many were quick to praise it. The album featured two songs featured on EP's released prior to the record with "Another Bag of Bones" and "I Could Be With Anyone". The album has a bit more of a political message than the previous releases with songs like "Another Bag of Bones", "Brothers Blood", and "All Of Everything, Erased" but that's not a bad thing. Most of Kevin's albums usually feature a few political songs thrown in there but when he does it it never seems forced which is what I love about Kevin's writing. The album proves why many have compared Kevin to the late Elliott Smith, seeing as Kevin leaves it all on the paper and shows no mercy on what he says about himself or the current state of things as they are. "Brothers Blood" is no different than the rest of Kevin's albums in that he digs deep into the core of himself and lets everyone know just how he feels about just about everything. Kevin Devine is one of the best songwriters of our time and this album is concrete evidence of that fact.

3. Curse Your Branches by David Bazan
David Bazan has by far one of the most interesting musical careers out there. Starting in 1995 with the Christian Indie Rock band Pedro The Lion, Bazan has always had a way of combining religion and politics seemingly effortlessly into his music. Bazan was somewhat of a figurehead to Christian music on the indie scene for nearly a decade until Pedro The Lion split in 2006. Bazan released the solo EP "Fewer Moving Parts" which just as Pedro The Lion did, dwelved deep into the personal life of Bazan, even going into the breakup of the band. It took what many felt like an eternity for Bazan to release a full length album and when he did many were shocked with what it actually was. What it was was "Curse Your Branches", the album that proved to be David Bazan's most personal album to date. Bazan, now an Agnostic, covers the topic of religion in ways that he never did before in songs such as "Hard to Be" and "Curse Your Branches", deals with his battle against alcoholism, and more. Bazan wrote an album that makes you look deep into the core of all of your inner thoughts and ask yourself "What is the really all about?" David Bazan's first full length solo album took the expectations and absolutely crushed them. Bazan made his best record to date and makes us all realize just how personal music can truly get.

2. Mean Everything to Nothing by Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra released their debut album 'I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child' wayyy back in 2006. Since the release of the album the band has been touring non-stop, to the degree where one doesn't even see how they have time to write a new album, let alone record it. Regardless of how busy the Atlanta band was in their past few years the did in fact manage to write a new album, and it was absolutely immense. How Andy Hull can encapsulate a lifetime of heartache and sorrow into such few words, and at such a young age, is absolutely mind blowing. Between the groundshaking lyrics that are sung by Andy that range from soft and smooth to the voice of an angst driven powerhouse and the mixture of super distorted guitars with the brilliantly calculated changes to soft and melodic fingerpicking, the band creates a sound that can't be paralleled. At moments you could swear you were listening to Nirvana with the heavy kick drum in the back or even Weezer in the Pinkerton era. The band can maintain a grungy, distorted sound while still kicking out catchy verses and choruses. Manchester Orchestra made a natural progression from '...Virgin' to 'Mean Everything To Nothing', what really intrigues me is the direction that this young band will take for their next album.

1. These Four Walls by We Were Promised Jetpacks
The number one album comes from a band out of Scotland that completely and totally shook me at the core when I first heard them, We Were Promised Jetpacks. The minute I heard the opening riff to "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" I knew I had come upon something brilliant. "Right foot, followed by your left foot" is how the album opens and the band continues on that path, walking you through an absolutely brilliant album. This is one of those albums where I'll always remember where I was with each song. I'll remember my reaction when "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" reached it's climax, I'll remember the chills that came with "Chances of being born, so slim, so keep warm'. Simply put, I'll remember the way that once "An Almighty Thud" had ended I let out a bit of a disappointed sigh because I was sad that the album ever had to end. We Were Promised Jetpacks takes it's listeners careening through a voyage with their everchanging tempos and vibes to their songs. We Were Promised Jetpacks create a nice blend of hard indie rock with post rock type sounds. If people were asking me for new music this year I was telling them about We Were Promised Jetpacks. Listen to this band. You won't be disappointed.

Megafaun: Gather, Form & Fly

Megafaun

Gather, Form & Fly

The story of Megafaun is certainly a very interesting one. Moving from Wisconsin, the band known as DeYarmond Edison made their way out to Raleigh, North Carolina for a new scene. The band released a couple of records and an EP before parting ways. While Justin Vernon (yes, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame) chose to return to Wisconsin, the rest of the members chose to remain in Raleigh and so became the band now known as Megafaun. But the breakup was clearly not a rough one seeing as Megafaun recently opened for Bon Iver on a US Tour. Megafaun is now arguably one of the best bands in the Triangle's music scene and Gather, Form & Fly firmly secures that spot for them. The album, released in July of 2009, is the sophomore effort from the band (their first album, entitled "Bury The Square", was released in 2008) and opens with an instrumental track "Bella Marie" which on top of the heavy folk roots contains violin and piano. This sets the standard for the rest of the album, as it continues with the mixture of traditional folk style and the typical 'rock 'n' roll' with a very well thought out inclusion of violins.

The albums great moments weigh right up there with the other great folk albums from more well known artists that have been released this year and begs an answer to the question of "Why hasn't Megafaun exploded yet". The band has a unique blend of folk music traditions with soul-shaking harmonies by all three members of the band. Songs like "Guns" showcase this perfectly with the harmonized chant of "All we'll ever be" which turns into one of the most beautiful combinations of cacophonous noise with the fading chant in the background. One small question I have is simply "Why isn't "Guns" the album's closer?" While "Tides" does a good job of showcasing what was so great about all of the previous tracks, I've always been a fan of the strong closer and in this case "Guns" was much stronger of a track than "Tides".

It's hard to pinpoint negative things about this album because everything that they attempt to pull off they do so effortlessly, even songs that seem weak in terms of the album itself as compared to the tracks such as "Worried Mind", "Guns", "Solid Ground", and "Gather, Form and Fly" still prove to be some of the best folk music put out this year. To put it simple it is hard to find anything negative about this album. Every lyric is heartfelt and sincere, the band has put it all out there and did a damn good job of it. They deserve all of their comparisons to The Band that they have received because they are just that damn good. If you're a fan of folk music this is your album for this year. Hell this is your album...period.

You can buy the Double LP here for only $16.

Rating: 9/10

Standout Tracks: "Guns", "Worried Mind", "The Process", "Gather, Form and Fly"

I and Love and You

I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers, a folk rock group from the town of Concord, NC, made their major label debut with I and Love and You and fittingly it is definitely their best album to date. The band, formed in 2000, has had a large and devoted fan base for quite some time and it is very easy to understand why when one listens to "I and Love and You". The band has headlined big North Carolina events such as Shakori Hills festival and even opened for Dave Matthews this year on his North American tour. The band has been under the radar of many for quite some time and now is their time to shine, with Rick Rubin producing the major label debut. The Avett Brothers create a unique sound with their seemingly easy blend of folk, bluegrass, and punk which provides a little something for everyone.

"I and Love and You" begins with the title track which is absolutely mind blowing. The track initially opens with just piano and builds up to something massive with a chorus that you can truly feel in your chest, "Oh, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in/Are you aware the shape I'm in?/My hands they shake, my head it spins/Oh, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in". The second verse has violins kicking in and begins the gradual build of the song. The part that really hits you in the song is when it kicks right back to just piano with the lyrics "Three words that became so hard to say/I and Love and You". The song is brilliantly constructed and definitely one of the best I've heard this year. The album continues with it's greatness, the next track being "January Wedding" a very typical sounding folk/bluegrass song which is what The Avett Brothers do best. The album continues trucking on with a perfect mix of softer, damn near heartbreaking songs, and high paced songs such as "Kick Drum Heart" which ends with a brilliant kickdrum simulating the sound of a heartbeat and the "The Perfect Space" which goes from a soft Avett Brothers song and halfway through turns into a rocking piano song with a riff that sounds vaguely reminiscent of "Werewolves of London". The song doesn't rely solely on it's swift dynamic change but also has the lyrics that The Avett Brothers are known for "I wanna fit in to the perfect space/Feel natural and safe in a volatile place/And I wanna grow old, without the pain/Give my body back to the earth and not complain". The album continues to bring both ballads and a couple of quick paced songs such as "Slight Figure of Speech" which features the Avett Brothers always amazing technique of spitting out lyrics at such a fast pace in a punk style. The album closes with another piano ballad "Incomplete and Insecure"

The album is such a huge leap for the Avett Brothers, not in terms of music seeing as the only different thing featured on this album is a heavy emphasis on piano, unlike their previous records, and an added orchestral sound to the songs, but more in terms of popularity. The only problem with this record is that it IS very similar to the previous albums, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This album is very easily accessible for those looking to get into The Avett Brothers but it continues on the classic Avett Brothers style which brings back their die-hard fans who are bound to love this album just as much as I did. The bands major label debut was essentially classic Avett Brothers, proving that this folk rock trio from Concord can still rock just like they used to on a major label. Do yourself a favor and buy this album...now.

Rating; 9/10
Standout Tracks: "I and Love and You", "The Perfect Space", "Kick Drum Heart", "Tin Man", "Slight Figure of Speech"

Monsters Of Folk

Monsters of Folk
Very rarely does a supergroup actually live up to it's name, and when your supergroup consists of Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, M. Ward of solo fame and She & Him, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket, some of the most well known names in the indie scene then you better back up all the hype that you are going to get, Monsters of Folk did just that. The self titled album which was released on September 22 is a monstrous album, pardon the pun. The album feels as if it was truly a group effort, each song has a different feel to it and you can tell that each member of the band put his own touch on all 15 songs included on this album.

The albums begins with a song that feels a bit unlike anything anyone in the band has done before. While Conor and Mike dabbled a bit in electronics with "Digital Ash In A Digital Urn" back in 2005, this still has a different feel to it. The song "Dear God, Sincerely M.O.F" deals with the ever present theme of questioning religion in music but definitely hit the nail on the head with this song. The lyrics that M. Ward, Jim James, and Oberst are singing out to God are definitely thought provoking ("I've been thinking about/and I've been breaking down without an answer/I know I'm thinking aloud but if your loves still around why do we suffer?") and are anything but generic. The second track "Say Please" sounds almost like a misplaced song from Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band's latest album "Outer South" with it's classic rock sounding riffs combined with the folk vocals. Ironically enough the song "Man Named Truth" seemed familiar to me upon first listen, then I realized that it was played during the 2007 Bright Eyes tour. Either way each song has it's own feel that there was a person in the band who came to the table with an idea and each other member put his own say into it, which is what should be done with a band that has such amazing talent in it. There isn't a weak track on this album and it's definitely credited to the fact that each member had such a large amount of say in the songwriting.

One of the things I didn't like though is how the album does seem to lag a bit in terms of continuity towards the end until it hits track thirteen with "Map of the World". In terms of single tracks the album does not have a bad song on it, but the flow of it does not seem right in terms of being on the album. It just drags on a bit which is the reason that I didn't enjoy this album as much as I could have. However, don't let that deter you from picking up the album because it's definitely one that is worth listening to, especially with the great closer of "His Master's Voice" continuing on the theme that the album began with of religion. The album definitely lives up to the hype that it was given and maybe a little bit more, but it is lacking that little something that makes it a truly amazing album.

Rating: 8/10
Standout Tracks: "Dear God", "Temazcal", "Man Named Truth", "The Sandman, The Brakeman, and Me"

The First Days of Spring
by Noah and The Whale

Noah and The Whale's "The First Days of Spring" is their sophomore album and the follow up to their debut "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down". Noah and The Whale exploded in the UK with the success of their debut, but did not get the same attention in the U.S. "The First Days of Spring" is to be released on October 6 in the U.S. and was released on August 31 in the UK.

First Days of Spring is quite a stretch from the feel good folk vibes of their first album, as this is a concept album of a break-up. While the idea of a concept album about a break-up does not seem to stack up as well to the great concept albums that have been released before, the band does an amazing job at conveying the emotion of the break-up in this album. If you have listened to "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" then you'll know that "Hold My Hand As I'm Lowered", the closer of the album, had a very somber and heart felt feel to it. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the album that was primarily full of feel good folk songs that became poppy hits in the UK. Take the vibe of the albums closer and that is what you get with "First Days of Spring" from the beginning to the end. The opening title track is oddly the way that I'd sum up the transformation of the band from their debut to their sophomore effort. It's about the renewal that comes along with the first days of spring which parallels the want for the narrator to be "renewed" as well but still filled with the want that his love would come back to him. The kind of moving lyrics found in "Hold My Hand..." from their debut are found all throughout this album whether it be the hopeless longing found in the first part of the album's songs like "I Have Nothing" with "I need your life in my life/So come back to me my darling/I'd do anything to be at your side/I'd be anyone to be at your side" or the pain filled verse in "My Broken Heart" with " Broken hearts are a fickle thing and complicated too/I thought I believed in love but I'll never see it through/Oh I didn't marry the girl I loved/I saw my world cave in, felt like giving up". The album isn't all about the woes of the break-up though, as the album reaches a point of renewal just like the first days of spring and the narrator fills with hope that he will move on, even though sometimes those efforts are futile as in "Stranger", "Last night I slept with a stranger for the first time since you've gone" which ends with "Oh you know in a year I'm gonna be happy". The album closes with the lines "Yeah i love with my heart and i hold it in my hands/
but you know, my hearts not yours" which so perfectly sums up that album that all I can say is once this album is released in the U.S. go out and buy it.


The amount of change from their debut to their sophomore album is phenomenal. Noah and The Whale deserve far more recognition in the states. Their lyrics give you the feeling like you are going through the same break-up that the narrator has, and when you can make a concept album that makes the listener feel as though he or she is immersed in the story as well is when you know you've truly excelled at your art. Noah and The Whale have done just that and made one of my favorite albums of the year.


Rating: 9/10
Standout Tracks: "First Days of Summer", "My Broken Heart", "Love of an Orchestra", "Blue Skies"

First Blog, WHOOOOO

So I've decided that I'm going to do a music blog reviewing some of my favorite albums and some new albums that come out as well. Yeah, I know it's such an original idea but just bear with me. Hopefully I can open up some peoples eyes to new music out there because that's my goal with this. Look for the first review soon.