5 smith westerns – smith westerns
Punk pop genius. This CD is what the Strokes, Hot Hot Heat and White Stripes wish they still could be. This disc is so under-produced, so raw it’s almost as though they just pressed a demo. The bass is WAY too low. The vocal tracks sound like they were recorded via a Telecaster pickup instead of a microphone. But I still cannot stop listening. These guys may not be the most innovative band ever and they certainly are not tailor-made for radio (phew), but their catchy hooks could get Bernard Sumner toe tapping. Be My Girl sounds like a rockabilly horror song. All it is missing is an old pipe organ. Seriously though, this is going to be some punk-rockers wedding song if it has not already been. The Glam Goddess has brilliant “woo-hoos” and the bells and stop-start guitar progressions on Dreams are beautifully executed. I swear the production sounds like they mashed everything into one track, but that’s part of the charm. One thing is certain: If you come away from listening to Girl In Love not truly believing that you’re the “girl in love” there is something wrong with you.
notable (assumed) influences: Buzzcocks, Johnny Cash, Joy Division, the Kinks, the Reverend Horton Heat, the Misfits, the Go Gos
notable tracks
4 phoenix – wolfgang amadeus phoenix
Pure. Delicious. Bubble gum pop. But not the kind that was created in expensive studios with soulless musicians. I imagine Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix being hatched after listening to countless hours of The Lemonheads, The Sneaker Pimps and Herbie Hancock while playing Katamari Damacy. The first three tracks are smoking hot. Lisztomania and 1901 are ultra-catchy dance tracks. Fences kicks the tempo down a notch and bleeds into a ballad-ish interlude: Love Like Sunset Parts I and II. The second half of the album is much like the first with gems like Lasso, Girlfriend (my favorite) and Armistice. There is not a hell of a lot of variation in the instruments and effects so some of the songs sound similar. It is a bit like they were playing with a formula and tweaking it as they went along. This time though it works very well and gives Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix a uniform yet unique sound.
notable (assumed) influences: I can’t put my finger on it for these guys. What do you think?
notable tracks
3 dinosaur jr – farm
Most of you were expecting this to be #1. I know. Farm is special. Farm is brilliant. The problem is that for as good as Farm is, it does not represent Dinosaur Jr’s best work and the top 2 do. Caveats aside, Farm is still spectacular. Kicking off Farm with “Pieces” was smart. It’s a pretty straight forward song. The lyrics and the changes over to the chorus make it interesting and replayable. The guitar work on this song alone makes every other guitarist on this list look like like they just started playing- and it’s not nearly the most impressive on Farm. “I Want You to Know” is typical J Mascis. A rock icon himself, his style reminds me of a more laid-back version of Eddie Vedder. He has the power to add raw emotion by barely showing any. The whiny guitars combined with the na-na-na-na-na-na on “Oceans in the Way” are like a delicious appetizer. “Plans” is where Farm serves up the main course. This is the first track where we get shades of classic Mascis from “The Wagon”, “Sure Not Over You” and “Start Choppin”. The track that initially drew me into Farm was “See You”. The song kicks off with an incredibly intricate high-end guitar solo before Mascis ever even says a word. The riffs on this track are the make it worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as some of their classics, but certainly not at the top of the list. “See You” is Farm’s second best track for my money. The strongest track – in fact – the best song I have heard all year is “I Don’t Want to Go There”. This is Dinosaur Jr at their best. The opening riff kicks your ass and reminds what that Dinosaur Jr are the kings of giant indie guitar. Mascis belts out the lyrics only to practically whisper “I’m Gone” in the chorus. The guitar work on this track (Fender Jazzmaster) gives me goosebumps. It redefines “epic” with a 4.5 minute guitar solo that not only ends the song, but deserves a nomination for the guitar solo hall of fame.
notable influences: Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Nick Cave, The Birthday Party
notable tracks
2 neon indian – psychic chasms
I got my hands on leaked tracks from Psychic Chasms before it came out. They blew my mind. This is experimental, but where Smith Westerns and Animal Collective fall short, Neon Indian succeeds. The untamed brilliance is there, but there is some skill in production and there are stories with beginnings, middles and ends. Deadbeat Summer’s snap beats and warbly melodies combined with forced-after-10-packs-of-cigarettes vocals are a perfect combination. Laughing Gas sounds just like what I would bet a balloon full of nitrous feels like. This album is really hard to explain. “If I Knew I’d Tell You” sounds like a bunch of rubber bands and spaceships. “Should Have Taken Acid With You”’s lyrics are ridiculous and hilarious. “Should have taken acid with you. Take our clothes off in the swimming pool.” “Mind Drips” starts off like a Nintendo game and the “oooooohs” and background whatever-the-hell-that is like eating 6 candycane Joe Joe’s. The title track, “Psychic Chasms”, starts out with a sound like icicles dripping into a kettle drum. I don’t know how to explain what is happening here. Just listen for yourself. Buy the damn thing. Neon Indian’s debut is not only epic, it’s going to be a bitch to top.
notable influenceshousehold appliances, workshops, saws
notable tracks
1 grizzly bear – veckatimest
PURE GENIUS. Southern Point, Two Weeks, Fine For Now, Cheerleader, While You Wait for the Others. This is not pop, it’s Grizzly Bear. I guess they want to prove that music soothes the savage beast as there is nothing brutal about their precision on Veckatimest. It never comes close to trotting so do not expect to “rock out” with Veckatimest. You are on a slow ride through uncharted, yet gorgeously unfolding territory. Speaking of territory, Veckatimest is named for Veckatimest Island in Gosnold, MA.
notable influences: Edward Droste says he loves Liz Phair and Nine Inch Nails.
notable tracks (sorry no lala)
There you have it! My 2009 top 10 albums. I would like to apologize to the Pains of Being Pure at Heart for being left out of the consideration set. Although I know their album was highly acclaimed, I simply did not get my ears on it this year. If you liked this recap, please consider sharing it on Facebook, Twizzler and tattooing the URL over your eyebrows. Maybe just paint it really big on the side of your house or dormitory. That would be truly sophomoric and appreciated.
I have been into indie since 1989 and became a disciple of WOXY in 1991. If you were hiding under a rock or just want to compare your tastes with mine, I hope you enjoy this summary of what was truly one of the most amazing years for new indie music.
10 cymbals eat guitars – why there are mountains
If members of the Pixies smashed into (the) Pavement in an epic auto accident, the result would be Cymbals Eat Guitars. They may have also borrowed a bit of fellow Northeast band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s epic feel. They are not afraid to get raspy or use feedback. Their lyrics on this record are not nearly as intelligent as Stephen Malkmus or Frank Black’s, but that’s probably due to injuries sustained in the accident. That said, they are not afraid to spew forth raw passion. This is the Staten Island group’s first effort which is probably part of the reason why it sounds so raw.
notable influences: Pixies, Pavement, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
notable tracks
9 Passion Pit – Manners
Innovative electro-indiepop always has a way of finding its way into my playlist. These guys have Berklee School of Music ties and delicious hooks and dance beats. Expect to shake your booty when you listen to these Cambridge, MA based lads. Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat come to mind, but they list Blur, Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Incubus and Blink 182 as their influences which is surprising to me as it is so dance oriented. These guys think they are punks. That makes me chuckle.
notable influences: Jimmy Somerville? New Order? Blink 182
notable tracks
8 Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
This album could have easily been called “Soundtrack for a Road Trip”. It is mostly easy going and filled with understated power that never truly is paid-off. This is part of the genius of the band as they always leave the listener wanting more. Popular Songs is the result of throwing The Beach Boys, Raveonettes, Belle and Sebastian and Sufjan Stevens into a blender. Luckily no one was hurt and we got the raw energy of “Here to Fall”, epic, open air back roads country feel of “By Two’s” and playfully delicious “If It’s True”. There is also a deliciously dissonant instrumental jam called “And the Glitter is Gone” that would make all but the Jesus and Mary Chain blush.
notable influences: Beach rock, Sufjan Stevens, Belle and Sebastian, the Jesus and Mary Chain
notable tracks
7 Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
There are points of this record that are SO amazing and points that make me scratch my head. This is probably what brought them down to 7. I mean, Summertime Clothes has the most amazing crunchy drum beat and ethereal keyboards and the best chorus they could come up with was “I want to walk around with you.”
notable influences: hallucinogens?
notable tracks
6 Built to Spill – There is No Enemy
More of the same from Built to Spill, but that is a good thing. This album has a couple of tracks like “Hindsight” and “Pat” that jump out and grab you, tantalize you but they are merely warmups for the really good stuff. Good Ol’ Boredom has a delicious hook, thoughtful lyrics and simple sounds, but complex layers that make you want to come back and listen to it over and over. Speaking of which, Planting Seeds opens with some of the most ear-catching, chunky, indie guitar goodness I’ve heard this year. That said, the song’s so-called end leaves you thinking “what? really?” and you have to listen to it again to figure out if it really was the end or if it just faded out. The chorus on this track is an underachiever’s dream: “We can make it if we try, but if we don’t it’s gonna still be all right.” Things Fall Apart has an epic jam in the middle (including a trumpet) that seems to have been placed into the track reluctantly, yet it works. Even better though is the middle of “Life’s a Dream” which reminds you not only what a piece of garbage you are, it puts the exclamation point on it with addictively “simple” guitar discipline. By the way, the aforementioned two tracks could be mashed together beautifully by an aspiring re-mixer. The combination of blah vocals, understated guitars and overall “meh” attitude work brilliantly on There Is Not Enemy. I still have it in my heavy rotation.
notable influences: Pavement, Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr
notable tracks
