|
|
||||
|
 |
|||
For many of you reading this, this is your first time visiting Brasky. We claim no precise niche here, but with us being a bunch of music geeks living all around Florida, music and Florida-related culture will be our focus. We will do our best to serve up content that is worthy of your interest.
The idea of a top 10 albums of the year helped spark the reinvention of Brasky.org, so we spared no effort in preparing a well-researched, carefully contemplated list. We hope that you enjoy this music as much as we have. And note, while we shy away from pop music because of its commercial contaminants, we do keep everything on the radar and do not necessarily dismiss popular acts (but trust me, we choked down some shitty albums during the review period).
Without further ado, here is our first offering, made from 100% Brasky.
| 1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion | |
 |
Following 2007’s highly acclaimed album, Strawberry Jam, appeared to be a daunting feat for this Baltimore trio. But in early 2009 the release of Merriweather Post Pavilion silenced critics, securing Animal Collective’s reputation as the torch bearers for the new age of psychedelic indie rock. The album invites its listener to venture into a reverb-filled world of warm sentiments and sonic fuzz, treating ears with subtle melodies washing thick ambient soundscapes. Vocalists Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) and David Portner (Avey Tare) trade choral duty, soaring over tracks with humble words that succeed in humanizing their creative offering.
The album’s signature track is the hit “My Girls”, in which gentle arpeggios lead into a echoey cries that assert a message of modest subsistence and simple living. The track gradually collects percussive elements, eventually blossoming into a foot-tappable celebration. Animal Collective manages to invent new sounds while channeling an unmistakably consistent aesthetic—all while remaining accessible to the open minded music listener. All signs point to Animal Collective continuing to weave itself into the fabric of this generation’s youth culture, perhaps gaining the acknowledgment of the popular music community. And we think they have earned it by being true to their craft. |
| 2. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast | |
 |
It is no secret to informed music fans that Andrew Bird is a virtuosic composer, producer, and performer, and Noble Beast was a 2-disc showcase that succeeded in upholding that reputation. A careful listen reveals worlds of creative detail, polishing beautiful orchestral elements with Bird’s impassioned words. The album succeeds against most any criterion, such as dazzling (and often hyper-intellectual) lyrics, loosely communicating messages that vary in mood as much as the songs vary in instrumental composition. Even casual listeners should be able to enjoy tracks like “Not a Robot, But a Ghost”, likely to remain unaware of the musical fidelity that earns this album our highest regard. |
| 3. Discovery – LP | |
 |
While it seems music critics are divided on that merits of LP, we are here to offer our thoughts on why this album is worthy of accolades. Discovery is the project of Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend and Wes Miles from Ra Ra Riot, featuring notable cameos from Angel Deradoorian (Dirty Projectors) and Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend frontman). What this album achieves is ambitious – creating synth-heavy funk/R&B music , daring to test groan-inducing clichés (such as vocoded hooks) in the pursuit of something accessible yet inventive. Chirpy, peppy synths seem intentionally lo-fi’ed while other poppy aspects push you to question the irony levels. But BRASKY asserts that LP is a calculated, whimsical foray into the realms of popular R&B and synth pop. Further listens uncover new layers of creative merit and clever arrangements if you’re willing to concede the benefit of the doubt. We think you should, because Discovery wants you to have fun listening to this album. So do we. |
| 4. The Heartless Bastards – The Mountain | |
 |
The Heartless Bastards are not like most of the artists on this list. Coming from small towns and small bars, this Austin-based trio is creating a unique brand of old hill-town blues rock in an industry that spotlights youth-charged pop and trend-fueled sounds, two elements that simply do not describe the Heartless Bastards.
Lead singer Erika Wennerstrom’s voice succeeds in magnifying the soul and passion from every instrument. While they have drawn frequent comparisons to label-mates The Black Keys, the Heartless Bastards’ style is deserving of distinction among music listeners. The music, simply put, is blues rock. That said, we can’t resist sharing an excerpt from the Village Voice that perfectly echoes this idea: “What we’ve got is a hard, gnarled voice singing simple-seeming melodies that feel archetypal rather than ordinary, which is no easier to explain than it is to do.” |
| 5. Atlas Sound – Logos | |
 |
At first listen, Logos might sound like a drug-sprinkled bedroom album, muddy and muted. However, the self deprecating intellectual behind these tracks, Bradford Cox, has assembled something precise and—we suggest—transcendent. Logos is a collection of dreary, psychedelic melodies that quietly but unfailingly transport the listener to some place in the past… that can’t quite be pinpointed. The retro aspect of Logos calls to mind the sounds of Dan Snaith (Manitoba, Caribou) while ratcheting up the dreaminess. The album does, on occasion, treat listeners with surprisingly catchy licks (see: Shelia), buried to the neck in swirling ambience and fading reverb (see: An Orchid). Bradford offers this album with no shortage of esteem, himself being a chief collaborator of Deerhunter, luring none other than Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox onto the album, among other cameos. Clout aside, Logos is a wonderful, mood-altering listening experience that comfortably earns its way onto our list. |
| 6. Nosaj Thing – Drift | |
 |
This debut album from 24-year old Jason Chung seems to capture and magnify everything that’s hip and trending in creative electronic music. Emerging from a fast-expanding west coast laptop scene, Chung’s style diverges slightly from the hip-hop-focused West to explore dark and acoustic soundscapes. While the beat signatures are characteristic of hip hop, the percussion is delicate, minimalist, and crisp. Chung’s songs consistently compel the listener with post-dubstep-like basslines peppered with natural percussion samples. On “1685/Bach”, Chung offers a glimpse of his potential for composing melodies with careful sequences that seem eerily well matched to the song’s title.
The success of this album should come as no surprise given Chung’s involvement and affiliation with artists such as Flying Lotus and Busdriver, but this album’s obsessively refined production is merit enough for our top 10 list. The level of detail in a Nosaj Thing track is humorously explained by Jason Greene of Pitchfork as the following: “There are sonic Easter Eggs for a thousand listens here, and it would take six pairs of headphones and an equal number of high-grade strains of weed to track them all down. Happy hunting.” Indeed. |
| 7. Russian Circles – Geneva | |
 |
Russian Circles is either a band of jaded deep-space ultra-warriors, or three men who listened to a few post rock albums and said to themselves, ‘We can do this way better.’ What follows is a list of twenty adjectives that come to mind when listening to ‘Geneva’: huge, immense, dire, raw, dirty, passionate, beautiful, startling, loud, commanding, unexpected, cathartic, powerful, organic, clever, epic, wanton, fierce, mindful, and well-executed.
The seven tracks of Geneva are all instrumental, fuzzed out, and full of lush sonic depth, but in between the strength of well-worn rock progressions are sparkling moments of emotional clarity. The quiet moments are nearly as loud as the most thrashing breakdowns, and I’m not referring to the compression of the tracks, but rather the way that this album absolutely envelops the listener, teaches them to listen closely, and rewards them with an unforgettable listen. This album solidifies Chicago as the undisputed mecca of post rock. |
| 8. Anamanaguchi – Dawn Metropolis | |
 |
It’s official: Chiptune music is no longer reserved for geeks and geek wannabes. In an emergent genre oft-criticized for leaning heavily on its novelty and not its music, the 4-man team that is Anamanaguchi dropped a fat LP of legitimacy this year. Grabbing some attention for their 2007 LP, Power Supply, Dawn Metropolis raises the bar with obsessive composition and hi-fi power pop. What’s perhaps unique about Anamanaguchi is that they are a performing band, not just a few geeks with 8-bit hardware. While this normally would seem like a recipe for a grotesque exploitation of video game nostalgia, Dawn Metropolis exceeds in masterfully channeling the essence of classic video game melodies and taking them to the next level with guitar-solo-esque chip rips and well conceived verse-chorus sequences. In summary, it’s hard not to get caught up in the energy of these salacious saw-toothed anthems. Listen to “Blackout City” and tell us it’s not the coolest level you have ever played. Cheers to Anamanaguchi for mining the potential we hoped lurked in the chiptune movement. |
| 9. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca | |
 |
The Dirty Projectors’ first full-length release with Domino Records is probably unlike any albums you have heard recently. Conceived and produced by a varied team of experimental Brooklyn musicians, Bitte Orca is a deeply explorative medley of tracks ranging from experimental folk, bluegrass serenades, and danceable beats. The choral exchanges of female vocalists Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian intermittently—and sometimes unpredictably—color tracks that routinely defy the predictable and test odd time signatures. These aspects make Bitte Orca a challenging listen for the casual listener, but not every track is without a warm, recognizable melody, regardless of how unpredictable it pops in and out. From these highlights the listener is introduced to the conscious evasion of convention present throughout the album’s (9) songs. Once this aesthetic is recognized and the listening mode adjusted, the album falls into place beautifully, showcasing the passion and creativity of lead guitarist Dave Longstreth and his committee of band mates. |
| 10. Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk | |
 |
Monsters of Folk is one of the most intriguing supergroups we’ve seen in a while. The name is fitting given the band’s constituents: Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes and M. Ward. Perhaps most intriguing is the duration over which this album was produced, conceived and started in 2004 after the artists toured together. Despite the choppy production history, Monsters of Folk is remarkably cohesive and aesthetically consistent. From top to bottom, the album is packed with plainly likable folk music, varied in style via its mixture of songwriters. We think it would be hard to find someone who couldn’t enjoy at least one track from this dream team of modern folk, and for that reason, BRASKY is happy to include them among the year’s best. |
| Honorable Mentions | |||
| It wasn’t easy to trim down our selections to 10 albums, and some albums were simply too noteworthy to deny mention. Here are some additional albums that deserve attention from 2009:
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career Metric – Fantasies Owl City – Ocean Eyes Wavves – Wavvves Dan Deacon – Bromst Passion Pit – Manners Various Artists – Dark Was the Night Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind Placebo – Battle for the Sun Various Artists – Peaceblaster: The New Orleans Make It Right Remixes Drug Rug – Paint the Fence Invisible Sonic Youth – The Eternal Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery |
|||
| Our Personal Top 10s | |||
The preceding list was compiled after the review of 100+ albums. Needless to say it was not easy for each of us to build our own top 10, much less merge our sentiments to form a collective list. To honor the respective opinions of each contributor, here are our personal lists of the top 10 albums of 2009:
|
5 Comments
All your lists suck.
So I put my hands up, they’re playing my song and the butterflies fly away.
I’m nodding my head like yeah
I’m movin my hips like yeah
Editing my stuff. Chuck Norris doesn’t approve
What about Gefilte Fist’s masterpiece “Go Back To Africa You F*cking Mexican” This post is a farce lest it includes that album. Chr*st!
OF*K!
I refuse to read your articles in the main review, derek!