For all of 2009’s challenges and general gloominess, it turns out that we cranked out a pretty fantastic year in music.  And, I’m happy to rip off Bob Dylan to report, “Yeah, well, you know, this isn’t British music – this is American music”.  With the exception of Phoenix.  But they’re French.  And we’ve never really counted the French for much anyway.  Regardless, check out the list…

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10b.  Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
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10a.  Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

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9.  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below

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8.  Black Crowes – Before the Frost…Until the Freeze

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7.  The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You
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6.  Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

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5.  The Dead Weather – Horehound

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4.  White Denim - Fits
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3.  The Strange Boys – And Girls Club

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2.  Dawes – North Hills

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1.  Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest




Animal Collective sucks.  Listen to Grizzly Bear.

Just about every ‘best of’ list seems to have Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion at the top (with the exception of our friends at Aquarium Drunkard).  Let’s all say what we really think about this record.  It’s just noise!  Let’s not mistake that for anything groundbreaking, or overly creative.  Music that’s tough to access is not necessarily good art.  Sometimes it’s just complicated drivel.  Maybe it’s just me. 

On the other hand, Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest was a stunningly impressive leap  for a band that was already pretty interesting.  This record is simple, complex, heartachingly sad and triumphant – sometimes at the same time.  “While You Wait For The Others” and “Ready, Able” carry the quiet confidence of a band that is pushing forward.  And when it’s all said and done, Ed Droste and company manage to make it sound easy, in spite of the fact that Veckatimest feels like it was born out of the ashes of painful meditations on a lifetime of mistakes that have been made.  What’s great about this record is that Grizzly Bear, in the end, chooses to focus on the humanity and beauty in those mistakes; the lessons learned and the promise of a brighter day.  Which is exactly what we needed. 
 


Comments

Matt Deen
01/13/2010 14:41

What! No Bon Iver? Judging by a couple of my other favs on your list, I must check out Grizzly Bear.

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Phil P.
01/13/2010 17:01

Love Bon Iver, but couldn't bring myself to include a 4 song EP in such a great year. White Denim (#4) is playing at the Casbah on Saturday if you're interested....good band....

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Brent Cameron
01/27/2010 14:17

No Monsters of Folk?? That was a great album! My list would have included them, Dan Auerbach’s solo album Keep it Hid, and Deer Tick’s Born on Flag Day. I hate to ride the black keys train, but I would also have to add Patrick’s solo band Drummer to my list. Their album Feel Good Together was a great album that sounds completely different from anything remotely close to the Black Keys.

I do agree that people need to stop sucking Animal Collectives balls. I saw them a few times this year live, and granted it was during the daytime, which their music just does not transcribe that well in daylight, but it just didn’t do it for me. If you really want to put something “different” on the list I would recommend Dan Deacon’s album Bromst.

Another surprising album that I really liked this year, was Jay Reatard’s album Watch Me Fall. It is a great punk album that sounds as if it could have come from the mid to late 70’s.

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Phil P.
02/01/2010 07:20

Yeah - I'm with you on Monsters of Folk, this was just a great year. Tough calls all around.

RIP Jay Reatard.

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Nike Jordan link
02/18/2011 19:10

I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.

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