Here at The Music Lobby is over, we like to wait until the year is over before we reflect on the music that's been released over the past year. This gives us time to absorb as many releases as possible as well as those with late release dates, and really get a sense of what the year had to offer. With this year, it certainly was variety. But 2009 had more than that. The top albums created a sense of newness, with sounds that really looked forward and didn't sound like anything released before. We saw this trend in hip-hop, techno, and indie circles alike. Artists in all genres really pushing sounds in new directions and defying any previous categorization. Are these albums a gimpse of what we'll hear in the new decade , or just a blip of experimentation at the end of a very successful decade for music. At The Music Lobby, we certainly hope the latter.
50
A Camp, Colonia [Nettwerk]
Nina Persson's second album as A Camp saw her solicit a little help. The self-titled debut was an out-of-nowhere solo altcountry experiment that guided later albums by The Cardigans. Colonia adds her husband Nathan Larson and Niclas Frisk in the mix to become another "band", but, to be honest, they both helped produce and played instruments on the first album. Their more "official" addition to the project certainly make the A Camp sound more versatile though, as the country and folk sound of the debut is combined with a 60s pop rock feel that is pretty damn unique, but very accessible. Nina's songwriting continues to be strong, and her voice is as lovely as ever. It's amazing what can happen when talented musicians collaborate with no rules and still make pop music. It makes us remember why we still like pop music sometimes. As the lead singer of The Cardigans, Nina's always been considered to me one of the most underrated songstresses out there. The A Camp project has only made me more sure of that statement.
~ onecaseman
Download: The Crowning
49
Cortney Tidwell, Boys [City Slang]
Born of a musical family, Cortney Tidwell is a special type of musician. A schoolteacher in Nashville, Tennessee, her family steeped in country tradition. There's a stroke of altcountry and folk in every note Cortney sings, but it's coupled with a deep appreciation for artists like Bjork and Mazzy Star as well. Because of this, Cortney has some very stripped down country songs as well as more produced electronic productions, both on the poppy and esoteric side. Altcountry and electronic pop playing off each other on an album for all intensive purposes should be a disaster, but both on her debut EP, and both of her albums, Tidwell has made it seem like a winning formula. "Watusii" is the most poppy on the album, with its hyperspeed video boring that premise out (one of the better videos of 2009, in my opinion). Opener "Solid State" and "Being Crosby" come more from her roots, and "17 Horses" is a much darker rock tune with driving percussion and guitar shreds, showing Tidwell epxanding her base in new ways. I could partition out each individual track like this and talk about its virtues, but there's simply not enough time. Don't Let Stars Keep us Tangled Up suffered from a too strong frontside and weaker backend, but Boys is a much more solid and varied experience throughout.~ onecaseman
Download: Oslo
48
Rameses III, I Could Not Love You More [Type]
Rameses III has been releasing music for a little over five years now, but they really started to make a name for themselves with their first release on Type, a collaboration with The North Sea called "Night Of The Ankou." It had never occurred to me that "folk ambient" could be a genre, but Rameses III are perhaps the only group to have made it there. Their earlier material had slightly more of an emphasis on the folk, but "I Could Not Love You More" is all soaring, achingly beautiful ambience. The best ambient music tends to lend itself easily to visualization, and (at least in my case) this is particularly true with this album.
~ playbynumbers
Download: All Shall Be Well
47
City Center, City Center [Type]
Type Records continues to challenge itself by releasing records from all over the sonic palette. City Center is another foray into the experimental indie rock space. City Center is Brooklyn duo, and there's a lot over overlap with what they're duo and some of the popular experimental indie acts such as Animal Collective and the first album by Atlas Sound. Drowned out, esoteric pop mixes with long stretches of ambience. Sounds that won't please radio listeners enough, but will make more open minds step back and truly absorb. Something about the sequencing of this album makes the appearance of simple acoustic guitar emerging from the ambience a real revelation. It's like rock stars emerging from the haze of a fog machine. The songs contain that same repetitive and anthemic quality of, say, a Panda Bear tune, but the acoustic guitar takes the tracks elsewhere, and there's still much more an element of freeform and ambience than anything the Animal Collective have done in quite a while. This certainly won't be a record for everyone, but if you're someone that loves Animal Collective, El Guincho, and the like, this is another facet of that sound you need to hear.
~ onecaseman
Download: Bleed Blood
46
Jon Hopkins, Insides [Domino]
This is the third album by Jon Hopkins, and his first in four years, though a couple of EPs were released in the intervening period. Hailed as a young prodigy, time seems to have matured Hopkins considerably. A good analogy for this album is Ulrich Schnauss's "Far Away Trains Passing By"; in both cases, a producer whose earlier material consists of uber-cheesy techno manages to create a breakthrough album with the cheese dialed down just enough for a result that's still techno-ish, and maybe a little overemotional or "obvious," but incredibly exhilirating and beautiful.
~ playbynumbers
Download: Wire
45
Dr. Who Dat?, Beyond 2morrow [Lex]
Jneiro Jarel's second release as Dr. Who Dat? is a far cry from the laid-back and lackadaiscal style of Beat Journey. Beyond 2morrow is dark and serious, a style he hinted at in Shape of Broad Minds, but always covered up well with the following track. Here's there's no relief to hardcore beats, not emotionless, but certainly not uplifting. Much less vocal interruptions and samples; this is Jneiro before his morning coffee. Jneiro's productions, even without his sense of humor, are slick. The beats are crunchy and mechanical as all hell, and a more inclined to score a dystopian sci-fi flick than a house party. These tracks are very short, but evolve in interesting ways, almost as if they're decaying until they interweave into the next track, which reinvents the whole thing. It's interesting to hear Jneiro take his music exactly in the other direction of some of his past work. It really shows his range as a producer, and hints at the sort of magic he can make when he balances things out.
~ onecaseman
Download: Viberian Twilight Part 2
44
Boxcutter, Arecibo Message [Planet Mu]
Matchmaking the ultimate marriage between IDM and dubstep, Barry Lynn creates one of the most interesting electronic albums of the year. Incorporating elements ranging from glitch to acid, and of course deep and dirty bass, Arecibo Message begs to be played over and over. With a nod to a few 8-bit and old-skool rave genres, Lynn masterfully encapsulates the music into one stylistically exciting experience. With a few drops of vocals, he even attempts to bridge to a pop territory. This is a must have for those a bit tired by the constant dubstep grind, and want to add a little spice into their daily muddled wobble. Good to know that someone keeps the genre on the edge of experimental electronica. If you like your dubstep with a zing, then Boxcutter is for you!
~ Headphone Commute
Download: A Familiar Sound
43
Ritornell, Golden Solitude [Karaoke Kalk]
Ritornell is a duo of two musicians from Austria that combine live instruments with hip-hop beats and electronic sounds from computers. Gerold is jazz pianist, and Eigner is a sound designer, both with some solo work and supporting work being released in the past, but Ritornell is their time to finally shine. Golden Solitude plays like avant garde jazz album with tones coming from different angles out of the speaker. It reminds me of Dictaphone, but amplified about three or four times, and that's a good thing. Ritornell float in and out of traditional sounds into sounds that are not lounger-based at all, and that's the real appeal here. It doesn't sound quite like what you'd hear in jazz club, quite like what you'd hear in a hip-hop set, or quite what you'd hear off a laptop. It takes elements of all three to make a completely new sound. For all of the "future jazz" that was being released a couple of years ago, there's been a real lack of quality material in that area for some time now, and Ritornell has given the sound a real shot in the arm with something new.
~ onecaseman
Download: Golden Solitude Pt. 1
42
Risil, Non Meters Volume One [Important]
Risil is a supergroup lead by Guillermo Scott Herren containing members from Battles, Sunn O))), Pivot, Savath y Savalas, School of Seven Bells, et al. The album is sort of a free-jazz inspired post-rock outing full of electronics and many, many layers. And melody too. Alejandra Deheza, Eva Puyuelo Muns, and Tyondai Braxton echo single words and noises over very unique soundscapes. Definitely not one for the radio. Great for the headphones though, this one hasn't left my player.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Was Once For Zanzo
41
Japandroids, Post-nothing [Unfamiliar]
So many bands get touted undeservedy as the next big thing it's easy to overlook the ones that really are worth paying attention to. That almost happened to me with Japandroids, a vancouver-based duo entrenched firmly within the "noise punk" subgenre, but that seems to have much more commercial appeal than a No Age or Wavves. The feedback is there, but manageable by noise punk standards, and the vocals drag everything back into pop territory quite easily. The songs are suprisingly strong, even though the vocals are occasionally a bit teenage. Post-nothing has a vocal and lyrical approach you probably haven't heard with this type of music in maybe ten years, and for that reason, they seem to get away with it, because what they're talking about is probably the same things you were ten years ago. I'll make more declarations of this record having a higher purpose than being quality indie rock you can maybe sing along to if you're not too self-conscious, but hey, that's a high enough purpose for me.
~ onecaseman
Download: Young Hearts Spark Fire
40
Nosaj Thing, Drift [Alpha Pup]
Nosaj Thing is Jason Chung, yet another of a long line of hip-hop producers coming out of Los Angeles these days. Drift is his debut album, and it's a dark, IDMish take on instrumental hip-hop. With heavy bass and synth work, this is not just another LA instrumental hip-hop album. It has its own thing going on. "1965/Bach" in particular has everyone abuzz, with its in your face 8bit approach. One of the more unique instrumental hip-hop albums to come out this year.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: 1685/Bach
39
Monolake, Silence [Imbalance]
Monolake's staple sound has created a whole new branch of style springing off of minimal techno. This metallic, atonal, and rhythm driven mathematical progression captures your nerve endings, and sparks through your cells. On Silence, Robert Henke moves further away from the four-to-the-floor pounding beats towards a dark, and groovy rolling pattern. The album turns into a soundtrack for an abandoned planet, on which a protagonist is trying to survive, among the swirling effects, and masterfully produced cutting edge beats. This is a true treat for all Monolake fans, taking the sound of the Basic Channel's minimal evolution to brand new heights.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: Null Pointer
38
Dorian Concept, When Planets Explode [Kindred Spirits]
2009 was definitely the year for Dorian Concept and I don't expect 2010 to be any different. Oliver Thomas Johnson has been taking people by storm for a while with numerous E12"'s and mixes, but this is his first true album. "When Planets Explode" is Dorian Concept's answer to countless YouTube live performances. It's a great release full of plenty keyboard freakouts. A weird mix of electro and instrumental hip-hop, not too unlike Daedelus.
~ gravelheadwrap
MySpace Download from Amazon
Download: Clap Beep Boom
37
Claro Intelecto, Warehouse Sessions [Modern Love]
Mark Stewart's Claro Intelecto project has perfected a particular corner of electronic music; I've seen critics call it "electro," splitting the difference between techno and IDM-ish electronic. Claro Intelecto was the best artist on Ai, is currently the best artist on Modern Love, and "Warehouse Sessions," a collection of five 12"s released over the past three years, is his best single release. This is music primed for the dancefloor, but perfect on headphones --- which is the original definition of IDM, after all!
~ playbynumbers
Download: Instinct
36
Yppah, They Know What Ghost Know [Ninja Tune]
Yppah's second albums sees him pulling in the reins a bit on the kitchen sink approach of his awesome debut You Are Beautiful At All Times. There's more of a focus and cohesion to this album. The psychedelia and shoegaze is more of a focal point, and the build up of the tracks is in many ways much more traditional. It's very much an instrumental rock record, just performed by a DJ with a lot more tools on his belt. Yppah is a new breed of musician, who's as influenced by My Bloody Valentine as he is by DJ Premiere. When you mix those types of influences together, it's hard to get something that remotely sounds like either of the two as whole, and that's part of the reason Yppah's music sounds so new compared to anything else out there. If anything, it just shows the possibilities for new styles of music, and that there's so much more to do.
~ onecaseman
Download: A Parking Lot Carnival
35
Times New Viking, Born Again Revisited [Matador]
Since breaking out with their third album "Rip It Off," Times New Viking have been busy. Two tour releases and an EP preceded their new album, and certainly some growth seems to have occurred in that short time. As intense and caustic as "Born Again Revisted" is, I'd actually say that it's the most inviting record Times New Viking has yet released. The vocals come through very effectively; there are pretty melodies and even some slower songs. Give them a few years and they'll be sounding just like Grizzly Bear! For now they'll have the settle for the best indie/punk album released in 2009.
~ playbynumbers
Download: 2/11 Don't Forget
34
Dam-Funk, Toeachizown [Stones Throw]
I've got nothing but praise for Dam-Funk. The LA beatsmith has been producing music since the late 80s, including synth work on Death Row Records in the 90s for Dr. Dre. His remixes for Animal Collective, Baron Zen and Cubic Zirconia have come to be some my favorite remixes in the past few years. "Toeachizown Vol. 1-5" is a collection of future funk tracks ranging from g-funk era grooves to disco soul. Its all nothing but nice tracks to let yourself ride out to.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Hood Pass Intact
33
Girls, Album [True Panther]
Girls is one of those "it" indie rock bands whose debut seems to take off out of nowhere, receiving quite a bit of fanfare and backlash. "Album" has, by my count, two of the top ten songs of the year; I played this record in 2009 more than almost any other (the only exceptions would be "Yesterday and Today" and "Merriweather Post Pavilion"). As someone online put it: "a perfect San Fran summer record, evoking a narcotic, sunny afternoon in Dolores Park, yet promising the eventual hangover of summer's departure." What can I say, it's true!
~ playbynumbers
Download: Laura
32
Telepathe, Dance Mother [V2]
The three members (now down to two) of Telepathe have quite a collective history of previous work; the Telepathe moniker began as a side project but has come to overshadow their respective bands. They've settled on synth-pop (plus ... hip-hop?) in "Dance Mother," which is one of those cases where the singles are so much better than the rest of the album that it's just depressing to think of how good it could have been. I'll put it this way; if you were to take "Chromes on It," "Drugged," and "I Can't Stand It," and play on them repeat three times, that nine-track "album" would have a shot at being the best of 2009.
~ playbynumbers
Download: I Can't Stand It
31
2562, Unbalance [Tectonic]
Dave Huisman's second full length as 2562 "Unbalance" took quite a different turn from the previously released and fantastic "Aerial." Going from a heavy dub techno influence to a more straight techno influence. "Unbalance" flows together like one long mix for the most part and doesn't let up. Many great burners. From starting as a dubstep alias with his more dub techno being released as A Made Up Sound, it's amazing how straight up techno Huismans is going. It's a trend many dubsteppers are going as they evolve though, and if the quality is this high, a welcome one.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Lost
30
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It's Blitz! [Interscope]
In 2009, Yeah Yeah Yeahs finally decided to fulfill the potential of their earlier fleeting moments of brilliance. There aren't many bands that could easily make the transition from arty punk band into overdrive synth-rock without failing horribly somewhere along the way, but Karen O is one of the rare lead singers who seems equally at home in both genres. Truly one of the best albums of 2009, yet (judging by all the year-end lists) surprisingly underrated.
~ playbynumbers
Download: Shame And Fortune
29
Few Nolder, New Folder [Planet Mu]
Planet Mu, after already establishing its place as one of the go-to labels for experimental electronic music over the last decade, decided this year it would like to take on dancefloor music as well. With releases by Floating Points and the debut album of Few Nolder in 2009, it might just take over Kompakt in a couple years. I don't know who dropped the tip to head to Vilnius, Lithuania to find the latest and greatest in dancefloor material, but Linas Strockis's mix of of disparate pieces of house, techno, trance, dub, and IDM elements is one of the best mixes of the club sound I've heard in years, every bit as startling as The Field. His "No Mo" single last year blew us away, and both those tracks re-appear here, but the rest of the album actually one ups them This is insanely inventive techno, house, electro, whatever you want to call it, and outside of The Field and maybe labelmate Floating Points, I can't think of anything in the realm of dance music that's this fresh.
~ onecaseman
Download: Chika
28
Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca [Domino]
At the very least, you have to give David Longstreth credit for sheer creativity. No one else can take perfectly normal, straightforward musical ingredients (clean guitar, female backup singing) and make them sound so wonderfully deranged. No one plays the guitar quite like this guy; his voice, an impossibly high falsetto, makes no sense and yet somehow works; and so on. It also doesn't hurt that the songs stick in your head for days. Sure to inspire a lot of hate, but for me, a lot of love as well.
~ playbynumbers
Download: Cannibal Resource
27
Silkie, City Limits Vol. 1 [Deep Medi Musik]
Dubstepper Silkie is known for his jazz-influenced dubstep. After releasing a slew of singles, "City Limits Vol. 1" is his first long-form release, and it's close to being my most played album of the year. All sorts of influences are found on this release, particularly jazz. And it's important to note this is still dubstep, in a year when many dubsteppers released what are basically techno albums with limited dub influence. "City Limits Vol. 1" is a great example of what dubstep can be, where it can go and how it is influenced.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Turvy
26
Tim Hecker, An Imaginary Country [Kranky]
In a universe of organic ambient sound, no one stood out this year as much as Timothy D. Hecker. His endless thick layering of pads and shoegazer atmospheres create an environment at once mysterious and approachable. Closing your eyes will help you steady the heartbeat, while sonic perfections will steer the way. On this album, Hecker uses a palette of carefully temperature controlled colors to slowly melt the pathway towards An Imaginary Country. A true masterpiece and a winner for Kranky - a Chicago based label that's maintains its stronghold on experimental and ambient music of the last two decades. Don't miss this one.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: 100 Years Ago
25
Hudson Mohawke, Butter [Warp]
Hudson Mohawke, outside of maybe Flying Lotus, has been instrumental hip-hop's golden boy for the last year or so. I've been looking forward to his debut album ever since I first heard the Hudson's Heeters demo and his Heralds of Change project with Mike Slott. "Butter" is quite an interesting album, and not quote what people might have expected. Tracks like "Rising 5" remind me of a futuristic Stevie Wonder while others are typical Hudson Mohawke-style. All around, "Butter" is a great debut, if a challenging one for those that have followed his career so far.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: ZOo00OOm
24
Mike Slott, Lucky 9teen [Lucky Me]
I'm so glad Mike finally released something lengthier than a 2-track 7". That isn't to say those releases aren't amazing, but this is a top young hip-hop producer not getting the exposure he deserves because of his limited releases. Slott is one half of Heralds of Change with fellow young producer Hudson Mohawke, and might possibly be the more talented one. His 7" for the 7x7 series on All City is legendary. "Lucky 9teen" is a nice mini-album full of a different production style from Mike than his last few releases. Tracks like "Gardening" and "Amanallah" really show the cosmic depths of his work and thought. This release is really a bit short, but any improvent is the release length department for Slott should be applauded.
~ gravelheadwrap
MySpace Download from Amazon
Download: Six AM
23
Speck Mountain, Some Sweet Relief [Carrot Top]
This is one of those bands that I just know will be mostly overlooked; Speck Mountain don't get too much love from music critics, and there's nothing that immediately stands about about them (at first!). Plus, there are 100 other bands that do roughly the same thing. And yet, there's truly something ineffably moving about their second album (though the first was great as well), particularly the vocals. A mood is evoked that almost transplants you. One of the sleeper albums of 2009, and a band to watch out for in the future.
~ playbynumbers
Download: I Feel Eternal
22
Lusine, A Certain Distance [Ghostly]
Has Lusine turned almost pop? Well, not quiet. If so, then pop music has never sounded so good! But peel back the vocals from the foreground, and we are left with the good old electronic sound of Lusine, known for his lush ambient soundscapes, organic catchy melodies, and solid punchy beats. On A Certain Distance, Jeff McIlwain continues to evolve his production skills, articulate composition, and unique staple sound, creating a downtempo album, with a lighter upbeat feel. Each track stands out on its own, begging to be released as a single.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: Thick Of It
21
Moderat, Moderat [Bpitch Control]
Collaborative albums are, as a rule, inevitably worse than anything created by the artists under their own names, and Moderat's first album is proof of this! With their latest self-titled effort, though, Modeselektor's playfulness and Apparat's emotional heft have truly combined the best of both approaches, and they managed to come up with one of the very best electronic albums of the year. Apparat seems to have built a knack for collaborations, with many vocals efforts on his last album (Walls), and the excellent collaborative album with Ellen Allien, with which this album is at least equal.
~ playbynumbers
Download: Rusty Nails
20
Clark, Totems Flare [Warp]
Last year we got a slammer from Clark with his Turning Dragon album. And it looks like Chris is not going to slow down any time soon. Dark punctuated electro and techno beats are accompanied by experimental twists and even Clark’s own distorted voice. With a distinct touch of over-compressed synth stabs, wandering acid arpeggios and schizophrenia driven rhythms, Clark scratches at the faces of all the confident IDM albums this year, standing out all on its own with plenty of room to slither and bleed. While Warp records continues to explore its pop and indie side, it is Clark who drives the label’s acclaimed electronic branch towards new heights and frontiers.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: Rainbow Voodoo
19
William Basinski, 92982 [2062]
Ever since The Disintegration Loops, Basinski has been impressing us with his beautiful melodies which he records on a magnetic tape and then splices into loops on his reel-to-reel. It seems such a simple concept, yet its execution and impact, although often imitated, has not been matched till this day. With 92982, Basinski digs up his earlier pieces, that continue to captivate me in that dreamlike state evoked by repetition, and slight drifting of sound. Beneath the humming and the hiss of this aged field recording hides a melancholic flashback to he distant times, revealing itself only upon continuous listening and complete surrender into the sound. This is another instant classic.
~ Headphone Commute
Official Site Download from Amazon
Download: 1
18
The Clonious, Between The Dots [Ubiquity]
I first heard Paul Movahedi's The Clonious project on the Yes Yes Yall's blog compilation followed by the "Androit Adventures" EP. Then, out of nowhere "Between the Dots" dropped on Ubiquity, and it's seriously a wonderful album. The sound is somewhere between fellow Austrian and collaborator Dorian Concept and Prefuse 73. Jazz influenced hip-hop without a lot of boundaries put on it. At times very forward-thinking and at times more traditional. Tracks like "If Joe Had The Power" and "One At A Time" make nice anthems. Definitely a young hip-hop producer on the rise.
~ gravelheadwrap
MySpace Buy from Amazon
Download: If Joe Had the Power
17
Intrusion, The Seduction Of Silence [Echospace]
Spearheading the output of today's finest minimal dub techno genre is a Detroit based label, Echospace. And Stephen Hitchell, aka Intrusion, is one of its staple artists. In 2007, Hitchell along with Rod Modell froze our hearts with Echospace's The Coldest Season. It is now time for the thaw. In a blanket of white noise and minor chords, Hitchell unveils an album that brings life back into our hibernating souls. By the next decade, journalists will tire of comparing these dubbed out sounds to the output of The Basic Channel, and will begin to draw parallels to the releases of Echospace, of which Intrusion, is in no doubt will be the most memorable.
~ Headphone Commute
Echospace Official Site Buy from Amazon
Download: Montego Bay
16
Ben Frost, By The Throat [Border Community]
Hearing Ben Frost for the first time is a physical experience. Your neck stiffens, your heart drops, and your teeth become super sensitive. Somewhere behind your back you feel the breathing of a wolf. His eyes scanning for that vein. The music of Ben Frost is the genuine experience of acoustic terror clawing from your ears towards your soul, each sound turning into a new layer of movement in this ambient hardcore ballet, dancing in the midnight with the beast. I was already impressed with Frost's 2006 soundtrack for the sterile ward of the unstable, Theory of Machines. Three years later that meditation cultivates into organic monster, ready to leap at you through your daydreams, and grab you by the throat. Hear what everyone is talking about! Superb.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: Through The Roof Of Your Mouth
15
The Flaming Lips, Embryonic [Warner Bros.]
I'll be honest, I feel somewhat guilty about writing off The Flaming Lips in 2007; who knew they had this album in them? Wayne Coyne is almost 50, after all, and I think I can be forgiven for figuring that it was all mid-tempo "adult" indie from here on out. "Embryonic" immediately reminded me of their "Priest-Driven Ambulance" phase; harsh, metallic, like an LSD trip gone very bad. Yet, you know, in a good way! Hard to believe that this band started releasing music in 1984; I was two years old at the time.
~ playbynumbers
Download: Watching The Planets
14
Kona Triangle, Sing A New Sapling Into Existence [Dealmaker]
Kona Triangle is a wonderful collaboration between beat makers Lone and Keaver & Brause. Lone made quite a few waves with his second album Lemurian last year, and has been trying to keep the momentum going with a solo album and 12" this year in addition to this collab. Keaver & Brause debuted last year with his excellent album "The Middle Way". The Kona Triangle release really caught me off guard this year. I had no idea this collaboration was in the works, and it's been one of the most heavily played albums in my player this year. Nice warm, summery beats from two of instrumental hip-hop's best young producers.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Shine Alight
13
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [V2]
I first discovered Phoenix with the film Lost in Translation. While "Too Young" was very charming, it's always a band I didn't think of I could sit through a full album. Their classically themed fourth album changed that in a hurry. With three years from their last album, Phoenix have semingly perfected a sound that is every bit as pop-friendly as a synth rock band can be, but also extremely engaging to a more indie-inclined audience. The fact that they can bait and switch between electronics and guitars and rock and dance music so effortlessly is a testament to their songwriting. Any other band attempting this style of music would make for very jarring sound, but with Phoenix it's seamless and incredibly enjoyable. While commercial television is trying to ruin the opening two tracks by playing them until oblivion over everything, there's plenty to enjoy further into the disc. Ditch any pretensions you may have about this album's popularity and just enjoy it.
~ onecaseman
Download: Lisztomania
12
Lone, Ecstasy & Friends [Werk]
With his compatriate Bibio changing up his game in 2009 and a very late release date, Lone's new album has flown criminally under the radar. Ecstasy & Friends is Matt Cutler's follow-up to last year's eye-opening Lemurian, a record that garnered a lot of interest from the hip-hop world even though his debut album flew under the radar. Not surprising, this album continues in the same hip-hop vibe as Lemurian. Slowed-down, summery beats, Boards of Canada-esque synth work, and well-timed tempo shifts dominate the record, but it's a sound that's so endearing, you don't mind hearing it again. There's certainly a sense of Lone settling into a formula here, and it would be nice to hear him evolve in the way Bibio and Clark have this year, but you certainly can't blame him for sticking to this sound when it's not remotely like what anyone else is doing, and it sounds this good.
~ onecaseman
MySpace Buy from AmazonDownload: Love Heads
11
Lotus Plaza, The Floodlight Collective [Kranky]
Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt struck out on his own this year with his first album under the Lotus Plaza alias. Bradford Cox seems to get all of the attention as the Deerhunter frontman, but Pundt is a key contributor to the sound. Because of this, The Floodlight Collective won't sound too different to anyone who's followed Deerhunter over the last couple of years. Pundt is largely credited with bringing the dreamlike, shoegazy quality to a lot of Deerhunter's work, and it's easy to see as you float through the album. Words like etherial and hypnotic are thrown around way too often as adjectives for music, but Lotus Plaza, I can't think of better descriptions to fit the music. Vocals and percussion are partially muted through the haze of guitar. When you take this type of approach with the album, really going for dreamlike, it's easy to put a listener to sleep, but that's what so remarkable about The Floodlight Collective. The haze is something you can hold onto throughout the album without ever needing a pillow.
~ onecaseman
Download: Red Oak Way
10
Machine Drum, Want To 1 2? [Normrex]
Lurking deep in the Brooklyn underground music scene, Travis Stewart, aka Machine Drum, delivers one of the freshest and upbeat instrumental hip-hop albums of the year. The production quality exceeds some of Stewart's previous output on the beloved Merck label, while the tracks, each averaging around 2-3 minutes, contain all original and instantly appealing hooks. Featuring a diverse roster of up and coming artist appearances, Stewart covers a lot of ground with 21 tracks, uniquely flavored with IDM elements, and even playing a bit into pop territory. Personally, I’d prefer every track on this album to be played on the radio over the latest trend of shallow lyrics and auto-tuned barking.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: Brighty
9
Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest [Warp]
Grizzly Bear make quite a splash with their 2006 album Yellow House, but what a lot of people don't know is that there's a lot more music out there by them. In the midst of all this music there's certainly a worry that the Grizzly formula would grow stale, but they've really managed to open things up here in a way much freer than Yellow House, and do it in a way that's both more accessible and engaging. The result is an album that can be enjoyed piecemeal as well as a whole, something I couldn't say about Yellow House. Normally, an album can be enjoyed as a whole or for a few singles; it's rare an album can do both, but Veckatimest is pretty much it. Take any song of of this record, throw it on a mix tape for that cute girl you're too afraid to talk to, and she'll think you're that man of mystery she's been searching for.
~ onecaseman
Download: Southern Point
8
Fuck Buttons, Tarot Sport [ATP]
The moniker that triggers my corporate email filter each time I recommend this album, Fuck Buttons does to minimal techno what Radiohead did to IDM – namely gets my indie rock friends to finally understand what I was talking about all these years. “Have you heard Tarot Sport”, they would exclaim, “it puts me onto a psychedelic trip!” – Yes! That’s what I was telling you about repetitive patterns! With Tarot Sport, Bristol-based Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung bridge the gap of noise driven progressive rock and hard pounding four-to-the-floor beats, to deliver an album that indeed takes you into outer space, with complex layers, fuzzy synth particles, and a full sonic throttle. The most exciting crossover album of the year.
~ Headphone Commute
Download: Surf Solar
7
The xx, xx [Young Turks]
The xx sort of came out of nowhere this year. The English indie pop band joined together just a year ago and is fresh out of high school. But there's a maturity to their sound and their influences that make this record special. "Crystalised" is one of my favorite tracks released this year. They bring a real mood to indie rock that is rare these days, and their's a soulfulness that comes from their love of R&B that really shines through in the vocals. I wish there was more to know about these guys and what their future plans are; I'm hoping they can do more with this sound.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Infinity
6
Prefuse 73, Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian [Warp]
I was quite surprised at the change in style on Prefuse 73's "Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian." Scott Herren's sixth album was more of a collection of beats and ideas than anything else, though Herren described it as one long piece. Anyway, I think "Ampexian" has been his most enjoyable album since "One Word Extinguisher." You get a sense that the passion is back for Prefuse, and that there's real sonic exploration going on instead of him going through the motions. The corresponding EP "The Forest of Oversensitivity" shows that he can still be prolific as well and keep the quality up. Our vote for "comeback producer of the year".
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Natures Uplifting Revenge
5
The Field, Yesterday And Today [Kompakt]
There are lots of things that one could say about The Field's Axel Willner, or about this album, but the most important thing is the track "Leave It," which intitially might seem to just be a really good track on an album that's full of good tracks, but then the thing shifts into hyperdrive (from 2:49 to 3:08) and becomes one of the top three or four techno tracks of all time. A worthy follow-up to his dazzling debut (From Here Go Sublime), and by all measures a better album. Forward-thinking dance music by easily one of the best producers of techno working today.
~ playbynumbers
Download: I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet
4
Bibio, Vignetting The Compost [Mush]
After staying dormant for nearly three years, Bibio's Stephen Wilinson released a flood of music in 2009 with four releases. Before moving into many different directions musically with his debut Ambivalence Avenue for Warp, Wilkinson perfected his acoustronic folk sound with Vignetting the Compost, an album that elevates and completes the work he began with previous albums Fi and Hand Cranked. Adding in more vocals and instruments than in the past, Bibio creates an intensity folk music usually can't hold in its grasp. The vocal work sounds as if it's always existed and is now just seeing the light of day. In hindsight, you can start to tell that Wilkinson was reaching the limit of what we could do within this style and why he's started to branch out, but Compost treads in so many directions even as a folk album that it never gets tired. You're not going to hear a more refreshing take on folk music.
~ onecaseman
Download: Flesh Rots, Pip Sown
3
Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion [Domino]
Animal Collective have had quite a 2009; their best album to date (Merriweather Post Pavilion), followed by their best EP to date (Fall Be Kind), with an under-the-radar limited vinyl set of their earliest material (Animal Crack Box) being released in between. The box set compilation really sets the newer stuff into perspective; you really never would have guessed, in 2002, that these guys would end up sounding like the Beach Boys, but let's just be glad they did! A great alternative pop album that I've been hearing on the radio, of all places, which means that the masses might be ready ...
~ playbynumbers
Download: In The Flowers
2
Bibio, Ambivalence Avenue [Warp]
Bibio's Stephen Wilkinson has dazzled us in the past with three great acoustronic folk albums. What we didn't expect him to do was to surprise us. Wilkinson, whose releases have been very focused from the start, decides to be scatterbrained on his fourth album, exploring hip-hop, funk, indie and post rock all within the same release. Yet somehow it works together as an album. I've had "Ambivalence Avenue" on repeat since it dropped a long with each and every other release of his in 2009 (there were four in total; yeah, he's been busy). Hearing Bibio breaking away from his usual style and moving into something different was an unexpected joy. Hip-hop tracks like "Fire Ant" and "Sugarette" are so different than what I'd expect from Bibio, and "Jealous Of Roses" doesn't sound like anything out there right now. What a 2009 for a superb (and now versatile) artist.
~ gravelheadwrap
Download: Ambivalence Avenue
1
Atlas Sound, Logos [Kranky]
Bradford Cox is the most prolific artist in indie rock today. He releases new music with his band Deerhunter multiple times a year, tours incessantly both as Atlas Sound and with the band, releases countless mp3's for free on his blog, and even records solo albums as Atlas Sound. Logos is in a totally different place musically than his last album, taking his sound out of the bedroom and into the streets and the living rooms of others (he collaborates with with Panda Bear and Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab on the album, and the results are fantastic). The tone is more irreverent, at times even celebratory of a deeper understanding, than the somberness and depression of previous Atlas Sound songs. The album is also firmly more indie rock than ambient, though those moments are certainly present. Cox tells stories growing up, growing old, and learning what life is about. And his stories are easy to follow and get attached to. Like in album highlight "Shelia", in which he talks about finding one's soul mate, going through life and ultimately dying, alone, but together. Or "Quick Canal", which states "I looked in the dirt and found wisdom is learned through a costly process of success and failure". It is no coincidence this album is titled the Greek word "logos". For body of work, one of the artists of the decade, and for Logos alone, the album of the year to Bradford Cox.
~ onecaseman
Download: An Orchid
Individual lists:
gravelheadwrap
Headphone Commute
onecaseman
playbynumbers
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