I will of course go into detail as to why I picked each album, but since I know we're in the information era, I'll also include a "music for dummies" 140 character or less explanation as to why you should immediately go out and buy this music. Think of it like Twitter. For rocking.
So without further ado . . .
Smashley's Top 10 Albums of 2009
10.) Sam Means - The Sinking of Santa Isabel
140 characters or less : Former instrumentalist for The Format creates a 26-track opus of dreamy pop rock, six of which (finally) feature him on vocals.
Top Track : "Believe"
Oddly enough, unlike past years, this is the only Arizona artist to make my list this year. Many people know Sam Means as the bearded side of The Format duo, and who was clearly the Wizard behind so many of The Format's expertly crafted pop songs. After The Format declared hiatus, Sam kept a pretty low profile, settling down in Arizona but (as it turns out) continuing to write music. In April 2009, he released the song "Yeah Yeah" on the "Phoenix : We Love It" Compilation that was released by Stinkweeds Records in AZ as part of Record Store Day. It was a selling point of the entire compilation, seeing as there hadn't been much Format music out in a while as it was, much less anything that featured Means on vocals. I found myself skipping back to that song a lot, a controlled, dreamy jangle song that features some excellent lyrics like "Came along and you turned me on with a little bit of love and a little bit of yeah yeah." It took a simliar tone to some of The Format's slower tracks such as "On Your Porch", "Snails" and "At the Wake", but with a tremendously optimistc tone. Come to find out a few months later, "Yeah Yeah" was part of a larger piece of work that Sam had created, a soundtrack to an indie film called "The Sinking of Santa Isabel". The majority of the record includes short instrumental tracks with six full length tracks with Sam at the mic. It features members some of the bands that were part of the "jangle pop mafia"in AZ, such as Reubens Accomplice and Limbeck. Much like the record itself, it came out kind of quietly, getting a pick up on Spin.com and buzz with Format fans. It doesn't seem like anything that needs to be "blown up", but definitely a record to be heard. The short tracks are nice for those mornings when you need to be eased into the day and is propelled by the original tracks that finally showcase Means as an exceptional songwriter (as if we didn't already know).
I haven't done very much research on the film itself, but I really should.
9.) Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing
140 characters or less: Andy Hull and co. spill their guts all over this album in an incredibly powerful, nothing short of epic collection of rock masterpieces.
Top Track: "Pride"
Easily one of the most critically acclaimed, yet underrated albums of the year. Manchester Orchestra has eased themselves into mainstream consciousness by being besties with Brand New and coming out with I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child in 2007. They quickly became the kind of band you were excited to know, but that no one really knew about it. The songs on Virgin were excellent : raw, angsty, not sloppy but caluclated, with moments that make you worry that you're not supposed to be seeing so far into someone's psyche. The songs were great, but where there were loose ends in Virgin, their follow-up record tightened them up in a display of unmatched craftsmenship. There are still some dark tones to several of the songs, but it's clear with songs like "Shake it Out" and "The Only One" that this band is primed to go where Kings of Leon has finally conquored : into your little sister's mixtape. This is meant of course in the nicest way possible, meaning that this record is disarmingly attainable, yet secretly just as calculated as anything they've ever written. Andy's ability to pull you til your teetering on comforatble is exceptional, however I found myself relating to so much more lyrically and musically on this record. For me, this is no longer a band I want to keep to myself, nor should the rest of their fans. There is no reason that this shouldn't be one of the biggest rock bands around and I'm excited for when the rest of the country realizes it too.
"The River"
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8.) The Fray - The Fray
140 characters or less : No seriously, this is a really awesome record, despite (or thanks to) the ties to a certain ABC dram-com.
Top Track: "How the Story Ends"
There's a reason this band has done as well as they have : because the music is just plain GOOD. And for this record, the music is GREAT. This band seeped into all of our consciousness during 2006 with the runaway singles of "How to Save a Life" and "Over My Head". Almost every interview with the band included a "soooo, do you feel a lot of pressure with this being your sophomore album?!" and the answer was always, "yes, but we're really proud of this record." And they should be. This is a multi-hit, multi-layered collection of songs that come together without any hit of nervousness towards the "sophomore" stigma. There are very few bands that truly make their way into the hearts and minds of the listner, and I am hard pressed to find any song on this record that doesn't make me recall a memory, even if it's just something I experenced while listening to the song. On a more personal level, having worked at their record label, I was with this record from day one when they turned it in, investing so much into each song, each photo, each "sooo, do you feel a lot of pressure?" interview. Unfortunately for a lot of people involved in music, working so closely to a record makes your view of it skewed, either not knowing if it's really impacting or by some sort of bad situation that turns you off of the band. But for this band, I never ever had that. Sure, there were busy times and the day-to-day dealings, but from that first day and til this day, I am incredibly proud to have been part of it. These are really great songwriters who have the distiction of truly having a story in a sea of radio rock. For every band that tries to make it with licensing, The Fray did it first. And in a BIG way. And there is absolutely no denying that they are not some one-hit-wonder, but instead a band that people have adopted into their lives, including mine.
"Say When"
7.) Desert Noises - Desert Noises
140 characters or less : Proving once again that the "lonely desert jangle" of the Southwest is very much ingrained into it's local musicians.
Top Track : "Kelton"
These days, it's hard for me to truly find a record organically and be "surprised" by it. The organic nature of music is quickly dissolving, with every blog telling you what to listen to and Top 10 lists like this propelling bands in a buzz-driven-oh-that-was-so-last-year kind of way. I might be jaded by the NYC bubble, where bands can sell out 8,000 tickets over three nights here, but play to a 600 person room out West. Things originate here, and for a reason. That being said, Desert Noises is a band that happened sort of accidentally for me. A few years ago I met a guy named Drew Danburry, a man with an exceptional beard who everyone seems to know since he's spent a good part of the last few years on tour. He's known largely as being from Utah, definitely a sleeper state amoungst what's happening in Arizona, the OC or even Las Vegas when it comes to music. There is an ongoning mysterious allure to that state for me, likely because of it's heavy religious demographic and tight knit (or so it seems) local scene. Drew sent a message about a video he had directed for Desert Noises for "New Man" off their latest EP. I was luckily in a "consuming music" sort of mood, so I ended up buying their EP on iTunes after a few listens to the song through the video. This band is on the same label as Joshua James and Isaac Russell, an impressive roster indeed. Their tone is somewhat hard to describe, because I'm so quick to putting them in the vein of a lot of the folk-influenced southwest bands. While it's clearly there, there is a tone that is slightly different that I can't put my finger on. It's mysterious and dark, less "jangle" and more ambient. Unfortunately they seem sort of stagnant right now, playing only in Utah and not releasing anything full length soon as far as I can tell. But the beauty of this new blog driven buzz driven era, although having found this band "organically", they're able to be found on the internet and exposed to a lot more people. As well they should be.
"New Man"
6) Brandi Carlile - Give Up the Ghost
140 charcters or less : Finally proving me wrong that girls can't rock through outstanding songwriting and an unmistakably powerful voice.
Top Track : "That Year"
Many who know me well and have heard my ramblings on music are very much aware that I don't listen to a lot of female singers. I've never quite figured out why that is. It could be that I grew up with an older brother and existed in a punk rock scene for a very long time. The emo/punk scene of the early 2000's was described as a "boys club" and it very much was. I saw no problem in turning the "she" to "he" when trying to make the songs apply to my life and never sought out any female artists to look up to in that way. It's funny since : a) I'm a woman in the music industry and b) I used to sing that I never find myself gravitating towards female vocalists, with a few exceptions like Rosie Thomas, Sara Bareilles and Nicole Atkins. That being said, this is the very first time a female artist has made it on my list. This is one that I've known for a while, having worked her last record and only really knowing "The Story", like most people who heard it on the car commercials. We started working Give Up the Ghost and I heard it several times in my coworker's officies, finding myself singing along to more than one song. It had a familiar twang that I had grown fond of by living in the southwest, but with a mainstream attainability that sometimes gets lost, especially with female artists. Brandi commands this record with what seems like effortless and seamless pop-driven folk/rock/blues songs. They are beautiful and powerful, yet contained, in every single song. Through my many listens, I'd often say that a record doesn't get more perfect than this, and it's true, no matter what gender. For me, this album will change how I look at female artists moving forward, and I'm grateful for it.
"Dreams"
5) Fanfarlo - Resevoir
140 characters or less : British band, while drawing several comparisons, commands itself with tightly written songs in the sometimes sloppy chamber pop genre
Top Track: "I Am a Pilot"
This record came on and off and back on my list a few times during this process. Buying this record kind of happened uneventfully, happening on it during an iTunes shopping spree and remembering good things that people had said about them. They sat quietly on my iPod for a while, coming up on shuffle here and there. I started revisiting the record around CMJ this year. Although unable to see them live because of work, I found myself putting on the record in the early morning, before the chaos of 75 college students and a marathon of meetings and concerts began. It had a peacefullness to it, although sprinkled with an intense amount of instrumentation. I think my biggest "turn off" as far as adding them to this list, is that they are so easily compared : Arcade Fire meets Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos meets the Lead Singer of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I love all of those bands, but I was so anxious for something "new" that I discarded this record as being one of the most oustanding of the year. What I came to realize, after dozens and dozens of listens and seeing them live last night, is that while they have the characteristics of all those bands, they do it BETTER. Often times in the "chamber pop" genre, it gets so messy with the instruments and egos that you end up in this, although beautiful, jam session. That's not true for a lot of the music, but it feels like there isn't as much consistancy, or a need to say "dude, 3:30 is enough" However with Fanfarlo, they keep themselves contained enough to keep you interested in the beauty of a lot of what they've written. The songs become catchier that way and it burns into your brain like it did for me. There is no question now that this record should be on here, I just hope that this band finds their identity over the next few months in order to command the "chamber pop" scene like they should.
"Harold T. Wilkins"
4) Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons - Death Won't Send a Letter
140 characters or less: Midwest crooner with husky vocals and Americana sensibilities creates exceptional pop melodies with help from pop genius Brendan Benson
Top Track: "Tennessee"
This was a "where have you been all my life" kind of find when I realized that I had known about him for at least a year before I actually took a listen. Way to blow it, Ashley. Regardless, I was lucky enough to be there for this album's release, which has been on constant repeat up until this afternoon while blasting it doing work. Cory released an EP a little while before this called "Cabin Ghosts", which I didn't know was live until someone told me. His vocals are flawless and he has an effortless sensibility to him that is not easy for a lot of artists to achieve. While being sectioned into the "singer/songwriter/folk/blues/rock" genre, I just read part of his Wikipedia bio that I think speaks pretty well to the music : "Cory Chisel first connected with the power of song – and the spellbinding possibilities of live performance – through the music he heard in church. The gospel’s rich vernacular of loss and redemption also informed his innate poetic sense and lyrical range. “For most of my life,” he says, “my dad was a Baptist minister, so I learned a lot about being a showman, and I learned a lot about music. Many of the hymns from church still are the most beautiful songs I know. I'm thankful for growing up where stories and the pursuit of happiness were on everybody's mind. I think I’m still trying to achieve the same euphoria I felt at a very young age, when I would be completely taken over by these rhythms and these sounds and these stories.”" There is a timeless character to the music, with heavy organ driven tunes and vocabulary not often found in love songs. Several of the tracks were produced by Brendan Benson, who has an incredible sense of melody and I think really brought out a softer side of Cory. He's as commanding on this record as he is live, although still handsome and mysterious in that timeless sort of way. But with any luck, he'll make his way into the spotlight soon.
"Born Again"
3) Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
140 characters or less : Charming British and multi-instrumentalists expand the folk genre in a timeless manner of elegant yet powerful rocking.
Top Track : "Dust Bowl Dance"
I owe much of my favorite music to my former Epic officemate Rob. With his speakers being much more powerful than my computer speakers, he'd often blast some of the best music, including last years "Best of 2008" #1 spot holder, Bon Iver. In this case, however, not only can I thank Rob for introducing me to this band, but for going to England just in time for their CD release and letting all of us who had been converted to this band get a listen to one of my most anticipated full lengths (which I will buy next year, promise!). I had a few different EPs, some studio, one live as well as spent hours watching live footage on YouTube to find new songs. While this record is only available in the UK (in the US for a March release) there is no way that I could leave it out on that technicality since it has been spinning over and over. While this band has characteristics of other bands I like, they seem to have this incredible unique quality that has one over even some of my friends who I never thought would be into a band like this. They have a powerful presence, even with only four members and usually only powered by a kick-drum. Their is an aura of honesty with them, through their lyrics, the music and their stage demeanor that I think resonates with a lot of people. They're incredibly strong musicians who exist in this timeless and ageless place where they seem untouched by other artists. You feel every note and whatever pain was happening while writing them, as well as the tremendous joy the obviously have in playing this music. In their quietest moments or their loudest, they have a synergy that will make them incredibly successful, although hard to define. Regardless, I can't wait til the rest of the US hears this and can geek out with me.
"Winter Winds"
2) Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
140 characters or less : Brooklyn art kids surprise everyone with a beautifully written pop record and finally help put a face to the "new york music scene" (other than MGMT)
Top Track: "Hannah"
One of the biggest challenges of coming from Arizona to NYC is the fact that I can't seem to find the Brooklyn or New York local scene. I've met musicians and seen "New York" bands, but none of them seem to identify with New York the same way that Arizona bands do. There is a serious lack of synergy, even with a tremendous amount of resources for these bands, namely the fact that the music industry exists largely here or LA. However, a band like Freelance Whales, although having come from different parts of the tri-state area, seems the most "Brooklyn" I've heard so far. Many of the photos you'll find of them feature them playing on the subway, or on a street corner on Bedford Ave, or at Pianos. They truly paid their dues in the local scene, with shows that aren't as easy to come by. They have enjoyed a quick rise to notority, most recently coming off a tour with Fanfarlo and signing a deal with French Kiss. This has much to do with the fact that the record is just plain GOOD. I heard that the lead singer wrote it after a series of dreams and put it together on this record. It feels young because he is young, and the band themselves have only been together just shy of a year. However, the music itself is sophisticated and excellent, with the "young" quality being more of a charming naivity that we all remember from being that age. It feels honest and candid, without ego or any sort of reservations. But this isn't your little brothers demo tape, it's beautifully crafted, well produced and features some insane hooks and ambient instrumentation. It's something that I feel can exist in the Warped Tour world as well as the Coachella world, and hopefully the band can find that identity through touring and exploring the way that older bands have become jaded in doing. It seems to me, like the record, that they just wanna play.
"Generator^2nd Floor"
1) Bowerbirds - Upper Air
140 characters or less : While this is no surprise to anyone who knows me well, this band came as a complete and welcome surprise after seeing them live in April.
Top Track : Northern Lights
I realize this comes as very little surprise to anyone who knows me personally and/or followed my many (many) "omg this band is so good" tweets/facebook statuses/miscellaneous updates since finding this band in April. I talked previously abou the lack of an organic experience in music and how so much of taste is influenced by other people, but I can say that this band is my own and I've been happy to champion them since discovering them and through the release of Upper Air. As a matter of fact, I found them completely on accident. I was out to dinner with a friend who mentioned that she was going to a show at Mercury Lounge to see a friend play from North Carolina. At the time I was generally burnt out on shows and didn't really feel like going, but a few minutes later, I got a text from another friend asking if I wanted to come out and see this band play at Mercury Lounge. FATE. I made my way over there, interested in hearing some new tunes. I get to the door and it's sold out (bust!) but I wasn't super concerned since I didn't know who the band was anyway. I called my friend who was inside to come outside and chat since I hadn't seen him in a while. While outside talking to my friends, the door guy walks over and says "hey, we have a few tickets now, do you want to buy?" DOUBLE FATE. Since I wanted to hang longer and enjoy live music, I went in. As you can tell by the fact that they're #1 on this list, the band blew me away. I seem to have listed a lot of bands I describe as "timeless" on this years list, and this band embodies that completely. They literally live off the grid in North Carolina and draw no blatent parallels to anything relevant in my life, but somehow the lyrics and the music still make sense to this city girl. They draw allusions through stripped down music to the desert and the sea and the earth and I think that draws a sense of calm in my very hectic life. I think that speaks wholly to just how much music can reach to different kinds of people. They command what has been described as "quietcore", rewarding a careful listener with some pretty incredible music, and taking ownership of a band like this. I sat on iTunes at Midnight the night Upper Air came out just so I could have it for work the next day, which I haven't done in a very long time. The later part of 2009 was spent obsessing just as much over the music itself and seeing them live and up to this very moment, celebrating this modest band's tremendous achievment in music. When I saw them in July, opening band Megafaun mentioned how excited they were to play with them because "we only wish we could make music like Bowerbirds'" Few bands will be so lucky.
"Bright Future"
Til 2010. . .
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