Let's just get this outta the way: I am not a music writer. I've tried to write reviews of albums in the past and it comes out, "Ooh I like the way this sounds. Durrr... pretty." The end. I just lack the skills there. Well everywhere really but especially there. And besides that... I just don't listen to a lot of music. I mean I listen to music all the time... it's just the same music, over and over. At this point in my life I appear to have begun closing myself off, walling myself up, in my occasionally twee indie mope-rock cocoon. It's safe from monsters like Fergie in here! Oh sometimes a good pop song will break through the defenses - like the rest of the world, I do believe that I'm kinda sorta addicted to some Lady Gaga right now - but mostly, I just stick to my happy place. Give a big-eyed boy with a squeaky voice a banjo and a background of harpsichords and trombones and I'm in love. (Hi Sufjan!)
So. I'm not gonna be getting around to my movie-related Best of 2009 posts until next year. No way around that - there's still too much for me to see, and I still need to ruminate about a lot that I have already seen. But I can burn this music list off easily, because of everything I said in the previous paragraph. And none of these will surprise anyone who's ever noticed any of my music-related posts. I'm not even gonna try to review them either. Just representin'! These are just the five albums of 2009 that I have listened to the most and loved the most, and so on. You get the gist. Durrr.... pretty. Firstly, 5 runner's up:
Metric - Fantasies; Florence and the Machine - Lungs; The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love; Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You; and the Dark Was the Night compilation.
And now... My 5 favorite albums from 2009!
#5 A Camp - Colonia
#4 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
#3 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
#2 Yeahs Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
#1 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
.#4 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
#3 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
#2 Yeahs Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
#1 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
7 comments:
Ooh, Florence. <3
I am having the hardest time getting into Grizzly Bear. I keep trying because you keep singing their praises, but it's really hard and I don't know quite why. The closest I've come to a breakthrough is "Two Weeks" but may it's just because that's one of the more conventionally pop-like songs on the album. Good list, though I'm unfamiliar with #5.
"Two Weeks" was the song that dragged me in - it's def. the catchiest, the poppiest like you say. From there there was no stopping the hold the album took on my brain. Thank goodness for iPods because if I were planning the CD as much as I've listened to it since getting it I'd have worn out a couple of copies by now. But yeah, I can't really write a coherent defense of that, or say why I like it. There are moments where the guys are harmonizing through the album though that make me break into tears.
And A Camp is Nina Persson of The cardigans' side group with her husband and another dude and anything that woman writes, anything that comes out of her mouth, is WIN in my book. I like her stuff with The Cardigans better but I'll take any Nina I can get.
Happy to see A Camp on there and to see Lily A. getting a smidge of love!
There's no need to defend your love. I'd say based on finally having my a-ha moment over "Two Weeks" that I am going to keep working at them.
You should try listening to The XX, they're a great band and i think you will dig them. A good song to start would be "Crystallized."
Good choices, but best album for me this year would be Emilie Simon - The Big Machine. Freakin' amazing.
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