Best of 2009
Welcome to 2010! So as we enter a new decade, and a year which will no doubt be filled with references to forgettable Roy Scheider movies and the Bad Religion song “10 in 2010,” it’s important to reflect on what has come before. So, here’s my favorite albums of 2009. Of course, I can’t wait to spend the next 6 months finding albums I missed in 2009, and as such this list will become woefully inaccurate. Oh well!
Stay tuned for a top 50 of the decade list!
TOP 10 OF 2009
1) Nothington – Roads, Bridges & Ruins
Nothington’s debut, All In, was a solid effort, but it didn’t grab me in the same way that this year’s Roads, Bridges & Ruins did. From the opening crush of “A Mistake” (song of the year, kids), the band has definitely improved mightily. Jay Northington’s growl has softened a bit, becoming more tuneful, and the interplay between him and the other two vocalists on “The Ocean” is wonderful. The country influence is still here, and it adds a lot of texture to the pummeling punk anthems. This album, in a word, rips.
Choice cuts: “A Mistake,” “The Ocean,” “Not Looking Down” (but really, the whole album. GO.)
The rest of these are in no particular order:
2) Cheap Girls – My Roaring 20′s
First off, I love the album title. There’s something really excellent about it. It kind of gives you a good sense of what’s contained on this record. These 3 guys from Lansing, MI, play tuneful songs that call to mind, for me, early music from REM, though the vocals remind me more of Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz. Whether those are negatives or positives are up to you, but be aware that this record is beautiful. The low-key “Sunnyside” opens the album, and releases the listener into what feels like some classic ’90s indie/alt rock. Great stuff.
Choice cuts: “Ft. Lauderdale,” “All My Clean Friends,” “Sunnyside”
3) Austin Lucas – Somebody Loves You
I hadn’t heard of Austin Lucas before his stunning work on the fantastic Bristle Ridge LP with Chuck Ragan last year. After hearing that record, I had to get his latest solo album, and he did not disappoint. An album full of generally downbeat, classic country ballads that showcase his truly incredible voice. That voice is the highlight here, followed closely by the words it sings. He can be hit-or-miss- either you love his singing, or you hate it- but he made one of the best albums this year, and you should check it out. Don’t let “country” scare you away; at no point on this album does tequila make anyone’s clothes fall off.
Choice cuts: “Somebody Loves You,” “She Did,” “Go West”
4) Chuck Ragan – Gold Country
Not to be outdone by his Bristle Ridge partner-in-crime, Chuck Ragan dropped Gold Country in the early fall this year. More a folk acoustic album that country, per se, Chuck’s trademark gruff voice has been tempered in recent years, becoming notably more smooth, but without losing the raw-throated emotional outpouring he presented in his work with Hot Water Music. The songs run from the rowdy “Glory” to the quieter “Rotterdam,” and in general, the songs are all full-band efforts; no song remains just Chuck on his guitar for long. Ragan is a great lyricist, and his voice has spawned legions of imitators, but he’s still the best at what he does.
Choice cuts: “Glory,” “Ole Diesel,” “For Goodness Sake”
5) Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
I have a hard time still calling these guys a punk band. Or even a hardcore band. I guess you could go with melodic hardcore, but the legendary ad posted in the mid-’80s looking to form a “progressive thrash” band were fairly prescient; after two skatepunk albums, Propagandhi evolved into something else entirely, and are all the better for it. This, their latest album and first away from Fat Wreck, is some of their finest work. Four years in the making, and marking the recorded debut of second guitarist Beaver, the band’s attack is crushing and focused. The lyrics are typical Propagandhi: revisionist history (“Supporting Caste”), animal cruelty/veganism (“Human(e) Meat”), right-wing blowhards (“This is Your Life”), and the like. Political punk rock rarely gets better than these guys. Also, the hidden track is a cover of Black Widow’s “Come to the Sabbath.” YES.
Choice Cuts: “Dear Coach’s Corner,” “Supporting Caste,” “Potemkin City Limits”
6) Amanda Palmer – Who Killed Amanda Palmer
Who doesn’t love a good Twin Peaks reference? Honestly, I don’t know what the difference between this album and what a third Dresden Dolls LP would sound like, but that aside, Amanda’s songwriting is characteristically great here. The pounding-the-keys intro to “Astronaut” is a fitting, jolting entrance, and the set of songs that follows are some of her best. The songs are from all over her writing career; “Ampersand” has been played live since well before this record, and she says that “Strength Through Music” was written in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings. So there’s some heavy stuff here. But it wouldn’t be Amanda Palmer if there weren’t songs about tough topics, like date rape and subsequent abortions. Of course, they can’t all be backed by Beach Boys-esque harmonies, but props to Amanda and producer Ben Folds (maybe you know him) for having the stones to do it.
Choice cuts: “Blake Says,” “Oasis,” “Guitar Hero”
7) Fake Problems – It’s Great to be Alive
Fake Problems were compared to Against Me! after the release of their first album. This, I should think, helps to silence those comparisons, with the edge going decidedly to Fake Problems. These guys moved beyond simple Florida punk rock anthems to a more varied album that is a goddamned blast the entire way through. Chris Farren’s scratchy voice powers these songs, as the band blissfully lays down melodic punk with almost disco beats, most notably on the great “Diamond Rings.” And you can’t argue with lyrics like “Do you feel bad for the sins you commit?/Hell no, just the ones I wish I did!”
Choice cuts: “Diamond Rings,” “The Dream Team,” “Heart BPM”
Westbound Train – Come and Get It
Westbound Train. Boston soul/ska at its finest. These guys are on Hellcat Records, and have gotten better with each release. This album showcases a great mix of their ska, reggae, and soul tendencies, and even if it does provide us with another version of “Salvation,” I find it hard to complain about such a great song being available in multiple versions (see: the Bosstones’ “Dogs & Chaplains”). It’s unfortunate that the band is going on hiatus for now, but at least they left us with this great record to remember them by.
Choice cuts: “I Don’t Belong Here,” “Check Your Time,” “Come and Get It”
9) Teenage Bottlerocket – They Came From the Shadows
Teenage Bottlerocket are the reigning kings of Ramones-core pop-punk. No one that I’m aware of currently is doing it as well as these 4 guys from Wyoming. And here, on their Fat Wreck debut, they kick it up a notch, turning in what I will say is their best set of songs. The bravado in songs like “Skate or Die” and “Bigger Than Kiss” add a welcome element to the band’s lyrics, and the back and forth between Kody and Ray keeps things fresh throughout. Another great record from these guys.
Choice cuts: “Skate or Die,” “Bigger Than Kiss,” “Do What?”
10) The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Pin Points & Gin Joints
The new album from Boston’s Mighty Mighty Bosstones is fantastic. No one does third wave ska like these guys, and the addition of a full-time keyboard player has really added a lot to their sound. The album lacks a lot of the metal influences that characterized their early work, but aside from that minor fact, the album is gold front-to-back. Contender for AOTY? You bet your ass it is. The album-closing “A Pretty Sad Excuse” is pretty epic.
Choice cuts: “I Wrote It,” “A Pretty Sad Excuse,” “The Route That I Took”
10 Runner-Ups
11) Cobra Skulls – American Rubicon
12) Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves – self-titled
13) Morrissey – Years of Refusal
14) Dear Landlord – Dream Homes
15) The Marked Men – Ghosts
16) Banner Pilot – Collapser
17) The Sidekicks – Weight of Air
18) American Steel – Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts
19) Bishop Allen – Grr
20) Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Linx pt. 2
Honorable Mention
Pet Shop Boys – Yes
The Riverdales – Invasion USA
O Pioneers!!! – Neon Creeps
NOFX – Coaster/Frisbee
The Lonely Island – Incredibad
Frank Turner – Poetry of the Deed
Broadway Calls – Good Views, Bad News
DEATH – For the Whole World to See
The Have Nots – Serf City USA
North Lincoln – Midwestern Blood
Jon Snodgrass – Visitor’s Band
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Best EPs of 2009
The Shortcuts – 30 Pack EP
That this band has broken up was one of the biggest bummers of the year for me. I’d always hoped they’d make it to Boston one day, so I could shout along with the songs and point to the sky excitedly (I love pop-punk). Alas, it’s not to be, but at least they left us with this great set of songs.
The Lawrence Arms – Buttsweat & Tears 7″
Naked Raygun – 7″ Series vol. 1
Small Brown Bike – Composite 7″
Classics of Love – Walking in Shadows
The Copyrights/The Dopamines – Songs About Fucking Up
Mike Hale/Joey Cape – Under the Influence
The Menzingers – Hold on, Dodge 7″
Mockingbird Wish Me Luck – Goodbye Debris EP
Albums I Want to Stop Hearing About
Them Crooked Vultures – self-titled
Seriously, fuck these guys. The Foo Fighters suck. I don’t like QotSA. And a member of Led Zeppelin in a band doesn’t make it good.