by Brian Dubin
I can't believe that it's the end of the decade! Time really does fly. This year was a pretty banner year for new releases from all across the board. I think that this years list has a pretty wide variety of bands, some of which are well known, others are definitely not. Here is my top 10 favorite albums of 2009 in no particular order.
(Note: I talk about LP's mostly because I don't like buying CD's, however all of these albums are readily available on CD for those of you that don't buy records.)
KING OF JEANS by PISSED JEANS
To me, this is thee best rock album not only of the year, but of the entire decade. I stand by that statement 110%. Pissed Jeans have really come into their own with this record. King of Jeans is exactly what the world needs...a rock record. It's not indie, it's not punk, it's not artsy fartsy, it's rock and I wish there were more bands that kicked your ass as much as this band does. I could go through and tell you what songs I like most etc etc, but I feel there is no need to as every song on this record is equally as impressive as the next. The song titles and lyrics have gotten even smarter and wittier (Goodbye (Hair) being my favorite of them all) and the artwork for the record is pretty genius as well. If you don't know about this band, now is the time to learn. This is easily Pissed Jeans' finest recording to date as it really captures the raw live energy of the band.
LOCAL FLAVOR by BLUES CONTROL
I had seen Blues Control once or twice and didn't think much of them honestly. This year, a friend of mine said to me, "Hey, have you heard the new Blues Control record?" My response being, "I don't really like them." He proceeds with, "I think you'll like this record. A lot." He was dead on. He put on the epic 20 minute "On Through the Night" and I was transported to another dimension. This is a 4 song album (or maybe a EP, I don't know) that is mostly comprised of ambient drone with some guitar parts thrown in here and there. It's really incredible. I probably listened to the album upwards of 30 or 40 times when I got it, I was unconditionally hooked. It always makes me happy when bands take their influences and use them to make something original, not just another cookie-cutter band that sounds like everything else. I also want to mention (because I think it's incredible) that the cover is drawn by Octavius Neveaux. I don't know him or anything, but I was pointed in the direction of his art and it is really mind-blowing, so check it out if you have a minute (he has a blog).
CHILDISH PRODIGY by KURT VILE
I don't think that I had heard of Kurt Vile before this year. Actually, I am sure I hadn't. Within a matter of months Kurt was everywhere, and for good reason. His Constant Hitmaker CD was re-released this year and he was quickly signed to Matador. Then Childish Prodigy came out. Wow. Talk about an album I had on repeat. Childish Prodigy has the makings of a classic rock album, though is wholly unique. The songs sound familiar, but they are new, different and catchy as hell. There are full on rock songs on this record, acoustic folk-type songs and a few weird jams sprinkled throughout. I know that doesn't sound like it would be a cohesive album, but it most definitely is.
SEA VOIDS by PONTIAK
Pontiak might be one of the most prolific bands of the last year and a half, putting out 2 albums and a split with Arbouretum. Made up of the brothers Carney who all, at one point, lived here in Baltimore. I was thinking about reviewing their album Maker, which is also excellent, but this album really grabbed me when I heard it. Unlike Maker, Sea Voids is a record that is incredibly consistent and has some amazingly catchy songs, while also have some downright heavy/dirge songs as well. There is a really great balance of musicianship here. Pontiak are making a name for themselves and deservedly so. If they happen to come through your town (they very well might as they tour a lot), go see them. Their live show is just as brutal as their recordings.
HORRIBLES PARADE BY GARY WAR
"What the hell is this?" was my first response to hearing Horribles Parade. There is so much going on, everything sounded so fucked up, but underneath all of the weird synthesizer sounds, garbled/delayed vocals and electronic drums there are really incredible pop songs hidden beneath all of the chaos. Then it clicked because I realized I had seen him play at Whartscape this past summer and thought it was pretty awesome. At one point years ago, Gary War played with and early version of Ariel Pink's live band and it shows in his music. It doesn't sound like Ariel Pink, but has that same bizarre pop sensibility that Ariel Pink has, which is something that I love. I like pop music a lot, but I like it to be thoughtful and creative and this is just that. It's pop music for people who like to be challenged and want to hear something different.
TRIP, TRANCE AND TRAVELLING by PAINTBOX
For those of you who don't know, Paintbox are a crust/punk/hardcore band from Japan. They have been around for at least 10 years, most likely more. I don't know for sure and there is little information about their history on the internet in English. I was turned on to this record by my friend Tony. He was raving about how awesome this album is and how I would dig it. I took him up on his advice and purchased a copy of it. This is one hell of an album. From hardcore punk, to thrash, to melodic Jpop songs, to traditional Japanese music. If an album were to "cover the spectrum of all types of music" this may be one of the top ones. Every song is something different and every song is solid. Interestingly enough, this band used to exclusively be a hardcore/punk band. They still have that hardcore punk sound, but it's now intertwined with a variety of different genres and styles to make something very familiar sounding while also being unique.
ONNA by ONNA
Keizo Miyanishi was, in the early 1980's, a very well-known underground manga artist. He gave up the world of cartooning to focus on making some of the most odd, innovative and psychedelic music to appear during the time. All of the songs on this release are Miyanishi on guitar/vocals/bass and a drum machine, which is one of the most tripped-out parts of the recording. The songs are slow paced and have a beautiful, yet very eerie vibe to them. This release is definitely something that might be an acquired taste, but after a few listens, it becomes obvious that Miyanishi is an incredibly innovative songwriter. Remember now, this was recorded in the early 80s and sounds as such. This re-issue features two tracks from Miyanishi's 1983 studio 7", two outtakes from Katawa (a solo piece from an obscure cassette release), and 4 live tracks from a 1983 live show featuring Michio Kurihara (who went on to be in White Heaven, Ghost and Boris) on second guitar.
TREEG SALAAM by GROUP DOUEH
This is the follow up to Group Doueh's first release, which received some critical acclaim, and rightly so. Group Doueh are a group from the Western Sahara that play a raw style of Saharawi music. The music is very traditional, though has its obvious Western influences. Regardless, this is an incredible record. Amazingly enough, the group has taken what it did on it's original release and expanded upon it. Treeg Salaam, which means "Streets of Peace" is quite a record. The songs are captivating and keep you fully entranced. The first side of the album takes off where their first record "Guitar Music of the Western Sahara" left off. The second side is a 20 minute psychedelic, droney, slow burner called Tazit Kalifa. This record is nothing short of epic.
SONG OF THE PEARL by ARBOURETUM
This is the third release from Baltimore stalwarts Arbourteum. Song of the Pearl finds Arbouretum with a finely tuned line-up and some of the best songwriting to date. The songs range from beautiful folksy ballads to one of my favorite barn burners on the album, "Infinite Corridors," which is the most fuzzed out/rocking Arbouretum songs yet. There is a shredding guitar solo towards the end of the song that left me in total awe. The album opens up with the upbeat "False Spring," which the band has been playing live for a while and was always a song I loved to hear. Needless to say I was stoked it was the opener to the album. This is a solid album and if you haven't picked it up yet, I highly recommend you do so.
DEADS by MAYYORS
I suppose you could say I'm cheating because this record only has 4 songs on it and doesn't even clock in at around 10 minutes. Regardless, this was one of my most listened to records of the year. I obsessively played it when I got it. Mayyors are a band from Sacramento, California. They do not have a website, myspace page or facebook page. Their releases are limited and bare little information about the band. This record was sold out before the band even got the records in the mail. But you can find the album online and download if you are interested. What I can tell you though is that this record is sick. The songs are short, fast and fucked up. I guess you compare it to Goat-era Jesus Lizard meets Hawkwind. There's a lot of crazy delay/effects on the guitar, the vocals are distant and somewhat garbled, the bass is pummeling and the drums are relentless. I love all of the songs, though my favorite song is probably "Clicks" as it starts off with this metronome-esque guitar loop, then the drums come in in perfect time to match up with the guitar. It's quite awesome.
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Over the next several
weeks, we will be regularly posting Year End Wrap Up lists from our
friends, readers, and regular Shank contributors. So please stay
tuned...
