Is Feb. 27 Too Early To Declare Your Favorite Albums Of The Year So Far?

Wouldn’t Kuo’s be That Which Will Not Be Named*

* follow the asterix.

I am absolutely overjoyed by Lily Allen’s “It’s Not Me, It’s You”

@Jon W: haha true, i guess. although who knows.

So far, the only thing that I’ve caught on to (that was actually released this year) is the latest Telefon Tel Aviv album, but I’ll probably forget about it by the end of the year (I mean, it was released in *January*, c’mon….).

I’ll also predict the future and assume that the Superchunk EP will be right up there in my year-end list. :)

“The Crying Light” is my favorite by far right now, and I have a hard time imagining anything topping it.

By the way, how have these people heard the Neko Case album already? It isn’t even out yet! Don’t tell me there’s some sort of illegal media trade going on here!?

Oh… NPR? I see.

If Future of the Left get their new one out around summertime, as they’ve hoped for, then I feel confident in naming that my favorite album of 2009.

I realized last night that all my favorite music so far this year has come from women or bands with female singers. Like, ALL of it. Dudes is dragging me down this year.

The new Zu album (“Corboniferous”) is pretty awesome.

That and this CD by a band called Obscura called “Cosmogenesis” that is pretty over-the-top and fantastic.

I also predict the new Mastodon will be one of my favorites of the year, but I have yet to hear it.

so far?

prolly:

BRAN FLAKES “I Have Hands”
BLACK DICE “Repo”
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE “Merriweather Post Pavilion”
TARA JANE O’NEIL “A Ways Away”

and a few others, but i’m blanking at the moment.

Fever Ray!

Short answer: No.
Moderately longer answer: The new Belbury Poly album is tits.

I thought this was settled by the blogosphere last month:
[idolator.com]

I have no real front-runner, just a handful of stuff I’ve enjoyed and in many cases need to go back to. Just for fun, though, I’ll nominate Afrobutt’s Wunderbutt (my review here: [www.residentadvisor.net]), an album of disco cut-ups that hasn’t stopped sounding fresh after a dozen plays.

I love Robin Hilton and Bob Boilen at NPR.
I am looking forward to hearing some things (Neko Case, Fever Ray, Superchunk[!!??]) but I do feel I am connecting with the new releases from this year in a way I wasn’t last year, until some last-minute December discoveries. But I really like the M Ward, Here We Go Magic, Lily Allen & Pains of Being Pure at Heart records a whole lot. I’m sure there will be more that I have yet to find, which is thrilling to me.

I like the AC too; however, I’m still waiting for a song I love as much as “Purple Bottle” but it’s not happening.
Fun fact: I mentioned “Merriweather Post Pavillion” in my GRE essay. I do not test well.

Whoa, namechecked!

These are the records that have the highest score from me so far, out of 139 records reviewed

[9]
Antony And The Johnsons – The Crying Light

[8.5]
Jana Winderen – Heated
Nite Jewel – Good Evening
Zu – Carboniferous

[8]
Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 2
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
Boredoms – Super Roots 10
Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream
Dälek/Gutter Tactics
Dan Deacon – Bromst
The Lonely Island – Incredibad

no 8s in the alphabet after L. Weird.

Peace Love Weed 3D, Eliot Lipp

@dippinkind: Yes, the Welcome Wagon album is fine, godfathered by Sufjan Stevens. Indie-folk church music!

Anyway, M. Ward, Lily Allen, and I suspect, Neko Case!

Jann Wenner’s friends U2 got a five-star review, so it wins the Grain Of Salt award for ’09.

The Drones’ “Havilah” is pretty rad, especially “Your Acting’s Like the End of the World”. Pretty underrepped. New Animal Collective is really fun. Also, Zombi’s “Spirit Animal”, the new Odawas and …Trail of Dead are all pretty satisfying too.

No mention of A.C. Nemwan yet? I can’t stop listening to it- perfectly precise, emotionally complicated power-pop. LOVE IT.

I’ve been sort of lazy so far regarding listening to new stuff, what with all this reunion talk.
So far though, Morrissey and Antony And The Johnsons have been the most played.
I sense a gloomy pattern. Maybe once the sun shines again and it gets above 35º in Chicago I’ll be ready for some poppier fare.
I saw A & the J’s earlier this month and it was amazing.

i like the Welcome Wagon album… did that come out this year? i think it did, anyway, and that’s really all it takes to declare something my album of the year (so far) i suppose.

OH DUH. I totally forgot. My favorite, by far, and I know it’s cheating because it’s all older stuff . . . but it’s DJ Koze’s Reincarnations, his remix collection. No one in dance music (or anywhere else) has such a vivid, vast, genuinely unique sonic imagination.

@moomintroll: I saw Antony at the Vic too and he kicked my ass! Meaning his songs were really gorgeous.

all i know is that i just found out that Earthless released a live album late last year and i’ve been playing the holy hell out of it ever since. not a 2009 release per se, but i think enough people haven’t heard them to be able to throw their hat in the ring, M.I.A. style.

also, if anyone wants to hop on my “i don’t get how old man warbling vibrato in aimless, morose piano jams = undeniable genius” wagon re Antony, there’s plenty of room.

Morrissey, Lily Allen and M. Ward.

1. Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
3. The Lonely Island – Incredibad
4. Ryan Leslie – s/t
5. The Bird and the Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future
6. Andrew WK – Japan Covers
7. Platinum Pied Pipers – Triple P
8. Lovers Electric – Whatever You Want
9. Hot Leg – Red Light Fever
10. Morrissey – Years of Refusal

I haven’t bought too many 2009 releases yet, but Jenn Grant’s Echoes is an early favourite for me.

I hope the Neko Case isn’t going to be the Fleet Foxes of this year. It has some good guests on it, but I didn’t like the album overall. Do these music experts even listen to anything that isn’t sent to them?
My Faves So Far:
M.Ward
Yeah Yeah Yeahs(not their best, but…)
El Goodo

1. Chris Cornell – Scream
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

…

20. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion.

really? the only person that’s freaking out over new trail of dead is someone who blogs for msn, in the u.k.? it’s so good!

@cookiedough: Yes, it was about 10 times more entertaining than I thought it would be!
@seeohhellbeewhy: I haven’t been able to really get into it…something’s missing?

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Strong hopes for Neko Case and new Depeche Mode.

Mastodon, ‘Crack the Skye’

Prodigy
U2 (yeah I said it)
Nico Vega
Royksopp

@Thierry:
Very nice choice.

As for the main article, this year I’ve also been feeling most favourable to “Never Better” by P.O.S., and the latest releases from Phosphorescent, The Blankket, Laura Gibson, Black Dice, Dert, and Cotton Jones.

I’m a big fan of Junior Boys new album, especially the song Hazel. My jam of the year so far.

The Derek Trucks Band album ‘Already Free’ won me over on first listen… The Collective album is picking up steam the more I hear it though.

I am going to be very surprised if I love the Franz Ferdinand album any less in the coming months, and I forsee very little knocking it down on my personal best of ’09 list.

I was actually able to purchase Middle Cyclone from the Rhino Records in Claremont, CA last night. Listening to it today! Does that make it a legal leak? Hm!

I can’t believe I forgot to mention it earlier, but the new Cheer-Accident album “Fear Draws Misfortune” is definitely one of my 2009 highlights.

My favourite album so far is Incredibad by The Lonely Island.

So far….some blk metal stuff and some pop and some funny

1. Satyricon – The Age of Nero
2. Lamb of God – Wrath
3. Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
4. Whatever the hell the new Gui Boratto disc is called
5. Whatever the hell the new Flight of the Conchords disc is going to be called.
6. Tommy Keene – In the Late Bright

uh, and whatever crosses my path.

I’m kind of tarty and opportunistic that way

Oh, shit, and that AC Newman, what I’ve heard of it is pretty damn great.

i haven’t actually heard a ton of music from 2009, but Iran’s Dissolver is really good, and I also like the new Lily Allen quite a bit. My favorite right now, though, is the album by Yes Please, though it’s got a 2008 date on it. Excellent, excellent stuff.

i like how the hype around [i]merriweather post pavilion[/i] has already subsided.

i was just thinking about how so far all the records i’ve listened to this year have never really been higher than a 7. there are very few that stand out to me, or that i think i’ll like the same 6 months from now. dan auerbach’s was good, but nothing really surprising for him. the trail of dead record was strong, but the more i listen to it, the more i realize that second half is really lacking. i haven’t listened to zu yet, but i keep hearing really good things, so i definitely need to get on that.

i’d say my favourite so far has been the mi ami record, which is pretty solid. they’re a lot like ponytail sonically, and also in how i’ve responded to the record over time.

1. Nels Cline – Coward
2. 8Ball – Memphis All-Stars: Cars, Clubs & Strip Clubs
3. The Lonely Island – Incredibad
4. Eleni Mandell – Artificial Fire
5. Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream
6. Freeway – Month Of Madness: The Mixtape
7. The Bird And The Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
8. Jadakiss & Green Lantern – The Champ Is Here Pt. 2: Kiss My Ass
9. Two Tongues – Two Tongues
10. Havoc – Hidden Files

1. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
2. Tom Trago – Voyage Direct
3. DJ Koze – Reincarnations: the Remix Chapter 2001-2009