Среда 31 Мар 2010, 21:41
Here they are, my faves in the Indie / Electronic / Post-Rock / Etc. genres.
Feel free to share your thoughts, criticisms, whatever.
Most of all, feel free to share your faves of 2009.
Also, if you are interested in other genres of music aside from those covered in this journal, feel free to visit my other journal entries on the best of 2009 in Heavy Metal / Hard Rock and Neofolk / Martial / Neoclassical & Dark Ambient genres.
Enjoy. :-]
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1.) IAMX - "Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction"
While this brand of electronic-pop isn’t necessarily unique, the organization and orchestration of darkly erotic 1980s-influenced electro pop produced hook after hook that kept me coming back to Chris Corner’s extremely addictive Kingdom of Welcome Addiction all of last year and well into 2010. An improvement over The Alternative, IAMX’s newest offering delivered an emotive and melancholic desperation that coalesced with an optimistic and provocative pop bliss that surged throughout the entirety of the album. Nearly every track was a hauntingly alluring indie-electronic feast for the audibly starved ears of someone – like myself – who rarely discovers such quality in terms of songwriting, lyrical prowess, and song-arrangements in such an accessible electronic sound. Tracks such as “Kingdom of Welcome Addiction,” “I Am Terrified,” “Think of England,” and especially “The Great Shipwreck of Life” and “My Secret Friend,” (featuring Imogen Heap) were quite simply some of the most listened to and addictive music that I heard in 2009. While lambasted by some, Kingdom of Welcome Addiction was a overwhelming success and I can’t wait to hear what Corner does next.
Homepage: http://iamx.eu/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/iamx
2.) Patrick Wolf - "The Bachelor (Battle One)"
While I was admittedly critical of some of Patrick Wolf’s earlier records, his 2009 masterwork The Bachelor (Battle One) completely converted me as a bona fide fan of his romantic techno-folk meets Baroque pop approach. This is ironic since most of the Pitchfork reading hipster audience seems to believe that his earlier work is far superior, but perhaps the inevitable backlash against Wolf has already begun among those fickle “indie” audiences. In any event, the entirety of The Bachelor… is a brilliant combination of electronic sampling, classical instruments, piano, viola, ukulele, and a host of other instruments. Standout tracks include “Hard Times,” “Oblivion,” “The Bachelor,” and especially the unforgettable “Damaris,” which was quite possibly my favorite track of the year in any musical genre. I also loved the track “The Sun Is Often Out,” which Wolf penned and recorded as a narrative homage to his friend, a poet, who sadly committed suicide. While there are plenty of people out there who will criticize Wolf and this particular album for a variety of reasons, I will not be among them any longer. Brilliant album.
Homepage: http://patrickwolf.com/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/officialpatrickwolf
3.) Fever Ray - "Fever Ray"
I wasn’t particularly surprised that Karin Dreijer’s endeavor known as Fever Ray was as excellent as it turned out to be, especially following the success of The Knife’s otherworldly and outstanding 2006 release Silent Shout. But wow, this self-titled masterwork was and still is captivating in every sense of the word. In fact, after repeated listens, I may even like Fever Ray more than Silent Shout. If you haven’t heard this already, you should definitely give it a try. Few records in 2009 were as emblematic of an artist truly achieving an innovative mood that essentially challenges the listener with virtually every listen.
Homepage: http://feverray.com/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/feverray
4.) Bat For Lashes - "Two Suns"
I love the absurdly talented Natasha Khan. With only two albums to call her own, Bat For Lashes is firmly entrenched among the handful of artists within the folktronic or “indie” genre that I absolutely love and usually can’t stop listening to. It was clearly evident that after hearing her incredible debut, Fur and Gold for the first time, that she had just begun to take her listeners on an unbelievable escape into her eclectic and entirely liberated musical world. For Khan, there was absolutely no sophomore jinx. Two Suns demonstrated that not only was her debut anything but a fluke, but that she is an artist who is exploring a deeply personal and quixotic journey of romanticism and ruminations on sadness, fear, and loneliness. There are a collection of excellent tracks on Two Suns, like “Sleep Alone,” “Peace of Mind,” “Siren Song,” and “Two Planets” but the outstanding song “Daniel” may be the single of the year. I would criminal to not mention the final track on the album, “The Big Sleep,” which showcased Khan and the infamous recluse and legend Scott Walker in an absolutely haunting duet. Suffice to say, Two Suns is outstanding for a sophomore record, and was easily among the finest albums of 2009.
Homepage: www.batforlashes.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/batforlashes
5.) Ben Frost - "By The Throat"
While Ben Frost’s 2007 album Theory Of Machines caused quite a stir within the electronic music community, his 2009 offering By The Throat has turned it positively upside down. Frost is a master at shattering genre conventions by splicing together a concoction of diverse sounds, genre styles, and electronic glitches. Utilizing a dark and ominous electroacoustic ambiance and interweaving hypnotic drone, neoclassical elements, and a visceral and nerve-shredding mechanical vibe, all accompanied by a flawless production, By The Throat is unquestionably an invigorating listen. Whether it is the doom-laden funeral dirge followed by howling wolves on the outlandish track “The Carpathians,” or the disturbing undercurrents of splendor coalescing with a ghostly ode to the damned on “Hibakusja,” Frost is spot on time and time again. This is not an easily digested album, and it may take uninitiated listeners a few spins before they truly get it, but By The Throat is absolutely one of the most essential albums of 2009.
Homepage: www.ethermachines.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/theghostofbenfrost
6.) Stendeck - "Sonnambula"
One of the best IDM records you will ever hear. Period. If you garner any enjoyment from listening to anything electronic, don’t let Sonnambula pass you by. Highly recommended.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stendeck
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7.) Kent - "Röd"
After seven full length albums, Kent are still among the greatest bands that Sweden and for that matter all of Europe have to offer. The quality level is still extraordinarily high on Röd, where these Swedish masters responsible for so many excellent albums continue to refine their electronic style – combining magnificent guitars and synth with hook-laden dance beats in the distinctive and immediately recognizable Kent fashion. Joakim Berg’s unique and beautiful vocal style soars throughout Röd, and as with every Kent album there are an assortment of stunning tracks: “Sjukhus,” “Taxmannen,” “Ensamheten,” and particularly the marvelous “Töntarna.” If you are a fan of the band, or if you are thinking of delving into one of the most important Euro-pop rock discographies, Röd is a splendid place to start.
Homepage: www.kent.nu
MySpace: www.myspace.com/kentsweden
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8.) Valravn - "Koder på snor"
Yikes, yet another ‘folktronica’ album, if that’s even the moniker you’d want to apply to this difficult to describe Danish “electronic ambient Kalevala folk.” Lead singer Anna Katrin Øssursdóttir Egilstrød is absolutely animated and outstanding in her vocal delivery, but perhaps I’m somewhat biased since her vocal inflection and tone is exceptionally close to sounding like Björk, who I have avidly enjoyed for years. Koder på snor is a kaleidoscope of instruments: dulcimer, cello, flutes, viola, lyre, jew’s harp, mandola, bouzouki, davul, keyed harp, percussions, and of course – lush and vibrant synthesizers. Few things on Valravn’s debut are straightforward, and a habitual experimentation utilizing all of the aforementioned sounds is the equation that is readily apparent throughout this interesting mixture of electronic music and folk. Valravn is an immensely talented and exciting band, and while Koder på snor is a brilliant release, I still think that these Danes have yet to write their magnum opus.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/valravn
9.) The Antlers - "Hospice"
There are a plethora of positive and negative reviews online where you can read about Hospice, so I’ll refrain from writing much here. I will admit that it took repeated listens in order to fully appreciate the emotive character of the release. Also, in reply to many of the criticisms it has received: whether that emotive attribute was fabricated for the album or whether it was coming from a very real and painful place is irrelevant. What is relevant is that Hospice was among the most subtle, poignant, and depressive records in 2009. That’s all you really need to know before hearing it.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/theantlers
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10.) Parralox - "State Of Decay"
Where the prior record in this countdown was inherently regarding taking your own mortality into consideration and realizing how fragile life can be, Australia’s Parralox and their sophomore release State Of Decay is a electro-pop tour de force about living in the now. John Von Ahlen, the mastermind who created the band from “the love of all things synthetic, science-fiction, and surreal,” is joined by Amii’s ideal vocals to create a record that would be more at home in 1987 rather than 2009. Highly influenced by the 80s New Wave and pop, you can hear bits and pieces of Duran Duran, Madonna, Propaganda, Depeche Mode, and even mid-era David Bowie. Virtually every track on the album could be released as a single – it’s that good. Songs like “Isn’t it Strange,” “When the Walls Came Tumbling Down,” “Be Careful What You Wish For,” and the club-esque “In the Night” are outstandingly addictive and top-notch for this particular electronic neo-new wave sound. If you’re in the mood for upbeat electronic-pop that will be stuck in your head days after you listen to it, waste no time getting your hands on State Of Decay.
Homepage: www.parralox.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/parralox
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11.) Morrissey - "Years Of Refusal"
If you don’t know why this release belongs on this countdown, please kill yourself. Morrissey would approve.
Homepage: http://www.itsmorrisseysworld.com/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/morrissey
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12.) Hearts of Black Science - "The Star in the Lake"
I’m still digesting and formulating an opinion on this record. I cannot quite say whether or not I enjoy it more than their excellent debut The Ghost You Left Behind. However, I will say that Hearts of Black Science (HOBS) are criminally underrated, and that the melancholic and yet blissful The Star in the Lake has some excellent tracks, such as “Gold & Dust,” “Transmission,” and the standout “Teenage Heels.” The familiar traits found on the debut appear here on their sophomore effort, including the Depeche Mode-esque guitar tone, the superb multi tracked Daniel Anghede vocals, along with the characteristic dark ambiance that HOBS seem to generate so well. Overall, I wouldn’t say that HOBS fell victim to the dreaded and stereotypical “sophomore slump,” quite the contrary in fact. In as far as they attempted to replicate their debut, they largely succeeded. However, I would recommend getting not only this release – which is outstanding on its own – but also their debut to truly gain an appreciative perspective on what this band can truly achieve.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/heartsofblackscience
13.) port-royal - "Dying In Time"
Italy’s port-royal has been a quality proponent of the ambient meets glitch meets post-rock sound since their memorable 2005 debut Flares. Returning yet again in 2009 with the outstanding Dying In Time, port-royal achieve a hypnotic, gauzy, and chilled out post-rock atmosphere that exceeds anything else in their discography. This is an excellent album to listen to when you just want to relax, or during a drive on a rainy or overcast day. It’s safe to say that port-royal are peaking at the exact right time with this melancholy wall of hook-laden electronic meets post-rock wall of sound. Great release!
MySpace: www.myspace.com/uptheroyals
14.) Soap&Skin - "Lovetune For Vacuum"
Great debut!
Austrian femme Anja Franziska Plaschg, the strangely disjointed yet incredibly unique architect of Soap&Skin sounds as if she has a tormented soul. On her debut album Lovetune for Vacuum, from the most desolate and long dormant places of her heart she conjures up a distressed and at times frantic foray into neoclassical dark pop. There are several impressive tracks on Plaschg’s debut, such as the placid temperament and somber piano on “Cynthia,” the electronic frenzy of “DDMMYYYY,” and “Marche funèbre” – an introspective and pensive stare into the depths of mortality and futility. Reminiscent of a darker and more emotionally plagued Cat Power, lush and at times despondent arrangements of electronics, piano, accordions, and music boxes make this a debut worth listening. My only criticism is the same one that is shared by many: the double-tracking of her voice on nearly every track, otherwise, this is a very positive listening experience.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/soapandskin
15.) The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - "Here Be Dragons"
The sophomore record from Germany’s finest seven-piece collective results in Here Be Dragons, another foreboding venture into a David Lynch-esque world of slow-burning post-jazz meets a contemporary electronic vibe. Like their excellent debut, Here Be Dragons is yet another bold and experimental dark-jazz foray that is cinematic in ever sense of the term. Textured in the most calm and malevolent of ways, this isn’t an album that will satisfy the casual listener, but it is one that will hypnotize those with any semblance of taste.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/tkde
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16.) Magma - "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré"
For a band that has been around for almost forty years,…..holy shit. This may be my absolute favorite Magma album to date, and that is saying a lot, especially if you’ve delved very far into the unparalleled brilliance of their illustrious progressive discography. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is positively compelling in virtually every single way, and perhaps more so than any other Magma album, the addictiveness of their 2009 offering reigns supreme. If you haven’t heard France’s Magma before, get on it. Now. This new record is entirely incredible: filled with mind-blowing time signatures, a jazz meets progressive identity that is as dark as it is invigorating and – at times – almost suffocating, these are compositions that are on par and rival anything this classic band has ever done before. Definitely a release that would likely place higher on this list as I spin it again, and again, and again…
MySpace: www.myspace.com/magmaofficial
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17.) Alice In Chains - "Black Gives Way To Blue"
I was completely opposed to the idea of an AIC reunion. I thought that it would sound like nothing more than another desperate cash grab by a group of musicians long past their prime. I was completely wrong. Musically, Black Gives Way To Blue sounds as if it was recorded directly after the bands classic self-titled 1995 album Alice in Chains, and because of that, this record possesses an exceedingly nostalgic aura for yours truly. There are plenty of places online where you can read all about this outstanding album, so I’ll refrain from saying anything more. Again, I was skeptical at first as well. Just give it a try. You’ll be thankful you did.
Homepage: www.aliceinchains.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/aliceinchains
18.) Piano Magic - "Ovations"
Inevitably, no matter what Piano Magic record, the result will be positively magnificent. With Ovations, I really had no overt expectations, however, virtually every track on the record was a striking and compelling melodic mixture of darkly lush arrangements of a myriad of instruments creating a truly surrealistic atmosphere. As with their other albums, shadows of The Cure, Joy Division, and Dead Can Dance are prominent fixture, and the haunting vocals and orchestrations from Glen Johnson and co. Ovations is another excellent addition to the Piano Magic discography, and the more I listen to it the more it continues to grow on me.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/lowbirthweight
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19.) Marissa Nadler - "Little Hells"
For such a young artist, Marissa Nadler has achieved much. Since her brilliant 2004 debut, Ballads of Living and Dying, Nadler has demonstrated her genuine and consistent artistic prominence by writing some of the most poignant and beautiful songs I have heard over the last ten years. Unfortunately, with her newest offering – Little Hells, she failed to match the tremendous quality of her third record, Songs III: Bird on the Water, but Little Hells is not a disappointment. In fact, her 2009 offering is a superb album, especially compared to her contemporaries recording similar music. The instrumentation and musicianship on Little Hells is a magnificent, her voice as ghostly and haunting as ever, and the production is perfect on each and every track. For those who haven’t heard Nadler before, I’d suggest checking out some of her earlier albums, but starting with Little Hells wouldn’t be a mistake either.
Homepage: http://marissanadler.blogspot.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/songsoftheend
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20.) Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - "White Lunar"
A masterpiece compilation.
Get it.
Homepage: http://nickcaveandwarrenellis.com/works
MySpace: www.myspace.com/nickcaveandwarrenellis
And now...
+ Indie / Electronic / Post-Rock / etc. Honorable Mentions +
Aarktica - In Sea
Amiina - Re Minore
And Also The Trees - When The Rains Come
Arms and Sleepers - Matador
Asobi Seksu - Hush
Assemblage 23 - Compass
Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
Balmorhea - All Is Wild, All Is Silent
Beirut - March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
Blue Tape for a Blue Girl - 10 Neurotics
Bliss - No One Built This Moment
Blume - Rise From Grey
Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Mitleid Lady
Bon Iver - Bloodbank
Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Clair Obscur - We Gave A Party For The Gods And The Gods All Came
Cold Cave - Cremations
David Sylvian - Manafon
Dead Man's Bones - Dead Man's Bones
Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe
Fear of Tigers - Cossus Snufsigalonica
Fever Ray - Live in Luleå
Frozen Plasma - Artificial Evolution
Genevieve Pasquier - Le Cabaret Moi
God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl
Heather Woods Broderick - From the Ground
Hecuba - Paradise
Hildur Guðnadóttir - Without Sinking
Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Through the Devil Softly
If These Trees Could Talk - Above the Earth, Below the Sky
Ingrid Chavez - A Flutter and Some Words
Jesu - Opiate Sun
Keser - Robo Ghost
Klimt 1918 - Ghost Of A Tape Listener EP
Knifeladder - Music/Concrete
Korouva - Sleepwalker
Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers
Maps - Turning the Mind
Marsheaux - Lumineux Noir
Mechanical Apfelsine - Space Without End
Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away. No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away
Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind
Mountains - Choral
Nachtmahr- Alle Lust Will Ewigkeit
Neil Young - Fork in the Road
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
New Model Army - Today Is A Good Day
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Road (Original Film Score)
Oceanlab - Sirens of the Sea Remixed
Ólafur Arnalds - Dyad 1909
Ólafur Arnalds - Found Songs
Ozric Tentacles - The YumYum Tree
Pandique - In Sturm und Leben
Peter Broderick - Ten Duets
Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek - BlankGreyCanvasSky
Pearl Jam - Back Spacer
P.J. Harvey & John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By
Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist
Redshape - The Dance Paradox
Russian Circles - Geneva
School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms (Oct. '08, grandfathered in...)
(((S))) - Ghost
- Rot
Sixx - Sister Devil
Solar Fields - Movements
Soror Dolorosa - Severance
Soviet - Spies In The House Of Love
St. Vincent - Actor
The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love
The Black Heart Procession - "Six"
The Church - Untitled #23
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Higher Than the Stars
Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live
Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
This Immortal Coil - The Dark Age of Love
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
Vitalic - Flashmob
VNV Nation - "Of Faith, Power, and Glory"
Wayne Hussey - Bare
Zola Jesus - The Spoils
Late addition…
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Fragments of Winter - "Skyrockets"
This is absolutely brilliant. Had I known about this release prior to creating this journal, it would have placed in my Top 10 easily. Excellent!!!!!
Homepage: www.fragmentsofwinter.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/fragmentsofwinter
Fin. ~*