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To celebrate the half-way point of 2009, this week Paste staffers are counting down their favorite albums and songs of the year (so far). Check out all of our lists here, and share your own favorites in the comments.
I'm only supposed to include 10 albums and 10 songs, but I'd rather err on the side of giving you lots of great music to check out, so you get 20 albums and 30 songs today.
But first, lest ye think I love everything that's come out this year, here are two bands that are not making my personal list...
Obnoxiously Buzzy Hipster Bullshit I Couldn't Care Less About
1. Passion Pit
2. Dirty Projectors
My Top 20 Albums So Far This Year1. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
Sure, they're at or near the top of my list every year they make a record—because they're that good. Not voting for Wilco in the aughties is like not voting for the Stones or The Beatles in the late '60s/early '70s. You could be contrarian just to be contrarian, but what's the point? At first, this record's self-referential tendencies made me a bit hesitant to dive in, but really, tunes like "Wilco (The Song)" just end up being infinitely charming.
2. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Few bands can imbue lines like, "You make me go 'ooh' with the things that you do'" with such feeling and subtle emotion. This record is 45 minutes of blissed-out orchestral indie pop, enlivened with classic Motownisms and overflowing with silvery tones as singer/guitarist Tracyanne Campbell unspools her lazy, entrancing croon and clever-cute rhymes across a night of innocence regained.
3. New York Dolls - 'Cause I Sez So
Nothing fancy, just great rock 'n' roll. David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain and the rest of the Dolls are what the Stones would be like today if the Stones still gave a shit and could laugh at themselves once in a while. Includes a really cool reggae version of the band's gutter-glitter classic "Trash."
4. Circulatory System - Signal Morning
Olivia Tremor Control co-founder Will Cullen Hart is nothing short of brilliant (after spending an afternoon last month watching him improvise live four-track mixes of unreleased music he'd made years ago with former bandmate Bill Doss and Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum, I can personally vouch). Signal Morning is an epic sonic journey, as Hart confronts his diagnosis with multiple sclerosis the best way he knows how—with an arsenal of esoteric sounds at his disposal.
5. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
This album is a bit uneven, but the highs are so high that they carry the whole thing. Oberst seems right at home with this new band, and unleashes some of his catchiest tunes to date. I have a special fondness for the song "Cabbage Town," a shoutout to one of the coolest 'hoods in my home city. ATL represent!
6. The Soft Pack - The Muslims
Formerly The Muslims, The Soft Pack took a new name, kept the old one for an album title and made the best garage-punk record I've heard in ages.
7. The Henry Clay People - For Cheap or for Free
Led by brothers Joey and Andy Siara, The Henry Clay People pull you in with their carpe-diem lyrics and jangly, sunshine-drenched lysergic roots rock. This record is loads of throwback fun—glam minus the makeup plus a dash of laidback charm. If David Bowie had grown up in Southern California, he might've sounded like this.
8. Iron & Wine - Around the Well
This collection of rarities and unreleased material is a welcome, lo-fi reminder of why we loved Sam Beam's whispered acoustic ballads so much in the first place.
9. Bloodkin - Baby, They Told Us We Would Rise Again
Easily the most under-appreciated rock 'n' roll band of the last 15 years, Athens, Ga.'s Bloodkin is finally getting some much-deserved attention with this soulful, demon-expelling record. I should let you in on a little secret—all of their albums are this good. Daniel Hutchens is a master songwriter; he and bandmate Eric Carter's tunes—outsider character studies that would make Carson McCullers proud—drip with an intoxicating humidity.
10. The Lemonheads - Varshons
Evan Dando and Co.'s latest—produced by Butthole Surfer GIbby Haynes—plays like a Nic Hornby mixtape. The album is comprised entirely of eclectic, obscure covers, including songs by Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, G.G. Allin and Wire. But the star here—even more than the song selection—is Dando's rich, thunderous baritone.
11. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Case seems to get better with each album. Her voice is entrancing and her writing is inventive and compelling; she's a master of pop songcraft but always offers something deeper to sink those hooks into.
12. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Sledgehammer noise rock of the highest order from the band that perfected it. The fact that—after nearly three decades together—Sonic Youth still brings such freshness and urgency to its music is inspiring; when Kim Gordon sings, "I want you to levitate me" on "Sacred Trickster," you know she's not fucking around.
13. Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
Hood wrote half the songs for this wonderfully bipolar album as a happy new daddy in 2004, and half as a discontented, freshly divorced punk-rock bachelor in 1994. The striking contrast—and Hood's unique voice as a songwriter—makes Murdering Oscar a must-listen.
14. Those Darlins - Those Darlins
This is a much fun as you can have listening to country music, so round up all your rowdy friends, put this record on and let the unapologetically wild ladies of Those Darlins get the hootenanny hopping.
15. Viva Voce - Rose City
A gorgeously moody, spacey, churning record that's almost all forward momentum, even on the slower tunes. Anita and Kevin Robinson are the best husband-and-wife duo in indie rock—with all the competition, that's saying a lot.
16. Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - Songs in the Night
Coming off like the people's Joanna Newsom, Samantha Crain and her band offer an eclectic, acoustic-anchored record that runs the stylistic gamut while remaining surprisingly cohesive—tied together by the underlying Brit-follk revivalisms, Crain's uncrowded vocals and the limited instrumental palette. Lyrically, the young singer/songwriter avoids heavy-handedness; there's a beauty to the blank-slate possibility of her vignettes.
17. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing
On this, the band's sophomore release, Manchester Orchestra has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of writing, musicianship, production and pretty much any other musical facet that hard time on the road has a tendency to sharpen. And in the process, they've established themselves as a one of the most ambitious young rock bands working today.
18. The Felice Brothers - Yonder is the Clock
On this album, The Felice Brothers blend thoughtful and down-home the way Dylan & The Band once did. In fact, standout track "Penn Station" would've fit in perfectly on the Planet Waves album.
19. King Tuff - Was Dead
Incredibly convincing garage-y psychedelia and power-pop. Made this year, but sounds like it was recorded in the late '60s/early '70s.
20. Ben Kweller - Changing Horses
One of my colleagues at Paste made a great argument against this record earlier this year, but I feel like Kweller is just being affable because he's being himself. And there's no shame in that. It's true, there isn't much darkness to plumb here, but it's an incredibly charming listen. Plus, it has the most bitchin' pedal steel this side of New Riders of the Purple Sage.
My Top 30 Songs of the Year So Far
1. Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)"
2. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Air Mattress"
3. Camera Obscura - "French Navy"
4. New York Dolls - "Lonely So Long"
5. The Soft Pack - "Bright Side"
6. Black Lips - "Starting Over"
7. Lady Sovereign - "So Human" (samples The Cure's "Close to Me")
8. Dinosaur Jr. - "Over it"
9. M. Ward - "Fisher of Men"
10. Wilco - "Wilco (The Song)"
11. Maria Taylor - "Cartoons and Forever Plans" (feat. Michael Stipe)
12. Todd Snider - "Greencastle Blues"
13. Sonic Youth - "Sacred Trickster"
14. Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Songs in the Night"
15. Mastodon - "Divinations"
16. Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve"
17. Lemonheads - "I Just Can't Take It Anymore" (Gram Parsons cover)
18. Viva Voce - "Red Letter Day"
19. The Henry Clay People - "Something in the Water"
20. Patterson Hood - "Grandaddy"
21. Eleni Mandell - "Don't Let It Happen"
22. Bruce Springsteen - "Working on a Dream"
23. Ben Kweller - "Things I Like to Do"
24. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"
25. Iron & Wine - "Peng! 33" (Stereolab cover)
26. Justin Townes Earle - "Walk Out"
27. Bloodkin - "Easter Eggs"
28. Those Darlins - "Red Light Love"
29. Mos Def - "Revelations"
30. King Tuff - "Kind of Guy"
Top 10 Best Debut Novels of the…
The 10 Best Video Game Characters of…
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
Catching Up With... Sam Rockwell
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms Vs. Bad…
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
It's "couldn't care less"
"Air Mattress" is definitely one of the worst songs Conor Oberst has ever been associated with.
First off, you literally left all of the best albums of the year off of the list. Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Dinosaur Jr., Dan Deacon, Foreign Born- all should be there. On top of that, Conor Oberst's new album is terrible. Literally, god awful. I was a huge fan of last year's effort, and all of his Bright Eyes material, but Outer South is a travesty.
Oh, and Passion Pit and Dirty Projectors, or the "hipster bullshit" as you refer to them are better than nearly every album on this list. Sorry, Steve, but this collection gets an EPIC FAIL.
I completely agree with you Steve. So happy to see the hipster crap listed that is overrated. I saw Passion Pit at SXSW and it was by far the horse thing I sa the whole time. The singer's falsetto is the most annoying thing I've ever had to listen to.
Agreed John.
Is it surprising that someone who doesn't give a shit about Dirty Projectors or Passion Pit has a terrible list of music as his best of?
Where's the Andrew Bird album? Where is The Rest's new album? No Veckatimest?
You're kidding yourself if you think this is a best-of list.
Interesting . . . glad to see you put The Muslims on there and Those Darlins.
Wilco = staid hipster bullshit
Almost better than this list:
The angry comments from people who can't believe that your music choices differ from theirs. Priceless
Thanks for your comments. Just wanted to let you know that all of those albums you mentioned were consciously left off, not missed. Though some of the other editors disagree with me vehemently on Passion Pit, Grizzly Bear, etc. That's the beauty of it all, right? All these different tastes and opinions getting kicked around... having a discussion about music - what we're all passionate about, what we love or hate. I'm guessing John and Drew would like editor-in-chief Josh Jackson's list far better than mine. Check it out, if you haven't already: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/06/best-music-of-2009-so-far-josh-jackson-editor-in-c.html Thanks for your feedback.
That's a great list. Very similar to our list. Check it our and let us know what you think!
http://tinyurl.com/nkejaw
Gotta agree with John's comment. LaBate's list is junk. Might be the worst since Nick Marino picked 'Major Lazer' as the best music the world has to offer this year. Okay, I'm just having a little fun here -- but LaBate does leave off some of the best albums of the year -- lopping off The Dirty Projectors as "hipster bullshit." So, what is Conor Oberst? Just that. A Bob Dylan wannabe, that writes lyrics so stilted even Morrissey is saying, "Whoa, bloke. Caligula would have blushed." (Okay, so I'm really picking on Bright Eyes.) But come on, couldn't you have at least picked "Roosevelt Room"? I mean, "Cabbage Town"?! Ugh. The tragedy is LaBate chooses to list more albums and songs than anyone at Paste but still swings and misses with a large bat. Here you go Steve. I gotta put my money where my mouth is:
"My LaBate Lazarus List"
Dirty Projectors “Bitte Orca”
The Decemberists “The Hazards of Love”
Patrick Watson “Wooden Arms”
Beirut “Zapotec & Realpeople Holland”
J. Tillman “Vacilando Territory Blues”
Dangermouse & Sparklehorse “Dark Night of the Soul”
Bill Callahan “Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle”
Hanne Hukkelberg “Blood From a Stone”
Sarah Jarosz “Song Up In Here Head”
Eilen Jewell “Sea of Tears”
Michachu “Jewellery”
The Veils “Sun Gangs”
Buddy & Julie Miller “Written In Chalk”
Great Lake Swimmers “Lost Channels”
Bowerbirds “Upper Air”
White Rabbits “It’s Frightening”
St. Vincent “Actor”
Passion Pit “Manners”
(Various Artists) “Dark Was the Night”
Handsome Furs “Face Control”
Wilco “Wilco (The Album)”
Songs are tougher, but here are a few, in no order, with "La Llorona" being my favorite:
“La Llorona” by Beirut
“Knotty Pine” by The Dirty Projectors & David Byrne
“Lips” and “Golden Phone” by Micachu
“Refuge Angels” by Crocodiles
“All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast” by Bill Callahan
“Revenge” by Dangermouse/Sparklehorse & Wayne Coyne
“No Turning Back” by Sarah Blasko
“Useful Chamber” by The Dirty Projectors
“Isaac’s Song” by D.M. Stith
“Firstborn” by J. Tillman
“The Mightiest of Guns” by A.A. Bondy
“Two Weeks” and “Cheerleader” by Grizzly Bear
“For You” by Sharon Van Etten
“Bull Black Nova” by Wilco
“Keep A Secret” by The Whitest Boy Alive
“Everything is Moving So Fast” by The Great Lake Swimmers
“Blood Bank” by Bon Iver
“When I Grow Up” by Fever Ray
“Spill Yer Lungs” by Julie Doiron
At least "hipster bullshitters" would know The Henry Clay People "For Cheap or for Free" came out in 2008.
Wow, I absolutely love your best music of this year's list. I was especially excited to see Manchester Orchestra's new one on there, "I've Got Friends" is one of my favorite songs at the moment, I always have it on. Awesome list =]
--C.
I swear, this is my last post on this. BUT I made a glaring omission ... Elvis Perkins. Can't believe I forgot that beauty. I could listen to that gorgeous "House of the Rising Sun" sounding "Shampoo" all day long. Never get old. That album is stunning. I see, it appears to be a Paste fave too.
paste stands for pasty whitebread bullshit right?
because that's what your list is
leaving off Grizzly Bear and putting on Ben Kweller & Conor Oberst is just plain annoyingly stupid
Truthfully, I haven't given much on this list a listen, but I will definitely check out some of the albums.
So far White Flag by Madeline is my favorite album of 2009. It's so great. I really wish more people knew about her. I've also really enjoyed Noble Beast by Andrew Bird.
Oh, I also forgot about Azar by Venice is Sinking.
Cletis, thanks for commenting. I was aware that The Henry Clay People's For Cheap of for Free came out in 2008, but it was a really low-profile indie release that came out in late in the year (in November), and I knew it wasn't considered for Paste's Best Of list last year. And I loved it so much, I thought it deserved a shot for 2009. Plus, it's likely to get picked up by a label this year and a get a proper, more widespread release.
David & Vintage Nouveau, glad you included some of your favorites. I actually really like a lot of the albums you mentioned, but they just missed making my list. Here are some that I agree are definitely quality albums worth a listen... The Decemberists, Madeline, Venice is Sinking (though I like their debut Sorry About the Flowers a lot more), Patrick Watson, Hanne Hukkelberg, Great Lake Swimmers, White Rabbits, Buddy & Julie Miller and Elvis Perkins. I also generally like Bill Callahan and Smog, but was really disappointed by the new album. Didn't like the way it was recorded.
vintage: What's up with Madeline? I mean, there's nothing remotely interesting about White Flag? Sounds just like any other Barnes & Noble cliche chick singer of the month club. I don't get it, especially when there are great female musicians all over the place ... PJ Harvey, St. Vincent, etc.
Wasn't Henry Clay People's latest actually released in 2008???
Great list, turned me on to some artists have not heard! Thanks
steve,those darlins a great pick,only one of you picked heartless bastards a terrific album.Also passion pit do stink and they aren't that big in their hometown of boston,and that high falsetto voice is annoying as hell.