If you’ve been paying attention around here this year, there is no doubt you will be familiar with everything on this list, and perhaps even a little burnt out on some of these tracks. But each of these songs are strongly linked to different moments and memories I have of 2009, and they make up the ultimate soundtrack to an amazing year in music. So jam them out one last time:

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse w/ Wayne Coyne : Revenge
Animal Collective : My Girls
Atlas Sound w/ Noah Lennox : Walkabout
The Dirty Projectors : Useful Chamber
Grizzly Bear : Two Weeks
Bat For Lashes : Daniel
Andrew Bird : Anonanimal
Here We Go Magic : Fangela
Loney, Dear : Airport Surroundings
Mew : Introducing Palace Players
St. Vincent : The Strangers
Do Make Say Think : Do
Phoenix : Lisztomania
Nomen Novum : Miracles Come True

© Davy Minor for Ohmpark, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andrew Bird, Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Bat For Lashes, Best of 2009, Danger Mouse, Dirty Projectors, Do Make Say Think, Grizzly Bear, Here We Go Magic, Loney Dear, Mew, Mixtape, Nomen Novum, Phoenix, Sparklehorse, St. Vincent

I’m a little bit behind the curve on this new Mew record because for a while I mistakenly thought it was only an EP. But now that I have the full-length album, I am totally obsessed with it. I was a big fan of their last two records, but I feel like with No More Stories… they have taken their game up to a whole new level. They pull off a move in a more poppy and upbeat direction almost flawlessly, balancing out the ridiculously catchy melodies with plenty of proggy weirdness. So if you somehow missed this one as well, go grab it now:

Mew : Introducing Palace Players

Mew : Tricks Of The Trade

Buy No More Stories

Mew myspace

Built To Spill

BTS @ ATP NY ‘08

It’s strange hearing songs I obsessed about over half a decade ago appearing for the first time on a new record. The fact that I had been hearing the songs on You In Reverse for years prior on live recordings greatly diminished the newness of it when it came out, and I think that that played a part in my inability to fully fall in love with it, as I have with the rest of Doug Martch’s vast catalogue. Luckily There is No Enemy has plenty of fresh material, and the older stuff contained on it happen to be some of my favourites from that ‘04-’05 era. Also, BTS felt noticeably more invigorated in their concerts last year than they had in quite a while, and I think that that zeal bled into the recordings. All in all, it’s great to hear one of my favourite bands making compelling music again.

Built To Spill : Oh Yeah

Built To Spill : Things Fall Apart

Buy There Is no Enemy

Built To Spill myspace

Volcano Choir

Volcano Choir is Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) teamed up with fellow Wisconsin artists Collections of Colonies of Bees. The resulting 35 minute record sounds like a more experimental and trippy version of Bon Iver, and it’s pretty much amazing. Blood Bank was kind of neat, but it made me begin to question whether Vernon could ever again create something as enchanting and transcendental as For Emma, Forever Ago. But Volcano Choir’s Unmap proves that he is no one hit wonder, and demonstrates the enormous amount of talent and range of these midwestern musicians. Between this and Emma, it is hard not to concur that Justin Vernon is going to be a premiere musician for years to come.

Volcano Choir : Islands, Is

Volcano Choir : Still

Buy Unmap

Volcano Choir myspace

© Davy Minor for Ohmpark, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Built To Spill, Mew, Volcano Choir, What The Hell