ArpLine Releases “Travel Book” Today as Pay What You Wish
mp3: ArpLine - "Parts Unknown"
mp3: ArpLine - "Fold Up Like a Piece of Paper"
Undoubtedly one of my favorite albums of the year, ArpLine's "Travel Book" is now available on their website as 'pay what you wish.' So although I recommend throwing them some pretty penny for this remarkable record, you can get it all for free, so go ahead and get it now.
Overlooked in 2009: 1. Capybara – “Try Brother”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
1. Capybara – Try Brother
Not a single major publication reviewed this record, which would have to make me assume that none of them heard it because to hear this record and not sing its praise is to be deaf. It's a triumph deserving immediate praise and attention. Anything less would be disrespectful. There are elements of critic darlings Sufjan Stevens, Postal Service, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver and Dirty Projectors all over Try Brother, but at the same time Capybara have their own totally wonderful sound. What Capybara does so well is balancing the lush atmospheric harmonies and instrumentation with catchier melodies. "Birthday Song For Bridgegirl" is the perfect embodiment of all of their strengths.
If Capybara continues to go unnoticed by critics, then I may very well lose all faith in the music industry that continues to make cookie cutter lo-fi bands stars.
Overlooked in 2009: 2. Deleted Scenes – “Birdseed Shirt”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
2. Deleted Scenes – Birdseed Shirt
mp3: Deleted Scenes - "Fake IDs"
Indie tastemakers gave it an 8.0 and showered it with praise, but for some reason Birdseed Shirt never put a dent in the rest of the industry. I've been pretty hard on Pitchfork, but I have to give them credit, because they were pretty much the only ones who gave Deleted Scenes respect for this wonderful record. It's not just about 12 really well-written songs, it's about subtle, yet great musicianship and variety.
Overlooked in 2009: 3. Loxsly – “Tomorrow’s Fossils”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
3. Loxsly – Tomorrow's Fossils
With Tomorrow's Fossils, Loxsly has recorded a brilliant scientific concept album that doesn't just hint at the genius of influences like Grandaddy, Flaming Lips and Wilco, it actually measures up to them. It's a fully realized record that doesn't get overly lost in the overwhelming task of being a concept album. The songs function just fine on their own, but only when combined as a whole can they really be fully appreciated, flowing perfectly. The pedal steel is the ultimate weapon, but all the parts are contributing something interesting at every moment.
Overlooked in 2009: 4. Dappled Cities – “Zounds”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
4. Dappled Cities – Zounds
mp3: Dappled Cities - "The Night is Young At Heart"
Dappled Cities is Australia's answer to Radiohead, and sure we've seen bands get plugged with that Radiohead tag before and no band alive can match that caliber of excellence, but with their sophomore release, Dappled Cities is inching closer. More upbeat than rock's greatest band, Dappled Cities' greatest asset is a pair of exceptional vocalists.
Overlooked in 2009: 5. Lightning Dust – “Infinite Light”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
5. Lightning Dust – Infinite Light
mp3: Lightning Dust - "Dreamer"
Two of the years best releases came from Black Mountain side projects involving Amanda Webber's Grace Slick-like quivering vocals. While Pink Mountaintops is still very much about Mr. Stephen McBean, Lightning Dust is all about Webber and her hauntingly beautiful voice. In 2008, she gave us "Night Walks" on Black Mountain's incredible sophomore record. With Lightning Dust she gives us an album full of songs from that magnificent breed, particularly the sensational "Dreamer."
Surprisingly, both albums by Pink Mountaintops and Lightning Dust have gone horribly overlooked in 2009 by critics who are overly focused on shit-gaze, glo-fi, chillwave, and other subgenres that have always existed, just without the hip names.
Overlooked in 2009: 6. fun. – “Aim & Ignite”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
6. fun. – “Aim & Ignite
mp3: fun. - "Light a Roman Candle with Me"
Their debut record lives up to the name of their band, but it's not just fun without having depth. Just as BLK JKS debut was ambitious, so is Aim & Ignite, just in a much different way. Reaching to the highest levels, Fun created a record of pop songs that hints at Beulah's best work with with biggest instrumentation. It's filled with harmonies, and an everything but the sink instrumentation approach. Many will quickly judge this band as just another emo band gone indie pop, but there are so many nuances making Aim & Ignite special. There's a few flaws that'll keep it from being as good as it could've been, but tracks like "Light a Roman Candle With Me" and "I Wanna Be The One" show a band with fully capable of writing perfect pop songs.
Overlooked in 2009: 7. BLK JKS – “After Robots”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
7. BLK JKS – After Robots
A victim of the hype that brought it here from South Africa, After Robots is a wildly ambitious record that blends music styles in a way an American-bred band would not be able to so well. Sure it can get lost in itself at times but the rewards keep coming too. It's far simliar too Mars Volta than TV on the Radio, who they were originally compared to, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. After Robots is not a perfect record, but gives us a lot to look forward to.
Overlooked in 2009: 8. Kurt Vile – “Childish Prodigy”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
8. Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy
mp3: Kurt Vile - "Blackberry Song"
Childish Prodigy starts with a bluesy, psychedelic opener "Hunchback" that recalls legend Roky Erickson. It's a promising sign of the road ahead. Then comes the fuzzy, fingerpicked "Dead Alive" and you know for sure that this trip is going to be very unpredictable and strange trip, but one worth traveling. The best way to describe Childish Prodigy is as an uncomprimisingly-twisted folk record filled with a strong sense of paranoia.
Overlooked in 2009: 9. Uninhabitable Mansions – “Nature is a Taker”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
9. Uninhabitable Mansions – Nature is a Taker
![UM01 2pnl_insert. [Converted]](http://jonnyleather.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/008_nature_cover.jpg "UM01 2pnl_insert. [Converted]")
mp3: Uninhabitable Mansions - "Midnight Topography"
Members of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dirty On Purpose, and Au Revoir Simone formed a band and made an album sounding like a perfect mix of their past projects and every bit as good, but Uninhabitable Mansions haven't yet blown up. Nature is a Taker is exactly the record fans would hope for based on the collection of members. It's poppy indie rock with buzzing guitars coming in and out, and utilizing/balancing three solid vocalists.
Overlooked in 2009: 10. Marissa Nadler – “Little Hills”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
10. Marissa Nadler – Little Hells
mp3: Marissa Nadler - "Little Hells"
Little Hells is the sound of dark mystical beauty. Nadler's voice is one of the most seductive I've ever heard, and it will lead you through a Twin Peaks-esque fantasia on her 4th studio release. Simone Pace of Blonde Redhead plays drums, and that makes perfect sense because Blonde Redhead is one of Nadler's closest sounding peers, especially considering the mood of the music. It's also one of those few records to score an 8.0 or higher on Pitchfork this year without receiving "Best New Music." Had it's 8.3 on Pitchfork been more noticeable, Little Hells might have been a much bigger record.
Overlooked in 2009: 11. Alvin Band – “Mantis Preying”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
11. Alvin Band – Mantis Preying
mp3: Alvin Band - "Temple Pressure"
You probably didn't even hear of Alvin Band this year. A solo side project for Miniature Tigers' drummer Rick Schaier, Alvin Band's Mantis Preying sounds like acapella Animal Collective. Schaier created it with layer upon layer of vocal tracks only, much like Bjork's Medúlla. Just on the basis that it was created with vocal tracks only makes it impressive. It's an unbelievably upbeat, fun record that could/should have been way more popular than it is.
Overlooked in 2009: 12. Dan Deacon – “Bromst”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
12. Dan Deacon – Bromst
A year ago, Dan Deacon was one of the most talked about artists in the indie world. Deacon's 2007 breakthrough record Spiderman of the Rings, along with a really unique live performance style, had propelled him to to stardom. Everyone from the New York Times to Rolling Stone to Pitchfork loved Deacon, and then he released Bromst in early 2009. Where Spiderman of the Rings may have been too hyperactive for its own good, Bromst takes its time to develop, and is a much bigger, bolder record because of that. It's unavoidably polarizing in its wierdness, but this is a year where wierd prevailed with the successes of Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors. Just how an artist like Dan Deacon can produce an album this great while still one of the most hyped artists around and not get the attention he deserved for it is baffling. This is the problem of the media focusing far too much on finding the next big thing and not even enjoying it when the next big thing blossoms in that big thing. We need to go back to enjoying artists when they're at their best rather than before they develop.
Overlooked in 2009: 13. Obits – “I Blame You”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
13. Obits – I Blame You
mp3: Obits - "Light Sweet Crude"
I could listen to Rick Froberg play guitar all day, and when I Blame You came out, I was. Since the early 90s, Froberg has been providing some of the most cutting guitar playing anyone's heard. Drive Like Jehu will probably always be Froberg's greatest gift to the music world, but Hot Snakes and now Obits are both incredible bands in their own right. Even if Obits are essentially all about Mr Froberg, the other members hold their own all the way through, even when guitarist Sohrab Habibion sings lead on "Run." This is a record full of straight forward rock with incredible guitar work, and oddly enough not much of that exists anymore in America.
Overlooked in 2009: 14. Islands – “Vapours”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
14. Islands – Vapours
Early in the year I saw Islands with high expectations after wonderful memories from other times I had seen them, but something seemed off and I assumed it was due to the new songs from Vapours which had yet to be released. I was no longer as excited about the release and assumed that Nick Diamonds had lost his touch. Then I finally heard Vapours and it's essentially a return to form for Islands, after the much darker sophomore record Arms Way. As much as I loved Arms Way, I longed for the more fun version of Islands that existed on their debut, and though Vapours isn't quite as upbeat, it's a lot closer in mood to Return to the Sea. Stripping away the strings, the band took a simpler approach of guitar, bass, drums and synths. Fans of the Unicorns should be particularly happy with this release, although it's not quite as original and quirky.
Overlooked in 2009: 15. Built to Spill – “There is No Enemy”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
15. Built to Spill – There is No Enemy
mp3: Built to Spill - "Aisle 13"
This is all about expectations and familiarity. At this point, we know what Built to Spill records sound like and we know they'll be good. The fast-paced music world run by blogs is all about "discovering" the "next big thing," so when Built to Spill released their 7th album, it didn't get nearly as much attention as Cymbals Eat Guitars got for "reviving" the sound that Built To Spill essentially created and still does better. And though we've grown used to their exceptional, drifting guitar melodies, Built To Spill hasn't done it quite this well for years. It's not Perfect From Now On, but it's up there. Cymbals Eat Guitars put out a solid record that'll get more attention on year end lists than Built to Spill solely because they're young and new, but Built to Spill still does it best.
Overlooked in 2009: 16. DeVries - “Death To God”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
16. DeVries - Death To God
mp3: deVries - "Darkest Summer"
Stone Roses made one great record, but that record continues its legacy as one of the most influential to ever be made by a British band. The minute I heard DeVries' Death To God, I couldn't help but hear Stone Roses. Death to God is darker and draws from quite a few other influences like Ride and T Rex, but the Stone Roses link is the most apparent. Despite a bunch of 2009's bigger bands like Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Big Pink being heavily influenced by the same sounds, DeVries has gone unnoticed so far despite having released this incredible record.
Overlooked in 2009: 17. Foreign Born - “Person to Person”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
17. Foreign Born - Person to Person
mp3: Foreign Born - "Vacationing People"
Foreign Born quickly met the potential shown on their debut record, and then surpassed all expectations with Person to Person. More percussion heavy than in the past, Foreign Born still sounds heavily influenced by Echo & The Bunnymen, but have now carved out a sound of their own.
Overlooked in 2009: 18. We Were Promised Jetpacks – “These Four Walls”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
18. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
mp3: We Were Promised Jetpacks - "It's Thunder and It's Lightning"
Album opener "It's Thunder and it's Lightning" is one of the most powerful introductions to a band ever caught on record. Each second is delivered with passionate fire and a Scottish accent. And that was just track 1. One of 2009's most promising debuts, These Four Walls never lets up. Even when We Were Promised Jetpacks slow down, as they do on "This Is My House, This Is My Home," they turn it into something epic. Every song could be an instant hit.
Overlooked in 2009: 19. Pink Mountaintops - “Outside Love”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
19. Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
mp3: Pink Mountaintops - "Execution"
In a perfect world, Outside Love would have gotten the same type of treatment as Bitte Orca or Merriweather Post Pavillion. It's a huge record, containing not a single flaw. I thought last year's Black Mountain record was an epic masterpiece, and then McBean outdid himself with this Pink Mountaintops record. This is the true evolution of 70s influenced guitar rock in the 21st century. Outside Love won't even make most critics top 20 lists, but really should be right at the top. Though my opinion changes daily, for this has been one of my top 5 favorite records of 2009 since the first time I heard it.
Overlooked in 2009: 20. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - “A Fish Hook An Open Eye”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
20. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - A Fish Hook An Open Eye”
mp3: Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - "Filthy & Free"
Shilpa Ray is undoubtedly the best female singer in New York's rock scene, holding nothing back with some of the rawest lyricsever heard, all delivered in a seductively ferocious style. Musically it's more in line with 70s rock but the harmonium adds an element not often heard in rock music and warps the journey quite a bit. It's dirty like the Bowery of the 70s, and that makes it incredibly refreshing.
Overlooked in 2009: 21. Wye Oak - “The Knot”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
21. Wye Oak - The Knot
Wye Oak's sophomore effort is a slow burner. It takes a lot more time to unlock some of the treasures than it did on If Children, but that's part of the joy. Each listen seems to bring new rewards. Jenn Wasner's voice and guitar playing have matured, while the extra layers of lush orchestration on tracks like "I Want For Nothing" give songs further depth. Yeah, we've seen enough male/female duos, but this one is really good.
Maybe I just love this record for the fact that it contains song of the year contender "Take It In," but based on that song alone it's a great record.
Overlooked in 2009: 22. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - “The Century of Self”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
22. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - The Century of Self
mp3: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - "Isis Unveiled"
Opening with the incredibly proggy instrumental "Giants Causeway," Trail of Dead let us know right away that those leanings haven't gone anywhere, but then comes the ferocious "Far Pavillions" which is in many ways a return to to everything that made Source Codes and Tags one of the more celebrated albums of the last decade. "Isis Unveiled" takes it to another level as possibly the best song Conrad Keely has ever written, and to see them play it live reinforces that fully. Clocking in at just under an hour, Century of Self never lets up. It's a beast of a rock record that got decent reviews, and didn't get shit on nearly as badly by Pitchfork as Worlds Apart or So Divided, but in the end it'll be one of the most overlooked records of 2009.
Overlooked in 2009: 23. Hopewell - “Good Good Desperation”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
23. Hopewell - Good Good Desperation
Beloved by contemporaries like The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, Hopewell has never quite been able to gain a wide audience despite a decade of excellence. Good Good Desperation is their greatest accomplishment so far. The 10 songs add up to a psych-rock masterpiece that peaks at the epic "Seen the Light," which could easily be mistaken for a lost Spiritualized track. But don't take that the wrong way, because this is much deeper than just a simple Spiritualized-homage, going in many wonderfully different directions.
