Comments on: Extreme Listening Mode’s Top 10 Albums of 2009

By: howlinwhippet

howlinwhippet — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:50:36 +0000

….and I’m ALWAYS punk, ELM.

By: howlinwhippet

howlinwhippet — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:49:50 +0000

I forgot to mention the Drive By Truckers one, The Fine Print, b-sides and rarities kinda thing…….pisses all over most of this years competition and is a bit of a (hopeful) return to form for a band that seemed on their last legs this time last year.

By: extremelisteningmode

extremelisteningmode — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:58:01 +0000

The National have been on a hot streak on their last few.

By: bertrand d'oyle carte

bertrand d'oyle carte — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:56:33 +0000

The Antlers album is great…..hopes for early 2010:

Laura Veirs
The National

By: extremelisteningmode

extremelisteningmode — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:16:47 +0000

Some good choices there guys!

HW – You going more punk than country this year?

LO – Totally agree on Florence and teh PR Machine.

By: Longman Oz

Longman Oz — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:06:14 +0000

Some interesting choices there, as always, ELM. Fanfarlo were one of the first new bands that I heard this year, so it is nice to see them get a mention here. Girls are definitely a band on the up too.

At this stage, I still prefer Port O’Brien’s “All We Could Do Is Sing” to this year’s album though…

Some other albums that I really liked this year:

* A.A. Bondy – When the Devil’s Loose
* The Antlers – Hospice
* Clues – Clues
* Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
* Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice
* Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
* DM Stith – Heavy Ghost
* Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
* Japandroids – Post-Nothing
* Laura Gibson – Beasts of Seasons
* Lovvers – OCD Go Go Go Girls
* Mount Eerie – Wind’s Poem
* Soap&Skin – Lovetune for Vacuum
* St Vincent – Actor
* Timber Timbre – Timber Timbre

Song of the Year – “Knotty Pine” by David Byrne & Dirty Projectors. Dirty Projectors are definitely my band of the year and they closed each show that I saw with this number. Absolutely joyous.

Most Overrated Act – Florence + The Machine

Looking forward then…

Already Overburdened by My Weight of Expectations for their New Album – The National

Tip for 2010 – The Luyas

By: howlinwhippet

howlinwhippet — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:02:42 +0000

ok, top albums of the year.
1. Richmond Fontaine – We Used To Think The Freeway…
Not much to add to the ELM view other than this is a career high after the genius of “Post To Wire” a couple of albums ago. Americana doesn’t get much better than this. Tom Waits, take note.

2. Wilco – Wilco The Album
Its almost a case of Wilco making a more “Wilco”-esque album. And it is, but with all the requisite brilliance, pathos and poetry thrown in. Oh, and a bit of ELO so as not to alienate the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot audience.

3. Le Reno Amps – Tear It Open.
They’re from Glasgow, they sound like The Fall, if Mark E Smith was into The Meteors. Big things expected.

4. The Snipes -Goodnight Sweetheart
Punk rock the old way from punk-era survivors from Kilmarnock. Ignore the sometimes by-the-numbers lyrics and its just like SLF were, in their prime.
At times sublime, at times just plain silly (see “Lets All Go To France”), but full of energy and just what the world needs.

5. Goldblade -Mutiny
Media honey and ex-Membranes head honcho John Robb’s crew of underground rockers. They look like the Clash, sound like a hybrid of all the great rock and roll bands and don’t give a fuck. Well worth a look.

Honorable mentions to – Them Crooked Vultures (should be shit but isn’t), The Black Crowes and Richard Hawley.