Trumblog

So you may have gotten a new mp3 player yesterday that you need to fill or an iTunes gift card that is now burning a hole in your pocket.  Here are my top albums from the last year to give you some ideas.  These are probably not the most “important” albums of the year (Spoiler Alert: neither Animal Collective nor Grizzly Bear made the list).  This is the music that I enjoyed the most in 2009.

The albums are in no particular order (except for the last item), I liked each album for different reasons and can’t pick a favorite.

1. Gossip “Music For Men”

Beth Ditto and band’s Blondie-esque, punk meets disco diva styling won my heart in the last couple months of 2009.  But it was her Dolly Pardon in Doc Martins attitude on the first track, Dimestore Diamond, that hooked me.  Ok, that and the line “I heard it through the bass line not much longer would you be I baby.”  The fact that the album is about the length of my commute to and from the office which allowed for regular complete listening experiences was an added bonus.

2. Marianne Faithfull “Easy Come, Easy Go”

I always wanted to like Marianne Faithfull more than I actually did, but that all changed with “Easy Come. Easy Go.”  She owns each and every one of these tracks, the loss of “Down From Dover,” the weariness of “Hold On Hold On,” the haunting of “In Germany Before The War” that event Dietrich couldn’t top, the yearning of “Dear God, Please Help Me,” and I even love her version of “The Crane Wife 3″ when I avoided The Decemberists last year.  Family, sorry about the weekend of repeated listening, I hope that it didn’t sour you on this gem too much.

3. Os Mutantes “Hiah Or Amortecedor”

I was highly skeptical of this new Os Mutatantes album and expected nothing from the first album from a band in 30 years with only one of the original three members remaining.  I was expecting something along the lines of later albums from Big Star and the David Byrneless Talking Heads reunion.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  “Hiah Or Amortecedor” may not be their best album but it is a damn fine addition to Os Mutantes’ discography including the same mix of pop and absurdity of their earlier albums.

4. Regina Spektor “Far”

What is it for me about gals and pianos? Regina, Tori and Amanda I love you all.  Spektor’s “Far” is quirky, catchy and wonderful with a punk sensibility and the storytelling and musical style reminiscent of Ben Folds.  Her songs veer from literally jump starting hearts, to magical lakes, along fantasies of family life in an airstream and meditations on favorite songs and Blockbuster rental cards.

5. Wilco “Wilco (The Album)”

Wilco and Regina Spektor’s albums were released a week apart and to me are linked as a masculine and feminine soundtrack for the summer in my office.  “Wilco (The Album)” is certainly less country and experimental than previous albums by Wilco, but it maintains those touch points in these more pop focused songs that hold up better as an album that any of the other releases since “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”

6. Various Artists “Dark Was The Night”

It came early and stayed.  I gorged on this album, the latest in the series of Red Hot albums, is full of “All Songs Considered” hipster artists like The Dirty Projectors, Feist, Grizzly Bear, The Decemberists, Cat Power, etc. when it first came out at the beginning of the year and returned to it regularly.  It’s a 2 CD (or at least that’s what I’m told, I have 31 mp3s) collection with many highlights and few lesser tracks.

7. Bon Iver “Blood Bank”

I can remember the moment walking up Massachusetts Ave one snowy Tuesday morning after downloading “Blood Bank” when I realized how good this album was.  In the spirit of 2009, I’m pretty positive that I twittered about it.  An extension of last year’s “For Emma, Forever Ago,” “Blood Bank” sounds similar with haunting melodies and is just as good, only happier.  Just 4 songs are enough for Bon Iver to solidify himself a spot in my top list.

8. Angus & Julie Stone “A Book Like This”

I discovered this brother and sister from Australia when vicariously listening up for SXSW, no I didn’t go (sigh).  “A Book Like This” was actually released a couple years ago, but only just made it to the States (so including it here is a bit of a cheat).  They have a  shuffling, childlike, folky sound that won me over on songs like “Just a Boy” and “Mango Tree.”  Check out their EPs for even more goodness.

9. Vijay Iyer Trio “Historicity”

Calling this my top jazz album of 2009 isn’t saying much since it’s the only jazz album on this list.  Vijay Iyer on piano, Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums have a modern hard jazz sound with none of the soft jazz crap that I can’t bear.  Their rhythms lurch and jump provocatively while maintaining the melody of the song and groove of a band.  Maybe the best way to describe it is just to say that they cover M.I.A.’s Galang which fits tightly into their repertoire.

10. Tie – Norah Jones “The Fall”, Ceu “Vagarosa”, Andrew Bird “Noble Beast” and Flight of The Conchords “I Told You I Was Freaky”

Reviewing my listening habits of 2009 I realized that I listened to these 4 albums quite a lot, but for one reason or another I can’t say that they were top albums of 2009. Therefore I’ll just group them in the number 10 spot as albums I really enjoyed.

Norah Jones “The Fall” – In her third album after “Come Away With Me,” Ms. Jones is turning the corner from being being widely loved and therefore derided by hipsters to gathering apologists for her musical turns.  I couldn’t stand “Chasing Pirates,” the first single from the album, both for the title and lyrics and what is up with the top hat and St. Bernard on the cover?  Too cutesy for my taste.  But the album actually drew me in. Jones is clearly out of her Americana phase and turning to a more twee sound, but she maintains the jazz influences which gives her pop songs more bite and engagement so that repeated listenings led me to find new things to like about it.  Put me in that new camp of followers who defend Norah and look forward to what’s next from her.

Ceu “Vagarosa” -  I like me some nueva Bossa Nova especially with some electronica and Ceu delivered a nice addition to my collection this year.  This is not top shelf stuff, but it’s also not the Brazilian trance crap that is stipmined off the hills of Sau Paulo to populate compilation CDs.  It’s fun, it’s light, it’s enjoyable and it’s quality.  “Vagarosa” has been a great soundtrack for both sunday morning coffee and New York Times reading as well as cocktails on the deck chillaxing.

Andrew Bird “Noble Beast” – Bird’s disc was a pleasure with every listen, with great hooks, intelligent lyrics and a pleasing sound, but somehow I never dug into it.  I knew it was there, but it just didn’t stick. I can say the same was true of Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone as well.  Why didn’t these albums catch me? I don’t know.  Was it timing, other stuff caught my ear?  Were they good, but without a spark that I needed to really love them?  Call them albums that I would have loved if given the chance, but somehow I just haven’t.  Sorry Andrew and Neko.

Flight of The Conchords “I Told You I Was Freaky” – Chucking cable this year, I missed the second season for FOTC, but I made up for it with listens to this album.  I’d heard that the Conchords didn’t want to do a second season of their show and that quality had diminished, but maybe the limitations of an album’s length helped them out, but cutting out the substandard tracks.  DSS should probably be called for the way my entire familia sings along to an album with songs about “sugar lumps,” being a man whore, and an overabundance of male genitalia at a disco.

What did you listen to in 2009.  What were your top 10+?  What do you recommend? Share your love of music in the comments.