Beginning my string of year- and decade-end content, here is my 2CD mix for 2009. (Yes, each of these will fit on a CD. Turn off the two-second gap in between songs.) You can download disc one here, and then download disc two here. Both ZIPs contain the iTunes album art. If either of these links goes down, let me know and I will repost. The track listings are below, which include links to individual YouTubes when available (click the song title), earlier writing on the album in question (click the album title), and additional commentary for albums or songs I haven’t beaten to death already (or will beat to death in the coming weeks in future entries of The Haul; quite a few of these are in the discussion queue).
I consider 2009 a strong year for music, especially considering that this mix doesn’t include many common picks for best songs or albums, i.e. Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Phoenix, St. Vincent, Bat for Lashes, the XX. If you have a strong case for any of these bands, post it in the comment section and I may give them another shot.
Now for the music I do like.
101. Superchunk – “Learned to Surf” (3:50) – Leaves in the Gutter EP
Superchunk is apparently eschewing LPs and instead using EPs and singles as a feeder system for their future greatest hits compilation. I am fine with this development.
102. We Were Promised Jetpacks – “Quiet Little Voices” (4:18) – These Four Walls
103. Deerhunter – “Disappearing Ink” (2:22) – Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP
Just an EP and a single this year? You’re slacking, Deerhunter. (Yes, I know Atlas Sound released an album.)
104. Bill Callahan – “Eid Ma Clack Shaw” (4:15) – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
105. National Skyline – “Bloom (Single Edit)” (5:35) – Bloom EP
106. Systems Officer – “East” (3:36) – Underslept
Pinback’s Zach Smith puts out a solo album that sounds remarkably like Pinback, yet I enjoy this considerably more than the last few Pinback albums.
107. Clark – “Future Daniel” (4:03) – Totems Flare
108. J Dilla – “Mythsysizer” (1:44) – Jay Stay Paid
109. Hammer No More the Fingers – “Radiation” (4:04) – Looking for Bruce
For a band that reminds me of the all-too-forgettable Schatzi, I do enjoy Hammer No More the Fingers’ mix of Archers of Loaf indie rock and cleaner hooks. You can read more about Looking for Bruce at Built on a Weak Spot.
110. Wye Oak – “For Prayer” (3:49) – The Knot
I’m on the fence on whether Wye Oak’s sophomore release is better than its predecessor and if it’s one of the top 20 albums of the year. My tentative answers are “Yes” and “No” respectively. The guitar work is considerably better, as “For Prayer” demonstrates, but the album misses the occasional levity of If Children.
111. Wilco – “One Wing” (3:41) – Wilco (The Album)
Wilco’s semi-self-titled LP is unlikely to drop jaws, but it’s a nice halfway point between the dad rock of Sky Blue Sky and the more explicitly postmodern LPs that preceded it. (Halfway might be an exaggeration. It's still dad rock.) I enjoy a few of its songs a lot, “One Wing” in particular, but I rarely listen to the album as a whole.
112. Boston Spaceships – “The Town That's After Me” (1:16) – The Planets Are Busted
At first I was surprised Bob Pollard had released two separate full-lengths with Boston Spaceships (The Planets Are Busted and Zero to 99) this year, but then I remembered that he’s Bob Pollard and that’s par for the course. Both albums are consistently good and will eventually be grabbed on vinyl.
113. Rachel Grimes – “Starwhite” (1:24) – Book of Leaves
114. The Twilight Sad – “The Neighbours Can't Breathe” (5:24) – Forget the Night Ahead
115. Heroes of the Kingdom – “Disasterol” (2:52) – HOTK
116. Tortoise – “Prepare Your Coffin” (3:36) – Beacons of Ancestorship
Pitchfork talks about how Beacons of Ancestorship features more of the dancier side of Tortoise. I knew my issues with this album could be condensed into one sentence!
117. Deleted Scenes – “Ithaca” (4:09) – Birdseed Shirt
I still like the songs, but the mix of this record is criminal. They were so much better live. Have J Robbins do the whole thing next time. He has restraint.
118. Fuck Buttons – “The Lisbon Maru” (8:15) – Tarot Sport
119. Jesu – “Losing Streak” (6:13) – Opiate Sun
Justin Broadrick’s biggest problem is quantity over quality, so a four-track EP of actual songs is a welcome return to the days of Silver.
120. Tim Hecker – “Borderlands” (4:30) – An Imaginary Country
201. Future of the Left – “Arming Eritrea” (2:57) – Travels with Myself and Another
202. Part Chimp – “Sweet T” (3:05) – Thriller
203. Obits – “Widow of My Dreams” (4:21) – I Blame You
204. Raekwon – “House of Flying Daggers Ft Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, and Method Man” (3:51) – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2
It’s a Wu Tang reunion with J Dilla beats. Method Man is in rare form.
205. Dinosaur Jr. – “Your Weather” (3:05) – Farm
I recently mentioned my malaise with Farm, but that doesn’t extend to the Lou Barlow songs, which continue to be excellent.
206. Built to Spill – “Pat” (2:36) – There Is No Enemy
My first listen to There Is No Enemy sputtered out before the halfway mark, but there’s some surprisingly inspired material on the back half, especially “Pat” and “Done.” I admittedly need to give this album more of a chance.
207. CFCF – “Crystal Mines” (3:58) – Panesian Nights EP
CFCF’s full-length Continent features deeper hues of the 1980s electronic revival, but I enjoy the 8-bit feel of the EP more. Both are worth checking out.
208. A Place to Bury Strangers – “Exploding Head” (3:32) – Exploding Head
The guitars are straight shoegaze, but everything else sounds like 1986, which predates shoegaze. Strangely jarring.
209. Constants – “Genetics Like Chess Pieces” (5:45) – The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension
210. Port-Royal – “Balding Generation (Jatun Remix)” (5:02) – Balding Generation EP
Port-Royal’s Dying in Time is two steps forward, two steps back from Afraid to Dance. For every new texture, there’s a recapitulation of the Moog melody from “Anya: Sehnsucht.” For every compelling vocal delivery (“Anna Ustinova”), there’s one that goes too far into electro-pop (“The Photoshopped Prince”). Yet despite these setbacks (and a bloated runtime), I’ve still listened to it an awful lot. “Balding Generation (Losing Hair as We Lose Hope)” is a highlight, but I prefer the stuttering glitch of Jatun’s remix, which condenses the song’s emotional crest into a more digestible package. Additionally, it got me excited for Jatun’s Blanket of Ash LP, which comes out in March.
211. Russian Circles – “Malko” (4:33) – Geneva
Russian Circles officially passed Pelican this year.
212. Polvo – “Beggar's Bowl” (4:59) – In Prism
213. Mastodon – “Divinations” (3:28) – Crack the Skye
214. Gordon Withers – “Defenestrations of Prague” (6:06) – Gordon Withers
215. Mission of Burma – “Comes Undone” (3:08) – The Sound The Speed The Light
216. Isis – “20 Minutes / 40 Years” (7:04) – Wavering Radiant
217. Last Days – “Life Support” (5:27) – The Safety of the North
218. The Life and Times – “The Politics of Driving” (5:01) – Tragic Boogie
Noted exclusions include Neko Case, Shannon Wright, Pelican, Sonic Youth, and the Flaming Lips. Who else did I miss?
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