2009 thus far.... (Please! Contribute!)

[briewer]

Alright, I bitched about the 2009 lists thread and decided to make my own that was actually based on discussion. Have at it, you guys. I'll go first:



-I think Bitte Orca is the record to beat. Being a Dirty Projectors fan, it is very encouraging to see Dave and the rest of the Projectors drop some of the artsy freakout aesthetic to make a widely consumable pop record without completely giving up their identity in the name of palatability. The R&B/Soul/Indie/Funk fusion is simply entrancing, and they blend it together so well that they make this hybrid look like a natural purebreed. They've grown up on this record, and I see them having a very successful career beyond it.

-What is the deal with ranking things way before the year is over, anyways? Has it always been this way and I've just never noticed it, or have all of us gone AOTY crazy? Is it a result of everyone proclaiming Merriweather Post Pavilion AOTY in January? Is it from the anticipation of the end of the decade and the absurd amount of decade-long lists that are to follow? What's going on here?

-Compared to 2008, this year is radically different. Last year, just about everything I came across I was impressed by at first, but slowly noticed its flaws and became unenamored with it. By now, I listen to maybe 1 or 2 records out of the 25 I considered "Best Of." This year, I have been unimpressed or indifferent with a lot of what has been released this year, but have slowly grown to love a lot of them, a love that doesn't seem fleeting or based on the scene at the moment. I don't know if that's a result of me being a year older and thus a year more cynical/mature/picky, but I think down the road I will definitely appreciate 2009 much more than I ever did 2008.

-Based on leaks we've had so far, October's looking pretty good for music. I'm really looking forward to whatever it has to offer.

-I still can't tell whether I like Phil Elverum trying out metal with Wind's Poem, or whether I just like the idea of Phil Elverum trying out metal with Wind's Poem.

-I can't help but feel that I don't know enough to make bold statements like these, especially in light of the fact that the year isn't even over yet. I wish I had some of Evan's obnoxious amount of self-confidence.



Okay, now it's your turn. Argue against my proclamations, make some of your own, whatever, just discuss this year in music (without the aid of lists).

[Chromefox]

I spent 2009 dipping into back catalogues and anticipating albums which turned out to be abominations of music. I'm inclined to give 2009 a thumbs down based on my experiences, but to be fair, I have not actually heard much of 2009's music at all.

[Colorblind!]

Wind's Poem is proving hard for me to get into especially for my lack of knowledge about black metal to begin with. I'm hoping for it to click with me.

[oddwithoutend]

As much as I tend to disagree with pitchfork, I still see Merriweather Post Pavillion as the album of the year. I have probably spun it ten times more than any 2009 record, possibly due to its incredibly eccentric vocals, its ability to feel as coherent as any other record released this year while having a slew of variation. Songs range from heartfelt ballads to weird, psychadelic numbers to carefree, cheery songs to dancey tunes, and the best part is that all of them truly belong on the album.

With that said, Wind's Poem is getting better with every listen, and has blown my mind on a couple occasions, so I'm not going to count Phil Elverum out just yet. It's probably my second favourite, and I do think it's both more ambitious and profound than MPP. Elverum is the man either way.

2009 hasn't been a spectacular year in music. Better than 2008? Well, no 2009 album beats For Emma... so far. That's the weird part. FE,FA seems miles better than MPP, and MPP seems a tad better overall than Wind's Poem, but FE,FA only seems a little better than Wind's Poem. You follow? That paradoxical opinion has been bothering me lately.

The Hazard's of Love seems to be the "Mendoza Line" of music this year. That is to say, a 2009 album is only worth my time if I find it better than that album. It's borderline good.

Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle seems to be the grower, and I consider it an essential record. Disliked it quite a bit on my first listen, but months later my faith in Callahan is being restored. Bill Callahan is the man, too.

That's about all of the remarkable thoughts that come to mind right now concerning 2009, but make sure you give Devendra Banhart's upcoming release a listen later this month. It should be good.

[oddwithoutend]

I spent 2009 dipping into back catalogues and anticipating albums which turned out to be abominations of music. I'm inclined to give 2009 a thumbs down based on my experiences, but to be fair, I have not actually heard much of 2009's music at all.

Yeah, our thoughts are similar on The Resistance.

[Trauma Caspian]

In my mind 2009 has been one of the greatest years of music recentlly, I can't remember the time I enjoyed so many newly released records in one year.

[xJesusFreakx]

I spent 2009 dipping into back catalogues and anticipating albums which turned out to be abominations of music. I'm inclined to give 2009 a thumbs down based on my experiences, but to be fair, I have not actually heard much of 2009's music at all.

This is pretty close to my year as well, but I've still loved a few releases this year and enjoyed some others. Most of my most anticipated albums were disappointments, though.

[fly_guy]

2009 has been great for me

EDIT: New music wise. Most of my anticipated albums have been disappointments, but Im fine with that

[briewer]

This is pretty close to my year as well, but I've still loved a few releases this year and enjoyed some others. Most of my most anticipated albums were disappointments, though.
Yeah, this year was definitely readjusted my perceptions on what albums were anticipated and what albums were actually good.

[cacophonous]

Yeah, I've loved 2009. So much stuff, so much good stuff.

I don't know if I really have an album of the year yet. Just a whole lot of albums that I love, including the Dirty Projectors one. That said, if anything is standing head and shoulders above the rest, it's Hospice. That album is just plain gorgeous, a sparse album that at once manages to sound gargantuan in its own way. It's an experience to listen to, to say the least. Bruce Peninsula's A Mountain is a Mouth is also up there.

Honestly, Merriweather Post Pavillion isn't making my list at all. I love about half the songs (especially "My Girls" and "Brothersport"), but I skip a good deal of this album (especially "Lion in a Coma," ugh). I feel like Strawberry Jam murders it in every way possible, but I keep listening to MPP hoping I'll find something I missed.

All that said, I still have a ton of albums I need to give more thorough listens, but that's what's winning my heart right now. Still looking forward to Tegan & Sara, Clipse, and Grooms, and based on what I've heard of Grooms' stuff, they might shake things up a bit (T&S and Clipse have the same potential, I just mention Grooms because they're new and exciting).

I really wish Heartland was coming out this year, like right now. But I can wait a few more months, I guess. Also: where's Detox? C'mon Dre.

[murrich]

I really haven't listened to much music from 2009 at all, my favourite so far is probably Animals in the Dark. So far I've only listened to nine albums from this year.
I'll check out Bitte Orca as soon as I get the chance.

Edit: Sorry for lack of contribution, I will later.

[HoldThatSound]

My favorite album so far is The World I Want to Leave Behind - .moneen.

So stoked for new Person L though. Too bad Circa Survive doesn't come out until 2010.

Monsters of Folk was okay...

Mystic Valley band was really good.

So was Manchester Orchestra. And mewithoutYou

Daisy was pretty good, but I haven't listened enough yet. Same with Aim & Ignite.

Still haven't gotten around to listen to Thursday, Saosin, Mutemath, Mountains Goats, and a few other things I downloaded haha.

There's probably more I forgot to mention, but I forget if they are 08 or 09 haha.

[Chromefox]

Albums purchased in 2009: 47
Of those, released in 2009: 6, one of which I haven't listened to yet.
Of those remaining 5, 2 were fun but had no staying power, 1 was okay, and 2 more were severe disappointments.

[El_Jeffe]

backing bill callahan, that was a fantastic release in my mind. haven't heard bitte orca yet, but with all the talk i've heard it sounds like i should sometime soon

i think the big secret of the year is the 7 Worlds Collide project, their album The Sun Came Out has just been released. this, once again, is the album i tried to tell everyone about that featured the likes of neil finn, his two sons, tim finn, two of the radiohead boys, the entire cast of wilco, johnny marr (the smiths), great solo acts like bic runga, lisa germano, kt tunstall (although i'm not big on her), don mcglashan, etc, but no one cared... shame on you all! haha, it's a really great listen & an incredibly fun project

another big underlie of the year is Béla Fleck - Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 - Africa Sessions. i know this isn't the usual go around here, but anyone who really knows music knows what a talent this man is & just what he's capable of. this is a great great album, & a very welcome return after the past flecktones album & solo efforts from other band members...so i wasn't expecting much. but one of the best albums of the year in my view

i have plenty of catching up to do this year, especially with more international releases on the world music culture. but i hope this thread stays around

[Chromefox]

i think the big secret of the year is the 7 Worlds Collide project, their album The Sun Came Out has just been released. this, once again, is the album i tried to tell everyone about that featured the likes of neil finn, his two sons, tim finn, two of the radiohead boys, the entire cast of wilco, johnny marr (the smiths), great solo acts like bic runga, lisa germano, kt tunstall (although i'm not big on her), don mcglashan, etc, but no one cared... shame on you all! haha, it's a really great listen & an incredibly fun project I remember that thread, but it never went anywhere, stunningly. I'm still very interested. It's just released, you say? How just? The problem for me is being able to find it, online or off.

[blebbio]

I finally got into good music this year so not only do I have everything that came out this year but things from years past to listen to that I never had heard of or never would have appealed to me until now.

[kbi the crowing]

Albums purchased in 2009: 47
Of those, released in 2009: 6, one of which I haven't listened to yet.
Of those remaining 5, 2 were fun but had no staying power, 1 was okay, and 2 more were severe disappointments.

eesh I'm sorry all those sucked

EDIT: & now I'm compelled to find out how many albums I bought this year haha (not counting LP's)

EDIT (again): 56 albums (16 from 09) and a bunch more demos and shit
christ that's a lot of money

[Baby for Pree]

OP, we've had this conversation before, but I agree that Bitte Orca is the album of the year (so far). I credit it not only for being an amazing album, but for changing my music tastes completely this year. Back in May, I considered Manchester Orchestra and Razia's Shadow to be fantastic records, but I once I heard Bitte Orca, I was turned on to a world of music I'd never listened to before.

[El_Jeffe]

I remember that thread, but it never went anywhere, stunningly. I'm still very interested. It's just released, you say? How just? The problem for me is being able to find it, online or off.

wonderful tale to that album. at the start of the year neil finn invited all those great artists (& others who appeared last time but couldn't make it again this time around) to bring themselves, their instruments, & their entire families out to new zealand (hell, neil finn's wife even sings lead harmony on a track, & some of the band memebers kids are credited to playing various instruments from handclaps to dog sounds haha). they all got together & played a series of live gigs together, all covering one another's songs, letting loose on brand new originals, & just have a great time

at the conclusion of those three weeks they recorded an album of all originals. which has just seen the light of the day now. it's available in a one disk & two disk version, obviously the first disk being the strongest. it's just a great album of a lot of very talented friends getting together & recording music out of love & passion. it's probably available online now... however you get your music haha. i know you can buy it on amazon etc over there

[Chromefox]

at the conclusion of those three weeks they recorded an album of all originals. which has just seen the light of the day now. it's available in a one disk & two disk version, obviously the first disk being the strongest. it's just a great album of a lot of very talented friends getting together & recording music out of love & passion. it's probably available online now... however you get your music haha. i know you can buy it on amazon etc over there Oh, brilliant! I'll keep my eyes open and when I get ahold of it, I'll definitely be letting you know via your thread.

[xJesusFreakx]

Early in the year, there were three upcoming releases that excited me: Brand New, As Cities Burn, and mewithoutYou. I had been a Brand New fan for under a year, so TDAG and Deja Entendu were still holding my attention rather well, but "Bought a Bride" sounded pretty neat, and I was curious where they'd go next. As Cities Burn had originally been only a passing interest, but Come Now Sleep grew on me with every listen, eventually inching it's way into my favorite albums I'd heard. As for mewithoutYou, I loved Foxes and loved Brother, Sister even more, so it seemed inevitable that I'd love this new release, which I'd been waiting a few years for.

As Cities Burn came first, and I loved it almost immediately. Cody was at his best vocally. The highlights sounded great. I was obsessed with Hell or High Water for a good month or so, and then my interest just sort of dwindled. Maybe it had something to do with my (then and still) developing musical tastes, but regardless, what started as a contender for my album of the year eventually faded away until I rarely even thought about it. When I throw it on, I still thoroughly enjoy it, but I just don't hold it on the pedestal I once did.

Shortly after this came mewithoutYou's fourth album, it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright. My friends were worried that they'd be disappointed, but I kept my hopes high; these hopes were only magnified when "Every Though a Thought of You" hit their MySpace page. Then, it leaked. I remember downloading the leak, sampling tracks, and just thinking, "What is this?" Everyone else seemed to love it, but I was disgusted. After two excellent albums, they had discarded everything I loved about them and released their first unlistenable song ("Fig with a Bellyache") and first songs with instrumentation more interesting than the lyrics ("King Beetle on a Coconut Estate"). The album has grown on me since, but it's still overall a major disappointment.

What can I say about Brand New? I fell in love with "Bought a Bride" and "Gasoline" immediately, and those lyrics, the title, and the tentative track listing gave me the impression that this was going to be a great story-based album expanding on everything that I fell in love with on TDAG. Then I watched a live video of "Bed"; then I heard "At the Bottom." These worried me, but I remained hopeful. Then I downloaded the leak and listened to it from start to finish on my iPod in a dark room while my dad watched TV. When Daisy came to an end, I thought to myself, "Really? That's it? ... Really?" I'm not going to list all my thoughts on this album unless asked, but I'll say this much: This is the most disappointed I've ever been with an album.

To end this rather depressing look back on a good note, this has still been a great year for me musically. Thrice, my favorite band for the past nearly two years, maintained their ranking by releasing their first album I love from start to finish, and I was blown away by the new Bradley Hathaway album, A Mouth Full of Dust. I've also been loving Church Music by David Crowder*Band as of late. More than anything, this has been a great year for developing my musical tastes. I've spent the whole year with a constant running list of albums to check out too long to catch up with, and this will likely last into next year. All in all, it's been a great music year for me.

[geebee889]

My favorites of the year so far are Manchester Orchestra, MUTEMATH, fun., Paramore, and Brand New. I have some big hopes for some upcoming ones, though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

[BBScience]

Overall I'd have to say that 2009 has been a good year. I've discovered some new artists that I now love, but a few albums I was really looking forward to have turned out to be disappointments.

Great so far this year:

Thrice (These dudes have proven once again why they have been one of my favorite bands for a LONG time.)
Alexisonfire
AFI (Suprised me)
Imogen Heap
Mew
Moneen
Muse
Paper Route

Biggest disappointments:

Brand New - Daisy does nothing for me. It took me almost a year to really get into TDAG, but at least there was a couple songs I liked immediately that made me revisit it a few times to eventually fall in love with the rest. Nothing about Daisy is memorable to me.
Mute Math - I love this band, they are fucking amazing live. But there's something lacking in Armistice that made their self titled so good, I can't quite put it into words, it just doesn't effect me the same way.
As Tall As Lions - Another great live band, I really was hoping this album would be great. The problems these guys had getting the right producer really comes through in the album; It's all over the place. Unlike their last album, which had a beautiful flow to it. You Can't Take It With You at times feels like a mess of unfinished ideas. Having said that, In Case of Rapture is one of my single favorite songs of the whole year.

[AntiCult]

Poison the well - The Tropic Rot is where its at.

[GuitarR0cker1]

I've been very pleased by 2009. My only major disappointments were Daisy, The Hazards Of Love(still good but not what I wanted from the Decemberists) and Wilco's s/t. Other than that I've had some slight disappointments and some expectations that were passed but I've listened to loads of great new albums from this year and I've discovered lots of great bands.

[kianacarly]

Most of my anticipated albums ended up disappointing. For the first time this year I started randomly downloading leaks and such because of interesting album art or just on a whim, and so most of my favorites of this year have taken me by surprise. I love making AOTY lists just because I always loved to put things into lists, even before I knew that AOTY lists and such were so popular. I'm enjoying the new Islands more than I thought I would, and Royal Bangs too. Loved new Owen as well.

[SwiftSilentDead]

Propagandhi's Supporting Caste is currently sitting at the top of the pack for me. Albums that have come close to topping it are the new Dinosaur Jr, Dear Landlord, Banner Pilot and Thursday. I was expecting good things going into Dinosaur Jr. and I was blown away with how great Farm is. I knew next to nothing about Dear Landlord going into them but I loved Dream Homes on first listen and it still has stuck with me. Banner Pilot's Collapser shattered my expectations. I thought of them as nothing special but they've improved so much on Collapser. New Thursday was my most anticipated album going into the year and I was not disappointed at all. I've been close to saying that it's just as strong as Full Collapse....but I've been on and off on that statement multiple times.

Really loved the new American Steel. Not what I was expecting but it's one of the catchiest record I've heard out of this year. New Silversun Pickups was another one I was anticipating this year, and I actually think Swoon is better than Carnavas. I'm not as in love with Beggars as a lot of you are but it's definitely a great record, but I need to listen to it a few more times to really get into it. So far, I love the first 7 tracks or so. I didn't expect to like the new Swellers as much as I did but it appears the signing to FBR didn't effect their sound at all. The improved production really helped them out, too. New Polar Bear Club didn't disappoint at all. I also loved Chuck Ragan's Gold Country and New Junk Aesthetic from Every Time I Die.The new Alexisonfire had to grow on me a little bit but I love it now. Was disappointed with the new Darkest Hour at first but I've really been into it the past month or so. Starting to love the new Strung Out, too. I was really into Grey Britain from Gallows for a couple months but it kind of wore off. Same goes for the new Riverboat Gamblers. The new Broadway Calls I was greatly anticipating for awhile and I liked it qutie a bit but it wasn't the album of the year I was hoping for. I'm not disappointed in it, though.

There's also been a few bands that surprised me with their new releases like Nothington, Empty Promise, and The Real Deal. Did not know much about these three bands at all but they all released superb punk records this year. The new Nothington is my favorite out of those three, though. I also didn't think I'd like Bob Mould's new album as much as I do now. Even if it is Bob Fucking Mould. I also enjoyed the new Pissed Jeans album a lot more than I thought I would. Only listened to The Golden Age's Unlock Yourself because I had to review it but I ended up loving it.

I haven't been keeping up with a lot of metal releases this year but I really liked the new Mastodon and Isis albums. Also mentioned the new Darkest Hour earlier. Was impressed with the new Cattle Decap record. New Agoraphobic Nosebleed was pretty good but I haven't listened to it that much this year. New Municicpal Waste was awesome, a lot better than The Art of Partying, just not as fun. Warbringer improved a lot with Waking Into Nightmares. Still need to listen to the new Behemoth a little more. The Amesouers album had a lot of interesting stuff on it but I couldn't get into it as an album. There's also the new Kylesa, which was solid but not really great. Anticipating new the new albums from Baroness, Scar Symmetry and Nile. New Immortal interests me a little bit.

Was greatly disappointed with the new Death By Stereo even though I kind of saw them going downhill after Death For Life. Did not expect the new album to be this bad, though. New Ruiner was major weaksauce, as well. Thought I would enjoy In The Red's Volume Two after hearing Mike Hale's solo project but it turns out it was boring as fuck. Two Tongues was an obvious disappointment. Could not get into the new Fake Problems, at all. I only really loved the title track and a couple other songs on the new Set Your Goals. New Reign Supreme is probably the worst record I've heard this year. Daisy bored the living shit out of me but i'm not going to give up on it.

There's also been a ton of great EPs this year. My favorite is either Anchor Down's Steel To Dust or The Loved Ones' Distractions.

Overall, I think it's been a great year for music so far. At least for me. There's still a lot of stuff that I've heard but haven't really given enough time to get into yet. Have great hopes for the new Converge.

[El_Jeffe]

chuck ragan, as in hot water music, released another album this year? see, this is why verses god should have never stopped posting! how's that one sounding?

i too enjoyed the new dinosaur jr, that album doesn't get talked about enough. i only picked it up somewhat recently, so it's still digesting, but so far it going down rather nicely. to me though at times it does come across as an album that makes me think "oh, they've still got it" & not much more if you know what i mean. it's solid, but nothing progressive. still a good listen though

[Someone'sCoat]

I'm at work and can't contribute much right now but for me 2009 is the bes year of music this millenium. I'll be much more into the discussion once I'm not at work.

[theguy77]

i dont tend to focus on the current year in any capacity. new music released this year is all the same as music i havent yet heard that was released 5, 15, 35 years ago. since there's a wealth of material to which i have yet to be exposed in prior years, the chances that something released this year will attract my special attention are fairly slim when its competing with like 50 other years.

[Chromefox]

i dont tend to focus on the current year in any capacity. new music released this year is all the same as music i havent yet heard that was released 5, 15, 35 years ago. since there's a wealth of material to which i have yet to be exposed in prior years, the chances that something released this year will attract my special attention are fairly slim when its competing with like 50 other years. I agree with this. I'm so busy finding music across the whole timespan that I do not focus in a given year.

[anthonydarko]

I'd say this year had been 50/50 for me. There were the records that I fell in love with and enjoyed and there were the records that let me down and was disappointed in, more so in the latter. I wish I could be more descriptive then that, but it'll have to do for now.

[xmicxcorex]

tl;dr.

but...from what i got of the first line....2009 has really been a step backwards for me musically. I went from being in a metal band, back to playing and listening to stuff like Hidden In Plain View, Homegrown, etc.

[SwiftSilentDead]

chuck ragan, as in hot water music, released another album this year? see, this is why verses god should have never stopped posting! how's that one sounding?

i too enjoyed the new dinosaur jr, that album doesn't get talked about enough. i only picked it up somewhat recently, so it's still digesting, but so far it going down rather nicely. to me though at times it does come across as an album that makes me think "oh, they've still got it" & not much more if you know what i mean. it's solid, but nothing progressive. still a good listen though

Yeah, that Chuck Ragan haha. His new album is great. It carries a more country vibe than Feast or Famine but it really works for him. I actually like it more than Feast or Famine.

I actually think the new Dinosaur Jr. is their best album since Where You Been? They've always been known for their raw sound but the production sounds a lot bigger on this album and I think they benefited from it a lot. The guitar tone sounds incredible and I absolutely love all of the riffs and solos on the album too. Some of the best songs they've done are on there, in my opinion. It's kind of a bold statement, but I'll stand by it. It's arguably their most accessible, as well.

[Thesleepingwell]

For me in 2009? Discovering this awesome site, props to Jason for it's existance :-)

Actully I've come across a few things in 2009 and most of them outside metal, with Kylesa's 'Static Tensions' being the big exception. I also dug releases by Sky Larkin, Seventh Void (50% of Type O Negative in some ways), the VersaEmerge EP (well cause people raved about it all year long), Broadway Calls (even though it's not an area of taste) and the album reissues of hardcore thrash band Carnivore from the 80s.

2009 is not done yet, I recently aquired the new Paramore album 'Brand New Eyes' which requires more listening, getting the new Alice In Chains album and the intresting opus by Every Time I Die to consider.

As for 2010?
So far it would be the long awaited LP debut of VersaEmerge (providing they can get a new drummer), a probable Paramore DVD (come off it, they put something out every year other than singles) and the prospect of Type O Negative releasing, writing or recording a new album and perhaps another chance to see them live here in the UK. And a few suprises such as the likehood of a Sepultura reunion.

Oh and the immediate plan is to learn to an electric keyboard, wish me luck with that!

[kearn1tm]

2009 was a surprisingly strong year for Garage Revival bands. Thee Oh Sees, Black Lips, Heartless Bastards, Harlem, The Fresh and Onlys, a reissue of The Soft Pack's 2008 album (while they were The Muslims) and some very good underground mixtapes with King Khan and Jay Reatard, one of my favorite subgenres - one that was so nouveau and novelty-chic in the early '00s with the emergence of The Strokes, The Libertines, The Vines, The White Stripes, The Detroit Cobras, Electric 6, The Hives and any number of other bands with "the" in the title, some of which had staying power (White Stripes, Detroit Cobras) but many who didn't (Vines, Hives, Electric 6, Libertines, etc.).

It's less produced, more Lo-Fi and Psychedelic-based (as it was in the '60s), less New York Production-sheen and more Southern-Freakout Basement Punk.

[poppa Q]

I think 2009 has been pretty awesome for music, my personal favorite year musically since 2006 (when I kind of "identified" myself in terms of what I enjoy the most/like to listen to). It's been a pretty solid year for post-rock, ASIWYFA was an awesome surprise and kind of set the measuring stick in its genre since it came out; Irepress has really gone under the radar with one of the better releases this year, their new album has a great feel to it and is probably one of the more interesting PR albums to date. The Mylene Sheath continues to deliver with two better-than-good albums within two months with Tertia and Martyrdom... released less than two months apart. There's also been a lot of really solid modern classical albums, and some of its genres' best are starting to really make a name for themselves [(especially Peter Broderick)releasing my two favorite albums from 08 also)] and continuing to improve their sounds.

Also, The Twilight Sad released one hell of an album. Forget the Night Ahead is great and I love it just as much when I listen to it now as when I first did.

[boxingwithstars]

i've enjoyed almost everything i've listened to this year. there were quite a few albums that came out this year that really stuck with me, and there were quite a few that really surprised me. i think it has been a good year for pop music with fun., Mutemath, Phoenix, Passion Pit, etc.

but unfortunately, i spent a lot of the year catching up on older music and missed so many of the newer releases. i need to play catch up.

[SophGod]

I've been pleased with 2009. The year started off with an album that will most likely be AOTY for me. That album is Thursday's Common Existence. This album is just so incredible, especially when you look at what A City By The Light Divided was, and see that this is what they came up with after that. Near the summer I sort of grew away from Thursday for whatever reason, but by the end of summer i got back into a Thursday kick, and Common Existence, still had the same power I felt when I first listened to it 6 months earlier.

Another album I greatly enjoyed was Silverun Pickup's Swoon. I hadn't listened to their previous release all that much, besides of course Lazy Eye, but this album is awesome and it really got me into this band a lot more.

Green Day's new album blew, but that was expected.

Near the end of July I found out Dance Gavin Dance, a band I used to listen to all the time last year, had come out with a new album. Curious, i checked it out, and I loved it. Musically the album is awesome, but it falls extremely short lyrically, and Will Swans screams aren't as good as Mess's. regardless, i love this album.

Set Your Goals - This Will Be The Death Of Us is a pretty solid album, but it got old pretty quickly.

Thrice's Beggars is in a close race with Common Existence for Album Of The Year. After becoming familiar with Thrice's music, I didn't really know where they would go after TAI. You see, the first time i ever listened to Thrice was at a live show in which they opened for Alkaline Trio, who opened for Rise against. This was November 2008. I left the venue that night craving more of Thrice's music, and in the following weeks i went out and got my hands on most of their works, not including The Illusion Of Safety and Identity Crisis. Anyway, I grew to love them. Beggars continued the pattern of my love for what they do. The album doesn't have a weak track on it, and Dustin's lyrics and voice just keep getting better.

Brand New has been my favorite band for almost 2 years, so obviously Daisy has been my most anticipated album all year. I couldnt hold out on the leak, so i gave it a listen and at first i was shocked. I kept listening to it, trying to understand what i was listening to. I grew to love this album. Maybe too much, because i had overplayed it before september 22nd came around. The album is much too short, and it's all over the place to say the least. It has some incredibly strong tracks, and a couple pretty weak tracks. Over all, i think it's a solid album, but not as good as Deja or TDAG.

I discovered Manchester Orchestra's Mean Everything To Nothing when i discovered they would be playing with Brand New at my stop. I gave the album a listen and i thought it was awesome, though i would still rather have Thrice at my stop.

I'm currently anticipating the release of Fall Of Troy's In The Unlikely Event, though after hearing Panic Attack! i'm expecting to be disappointed. I'm also anticipating Atreyu's Congregation Of The Damned, which i'll get shit for, but whatever, i love Atreyu.

I still Haven't been able to pick up Strung Out's new album, but it's on my to do list as soon as i get my pay check next friday. I'm considering picking up blessthefall's new album, but i'm gonna give it a few more listens from their myspace before i decide if i'm going to or not

Overall, this year has been great for me in terms of music.

edit: how the hell did i forget RX Bandits? Mandala is such a great album, i fell in love with it instanty. I like ...And The Battle Begun better, but god dammit Mandala is incredible.

[ThisIsNotDan]

I still have a lot to catch up on this year, so I probably don't have a huge handle on this year in general, but I thought this year was good. my two favorite releases are the new Set Your Goals album and the new Cave In EP. unlike many people I wasn't bummed with the Set Your Goals album. I don't know how people didn't see this coming. people throw around the word "sellout" like a beach ball but that's not the case whatsoever. Whereas Mutiny! had a heavy Pop-Punk-meets-Kid Dynamite vibe, this album has a New Found Glory-meets-melodic skatepunk vibe to it. it sounds like an Epitaph album. the latter half is a little weak in spots, and the message may be a little cheesy, but overall I love it.

the new Cave In EP (arguably my favorite band ever) disappointed at first, but I love the vibe each track has to it. it seems as if each track was influenced by each of the members' respective sideprojects. I absolutely love this EP, and cannot wait for their new DVD, rarities collection, and new album next year. so glad they are back.

other releases this year I enjoyed were Mastodon, Rx Bandits, Mew, Thursday, Brand New, Fireworks, Mute Math, The Dangerous Summer, Thrice, Manchester Orchestra, and Every Time I Die. the latter album was a HUGE step up from The Big Dirty and easily their best since Hot Damn!. it fucking rules, period. there were other great ones but those really stuck out for me. in terms of EP's The Menzingers, Paint It Black, Amusement Parks on Fire, and This Time Next Year put out very good ones, as well as Death Cab's newest. overall I think it was a good year for pop-punk, as it seems like it there was less of the neon crap and more good stuff (Fireworks, Teenage Bottlerocket, Transit, SYG, Broadway Calls, The Swellers, Shook Ones, and even though A Loss For Words' album got old there's still some good stuff on it. I also thought the newest Phoenix and Passion Pit albums were very enjoyable, and gateways for me into more electro-pop oriented stuff. I haven't been very good at keeping up with hardcore (Last Lights album was fantastic though) and indie but hopefully I will do that towards the end of the year.

four major disappoinments for this year have been the newest albums by Ruiner, Saosin, The Mars Volta, and The Decemberists. new Ruiner just has no spark and just feels empty. "Convinient Gods" is the only song worth coming back to. The Decemberists album just feels bloated after The Crane Wife, and I haven't listened since the day I bought it. not a fan, but I'll give it another listen at some point. The new Mars Volta is shit too. I loved The Bedlam In Goliath but this album bored me to death. the only track I ever wanna come back to is "Since We've Been Wrong," which just sounds like they rewrote "Televators" but worse. the BIGGEST disappointment though was new Saosin. unlike most, I LOVED the self-titled album. I felt like they did a good job blending technicality and catchy choruses. it displayed good musicianship while getting stuck in my head. the EP and pre-release tracks for this album were pretty good, albeit weaker than the S/T, but the other half of the album is utter crap. "It's All Over Now"? "What We're Made Of"? are you fucking kidding me Saosin? that's shit the Plain White T's should be writing. this album singlehandely killed my love for the band. thank god I listened to it first beforehand.

this year has been good for me. as well as new releases, I've been trying to expand my taste and check out older classics. I still have alot to listen to from this year, but so far I enjoyed it. flame away!

[s.t.e.v.e.n.]

I think 2009 has been a great year. Enjoying releases by many favorites as well as discovering some new stuff.

As for Brand New, I like Daisy. Still not as much as TDAG, but I do like it. Lyrics are not as strong as TDAG in my opinion, but there is a lot that I like in the album. No one's changing their mind on this one so, you know.

I also enjoyed Mean Everything To Nothing. Though Beggars may well top both it and Daisy. Frankly, none of the three are earth shattering but all solid. I'd probably rank them Beggars, METN, Daisy.

I have a feeling that Years of Refusal will end up on my list as well. Its quietly remained at the top of albums I consistently listen to from this year.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Beware has also done the trick for me.

I really have not been able to get into Bradley Hathaway.

Iron and Wine's B sides are better than most of this years releases.

Any year that Bob Dylan puts out two albums is a good year for music. Others I've enjoyed include releases by Southeast Engine, Wilco, The Antlers, fun., Odawas, Grizzly Bear, and more plus there are more that I've still not gotten a chance to check out.

As for the comments about not focusing on this year and checking out old music, I've tried to do both. This has been a great year in music, but so far nothing has hit me the way past albums have, inducing mass hyperbole and irrational adoration like, say, Boxer. Next year should feature new discs from Arcade Fire, The National and Iron and Wine though so I'm just being held over.

[what_ever]

I think it's been a great year musically. I'll post my thoughts here after I have ample time to collect them.

[kearn1tm]

Also, The Twilight Sad released one hell of an album. Forget the Night Ahead is great and I love it just as much when I listen to it now as when I first did.

I'm aching to get my hands on this record.

I still have a lot to catch up on this year

That's the story of the year for me.

[ThisIsNotDan]

I'm aching to get my hands on this record.



That's the story of the year for me.

hah no kidding. honestly I have to maintain a smaller budget and I feel bad downloading bands' recent albums without payment, so some I just never get to. it's a pity

[myplanforescape]

I've only listened to a few new releases this year. The Catalyst, Cold Cave, Mount Eerie, Comadre, Cage, and the Pygmy Lush/Turboslut split, are all I remember off the top of my head, I enjoyed all but the Catalyst's album was my stand out favorite, probably followed by Pygmy Lush. I know of a few more releases this year I'm looking forward to but I'm not really putting much effort in staying caught up on current music this year.

[briewer]

That's the story of the year for me.
It's weird how common of a theme that has been.

[bz2911]

Album of the year belongs to Brendan Rivera. His debut album, "Body of Land" has made a huge impact on me personally, and feel as though everyone should here this album.

The album dropped this summer, and was a HUGE fan of Looking Glass Wars. So, naturally I was intrigued by Brendan's solo effort and have been listening to this album non-stop for three months. Much of what Looking Glass Wars has to offer is brought into Body of Land, but on a much more personal level.

Brendan Rivera's "Body of Land" IS the Album of the Year 2009.

[xJesusFreakx]

I think 2009 has been a great year. Enjoying releases by many favorites as well as discovering some new stuff.

As for Brand New, I like Daisy. Still not as much as TDAG, but I do like it. Lyrics are not as strong as TDAG in my opinion, but there is a lot that I like in the album. No one's changing their mind on this one so, you know.

I also enjoyed Mean Everything To Nothing. Though Beggars may well top both it and Daisy. Frankly, none of the three are earth shattering but all solid. I'd probably rank them Beggars, METN, Daisy.

I have a feeling that Years of Refusal will end up on my list as well. Its quietly remained at the top of albums I consistently listen to from this year.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Beware has also done the trick for me.

I really have not been able to get into Bradley Hathaway.

Iron and Wine's B sides are better than most of this years releases.

Any year that Bob Dylan puts out two albums is a good year for music. Others I've enjoyed include releases by Southeast Engine, Wilco, The Antlers, fun., Odawas, Grizzly Bear, and more plus there are more that I've still not gotten a chance to check out.

As for the comments about not focusing on this year and checking out old music, I've tried to do both. This has been a great year in music, but so far nothing has hit me the way past albums have, inducing mass hyperbole and irrational adoration like, say, Boxer. Next year should feature new discs from Arcade Fire, The National and Iron and Wine though so I'm just being held over.

That's a shame.

[DejaNew]

This Year Has Been Pretty Great For Music. And there's still more to come.
Love:
Thrice- Beggars
Frank Turner- Poetry of the Deed
The Dangerous Summer- Reach For The Sun
Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
mewithoutYou- It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright
Moneen- The World I Want To Leave Behind
Like:
fun.- Aim And Ignite
Owen- New Leaves
Dinosaur Jr.- Farm
Regina Spektor- Far
As Tall As Lions- You Can't Take It With You
Manchester Orchestra- Mean Everything To Nothing
Silversun Pickups- Swoon
Rural Alberta Advantage- Hometowns
Chevelle- Sci-Fi Crimes
Emery- In Shallow Seas We Sail
The Dear Hunter- Act III
Brighter Shades- You Shine So Bright
Fuck Buttons- Tarot Sport
Rodrigo Y Gabriela- 11:11

Disappointed by:
The Used- Artwork
Muse- The Resistance
Our Lady Peace- Burn Burn
Billy Talent- Billy Talent III

Still have to listen to before forming a full opinion:
Brand New- Daisy
Alexisonfire- Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Boys Like Girls- Lovedrunk
Paramore- Brand New Eyes
As Cities Burn- Hell Or High Water
Kevin Devine- Brother's Blood
Hockey- Mind Chaos
Noah And The Whale- Peaceful The World Lays Me Down
Young Galaxy- Invisible Republic
Why? Eskimo Snow

[Genuma]

2009 has sucked for hipsters, but all around it's been a great year musically.

[El_Jeffe]

there's certainly been some great albums, just live every year. but it wasn't the year that music was reborn like everyone was proclaiming last year... what was all that about?

[briewer]

2009 has sucked for hipsters, but all around it's been a great year musically.
I was gonna be offended by this at first, but you're right. This pretty well sums up what this year has been thus far.

[nerdvglc]

i dont tend to focus on the current year in any capacity. new music released this year is all the same as music i havent yet heard that was released 5, 15, 35 years ago. since there's a wealth of material to which i have yet to be exposed in prior years, the chances that something released this year will attract my special attention are fairly slim when its competing with like 50 other years.
while i am with you on the fact that i am buying new and old releases alike, i definately got quite a lot of new ones. i know it's been said, but i was disappointed with many follow-ups.

many bands that have been around for a while (vertical horizon, collective soul, our lady peace, sugar ray, and even third eye blind, etc.) released less than stellar albums. some favorites have too (muse, brand new [just sayin'], the used, black eyed peas, tbs, etc.). and my favorites have been varied between established favorites (thrice, dangerous summer, mutemath, modest mouse) and either debuts or bands i'm just getting into (phoenix, mew, fun., nightmare of you).

i still have a lot i'm lookinf forward to this year though, it's definately far from over. i hope we get a few more albums with some lasting power though. that's one aspect of this year where i feel we're been lacking; there's been too many crappy trends and albums that left me wanting more.

[briewer]

-I still don't 'get' Hospice.

-Everyone who hasn't heard Embryonic is going to be really surprised with the direction the Flaming Lips are taking with their music.

-I downloaded Nudge's As Good As Gone on a whim, and I am really digging it. It's disappointing these guys aren't getting more publicity.