Quick 2009 music summary - favorite 2009 albums so far?

[mvd]

What are your favorite albums that have been released in 2009? I'll do this again after the end of June, when I'll have an official list.

On edit: the U2 is grade of "A"

My favorite albums of 2009 include:

Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream A+
U2 - No Line On The Horizon A
Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted A
Tinted Windows - self-titled A
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career A
Kate Voegele - A Fine Mess A
Indigo Girls - Poseidon And The Bitter Bug A+
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown A+
Metric - Fantasies A+
Francisca London - New Girl In Town A
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone A
Chris Isaak - Mr. Lucky A
St. Vincent - Actor A
Meg & Dia - Here, Here, and Here A-
Erin McCarley - Love, Save The Empty B+
Maria Taylor - Ladyluck A
Mirah - (A)spera B+
Miranda Lee Richards - Light Of X A-
Molly Jenson - Maybe Tomorrow A+
The Thermals - Now I Can See A
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz B+

And just for extra review -

Disappointments include:

Decemberists - Hazards Of Love (if you enjoy prog rock you MAY like the CD, but I think it's done to excess here, and I'm not a big fan of it to begin with) C-

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life (his voice sounds bad for the first time, made worse by songs that don't even sound like him) C-

Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin (length isn't the problem as much as too many songs lacking a good melody and feeling unfinished. Her worst album by far IMO) C

Worst albums include:

Chris Cornell - Scream D-
John Rich - Son Of A Preacher Man F
Ida Maria - Fortress Around My Heart D+

Looking forward to these albums and more:

Mandy Moore - Amanda Leigh
Brooke White - New Release
Love Willows - Hey! Hey!
Jonas Brothers - Lines, Vines and Trying Times
Aly & AJ - New Release
Marié Digby - Breathing Underwater (despite the first single)
Pete Yorn - Back And Fourth
Regina Spektor - Far
Lakisha Jones - So Glad It's Me
Michelle Branch - New Release
Jessica Harp - New Release
The Like - New Release
Eels - New Release
Paramore - New Release
Wilco - New Release
And maybe a release from A Fine Frenzy, whose One Cell In The Sea is A++!

And I still need to buy some, like the Great Northern, Melinda Doolittle, and Wussy albums.

[Initech]

1. Here's mine:

Isis - Wavering Radiant A+
Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe A+
Mastodon - Crack The Skye A+
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown A
OSI - Blood A-
Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know B+
Les Claypool - Of Fungi And Foe B
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love B-
Bob Dylan - Together Through Time C+

Cant wait for:

Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Queens Of The Stone Age - Desert Orgy In The Dark
Desert Sessions vol. 5 & 6 (?)
Arcade Fire - New release
Gogol Bordello - New release
John Frusciante solo release
Muse - New release
Modest Mouse - New release
Liquid Tension Experiment 2008 live box set
Porcupine Tree - New release

[mvd]

2. Thanks, didn't know about that upcoming Muse CD

:hi:

[Initech]

3. September 2009 - new Muse

As of February 2, 2009 Muse had already made it into the studio and begun recording at least one song for their upcoming album. On microcuts.net, a news headline stated that the album was slated for a September 2009 release, and a new tour of France, and most probably Europe, was to follow in the autumn.<37> In an interview with BBC 6 Music, Bellamy commented that the album is to show distinct classical influences, and that it's "all very orchestral".<38>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse_band#Next_studio_album_.282009-present.29 :woohoo:

[mvd]

5. "classical influences"

That should be interesting!

[ghostsofgiants]

4. I really need to check out the new Isis album.

And new Arcade Fire is always something to be excited about.

[Believing Is Art]

8. New Isis album is very good

I don't know about Arcade Fire. Loved Funeral, hoping Neon Bible was just the sophomore slump.

[ghostsofgiants]

9. Are you kidding me? Neon Bible was fucking incredible.

[Believing Is Art]

10. Oh them's fightin' words!

Incredible if it wasn't for the high standard set by Funeral, maybe. But Funeral was a fucking symphony! It was an enormous feat and they pulled it off. To go from that to Neon Bible felt like pandering. Oh, and in case you don't have the EP you should check it out, the version of "No Cars Go" on it is awesome.

[ghostsofgiants]

11. Believe me, I am well versed in Arcade Fire.

It took me a little while to warm up to Neon Bible, but it is by far one of my all time favourite albums at this point.

[Believing Is Art]

12. We're going to have to agree to disagree

The first listen to Funeral blew my mind. Still does. I like Neon Bible and all, but . . . I was let down.

[ghostsofgiants]

16. Both albums are brilliant in my book.

[Initech]

36. New Isis is excellent. Of course all of their albums have been so far.

[ghostsofgiants]

6. I'm trying to remember what was released this year and not last year, it all kind of blurs together.

I have a horrible sense of time, haha.

But Japandroids' "Post-Nothing" is definitely at the top of my list.

Also, Tom Gabel's solo album "Heart Burns". I'll have to figure out what else was released this year to give an accurate list though.

[Believing Is Art]

7. The Wilco album's been leaked

It's more Ghost Is Born/YHF than A.M./Sky Blue Sky. "One Wing" really stands out, the rest I need to let grow on me. Yeah, I'll either buy it or see them in concert again, I'll be a good fangirl.

Thus far, in order (at least for now):

Camera Obscura
Wilco
Isis
Norfolk
Pains of Being Pure at Heart (despite my protests to the contrary . . . I am ashamed)
Cymbals Eat Guitars

Need to listen to Depeche Mode still. Playing the Angel was . . . eh, so my hopes are not high.

[mvd]

13. That's good - I liked Sky Blue Sky, but it wasn't their best IMO

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is amazing.

[Believing Is Art]

14. Yeah, I don't think they'll top it.

You should check out "One Wing," it's streaming online in a lot of places if you don't want to download the whole album. Very very good song.

[Pierre.Suave]

15. ...

Bob Dylan: Together Through LIfe A fuckin + :P

Diana Krall: Quiet Nights A+

Anne Sophie Mutter: Mendelssohn A+

those are all the new releases I bought this year so far.

[mvd]

17. I enjoy classical - would her Mendelsson be the one to start with?

:hi:

[slay]

18. I'll prolly take some heat for this one but Eminem - Relapse

is a pretty sick album. Sick beats, sick lyrics - not for the easily offended (as if I really need to say that re:Eminem). And I don't even like rap in general! I think it's the way he pushes the limits - often the limits of good taste - but still - I admire that limit pushing quality in his music. :evilgrin:

[mvd]

19. Not a rap fan, either, but I don't mind Eminem and Kanye West

I'll at least give Relapse a listen. Reviews have been mixed, but I form my own opinions anyway. Or else I might not have listened to and bought the excellent new Kate Voegele album, which has a B- grade and 3/5 stars in the two reviews I've seen. She's attractive and very talented.

[bbernardini]

20. Ida Maria is another person who ripped off the "Banana Splits" theme.

Her and Bob Marley. (Ida Maria in "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked", Bob Marley in "Buffalo Soldier".)

[Tikki]

21. The Meat Puppets new...."Sewn Together"...

is great...Cris Kirkwood is out of...and appears sober and the
sound is very together...

I like this from a review:
Recorded on vintage analog gear at the Saltmine studio in Mesa, Ariz.,
"Sewn Together" sounds big and warm, but it's a bit ethereal too.

Tikki

[CrownPrinceBandar]

22. This is very good news!.............

Would you say the new album favors a "Monsters" feel or something more down to earth like "Huevos"?

Huge Puppets fan, here.

[Tikki]

32. More of a studio sound...

Prob more like Monsters. I've heard most of the songs..I hear a real need to continue their sound.
Maybe more mature (jeez, I hate that word in music)...maybe, very determined. :)


Tikki

[CrownPrinceBandar]

34. Sounds good. Thanks................

I like the way you put it that there was a "need" to continue. I think they weren't done having fun yet, and Chris' drug and legal issues put he kibosh on it for a bit. I'm glad the bros are back together and playing (now if they could get Derrick back on drums...). I hope they tour somewhere near where I live.

[LynneSin]

23. Just got the Green Day Album at 12:01 on Midnight of the 15th - A+++

:woohoo:

[mvd]

24. So glad you also loved it!

Another thing about Green Day: I think Billie Joe's vocals are so much above most of the other punk-pop singers out there. :hi:

[LynneSin]

25. If Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury had a love child that would be Billie Joe Armstrong

I don't think he's one of the best musicians out there and I think even he would agree with that. But he has this Charisma that just really works.

[mvd]

27. I know what you mean

He really has a way with a guitar hook.

[Tektonik]

26. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
Fever Ray - Fever Ray

[mvd]

29. Natasha Khan has a beauitiful voice

Sometimes the music doesn't equal that voice IMO, but I would recommend Two Suns. :hi:

[blue_onyx]

28. I've haven't listened to or bought many CDs but...

Kelly Clarkson's new CD "All I Ever Wanted" is great. Probably not quite as good as "Breakaway" but still really good.

I listened to Green Day's CD. It's not really my type of music (I like it more pop) but it was ok. The only song of theirs I really like has been "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams."

I may give Michelle Branch's new CD a try. I hope she doesn't go too country because I LOVE her first 2 CDs.

I listened to clips of Mandy Moore's new CD and it's really not good. I think I would prefer the old Mandy Moore music even though she has publicly said she is embarrassed that she recorded that music.

There's not much music I'm looking forward to this year.

[mvd]

30. We have already disagreed about Mandy's CD

That one would go among my favorites, I think. I'm just waiting to hear it again. Perhaps you don't like singer/songwriter stuff as much as I do? There are some gems of fast pop/rock there too, IMO.

I've always been a Green Day fan, so I'm looking at their CD from a different perspective.

I think All I Ever Wanted is more consistent than Breakaway. It's hard to match Breakaway's highs, but All I Ever Wanted comes close.

[blue_onyx]

33. No, I don't like singer/songwriter type music as much

I like it when it's more pop/commercial like Michelle Branch's first 2 CDs.

I thought Breakaway was a little stronger because it was fresh and had the 2 best Kelly songs ("Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes"). On All I Ever Wanted, some of the songs felt a little too similar to Breakaway, particularly "My Life Would Suck Without You," but not quite as good. There are some great songs on the new CD, like "Cry" which I think should be the next single (although I heard she picked "Already Gone").

[mvd]

35. That's probably why you don't like Mandy's CD as much

Amanda Leigh is definitely not as pop as Mandy used to be. I just like it that way.

I agree about a couple of the songs on All I Ever Wanted, but fortunately they have a good enough beat of their own to stand out. "Because Of You" was another Breakaway highlight.

[charlie and algernon]

31. just got Green Day's album last night and it's f-ing awsome

I may very well wear out my iphone from playing it so much.

so far these are my favorites
Viva La Gloria!
21 Guns
Christians Inferno