Shanimal's Top 10 of 2009

Brand New-Daisy

Brand New has always been there for me during difficult times, and this album proves the same. This album is similar to Deja Entendu and The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. Jesse Lacey & company took the same formula and built on it. Although Deja Entendu and The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me are aesthetically more pleasing, I got very much into this album. Stand out tracks include: At The Bottom, Bed, and Bought a Bride. I can’t believe no one else considered Brand New for a Top 10 position. Am I the only one that still thinks their music is amazing? Or did all you guys give up on them after Deja Entendu?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3jP68k1-A&feature=PlayList&p=4665DF7FAD35CF2C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

9. Japanadroids – Post Nothing

Well played gentlemen! I have nothing further to add from my predecessors. This album fucking rocks my socks off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdX_V4h4zH4

8. Ida Maria-Fortress ‘Round My Heart

This is actually analbum I purchased and paid for on Itunes, legitimately! How bout that? This woman is very reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders. Very raw emotion,and an honest voice. This is an album that I can sit at home and listen to by myself or if I’m out at a bar, get wasted and take shots of Jameson to. She has a wonderful voice and this album displays that well. Favorite tracks include: Oh My God, I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked, Stella, Morning Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdhxLEpODCA

7. Karen O. And The Kids- Where the Wild Things Are OST

So Karen O. decides to take her band, Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, Aaron Hemphill from the Liars and two guys from the Dead Weather and they make up her “kids”. I loved this movie and I thought that the music really fit with the movie. I am a big kid at heart so this album was great for me to listen to. Favorite songs included : All Is Love, Capsize, Worried Shoes, Hideaway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTtddTpl4m8

6. Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavilion

I really have nothing to add to this either, knew it was going to be on my Top 10, and I knew it was going to be one of the best of 2009 for me and many of my indie music loving friends. Seeing them play in May really solidified their fact that this album is awesome and they are also. Kudos to the Fall Be Kind EP as well. Well done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol2MJf6XNE

5. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

This album was considered for my Top 10 but I didn't know where to put it. Seeing them at Turner Hall for the first time a few weeks ago really made me love them more and reconsider this albums place on my Top 10. I am a BIG, BIG fan of the female vocalist, and Tracyanne Campbell really does it for me. That petite Scottish woman has a voice that really translates well in this album. Very relatable, emotional and honest lyrics on this album. Would gladly see them again live. Thoroughly enjoyed the show and this album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CkfvYMCWM

4.Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – It’s Blitz

I know, it’s the second time a YYY’s affiliate have a place on my Top 10,but seriously how come more people don’t have this album on theirs? This was another band that I had the pleasure of seeing this year, although it was at the Rave. The song that really got me tuned into this album is the fourth track on it called Dull Life. “We’ve seen the nightmare of the lies that you speak/The beast that I lie beneath is coming in” Fricken catchy song! Other standouts included Soft shock, Skeletons, Heads Will Roll (which Passion Pit does a very nice remix of) Runaway, and Zero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki0yJ5lFDy4

3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeaus
Phoenix

This album was defiantly a summer album for me. A band that Brian Moshe got me into, I will thank him for doing so. I did find it rather odd that Nissan is using them in their car commercials, but “1901” is one pretty catchy song, and it’s one that I have the ringtone set to on my phone. Not too much to add here but this is a great album! Hopefully a band I will get to see live soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJDNw7o6so

2. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

Have always been a big Arctic Monkeys fan, and did have the pleasure of seeing this band for the first time ever play at the Rave in Milwaukee. Alex Turner really can show how dark he can be in this album. There honestly is not a song that I dislike on this album. I do have the bonus Japanese edition on it which has a mean cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Red Right Hand”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8FWnscrnb0

1. Passion Pit - Manners

I got very interested in this album over the summer as well and it has carried over. The other night I was watching this band perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and got super excited to see them live. I missed them at Lollapalooza this year and I have been dying to see them. Their music just gets me up and dancing and puts me in a better mood. I can’t really stress how much I love this album and how amazing these guys are! Xoxoxo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqN4iCRSQCM

Honorable Mentions:

Girls-Album

Atlas Sound – Logos

Grizzly Bear- Veckatmist (got into this one right when it came out but couldn't find a place for it in the Top 10)

Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca

Muse- The Resistance

Wilco-Wilco (The Album)

The Antlers – Hospice