Best Non-SXSW Gigs of 2009: NIN/JA & The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Just because it was so unfair to name SXSW the best show of last year and leave it at that, I've decided, in my infinite wisdom, to go ahead and let you know the other two best shows that last year had to offer that didn't take place in Austin. One of them happened in Columbia, Maryland, while the other took place both in Philly and right here in DC. Oh yeah, and the latter two just so happen to involve the band whose brilliant logo is pictured to the left.

We'll begin with the NIN/JA tour, billed as a kind of farewell tour for Nine Inch Nails, though not for Jane's Addiction. I went mainly because of my fondness for both the music of NIN and Trent Reznor himself, but hot damn if I didn't end up (finally) falling in love with Perry Farrell and the boys of Jane's by the end of the show. It was a magical night, from the storm rolling in during soundcheck to the utter perfection of the NIN set to the over-the-top exploits of Jane's Addiction. There's a lot to be said in favor of both of these bands, and many kudos to be given for just how good the front men are as showmen. The NIN/JA tour reinforced just how great these bands are live, and I feel pretty lucky to have been able to be there to witness it.

The other half of the non-SXSW live winners belongs to LET favorites The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Hopefully by now people have stopped going to BJM shows just to see what Anton gets up to, because if they're so fixated on that they might miss the sheer brilliance going on onstage. I got to see them twice last year, both at the Trocadero in Philly and the 9:30 Club here in DC. Both shows were amazing, and saw the divine triumvirate of Anton, Matt Hollywood, and Joel Gion all sharing the stage once more. Playing virtually anything and everything you could hope to hear at a BJM show, the band made me love them more with each note. I'm already looking forward to June 9th, when the band will be back in DC.

mp3: March of the Pigs (Nine Inch Nails from The Downward Spiral)

mp3: That Girl Suicide (The Brian Jonestown Massacre from Methodrone)

Best Gig of 2009: SXSW

Ok, perhaps this isn’t really all that fair. Festivals really do, by their very nature, out shadow just about any regular gig. Their sheer size and stature, for one, assures that they are forces to be reckoned with. And last year’s SXSW was no exception. It’s the biggest show and biggest festival I’ve ever been to, and hot damn was it a good time. It was head and shoulders above just about every other show I went to last year, and easily wins this here category.

From our first night’s dive bar special seeing bands like Cartright and Your 33 Black Angels at a wonderful dive to the bitchin’ New Zealand party in Brush Square Park to the awesomeness of Primal Scream at La Zona Rosa to the killer wall of drone put forth by The Black Angels and special guest Roky Erickson, the entire festival was an endless, frantic, frenzied party. I mean, you know it’s gonna be good when entire city blocks are literally shut down to traffic to allow for the smooth (-ish) foot traffic of bands and festival-goers. Bar after bar after bar plays host to hundreds and hundreds of bands and thousands and thousands of press and industry people. Sure, I got so into SXSW that I was physically sick, but it was so worth it.

The schedule of the festival was so jam-packed full of bands that trying to schedule what to see was a Herculean task. But really, it was a no-lose situation. No matter what you see at any given SXSW, you’re almost assured that it’s going to be something good. And after seeing The Black Lips, Primal Scream, Ringo Deathstarr, Graham Coxon, The Love Language, Glasvegas, and many others, I can safely say that SXSW 2009 was the top dog of 2009 live events. And man oh man, I sure do wish I was going back this year. The lineup sounds fantastic, and it's just such a grand old time. SXSW 2011, here I come. Dammit.

mp3: Sparxxx (The Love Language from The Love Language)

mp3: Veni Vidi Vici (The Black Lips from Good Bad Not Evil)

mp3: Medication (Primal Scream from Vanishing Point)

Best Non-Gig of 2009: Lebowski Fest DC

A man (the man for his time and place) returns home after a trip to Ralph’s convenience store to make an all-important purchase of milk (for his evening Caucasian, of course), only to find two uninvited and ill-mannered guests waiting for him. Mild unpleasantness ensues, and after a traumatic incident involving a close encounter with his toilet bowl, the man is left alone, perplexed, with a pee stain on his beloved living room rug, a rug that really tied the room together. And then, the opening strains of Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me” fill the air, and the enthusiastic hootin’ and hollerin’ begins. Welcome friends, nay, Achievers, to Lebowski Fest DC. If you weren’t there, you should have been, because it was one of the best events of the whole damn year.

For me, attending Lebowski Fest DC was never negotiable. I might be a fairly recent convert, but I fell fast and I fell hard for the Coen Brother’s masterpiece (otherwise known as “The Big Lebowski,” to use the parlance of our times) about a middle-aged slacker residing in Los Angeles and his misadventures involving bowling, Bunny, and White Russians. Soon I found myself not only owning the movie, but quoting from it at any given moment as well. And I’m definitely not alone in my Lebowski adoration. As it would happen, we have a couple of serious Lebowski enthusiasts to thank for Lebowski Fest, Will Russell and Scott Shuffit. The pair of Louisville-ians were so enamored with the movie that they had a party for it, way back in 2002, and the whole thing ballooned from there, much to the surprise and delight of the founders. Soon, things had become so big that even Jeff Bridges was getting in on the fun. He even taped a faux-satellite feed intro for the movie that was shown before the film began.

And that’s cool, that’s cool.

These days, Lebowski Fest is a traveling show of insanity and mild obsession, with fun and enjoyment being the main objectives. The cities chosen for Lebowski Fest vary (and you can request a stop on the LF route), though you can always count on the annual party in Lexington. The circus has even been across the pond. Some cities are single-nighters, but in DC we lucked out. The festival was broken into two nights; night one being a movie screening/live performance at the 9:30 Club, night two a bowling extravaganza at the rather swanky Strike! Bethesda.

Sadly, thanks to the glorious clusterfuck known as I-95 traffic I missed the musical talents of the Black Diamond Heavies, though I hear they were verily entertaining. The club was full of Achievers, both costumed and non. The mainstage floor was covered with chairs, turning the 9:30 Club into a pretty great movie theatre. I don’t know about you, but I find the whole movie-going experience to be vastly improved with fully-stocked bars. The crowd was whooping it up the whole time, which, if you’ve ever seen the film shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. After it was all said and done, the friend I had roped into coming with me and I went to Ben’s Chili Bowl to get some grub, and he gave me the party favor he had collected. It was a crumpled up piece of paper, homework, if you will. In a clever play on one of the seminal props in the film, the Founding Achievers had handed out copies of Larry Sellers’ homework, but instead of a schoolkid bullshit paper, it was the lyrics to the Kenny Rogers’ song you’ll hear in the film, adapted to DC, of course. Naturally, it was in a plastic baggie, which should serve as a reminder to us all that you shouldn’t fuck a stranger in the ass. Or at least, that you shouldn’t try to destroy a stranger’s car until you know for sure that it belongs to the stranger to whom you are trying to prove a point to. Am I wrong?

Night two required another splendid drive up good old 95, this time with the added pleasure of the hike up 495 to Bethesda. But the agony of the road was well made up for by the ecstasy of the evening. Strike! Bethesda is quite the posh alley. Fancy scorekeeping devices, graphics either mocking you for gutterballs or emphasizing strikes and spares. I saw more of the former, I confess. The crowd at Strike! was much more modest than at the previous night’s festivities, but this portion of the Fest was definitely geared more towards the hardcore fans. Costumes abounded, as did copious bowling shirts. And White Russians, naturally. I bucked with tradition on that point, but did manage to consume much vodka, keeping in the spirit of the proceedings. I ended up bowling with two fellow Virginians, who were both exceedingly better bowlers than I and very nice dudes to boot. They were some of the bowling-shirt contingent, as it so happens they once had a team named in honor of the movie. All in all, it was a great evening of costume contests, bowling, and cocktails.

The new schedule has been announced for the 2010 series of Lebowski Fest. Start working on your costumes, friends.

mp3: Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition from The Big Lebowski OST)

Megan’s Top 25 of 2009: #1 - Fanfarlo

For some reason, I found this the hardest record to write about, despite the depths of my love for it. Go figure. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the first time through Fanfarlo’s glorious Reservoir I was literally rendered speechless. And I still am, somewhat. But I’ll see what I can do to try to convince you of the merits of this particular album numero uno.

Sometimes, very rarely, I happen upon a record that is so beautiful that it just about breaks my heart. It takes me places most records can’t even dream of, makes my heart swell to the point of bursting, and in some instances may just cause some swooning. For my money, the most painfully exquisite album of the year was Reservoir, and it stands alone at the top of this countdown, looking down from the heights of near-perfection. From the first note to the last, Reservoir had me in total aural bliss, enraptured by the beauty that was gracing my eardrums. It’s very high praise, I know, and yet totally deserved.

There’s a balance on Reservoir that makes it so appealing, an equal amount of vulnerable fragility and confident strength. Fanfarlo plays both sides perfectly, both on the record as a whole and even in individual songs. In a way, Fanfarlo makes music in the vein of countrymen Doves and Editors (and at times with shades of those darling Canadians of the Arcade Fire), though their songs have a more natural, slightly less epic feel to them. They are no less stately, no less powerful, but are done on a (slightly) smaller sonic scale. There’s something rather intimate about this collection of songs on Reservoir, at times it almost feels as if the songs are a tender secret being told to you in the strictest of confidence. On the surface, Reservoir is an album full of kid-glove delicate songs, but of course all is not quite as it seems. There’s more than meets the ear on this record. But even in a song like “Comets,” where the lyrical content might remind you of one of the horrifying scenes out of “Fahrenheit 451” (“Kick in the doors/and burn the books/try to forget”), the music is splendidly sweeping, often enhanced with plucky brass and haunting strings.

Crafting songs like these is truly an art. It might sound easy, based on how sublime an album this is, but Fanfarlo is to be commended. Reservoir is a seriously statuesque record, and Fanfarlo has definitely earned its place as number 1.

mp3: Drowning Men (Fanfarlo from Reservoir)

Stone Coldest Fox of 2009: Trent Reznor

As we’ve said before, and will happily say over and over, we’re definitely not above a little objectification here at Les Enfants Terribles. We’re equal opportunity objectifiers, and we love us some smut. After all, someone’s gotta put the sex in “sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll.” With that in mind, I’d like to present my favorite Best Of category, celebrating the sex appeal of the guys who make the music we love. Last year, in my inaugural homage to the foxiest of foxy rock’n’rollers, I listed ten dudes who are, in my humble opinion, some of the sexiest men around. This year I thought better of that idea, not because I had a hard time choosing guys for the list but because when you boil it down it really isn’t fair. There’s one man who really personifies foxiness, one man who is like walking sex, one man who can out-smolder anyone and everyone. That man owned this title in 2008, and he’s repeating as my Stone Coldest Fox of the Year for 2009. May I introduce to you, again, the one and only Trent Reznor, and he could teach most of the dudes I know a thing or two.

What is it that makes Trent so overwhelmingly and irresistibly appealing, you might be wondering. Well, there’s plenty. Naturally, no one can deny that the man was given a good start by the genetic craps shoot. Be it Downward Spiral Trent in bondage gear or “Perfect Drug” Trent decked out in Edwardian velvets, or the current Trent-carnation of pure sex and bulging biceps, he’s a beautiful man. In addition, he’s got plenty of other things going for him, such as his stage persona. Rarely have I seen someone so intense during his performances. And I’ll say this, never underestimate the attractiveness of putting everything you have into a show, guys. It only makes us ladies curious about what else you might be so intense about.

Also enticing is the fact that he’s in his 40s. To some of us girls, this means that he’s worldly and wise, and has probably been around the block a time or two. Experience is oh-so alluring. Trent’s been in the music industry for quite a long time, and he’s seasoned. He’s a pro. He’s gotta be, to have survived for so long in such a tough business. And this tenacity and success does a lot to bolster his already sky-high sexiness. Oh yeah, and there's that whole super talented thing, too.

But perhaps what makes him the most lust-worthy of musicians is, as I can finally say from firsthand experience, his presence. Trent in the flesh is stiflingly sexy. Ladies, let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve been enveloped in a bear hug from this man. And only someone with the slow-burning hotness of Trent Reznor could get away with saying something like, “I wanna be covered in boobs.”

Bottom line: Trent Reznor is the reigning king of foxes, at least as far as this here site is concerned. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel a swoon coming on.

mp3: Sin (Nine Inch Nails from Pretty Hate Machine)

Megan’s Top 25 of 2009: #2 - Future of The Left

A few years back, Andy Falkous (aka Falco) was in a band that was obnoxiously loud and drew frequent comparisons to the wry, bitterly clever music made by the Pixies. These days, Andy Falkous is in a band that is obnoxiously loud and should probably be garnering similar Pixies comparisons. So if you, like me, have been mourning the seriously mourn-worthy demise of Mclusky, you’re in for quite a treat with this here #2 record of 2009. With Future of The Left you get exactly what you were missing when Mclusky went kaput. In my humble opinion, Future of The Left is quite possibly the band that Falkous wished Mclusky would have been during their lifespan. They’re louder, snarkier, darker, and ever-so-slightly harder to ignore.

Travels With Myself and Another is one of two records (the other being #1) that jumped to the top of my list very, very late in the year. I was immediately taken with the skull-throbbing noise, the overwhelming sense of spewing vitriol and unabashed sarcasm (not to mention all of those patented ear-shattering screams) that came at me from inside my speakers. Nothing is sacred on this album, be it religion, wealth, politics, social morays, Rupert Murdoch – Future of The Left lampoons them all with equal aplomb. Scathing social commentary was always a major strength of Mclusky, and it’s no wonder that’s translated well over to Travels With Myself and Another. The entire album is almost nauseating in its ferocity, so entirely does the band unleash their fury upon us all. And I tell you what, I can’t get enough. I love that booming bass, the razor’s edge guitar, and the angry, growling lyrics and nasty vocals belonging to said Mr. Falkous.

It’s next to impossible to choose just a few songs to mention, since each and every little bastard of a song is worthy of the attention. What I will say is that "Chin Music," “I Am Civil Service,” “You Need Satan More Than He Needs You,” “Stand By/Your Manatee,” and “Lapsed Catholics” most push the boundaries of sound, decency, and awesomeness. Beware, kids, this album foams at the mouth, and isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you’ve got the stomach for it, you’re going to keep coming back for more.

mp3: Chin Music (Future of The Left from Travels With Myself and Another)

Megan’s Top 25 of 2009: #3 - The Love Language

In the spirit of this year’s Olympic Games, The Love Language win this countdown’s bronze medal, finishing 2009 at #3. Full of burning and yearning and longing and loss, this self-titled debut LP serves as quite the coming out party for these North Carolinians. As far as I’m concerned, it’s got it all: throaty, warbling vocals, slightly slipshod, roughly lo-fi production, and enough charm to fill several albums. I was once told, by a North Carolinian, that bands like this are all over the great state of North Carolina, and if that’s the case I just might have to think about moving there permanently.

“I could have died in your arms/Now I’m back at your feet,” from “Two Rabbits” sets the tone on The Love Language. Mistakes, regret, sorrow. Repeat. The rambunctious stomper “Lalita” was my introduction to The Love Language, and as with the whole album I found myself powerless against its immediately magnetic force. Full of wonderful lyrics like, “I’d pour you another/but I think I heard the bottle break on the bedroom floor,” “Lalita” is a potent little gem of a song. Not only does The Love Language do jangly, lively songs well, but they particularly excel at one of my favorite song types, the plaintive, sniffling little tearjerkers. “Stars” is one of these, bringing the frenetic mood of the preceding “Lalita” down to a sorrowful crawl. “You shot me down just as I was startin to feel alive/Little girls tell the biggest lies,” croon they, as the acoustic guitar strums and the drums mope on. “Manteo,” another dreamy, somewhat skulking slow song, features more wonderfully sad lyrics, “You had a boy you trusted/And I had a heart full of lies,” and the delightful addition of some jingle bells.

All in all, The Love Language is a record drenched in woe, heavy with regret and remorse and guilt. It’s torn and frayed and a lovely piece of heartbreak. Maybe I just love it cuz I’m a total sucker for a sad song, but be that as it may, sad songs don’t get much better.

mp3: Manteo (The Love Language from The Love Language)

Megan's Top 25 of 2009: #4 - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

From beautiful noise of one variety to beautiful noise of another: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart sits perched at #4 with their ethereal, adorable pop perfection. I’m of the belief that the world might be a much better place if everyone sat down and listened to this self-titled debut LP, as heavenly and peaceable as it is. It’s an album full of youth and young manhood (and womanhood), an album for both the young and young at heart. As I’ve said many a time before, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart do pop, real non-processed, non-cheesy pop, about as good as anyone ever has or will do it. Theirs is sweetly done pop, saccharine but not enough to make your eardrums pucker, sweetness with a side of ennui. It’s such a joy to listen to, and makes me smile every single time I listen to this record.

Single “Young Adult Friction” is great, but isn’t even the tip of the blissful iceberg (though it sure does make a mighty fine song to dance to). Like each song on the album, the song has great presence, not in your face but very distinct. It’s like that cute boy or girl at school who was not only gorgeous but nice as well, the perfect package. “Stay Alive” is another high point on the album, reminiscent (to my ears) of The Psychedelic Furs but full of the candied charm that is inherent in The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s sound. The rollicking “Hey Paul” gives us shades of shoegazers past, with plenty of glorious fuzz alongside the driving drums and Kip Berman’s perfectly-pitched vocals. They’re totally disarming, utterly charming, and too cute for words. And sure, they’re not naïve nor too blinded by youthful abandon, and cynicism does creep in, but you’ll hardly notice. They’re one of my favorite bands of 2009, and they made one of the best albums of the entire year. It’s an album full of youthful idealism and exuberance and passion, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve got planned for an encore.

mp3: The Tenure Itch (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart)

Megan’s Top 25 of 2009: #5 - A Place to Bury Strangers

Round about this time, I think, is the right time to give each member of the top 5 its own special post. Starting in at #5 with a band I almost totally and tragically ignored, A Place to Bury Strangers. Why did I almost give them the cold shoulder you might wonder? Well, little darlings of mine, it’s because of their name. Yes, their name almost sounded a little too emo to be true. I had horrible visions of bad haircuts and heavy eyeliner and awful lyrics. And shame on me, because I was so very wrong. After seeing them last Fall with LET favorites Darker My Love, I was made aware of the glaring error of my ways, and immediately ended my unfair APTBS embargo. Thankfully, there’s no moping suburban crap on this record. Exploding Head is a dark, grinding, heady record, glossy yet pleasingly rough around the edges.

The entire thing sounds a bit like vintage Nine Inch Nails (think Pretty Hate Machine era) having a torrid, dancey affair with Joy Division and Cure acolytes (or maybe even the real things) from the early 80s, with some Britpop dalliances thrown in for the sake of variety; it’s full of pounding synths and vocal echoes and drums that make you question whether they’re man or machine made. But the album is also decidedly modern, towering and imposing and full of pretty powerful sexiness. “Ego Death,” for example, is one of the biggest, boldest tracks on Exploding Head. Guitars grind and grate and play against the deep, husky vocals and basic drum machine beat. It’s simply exhilarating. The fantastic “Deadbeat” features one of my favorite lyrics of the year, “What the fuck/Don’t play with my heart,” as well as some seriously shattering guitar play. And the title track conjures up the ghost of early 80s Cure, in an eerily wonderful way. I was completely caught by surprise by this record, and by how much I found myself loving it. It’s the kind of album that grabs you from the start and refuses to let you go until it’s good and goddam ready to. Exploding Head hijacks your attention and forces itself into your ears and you will absolutely and completely love every minute of it.

mp3: Deadbeat (A Place to Bury Strangers from Exploding Head)

Megan’s Top 25 of 2009: 10-6

And here we are already, at the bottom half of the top ten. Here was where I found myself struggling the most to put a number next to a record, they’re all so very wonderful. Here we have both some saucy and some sorrowful Scots, some lively Louisianans, some nifty New Zealanders, and some wandering nomads of wonder. A seriously special group, I must say.

Do a little research and you might be a little surprised to discover that historically, New Zealand has a pretty darn good track record when it comes to putting out really great bands (The Clean, Look Blue Go Purple, The Chills, and The Bats to name a scant few). In keeping with the tiny nation’s tendency to churn out bands with a skillful blend of punk-pop seasoned with a decidedly English flavor, we now present Cut Off Your Hands at #10. They stick with the New Zealand tradition of musical Anglophilia, making You and I one heck of a delightful record. The record starts off big, with single “Happy As Can Be,” as good an opening impression as you could hope for. Big and bold, it sets the tone immediately and you know right away that you’re in for a treat. These charming boys are indebted to Brit stalwarts like Marr & Morrissey, and you’ll probably hear shades of The Smiths hither and thither, with a youthful edge. You’ll also hear some of the catchiest songs you’ve heard in quite some time, namely the “Expectations”-“Oh Girl”-“Turn Cold” triumvirate, joined a few songs later by the pairing of “Let’s Get Out of Here” and “Still Fond”. All of them are unavoidably addictive. They can even do a damn fine ballad, with the sentimental “Nostalgia” being one of my favorite songs on the record. So grab that special boy or girl and hold ‘em close, and fall in love with Cut Off Your Hands while you’re at it.

mp3: It Doesn’t Matter (Cut Off Your Hands from You and I)

I’ve recently heard My Maudlin Career called one of the best heartbreak albums of pretty much ever. While I’ll refrain from casting my vote one way or the other on that particular heart-wrenching subject, I will say that Camera Obscura made one of the best records of 2009 (#9, to be exact). The strength of Camera Obscura to me lies in their eternally sweet sound, bolstered by the perfectly weary yet still lovely vocals of Miss Tracyanne Campbell. It’s not easy to make sad sound so sugary, but Camera Obscura manages just fine. “French Navy,” the first track on the record, is one of my favorite songs of the year, and easily one of the most danceable, what with the jangle of the tambourine and jaunty attitude. And the wistful irony of “The Sweetest Thing,” with the lyric, “You challenged me to write a love song/Here it is/I think I got it wrong”. Hope you’ve got a box of Kleenex handy. “You Told a Lie” features vocals so fragile it sounds like our heroine is on the verge of tears as she delivers the lines. And so it goes, on and on, song after song of woeful, painful, beautiful misery. If it’s not the best heartbreak album ever, it’s certainly near the top of the heap. Hey Lloyd, they were ready to be heartbroken, and they certainly got what they asked for. They got heartbreak, and we got a great record.

mp3: Swans (Camera Obscura from My Maudlin Career)

Moving away from broken hearts but staying in Scotland, may I present #8 on the Top 25, otherwise known as The Phantom Band’s Checkmate Savage. I’ve likened them to British Sea Power with a brogue, and I think given their propensity for sonic experimentation and oft-bizarre lyrics it’s not such a bad comparison. Right away this isn’t your usual rock album, as the Phantoms go in for expansive sounds and wacky noises, and actual howling in “The Howling”. “Folk Song Oblivion” is just that, a slight hint of an acoustic guitar layered upon with structured guitars and oftentimes monotonous vocals, making for yet another interesting effect. Like British Sea Power, The Phantom Band doesn’t shy away from long, rambling songs, with four songs clocking in over six minutes each. My favorite song on the record, “Halfhound,” is a fierce, forceful track interspersed with gentler moments of light, before plunging back into darkness. Checkmate Savage is wild and wooly and dark and completely, wonderfully insane. And I love it to pieces. This is definitely a band I’m dying to see live, because I need to visualize how this crazy bastard of a record was made. So dearest darling Phantom Band, please make it happen.

mp3: Throwing Bones (The Phantom Band from Checkmate Savage)

Switching gears once again, it’s time to visit my absolute favorite group of Louisianans, the good people of Generationals. My #7 record is their ever-so-excellent Con Law, otherwise known as the aural equivalent of a little ray of sunshine. Formed by Grant Widmer & Ted Joyner (and some amigos) of the now-defunct and greatly missed indiepop outfit The Eames Era, Generationals will light up the darkest of days, guaranteed. They’ve made a record that made me grin uncontrollably the first time I heard it, a grin that reappears during every subsequent listen. Something about listening to Con Law makes me want to jump in the car, go somewhere sunny and warm, and drive around blasting the album with my sunroof open and the windows down, drinking in the sunshine. “Angry Charlie” is my favorite I’d have to say, but each and every song on this record is divine, so well-produced and beautifully, gleamingly clean (but not overly so, mind you). It’s the perfect album to listen to and long for Summer (as I look out my window to a view of an endless blanket of cold, cold snow). Even the substance abuse-themed “Bobby Beale” sounds light and freshly summery, though the subject matter is anything but. So take heed, while enjoying the lovable musical stylings of Generationals, because as they so lyrically and wisely put it, “Everyone’s a dime a dozen/Everyone’s a wolf in waiting”.

mp3: Exterior Street Date (Generationals from Con Law)

They missed the top 5 by a hair, and the top spot by just a few hairs. But at #6, These United States is still one of the loves of my musical life. Having proved their musical chops over the course of two previous records, Jesse Elliott and company reappeared for yet another go at musical superiority. The fruits of their labors this time around is the most excellent Everything Touches Everything, both a thought to ponder and an album to really fall in love with. Opening track “I Want You to Keep Everything” is another of my overall favorites from 2009, a bit unexpectedly poppy coming from the These United States camp, but a very welcome song indeed. Continuing on, Everything Touches Everything ends up being a record you might have expected from These United States. It’s full of their utterly disarming, rustic simplicity, be it in the form of acoustic or slide guitars, and Elliott’s rambling and ambling and occasionally obtuse (though always fantastic) lyrics. “We’re going out/With our hearts strapped across our chests,” Elliott boldly proclaims in the titular track, and somehow you can picture Jesse venturing forth, red heart pinned to his chest to boldly face the unknown. Somehow, though it jumps all over the place, the album never loses its cohesion, or ceases to follow the tried and true TUS blueprint. Perhaps that IS the TUS blueprint, come to think of it. And what a good plan it is.

mp3: Night & The Revolution (These United States from Everything Touches Everything)

Megan’s Top 25 of 2009: 15-11

Another fine, fine crop of albums fills slots eleven through fifteen on the Top 25 countdown. A couple of very strong ladies join us here in this grouping, as well as some great bands with great records from both the Left and East Coast.

It’s amazing what a name change can do for your band. Snipping the name down to Say Hi from Say Hi to Your Mom was a great move, as was releasing this here record, the #15 Oohs & Aahs. It’s well-played, well-produced, and just plain fabulous. Anchored by a pair of oft-played radio gems that were responsible for piquing my initial interest, the achingly stark and emotion-heavy “November Was White, December Was Grey” and the irresistible poppy gem “One, Two…One,” this record is one of the ones that managed to make me fall in love with it, seemingly out of the blue, catching me completely off guard. Reminding me a little of the bleeps of the dear Mobius Band, but with more substantive guitar playing, Oohs & Aahs somehow gets better with every listen. “Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh” is not only amusingly-titled, but a great, brass-driven tailfeather-shaker. “She’s a ruby/and I liked red/until I disappeared a little too well,” we hear in “Maurine,” a song heavy with regret and a lost chance at love. It’s yet another beautifully melancholy album (I do so love the mopers), and it’s just wonderful.

mp3: Maurine (Say Hi from Oohs & Aahs)

Let’s just face the facts here, friends. “Where The Wild Things Are” is one of the greatest books ever written. It was formative for so many kids of my generation, so much so that pretty much everyone I know was horrified at the news that our beloved childhood book was to be made into a movie. Thankfully, the movie turned out to be pretty great, and the music for the film was also rather special. And we have Karen O & The Kids to thank for that. At #14, it’s the only soundtrack to make the list, and it’s a delight. Listen in wonder as the lady leader of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs gently hums a childlike melody in opening track “Igloo,” or whoops it up with gleeful abandon in “All is Love”. It’s a different side of Karen O, and it’s enchanting. Rarely have I heard music that was so perfect for a movie, but Karen O and this band of, well, kids, really was a dynamite fit for the live action “Where The Wild Things Are”. Not only is this record a lovely homage to Maurice Sendak’s classic, timeless story, it’s also a collection of songs completely lacking in pretense, which makes it a breath of fresh air these days. Let the wild rumpus begin, indeed.

mp3: Capsize (Karen O & The Kids from the Where The Wild Things Are OST)

How Neko Case does it, I don’t know. She’s constantly putting out records that are mystifyingly good, strong in not only musical but lyrical content as well. And that voice of hers is second to none, filled with heartbreak and lust and shades of wistfulness. Lucky #13 on my list is her sensational Middle Cyclone, a record that boasts subject matter you might expect to find on the Discovery Channel, not an album: killer tornadoes, killer whales, and, well, elephants. Opening track “This Tornado Loves You” is one of the best songs of the year, disturbingly yet beautifully illustrating the depth of her love by comparing it to the widespread destruction of a tornado. It’s followed by “The Next Time You Say Forever,” which houses one of my all-time favorite lyrics, sung oh-so-sweetly: “The next time you say forever/I will punch you in your face”. Absolutely brilliant, Madame Case. “People Got A Lotta Nerve” shows Case at her most charmingly aggressive, touting her status as a maneater (“But still you’re surprised-prised-prised/when I eat ya”). Not to be missed is Case’s cover of “Don’t Forget Me,” a song she manages to make sound like one of her own (though you should also check out the cover The Walkmen did a few years back). All in all, it’s another winner from Neko Case. She’s magic, ladies and gents, magic.

mp3: The Next Time You Say Forever (Neko Case from Middle Cyclone)

Ah, Wooden Shjips. I’ve found myself becoming increasingly fond of these gents for a little while now. These San Franciscans are purveyors of a new breed of magical mystery tour, one with less emphasis on the perfection of song structure and more about…well, who really knows? Dos is #12 on my list, and it’s definitely the most outlandishly “out there” of the whole lot. It’s entirely possible that someday, music journalists will be talking about Wooden Shjips as one of the best post-psych bands that ever post-psyched. They only needed five songs to further convince me of said idea. Dos is full of the sort of things you might have come to expect from this foursome; repetitive droning, muddy trance-inducing vocals, and a mighty wall of noise. And my heavens, does this stuff blow your mind live. “Down By the Sea,” for example, is nearly eleven minutes of a hypnotic bassline, endlessly looping along, as guitars swell and crash around it like the changing tides. And that abrupt stop will certainly get your attention, after spacing out for so many minutes. They’re listenably abstract, this band of bizarre brethren, managing not to come across as taking themselves too seriously while creating some of the more interesting music you’re likely to come across.

mp3: Motorbike (Wooden Shjips from Dos)

Sitting at #11, New Yorkers Hopewell are their own breed of post-psych. By now you’ve doubtlessly heard the Hopewell connection to The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and The Silent League, so consider those three to get you in the right frame of mind for Hopewell. Good Good Desperation is perhaps the band’s finest work to-date, a masterful opus of the beauty that can be found in the outer reaches of reality. Very noisy and so full of lush sounds from the very beginning that it’s almost terrifying, Good Good Desperation both exudes maturity and pushes boundaries. It’s the kind of record a band should be oh so proud of. Closing my eyes, listening to this album, I see the sun, the sky, the seas, the stars…it’s glorious and somehow grounded and tied to both the earth and things celestial. There’s something organic, rustic, natural about them, as though they draw inspiration from Mama Nature herself. They’re tuned into something special, that’s for damn sure. Hopewell might not yet have the ability to make the sun rise and set, but they’re getting closer.

mp3: Good Good Good Desperation (Hopewell from Good Good Desperation)

Megan's Top 25 of 2009: 20-16

Part Two of my Top 25 is quite the mixed bag: Texans, Brits, Canadians and transplanted Alabamians all reside here. This gang of five can make you dance in a variety of ways, and I think they’re all the bee’s knees, the cat’s meow, and all that and a bag of chips (or crisps, for our UK friends).

I still remember being down in Austin last year for SXSW, and one of the bands I heard the most about on a constant basis was the local darlings White Denim (otherwise known as #20 on this here list). While I managed to totally miss them during my time in Austin, I didn’t forget to get my hands on Fits. It’s a noisy, groovy little record with some big guitar sound and some seriously addictive qualities, big bad vocals and crazy drumming being chief among them. The more I listened to it, the more I dug it, and the more I think you should probably own this album.

mp3: All Consolation (White Denim from Fits)

My friend Scott is to be thanked for introducing me to #19 Japandroids one evening before music trivia. As soon as I heard the thrashing, pulsating notes of “The Boys Are Leaving Town” I was pretty much hooked on Post-Nothing. They’ve got the guitar-driven danceable thing totally down pat, and this entire album is nothing more than a party. Not just any party, mind you, but one of those parties that’s so good you can barely remember what happened, but you know in your bones it was one of the most fun nights of your life. And bless their little hearts, they wanna French kiss some French girls. Too cute.

mp3: Young Hearts Spark Fire (Japandroids from Post-Nothing)

For some reason, the self-titled album by The xx strikes me as decidedly English. And it’s not just the accents that led me to such a conclusion, wiseguys. From the opening “Intro,” it’s got this sophisticated, polished air, swirled around by a cool gray mist, but with a bite, much like London on a foggy late Autumn evening. I avoided this record for a large part of the year, merely because of all the hype surrounding it (something I’m prone to do and almost always end up regretting). But eventually I caved, and I must say I’m glad I did. Songs like “Crystalised,” a potential heir to all those classic New Order hits, don’t come around all that often. It’s a positively haunting song, set alight by the smoky boy-girl vocals and hearty, driving beats.

mp3: Crystalised (The xx from The xx)

Viva Voce isn’t just for university exams anymore. Their formula for success is easy: merely take an absolutely adorable, terribly talented couple out of the sticky heat of Alabama and put them smack into the misty mysticism of Portland (Rose City, naturally), and you’ve got a surefire recipe for success. #17 record of 2009 Rose City is muy fantastico, and the Mr. & Mrs. Robinson continue to put their folksy boy-girl harmonies with a slightly retro sound in a class all their own. Aided by doubling the size of the band to four members, this new batch of songs is too good to be missed.

mp3: Midnight Sun (Viva Voce from Rose City)

As with the Super Furry Animals, I’ve been smitten with Doves for a long, long time (going on ten years now). Simply put, their music is stunning. I can still remember feeling my jaw drop the first time I heard “The Cedar Room” on the radio nearly a decade ago. It gave me chills, made me cry, and can still do the same thing even today. And happily, Jimi, Jez, and Andy are still making beautiful music together. #16 LP Kingdom of Rust could belong to no other band, with their elaborate song construction and the epic feel to each track. This album demands attention from start to finish, and I for one am more than happy to oblige. It’s hard to pick, but I can especially recommend powerful title track “Kingdom of Rust,” “The Outsiders,” and the dreamily bewitching “10:03”. Oh hell, just listen to and fall in love with the whole thing.

mp3: Kingdom of Rust (Doves from Kingdom of Rust)

Megan's Top 25 of 2009: 25-21

What a group that kicks things off in this first set of five. We’ve got beloved old friends, wonderful new friends, and a rather humorous not-Australian folk-parody duo. Here’s the skinny on the first fifth of albums in my top 25 of 2009.

Beloved Welsh spacestonerpopsters Super Furry Animals get things going at #25 with yet another great record. While it didn’t quite make me fall in love as much as others (And I’ll say right not that if you don’t own the classic Furries record Fuzzy Logic, hang your head in shame), Dark Days/Light Years is still a mighty fine listen. How can you not dig an album with a song called “Crazy Naked Girls?” The bonus being that it, like so many songs here, is quirky, wacky, and unmistakably Super Furry. SFA is definitely, definitely still ok.

mp3: Crazy Naked Girls (Super Furry Animals from Dark Days/Light Years)

I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare The Young Sinclairs not only #24 on my Top 25, but also one of the top 5 bands in all of this here great Commonwealth of Virginia. Who knows, they might even be the best within state lines. Pay attention to the name, friends, because trust me this band could (and should) get big. Songs of The Young Sinclairs isn’t technically a “new” record, it’s a collection of songs pulled from various Sinclair records and EPs. Released on Kindercore, it shows off their brand of neo-psych that takes heavy cues from the California sound of the 60s.

mp3: Cancelled Flight (The Young Sinclairs from Songs of The Young Sinclairs)

The Raveonettes return with yet another record of shoegaze-cum-surfy retro pop, sitting pretty at #23. While not quite as mind-blowing as 2008’s Lust Lust Lust, In and Out of Control is a darned fine record. And I’ve gotta get behind a record with the whole “Boys Who Rape (Should Be Destroyed)” thing. It’s a little bit dark, but these Danes sure know how to make misery sound beautiful.

mp3: Breaking Into Cars (The Raveonettes from In and Out of Control)

The darling Kiwis of Flight of The Conchords might have broken hearts (including mine) by announcing their hit HBO show wouldn’t return for a third season, but they also induced some serious giggles with their second collection of ridiculously amusing songs. I Told You I Was Freaky is full of comedic highs, some of my favorites being the saucy ode to the other male anatomy, “Sugalumps,” the absolutely hilarious “Too Many Dicks (On The Dancefloor)” to which we owe the terms “brodeo” and “bro-ho ratio,” and the somewhat bizarre Russian folk epic about cannibalism on the high seas, “Petrov, Yelyena and Me.”

mp3: Sugalumps (Flight of The Conchords from I Told You I Was Freaky)

Elvis: quite a big name to fill, but #21 Elvis Perkins does admirably. “Come with me/I’ll take you anywhere,” he croons deliciously in “Hey,” and I believe him hook, line, and sinker. Elvis Perkins in Dearland is filled with glorious swirling tracks and Perkins’ buttery voice. First song “Shampoo” was my introduction to the record, and it’s just one of the lovely tunes that await the listener.

mp3: Doomsday (Elvis Perkins in Dearland from Elvis Perkins in Dearland)

And there you have it, friends, part one of...several. Stay tuned for further revelations, coming soon.

Megan's Top 25 of 2009

Miracle of miracles, my dear friends, the snow has finally melted (ish), and in addition to enabling countless Washingtonians to finally go about their normal routines (ish), this melt has also enabled yours truly to get to a computer and finally post some Best of 2009 listy goodness. Better late than never, as we say around these parts.

Now, time for a confession: I have a really hard time putting things like albums into any sort of numerical order when it comes to year-end lists. I don’t have a formula for why a certain record is ranked 16th and another 22nd. My list is highly non-scientific, and I’ve changed things around no less than a dozen times. What I can tell you is that if the record made my list, it’s pretty darned good. But having to put a rank next to the name of the album can be a huge challenge, and as usual this endeavor has taxed me greatly. I tried to listen to these babies at length and rank them according to how much they got under my skin. Truth be told, apart from numbers 1 & 2, which rocked my world so much and so hard, the other entrants on my list are just the smallest of margins apart from each other. I might have put numbers beside them, but I love them all dearly.

My little list might look a wee bit different than some other lists you might have read about the music of 2009. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. After all, who wants to have the same list as everybody else? Keep in mind, too, that while we listen to a lot of music, there’s doubtlessly stuff we missed. I know of a few “major” releases of the year that just didn’t pique my interest all that much, so you might notice a few big omissions here. And even if you disagree with these here picks, I hope that at the very least you’ll be intrigued enough to give these bands a listen. They’re definitely worthy of some special time and attention. We begin in just a moment with my first five records.