Best Music of 2009: #16-20

Why in the heck is this list being posted when 2010 is more than halfway over?  Well, I've been too lazy for the past 6 months.  I'm deep in the throes of dissertation composition, so I thought this was a good way to get my mind rolling in the write direction (har har, sorry).  And as the blog name indicates, I plan on writing weekly, and hopefully 2-5 times per week.

A few caveats: 2009 wasn't the best year for music -- especially entire albums -- in my eyes.  These albums (#16-20) wouldn't make the top 20 if they had been released this in 2010 (probably not even the top 30), but they are still worthwhile investments if you enjoy music.  Secondly, there are still a few albums from '09 that I haven't purchased yet (this list is only comprised of albums I own), so out of consideration are worthy efforts from Kasabian, Bad Veins, Telekinesis (five bucks!), Timber Timbre (five bucks!), and Telegraph Canyon.

#20. White Rabbits: It's Frightening (listen to it here or buy it here)
Basically, if you like Spoon, you'll like White Rabbits -- mainly because Britt Daniel (lead singer of Spoon) produced this album.  However, it's no substitute for the actual thing.  This is my favorite track and the video shows how their use of two drummers drives the song (and apparently Texas high school football?):


#19. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes: self-titled (listen to it here or buy it here for $6!)
This is a definite throwback to 60s- and 70s-style traveling gypsy bands.  I'm not sure this album would've made the top 20 if I hadn't seen them in concert (which might be a little unfair), but they put on a good-but-not-great live show (too short!), and it made their album better.  My favorite track, by far, is "40 Day Dream" and this video gives you a sense of what it's like to see them live:


#18.  Miike Snow: self-titled (listen to it here or buy it here for $6)
These dudes know how to pump a catchy electrono-beat.  Don't believe me?  Read this and then watch this:


#17. Julian Casablancas: Phrazes for the Young (listen to it here or buy it for $5 here)
This album was a bit of a disappointment, but The Strokes are one of my all-time faves and this hit a little bit of that craving (since they haven't put out an album in almost five years!).  It's admittedly different than most Strokes material -- and purposefully so -- but what keeps it from being higher on the list is the unevenness in several of the songs ... and due to the fact that "11th Dimension" was the advance single from the album and none of the other tracks could really match the expectations that song set; viz:


#16. DM Stith: Heavy Ghost (listen to a few tracks here or buy it here)
I initially resisted the tunes of David Stith because I thought it sounded too similar to Patrick Watson.  However, Mr. Stith is a personal friend of my sister and brother-in-law and they convinced me to give the entire album a few spins.  While I still tend to hear similarities between PW and DM, it doesn't make Heavy Ghost a poor effort; in fact, it's a fine album (which might be even better on shrooms given it's ethereal nature).  "Isaac's Song" is a bit more representative of Ghost, but "Braid of Voices" is my favorite tune on the album (it stands in contrast with the rest of the album -- placid throughout); check it out if you've had a rough day and it will put your soul at ease:

Black Dynamite

It's been four months since I've reviewed anything--and even longer since I've reviewed a film--but I can't think of a better film to jump-start the cinematic reviews than Black Dynamite.

Partially written by Michael Jai White (the movie's star), Black Dynamite tells the story of Black Dynamite, an ex-CIA operative that is "super cool" and "know kung fu." He is, undoubtedly, smooth with the ladies, but he has little time to fool around once he starts investigating his brother's death. The plot purposefully--and with great hilarity--becomes quite convoluted, with multiple plot twists, and government conspiracies that involve malt liquor, a fiendish scientific genius from China (whose "knowledge of scientific biological transmogrification is only outmatched" by his "zest for kung-fu treachery!"), and of course Richard Nixon.

Sadly (?), I was born post-blaxploitation, so I didn't see those films growing up, so I'm sure a part of Black Dynamite's brilliance is lost on me, but as satire/spoof, it is absolutely legendary (I hadn't seen many (any?) zombie movies when I saw Shaun of the Dead, but I was still able to appreciate it). Black Dynamite is sort of the Hott Fuzz of blaxploitation, but a little goofier... not quite Airplane!-level zaniness, but definitely goofy. However, it's very subtle at times, and the viewer has to work to catch some of the gags. The boom mic making its appearance into the shot is easy to spot, but the red Porche that suddenly turns into an 1960s family sedan as it explodes while going off the cliff is a little more subtle (even though it doesn't sound too hard to notice). The film is, in a way, an homage to blaxploitation, but very different from another recent effort. The filmmakers walk a thin line between trying to make a film purposely bad at parts, but not end up with a bad movie. Without a doubt, they succeed.

Grade: A
Blurb: 2009's funniest film.

Enjoy the trailer:

Port O'Brien: Threadbare

Admittedly, I missed the boat when these guys came out with All We Could Do Was Sing in '08. That album has been stuck in my eMusic queue for a long time, so when Threadbare came out last week, I did a very un-Micah-like thing and picked up the newer album instead of the well-received-but-somewhat-overlooked debut after I gave Threadbare a couple of spins over on their Myspace (yes, you can stream full albums over there sometimes ... which is the only reason to ever go on Myspace).

One thing I knew about Port O'Brien before I picked up Threadbare is that Van Pierszalowski, the lead singer, has worked on his father's commercial fishing boat up in Alaska. I was prepared to be overwhelmed with a bunch of Decemberists-esque nautically-themed tunes. However, thankfully (?), the songs cover a wide array of topics (although there are references to boats, salt water, etc.). The sing-along sentiment, enhanced by Cambria Goodwin's (the other founding member) and others' background vocals, give POB's songs a bit of a fisherman's ship vibe, but the banjo keeps your feet firmly planted on the dock.

Although I don't necessarily know what the single "My Will Is Good" (video below) is about (is he leaving someone or trying to get back with someone?), I really enjoy it. It's sort of got a Funeral-era-Arcade-Fire-meets-Built-to-Spill feel to it. My favorite track, however, is the song that follows "My Will..." on the album: "Oslo Campfire" (video below). Its lyrics are straightforward and heartbreaking: "Living through your past and dreaming through your son / Will get you nowhere fast and leave you f***ed." Again, the background vocals are somewhat reminiscent of those from Arcade Fire's Funeral, but also its own feel. I also need to downplay the Arcade Fire angle because there are plenty of other sounds present on the album (Modest Mouse, Neil Young, The Shins, Built to Spill, Rogue Wave, etc.), and POB definitely rides their own sonic wave (ba-dum-chh). Other standout tracks: "Tree Bones," "Sour Milk / Salt Water," and "Love Me Through."

Blurb: The curse of the sophomore slump doesn't plague Port O'Brien. At all. In fact, Threadbare is better--for my money--than their debut. I wish, however, that some of the slower songs were cut in favor of more upbeat ones, which happen to be the cream of the album.
Grade: B

Choir of Young Believers: This Is for the White in Your Eyes

Choir of Young Believers does't have the weirdest name in indie rock, but it's kinda up there (Architecture in Helsinki or Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have that honor). What is a bit weird--in a good way--is their sound. I'm not sure how to describe it, but if I had to give it a go, I'd say it's part Fleet Foxes (lead singer's voice/lots of reverb) with an Arcade-Fire-on-horse-tranquilizers backing band. The band's label says CoYB makes musical nods to influences diverse as Roy Orbison, Pixies, The Beach Boys, and Hank Williams (and you thought Arcade Fire on horse tranquilizers was weird!).

CoYB is fronted by Jannis Noya Makrigiannis. Jannis was involved in Copenhagen's underground indie scene for a few years before he took a Justin Vernon-esque trip in 2006 and isolated himself to discover his new sound. Instead of a cabin in Wisconsin, Jannis took refuge on the Greek island of Samos. When he returned to Denmark, Jannis formed CoYB, which is sometimes just Jannis on guitar and a cellist (see YouTube video below), but at other times the CoYB stage contains seven other musicians in addition to Jannis (see Vimeo video below).

"Action/Reaction," the album's upbeat single, is in stark contrast to the rest of the album, which often showcases a melancholy melody and lyrics from "Next Summer": "Next summer I will return, / I'll be back, / I'll break your heart." Sometimes the song titles are enough to depress you ("Hollow Talk" and "Why Must It Always Be This Way" for example). Unlike Phoenix--a band that also doesn't sing in their native tongue--CoYB's straightfoward lyrics don't come off as cheesy: "Where do you go when it all goes down, / You battle ballance, your patterns, / Back to all the thoughts that they killed your youth, / No one deserves this" from the track "Claustrophobia."

Even though the album seems full of downers, it doesn't depress me. The music is gorgeous and the lyrics are cunning. I would've loved it if some of the faster-paced tunes from previous EPs (Burn the Flag) would have made cut, but I'll settle for these ten tracks.

Blurb: This Is for the White in Your Eyes wouldn't make the best background music at a party (see above: Phoenix), but it's a good album and one of 2009's best debuts.
Grade: B

Patrick Watson: Wooden Arms

I first came across Patrick Watson in 2007 when his 2006 release, Close to Paradise, defeated Arcade Fire's Neon Bible for the Polaris Prize (the Canadian version of the Mercury Prize, which is the British version of the Grammys--if the Grammys had credibility and actually honored the albums that deserved to be awarded). At the time I scoffed and pretty much ignored Mr. Watson.

Well, last month I had some remaining downloads over at eMusic and I decided I'd use them on Paradise and finally see what all the fuss was about (two years late, I know!). Wow. Wow. I now understand--completely--why Paradise defeated the glow of Arcade Fire's Good Book (I'm not saying I agree, I'm simply saying I "get it"). A couple of weeks after picking up Paradise, I got my hands on Mr. Watson's latest (2009) release, Wooden Arms.

Since I acquired both albums within such a short time of each other, it was impossible not to compare them at every turn. At first, I was disappointed with Arms and I wanted to return to Paradise, but I kept listening and eventually Mr. Watson's Arms grew on me (although not in an I'm-a-four-armed-freak kind of way).

Arms doesn't have as many hits has Paradise has ("Close to Paradise," "Giver," "Luscious Life," "Drifters," and "Great Escape"), but it does boast a stable of strong tracks and it displays Watson's growth as he ventures further into sonic exploration (tracks like "Tracy's Waters," "Beijing," and "Fireweed" feature a bevy of rich, layered, and unique sounds). There is also the beautiful simplicity in "Man Like You," the simple and haunting nature of the title track and "Traveling Salesman," and the Americana (Canadicana?) that the song "Big Bird in a Small Cage" exhibits. Additionally, "Where the Wild Things Are" will likely be one of my top five songs from 2009 (sadly, no video exists ... yet).

Blurb: Perhaps Arms isn't the album that Paradise is, but it's still a fine album with a pair of the best songs of the year--"Wild Things" and "Tracy's Waters"--and it's probably going to be my pick for this year's Polaris Prize.
Grade: B+