Best of 2009: Community List
I asked a number of friends from around the community if they’d be interested in sharing their favourite records with Signal, and it turns out that Nick Hornby was right – music geeks really do love lists. Here are the top picks of 2009 (musical and otherwise) from artists, writers, and industry folks in and around Toronto. Thanks to everyone who contributed!
Joel Bath, Bastard Child Death Cult
1. Obits – I Blame You
2. Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans
3. Dinosaur Jr – Farm
4. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
5. Mariachi El Bronx – s/t
6. Converge – Axe to Fall
7. Doomriders – Darkness Come Alive
8. Them Crooked Vultures – s/t
9. Bob Mould – Life and Times
10. Morrissey – Years Of Refusal
Aaron Brophy, Chart Magazine
1. GALLOWS Grey Britain
2. TIMBER TIMBRE Timber Timbre
3. ALELA DIANE To Be Still
4. K-DOT-O-DOT The Life And Times Of Lucha Lonely
5. D-SISIVE Let The Children Die
6. THE FLAMING LIPS Embryonic
7. LHASA Lhasa
8. THE VEILS Sun Gangs
9. DAN AUERBACH Keep It Hid
10. BAT FOR LASHES Two Suns
Johno Brown, Rockets!
1. Lucero – 1372 Overton Park
2. Blackroc – Blackroc
3. Attack In Black – Years
4. Obits – I Blame You
5. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
6. Polar Bear Club – Chasing Hamburg
7. Wooden Sky – If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone
8. Booker T – Potato Hole
9. Tom Waits – Glitter And Doom
10. Brother Ali – US
9. Wax Tailor – In The Mood For Life
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
7. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Umsindo
6. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II
5. Melanie Fiona – The Bridge
4. Shafiq Husayn – En’A-Free-Ka
3. Blakroc – Blakroc
2. K’Naan – Troubadour
1. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Karen Da Silva, Steel Bananas
- Beacons of Ancestorship – Tortoise
- Vekatimest – Grizzly Bear
- Tarot Sport – Fuck Buttons
- The Visitor – Jim O’Rourke
- March of the Zapotec (EP) – Beirut
- Born Like this – DOOM
- In Prism – Polvo
- My Maudlin Career – Camera Obscura
- The Eternal – Sonic Youth
- Post-Nothing – Japandroids
Sari Delmar, Audio Blood Media
17. Fox Jaws – At Odds (or: Exercises in Separation While United in the Fall)
16. Julie Doiron – I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day
15. Kevin Devine – Brother’s Blood
14. The XX – XX
13. The Paint Movement – Our Eurythym
12. Girls – Album
11. Make Your Exit – Remind Me the Reason I Came EP
10. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
9. Monsters of Folk- Monsters of Folk
8. Yukon Blonde – Everything in Everyway EP
7. The Dangerous Summer – Reach for the Sun
6. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Its Blitz!
4. Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing
3. The Wooden Sky – If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone
2. Hollerado – Record in a Bag
1. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Favourite Shows of 09
10. Kevin Devine, El Mocambo (June 3)
9. Hey Rosetta!, Dalhousie U (Oct. 23)
8. Dinosaur Bones with The Junction, Black Hat Brigade, and The Paint Movement, Horseshoe Tavern (Jan. 17)
7. Fleet Foxes, Massey Hall (Aug. 4)
6. Bruce Springsteen, ACC (May 7)
5. Blink 182, Molson Amphitheater (Aug. 23)
4. Sufjan Stevens, Cabaret JPR (Oct. 5)
3. The Arkells, Lees Palace (Nov. 28)
2. Wilco, Massey Hall (Oct. 16)
1. Monsters of Folk, Massey Hall (Nov. 2)
Mike Duffield, Diableros, Hamilton Trading Co., Cigarettes
The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms (re-issue)
Kraftwerk – Autobahn (re-issue)
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Richard Fernandes, Split The Atom
Propagandhi – Supporting Cast
A Textbook Tragedy – Rain City State of Mind
Bayside – Shudder
Converge – Axe To Fall
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeous Phoenix
Billy Hamilton, Silverstein
1. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
2. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
3. Mew – No More Stories…
4. David Bazan – Curse Your Branches
5. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Wilco – (The Album)
7. The Wooden Sky – If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone
8. Strike Anywhere – Iron Front
9. Weatherbox – The Cosmic Drama
10. Lucero -1372 Overton Park
Honourable Mention:
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Sights And Sounds – Monolith
Frank Turner – Poetry of The Deed
Polar Bear Club – Chasing Hamburg
Owen – New Leaves
Cursive – Mama I’m Swollen
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – S/T
EP’s
1. Paint It Black – Amnesia
2. Paint It Black – Surrender
3. Bon Iver – Blood Bank
4. Defeater – Lost Ground
5. I Am Committing A Sin – Grow Past Their Promises
Keith Hamilton, Diableros, Hamilton Trading Co.
The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
Shotgun Jimmie – Still Jimmie
Great Bloomers – Speak of Trouble
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Sandman Viper Command – Everybody See This
Brett Hutton, Kingdoms
Paramore – Brand New Eyes
Everytime I Die – New Junk Aesthetic
Converge – Axe to Fall
Architects – Hollow Crown
John Mayer – Battle Studies
Jimmy Eat World – Clarity (live)
This Will Destroy You/Lymbyc Systym (Slipt) – Field Studies EP
Oh, Sleeper – Son Of The Morning
The Hold Steady – A Positive Rage
Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You
Tyler Johnston, Arietta
01. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
02. Mew – No More Stories Are Told Today
03. So Many Dynamos – The Loud Wars
04. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
05. Future Of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another
06. Akron Family – set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free
07. Cursive – Mama, Im Swollen
08. Florence And The Machine – Lungs
09. Bruce Pininsula – A Moutain Is A Mouth
10. Zu – Carboniferous
Honorable Mentions
Grizzly Bear – Vekatimest
Joan Of Arc – Flowers
Obits – I Blame You
Big Business – Mind The Drift
Whitest Boy Alive – Rules
Sonic Youth – The Eternal
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Iron And Wine – Norfolk
Portugal The Man – The Satanic Satanist
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
Kevin Kania, Ca Va Cool
1 Freelance Whales – Weathervanes
2 Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3 Passion Pit – Manners
4 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
5 The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
6 The xx – xx
7 The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
8 The Thermals – Now We Can See
9 Handsome Furs – Face Control
10 Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
Andrew Kekewich, The Wooden Sky
1) Polvo – In Prism
2) Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
3) Phosphorescent – To Willie
4) Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
5) Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Paul Koehler, Silverstein
1. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
2. Mount Eerie – Wind’s Poem
3. Mew – No More Stories
4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
6. Converge – Axe to Fall
7. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
8. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
9. Russian Circles – Geneva
10. Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Honorable Mentions:
Dan Deacon – Bromst
Health – Get Color
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Self Titled
Passion Pit – Manners
The Temper Trap – Conditions
The Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead
Wilco – The Album
Bobby Kimberley, The Musebox
10. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
9. The Balconies – The Balconies
8. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
7. Brand New – Daisy
6. Think About Life – Family
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
4. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
3. Various Artists – Dark Was the Night
2. The Wooden Sky – If I Don’t Come Home, You’ll Know I’m Gone
1. The XX – XX
Craig Laskey, ATG Concerts
Top 10
1 Young Fresh Fellows-I Think This Is! (Yep Roc)
2 Wilco-The Album (Nonesuch)
3 Neko Case-Middle Cyclone (Anti)
4 Sonic Youth-The Eternal (Matador)
5 Vetiver-Tight Knit (Sub Pop)
6 Cave Singers-Welcome Joy (Matador)
7 Robyn Hitchcock & V3-Goodnight Oslo (Yep Roc)
8 M Ward-Hold Time (Merge)
9 Timbre Timbre-Timbre Timbre (Arts & Crafts)
10 Kurt Vile-Childish Prodigy (Matador)
Other Faves: Visqueen – Message To Garcia, Tripwires – House To House, The Cribs – Ignore The Ignorant, Fanfarlo – Resevoir, Grizzly Bear – Veckatimist & Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
Noah Love, National Post
1. Dirty Projectors, “Stillness is the Move”
2. Atlas Sound, “Walkabout”
3. Fever Ray, “I’m Not Done”
4. Grizzly Bear, “Dory”
5. Fucked Up, “Year of the Rat”
6. The Horrors, “Scarlett Fields”
7. Animal Collective, “Almost Frightened”
8. Japandroids, “Heart Sweats”
9. Junior Boys, “Parallel Lines”
10. YACHT, “Psychic City”
11. No Age, “You’re a Target”
12. Deerhunter, “Famous Last Words”
13. Clues, “Cave Mouth”
14. A Sunny Day in Glasgow, “Close Chorus”
15. Shout Out Out Out Out, “One Plus Two Plus Three”
16. Phoenix, “Love Like A Sunset”
17. HEALTH, “Die Slow”
18. Dead Man’s Bones, “Pa Pa Power”
19. Patrick Wolf, “Hard Times”
20. Sufjan Stevens, “You Are the Blood”
Katy Maravala, The Agency Group
and so i watch you from afar – and so i watch you from afar
brand new – daisy
manchester orchestra – mean everything to nothing
the antlers – hospice
florence and the machine – lungs
adebisi shank – this is an album by the band called adebisi shank
grizzly bear – veckatimest
Kimberlee McCormack, I Heart The Music
1. Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
2. Great Bloomers: Speak of Trouble
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs!: It’s Blitz
4. Dan Mangan: Nice, Nice, Very Nice
5. The XX: XX
6. Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest
7. Fever Ray: Fever Ray
8. Japandroids: Post Nothing
9. Miike Snow: Miike Snow
10. Drake: So Far Gone Mixtape
Dave Proctor, Wooden Rocket Press, Indie Love
1. Bruce Peninsula’s “A Mountain is a Mouth”
2. Double Dagger’s “More”
3. William Elliott Whitmore’s “Animals In the Dark”
4. Hostage Life’s “Centre of the Universe”
5. Dear Landlord’s “Dream Homes”
6. Arietta’s “Migration”
Caveat #1: Top 3 Albums Dave Proctor really enjoyed but for the life of him still doesn’t know the individual track titles, and therefore probably doesn’t like them as much.
1. Big Business’ “Mind the Drift”
2. P.O.S.’ “Never Better”
3. The Bronx’ “Mariachi El Bronx”
Caveat #2: Top 1 Album that Dave Proctor would have put on the first list if the deadline for this list were a week or so later, and he had a chance to continue falling in love with this haunting, mournful piece of music that he bought yesterday at a small show in Kensington.
1. Jack Breakfast’s “The Escapers”
Dave O’Connor, Burning Love
1. Obits – I Blame You
2. Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans
3. The Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx
4. Om – God is Good
5. Doomriders – Darkness Come Alive
6. Dinosaur Jr – Farm
7. Masters of Reality – Pine/Cross Dover
8. Great Bloomers – Speak of Trouble
9. Cave In – Planets of Old
10. Big Business – Mind The Drift
Honourable Mentions:
YOB – The Great Cessation
Sonic Youth – The Eternal
We’ll Go Machete – ST EP
Bygones – By
Baroness – Blue Record
Paul Marc Rousseau, I Am Committing A Sin
1. St. Vincent – Actor
2. Mew – No More Stories Are Told Today
3. The Chariot- Wars And Rumors Of Wars
4. Converge – Axe To Fall
5. Silversun Pickups – Swoon
6. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
7. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
8. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
9. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
10. The xx- xx
Shawn Scallen, Spectra Sonic
Fifteen shows I saw in 2009:
Feb 6, 13, 20, 27 – Hollerado @ Cafe Dekcuf (residency tour)
Mar 18 – The Van Pelt @ Wave (SXSW)
Mar 19 – Obits @ Radio Room (SXSW)
Mar 19 – No Age @ Club 1808 (SXSW)
Mar 20 – Mi Ami @ Flamingo Cantina (SXSW)
Apr 21 – Nomeansno/Bison BC @ babylon
June 8 – Joe Lally/Glorytellers @ Club SAW
June 19 – Great Lake Swimmers/Timber Timbre @ First Baptist Church
Aug 12 – Passion Pit @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
Oct 23 – The Vic Chesnutt Band w/ Guy Picciotto and members of a silver mount zion/godspeed you! black emperor/witchies @ Mavericks
Dec 8 – Constantines @ Mavericks
Dec 12 – Moneen @ Mavericks
Ten albums I listened to in 2009:
Buried Inside – Spoils of Failure
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Japandroids – Post-Nothing
Jawbox – For Your Own Special Sweetheart
Mi Ami – Watersports
My Dad Is Dead – A New Clear Route
Obits – I Blame You
Passion Pit – Manners
Pissed Jeans – King Of Jeans
Vic Chesnutt Band – At The Cut
Lauren Schreiber, No Shame
Lauren’s Year End Mix – Best of ’09
Think About Life – Johanna
Thunderheist – Jerk It
Green Go – Put Your Specs On Boy
Everything All The Time – Lazy Days
Sports The Band – Castlots
Dirty Projectors – Remade Horizon
Gentleman Reg – You Can’t Get It Back
Pick A Piper – Rooms
Akron/Family – Everyone is Guilty
Animal Collective – Brother Sport
Patrick Watson – Beijing
Portico – The Battle of Duck Lake
The Darcys – The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead
Great Bloomers – Speak of Trouble
Evening Hymns – Dead Deer
Peter Wolf Crier – Down Down Down
Wooden Sky – Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)
Wilderness of Manitoba – Evening
Timber Timbre – Demon Host
Heartthrob of the year
The Burning Hell’s Mike Duguay. Rowr.
In Memoriam
Sister Suvi
Rajiv Thavanathan, Oh No Forest Fires
Yukon Blonde – Everything in Everyway EP
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Various Artists – Dark Was the Night
By Divine Right – Mutant Message
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
The Thermals – Now We Can See
Lightning Bolt – Earthly Delights
The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come
Two Hours Traffic – Territory
Wye Oak – The Knot
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Live Footage – Live Footage
Telekinesis! – Telekinesis!
So Many Dynamos – The Loud Wars
John Frusciante – The Empyrean
Peter Van Helvoort, Ulysses And The Siren
When Shehzaad asked me to make a top ten list of my favorite albums from this year I quickly realized I couldn’t even name ten albums from 2009. Instead I decided to list my top five Pearl Jam Albums (as I heard them this year). [I don't know why I let him do this, as I hate Pearl Jam, but hey... -SJ]
1. Vitalogy
2. No Code
3. Backspacer
4. Self-Titled
5. Ten
Eric Warner, We Are Busy Bodies
top five somethings:
1. finally learning how to make pasta properly
2. not getting blown away by wind at peggys cove, nova scotia
3. taking my belly button ring out after 6 years
4. finding a new career in stand up comedy
5. always taking my vitamins
top five records or songs (that I don’t know the year they came out in, but listened to a lot in 2009):
1. part chimp – i am come LP
2. del vikings – come go with me (the song, over and over)
3. ramones – many discographies
4. dd/mm/yyyy – black square (because I am biased)
5. 1999 the year in music (saves the day, get up kids, newfound glory)
Chris Woodford, Titan
My top 10 HEAVY albums of 2009
1. Mastodon – Crack the Skye
2. Buried Inside – Spoils of Failure
3. Converge – Axe to Fall
4. Krallice – Dimensional Bleedthrough
5. Behemoth – Evangelion
6. Iron Age – The Sleeping Eye
7. Doomriders – Come Alive
8. Starring Janet Leigh – Spectrum
9. Barn Burner – Bangers
10. Graf Orlock – Destination Time Today
…and sometimes it’s fun to go back in time too!
My Top HEAVY album of 1999
1. Neurosis – Time of Grace
that is all that mattered in 1999…
My Top 5 HEAVY albums of 1989
1. Sepultura – Beneath the Remains
2. Carcass – Symphonies of Sickness
3. Obituary – Slowly We Rot
4. Coroner – No More Color
5. Skid Row – Skid Row
