When we first launched Lost in the Cloud in 2010, we were on a roll from our previous blog, hoping to take LITC into different territory. One thing we carried over from our previous blog was our love for lists, especially music lists. We began Lost in the Cloud with productive intentions, but life, as it can so often do, got in the way of our keeping up with the blog.
For the first six years, we were diligent in posting the lists of our favourite albums of the year, complete with short descriptions of each. In those last couple of dwindling years, our ‘Best Albums’ lists were becoming the only new material we were producing for the blog. In time, even that dropped off of our list of priorities and Lost in the Cloud went quiet.
This year, we have decided to revisit our ‘Best Albums’ lists and to even elaborate on our whole ‘Best Albums’ corpus by travelling all the way back to the prehistoric year that was 2000. This post is part one of two. With hindsight and in living with particular albums for longer, we have compiled lists of our ten favourite albums for each year from 2000-2019. Perhaps these lists will be of some interest for those who wish to walk down Memory Lane, or indeed, for those who might wonder if any of these [subjective] gems passed them by (as we have discovered from comparing our respective lists). Whatever you—dear reader—might glean from our produce, we are grateful for the opportunity to indulge in our list-making and music-listening passions here.
Elijah & Greg
— E —
Figure 8 Elliott Smith
Kid A Radiohead
The Sophtware Slump Grandaddy
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven Godspeed You! Black Emperor
ÁGÆTIS BYRJUN Sigur Rós
Bachelor No. 2 Aimee Mann
Winners Never Quit Pedro the Lion
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea PJ Harvey
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out Yo La Tengo
Rising Tide Sunny Day Real Estate
— G —
Kid A Radiohead
Figure 8 Elliott Smith
Bachelor No. 2 Aimee Mann
All That You Can’t Leave Behind U2
ÁGÆTIS BYRJUN Sigur Rós
Fever & Mirrors Bright Eyes
Heartbreaker Ryan Adams
Rising Tide Sunny Day Real Estate
Winners Never Quit Pedro the Lion
MASS ROMANTIC The New Pornographers
— E —
Amnesiac Radiohead
Jane Doe Converge
The Glow, Pt. 2 The Microphones
White Blood Cells The White Stripes
Blue Screen Life Pinback
Hot Shots II The Beta Band
Vespertine Björk
“Love and Theft” Bob Dylan
The Photo Album Death Cab for Cutie
Discovery Daft Punk
— G —
The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads Lift to Experience
Oh, Inverted World The Shins
Asleep in the back Elbow
Musicforthemorningafter Pete Yorn
Origin of Symmetry Muse
The Invisible Band Travis
The Only Reason I Feel Secure Pedro the Lion
Skyscraper National Park Hayden
The Photo Album Death Cab for Cutie
AMNESIAC Radiohead
— E —
Control Pedro the Lion
Turn on the Bright Lights Interpol
Fantastic Damage El-P
Alice / Blood Money Tom Waits
The Creek Drank the Cradle Iron & Wine
Sea Change Beck
Unfortunately We’re Not Robots Curl Up & Die
[A→B] Life mewithoutYou
We Are the Only Friends We Have Piebald
Give Up Postal Service
— G —
Control Pedro the Lion
Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground Bright Eyes
The Creek Drank the Cradle Iron & Wine
Sea Change Beck
The Last Broadcast Doves
Give Up Postal Service
A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco
Turn on the Bright Lights Interpol
The Seamonsters The Seamonsters
— E —
Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State Sufjan Stevens
The Ugly Organ Cursive
Hail to the Thief Radiohead
The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place Explosions in the Sky
Sumday Grandaddy
You Forgot it in People Broken Social Scene
Dear Catastrophe Waitress Belle & Sebastian
Monday at the Hug & Pint Arab Strap
Frail Words Collapse As I Lay Dying
Happy Songs for Happy People Mogwai
— G —
Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State Sufjan Stevens
Hail to the Thief Radiohead
Cast of Thousands Elbow
Absolution Muse
Final Straw Snow Patrol
Marvelous ThingsEP Eisley
O Damien Rice
Transatlanticism Death Cab for Cutie
Log 22 Bettie Serveert
Desprate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes TV on the Radio
— E —
From a Basement on a Hill Elliott Smith
Funeral Arcade Fire
Seven Swans Sufjan Stevens
Antics Interpol
You Are the Quarry Morrissey
Sung Tongs Animal Collective
Achilles Heel Pedro the Lion
Our Endless Numbered Days Iron & Wine
A Cass McCombs
How It Ends DeVotchKa
— G —
Sung Tongs Animal Collective
From a Basement on a Hill Elliott Smith
Antics Interpol
Seven Swans Sufjan Stevens
Achilles Heel Pedro the Lion
Our Endless Numbered Days Iron & Wine
FUNERAL Arcade Fire
The Autumns The Autumns
How It Ends DeVotchKa
Turning Tide The Seamonsters
— E —
Illinois Sufjan Stevens
The One Above All, The End of All That Is Curl Up & Die
Emoh Lou Barlow
Takk... Sigur Rós
Feels Animal Collective
LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem
Headphones Headphones
And the Glass Handed Kites Mew
Guero Beck
Surf Roddy Frame
— G —
Illinois Sufjan Stevens
Takk... Sigur Rós
Several Arrows Later Matt Pond PA
Silent Alarm Bloc Party
Feels Animal Collective
Emoh Lou Barlow
Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs Andrew Bird
I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning Bright Eyes
Headphones Headphones
Pixel Revolt John Vanderslice
— E —
Yellow House Grizzly Bear
The Avalanche Sufjan Stevens
Happy Hollow Cursive
No Heroes Converge
Everything All the Time Band of Horses
Victory for the Comic Muse The Divine Comedy
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards Tom Waits
Sing the Greys Frightened Rabbit
Brother, Sister mewithoutYou
The Eraser Thom Yorke
— G —
The Avalanche Sufjan Stevens
Gang of Losers The Dears
The End of History Fionn Regan
The Eraser Thom Yorke
Begin to Hope Regina Spektor
Everything All the Time Band of Horses
Sing the Greys Frightened Rabbit
The Cost The Frames
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Neko Case
Camping by the Railroad Tracks in December Harmony and Pollution
— E —
Neon Bible Arcade Fire
In Rainbows Radiohead
Sound of Silver LCD Soundsystem
Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters The Twilight Sad
Strawberry Jam Animal Collective
White Chalk PJ Harvey
Cease to Begin Band of Horses
Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! Orchid
The Shepherd’s Dog Iron & Wine
Person pitch Panda Bear
— G —
In Rainbows Radiohead
Strawberry Jam Animal Collective
Boxer The National
A Few More Published Studies The XYZ Affair
Wincing the Night Away The Shins
PERSON PITCH Panda Bear
Cease to Begin Band of Horses
A WEEKEND IN THE CITY Bloc Party
Voxtrot Voxtrot
Neon Bible Arcade Fire
— E —
The Midnight Organ Fight Frightened Rabbit
Songs in A&E Spiritualized
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
In Ear Park Department of Eagles
Dig That Treasure Cryptacize
Dropping the Writ Cass McCombs
Microcastle Deerhunter
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today David Byrne & Brian Eno
In Ghost Colours Cut Copy
Rip It Off Times New Viking
— G —
The Midnight Organ Fight Frightened Rabbit
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
The Seldom Seen Kid Elbow
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust Sigur Rós
Dropping the Writ Cass McCombs
Words & Music Aqualung
In Ear Park Department of Eagles
At War with Walls & Mazes Son Lux
@#%&*! Smilers Aimee Mann
— E —
Veckatimest Grizzly Bear
Merriweather Post Pavilion Animal Collective
Axe to Fall Converge
Album Girls
Forget the Night Ahead The Twilight Sad
Logos Atlas Sound
These Four Walls We Were Promised Jetpacks
Mythomania Cryptacize
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Our favourite post of the year is here! We apologise that it’s taken so long, but think of it as a late Christmas gift. As with previous years, we’ve included our respective Top 10 Albums of the year as well as some honourable mentions and some not so honourable ones. Feel free to share your favourite records of the year in the comments section. Maybe you’ll even discover some unknown treasures within our lists. Take care, readers. See you in 2013.
Love,
Elijah & Greg
+++++
Elijah’s Top 10 Albums of 2012
10. ValtariSigur Rós — Whilst I loved 2005’s Takk…, I found that 2008’s Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust left much to be desired. Valtari leans more toward Sigur Rós’ earlier style, a more ambient and reflective record although I’d hesitate before calling it ‘samey’. Incredible tracks like ‘Varúð’ and ‘Varðeldur’, some of the finest I’ve ever heard from the Iceland post-rock legends kept me from pushing this record out of the top ten. For this record the band also came up with they’ve called the ‘Valtari Mystery Film Experiment‘ in which they employed twelve filmmakers to make music videos for the album based upon what the song brought to their minds and without the final approval from Sigur Rós. See ‘Varúð’ below, created by Inga Birgisdóttir, who designed the album cover and also directed the video for ‘Ekki Múkk’:
+++++
9. Gentle StreamThe Amazing — This was the first record of 2012 that really caught me by surprise. Released in Sweden in 2011, Gentle Stream proves to be just that, a gentle yet wide stream of quality, what I would describe as a subtle mixture between Simon & Garfunkel and Dinosaur Jr. Like their previous releases, The Amazing and Wait for Light to Come, there are still hints of psych rock (influenced by the presence of various members of Dungen) and classic rock and the finished product it is most satisfying.
+++++
8. All We Love We Leave BehindConverge — Before I listened to this record, I didn’t want to include Converge in this list because it’s starting to look like whenever a few of my favourite artists make a new album they inevitably end up on my ‘Best Albums’ list. For those who know how I rate music, it’s unlikely that the top four will come as any surprise this year. But give me some credit; I can betray bands I love when they make subpar records – like Animal Collective’s Centipede Hz or my ‘dishonourable mentions’ below. Or last year when I resisted We Were Promised Jetpacks’ In the Pit of the Stomach, Atlas Sound’s Parallax, David Bazan’s Strange Negotiations, DeVotchKa’s 100 Lovers, Danielson’s Best of Gloucester County, etc. See, so when I include one of my favourite bands in my top ten I really mean it!
All that being said, I didn’t want to include Converge this year, so when I heard the first track, ‘Aimless Arrow’, I was relieved and heartbroken simultaneously. I would consider the track their weakest opener to date (especially compared to their last record’s first track, ‘Darkhorse‘), and with its hints of ‘screamo’ and melodic hardcore (don’t worry, there’s no ‘singing’ on this track), I was fearful of listening to the rest of the record. But the eight tracks to follow are all heavy, quality tunes! The rest of the record features some spoken word, which works on top of the slow, thoughtful guitar work by Kurt Ballou. But my heart was nearly torn in two upon listening to the tenth track, ‘Coral Blue’. It’s not all that frightening until the chorus, which isn’t quite ‘screamo annoying’, but more confusing for those who listen to Converge. Thankfully, that’s the extent of this ‘singing’ charade on All We Love We Leave Behind. It closes out with the sufficiently epic title track and sufficiently heavy ‘Predatory Glow’. No, on the whole this was no serious transition for Converge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They tried that on You Fail Me and they failed me indeed.
+++++
7. Sweet Heart Sweet LightSpiritualized — I know, great cover, right? OK, it’s probably one of the worst album covers this year, but don’t let that put you off! This here is an excellent record. Jason Pierce, also known as J. Spaceman, the creative force behind all of Spiritualized’s incarnations over the last 22 years, wrote the album whilst undergoing serious medical treatment for his liver, which was left in a sore state as a result of many years of drug use, both prescribed and recreational. But unlike 2008’s Songs in A&E, which was also inspired by a serious medical emergency (aspiration pneumonia and periorbital cellulitis), Sweet Heart Sweet Light is a much more hopeful, inspiring record, somewhat in the vein of 1997’s Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space.
+++++
6. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!Godspeed You! Black Emperor — This is the Canadian post-rockers’ first record since 2002’s Yanqui U.X.O., and whilst I found Yanqui rather uninspiring after 2000’s masterpiece Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, ‘Allelujah! is a return to form and then some. Godspeed has a rare skill (shared with Sufjan Stevens) for making 20+ minute songs engaging throughout. The tracks are engrossing and become, as the album title suggests, transcendent objets d’art, ushering the listener into heavy aural ascension.
+++++
5. AmericaDan Deacon — I appreciated Dan Deacon’s music before (his 2009 release, Bromst was among my honourable mentions that year), but this record caught me by surprise. The opener, ‘Guilford Avenue Bridge’, is a buzzy digital number, which flows into the two subsequent tracks until Deacon decided to change the pace with ‘Prettyboy’, which seems to ruin the rhythm of the album, that is until we’re brought back into the jam with ‘Crash Jam’. The highlight of the album is the four-part ‘USA’ opus below:
+++++
4. LonerismTame Impala — Tame Impala’s last record, Innerspeaker, which came to me as such a surprise thanks to Greg’s preaching of the gospel, ranked 6th on my Best Albums of 2010 list, so in my desire to not be let down, I was suspecting that the follow-up wouldn’t be as good. As with Kevin Parker’s previous material, Lonerism draws much from the past (‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards‘ could’ve been part of Magical Mystery Tour, right between ‘Blue Jay Way‘ and ‘Your Mother Should Know‘, or it could’ve totally replaced the latter and I wouldn’t have minded), but always with a sense of artistic integrity and completeness. Thank you, Tame Impala, for defying the mediocrity of your stage name name yet again and coming up with another excellent piece of psychadelic groove rock! Oh and isn’t it groovy!
+++++
3. BloomBeach House — After their excellent third album, Teen Dream(which ranked 8th in my Top 10 Albums of 2010), I expected Beach House to lose steam. Every subsequent record was getting better and no band can keep that up. Well, this loss of steam will have to wait until their next record, because I’d say that Bloom might very well be their best record to date. Whilst their sound remains distinctively ‘Beach House’ (those keyboard and guitar-driven dream pop soundscapes and that husky female voice), the songwriting in Bloom has taken a step forward. And even though this record demands more time and attention than their previous releases, the payoff is tenfold. And how amazing is this Ghostbusters-inspired video for ‘Lazuli’?
+++++
2. Dept. of DisappearanceJason Lytle — This was an exciting year for us Grandaddy fans: the band reunited after six years apart! And very fortunately for us, the excitement didn’t end there. Grandaddy principal songwriter, lead singer and guitarist, Jason Lytle, has kept busy since the break up in 2006. In fact, Grandaddy’s final record, 2005’s Just Like the Fambly Cat, was written and recorded entirely by Lytle. After the break up, a move inspired by lack of commercial success, Lytle relocated from California to Montana and toured with Rusty Miller in support of Just Like the Fambly Cat. In 2009, Lytle released his first solo record, Yours Truly the Commuter and followed that with an EP, Merry X-mas. Lytle and former drummer of Grandaddy, Aaron Burtch, joined with members of Earlimart to form the band Admiral Radley, who released their debut record, I Heart California, in 2010. Each of these incarnations were superb (I Heart California was an honourable mention in my Best Albums of 2010 list), but none seemed to capture the magic that Lytle’s earlier work possessed in great measure. Until now. It’s safe to say that Dept. of Disappearance is a grower, but there was enough of pure goodness present from the first listen to keep me going. Each track is excellent, and some are among the best Lytle’s ever written, such as the title track, ‘Matterhorn’, ‘Last Problem of the Alps’, ‘Somewhere There’s a Someone’ (below), ‘Gimme Click Gimme Grid’ and ‘Elko in the Rain’.
+++++
1. ShieldsGrizzly Bear — I won’t make excuses or defend my pick despite the fact that Grizzly Bear’s previous record was my number one album of 2009. Shields is just that good. Still present are the Grizzly Bear trademarks we know and love, but this record is the band’s most aggressive and coherent to date. At times it is far darker than their previous material (‘Speak in Rounds’), yet it still takes the listener into the clouds (‘Half Gate’). In the midst of this more aggressive direction, Grizzly Bear also ventures into the realm of more accessible pop music, music that isn’t as dissonant as their previous releases yet retains its creative bearings. On top of all of their unique qualities as proficient musicians and songwriters, Grizzly Bear demonstrate a continuing process of maturation, one that solidifies them as—in this listener’s opinion—one of the best bands of their generation.
Another conflicted year of listening for me: some of my favorite bands put out albums I thought were shite (Animal Collective, Sigur Rós) and other bands that I expected more from turned out mediocre fare (Passion Pit, The Avett Brothers). Then there were the albums that had real moments of brilliance on them…but which couldn’t sustain that level of greatness throughout the entire record. The following albums didn’t break into my top ten, but you should definitely check out the songs indicated:
Bloom Beach House — ‘Myth’, ‘The Hours’, ‘Irene’
Charmer Aimee Mann — ‘Labrador’, ‘Soon Enough’, ‘Slip and Roll’
Time Capsules II Oberhofer — ‘HEART’, ‘I Could Go’, ‘oOoO’; also did a great cover of Kanye West’s ‘Runaway‘
+++++
10. Young Man FollowFuture of Forestry — I don’t mind if I lose all indie credibility for putting a Christian, anthem rock band on my top ten. This album falls somewhere in between Delirious?/Phil Wickham and post-Pop U2/Snow Patrol (right now, Elijah is raising his eyebrows/giving me a look of consternation/experiencing a slight taste of bile in the mouth). I know that there’s a strong hint of songwriting formulae, mixed with sentimental emotionalism, strategic falsetto insertion, and derivative production sleight-of-hand, but I can’t help it…I eat it up. This is my sonic Kryptonite. It moves me and I can’t help loving it. So there you go.
+++++
9. Milk FamousWhite Rabbits — This was a late addition to the list. I had loved the track “Everyone Can’t Be Confused” earlier in the year, but never got around to purchasing the whole album. Two weeks ago, I finally got it and have enjoyed the carefully orchestrated arrangement and production of each song immensely. As I began reading reviews, many of which were not kind, there was some talk about the band selling out and transforming into Spoon-lite (one of that band’s members produced the album). I actually can’t stand Spoon, but I love these guys!
7. Port of MorrowThe Shins — There may be some measure of sentiment and nostalgia in this pick. The 2001 album Oh, Inverted World was a life-changer for me (a moment captured and corrupted in Zach Braff’s film Garden State) and I can hear echoes of those glorious times in songs like “It’s Only Life,” “No Way Down,” and “For a Fool.” For those purists who find this a shameless exploitation of The Shins brand (being that only one member of the original band plays on this album), a stance which I myself initially considered, I respectfully disagree. The magic is still here…
+++++
6. Adventures in Your Own BackyardPatrick Watson — Watson is one of those artists whose voice alone puts him into a category of talent and beauty that should earn accolades–but he is also a brilliant songwriter and musician whose idiosyncratic vision comes into its own on this release. If you’ve never listened to his work before, his catalog is well worth exploring, including his work with The Cinematic Orchestra.
+++++
5. HeavenThe Walkmen — This band has been loitering in the periphery of my musical tastes for a while–a great song here or there, but no album that absolutely blew me away. Until now…you MUST listen to this record.
+++++
4. TrampSharon Van Etten — Such fine, delicate songwriting; beautiful, haunting, and frequently spare instrumentation to accompany her striking, melancholy voice; and brilliant production & instrumental assistance from The National’s Aaron Dessner (who better be working on a new album himself!). I love so many of these songs with an affection that is reserved for a select few artists. Listen to the song belong and try not to simultaneously smile AND ache:
+++++
3. Break It YourselfAndrew Bird — I wrote about this album earlier in the year, wondering if it would grow on me more and more. Boy, did it ever. As I said before, Andrew Bird cannot make a bad album, but here, he’s certainly made a great one. I think it really comes alive after the first 1/3 of the album is over, so don’t give up on it if you don’t immediately sense the genius.
+++++
2. Silver and GoldSufjan Stevens — I’m considering this a 2013 release, even though it is a collection of EP’s that Sufjan had privately given out to friends and family over the last five or six years. Of course I love it—I’m a Sufjanite through and through. But beyond my dedication to the man, this really is a beautiful collection of 58 songs that I think transcend the holiday season itself and act as a meditation on the human condition as a whole, refracted through the hopes and disappointments that we connect to a particular time of year and experience of faith, family, community, and tradition. There are haunting covers of Christmas & holiday classics (“I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” “Let It Snow!” and “Silent Night”), worshipful church hymns simply arranged and devoutly performed (“Ah Holy Jesus,” “Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates,” and “Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light”), and Sufjan originals or adaptations that stand up to any of his other records (“Justice Delivers Its Death,” “Christmas in the Room,” “The Midnight Clear,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and “The Child with the Star on His Head”) along with a myriad of lovely instrumental meditations (my favorites include “Make Haste to See the Baby,” “Go Nightly Cares,” and “Even the Earth Will Perish and the Universe Give Way”), crazy experimental electronica (not my favorite genre but occasionally delightful), and simple fun communal musical merry-making. It’s also fun to view the collection in tandem with the albums he was working on during these years (The BQE and TheAge of Adz). You can actually download some of the best tracks for free on Sufjan’s Noisetrade page—and that is a truly wonderful gift from the greatest artist of our age.
+++++
1. Fear FunFather John Misty — One day this year, I was listening to an unbelievably compelling live set of songs on KCRW by a band whose name I somehow kept missing. I finally went onto the station website and discovered that it was Father John Misty. This is the first release under this band name by J. Tillman, former drummer from Fleet Foxes. I had some of his previous solo releases post-FF, which were pretty average folkish meanderings. But this! On this album, Tillman discovers some kind of alchemy that turns his melancholy into the rarest kind of beauty and wonder. His songs sound like they were written 40 or 30 or 20 years ago—any age but now, yet they simultaneously capture the hidden spirit of some mystical contemporary world surrounding us that we may not perceive. Even the songs I don’t absolutely “like” have a tangible genius to them. I didn’t want to like this album—the creepy cover, the hipster pedigree, the critical darlingness of it. But, for me, in 2012, this was it.
+++++
Greg’s honourable mentions (albums)
Among the Leaves Sun Kil Moon — Such lovely instrumentation and melodies; such bothersome narcissistic lyrics
Born to Die Lana Del Rey — I think one is not supposed to like this album due to its contrivances, over-production, other myriad reasons—nevertheless, I found it strangely compelling in a fashion from start to finish
Strange Land Yellow Ostrich — This ended up on exactly no one’s top ten—yet really quite a solid indie rock record!
Who’s Feeling Young Now Punch Brothers — Not enough substance to crack the top 10, but some real winning songwriting here, with a eminently listenable sound throughout
Before I move into the Top 10 of my Top 20 Bands, I feel the need to mention ten significant bands that might have been part of my ‘cut’ at various points in recent history, but just didn’t make it into my Top 20 this time around. (Perhaps this could be seen as my ’21-30′.)
Frightened Rabbit – Let’s see how the whole longevity thing plays out – the first two records have been a steady improvement from ‘incredible’ to ‘phenomenal’.
The other day my friend Erin Hennessy saw you on the F train in NYC, but she couldn’t get up the nerve to say anything to you. That got me thinking of what I would say to you if I ran into you (even though I never would, as I live on the other side of the country). The first thing that came to mind was to talk to you about your 50 states project, which you began so beautifully with Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State and Illinois/The Avalanche.
Now back in the day (the early two thousands or so), I took your proclamation to make an album (or EP, maybe?) for each one of the 50 states seriously, even though some of my more cynical friends would mock me saying it was impossible for you to do in your lifetime (they would start with some calculations, ask your age, etc. PS We share the same birthday!). The reason I believed you was because I saw this limitless sort of creative genius in you, and even beyond that, it was as if you were the Emersonian “Poet” for this generation of Americans–seeing and showing us the beauty and agony and the divine in the everyday, transforming the mundane into the sublime, telling us stories full of wonder and longing and brilliant details from towns like Ypsilanti and Holland and Romulus.
You made me suddenly attentive to the people and places of America: you imbued them with a magical luster simply by naming them in the midst of your deeply moving, melancholic, and rich melodies and arrangements, or by inserting them amongst such evocative mystical lines of verse:
When the revenant came down
We couldn’t imagine what it was
In the spirit of three stars
The alien thing that took its form
Then to Lebanon, oh God!
The flashing at night, the sirens grow and grow
(Oh, history involved itself)
Mysterious shade that took its form
(Or what it was!), incarnation, three stars
Delivering signs and dusting from their eyes
-“Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois”
All that to say that I really, really wish the 50 states project would continue–I think it could become one of the national treasures of our country for centuries to come, a Leaves of Grass for the 21st century that American kids would listen to to understand where they’ve come from and what kind of people we are. I heard at one point that you said the 50 states project was “such a joke,” but I would challenge you in earnest, if only for the sake of those future little kids, to reconsider abandoning this momentous endeavor.
Realizing that it might very well be impossible for you to write and record all of the albums yourself, what if you instead became the director of the project–you have set the standard quite high with your first two albums–and with the profound respect you have from your artistic peers, I honestly believe you could rally together the best artists from each state to collaborate with to make this happen, creating a kind of ark of American culture.
Here are some suggestions to begin with (I admit some may be wishful thinking) & I call on any reader to add to/better the selection of songwriters for any state (I have put brackets around bands with whom I have only a cursory familiarity & some states I have absolutely no idea about):
Alabama = The Snake the Cross the Crown
Alaska = Portugal The Man
Arizona = Calexico
Arkansas = ???
California = Elijah Wade Smith, Beck, Stephen Malkmus
Colorado = DeVotchKa, The Apples in Stereo
Connecticut = Rivers Cuomo?
Delaware = The Spinto Band
Florida = Iron & Wine, Aaron Marsh
Georgia = Deerhunter, Of Montreal, Bill Mallonee
Hawaii = Mason Jennings
Idaho = Built to Spill, Finn Riggins
Illinois = Sufjan Stevens
Indiana = Mock Orange
Iowa = Caleb Engstrom
Kansas = Drakkar Sauna, Mates of State, The New Amsterdams, The Appleseed Cast
Kentucky = Bonnie “Prince” Billy, My Morning Jacket
Louisiana = Jeff Mangum, Mutemath
Maine = [Phantom Buffalo]
Maryland = John Vanderslice, Wye Oak
Massachusetts = Lou Barlow, Winterpills
Michigan = Sufjan Stevens
Minnesota = Low, Cloud Cult, Lucky Wilbur
Mississippi = ???
Missouri = [Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin]
Montana = Colin Meloy
Nebraska = Cursive, Bright Eyes
Nevada = The Killers?
New Hampshire = [Wild Light]
New Jersey = Sufjan Stevens (?), Danielson, Yo La Tango
New Mexico = The Shins, Beirut
New York = The Magnetic Fields, Sonic Youth, Interpol, The Walkmen
North Carolina = The Mountain Goats
North Dakota = [The White Foliage]
Ohio = Robert Pollard, Over the Rhine, The National, Mark Kozelek
Oklahoma = The Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon
Oregon = Laura Veirs, M. Ward, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, The Decemberists
Pennsylvania = The Innocence Mission, Denison Witmer, Matt Pond PA
Rhode Island = The Low Anthem, Death Vessel
South Carolina = Band of Horses
South Dakota = Haley Bonar
Tennessee = Derek Webb
Texas = Josh T. Pearson, Ramesh Srivastava (formerly of Voxtrot), The Polyphonic Spree, Okkervil River, Devendra Banhart
Utah = [Joshua James]
Vermont = Anais Mitchell
Virginia = Thao Nguyen, Hush Arbors
Washington = David Bazan, Damien Jurado, Jeremy Enigk, Fleet Foxes
Since Greg shared his more finalised version of the ‘Best Albums of 2009’ I figured it was as good a time as any to revisit my list. I would have simply updated the original post, but there have been some significant changes to my ‘Best Albums of 2009 (thus far)‘ list due to the release of several amazing records since I left America. I have therefore removed the following from my previous list:
Cass McCombs—Catacombs
Andrew Bird—Noble Beast
Sunset Rubdown—Dragonslayer
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart—The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
I must say that the four records above are worth buying, but in narrowing my list down to ten with the inclusion of a larger canon of new albums in 2009 (my previous list was posted nearly three months ago) I needed to revise my list. Therefore I give you my more official and updated ‘Best Albums of 2009‘.
10. We Were Promised Jetpacks—These Four Walls
I still stand by the excellence of this record, but it has slipped three slots (from seven to ten). Enjoy the incredible Scottish sincerity and steady flow of energy.
9. Atlas Sound—Logos
Bradford Cox (of Deerhunter) really did an excellent job on this record (released 19 October in the UK) with a little help from Noah Lennox (aka ‘Panda Bear’) and Lætitia Sadier (of Stereolab). Cox demonstrates his exceptional and deeply personal writing abilities and leaves room for many more excellent Atlas Sound records to come.
8. Times New Viking—Born Again Revisited
I first heard Times New Viking last year when they released Rip it Off. That album proved to be a great surprise (which was enhanced by the energy and precision of their live shows). This next record (released 21 September in the UK) proves to employ the same techniques – simple pop songs performed by a three piece band (drums, guitar, keys) and production that is intentionally downgraded for an extremely primitive and lo-fi sound. But the songwriting on this album represents a broader stylistic spectrum than their previous work which makes this record more accessible and even more listenable (for someone who usually enjoys what others have sometimes deemed ‘unlistenable’).
7. Cryptacize—Mythomania
As I mentioned previously, this album was very surprising, and it has proven more surprising as I’ve listened on, securing it a rank of number seven (previously eight). At this point one might ask, “Wait, with this subjective switch aren’t your reviews worth the computer screens they are illuminated on?” Correct, the albums I deem worthy of listen are based upon my dynamic personal preferences. But in the end, we must wait for NME’s ‘Top Albums of the Decade’ instead of taking their top album from each year of the decade because of developing musical trends and tastes, so I don’t feel so guilty. This album deserves this spot and maybe even a higher one. This album possesses a near-perfect amount of creativity, innovation, skills and utter fun! A great improvement from Chris Cohen’s previous work on Asthmatic Kitty (Curtains).
6. Girls—Album
I first heard the track “Hellhole Ratrace” back in August. It was raved about by Pitchfork and Stereogum and I found the track very enjoyable, but not as incredible as the reviews were claiming. I bought the record soon after its release on 22 September and gave it a listen. By the second listen I was hooked. Think of a more nihilistic and energetic Elvis Costello circa 1977, with a hint of Buddy Holly.
5. Camera Obscura—My Maudlin Career
This record (along with Cursive’s new record) slipped a slot entirely due to the release of my new number three record of the year. As I’ve mentioned previously, this is probably my favorite release from Camera Obscura. The more I’ve listened the more I appreciate the record and also the more sure I am that I didn’t simply “love it so much because Belle & Sebastian hasn’t released an LP since 2006.” Well orchestrated and executed indie-pop, with plenty of Scottish wit. Even if there is a hint of my love for B & S in this pick, the album (and the band) stands on its own through musical precision and artistic maturity.
4. Cursive—Mama, I’m Swollen Mama, I’m Swollen probably seems to be an odd pick for this number [four] slot, but I will always have a soft spot for Cursive. This is not to say that this album is undeserving of praise. Cursive is not interested in being another experimental freak-folk-electro-post-rock-cross-genre-remixed piece of overproduced crap like so many other groups are becoming (namely Dirty Projectors). They are faithful to their expressive indie roots, this album being far less poppy than Happy Hollow. It reminds me of Domestica even. Tim Kasher is still obsessed with refuting a theistic/morally superior worldview, but he does it with so much passion and angst I can’t help but be stirred. Cursive encourages us to realize the failure of our Enlightenment/modern ideals and to accept our animalistic/primitive nature. I don’t buy it (but not because it’s not packaged well). I say we drop the Enlightenment and read more Kierkegaard and Barth.
3. Converge—Axe to Fall
After all these years Converge is still bringing ‘it.’ What is ‘it?’ ‘It’ is unrelenting energy. Of all of the bands on this top ten album list, Converge is by far my favorite. This album (released 20 October) is both extremely heavy and true to Converge’s metal roots while remaining very accessible (like 2001’s Jane Doe). Axe to Fall has also made its way into my top three all-time Converge records.
2. Animal Collective—Merriweather Post Pavilion
Retaining its number two slot, Merriweather Post Pavilion – though it is more accessible (think Pet Sounds) than their entire repertoire (a bad start in my odd musical sense) – is very unique, big (to the point of breathtaking at times), and yet more cohesive with itself than any other Animal Collective album. The songs don’t leave you asking, “When is this going to end/how does that even fit?”
1. Grizzly Bear—Veckatimest
I raved about their performance in Glasgow earlier this month and I stand by this pick as the ‘Best Album of 2009.’ My first listen of this record was a positive, but not profound experience. Only two tracks really stuck out to me: “Two Weeks,” and “While You Wait for the Others.” I was even a little disappointed with the album version of “While You Wait for the Others,” at first (compared to their incredible live performance I saw on Morning Becomes Eclectic last year). I sat with the album for another month and at that point it hit me. This is by far (maybe I’ll get harassed for saying that) Grizzly Bear’s best record. By best I mean that they demonstrate great maturity and excellence both in writing and execution, two points that have always seemed to miss one another by an ever-so-slight degree. This record is certain to remain among my favorites unless I fully give myself over to jazz-fusion or something.
It’s late August and I’ve already got a top ten list for the best albums of the year. As I pointed out in an entry last year, it isn’t really my thing to jump on ‘new’ music per se. I am typically balancing myself between ‘new’ music and ‘old’ music that’s ‘new’ to me. This year I wanted to challenge myself to listen to more “new” music (i.e. music that has been/will be released in 2009).
With the trusty aid of musicblogs, Lala, random databases, and Greg I’ve been able to become exposed to a larger body of ‘new’ music this year and I decided that before I leave to Scotland and my postgraduate occupation with a large number of books, I would compile a list of my top ten albums of the year. Who knows, maybe this will be my final top ten list for the year (though it has been altered a bit even in the last 24 hours).
10. Cass McCombs—Catacombs
Cass McCombs reminds me of T Bone Burnett and Neil Young more than ever. He remains very unpretentious and sincere, perhaps on this album more than his previous records. Two tracks to reel you in: “You Saved My Life,” & “Lionkiller Got Married.”
9. Andrew Bird—Noble Beast
I really thought I would hate this album. I’m not much of a fan of Andrew Bird’s music. I’ve never enjoyed his voice. Perhaps Noble Beast’s inclusion on this list is a response to how much I tolerated it as opposed to how much I loved it. But I am leaning more toward its inclusion because I thoroughly enjoy listening to this album. Two tracks to reel you in: “Masterswarm,” & “Not a Robot, But a Ghost.”
8. Cryptacize—Mythomania
This album was very surprising. I hadn’t been very impressed with Chris Cohen’s work with Curtains on Asthmatic Kitty, so I didn’t expect a lot. I saw Cryptasize for the first time with Danielson last November and they didn’t leave a very strong impression, but this album really brings out their strengths. It has a great mood—unpredictable but not irritating (like the Dirty Projectors’ new album…). Two tracks to reel you in: “Blue Tears,” & “Gotta Get Into That Feeling.”
7. We Were Promised Jetpacks—These Four Walls
Thanks to Sgt. Grumbles for this suggestion a couple months back. It reminds me of high school, in the best way possible. Enjoy the lovely accent, the token glockenspiel, and the incredible sincerity—one of the most important qualities I look for in an artist. Two tracks to reel you in: “It’s Thunder And It’s Lightning,” & “An Almighty Thud.”
6. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart—The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
American faux-Brit pop never felt so great! It’s delightfully reminiscent of The Smiths, Jesus & Mary Chain, and My Bloody Valentine. Two tracks to reel you in: “Young Adult Friction,” & “A Teenager In Love.” Note: the album cover bears a ridiculously close resemblance to Belle & Sebastian’s 2006 album, The Life Pursuit:
5. Sunset Rubdown—Dragonslayer
This album is a great step forward for Sunset Rubdown. It’s not obnoxiously poppy like Shut Up I Am Dreaming tended to be. There’s a lot going on musically, yet no component is overpowered by another within a song. Two tracks to reel you in: “Silver Moons,” & “Idiot Heart.”
4. Camera Obscura—My Maudlin Career
Let’s face it, I’m a sucker for Scotch indie-pop. This is probably my favorite release from Camera Obscura. Maybe I love it so much because Belle & Sebastian hasn’t released an LP since 2006. Even if there is a hint of my love for B & S in this pick, the album (and the band) stands on its own through musical precision and artistic maturity. Thank you Tracyanne Campbell for your exceptional wit. Two tracks to reel you in: “French Navy,” & “My Maudlin Career.”
3. Cursive—Mama, I’m Swollen Mama, I’m Swollen probably seems to be an odd pick for this number three slot, but I will always have a soft spot for Cursive. This is not to say that this album is undeserving of praise. Cursive is not interested in being another experimental freak-folk-electro-post-rock-cross-genre-remixed piece of overproduced crap like so many other groups are becoming (namely Dirty Projectors). They are faithful to their expressive indie roots, this album being far less poppy than Happy Hollow. It reminds me of Domestica even. Tim Kasher is still obsessed with refuting a theistic/morally superior worldview, but he does it with so much passion and angst I can’t help but be stirred. Cursive encourages us to realize the failure of our Enlightenment/modern ideals and to accept our animalistic/primitive nature. I don’t buy it but not because it’s not packaged well. Two tracks to reel you in: “From the Hips,” & “Let Me Up.”
2. Animal Collective—Merriweather Post Pavilion
Though it is more accessible (think Pet Sounds) than their entire repertoire (a bad start in my odd musical sense), this album is very unique, big (to the point of breathtaking at times), and yet more cohesive with itself than any other Animal Collective album. The songs don’t leave you asking, “When is this going to end/how does that even fit?” Two tracks to reel you in: “My Girls,” & “Summertime Clothes.”
1. Grizzly Bear—Veckatimest
My first listen of this record was a positive, but not profound experience. Only two tracks really stuck out to me: “Two Weeks,” and “While You Wait for the Others.” I was even a little disappointed with the album version of “While You Wait for the Others,” at first (compared to their incredible live performance I saw on Morning Becomes Eclectic last year). I sat with the album for another month and at that point it hit me. This is by far (maybe I’ll get harassed for saying that) Grizzly Bear’s best record. By best I mean that they demonstrate great maturity and excellence both in writing and execution, two points that have always seemed to miss one another by an ever-so-slight degree. This record is certain to remain among my favorites unless I fully give myself over to jazz-fusion or something. Two tracks to reel you in: “Two Weeks,” & “I Live With You.”
Compilations worth mentioning Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison – a compilation of George Harrison’s solo music spanning his entire post-Beatle career. Dark Was the Night – a compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization. Royal City – a Royal City B-side compilation released by Asthmatic Kitty. God Help the Girl – a music/film project written Stuart Murdoch, the singer of Belle & Sebastian. Members of Belle & Sebastian with guest vocalists. CD Booklet features a short story that goes with the music.