So we're... blah blah blah... of the way through 2009; what records are worth listening to so far?

ha

K'Naan is my fave by far at this point.

Others:
Lily Allen
Glasvegas
Heartless Bastards
Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives

The thing with the Woods album... is that, there is a dedication on the inner sleeve to a very good friend of mine who passed away in 2008, and so everytime I pull the record out of the sleeve, I feel a little twinge of sadness and loss.

:(

The military madness cover is ace too

zu's carboniferous is easily heading the pack, followed by:

storsveit nix noltes - royal-family divorce
ilk - panegyric territories vol. I
karl sanders - saurian exorcisms
capillary action - so embarrassing
john zorn - the crucible
stinking lizaveta - sacrifice and bliss

Need to add UGK's 4 Life somewhere in here.

Anyone else feeling the Tim Hecker or Six Organs releases???

Juan Maclean
The Veils
Distance
Serpentcult

Like, but not really feeling real strongly about: Neko, Fever Ray, Pains of Being Pure of Heart, Wavves

Like, but not really feeling real strongly about: Neko

Every time someone expresses considered/reserved feelings about Neko Case, a kitten loses an angel.

Six Organs is great ... forgot about that one. Might be my favorite thing by him, honestly. I like most of Chasny's stuff, but I think I like his more out there, long-form stuff more than the singer-songwriter-y stuff.

2009 is kinda weak so far.
correct me if i'm wrong.

Very strong for albums so far.. very strong for reissues.. and much like last year, weak for singles. Hopefully this will pick up.

Every time someone expresses considered/reserved feelings about Neko Case, a kitten loses an angel.

O-oh, so THAT's where angels come from?! Aw....

only a few things i actually love so far:

nels cline coward
the grandfather paradox
death for the whole world to see

See, up until Middle Cyclone, I'd always generally liked but never felt strongly for Neko. I absolutely adore her now.

^^^

2009 is kinda weak so far.

fuck's sake, must we deal with this every year

― lex pretend, Monday, 30 March 2009

fucks sake, must you not be able to deal with the fact that music fans sometimes feel out the vibe of a year by how good and abundant the quality of music they've personally found/heard is.... every year?

wait you have the unique music journalistic perspective of being able to sit on your ass and listen to music 24hrs every goddamn day till your ears pop if you fancy and remind us "there's more out there" (waw unique insight) I forgot.

carry on lecturing everyone else for totally human tendencies, it's okay!!

Melinda Doolittle, Coming Back to You

Ooh, this is good?

I liked the AGF/Delay okay when I finally got round to hearing it, but find it a little less meaningful (for want of a better word) & fresh than their first collaboration, It's a more professional, accomplished sounding version of pretty much the same expressions & feelings they were naively sketching out the first time, which is exactly why I don't find it as good although I'm sure it's just as genuine, if that makes sense....

Better than every other non-winner Idol album ever. xp

The Coasters - Greatest Hits. These guys have the jams, their music is still fresh. Also liking Fabio Orsi 'Music for Lovers' but I think that it came out late 08 :( Enjoying music coming out of the Deepchord camp (Quantec, Intrusion, etc). And eagerly awaiting more from Joan as Police Woman.

D4n: Re Melinda: I like it, it's bluesy (two Robert Johnson covers!) and there's some weirdness to it but I wouldn't bet the farm that anyone else would dig it. She can SANG though and that's the theme of the record more or less. Fine by me!

Jono El Grande – Neo Dada (Rune Grammofon)

This sounds very Diaspar (judging by what I'm hearing on their myspace).

...and another thing. I've been enjoying P.O.S. 'Never better'.

I have been enjoying Lotus Plaza the last few days. The latest AC Newman and Bonnie Prince Billy sound good to me.

People have mentioned most of what I've liked so far, but I'll rep for the Lonely Island (SNL Digital Shorts people) album.

I didn't realize the Lonely Island album was out! I'm gonna listen to it ASAP.

I keep confusing lonely island and loney dear. Anyway... Glad to see all the love for neko case--my favorite of the year so far.

I'm gonna step out of line and predict Mos Def - The Ecstatic from the 3 songs you can listen tohere

Also enjoying the Alela Diane LP.

yeah that alela diane is nice. she was recommended to me on the basis of my nina nastasia fanhood, which makes sense, but she's got her own thing.

recently liking

ugk - 4 ife
anni rossi - rockwell
eleni mandell - artificial fire
lindstrom and prins thomas - ii
freeway - month of madness mixtape

I went into the Alela Diane record fulling expecting to hate it, figuring it was some sort of Joanna Newsom/Edith Frost kinda thing, but it's a really nice SOUNDING record, and her songs are well-written. Also, my friend Otto plays drums on most of it, which was funny to see--he tends to not talk about all the "session" work he does, but he seems to be everywhere lately. Like, the new Vetiver record for example, which is also good. As my friend Dave puts it, you know it's Otto playing cuz it sounds like an Ian Matthews record.

1. The-Dream, Love vs. Money
2. Fever Ray - s/t
3. Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
5. Ryan Leslie - s/t

On the horizon and, based on leaked material, pretty much guaranteed top ten, unless something goes terrible:
Exene Cervenka
Cassie
Ciara

Still haven't heard:
Pretty much everything else mentioned in this thread

I need to listen to The Thermals' new one!

haven't heard ryan leslie, but agree with Tape Store's first four...

ha yeah tape store and i are basically the same person

what did you think of the Fever Ray, k3vin? I see it wasn't on your list.

I know I posted a rather unspecific list earlier, but I think that as of 11:41 PM, March 31st, my top 10 would look sumn like:

1. Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, II
2. UGK, 4 Life
3. The Juan MacLean, The Future Will Come
4. Ryan Leslie
5. Royksopp, Junior
6. Heavy, First Sessions
7. Gorilla Zoe, Don't Feed da Animals
8. Camp Lo, Stone & Rob: Caught on Tape
9. Telefon Tel Aviv, Immolate Yourself
10. The-Dream, Love vs Money

Is this thread for tracks too?

your favorite 2009 songs thread

i'd have to throw ugk and l & ps in my top 10 too

xp been delaying thinking about that one

keeping an "09" playlist on itunes is a good thing - easiest way to keep track of shit you're feeling w/o a word document or something

I'm intrigued by The Veils' album.

ah i didn't know eleni mandell had a new album out! gotta check it. i keep a text edit document but really last.fm does all the heavy lifting in terms of tracking what i listen to.

I like Rokia Traore's last. While it has been out in the UK since last year, it only came out here this year.

As mentioned on the rolling whirled thread, I liked Traore's cover of "The Man I Love" from that album:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100200274

(I think I've been adding an "r" to her name.)

I think I could go for other jazz standards with this--whatever this stringed instrument is. (Sorry I don't know African instruments so much.)

Otherwise though I haven't heard the full album.

lex, i didnt know you were a fan. i have trouble pinning down your rock tastes, but do you like/know neko case at all? i can see you either hating her or loving her. may be a bit organic for you