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

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

i only really know thrill, but it's great. 'pauline' is such a terrific song. as for neko, she's got a gorgeous voice which she puts to material of...varying quality. i thought the new pornographers totally sucked, but i love blacklisted. new one passed me by rather but i'll give it another chance at some point.

I haven't found the reight material yet but god do I want to. that voice is honey. the fact that she's mind-meltingly gorgeous um...

MIDDLE CYCLONE is no BLACKLISTED. But it's pretty darn good.

Here's the part where I cop to liking the new Bat For Lashes disc.

i only really know thrill, but it's great. 'pauline' is such a terrific song. as for neko, she's got a gorgeous voice which she puts to material of...varying quality. i thought the new pornographers totally sucked, but i love blacklisted. new one passed me by rather but i'll give it another chance at some point.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, April 1, 2009 7:29 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

yeah i was just talking to jordan recently about how we dont like the new pornographers all that much but love their individual solo careers. i'm sure dan bejar/destroyer isn't your thing, but yeah give that new neko another chance

1. junior boys
2. ugk 4 life
3. mastodon
4. the-dream
5. wolves in the throne room
6. black lips
7. project pat
8. wavves
9. slim thug
10. lil boosie - superbad

boring

i've also been listening to
lindstrom and pt
antony
juan maclean
and sort of skimmed
fever ray, dan deacon and royksopp.....but I just don't know if i'm feeling this stuff at all... or just listening to it because people are talking about it and I'm just goin along because there's not really that much out there

oh and def. add Kylessa at #11

11. kylessa

this woods lp is real nice. reminds me of theo angell's recent stuff a lot.

Here's my complete list of 2009 essentials
1. Antony And The Johnsons - The Crying Light
2. Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
3. Dälek - Gutter Tactics
4. Zu - Carboniferous
5. Dan Deacon - Bromst
6. Themselves - theFREEhoudini mixtape
7. Kylesa - Static Tensions
8. Extra Golden - Thank You Very Quickly
9. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
10. Nite Jewel - Good Evening

The 'Open Strings' 2xCD comp on Honest Jon's deserves to be on here, I think

K'Naan, Troubadour (A&M/Octone)
P.O.S., Never Better (Rhymesayers)
Heartless Bastards, The Mountain (Fat Possum Records)
Various artists/Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir Present, B-More Club Crack (Koch)
Monks, Black Monk Time (Light in the Attic)/Monks, The Early Years 1964-1965 (Light in the Attic)
Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You (EMI)
Lady Sovereign, Jigsaw (Midget)
The Heptones, The Heptones Meet the Now Generation! (17 North Parade/VP)/Various artists, Joe Gibbs Scorchers from the Early Years 1967-73 (Gibbs/VP/17 North Parade)
Trama, Mr. T ziptape
I Was a King, I Was a King (Control Group)
Two Fingers, Two Fingers (Paper Bag Records)
Black Blondie, Do You Remember Who You Wanted to Be (Black Blondie)
Allen Toussaint, The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
Various artists, The Roots of Hip Hop (Harte)
A.C. Newman, Get Guilty (Matador Records)

LSD March, Under Milk Wood

Woot woot

I've got Under Milk Wood in the mail, should arrive any day now. Can't wait.

These

You know... Geir's list could be a lot worse. I'm surprised to see Fever Ray(!) and Animal Collective on there, both pretty good records. Looking forward to that PSB album myself, they're a pretty consistent recording group. Royksopp's alright, Junior Boys a bit too easy listening compared to their last one, U2 very hit or miss... etc. But for all the shit Geir gets on here, I've seen much worse lists in this thread already.

Geir, do you not like The-Dream's album? Have you heard it?

Geir likes The Whitest Boy alive. Yea, I know it's a real Berlin-based electro/dream pop whatevs unit but still...

Why don't people like Whitest Boy Alive? Do those same people not like Kings of Convenience?

Geir, do you not like The-Dream's album? Have you heard it?

Actually not even sure if I have heard of it. Recent mainstream pop has sounded better than in a long time, but it provides the act stays as straight 4/4 as possible - I cannot stand those staccato and syncopated "beats" in recent R&B.

Great Lake Swimmers newest is pleasent and harmless

1 the-dream - love vs money
2 yeah yeah yeahs - it's blitz
3 dirty projectors - bitte orca
4 ryan leslie
5 ugk - 4 life
6 antony and the johnsons - the crying light
7 neko case - middle cyclone
8 lily allen - it's not me, it's you
9 platinum pied pipers - abundance
10 death - keep on knocking

1 the-dream - love vs money
2 yeah yeah yeahs - it's blitz!
3 phoenix - wolfgang amadeus phoenix
4 junior boys - begone dull care
5 ugk - 4 life
6 ryan leslie - ryan leslie
7 camera obscura - my maudlin career
8 dirty projectors - bitte orca
9 lindstrøm & prins thomas - II
10 the juan maclean - the future will come

i think the new boosie mixtape might slip in there once i listen to it also maybe RAWSE but man its really bored me so far

strong list releases there imo

very permeable list too - i'm strong on the top 3 but everything else is just about even

the long lost 'the long lost' and cortney tidwell's 'boys' are both spectacular. no idea when they are actually released.

lol we listen to the same shit

xpost

the only albums i'd add to my list way up above are the it hugs back (great) and veils (good but patchy) albums..

i was gonna mention the thieves like us album.. i suppose its US release is 2009 so i guess it counts

there's lots of new stuff i haven't caught up with yet though..

Your musical compatibility with k3vin k. is SUPER

right now...

Culoe de Song- The Bright Forest
dOP- The Genius of the Crowd
Randoplh- Ruff & Tuff single
J*Davey
Meanderthals- Desire Lines
Isolee- October Nightingale (this one is a grower, not dancefloor material, but excellent)
Monika Kruse- Don't Come Close (Broombeck mx)

that's mostly stuff from this year. but in terms of old stuff, i've been listening to a shitload of ron trent, fela kuti and this amazing house and garage collection from 93

Randoplh- Ruff & Tuff single

right dude?

Ten I'm pretty sure about:

DJ Koze, Reincarnations: The Remix Chapter 2001-2009 (Get Physical)
Art Brut vs. Satan (Downtown)
Ada, Adaptations: Mixtape #1 (Kompakt)
A-Trak, FabricLive 45 (Fabric)
The Juan MacLean, The Future Will Come (DFA)
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino)
Henrik Schwarz, Ame & Dixon, The Grandfather Paradox (BBE)
Dan Deacon, Bromst (Carpark)
Afrobutt, Wunderbutt (Electric Minds)
Comet Gain, Broken Record Prayers (What's Your Rupture?)

Two I've only just started playing but probably like as much as anything on that list: Amadou & Mariam and the hourlong radio show posted here: http://www.duttyartz.com/2009/geko-jones-on-moglo-radio/.

that's a fantastic radioshow - thanks!

Top ten of 2009 so far:

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
Doom - Born Like This
The-Dream - Love Vs Money
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country
The Juan Maclean - The Future Will Come
LSD March - Under Milk Wood
Merzbow - 13 Japanese Birds [series of 13 releases]
UGK - 4 Life

in ABC order ~
akron/family
animal collective
bat for lashes
black dice
boredoms
circle
crippled black phoenix
decemberists
dirty projectors
emeralds
fever ray
grizzly bear
isis
kylesa
mastodon
pink mountaintops
omar rodriguez-lopez
super furry animals
u2
steven wilson
wooden shjips

adding to my list:
11. Wardruna - Runaljod – Gap Var Ginnunga

It's only available on expensive import tho, and i dont know if it will be released in america :(

Wardruna is $9.99 on iTunes and $8.99 for Amazon MP3s. Worth a purchase from either place.

forgot the new Future of the Left up there

Currently top of this years pile...

Babe, Terror - "Weekend"
Emeralds - "What Happened"
Black Dice - "Repo"
Animal Collective - "Merriweather..."
DM Stith - "Heavy Ghost"

Hoping that Sunn O))) record delivers...

Has there been a recent Sunn O))) record that hasn't delivered?

I don't think so.

Best of 2009 so far for me is the first release by Netherlands Black Metallers Irrwisch: bass, drums and . . cello. Weird, but they make it work. Circulated as a demo late last year, official release 2009, so it counts.

the animal collective, grizzly bear and dirty projectors albums have consisted of probably 95% of the new music i've been listening to this year. my best discovery of the year so far has been the bitters (www.myspace.com/bittersband), and favourite local release is either the red mass (www.myspace.com/redmassfce) 12" or the o-voids (www.myspace.com/theovoids) i am in love with every single one of these bands, it's been a wonderful year so far.

I really like the electro outro on one of those songs, but three plays of Franz Ferdinand just isn't doing it for me. Could be a vocals thing. I couldn't get into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the store either. I'll give both more chances, though...

I like what I've heard of the new album, Ahora Mismo. . ., but by Puerto Rican sonera Choco Orta, but it's music for people who already like salsa, I'd say, rather than something with any likely crossover appeal.

The SunnO))) album will melt your fucking face.

adding to my list:
11. Wardruna - Runaljod – Gap Var Ginnunga

It's only available on expensive import tho, and i dont know if it will be released in america :(

I think this is the album you're referring to, and it's available on eMusic in the US. Not sure what to make of it from the samples.