Submitted by darascal on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 02:10
It's that time of year when DJ's, music critics, and people like us, post their top music picks of the year.
I invite you to post your favorite music picks of the year, or "Best Of 2009" music list links.
A few person picks of mine from 2009:
Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Fink - Sort of a Revolution
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
U2 - No Line on the Horizon
Here's a few links to 2009 music picks.
KCRW - The Best Radio Station in the World!
Extensive list of Top 10 Albums of 2009, from the KCRW DJ's:
http://www.kcrw.com/music/dj_top_10
KCRW is a cutting-edge, eclectic station, leaning toward indie pop, and also world music and jazz. Streamed 24/7 - http://www.kcrw.com/music/eclectic24, or on 89.9 FM, et al, in SoCal area - see kcrw.com for more info.
Pitchfork Media - daily music publication, focusing on independent music
Top 50 Albums of 2009: http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7744-the-top-50-albums-of-2009/
Top 100 Tracks of 2009: http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7742-the-top-100-tracks-of-2009/
AllMusic.com - broad range of music
Favorite Pop albums of 2009: http://blog.allmusic.com/2009/12/17/allmusics-favorite-pop-albums-of-2009/
An overwhelming list from the AllMusic staff: http://blog.allmusic.com/2009/12/15/allmusic-loves-2009/
Have fun and enjoy the music!!!
Rascal
at HD Tracks under Latin music. Great sound quality, great music, great talent. Available on CD or 24/96 download.
I also recommend Kat Parra on Azucar de Amor. This is just on CD at Amazon.
Some of my favorites this year:
Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Wilco - Wilco (the album)
Muse - The Resistance
Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Brandi Carlile - Give Up The Ghost
Ben Kweller - Changing Horses
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter
Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
Bill
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
iMac->iTunes->AIFF->Toslink->Benchmark DAC1 USB->AKG 701/Sennheiser 600/Quad 12L Active
Thought everyone had forgotten about the MUSIC!
Any other list-makers care to share?
Rascal
A few off the top of my head....
Historicity by The Vijay Iyer trio - These guys are the new face of modern Jazz.
Horehound by The Dead Weather - dirty arse blues rock at it's best.
System is a Vampire by Shapeshifter - drum 'n bass and pacific soul by 'real' musicians. A mighty album.
The various random releases by Nine Inch Nails.
Ladyhawke by Ladyhawke. Released 2008 but it slow-burned into 2009. Her first LP and already a Kiwi legend.
proac response 5, perreaux r200i, naim cd5xs, naim dac, mac book pro, rega p24.
The Middle East: Songs of the Middle East.
They are as good live as they are recorded.
http://www.amazon.com/Recordings-Middle-East/dp/B00278FUFI/ref=sr_1_1?ie...
http://www.myspace.com/visitthemiddleeast
Listen and be moved........
And have a musical 2010 everyone.
Sonny Rollins, Road Shows, Vol. 1
Kurt Elling, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman
Melody Gardot, "My One And Only Thrill"
Joe Lovan Us Five,"Folk Art"
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, "Yesterdays"
The Monterey Quartet, "Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz"
Chris Potter, "Underground"
McCoy Tyner, "Solo: Live from San Francisco"
Van Morrison, "Astral Weeks Live"
Hau'oli Makahiki Hou
Lot's of wonderful music this year.
I strongly recommend the Boston Symphony's Daphnis et Chloé by James Levine. It's available here in high res for $10: BSO Website
In CD format, I've loved the Shostakovich Preludes & Fugues by Jenny Lin available at Amazon, ArchivMusic, etc.
Also available in Flac download (44.1 kHz) is Yuja Wang's recording of Chopin's Piano Sonata No.2 : DGG Website. This delightful album also has selections from Liszt, Ligeti, & Scriabin.
My favorite, and most dramatic, jazz album of the year is Ran Blake's Driftwoods. You can get the CD from Amazon. Or, listen to the free mp3 sample of I Loves You Porgy at All About Jazz and then buy directly from Tompkins Square.
16/44.1 and 24/96 music files via iTunes running on a G4 Mac -> Wavelength Audio Proton USB DAC -> AKG K-702 headphones.
2009 was a brilliant year for music. A lot of great stuff out there. These were my highlights.
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe
Pet Shop Boys - Yes
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
A Mountain Of One - Institute Of Joy
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek
Dark Was The Night - Compilation album
Yo La Tengo - Popular songs
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Leonard Cohen - Live In London
And my pick for album of the year:
Rowland S. Howard - Pop Crimes (Aussie guitarist probably overlooked by the rest of the world - now deceased unfortunately)
Cheers,
Jake