Albums of 2009 - Part II

Without further ado, here is 18-11 of the all important 'Albums of 2009' list:


18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz (Polydor)

I’ve always been somewhat ambivalent towards Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ music; the screeching guitars, non-stop energy and Karen O’s yelping have never resonated with me, save for a few songs. “It’s Blitz” marked quite a shift in their sound, and gave a perfect example of how change in today’s fickle industry can be successful. The untamed nature of the YYY’s was harnessed and cultivated into creating exciting and still unpredictable music.

17. Wild Beasts – Two Dancers (Domino)

Hindsight is a funny thing; it enables to view an album in a different light, or even make you wonder why you liked it in the first place. “Two Dancers” fits into the former category in this case. Upon its release in August, I seemed to be the only person stunned at the band’s change of style – critics lavished it with praise, yet I was left clutching my copy of “Limbo, Panto” wondering where their exuberance and flamboyance had gone. More than anything, it felt like it was an album too early. It is only recently that it’s clicked, and “Two Dancers” is clearly the album they needed to make, as little progression could have soon placed their career in the novelty bin. Most pleasing of all, Hayden Thorpe’s powering falsetto has shown no signs of abating, nor has it emerged as a hindrance in achieving success outside the indie stratosphere. More of this and Wild Beasts will soon have more than a cult following.

16. 2562 – Unbalance (Tectonic)

Of the many strains of Dubstep that have emerged recently, and as fast as its rising popularity, the techno-infused movement has proved to be the most exciting and pioneering. Along with Peverelist, Appleblim and Ramadaman, 2562 is leading the way. His debut “Aerial” was 51 minutes of frustrated, encapsulated beats that had just as much in common with minimal techno and dub. “Unbalance” follows this tried and tested formula, but this time Dave Huismans expands his world and makes an ultimately more accessible record. Skittering drums, staccato synths and rumbling sub bass are the order of the day here, and the minimal aspect of “Aerial” is generally lost, with the gaps generously filled. Solid, consistent stuff.

15. Architeq – Gold + Green (Tirk)

Hanging on the fringes of hip hop, soul, broken beat and so called “wonky”, “Gold + Green” is a great example of the amazing music available in abundance by the likes of Hudon Mohawke, Ras G, Samiyam, Dorian Concept etc. Buzzing 80s synths, sharp drums and sci-fi beats make this record so unique, yet it still retains that head-nodding hip hop formula that keeps a congenial aspect to this record.

14. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II (ICE H2O)

Not much has changed in Raekwon’s world; he’s still slinging the same old drug raps with his pal Ghostface Killah, along with the whole Wu Tang crew. The difference now, however, is that for the first time in 14 years he’s hungry again, and has considerably upped his game for the sequel to his classic LP “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx”. With stellar guest spots from Method Man, GZA et al, and a who’s who of producers providing the beats, the powerful one-two of Raekwon and Ghostface is revived, with similarly enthralling consequences. Despite the lack of RZA and some filler, this is a must have for any nostalgic hip-hop fan.

13. Deerhunter – Rainwater Cassette Exchange (4AD)

Prolific yet never lacking in quality, Bradford Cox’s alt-rock troupe never fail to being the goods, and “Rainwater Cassette Exchange” continues the underlying pop theme that last year’s “Microcastle” adopted. The noise and experimentalism of yesteryear is gone, but Cox’s introspective lyrics remain, as does his ability to create a never-ending plethora of accomplished songs.

12. Matias Aguayo – Ay Ay Ay (Kompakt)

If there is one genre that likes sticking firmly to the rules, it’s minimal techno. But as always, there is a maverick among the minions, and in this case Matias Aguayo fits the bill. A year since the scene mocking single “Minimal”, Aguayo has crafted a truly unique and forward-thinking record. “Ay Ay Ay” loosely follows the blueprint of techno, but twists it on its head by using his multi-tracked voice as the main instrument, with very little electronic help in the process. Drawing on latin and South American influences, the album follows a simple but entirely absorbing formula that is little more than beats, hummed basslines and chants. If there was ever an argument that dance music is alive and kicking, this is it.

11. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (V2)

This was the album when Phoenix were finally lavished with the praise and attention they so richly deserve, albeit by only a slightly wider audience. The spoon-fed public still remain largely oblivious to them, which confuses me to no end considering the accessibility, warmth and brilliant song writing of “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”. Never dull or saccharine, just 10 entertaining pop songs.

Massive Attack - Heligoland

British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have announced details for their first studio album in almost seven years, entitled ‘Heligoland’.

After almost solely completing 2003s’s ‘100^th Window’ by himself, Robert “3D” Del Naja is reunited with Grant “Daddy G” Marshall. As per usual, the album features a host of vocal contributors, including Damon Albarn, Martina-Topley Bird, Elbow’s Guy Garvey and TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, as well as long time collaborator Horace Andy.

The album is set for release on February 9 on Virgin Records. The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Pray for Rain

2. Babel

3. Splitting The Atom

4. Girl I Love You

5. Psyche

6. Flat of the Blade

7. Paradise Circus

8. Rush Minute

9. Saturday Come Slow
10. Atlas Air

Furthermore, a remix album by none other than Burial is said to be in works.

New Panda Bear album

In a recent interview with Pedestrian.tv, Animal Collective’s Panda Bear has been discussing his upcoming solo project, albeit rather vaguely.

Coming two years since the release of the critically acclaimed ‘Person Pitch’. Noah Lennox has indicated that his new album will veer away from the sample-heavy songs that he and Animal Collective are so well known for: “It’s going pretty good. It’s been a long process. I’ve thought about it for a long time while we were doing the Merriweather stuff, so I had a long gestation process in my mind but only really started cracking on it in September. It’s kind of scary doing something totally different, like I've been working in a sampler zone for five or six years now. It definitely feels like a new zone, it’s scary but also exciting as well.

“The rhythms are really basic and kind of raw and simple and are electronic. The tone is a lot darker and it sounds sort of dramatic or romantic to me”.

Meanwhile, Animal Collective are set for a new EP entitled “Fall Be Kind”. It will be released on Vinyl and CD on December 15.

Albums of 2009 - Part I

It's that time of year again, when no self-respecting writer has anything else to do but write reams and reams of lists. With it being the end of a decade, list-mania has gone into overdrive this year and I will be posting my Top 50 of the decade in due course. But for now here's Part I of my favourite albums of 2009, which has been a great, if saturated year for music, as is evident in the amount of potentially good albums I have yet to listen to - Simon Scott, RSD, Jonsi & Alex, FaltyDL, Koushik, Clark, Broadcast and Flaming Lips are among those. Anyway, in ascending order I start with 25-19:

25. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue (Warp)

I've listened to this album for the past couple of weeks now and I've still yet to work out what genre this album falls under. The best way to describe it would be to imagine Flying Lotus creating an album with a guitar; it's an unorthodox mix of 70s pysch-folk, blunted hip-hop beats and a healthy dose of funk. The underlying lo-fi style of the album enhances the classic feel, but overall this is a brilliant record by an artist not afraid to venture outside his comfort zone.

24. The Field - Yesterday & Today (Kompakt)

Released on the influential Kompakt record label, home to many of todays minimal techno luminaries, The Field's Axel Wilner separates himself uniquely from his peers. Swimming with ambiance, dreamy vocals and trance-esque synths, 'Yesterday & Today' feels much like an album, unlike the general tendency in dance music to simply collect singles within any given time period. Music equally for the nightclub and the armchair, this is a vibrant sampler of how techno can push the envelope.

23. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Honest Jon's)

Easily the most fun record I have hear all year, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is comprised of eight horn musicians and a drummer from the South Side of Chicago, all of whom bar one are the sons of Kelan Phil Cohran, a jazz musician who played with Sun Ra Arkestra. The result is a funky, uptempo album, with a distinctly hip-hop influence, including some star guests such as Tony Allen, Flea and Damon Albarn.

22. DOOM - Born Like This (Lex)

Being his first studio album for four years, an absolute eternity in his world, the return of Daniel Dumile in any form was enough to bill 'Born Like This' as one of the most anticipated albums of this fruitful year. Dropping the prefix 'MF' from his name, expectations were largely met, with DOOM still full of the wacky, off-kilter rhymes that makes Dumile such an entertaining rapper. Songs end abruptly, choruses are non-existent, but this is DOOM, and he revels in his role as the perennial recluse of hip hop and clearly doesn't fit into the swaggering egotism so rife in his genre.

21. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug (Domino)

Despite the fact I still fail to see the supposed Josh Homme influence, Arctic Monkey's third album was a bold step forward from their previous two. The jagged guitars, infantile lyrics and youthful ferocity were replaced by a decidedly more mature approach, with no abating in Alex Turner's sharp lyricism. It was bold move on their part, considering the strong 'laddish' fanbase they've built, being one of a handful of bands to be welcomed with open arms by fans not generally acquainted with indie music. It may not have the hit singles that gave them their reputation, but 'Humbug' is the most bright and interesting work the Monkeys have produced to date.

20. Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Downtown)

Perhaps it was his extracurricular activities as an actor that diverted his concentration, but despite his strong reputation Mos Def has been a wildly inconsistent musician since his classic album 'Black Star' with cohort Talib Kweli. Fingers have been pointed at label disagreements, but maybe his heart wasn't in it. Thankfully, 'The Ecstatic' put those worries to rest, a strong, focused album that reasserted his position as one of hip hop's greats.

19. Squarepusher - Numbers Lucent (Warp)

Billed as a counterpart to 2008's "Just A Souvenir", this record is in fact the polar opposite: filled with clattering snares, frantic basslines and a hint of jazz fusion, this is a Squarepusher record that doesn't stop for a breather, and features none of the freeform jazz pieces that often slow his albums down.

New Interpol album

Coming almost three years since 2005’s “Our Love To Admire”, Interpol have announced details of their new album, set to be released early next year.

The band spent spring recording the as yet untitled album, at the Electric Ladyland Studios in their hometown New York.

The band has kept themselves busy with side projects; including singer Paul Banks’ solo project Julian Plenti, drummer Sam Forgarino’s band Magnetic Morning, and bassist Carlos D’s short film.

Forgarino has stated in an interview with Paste magazine that the album will emulate the sound of Interpol’s lauded debut album, “Turn On The Bright Lights”: “The new record falls back towards the first. In trying to move forward, there was an unspoken realization that you can’t let go of your sonic-defining tag. There was an effort in Daniel [Kessler]’s guitar tone; he rediscovered it playing in his loft space for a year without anybody. The quality of that tone, played in a big room, is just beautiful. It creates an atmosphere.”

Liars - Sisterworld

Psych-rock outfit Liars will be returning with their fifth studio LP Sisterworld earlier next year.

The trio, comprised of Angus Andrew (vocals/guitar), Aaron Hemphill (guitar/synth) and Julian Gross (drums), is known for blurring the line between pyschedelia and post-punk, with a tendency to switch styles drastically from album to album.

The release was initially announced via Liars’ Myspace page, which provided a link to the Sisterworld site. The visitor was then greeted with a set of abstract videos that offered little elaboration on album content.

In a statement issued by the band, they explained their vision for the album: “We're interested in the alternate spaces people create in order to maintain identity in a city like L.A. Environments where outcasts and loners celebrate a skewered relationship to society”.

The album was recorded in Los Angeles with composer and producer Tom Biller.

Four Tet - There Is Love In You

The first in my series of five blogs focusing on releases in 2010 kicks off with Four Tet.

The electronica maestro, also known as Kieran Hebden will release There Is Love In You, through Domino on January 25. The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Angel Echoes

2. Love Cry

3. Circling

4. Pablo's Hear

5. Sing

6. This Unfolds

7. Reversing

8. Plastic People

9. She Just Likes To Fight

Love Cry is currently out to purchase on 12”, with a future release on November 23 set to include remixes by Dubstep starlet Joy Orbison and Roska, a leading light in the UK Funky movement.

Four Tet is the alias used by Hebden for his avant-garde, electronic solo output. He is known to create songs with a distinguishable staccato rhythm, influenced by a range of genres such as Jazz, Techno and Hip Hop.

There Is Love In You is set to be Hebden’s first solo project in almost two years, following Ringer in 2008. Earlier this year he released a 12” single with reclusive Dubstep producer Burial.