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December 3rd, 2009

Panel’s Best Indie Albums of 2009

I can’t believe I’m doing this. First of all, I’m still in denial that it’s the time of year when it’s appropriate to make lists—but I also can’t believe that I’m adding to the glut of lists already available. But you know you love it. And frankly, so do I. If your favorite of the year isn’t on the list, rest assured this is because I am an idiot with no real taste of music.

Regardless…

What follows is a list of the top ten albums that moved me over the year. Since Panel is about new musical discoveries, I toyed with the idea of a “Top Albums You Haven’t Heard” list, but let’s face it—you don’t need that pretension, and I don’t need to be encouraged. I did lobby for the right to craft a longer list (It’s been a great year!) but the powers that be encouraged me to adhere to Panel’s promise of minimalism and stick with ten. I never get to have any fun…

Best albums of 2009

10. Richard Hawley: Truelove’s Gutter—Jarvis Cocker’s buddy Richard Hawley is a classic musician. From the simple song structures to his velvet croon, Truelove’s Gutter hopelessly sincere and impossibly striking in a sea of stuffed-to-the-gills indie rock. Hawley’s invitation to love in “Open Up Your Door” is better than 85% of movie romances, and his body of work sets the standard AM radio only wishes they could hit. Listen to it on a quiet evening and swim in the nostalgia.

9. Mew: No More Stories…—Funny story: I discovered Mew five years ago in France when handed a burnt CD. However my friend labeled the disc with a scribble so impenetrable that after a few fruitless Internet searches for “New Fringers” I gave up. Fast-forward a few years to a fateful night with a head cold, insomnia, and late-night MTV. Eureka! Thankfully, the first new album I experienced as a full-fledged fan didn’t disappoint. From the jittery begging-to-be-played-backwards opener “New Terrain” to reflective ode to band band mate “Silas the Magic Car” Mew are the masters of refusing to repeat themselves—instead opting wrapping up prog and pop in a tasty, soothing yet unexpected package.

8. Atlas Sound: Logos—I desperately want to know what’s going on in Bradford Cox’s head. Normally art rock and I go together about as well as chocolate and onions. But Cox’s (under the guise of Atlas Sound) experimental twisted-pop take on life is ridiculously pleasing—even when subverting expectations it does so with a wink and smile. How many artists can manage an eight and a half minute Stereolab-style jam (“Quick Canal”) without losing their audience?When Cox and Noah Lennox (Animal Collective) ask, “what did you want to be when you grew up?” during “Walkabout,” one can’t help but get the feeling he’s answered his own question.

7. Taken By Trees: East of Eden—Despite casting herself as Sweden’s wilting flower, ex-Concretes member Victoria Bergsman’s musical output keeps getting stronger and strong. This time, she’s traveled to Pakistan—producer Andreas Söderström (Studio) and Noah Lennox in tow to create fragile affecting work that beautifully blends Eastern and Western influences. Her delicate voice demands a special context, and she’s found it—spinning stories that are both intensely personal and undeniably universal. And if last year’s cover of “Sweet Child Of Mine” wasn’t enough to prove her a deft hand at covers, Bergman puts a playful spin on Animal Collective hit “My Girls,” lovingly re-titled “My Boys.”

6. The Antlers: Hospice—Hospice is based on an almost unspeakably depressing scenario—taking care of an abusive, terminally ill loved one. However, its premise never feels emotionally manipulative—thanks in no small part to vocalist Peter Silberman’s youthful, unaffected delivery. From the young couple contemplating an abortion (“Bear”) to the post-wake breakdown (“Wake”), Hospice is such a visceral and cathartic experience, that by album’s end you’ll let out a sigh of relief you didn’t know you were holding.

5. Andrew Bird: Noble Beast—Despite his smooth voice, intricate web of instrumentation and whistling that does his last name proud, this was a bit of a grower for me—lying dormant in my collection for six months from its January release date to the hot, angst-filled days of July. Only then could I appreciate its quiet power, its introspective Bob Dylan-inspired tone (no really—listen to Desire and tell me that Bird and Zimmerman haven’t been drinking buddies…). and Bird’s ability to cut the crap with lyrics like “From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans…” The bliss derived from the crashing guitars in during “Anonanimal” is intense it should be regulated.

4. Jack Peñate: Everything is New— Jack Peñate restored my belief in pop. Freakishly advanced for a sophomore album, Everything is New nicks the best of rock, pop, electro, house and jazz—combining influences to create a perfect backdrop to mull over live, death, and love. Peñate “Estuary English” voice sounds shockingly young as guides the listener from question to acceptance of mortality—a journey affectively taken in a mere nine tracks! Even better, it’s upbeat introspection you can dance to! Dare you not to get the chorus to” Tonight’s Today” stuck in your head.

3. Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest—Grizzly Bear’s whisper has finally grown to an animalistic roar—and it’s about time! Their glorious harmonies are driven by an intricate musical force (dare I say “Beatlesque?”), proving that gentle never equals boring and that sun-dappled music shouldn’t be reserved solely for summer. Bonus: they also put out one of the prettiest videos of the year.

2. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion—Animal Collective’s Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) appears on three of the ten albums of this list. Young bands take note: beg, borrow, or steal Lennox for an appearance on your album. This is clearly the fastest way to the top. Of course, when added to band mates Avey Tare and Geologist, Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion becomes an unstoppable force—Beach Boys beamed down from so incredibly hip alien mother ship. As mentioned before, I’ve never “gotten” art rock. But in a shocking move, every song on the album holds up to the high-bar set by single “My Girls.” Thanks in part to Animal Collective, I’ve had the (oh so deep) realization that you can be out there and accessible. (There’s chocolate in my peanut butter!) What’s next? Bring on the didgeridoo!

1. Bat for Lashes: Two Suns—Wendy Redfern (Under the Radar) said it best when describing Bat For Lashes mastermind Natasha Khan… “She makes me want to live a more interesting life.” Proving that the sophomore slump is only a state of mind, Khan masterfully guides the listener though a mystical world filled with unspoken promise and heartache. Proving that she’s more than mere mortal, she doesn’t sound like a twit while singing melodramatic lines about “crystal armor” or “coat of rainbows.” Heck, she can even introduce a Bowie-esque alter-ego (the melodramatically misunderstood Pearl) and kill her off without jumping the thematic shark. If my life can’t be more interesting, can I borrow her’s for a bit?