The Solid Albums of 2009

10.28.2009

DEAD MAN’S BONES is music for when MY BODY’S tired, feeling like A ZOMBIE, or FOR YOU to enjoy at Halloween!

deadmanbones

i can’t fit in this skin
it’s worn and used and thin

♫ Dead Man’s Bones – My Body’s a Zombie for You

In April I saw this video. It was a new band performing their only song in a cemetery. It was fantastic. Considering that the only mp3 available was a rip off the video (below) I figured I …

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10.25.2009

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE make music for a quiet BOAT ride. I can get BEHIND that.

KOC-DOD

through the air there’s a fluffy cloud falling down as rain

♫ Kings of Convenience – Boat Behind

Kings Of Convenience’s new album, Declaration Of Dependence, is the perfect album for chilly Sundays. It’s light, tender, and intimate; perfect for nursing your body back to reality after a Saturday’s worth of BAC-alteration. I first fell in love with Kings’ …

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10.24.2009

FUN. know ALL too well that THE PRETTY GIRLS are often less-so without BARLIGHTS

fun aim Ignite

i just hate the band ’cause they remind me of you

♫ fun. – All The Pretty Girls

Anyone who has ever read Pitchfork knows that haters are no fun (except when they are), but the truth is that even a sunshine-blinded optimists like myself struggles with hateration. It’s this struggle that has taken me so damn long to post …

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10.22.2009

JAMIE T presents CHAKA DEMUS. It’s just the name of THE MAN’S latest single, a MACHINE of a jam.

kingsqueens-jamiet

if your gonna learn a song you gotta sing along

♫ Jamie T – Chaka Demus

After becoming mildly obsessed with Stick N’ Stones, the first single off of Jamie T’s sophomore album, I was a little scared to be let down by the rest of Kings and Queens. Luckily for the whole damned world Jamie T did not …

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10.14.2009

CASSETTES WON’T LISTEN is QUICKLY APPROACHING my top albums of the year list

IntoTheHillside

♫ Cassettes Won’t Listen – Quickly Approaching

Yes, you have seen that album art before. It was attached to my ramblings on the title track. Since getting the full album it has basically been on all the time which is really weird because it’s instrumental. Definitely not my usual steez. I figure it was fitting to quickly revisit it (and …

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10.10.2009

MARIACHI EL BRONX surprise every CELL in the body. Right, MATES?

MariachElBronx

your kind of face could save a soul, it keeps me cryin’ all night to you

♫ Mariachi El Bronx – Cell Mates

Now I know that of all the reasons you guys visit TBE, my meticulous coverage of Mariachi music is only, like, number 6, but stay with me. In addition to one of the best album covers of …

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10.08.2009

THE SWEET SERENADES debut has been ON MY stereo all week. No WAY I’m taking it off soon.

Sweet Serenades

have a drink, put that red dress on, i’m on my way

♫ The Sweet Serenades – On My Way

“On My Way,” from Sweden’s The Sweet Serenades, landed in my inbox a week ago and before I had heard a note I saw this promo photo. Needless to say that when I finally pressed play I was surprised. And …

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10.08.2009

PEARL JAM have apparently got THE FIX(ER) for a lackluster decade? I know, JUST BREATHE.

backspacer

when somethings bored i wanna put a little exciting on it

♫ Pearl Jam – The Fixer

I don’t care if Pearl jam were never really “your thing,” try and tell me that “The Fixer” is not a freaking jam. Edder and co. are back and they mean business with the recently released Backspacer, a solid listen that kicks …

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10.06.2009

SLOW CLUB’s album should have nobody GIVING UP ON it. I LOVE it.

slow_club_yeah

if you’d given me straight answers I would never have had to guess

♫ Slow Club – Giving Up On Love

I know I wrote about Slow Club back in June but that was before their LP Yeah So was released and became one of my favorite albums of the year. I have been revisiting it a lot lately and …

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09.30.2009

DRAGONETTE want you to PICK UP their new LP, your feet, and THE PHONE. OKAY, DELORE?

Dragonette Fixin

you’re still very young and we only just started having fun

♫ Dragonette – Pick Up The Phone

Dragonette’s 2007 debut, Galore, was one of those albums that I was fully ready to like but just never hooked me. It felt like they were trying to hard at the electro-pop game but were missing something. Whatever was missing, we …

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