January - February 2009: Best Albums and Tracks
Let's start March by taking a brief look at the albums that stood out in the first couple of months of the year.
Out of all the new releases, "Dance Mother", the debut of New Yorkers Telepathe, is already the clear favorite for claiming the top of my end of the year list of 2009's best albums (read more propaganda in my previous article). It is closely followed by probably the best work of Animal Collective, "Merriweather Post Pavillion", an album that does not need any more propaganda by me - the internet is already buzzing about it and it has picked up more critical acclaim than Slumdog Millionaire won Oscars.
Out of all the new releases, "Dance Mother", the debut of New Yorkers Telepathe, is already the clear favorite for claiming the top of my end of the year list of 2009's best albums (read more propaganda in my previous article). It is closely followed by probably the best work of Animal Collective, "Merriweather Post Pavillion", an album that does not need any more propaganda by me - the internet is already buzzing about it and it has picked up more critical acclaim than Slumdog Millionaire won Oscars.
UK pop is worthily represented in the Top 15 list by the third, dancefloor oriented, Franz Ferdinand album (the Scottish band led by "our own" Alex Capranos, giving Greek fans a reason to be proud). The godfather of the sensitive '80s indie-pop, Morrissey, returns triumphantly keeping the momentum going for his revitalized career in the '00s. In the list you will find him surrounded by several of his students: Franz Ferdinand, The Dears, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. The latter band comes from New York and has just released their remarkable self-titled debut that is certain to please noise pop fans everywhere (The Wedding Present and Jesus And Mary Chain are probably bigger influences on them than the Mozfather).
For more noise pop thrills (with a little bit of The Pogues thrown in for good measure) you can also listen to the debut of Titus Andronicus from New Jersey and to Canadians Land Of Talk who released their first full-length "Some Are Lakes" at the tail end of 2008 (it was proceeded by the mini LP "Applause Cheer Boo Hiss"). The album is produced by Justin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver. Other albums from 2008 in the list (that I finally got around to listening) come from Secret Machines, White Denim (an excellent garage-punk debut), The Dears, Why? (an unexpected hip hop - folk collision) as well as the second collaboration between Isobel Campbell and our recent visitor Mark Lanegan.
The Top 15 is rounded up by Grand Dutchy, namely the honorable Mr. Black Francis and his wife in a more pop oriented effort, N.A.S.A. (which stands for North America South America), the collaborative project created by producer Sam Spiegel a.k.a. Squeak E. Clean (brother of director Spike Jonze), and, last but not least, the annual collection compiled by the stuff of Rough Trade Shops with ecclectic selections from the best releases of 2008. More on the last two albums at the next installment of That's Entertainment.
Top 15 Albums
- Dance Mother - TELEPATHE
- Merriweather Post Pavilion - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
- Tonight: Franz Ferdinand - FRANZ FERDINAND
- Years Of Refusal - MORRISSEY
- The Spirit of Apollo - NASA
- Rough Trade Shops Counter Culture 08 - VARIOUS
- The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART
- The Airing of Grievances - TITUS ANDRONICUS
- Petits Fours - GRAND DUCHY
- Workout Holiday - WHITE DENIM
- Alopecia - WHY?
- Secret Machines - SECRET MACHINES
- Some Are Lakes - LAND OF TALK
- Missiles - THE DEARS
- Sunday At Devil Dirt - ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN
Top 15 Tracks
- So fine - TELEPATHE
- Brother sport - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
- Mykonos - FLEET FOXES
- Big man - THREATMANTICS
- Ulysses - FRANZ FERDINAND
- One month off - BLOC PARTY
- Dancing choose - TV ON THE RADIO
- I'm throwing my arms around Paris - MORRISSEY
- Give me back my heart attack - LAND OF TALK
- Come Saturday - THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART
- Airport surroundings - LONEY DEAR
- Whachadoin? - NASA
- Money babies - THE DEARS
- Lovesick - GRAND DUCHY
- Blood bank - BON IVER
Song of the week : "Big Man" from the new signing of Domino, Threatmantics from Wales - their disk is called "Upbeat Love" and is the latest addition to our wishlist.
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