The half-year in music (with videos!)

(Ahem. As you can see there are few actual videos, it's mostly only youtube songs with static images)

Best Albums

Surfer Blood "Astro Coast" A-


Titus Andronicus "The Monitor" A-

Beach House "Teen Dream" A-

LCD Soundsystem "This is Happening" B

Black Keys "Brothers" B+

Spoon "Transference" B

 

Good
The Hold Steady "Heaven is Whenever" B-

Tame Impala "Innerspeaker" B+
Yeasayer "Ambling Alp" (the first half, at least) B-

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "I Learned the Hard Way" B-
Sleigh Bells "Treats" B
Jaill -"This is How We Burn" B
Male Bonding "Nothing Hurts" B
Dr. Dog "Shame Shame" B-

Meh

She & Him "Vol. 2" C-
Everything M. Ward does deserves a listen. At a certain point, though, even if I recognize something as quality work (mostly the production and instrumentation) doesn't mean I have to like it, or force myself to listen to it on the reg. I just don't see the point of She & Him. Zooey doesn't write quite good enough songs, they are pleasant enough, but I'd rather just go dig up some old records.


The Morning Benders "Big Echo" B-

The Brooklyn via San Fran group led off its second album with perhaps the song of the year, "Excuses," a glorious amalgamation of glee-club harmonies, bluesy strings and soaring melodies, but then let Chris Taylor's (Grizzly Bear) production drag the following nine tracks through the tasteful, reverbed sludge that makes Taylor's outfit so damn boring. Only the occasionally fuzzed-out guitar struts through the languid, hung-over drapery, heard on the second track on the top-loaded record.

Foals - Total Life Forever C

Overrated

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti "Before Today"

Robyn "Body Talk Pt. 1"

Robyn is terrible and I'm tired of all these hipsters saying otherwise.

Janelle Monae "The ArchAndroid"

Disappointments

Vampire Weekend "Contra" C
I think yr a contra. NO! yr a contra ...

Wolf Parade "Expo 86" C
Broken Bells "Broken Bells" C-

Haven't had time for more than one listen

Gorillaz "Plastic Beach"
Dum Dum Girls "I Will Be"
Broken Social Scene "Forgiveness Rock Record"
Harlem "Hippies"
The National "High Violet"

Did not hear

New Pornographers "Together"
Band of Horses "Infinite Arms"
MGMT "Congratulations"
Joanna Newsom "Have One on Me"
... and thousands more

Shitlist:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/music/ref=pd_ts_nav

New Spoon

You can listen to the first single, "Written in Reverse," from Spoon's forthcoming album "Transference" here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120830261

The All Songs Considered guy has rave reviews for the album, which NPR received an advance copy of, saying it might be the band's "best yet." If this song is any indication of the record's quality as a whole, consider me a little more than excited.

Record nerds can also voice their opinion for the top album of 2009 in NPR's poll at npr.org/allsongs


"Transference" is out January, 19 on Merge.

It's gonna be cold outside and warm as hell in my recliner (UPDATED 11/27)

Early 2010 looks to be a great time for music fans. Spoon will continue its current four-album winning streak with "Transference," Vampire Weekend will try to avoid the sophomore slump with "Contra" and LCD Soundsystem will drop his follow up to 2007's mind blowing "Sound of Silver" on unworthy boys and girls.

Get yr credit cards ready, as I'm sure you'll all be buying each of these in CD, digipack, vinyl, cassette, 8-track and sheet music in valiant efforts to singlehandedly save the recording industry.

Yeasayer will follow its terrific 2007 debut with "Odd Blood." The album's lead single "Ambling Alp" (and it's awesome, surrealistic video) shows a new electronic take on the band's sci-fi tribe sound.

Stereogum claims the Avalanches will follow its 2001 debut this year ... here's for holding out hope. And the Hold Steady might reward is with some new tracks, too.

That's all for now, folks.

Vampire Weekend - Contra (1-12-10)
Spoon - Transference (1-19-10)
Yeasayer - Odd Blood (2-9-10)
LCD Soundsystem - TBA (3-??-10)

Hear a new Spoon track

Spoon's new album "Transference" is due out January 26 on Merge Records.

Here's a streaming track from the record:

http://hypem.com/track/948331/Spoon+-+Mystery+Zone

UPDATE: This link is now broken, but if you go to hypem.com and fart around a bit you can prolly still find it.

And it sounds as good as anything on Spoon's five perfect albums: sparse rhythms, jagged guitars — but now with some sweeping synths and added reverb.