Tony's Top Ten of 2009

Once again I find myself at the end of the year with next to no time to sit down and write something thoughtful about the albums I felt compelled to rank on a list that I will undoubtedly look back upon in 10 years and ask "what the fuck was I thinking?!" So instead I've stolen/repackaged some text from other reviews to fill in the blanks.

As always, there was a lot of stuff I never got around to checking out and a lot of releases I wished I'd listened to before actually purchasing. That said, here's some shit.

2009 | NEW:

01 brakesbrakesbrakes - "Touchdown" (Fat Cat)
"Touchdown is slightly more polished and accessible an album than their last, showing the band tightening their reigns slightly and turning in some of their tightest, cleanest and best work to date. It's a genuine pop album, one that finds brakesbrakesbrakes more masterful than ever at churning out opaque, punchy melodies anchored by dry wit. Things have simply been made less convoluted by trimming off the extra fat. Like always, they exercise a wide variety of styles and show off their ability to change their dynamic range drastically from one song to the next. The heart of Touchdown lies in the immediate jingle-jangle pop songs with big, chunky choruses. And boy, there are a lot of them."

02 Dinosaur Jr. - "Farm" (Jagjaguwar)
"So now we know Beyond, Dinosaur Jr.’s 2007 original-lineup comeback record, wasn’t a fluke. In fact, it was an indication of greater records to come; Farm actually bests Beyond’s triumphs. How Dinosaur Jr. came to be this good – arguably better than their late 80s/early 90s heyday – shall remain a glorious mystery."

03 Lucero - "1372 Overton Park" (Universal Republic)
"Not only is this a sonic leap for Lucero, they have embraced their legendary Memphis forebears by adding a robust horn section (courtesy of Memphis soul legend Jim Spake), giving Overton a newfound brassy punch that recalls everything from Stax classics to The Replacements’ Pleased To Meet Me."

04 R.E.M. - "Live at the Olympia" (Warner Bros.)
"In 2007, R.E.M. convened at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin for a five-night residency that doubled as rehearsals for its 2008 album Accelerate. For these shows– and the resulting 39-song, two-disc set– R.E.M. reached deep into the archives for a selection that studiously avoids any of the greatest hits in favor of obscurities and songs that have received little attention since the early 1980s. The set is heavy on Chronic Town and Reckoning, in particular, and also includes gems from throughout their IRS catalog. Backward-glancing though it may be, however, Live at the Olympia is an album that makes me optimistic for the future of R.E.M. It suggests that, though the band may have gotten lost in their studio, they never lost their capacity to write winning tunes. Live at the Olympia is filled with great songs, old and new, that remind me of how great this band has always been– and how great they can still be as they push forward, holding to their roots but also looking to the future."

05 Sonic Youth - "The Eternal" (Matador)
"The Eternal sounds like it could’ve been recorded at any point of the past 25 years. In fact, The Eternal sounds a lot like Sonic Youth's iconic albums of late-’80s. The quartet’s first record since 2006’s Rather Ripped has a nasty streak to it. The band plays with a spirited sense of aggression, funnelling their signature guitar-sound — irregularly-tuned, strange-sounding, theoretically dissonant but chiming in all kinds of unexpected harmonies— into angular shapes, and oft-bombastic songs."

06 Cheap Trick - "The Latest" (CT)
"Delivering a solid collection of inspired, well-crafted songs, The Latest ranks as one of the most balanced and cohesive performances of their lengthy career and their best since '97. Thirteen tracks of original material that soar with hooks, it’s hard to overstate how good this record is. Every Cheap Trick strength rises to the surface, whether on the ’50’s-ish rock shuffle of “When The Lights Are Out,” the buzz-saw attack of “Sick Man Of Europe” or the dazzling Lennon-esque-pop of “Miracle,” the music unfolds, song by song, into glorious curtains of sound. And Robin Zander has never sung better. While many of his contemporaries are drying up and losing range, Zander just gets stronger."

07 Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - "Goodnight Oslo" (YepRoc)
"In spite of a violet, twilit snowscape on the cover and the title’s nocturnal farewell, Goodnight Oslo is Robyn Hitchcock’s sunniest record in ages. Recording with a gaggle of friends will do that. It’s the prolific eccentric’s second with The Venus 3 – Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin and two songs even feature female backing vocals, a rarity for Hitchcock. The good vibes go hand-in-hand with playful experimentation and the vitality that fuels Goodnight Oslo makes it feel like Hitchcock is saying hello for the first time."

08 Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard - "One Fast Move or I'm Gone" (F-Stop/Atlantic)
"I couldn't think of two more distinct voices for a pairing then Jay Farrar (Son Volt) and Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) as they gather here for One Fast Move Or I'm Gone, which is a collection of songs created for the documentary film about writer Jack Kerouac and the circumstances that inspired his 1962 novel Big Sur. The tracks are mostly paraphrasing of Kerouac's words developed by Farrar and the two trade off lead vocal duties. Musically the style follows more of an Americana road, which of course is right up Farrar's alley but Gibbard provides the entertainment as he sounds right at home. Just hearing these two voices blend together is well worth the price of admission."

09 Grant Hart - "Hot Wax" (Con D'or/MVD Audio)
"Aside from Bigfoot, UFO's and WMD in Iraq, one of the biggest current myths is that Bob Mould was the best songwriter in Husker Du. Addictions and other lingering demons have prevented Grant Hart from being as prolific a solo artist as his former bandmate, but his catalog is worth digging up for its wit, biting sense of pop hooks, and at time bewildering experimentation. "Hot Wax" is his first true solo record since 1989's "Intolerance" and features all that is great and frustrating about Grant Hart. Half the songs here are memorable gems that will remain in your head for weeks; the rest is kinda aimless, even formless tunes that remind one of the dangers of recording all the instruments yourself-there is no one to stop you from making bad choices. He clearly shows he still has enough of his gifts to get something great down on tape though, and the sloppiness and wanderlust of his weaker songs are just part of the package."

10 Son Volt - "American Central Dust" (Rounder)
"The songs on American Central Dust lean heavy on twang and moan, fiddles and mid-tempos, workingman’s laments and historical tragedy. Reduced to individual pieces, little on the album is exceptional. Songs like the snappily discursive bum-out “Down To The Wire,” the string-heavy weeper “Cocaine And Ashes,” the chugging, Springsteen-esque “No Turning Back,” and the morose shipwreck saga “Sultana” all stand out, but for the most part, the songs on American Central Dust aren’t exactly grabbers. Taken as a package, though, this is Farrar’s most consistent album in years, in large part because he no longer seems to be straining so much. American Central Dust shows Farrar in his comfort zone, recording songs he knows his fans will like, and not much caring whether his detractors get on board."

2009 | HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Almighty Defenders - S/T (Vice)
Black Lips - "200 Million Thousand" (Vice)
Echo & The Bunnymen - "The Fountain" (Cooking Vinyl)
Gordon Gano and The Ryans - "Under the Sun" (Yep Roc)
King Khan & BBQ - "Invisible Girl" (In the Red)
Mannequin Men - "Lose Your Illusion, Too" (Flameshovel)
Mission of Burma - "The Sound, the Speed, the Light" (Matador)
Bob Mould - "Life and Times" (Anti-/Epitaph)
Outrageous Cherry - "Universal Malcontents" (Alive)
Rancid - "Let the Dominoes Fall" (Hellcat)
Paul Westerberg - "PW & The Host Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys" EP (Dry Wood Music)
Wilco - "Wilco (The Album)" (Nonesuch)

2009 | BIGGEST TURD:

U2 - "No Line on the Horizon" (Interscope)
One and a half listens was more than enough for me. Even the live television appearances were excruciatingly painful to watch and listen to.

2009 | CD REISSUES:

The Beatles - "Stereo Box Set" (Capitol)
I could only afford one - so I went with the set that had it all. Well, everything but the mono versions.

Big Star -"Keep an Eye on the Sky" (Rhino)
This 4-CD set is worth it alone for the alternate mixes (which are just as revelatory as the Beatles reissues!), and the many unreleased demos, etc. nicely fill in the blanks.

DEVO - "The Ultra DEVO-LUX Ltd. Edition" (Warner Bros.)
Amazing over-sized packaging with plastic slip-cover that combines the artwork for both the "Q: Are We Not Men?" and "Freedom of Choice" albums. CDs for both albums are included (along with exclusive demos), DVDs of live performances and videos, a poster, booklet and a yellow 7" vinyl single.

Buddy Holly - "Memorial Collection" (Geffen/UME)
3-CDs of rarities finally includes Buddy's complete undubbed apartment demos in pristine quality.

Stone Roses - "The Stone Roses: 20th Anniversary Edition" (Silvertone/Legacy)
Has it really been 20 years?! The addition of the demos and live DVD helped push it into my Top Five.

2009 | VINYL REISSUES:

Stiv Bators - "Disconnected" (Bomp)
Heavy purple vinyl. Original packaging. 500 copies made. What's not to love?

DEVO - "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are DEVO!" + "Freedom of Choice" (Warner Bros.)
Awesome reproductions of both classic albums on yellow and red 180-gram vinyl.

Feelies - "Crazy Rhythms" + "The Good Earth" (Bar/None)
Both reissues not only come with download codes for the complete albums - but for bonus tracks not included on the original releases!

Nirvana- "Bleach: Deluxe Edition" (Sub Pop)
Two thick slabs of 180-gram white vinyl heaven. Plus downloads and a nice large booklet to boot.

Wilco - "A.M." + "Being There" + "Summerteeth" (Nonesuch)
The best of both worlds. All reissues come in gatefold covers and include a CD version of the album as well.