2009 Enjoyed Part 2: Music

For some reason I disliked 2008's musical selection, and I have no idea why. The only album I can think of that I really liked was The Walkmen's You & Me. There were undoubtedly other albums that year, but when I try and think back as to which albums really hit me, that's the only one that really did. Right from the start of 2009, however, I felt like good things were afloat, and now, a year later, as I look back I believe that said good things continuously washed over me again and again over the course of the past 365 days.

There are so many good albums to name, Grizzly Bear and Phoenix were among the best, and they both came out on my birthday, which really meant something to me even if just coincidental. It made for one of the best days of aural pleasure in recent memory. It was a great year for Austin-based acts as well, with White Denim continually climbing the UK's hype ladder and newly birthed from the ashes of Sound Team's TV Torso made an immediate impact on my senses. The best new band with the capabilities of sticking around [Brazos] finally put out their first full length album and I haven't been able to take it out of my car long enough to rip it onto my computer.

Now, as is customary for year ends, there are lists that circulate, compromised of bests and filled to the brim with commentary. I myself normally put together lists throughout the year [when I'm of right mind/brain] and so combining the two seemed the perfect way to get across a section of what I really enjoyed about 2009. On top of this, I pooled together the remaining wherewith all I had from my college radio days and produced a little podcast [be gentle, it's the first ever] in order to showcase the aforementioned best of list.

What fun!

Indeed. So, here's the thing. The podcast has about 11 tracks in it and is just a little over 45 minutes long. It has 4 or 5 of my absolute favorite songs of the year and then a handful of others remaining on there to fill it out. I've left out the obvious tracks [I'm looking at you Phoenix] and regrettably so, because Wolfgang Amadeus was start to end a pretty perfect album. So this podcast is full of some of the others that you maybe didn't hear over the course of the year but should have, and those that I couldn't stop singing these past 12 months. The good news here is that if you don't like a song, theoretically you should be able to skip to the next song or "chapter" as defined by podcast law. Hopefully this feature works, if not, I apologize. Let me know. Thank you and Happy New Year!

PLEASE ENJOY!!!

[click the artwork for podcast]

[click the artwork for podcast]

Tracklist

Intro [over Steve Reich's "The Desert Music: III. Part One - Slow"]
Brazos - "The Observer" live @ WOXY.com
Foreign Born - "Vacationing People"
Local Natives - "Airplanes"
Commentary [over Thrillington's "Monkberry Moon Delight"]
The Streets - "Trust Me"
Bad Veins - "Crosseyed"
White Denim - "Paint Yourself"
Commentary [over AIR's "Night Hunter"]
Dappled Cities - "The Price"

The Soft Pack - "Extinction"
Thom Yorke - "All For The Best"
Commentary [over Django Reinhardt's "Django's Castle" and "Nuages"]
TV Torso - "The Days Of Being Wild"