Following up a Great Record

Two of the best pop-indie-rock albums released in 2007 and 2008 were Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut. For Spoon, it represented the culmination of a number of very good albums, with the result being a beautiful, polished album that was brilliant in moments and strong the whole way through. For Vampire Weekend it was an auspicious debut, one that caused strife and jealousy long before it was even released. This year, however, both groups have released records that are markedly more difficult and less poppy than their predecessors. Spoon’s Transference is a driving, almost hypnotic record which manages to sound like everything they’ve done before yet also nothing like they’ve done before. Contra, the offering from Vampire Weekend, matches for the most part the upbeat nature of their debut, but eschews the beautiful guitars that marked their first record for more keyboard and perhaps just space in general.

Vampire Weekend’s task was insane in a way. Facing more hype than any band since The Strokes, they met expectations with their debut. Yet, just like their predecessors in expectations, following with a second album was always going to be even more difficult. So how did Vampire Weekend acquit themselves? Very well, I think. I’m reading a book called When Giants Walked the Earth, which goes into a detailed history of early Led Zeppelin. In it, Page talks about trying to follow their debut (which was similarly hyped/panned/controversial): “Too many groups sit back after the first album, and the second one is a down trip. I want every album to reach out further—that’s the whole point.” Yet balancing this with not, as he said, overstepping the mark and making it too different from the first was a difficult task. Vampire Weekend may not have done as well as Led Zeppelin, but that’s a bit of an unrealistic ask.



Contra often finds VW eschewing their electrically electric(?) guitars that stamped their first album for keyboards, or as on White Sky, just Ezra Koenig’s voice. It’s an interesting touch. Without the guitars leading the way, everything else comes to the forefront, with mixed results. Sometimes, everything ends well, as on Diplomat’s Son, and sometimes, on tracks like California English and Taxi Cab, the results are not so pretty. Still, there are more standout tracks than not. The aforementioned Diplomat’s Son does well with violin, cello, and piano really leading the way, and some exceptional vocals from Koenig. There is improvement here—I think the track is superior to Campus, one of my favorite’s from the original record.

The opener, Horchata, is similarly interesting and exciting. It manages the upbeat tone of the first record without resorting to guitar to do so. Those wishing for that original sounds will be pleased by the inclusion of Cousins and Holiday, the former being the strongest and second-quickest track on the album, clocking in at 2:25. Koenig sprints through the vocals like there’s not time to waste, and the track works nicely within the album, being sandwiched between two of the slower tracks. Overall the album really does work—there are growing pains—but the bad is undoubtedly outweighed by the good, and the advancement is encouraging.



Spoon’s task is perhaps a bit easier, but no walk in the park either. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was a triumph on all fronts (except for the naming of the record maybe), and following that with an even more perfect record would have been impossible. So this time Spoon decided to forgo using a producer, and do the whole album themselves. The result is a more raw, dirtier, methodical record. Fans expecting more of the same will undoubtedly be disappointed. Frontman Britt Daniel explained during an interview on All Songs Considered that while they loved their previous record, they were ready to do something different. That this one would probably have less chord changes, less obvious hooks, and be a little tougher to break through. And it is.

Despite the at least semi-intentional obfuscation by Spoon, Transference is still a strong record. The typically strong melodic tracks are still there, but perhaps a little less plentiful. I count Written in Reverse and Trouble as strong yet typical Spoon tracks. Others like Mystery Zone, Who Makes Your Money, and I Saw the Light drive harder, reduce chord changes, and are more reminiscent of something from A Series of Sneaks than anything since. The record still works though, Bob Boilen opined during his interview with Spoon that this would be a great driving record, and I think that’s accurate. Poppy and fun, it’s not (at least all the way through), but there’s a place for records like this.



Maybe the question behind both of these records is one that has been driving tension between fans and bands for as long as the two have existed—that is, what do bands really owe their fans? Spoon knows it can create great pop fare, as does Vampire Weekend, yet they’ve both forgone that approach on these past two records to some extent. This approach will almost certainly alienate more fans than it makes happy (though it will certainly please some). But does that matter? Do they owe their fans anything/everything? Well, probably not. There are a lot of ways to look at this, but my take is that I want to hear the music that they want to make. If that means I’m not as satisfied with some albums, I’m ok with that—I can listen to something else. But it also means that maybe Spoon, next time around, go back and make another beautiful pop record because they had the chance to do something darker and denser in between. With Vampire Weekend, it means an expansion of their pallet, giving them more options and abilities on their next record. I have the feeling that neither of these records will crack my top 3, or maybe 5 for 2010, but they’re still strong in their own right.

My Favorite 20 Songs of the Year

20. Phoenix-Countdown (Sick for the Big Sun): I don’t think the drummer ever stops with the cymbal splashes here, and it works. Huge, Enormous, Bombastic track.

19. Bill Callahan-Jim Cain: On an album full of Callahan’s sad poetry, this is the best stuff. A few excerpts: “I started out in search of / ordinary things / like how much of a tree/ bends in the wind / I started telling the story / without knowing the end.” “I used to be darker / then I got lighter / then I got dark again.” “But the darkest of nights / in truth still dazzled.” “I ended up in search of / ordinary things / like how can a wave / possibly be.”

18. Andrew Bird-Oh No!: I have no idea what the lyrics mean (“ oh arm in arm we are the harmless sociopaths”), but goddam this tune gets stuck in your head. The whistling is hypnotic and the single fuzz guitar note during the chorus is the best note I heard in all of 2009. Simple in its beauty.

17. Karen O and the Kids-Hideaway: The best thing to come out of Where the Wild Things Are. My favorite Karen O song since Maps. Probably the slowest Karen O song ever. Tragic and delicately beautiful, reminds me of Fall starting to break in D.C. “By the way / you know you’ve always been the one / you’ll ask your reasons why / what once was yours is mine / my baby’s gone.” There’s nothing but her voice and a guitar for like 2 minutes, and even then the song never really breaks, which is perfect.

16. Deer Tick-Easy: Be patient here—you have to get through the meandering intro to get into one of, if not the best chorus of the year. As the lead track on Born on Flag Day, it’s a huge departure from their last effort War Elephant. Three chords never sounded so sweet.

15. Micachu-Sweetheart: 53 seconds of pure genius. Must be heard to be believed. “I love the sound of bass and fear!” What does that mean!!

14. Animal Collective-My Girls: Hard to quibble with the sentiment here—“I don’t mean / to seem like I / care about material things / like a social status / I just want / four walls and adobe slats / for my girls.”

13. Neko Case-Vengeance is Sleeping: Saddest song of the year, only the fact that it makes me so fucking emotional keeps it out of my top 10. http://www.nekocase.com/lyrics/mc06.htm.

12. Bon Iver-Blood Bank: Not satisfied with dominating music in 2009, Justin Vernon released his Blood Bank EP this year, giving us a hint of where he may go when he follows up his brilliant debut album. While the tone is a little less melancholy than previous efforts, Vernon sticks to his strengths, which are, um, everything? It’s a nice step forward, a little different than For Emma, Forever Ago, but not a wholesale diversion from it.

11. Dirty Projectors-Temecula Sunrise: Dave Longstreth really lets his falsetto go here, and it sounds really fucking good. The lyrics are strange (“definitely you can come and stay with us / I know there’s a space for you in the basement yeah / all you gotta do is help out with the chores and dishes / and I know you will”). Great guitarwork as well, which is everpresent on the album anyway. This one and Cannibal Resource have clipped back and forth as my favorite song a number of times.

10. Dirty Projectors-Cannibal Resource: The shaky yet distinct opening chords provide the perfect introduction to Bitte Orca, hinting at what is to come. Despite the variety of sounds here, each one is distinct, holding itself clear as opposed to blending in like the Animal Collective record seems to do.

9. David Byrne & The Dirty Projectors-Knotty Pine: David Byrne brings a quicker beat and chorus to the Dirty Projectors than is present on Bitte Orca. Great leadoff track to a must-own compilation in Dark Was the Night.

8. The Avett Brothers-Laundry Room: Really, really good Avetts song. Maybe my favorite of all time. Vivid description literally and metaphorically of life as a teenager in love: “Close the laundry door / tiptoe across the floor / keep you clothes on / I’ve got all that I can take / teach me how to use / the love that people say you make.” Not content to dwell on teenage years, the Avetts then delve into more present heartache: “last night I dreamt the whole night long / I woke with a head full of songs / I spent the whole day / I wrote em down but it’s a shame / tonight I burn the lyrics / cause’ every chorus was your name.” On top of that, we get their only real old-fashioned instrumental freakout at the end of the song. A fucking triumph, I think especially for those around my age who have experienced both the teenage version and semi-adult version of that heartache. Hard to believe I think there are seven songs better than this.

7. Wilco-Wilco (The Song): The only saving grace on Wilco (The Album). Comforting in a weird way, with Tweedy telling us no matter what else is going on, “Wilco will love you baby.” And despite the possible cheesiness involved with using your own band as a comfort, it works here. Best guitar work on the album as well.

6. Megafun-The Fade: This is close to a perfect alt-country song, and Megafun did it on their fucking debut album. Good lord. The perfect amount of slide guitar, sentimentality, and understated vocals. Some bands go their whole existence trying to record something this beautiful, sad, and brilliant, but Megafun does it on their first try. The rest of their album has them trying a bunch of different sounds, but this is the one that worked best.

5. The National-So Far Around the Bend: Getting me through a year without a new album, thank you. And somehow, they had this gem lying around after Boxer? Wow. Everyone knows a girl like the one they describe: “take a bath and get high through an apple / wanted to cry but you can’t when you’re laughing/ nobody knows where you are living/ nobody knows where you are / you’re so far around the bend.”

4. Phoenix-1901: Really great feedback-laden guitar line, maybe the second best line of the year behind the piano on my number 1 pick. Second best song on a great summer album, good lyrics for it as well—“20 seconds till the last call / going hey hey hey hey! / lie now you know it’s easy / like we didn’t all summer long / and I’ll be anything you ask and more.”

3. Phoenix-Lisztomania: Giving it the edge over 1901 because of the Franz Liszt reference and because I fell in love with it first. Doesn’t have that same guitar hook, but great description of trying to write a love song—“so sentimental / not sentimental no / romantic not disgusting / yet darling I’m down and lonely,” and then the pains of trying to write pop music in general—“these days it comes and goes / lisztomania / think less but see it grow / from a mess to the masses.”

2. Neko Case-This Tornado Loves You: Best Neko Case song of all time. She tears through it over a surprisingly full arrangement, screaming “this tornado loves you / this tornado loves you / what will make you believe me?” Awesome acknowledgement of her own status that she laments all through the album, and a tempting plea at the end. Of course none of it would work if it didn’t all sound so great.

1. Grizzly Bear-Two Weeks: I heard this on All Songs Considered, immediately got it and put it on a CD, took it to work, and told everyone at work that it was going to be the best song of the year. And it’s not just for posterity’s sake that it ends up here. Takes no time to fall in love with, as soon as you hear the first piano chords you are hooked. It’s so fucking good that it makes the rest of the album seem slow and awful by comparison (which it certainly is not). My only problem with it is that if Grizzly Bear can make this sound so effortlessly, why don’t they write a whole album’s worth of material like this? Unreal.

My Favorite Songs of the Year, 39-21

39. The Low Anthem-Charlie Darwin: My mom’s favorite song of the year! A little disappointing live, but still really, really good.

38. St. Vincent-The Neighbors: St. Vincent sings this like a song that should be on the Desperate Housewives soundtrack if it were a show worth watching: “Ohhhhhh no / what would your mother say / what would your father do what would the neighbors think / if they only knew.” The chorus is cluttered with feedback off her guitars and vocals, putting the whole situation is perfect obscurity.

37. Bill Callahan-Eid Ma Clack Shaw: Great song about trying to forget an ex on a pretty amazing break up album. Bill Callahan tells us that “all these fine memories/ are fucking me down / I dreamed it was a dream that you were gone / I woke up feeling so ripped by reality.” So what is Eid Ma Clack Shaw? Here: “I fell back asleep / sometime later on / and I dreamed / the perfect song / it held all the answers / like hands laid on / I woke halway and / scribbled it down / and in the morning / what I wrote I read / it was hard to read at first / but here’s what it said: / “Eid Ma Clack Shaw…” Which either means nothing or means that there is no perfect song with all the answers to getting over someone which is fucking brilliant or means something else but I’ll take the middle answer.

36. Kurt Vile-Monkey: Heartfelt, sad love song to an upbeat tune: “Oh my darling I was born when I met you / if you don’t mind now / what’d I’d like / is could I get you / to redesign and redeliver me again.” Best comparison has to be Led Zeppelin—big guitars but not cliché, smart but not sappy lyrics. Later: “the other night you were away / I missed you so bad / I found me doing something desperate / I was so sad / I swore I held my own hand / pretending it was yours,” a line that rings true for anyone who’s ever had to work with a relationship over a distance.



35. Modest Mouse-Perpetual Motion Machine: This song reminds me of The Good Times Are Killing Me, the percussion begins as clapping hands (like, you know, actual ones as opposed to fake ones) and the whole thing has a fucking around in the studio feel to it. The song ends up as a cool little waltz with Isaac Brock talking about death—“everyone wants to be a perpetual motion machine / we all try harder as the days run out.”

34. The Dutchess and the Duke-Reservoir Park: Right, so, admissions first. Got this song from Aziz Ansari, who joked that he got it off of the end of an Entourage episode. Anyhow, doesn’t diminish how good this song is. It’s the same guitar I’ve been blabbing on about when I talked about the other D&D songs, and it’s even better here with more urgent vocals from the Duke. This is the Rolling Stones. But now.



33. Dirty Projectors-Stillness is the Move: Everyone’s favorite Dirty Projectors song, but not mine. Still very good though.

32. St. Vincent-Actor Out of Work: I think this is maybe the most direct track on Actor, there’s no Fantasia like opening to hide Annie Clark’s snarl here. The guitar work is similarly nasty, driving from the beginning.



31. Deer Tick-Friday XIII: How to creatively sing about not getting any: “I haven’t gotten the touch in a long long time / since Friday XIII Part 9: Going to Hell.” Then, somehow, the back and forth vocals between John McCauley III and Liz Isenberg turn this into a legitimate love song by the end. Awesome.

30. Atlas Sound (ft. Panda Bear)-Walkabout: How much music did I steal from Aziz Ansari this year? Ok, only two songs, this is the second. I never really dug on Atlas Sound/Deerhunter before this year but damn was I missing out. Throw that in on a collaboration with Panda Bear and you have a pretty fucking great song.



29. YACHT-Psychic City: The song that convinces you that you actually like this weird shit that YACHT puts out. Good stuff, catchiest song on the album, not quite dance pop but certainly not indie rock or even electronica. Just fun.

28. St. Vincent-The Strangers: Has a Feist/Mushaboom type feel to it and is just as good but much darker and with pretty fucking great guitar work on the end of it. Paint the black hole blacker indeed.



27. Joshua James-Coal War: A good old fashioned hymnal, I think. This sounds like something that could be sung in church, if you’re into that kind of thing, but catchier.



26. Modest Mouse-Satellite Skin: Nice juxtaposition of the normal rock song, here playing the vulnerable man: “well if you break these moth-wing feelings / well happy fucking congratulations.”



25. Coconut Records-Drummer: Who knew Jason Schwartzman wrote songs, and that they were actually good? This is great light pop, catchy and lyrically clever. Not to throw out Beatlesesque, but the tempo changes make this sound like a Sgt. Pepper’s song.

24. Kurt Vile-Dead Alive: This song makes me think they’re the 21st Century Zeppelin—great guitar, braggadocio, cleverness: “You tell me a good man is hard to find / well when you’re blind…” Later: “call me old dog when I’m gone / but when I’m there it’s always like / oh man where you been so long where you been so long.”

23. Monsters of Folk-Whole Lotta Losin’: Brilliant song finds a way to talk about all at once being cognizant of all the things you have, appreciating them, but still moving on and living your life (“Well I got a lot / but I got a lotta losin / one of these days I’ll be left with nothing / but memories and old times.”).

22. Animal Collective-Bluish: The closest thing to a love song you’re going to get from Animal Collective. Very, very well done.



21. St. Vincent-Marrow: Spoiler—One of my favorite albums of the year, yet no song is going to make the top 20. They’re all kind of held up and helped along by each other and this one is no exception.

My Favorite Songs of the Year 60-40

60. St. Vincent-The Bed: Fucking great opening line: “We’re sleeping underneath the bed / to scare the monsters out / with our dear daddy’s Smith & Wesson / we’ve got to teach them all a lesson.” Cuddly and haunting all at once, like a child telling a ghost story with a smile on their face.

59. M. Ward-Rave On: Must admit, did not know this was a cover until my parents told me (most notably performed by Buddy Holly, written by Sonny West). Unsurprising, as Ward has stated in interviews that he listens to much more old music than old, and this song fits him perfectly. “When you say ‘I love you’ I say ‘rave on!!!’”

58. Cass McCombs (ft. Karen Black)-Dreams Comes True Girl: McCombs shows his talent here, turning a lame sentiment into a catchy, cerebral song. The key is the opening line/chorus “you’re not my dream girl / you’re not my reality girl / you’re my dreams come true girl.” This is all sung over 60s guitar blips, fitting the ethereal mood perfectly. Then later, he comes up with another perfect couplet: “and all the troubles in my past / that’s just what they are girl,” which is a perfect reply that I should have thought of a long time ago.

57. Telekinesis-Rust: I fell in love with the first line, never looked back after that: “I’ve got a heart but it’s afraid to love / sometimes I think the damn thing’s full of rust.”

56. Animal Collective-Brothersport: To me, this is the most emotionally affecting song on an album full of empathy. Animal Collective manages to obscure a lot of the emotions that drive this album through the layered sounds present, but it’s hard to ignore an older brother pleading for younger one to open up after the death of their father. I wrote in January 09’ that I thought this is the sound that Vampire Weekend was trying for on their debut album, but could never reach. Maybe a little harsh on Vampire Weekend, but Animal Collective still deserves the lavish praise.

55. Camera Obscura-French Navy: Probably not as good as the best of Let’s Get out of this Country, but cool and I love the drum/guitar bursts at the beginning of the song.

54. Micachu-Calculator: Oh, Micachu, marry me. More of her weird guitar and random sounds, more sugary-sweet pop.

53. St. Vincent-Save Me From What I Want: Annie Clark paints perhaps her most vivid picture on Actor in this track: “The keys are in my pocket / and they / rattle you awake / 7th floor apartment / and a / fiery escape / but I’m a / wife in watercolor / I can wash away.” Save me From What I want, I think, is a story about trying to resist infidelity, and I think the most intriguing thing is Clark is able to tell this story without laying guilt anywhere or asking for pity.

52. St. Vincent-Laughing with a Mouth of Blood: Clark casually tells us she’s “laughing for a mouth of blood from a little spill I took,” before the chorus jumps in-- “all of my old friends aren’t so friendly / all of my old haunts are now haunting me”—with another wicked line, and they’re fucking hidden all over this album. Spend some time with it.

51. The Avett Brothers-January Wedding: Maybe the closest thing on I and Love and You to “old Avetts,” would fit right in on Mignonette. What does that mean? The words of a wistful romantic, a delicately plucked banjo, and the most earnest voice one could conjure.

50. Miniature Tigers-Cannibal Queen: Obviously I’m a sucker for good opening lines: “This is not a test or and SOS / I’m no longer on a quest to get girls undressed.” Also the sweetest song that features the word “cannibal” in the chorus (though Micachu’s “Eat Your Heart” expresses a similar idea in a different way).

49. M. Ward-Never Had Nobody Like You: Another timeless mid-tempo tune from M. Ward. Cool drums in the beginning that sound like the came off of “Jock Jams”, eminently catchy and fun.

48. Passion Pit-Moth’s Wings: Overarching, soaring, hints of something bubbling underneath (“you’re / just like your father / you’re / resting on your laurels / and stepping on my toes”), etc. Ridiculously catchy.

47. Harlem Shakes-Strictly Game: The sequel to Nothing but Change Part II has the singer in the middle of this change: “This will be a better year / make a little money / take a lotta shit / feel real bad / and get over it / oh / this will be a better year.” If The National is sad rock for people in their mid to late 20s, Harlem Shakes will comfort you on days where you actually feel upbeat and energetic. The Shakes somehow consolidate years of frustration into a 3 minute pop song: “I’m sick of slow rock / I’m sick of quick quips / I’m sick of holding onto nothing / when I just wanna / hold your hips.”

46. Harlem Shakes-Nothing But Change Part II: First song on their first (and presumably last) full length. “I know I’m just a singer / but I feel it in my fingers / but there are changes coming soon / nothing but change.” A great thing to hear in a year that, well, has been full of it. And yes, change isn’t necessarily good but luckily the albums follows with Strictly Game.

45. Andrew Bird-Fitz & the Dizzyspells: Most upbeat song on the Noble Beast, nice driving beat with more traditional guitar lines. Later evolves into more whistling and handclaps. A song where Andrew Bird really sounds like he’s having fun.

44. Andrew Bird-Not a Robot, But a Ghost: Frenetic and nervous, with Bird as a code breaker (or a different kind of fight-ender)— “I run the numbers through the floor / here’s how it goes / I crack the codes / I crack the codes that end the war.” Wouldn’t work without a sparse guitar line in the back and Bird’s trademark harmonization.

43. Rain Machine-Smiling Black Faces: There was a great interview on All Songs Considered with Kyp Malone where he talks about the delicate balance of telling the story of Sean Bell but not exploiting him. I’d say he does a pretty good job. Hard to not feel something with Malone’s feelings laid bare: “I know a slave’s name / and I know a cold shame / and I know I cried in disbelief”… “And when the gavel fell / over that bloody hell / everyone walked away / no one even got canned / This nation’s compromised / just shrugged and turned its eyes.” Malone’s poetry pulls you in, and makes you responsible in a way that you probably didn’t feel before.

42-40. Magnolia Electric Company-Josephine, Hope Dies Last, An Arrow in the Gale: Ok, all three of these go together, and it’s messing up my numbering but I’ll live. I’ve been following Jason Molina (at first Songs: Ohia and later Magnolia Electric Co.) since I was in high school, which is now disturbingly long ago. He crafts slow country rock which despite it’s pace has kept my attention. This trio of songs regards the album’s namesake, Josephine, who drifts in and out of the songs: “Some folks see the horizon / and never need to now how it all ends / leave the shadows behind / don’t go chasing after em’ / you locked the door and put them old records on / I hear you crying along / oh what a fool I’ve been / no more will / the final words / be the tears in your eyes / oh how I’ve tried / Josephine.” The trio of songs deals with Josephine, a want-away out of one of the many small towns Molina inhabits in his songs, and her man, seemingly older, trying to convince her to stay. An Arrow in the Gale, the album’s closer, is the final word on Josephine: “lightning on our tail we gotta run run run / lightning on our tail we better go, Jo / there’s an arrow in the gale and in the heartbeat / oh which one of us is free / Josephine…”

My Favorite Songs of the Year 80-61

80. M. Ward-For Beginners: The opener on Hold Time finds Ward doing what he does best-crooning with that amazing voice of his. Who cares what he’s saying, it just sounds so good. That said, hard to argue with: “They say the original sinners / never felt a drop of pain / until that second in the garden / then they felt it each and every day / so draw back your bows you hunters / who have never felt that flame / but the absolute beginners / they are safe in the shade today.” It ends up being a tribute to both innocence and the loss thereof, embracing the dignities and excitement of each.



79. The Antlers-Sylvia: Same deal as the other Antlers song at #85. That said, this is probably the saddest song on an album full of sad songs. I mean the thing is called Hospice for chrissakes, it’s not really built for uplifting singles. The chorus here really does soar though, even if you’re tearing up before it starts. Not that you’ll be any less forlorn as you sing along to a chorus of “Sylvia / get your head out of the oven / let me take your temperature / you can throw the thermometer right back at me / if that’s what you want to do / ok?” Yeesh.

78. Passion Pit-Sleepyhead: Sounds different than the rest of the album, has a nice sampling going on, jumps around a ton. Tempo changes really work here.

77. Andrew Bird-Effigy: I wrote a post earlier this year about the backlash to Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast. This song is a good example of both why that backlash came about, and also why it was undeserved. Effigy takes time to develop, and there’s no “climax” here per se, but what is there is a soliloquy about the person everyone has met in small town America, and the person none of us wants to be: “it could be you / it could be me / working the door / drinking for free / carrying on with your conspiracies / filling the room with a sense of unease / fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone / like the word of a man who’s spent a little too much / time alone.” Not only a worry about becoming that person, but the lost time involved therein. This is a soft, quiet song, which is fitting here, and represents a really great moment on the album.



76. Micachu-Golden Phone: I can’t describe this. It’s beautiful pop obscured and amplified by strange sounds that aren’t found anywhere else in pop music.

75. Dirty Projectors-Useful Chamber: Same shit as Remade Horizon except the beginning isn’t as cool but the chorus is fucking awesome. The kind of song that probably needs to be heard live. Need to do that. Also, it speaks to how strong the song is that I can last through six and a half minutes of it and not get bored.

74. Kurt Vile-Blackberry Song: A simple love song, great use of metaphor. I feel like I keep harping on this, but sometimes bands forget that you don’t need a ton of elements for a great song.

73. YACHT-Ring the Bell: The opener for See Mystery Lights does what all great openers do—sets the tone for the album, provides the mission statement (“Will we go to heaven / or will we go to hell / it’s my understanding / that neither are real”), and sounds really fucking good without giving the rest of the album away.



72. Neko Case-I’m an Animal: I’m a sucker for organ, which opens this song. This is a louder Neko song, but still hurting, with her trying to explain the limits of love prognostication— “yes there are things that I’m still quite sure of / I love you this hour / this hour this day” but then— “I’m an animal / you’re an animal too.”

71. The Dutchess and the Duke-Out of Time: I can’t get enough of the guitar sound they have here, it has a classic feel less like Jack White’s and a whole lot like the early Rolling Stones (I know I mentioned it earlier but it must be heard to be believed). They state a truism that applied back then and certainly applies now to those in their 20’s—“well ain’t you sick of hearing things are gonna’ work out / ain’t you sick of hearing things are gonna’ be alright / well somebody lied.”

70. Beirut-The Shrew: My mom likes this song, but it’s not her favorite of the year.

69. Harlem Shakes-TFO: I have no idea what he says in the beginning, but damn…this is a rousing chorus: “reel in / your feelings / we got time / we got time to waste some time now,” complete with soaring ooooooooh wah oooooooooooooohs as well. It’s a summer song, played at the beginning of the evening with the sun still setting, when anything is possible and everything that will happen will happen tonight.



68. Deer Tick-Straight into a Storm: Hi, my name is John Joseph McCauley III, and despite the fact I slowed this album down a little bit, here’s one where I’m gonna wail on guitar just to show you that I can. Also, it’s going to sound pretty fucking great. That is all.



67. Dan Auerbach-Trouble Weighs a Ton: I always liked the slower, more soulful Black Keys tracks, so no surprise here I love this opener featuring Auerbach, and acoustic guitar, and not much else.

66. A.C. Newman-The Changeling (Get Guilty): I may have slept on this album a bit, I think it got better over more listens. Anyhow, I liked this song from the beginning. Starts a little slow on the piano (like the rest of the album), but there’s more passion and dissonance coming through once the chorus breaks.



65. Monsters of Folk-Say Please: M. Ward may sing this one, but it has Jim James’ fingerprints all over it. An old fashioned southern rocker replete with a guitar solo that would fit right at home on any My Morning Jacket release.

64. Telekinesis-Coast of Carolina: Starts off like it’s recorded through an Iron & Wine-esque 4-track, then suddenly bursts into Technicolor 30 seconds in, and never stops. Twice as catchy as most guitar pop out there.

63. Phoenix-Armistice: Took me a while to get to this song, the last track on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, but when I did, I kept coming back. Like most of the tracks on the album it’s near perfect. I think mostly I like this song because they worked the line “this is your signed armistice” into a chorus of a catchy track. Unreal. Only the French.

62. Megafun-Kaufman’s Ballad: Sounds like it belongs on the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Instead is some of the more harmonic singing since Crosby Stills and Nash were around.



61. Micachu-Vulture: Contains one of my favorite lines of the year (“Half of my leg is still in my coffee”), great lead track. Sounds cacophonous but comes together anyway over a distorted guitar and thunderous percussion. Great, high energy pop-rock.

My Favorite Songs of 2009--An Introduction and 100-81

It's a relief to be sitting here, listening to the first new music I've heard in 2009 (Vampire Weekend's much awaited Contra), and finally be doing a best-of for 2009. We'll do my top 100 songs this week from Monday-Friday. Also to come are posts on Vampire Weekend, Spoon, and Kurt Vile. The delays were long and my list of excuses even longer, but without further ado, the my favorite songs of 2009:


100. Neko Case-Middle Cyclone: Neko Case wrote the best quiet songs of 2009, perhaps a surprise for someone with such a booming voice. But Middle Cyclone finds her restraining said voice for the duration of the song, instead letting her words do the real damage. Case in point: “Can’t give up acting tough / it’s all that I’m made of / can’t scrape together quite enough / to ride the bus / to the outskirts / of the fact that I need love.” The fact that Neko (yeah, we’re on a first name basis) holds a bit back here makes other moments on the album, which come later on this list, even better. (Other great lines here: “It was so clear to me / that it was almost invisible”; “Just for a chance to be / a spider web trapped in your lashes / for that / I would trade you my empire for ashes / but I choke it back / how much I need love”).

99. Harlem Shakes-Winter Water: This album (Technicolor Health) is chock full of breakup songs and sentiments, and this song in particular is thinking of the past-- “if we are leaving we’re leaving together / if we are sleeping we’re sleeping together.” This may sound trite in type, but it’s a sentiment that is delivered with sincerity and sadness. Beyond that the lines are delivered over beautiful squeals of guitar and the soaring choruses that seem to be ever-present on this album.

98. St. Vincent-Black Rainbow: A lot of this album has drawn comparisons, at least in sound, to Fantasia, and such a comparison is correct here. Of course, that’s before you get past your first listen and really start paying attention to what’s going on here. This song doesn’t really hit full stride until about the 2:30 mark, when Annie Clark finally starts hammering on her guitar, all at once complimenting and overpowering the strings that mark the beginning of the track. As they build toward a crescendo, it suddenly occurs that the beautiful build up to this point was in fact devious, disguising the dark lyrics portended by the title of the track, but which you had forgotten about because of the Disney-esque opening. And therein lies the genius of St. Vincent/Annie Clark and this album.

97. Jay Reatard-It Ain’t Gonna Save Me: Normally Jay Reatard is a bit…punk for my tastes. I respect it but it’s not something I listen to with regularity. However, he slows it down just a little bit, and It Ain’t Gonna Save Me is a hard song to ignore. The song is 2:22 three chord guitar and Jay’s voice, never slowing down, never boring, never disappointing. R.I.P.

96. Monsters of Folk-Dear God (Sincerely, M.O.F.): This song sounds like it could be the opening theme for a James Bond movie, only, well, much better (think grandiose and almost over-produced). The song also accomplishes quite a feat in that it talks about God/god without proselytizing, simplifying, or alienating. Of course, this is all helped by the fact that these conversations are delivered by some of the preeminent crooners in indie rock (I’m counting Jim James and M. Ward here, and to a lesser extent, Conor Oberst). This album is a fucking treat to listen to, and this opening salvo does not disappoint.

95. Nobunny-Mess Me Up: Sloppy, self-declared Chuck Berry-esque guitar pop. It’s brevity is a strength. Would be a wonder to see live.

94. Passion Pit-Little Secrets: Pure bubblegum, but bubblegum of the entertaining variety. And, somehow this year, I became desensitized not only to overbearing synths but also kids singing choruses. Help me.

93. Flaming Lips-Convinced of the Hex: The opener from the fairly dark Flaming Lips album, Embryonic, is perhaps one of the most traditional songs in terms of structure on the album. Even then, the chorus is haunting and strange—“See I believe in nothing / and you’re convinced of the hex / that’s the difference between us ”, and the guitar line is a bastardized version of those old Neil Young one-note guitar solos.

92. Nobunny-Nobunny Loves You: Beyond making me laugh every time I look at the song title, this track is also good.

91. Miniature Tigers-Like or Like Like: Hard not to “like like” a song that makes you laugh within the first few seconds, as ____ quips “I was wearing that dumb sweater / I looked like a girl.” Beautiful pop song that manages to deal well with that conundrum of beginning to “like like” someone who was before just your friend.

90. Devendra Banhart-16th and Valencia Roxy Music: The title is pretentious, the lyrics are weird or dumb or nonsensical, and I’m usually not a fan of the cute, but somehow, somehow, Banhart makes this one work. Maybe it’s that he makes me laugh—“I know I look high / but I’m just free dancing.” What the fuck is free dancing? Who cares?

89. Grizzly Bear-While You Wait for the Others: Another trademark Grizzly Bear slow-burner. This one is buried 10 tracks into the formidable Veckatimest, meaning most of you probably didn’t make it that far. Not your fault. But here, the chorus is worth it.

88. The Dutchess and the Duke-The Prisoner: As bitter as a breakup song as you’ll find, so bitter I think this one resonates for you no matter which side you were on. It’s helped along by some Aftermath-era Rolling Stones guitar. Full of parting shots-- “I hope that you find what you’re looking for / but I won’t be around to see it.” Later: “I hope that when you find what you’re looking for that you’re not too blind to see it.” This one works because it’s so true. The cast off lover does, of course, eventually want their ex to be happy (right?), but who can resist a snide remark concerning how they go about doing it?

87. Dan Auerbach-Mean Monsoon: In which Auerbach does a damn good CCR/Fogarty impression. If the Big Lebowski had been made today, no doubt it’d have some Auerbach/Black Keys on it. Auerbach plays the role of the intentionally wayward man— both aware of his perceived flaws and yet unwilling to change—who still wants his old flame back— “What’s he got that I ain’t got / besides stability?” –very well.

86. Jay Reatard-I’m Watching You: Not as much about stalking as the title would suggest. Not sure that makes for a better song, but this one is good. The sounds on this song are a little more textured and distinct than on the rest of the album, especially the guitar that comes in around the 1:33 mark.

85. The Antlers-Kettering: I feel weird putting any songs by the Antlers off of Hospice on here because taken out of context, I’m not sure they amount to much. But this song stands out on the album as a whole. I’ll probably explain more when I get around to doing the best albums of 2009 (am I doing the best albums of 2009? Sighs…).

84. YACHT-The Afterlife: Weird, cult-like indie dance pop. Good.

83. Dirty Projectors-Remade Horizon: Starts out straightforward with some acoustic guitar and then 30 seconds in they cut that out, and start harmonizing over electric guitar bursts, and then back to the original. Which is a good representation of how this whole album is—they start with something beautiful and straightforward, shift gears and create something much more dissonant and a little more worthwhile before going back to soothing your ears. Great contours, context, contrast, and other words that begin with cont. Heh.

82. Neko Case-The Next Time You Say Forever: This track follows the bellowing opener, and gives the listener a brief respite yet doesn’t slow the album down. Instead we get traditional Neko fare, replete with the best line—“the next time you say forever / I will punch you in your face,” delivered with a haunting sweetness. She closes with a warning—“you never know / when I’ll show / you the never.” I would annoyingly describe this song as quietly loud.

81. Devendra Banhart-Rats!: I think about once an album Devendra tends to do his best Led Zeppelin impression, and this time it’s on Rats! He’s in no rush here, echoing vocals over a bassline for the first minute. When the guitar finally comes in at 1:14, it’s a classic Page line, understated but powerful. Here though, Devendra shifts immediately into the bridge, giving us a break and then pulling us back at the 2 minute mark. The change in tempo is powerful, and allows for some extended guitar work afterwards (the same break is repeated later in the song as well). The bottom line is that this is a rock song in a more classic sense than most things released in the past 10 years. Rats!