Stuff I liked in 2009

I always find out about the best records after the year ends, and I'm sure 2009 will be no exception. Still there was some dope stuff released that I'm glad I was able to purchase upon it's release.

1) The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Although the Lips became probably the most celebrated live band on the planet during the OH's (what are we supposed to call it again?), I feel that top tier Lips fans worried that the 90's would be considered the decade in which the Lips peaked. Yoshimi (2002) was a welcomed follow up to their first masterpiece, The Soft Bulletin (1999), but At War With The Mystics (2006) felt like a soulless attempt to boil down Yoshimi into a formula, and improve it by adding zanier sound effects. Embryonic erased all doubts that The Lips are not only as prolific as they were in the past, but that they will be remembered as one of the greatest bands of a generation spanning more than two decades.

Embyonic's dark, cohesive aesthetic sparks the listener's imagination in a way in which they seem more than just a rock band. No clear leader stands out as Wayne Coyne's one-take-room-mic vocal production is complimentary to Stephen Drozd's beautiful guitar and keyboards. Michael Ivins, generally thought of as the band's Ringo (the friend of two geniuses along for the ride) leads many tracks with his trademark crunchy bass. Dave Fridmann does what he does on production better than hes ever done on any record. All in all, this album is a such a treat to anyone who likes to pretend that rock and roll is a fine art.

X) Mount Eerie - Wind's Poem
Often I amuse myself by thinking about stupid things, such as if an artist appeals to me more lyrically or musically. I've never considered myself a "lyrics guy", but I never would have gotten heavily into artists like Conner Oberst or Stephen Merritt based on the genre they operate in alone. I think ultimately Microphones/Mount Eerie is lyric music for me. Phil Elverum is a brilliant producer, but I feel like his words (although they are seldom heard) appeal to me more than his licks.

That being said, Wind's Poem to me is a lyric guy trying to make an album as a music guy. It's by far his most musically interesting (and diverse) album under the Mount Eerie name. The classic Glow Pt. 2 esque fuzz freakouts are there in full, along with an array of instruments I wouldn't normally associate with Phil. In short, get stoned and listen to the overtones you hear in the distortion on the first track. Who gives a fuck what hes saying.

X) Animal Collective - MPP / FBK
When I heard Fall Be Kind I thought, "if they took the standout tracks from here, and subbed them for the weaker tracks on MPP, they could have made a masterpiece." MPP experienced heavy rotation in January, but some of the tracks were too much of a headache for me to keep coming back to. A lot of the tracks, especially on the first half, seem more like an excuse to explore fancy toys than an attempt to convey some sort of emotion or feeling. Although I don't think I've touched that album for almost a year now, I still look really fondly on about 3/5 of the album's tracks.

X) Dam-Funk - all the shit he put out
When I first heard Dam-Funk's demos at the beginning of the year I thought, "this guys voice is so horrible, maybe its some kind of joke." In reality, Dam-Funk's music is best taken with a completely straight face. Irony is usually a keystone in music I get in to, but Dam-Funk is absolutely serious about the futuristic lo-fi funk he creates. His compilation Toeachizown collects his more "pleasant" tracks into an overwhelming 2-disc set. I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone who doesn't dig that kind of thing... but I'm excited to see what he does in the future.

X) Neon Indian - ...?
I've only heard this shit in my friends' cars but it sounds sick.

I'm trying to remember what else I liked this year besides the first 3 songs on the Phoenix record. The-Dream album was great, Bibio, Dan Deacon too. Fuck it.