The Big Pink
Velvet (Gang Gang Dance Mix)
Metric
Gold Guns Girls (Mike Shinoda Remix)
Phoenix
1901 (Fredrick Carlsson Remix)
Bat for Lashes
Pearl’s Dream (Skreams Pour Another Glass of Champers Remix)
The Temper Trap
Sweet Disposition (Alan Wilkis Remix)
Fever Ray
When I Grow Up (Version by Lissvik)
Miike Snow
Animal (Peter Bjorn and John Remix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
15-11 :: Continuing the countdown, the final five come next weekend.
10. Daniel Fridholm – Daniel Fridholm May 2009. Unreleased
Some may remember Daniel Fridholm’s praising review earlier this year. Since then popular, Record of the Year-nomiated blog ‘Cosmic Disco’ has also ran features articles, and 2010 should be seeing more material.
‘I Need Green’ is a synthpop masterpiece that feels as at home under December’s darkened skies and drunken nights, as it does; picnics in the fleeting days of British summer. The middle eight would fail to get anyone popping shoulders, or shaking hips. Still a fantastic album.
LISTEN: I Need Green
9. Peter Doherty – Sheepskin Tearaway March 2009.
About four years ago I went to see some rather banal, rather dull comedy with an ex-girlfriend. A video montage begins and it is soundtracked by a beautiful guitar track that I recognized instantly. Years before that, running parallel to The Libertines, Peter Doherty had sat and recorded his own sessions in hotel rooms, in crack dens, in taxis, in pubs, and at home; demos that formed narratives throughout his life. Sheepskin Tearaway, was the song I recognized, and its inclusion instantly made me smile.
Grace/Wasteland was met to murky reception this year. Peter Doherty has the potential to be his best when he records alone, and Grace/Wasteland was a nice dip into an ocean that would keep him afloat. This album version is polished there is intentionally added reverb, rather than that achieved reverberating from his hollowed squat-walls of earlier days and his voice sounds fragile, yet with a pop edge that mothers could love him everywhere. This album only signals what is to come.
LISTEN: Sheepskin Tearaway
8. The High Wire – Leave Me In Love Dec 2009. Grandpa Stan
The High Wire are a band who have been quietly bettering themselves and gaining recognition throughout the year.
Leave Me In Love, like a lot of their most recent material, fuses a sound akin to the americana-indiepop of Fleet Foxes, and a pop-psychedelia in a distant vein to Animal Collective. Yet with a lofi British edge to it, still breeding in the afterglow of 2008’s new folk revival. If this is progression of our strain of the genre, then I welcome it wholeheartedly.
LISTEN: Leave Me In Love
7. Example – Watch the Sun Come Up Sep 2009.
One of the greatest tragedies this year was Example’s release date for Watch The Sun Come Up; released in a month that, retrospectively was admittedly one of our hottest of the year, ‘Watch the Sun Come Up’s September release just felt overdue. Example had written the hit of the summer, it was just four months too late.
With Balearic piano, and electro-house beats, Example’s white-rapping deep croon fits the music perfectly; who’d have known this was that rapper we loved, who use to rap over The Rolling Stones, Harry Nilsson, and Lily Allen back in the day. Equally as good, and certainly the biggest track he’s ever done.
LISTEN: Watch The Sun Come Up
6. Jamie T – Sticks N Stones June 2009. Pacemaker Records
Working in Wimbledon this summer, a lot of songs are both synonymous both to working and summer; the tracks from the ‘Sticks ‘N’ Stones’ E.P. rest reassuredly in both those lists.
While his album delivery in 2009 was a letdown as a followup to 2007’s classic “Panic Prevention,” this little E.P. released just weeks before served as more than enough for fans. Fast-paced punk-inspired hiphop, reggae-inspired pop, and even the mellowed-out, featured here in just four tracks. ‘St. Christopher’ was the perfect for the lows, and ‘Sticks N Stones’ was perfect for the highs; triumphant E.P.
LISTEN: Sticks ‘N’ Stones
Welcome to the official soundtrack to Music Is Art’s Best Albums of Fall 2009. This is a 15 song, eclectic collection that combines pop-friendly, r&b, smooth jazz tones to electronic space music and indie rock dreams. Listen to these samples of the preferred new releases of September and October. If something should be added below to the list, please comment or leave a recommendation. Enjoy!
| BEST ALBUMS OF FALL September and October 2009 |
 Artist | THE XX
Album | THE XX Record Label | XL RECORDINGS Release Date | OCTOBER 6, 2009 Listen | CRYSTALLIZED |
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Artist | DM STITH Album | THANKSGIVING MOON EP Record Label | ASTHMATIC KITTY Release Date | OCTOBER 13, 2009 Listen | PIGS (ft Jefferson Street Band) |
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Artist | EL PERRO DEL MAR Album | LOVE IS NOT POP Record Label | CONTROL GROUP Release Date | OCTOBER 20, 2009 Listen | CHANGE OF HEART |
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Artist | ESPERS
Album | III Record Label | DRAG CITY Release Date | OCTOBER 20, 2009 Listen | CAROLINE |
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Artist | FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Album | LUNGS Record Label | UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC Release Date | OCTOBER 20, 2009 Listen | RABBIT HEART (RAISE IT UP) |
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Artist | ATLAS SOUND
Album | LOGOS Record Label | KRANKY Release Date | OCTOBER 20, 2009 Listen | WALKABOUT (FT NOAH LENNOX) |
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Artist | BARZIN
Album | NOTES TO AN ABSENT LOVER Record Label | MONOTREME Release Date | OCTOBER 27, 2009 Listen | NOBODY TOLD ME |
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Artist | ALEC OUNSWORTH Album | MO’ BEAUTY Record Label | ANTI Release Date | OCTOBER 20, 2009 |
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Artist | FUCK BUTTONS Album | TAROT SPORT Record Label | ATP RECORDINGS Release Date | OCTOBER 6, 2009 Listen | THE LISBON MARU |
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Artist | FANFARLO Album | RESERVOIR Record Label | ATLANTIC Release Date | OCTOBER 13, 2009 Listen | I’M A PILOT |
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Artist | TWILIGHT :: NEW MOON Album | ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Record Label | ATLANTIC Release Date | OCTOBER 16, 2009 Listen | THOM YORKE – HEARING DAMAGE |
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Artist | TEMPER TRAP Album | CONDITIONS Record Label | GLASS NOTE Release Date | OCTOBER 13, 2009 Listen | SWEET DISPOSITION |
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Artist | MONSTERS OF FOLK Album | CONOR OBERST/YIM YAMES/ Record Label | SHANGRI-LA Release Date | SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 Listen | SAY PLEASE |
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Artist | MUSE Album | THE RESISTANCE Record Label | WARNER BROS Release Date | SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 Listen | UPRISING |
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Artist | JAY-Z Album | THE BLUEPRINT 3 Record Label | ROC NATION Release Date | SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 Listen | RUN THIS TOWN |
| ::DOWNLOAD ALL (.ZIP):: |
artwork by nicoletta ceccoli
It’s been such a crazy summer here in New England. Humid days that turn into thunderstorms and tornado warnings. Families that turn into old memories. Lost cat signs all over the place. Sicknesses of loved ones and deaths of legendary pop icons. Mixtape goodness. And those once in awhile moments where the sun is shining, there’s a cool breeze coming from along the ocean, lounging poolside with an extra spicy bloody mary and set of headphones, escaping on long road trips to new beautiful places, all the while peacefully feeling somehow a little more stronger than ever before…
Which brings us to the official soundtrack and Music Is Art’s Best Albums of Summer 2009. An eclectic collection that combines pop-friendly, r&b, smooth jazz tones to electronic space music and indie rock dreams. Listen to these samples of the preferred new releases of July and August. Be sure to also see the Best Albums of June 2009. Below if something should be added to the list, please comment or leave a recommendation. Enjoy!
| MIA’s BEST ALBUMS OF SUMMER 2009
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Artist: MAXWELL Album: Blacksummers’ Night Release Date: July 7, 2009 Label: Columbia Listen: Pretty Wings |
 Artist: THE DEAD WEATHER Album: Horehound Label: Reprise Release Date: July 14, 2009 Listen: Hang You From the Heavens |
Artist: SON VOLT Album: American Central Dust Label: Rounder Release Date: July 7, 2009 Listen: Cocaine and Ashes |
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Artist: IMOGEN HEAP Album: Ellipse Label: RCA Release Date: August 25, 2009 Listen: Canvas |
Artist: THE ANTLERS Album: Hospice Label: French Kiss Release Date: August 18, 2009 Listen: Two |
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Artist: THE BATS Album: The Guilty Office Label: Hidden Agenda Release Date: July 23, 2009 Listen: Countersign |
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Artist: BOWERBIRDS Album: Upper Air Label: Dead Oceans Release Date: July 7, 2009 Listen: Northern Lights |
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Artist: ANNA TERNHEIM Album: Leaving On a Mayday Label: Verve Forecast Release Date: August 11, 2009 Listen: What Have I Done |
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Artist: THE POSTMARKS Album: Memoirs at the End of the World Label: Unfiltered Release Date: August 18, 2009 Listen: Go Jetsetter |
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Artist: TEENGIRL FANTASY Album: In The Loop, Volume 5 Label: Anticon Release Date: August 25, 2009 Listen: Portofino |
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Artist: VANDAVEER Album: Divide & Conquer Label: Supply & Demand Release Date: August 25, 2009 Listen: Turpentine |
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Artist: YOUNG GALAXY Album: Invisible Republic Label: Arts & Crafts Release Date: August 25, 2009 Listen: Long Live the Fallen World |
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Artist: THE CAVE SINGERS Album: Welcome Joy Label: Matador Release Date: August 18, 2009 Listen: At the Cut |
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Artist: JACK PENATE Album: Everything Is New Label: Beggars Release Date: August 18, 2009 Listen: Tonight’s Today |
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Artist: THE WOODEN SKY Album: If I Don’t Come Home, You’ll Know I’m Gone Label: BlackBox
Release Date: August 25, 2009 |
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Artist: RAMONA FALLS Album: Intuit Label: Barsuk Release Date: August 18, 2009 Listen: Russia |
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Artist: JULIAN PLENTI Album: Julian Plenti is Skyscraper Label: Matador
Release Date: August 4, 2009 Listen: Fun That We Have |
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Artist: MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO Album: Josephine Label: Secretly Canadian Release Date: July 21, 2000 Listen: Little Sad Eyes |
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Artist: THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC Album: …And the Ever Expanding Universe Label: August 9, 2009 Release Date: Arts and Crafts Listen: Heavens to Purgatory |
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Artist: MEW Album: No More Stories Are Told Today Sorry Label: Columbia Release Date: August 25, 2009 Listen: Silas the Magic Car |
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