You didn’t think we weren’t going to get our customers in on the fun, did ya?
Granted, we could have done a much better job of getting the word out… and we could have given our customer base a longer time to respond, but considering those facts, we are pretty happy about the amount of responses we received for our first ever “Customer Top Tens” call.
Whether they came via our Facebook page or the Internet – we cut and pasted ‘em in below. If there were descriptions or explanations, we left ‘em. Check out their lists and compare them to your own, or to the Hoodlums’ lists. There some really excellent albums on the lists… and some nifty explanations/reviews to go with them. You guys (some of our all-time customers, I might add) did a great job! Thanks.
We are going to throw all of these names into a hat, and one of them is going to pick up $50 in Hoodlums’ credit just for playing.
And now, the top tens of our beloved customers…
Tim Ruback
I couldn’t resist taking the bait that you laid on Facebook, so I came up with a bunch of year-end & decade-end lists. My only rule was that I couldn’t put the same artist in more than 1 list, so as to cast as wide a net as possible. It ended up pretty scattershot, which means that there’s probably something for everyone in here, I guess. You’re right — it’s easy to get carried away.
Top 10 Albums from 2009
1. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Willie and the Wheel
2. DJ Sprinkles – Midtown 120 Blues
3. Vijay Iyer Trio – Historicity
4. The Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx
5. Tom Waits – Glitter & Doom Live
6. Shackleton – 3 EPs
7. Brock Van Wey – White Clouds Drift On & On
8. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is
9. Lee Fields & The Expressions – My World
10. Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Lynx II
Top 10 Albums I Discovered in 2009
1. Sonny Clark – Leapin’ & Lopin’
2. Freddie McGregor – Bobby Bobylon
3. Arbee Stidham – Tired of Wandering
4. Siah & Yeshua DapoED — The Visualz
5. The Monks – Black Monk Time
6. Rudresh Mahanthappa – Kinsmen
7. IAM – L’Ecole du Micro D’Argent
8. Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Yah
9. Killah Priest – Heavy Mental
10. Al Smith – Midnight Special
Top 5 Albums I Bought Because a Hoodlum Recommended It to Me (Responsible Hoodlum in Parentheses)
1. Fela Kuti – The Best Best of Fela Kuti (Kristian)
2. Magma – Uber Kommandoh (Joe)
3. Grant Green – Iron City (Steve)
4. Donald Byrd – Live at the Half-Note vol. 1&2 (Steve [and/or Vinnie(?)])
5. Lyle Lovett – And His Large Band (Steve [and/or Lloyd(?)])
5 Albums with Exclamation Marks in the Title that I’d Probably Be Trying to Play & Sell All the Time If I Were a Hoodlum
1. Mose Allison – I Don’t Worry About A Thing/Mose Alive!
2. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Get Happy!
3. Duke Pearson – Wahoo!
4. Gang of Four – Entertainment!
5. Booker Ervin – Heavy!!!
Top 5 Compilations of the Decade from Genres That You May Not Have Ever Thought Existed
1. The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop 1979-1983
2. BIPPP: French Synth Wave 1979-85
3. Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound of the Underground Lagos Dance Floor 1974-1979
4. The In-Kraut: Hip Shaking Grooves Made in Germany 1966-74
5. Pachuco-Soul! A Collection of Vintage East-L.A. Grooves from the Vaults of Rampart Records
Top 5 Single Artist Compilations of the Decade
1. Ike & Tina Turner – Funkier Than A Mosquito’s Tweeter (thanks Tim… I already bought this)
2. Alton Ellis – Be True to Yourself: Anthology 1965-1973
3. Hank Penny – Crazy Rhythm: The Standard Transcriptions
4. Junior Kimbrough – You Better Run: The Essential Junior Kimbrough
5. James Brown – In The Jungle Groove
Top 5 Reissues of the Decade
1. Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear
2. Talking Heads – The Name of This Band is Talking Heads
3. ESG – Come Away With ESG
4. Television – Marquee Moon
5. Neu! – Neu!
5 Albums that Need a US CD Release in the 2010s (Steve, You Can Talk To Some People For Me, Right?), or: Special Order the Imports, People – Just Trust Me on This.
1. Marva Whitney – It’s My Thing
2. Don Wilkerson – Preach, Brother!
3. Keith Hudson – Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood
4. Curtis Fuller – Bone & Bari
5. Serge Gainsbourg – L’Homme à Tête de Chou
Top 10 Albums of the Decade
1. Calexico – Feast of Wire
2. Marcin Wasilewski – Trio
3. Yo La Tengo – And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
4. Burial – Untrue
5. Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun
6. Luomo – Vocal City
7. The Clientele – Suburban Light
8. Dave Holland Quintet – Extended Play: Live at Birdland
9. King Khan & The Shrines – What Is?!
10. Six Organs of Admittance – School of the Flower
Michael Clawson
My Top 10 Albums of 2009 (as they originally appeared here)
1. The Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca
2. The Mars Volta, Octahedron
3. Mastodon, Crack the Skye… See More
4. DOOM, Born Like This
5. Karen O. and the Kids, Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack
6. The Sounds, Crossing the Rubicon
7. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, s/t
8. Baroness, Blue Record
9. Speech Debelle, Speech Therapy
10.The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, s/t
5 Songs:
1. “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z (w/ Alicia Keys)
2. “Two Weeks,” Grizzly Bear
3. “1901,” Phoenix
4. “Daylight,” Matt & Kim
5. “Make Her Say,” Kid Cudi
Ashley Harris
Eek! I saw your side note on Becky’s Top 10 about me not sending one in . . . I didn’t know I could! FUN! I already posted the top 10 on my blog, but I didn’t do concerts or anything so this is fun! Thanks for calling me out, Steve!
I also spent three months on a blog series called “The Loop: 10 Years of Unapologetic Albums”, writing nerd essays on my favorite records from 2000 – 2008 on Seven Watt Media. I also posted videos for the top albums and top songs below so feel free to browse:
Top 10 Albums:
1) Bowerbirds – Upper Air
2) Freelance Whales – Weathervanes
3) Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More (UK release, US release in early 2010)
4) Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons – Death Won’t Send a Letter
5) Fanfarlo – Reservoir
6) Brandi Carlile – Give Up the Ghost
7) Desert Noises – Desert Noises EP
8) The Fray – The Fray
9) Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing
10) Sam Means – The Sinking of Santa Isabel
Top 5 most listened to that didn’t come out in 2009:
1) Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line
2) DeYarmond Edison – Silent Signs
3) Right Away Great Captain! – The Eventually Home
4) The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead
5) French Quarter – French Quarter
Top 10 Shows of 2009:
1) Kings of Convenience @ Bowery Ballroom
2) Jimmy Eat World (Clarity x10 Tour) @ Terminal 5
3) Deer Tick @ Rocks off Boat Cruise (it literally was on a boat)
4) Sufjan Stevens @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5) Bowerbirds @ Mercury Lounge
6) Hoodstock at Hoodlums!
7) Kinch Christmas Show @ Rhythm Room
8) Dear and the Headlights, Kinch and Rajiv Patel @ The Studio at Webster Hall (love seeing my locals in NYC)
9) Fun. and Miniature Tigers @ Mercury Lounge
10) Green Day @ Webster Hall (in a 1,500 person room, unreal)
Top 25 Songs of 2009 (cause us label folk love our singles!):
1) The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
2) Brendan Benson – A Whole Lot Better
3) Miike Snow – Animal
4) Audrye Sessions – Where You’ll Find Me
5) Fun. – Walking the Dog
6) Imogen Heap – First Train Home
7) Bon Iver – Brackett, WI
8) Nneka – Heartbeat
9) Phoenix – Listomania
10) Vedera – A World Apart
11) Howie Day – Be There
12) Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar – California Zephyr
13) Passion Pit – Little Secrets
14) The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin
15) Modest Mouse – Autumn Beds
16) A Lull – Skinny Fingers
17) Volcano Choir – Island, IS
18) Grand Archives – Olso Novelist
19) John Mayer – Heartbreak Warfare
20) Skybox – In a Dream
21) Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension
22) Austin Gibbs – Complete
23) Kings of Convenience – 24-25
24) The Avett Brothers – Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
25) Mew – Introducing Palace Players
Top 10 Reasons why Hoodlums is still my favorite record store even after moving 2000 miles away:
1) Because
2) They
3) Are
4) The
5) Best
6) In
7) The
8) Music
9) Biz.
10) SERIOUSLY.
Emma Ringness
I could keep going and going with this if I didn’t have to get ready for the semester now:
My top 5 albums of 2009:
1. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand
2. It’s Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix
4. Where The Wild Things Are OST, Karen O & The Kids
5. God Help the Girl, God Help the Girl
My top 9 quotable albums of the decade, 2000-2009:
The ones whose lyrics you can scrawl everywhere, quote to give yourself musical cred, incorporate in your Internet alter-ego, and most importantly, express emotions you can’t yourself.
1. The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian
Okay, this should actually include every album in the B&S catalog simply because they are lyrical geniuses, but for the sake of lists, we’ll limit it to one.
2. First Impressions of Earth, The Strokes
Genius or insanity? The fact that you can’t tell is proof it’s amazing. I included First Impressions because on this album the lyrics got to ride shotgun instead of in the backseat.
3. Hold On Now, Youngster…, Los Campesinos!
“I’ll be ctrl, alt, deleting your face with no reservations”
4. Transatlanticism, Death Cab For Cutie
I have always maintained that listening to Death Cab is the equivalent of someone taking your hand and telling you it’s OK.
5. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Arctic Monkeys
If you don’t think that title holds a lot of promise, you probably won’t like the lyrics. If you don’t like the lyrics, you don’t have a snarky bone in your body. Go listen to John Mayer.
6. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand
This album has shaped me both personally and as a music junkie, so I’m definitely skewed when I say that it’s lyrical gold. If you don’t agree, just humor me.
7. Elephant Shell, Tokyo Police Club
I included this after I realized that I quote TPC just about everywhere.
8. Funeral, Arcade Fire
Very understated lyrics but very, very beautiful.
9. In Rainbows, Radiohead
The musical gods would strike me down if I didn’t include Radiohead in this list…and, you know, they deserve it.
Top 6 albums of the decade I can’t bring myself to skip a single song off of:
1. Is This It, The Strokes
2. Little Joy, Little Joy
3. Funeral, Arcade Fire
4. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand
5. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix
6. Young For Eternity, The Subways
Honorable Mention to make a nice clean 10:
7. Broken Boy Soldiers, The Raconteurs (sans “Call It a Day”)
8. The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian (sans “Song for Sunshine)
9. Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever, The Cribs (sans “Major’s Titling Victory”)
10. Narrow Stairs, Death Cab for Cutie (sans “Pity and Fear”)
Mimi Ringness
Top Ten Albums of the Decade
1. Hopes and Fears, Keane
2. Transatlanticism, Death Cab For Cutie
3. It’s Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. In Rainbows, Radiohead
5. Funeral, Arcade Fire
6. Songs We Sing, Matt Costa
7. Give Up, The Postal Service
8. Wilderness Is Paradise Now, Morning Runner
9. Robbers & Cowards, Cold War Kids
10. A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Coldplay
Top Ten Fifteen Songs of the Decade
1. “Bedshaped”, Keane
2. “Somewhere Only We Know”, Keane
3. “Burning Benches”, Morning Runner
4. “Videotape”, Radiohead
5. “Transatlanticism”, Death Cab For Cutie
6. “On A Day Like Today”, Keane
7. “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)”, Arcade Fire
8. “Zero”, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9. “The Scientist”, Coldplay
10. “These Arms”, Matt Costa
11. “Trick of the Light”, Guillemots
12. “Juicebox”, The Strokes
13. “A Lack of Color”, Death Cab For Cutie
14. “My Drive Thru”, Santogold, Casablancas, NERD
15. “Idioteque”, Radiohead
Mimi’s Top Ten Concerts of the Decade
1. Little Joy (Martini Ranch, Scottsdale)
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Marquee, Tempe)
3. Bloc Party (The Marquee, Tempe)
4. Death Cab For Cutie (Mesa Amphitheater, Mesa)
5. Keane (Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix)
6. Franz Ferdinand (The Marquee, Tempe)
7. The Raconteurs (The Marquee, Tempe)
8. Adele (The Marquee, Tempe)
9. Matt Costa (Martini Ranch, Scottsdale)
10. Silversun Pickups (The Clubhouse, Tempe)
Top Ten Hoodlums Deals of the Decade
1. Two Way Monologue, Sondre Lerche, $3.99
2. Gimme Fiction, Spoon, $7.99
3. It’s Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, $7.99
4. 3 Rounds and a Sound, Blind Pilot, $3.99
5. The Open Door EP, Death Cab For Cutie, $4.99
6. We Might As Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow Vs. Keane) vinyl, $5.99
7. Loyalty To Loyalty, Cold War Kids, $7.99
8. “If I Knew You”, Eulogies/“You’re a Wolf”, Sea Wolf 7” vinyl, $2.00
9. Paolo Nutini Live Sessions, Paolo Nutini, free with purchase of These Streets
10. Some Racing, Some Stopping, Headlights, $12.99
Mitch Goyette
Top Ten of 2009
1. The Dear Hunter – Act III:Life and Death
2. Dredg – The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
3. Amorphis – Skyforger
4. Blind Ego – Numb
5. Arjen Lucassen’s Guilt Machine – On this Perfect Day
6. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
7. Brand New – Daisy
8. Jolly – Forty Six Minutes Twelve Seconds of Music
9. fun. – Aim & Ignite
10. Riverside – Anno Domini High Definition
Ten isn’t enough, so I also feel the need to add the following as Honorable Mentions:
Trouble – Unplugged
Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue
Redemption – Snowfall on Judgement Day
Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe
Portugal, the Man – The Satanic Satanists
RX Bandits – Mandala
Diablo Swing Orchestra – No. 2 – Singalong Songs for the Damned and Delirious
Russet Burbank
top 10 records of 2009 in no particular order
xx by The xx
Inspiration Information Vol. 3 by Mulatu Astatqe and the Heliocentrics
Dub Plate Style by Delroy Wilson
Embryonic by The Flaming Lips
Tyondai Braxton- Central Market
Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
The Ecstatic by Mos Def
Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors
Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
The Spirit of Apollo by N.A.S.A.
Tim Merrick
5 best from the Decade:
1. The Libertines – The Libertines
2. The Good, the Bad and The Queen – The Good, the Bad and The Queen
3. Arcade Fire – Funeral
4. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid…
Christine Hippeli
Top 5 of 2009 (in no particular order):
1. Natureboy-self titled
2. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
3. The Big Pink- A Brief History of Love… See More
4. Dan Deacon- Bromst
5.The Twilight Sad- Forget the Night Ahead
Tom Martin
Top 10 of the year:
Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Animal Collective – MPP
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Girls – Album… See More
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
St Vincent – Actor
Atlas Sound – Logos
The XX – The XX
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Dinosaur Jr – Farm
Erika Pederson Schaefer
M. Ward-Transfiguration of Vincent
Andrew Bird Noble Beast
Kings of Leon
Arctic Monkeys Humbug
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest
Bret Helm
U2 – No Line On The Horizon
Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You
The Big Pink – A Brief History Of Love
Brett Anderson – Slow Attack
The Church – Untitled #23… See More
Placebo – Battle For The Sun
AFI – Crash Love
Antony & The Johnsons – The Crying Light
Morrissey – Years Of Refusal
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions – Through The Devil Softly
John Bishop
My top 10 of the year, including one reissue of a criminally unreleased seventies album that impressed me greatly:
1. Animal Collective “Merriweather Post Pavillion”
2. The xx “The xx”
3. Betty Davis “Is It Love Or Desire?” [this is that reissue]… See More
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs “It’s Blitz”
5. Dirty Projectors “Bitte Orca”
6. Neko Case “Middle Cyclone”
7. Antony & The Johnsons “The Crying Light”
8. Peaches “I Feel Cream”
9. The Flaming Lips “Embryonic”
10. Girls “Album”
David Maalsch
Note: This is our friend and HoodDocs critic. You can find his blog here.
THE TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2009
1. PHOENIX/WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX
2. THE XX/XX
3. BLAKROC/BLAKROC
4. WILCO (THE ALBUM)
5. SILVERSUN PICKUPS/SWOON
honorable mentions
DAN AUERBACH/KEEP IT HID
AVETT BROTHERS/I AND LOVE AND YOU
BAND OF SKULLS/BABY DARLING DOLL FACE HONEY
JULIAN CASABLANCAS/PHRAZES FOR THE YOUNG
NEKO CASE/MIDDLE CYCLONE
BOB DYLAN/TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE
THE FELICE BROTHERS/YONDER IS THE CLOCK
FRANZ FERDINAND/TONIGHT
GRIZZLY BEAR/VICKATIMEST
BEN KWELLER/CHANGING HORSES
LUCERO/1372 OVERTON PARK
BEN NICHOLS/THE LAST PALE LIGHT IN THE WEST
THE VON BONDIES/LOVE, HATE AND THEN THERE’S YOU
HAYWARD WILLIAMS/COTTON BELL
Tim Neilson
1.Riverboat Gamblers-Underneath The Owl 12″
2.Dear Landlord-Dream Home 12″
3.Dead To Me-African Elephants 12″
4.Rumspringer-10″
5.Boats-Summer Vacation 7″
Tammy Hulfachor
My top albums for 2009
1. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer
2. Portugal. The Man – the Satanic Satanist
3. Sonic Youth – The Eternal… See More
4. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
5. Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free
6. Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
7. Thao With the Get Down, Stay Down – Know Better, Learn Faster
8. Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
9. Clues – Clues
10. Islands – Vapours
Audrey Hunsdon Call
freelance whales – weathervanes
metric – fantasies
yeah yeah yeah’s – it’s blitz!
laura gibson – beasts of season
temper trap – conditions… See More
passion pit – manners
decomposure – humidity patient guide
one eskim0 – one eskimo0
santigold – santigold
lisa hannigan – sea sew
Kyle Hague
My Top for ‘09
Atlas Sound – Logos
Jim O’Rourke – The Visitor
Akron/Family – Set ‘em Wild, Set ‘em Free
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish I Were and Eagle… See More
Woods – Songs of Shame
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut
Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine
Japandroids – Post-nothing
Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
Leah Miller
Here’s my Top Ten songs of 2009:
1. Last Parade – Matthew Good
2. Happiness Burns – Two Hours Traffic… See More
3. I could love you more – In-Flight Safety
4. All you did was save my life – Our Lady Peace
5. Put the phone down – Pilot Speed
6. Through & Through & Through – Joel Plaskett
7. Camilo (The Magician) – Said the Whale
8. City at Sunrise – Vince Vaccaro
9. Chop Chop – Ryan Dahle
10. What we’re doing – The Dank
Kyle Hostetler
Hoodlum since 2002 (Kyle noted the year he filled his Music Junkie card, which I love)
Top Albums of the 2000’s – By Year/Alphabetical by Artist
2000
At The Drive-In – Relationship of Command
Dashboard Confessional – Swiss Army Romance
Dogwood – Building a Better Me
Project 86 – Drawing Black Lines
Radiohead – Kid A
Squad Five-0 – Bombs Over Broadway
2001
Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
Relient K – Anatomy of Tongue and Cheeck
Stretch Arm Strong – A Revolution Transmission
System of a Down – Toxicity
Thursday – Full Collapse
2002
All-American Rejects – All-American Rejects
Blindside – Silence
The Early November – For All of This
Fivespeed – Trade in Your Halo
July For Kings – Swim
The Mountain Goats – Tallahassee
Norma Jean – Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child
P.O.D. – Satellite
Sigur Rós - ( )
Simple Plan – No Helmets, No Pads…Just Balls
Something Corporate – Leaving Through the Window
Squad Five-0 – Squad Five-0
The Starting Line – Say it Like You Mean It
Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your Friends
Ugly Cassanova – Sharpen Your Teeth
2003
As I Lay Dying – Frail Words Collapse
Copeland – Beneath the Medicine Tree
Fall Out Boy – Take This To Your Grave
Further Seems Forever – How to Start a Fire
Matchbook Romance – Stories and Alibis
Muse – Absolution
MxPx – Before Everything and After
The Postal Service – Give Up
The Rocket Summer – Calendar Days
Story of the Year – Page Avenue
Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown
2004
Emery – The Weak’s End
The Good Life – Album of The Year
Haste The Day – Burning Bridges
He Is Legend – I Am Hollywood
Joe Strummer & The Mescalaros – Streetcore
Killswitch Engage – The End of Heartache
Midtown – Forget What You Know
Number One Fan – Compromises
Rise Against – Siren Song of the Counter-Culture
Say Anything – …Is a Real Boy
Senses Fail – Let It Enfold You
The Showdown – A Chorus of Obliteration
Unearth – The Oncoming Storm
2005
Acceptance – Phantoms
Cartel – Chroma
Coheed & Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV
Mae – The Everglow
Maylene & The Sons of Disaster – Maylene & The Sons of Disaster
Panic! at The Disco – A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
Paramore – All We Know is Falling
Plain White Ts – All That We Needed
Reggie and the Full Effect – Songs Not to Get Married To
Still Remains – Of Love and Lunacy
30 Seconds to Mars – The Beautiful Lie
2006
Switchfoot – Oh! Gravity.
2007
Paramore – Riot!
Sarah Bareilles – Little Voice
2008
Plain White Ts – Big Bad World
Sigur Rós – Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
2009
Switchfoot – Hello, Hurricane
Kevin Pawlak
Kevin’s favorite albums of the last decade:
2000 – The Be Good Tanyas – “Blue Horse”
2001 – The Frames – “For The Birds”
2002 – Patty Griffin – “1000 Kisses”
2003 – Rufus Wainwright – “Want One”
2004 – Iron & Wine – “Our Endless Numbered Days”
2005 – Sufjan Stevens – “Come On Feel The Illinoise”
2006 – Josh Ritter – “The Animal Years”
2007 – Patty Griffin, “Children Running Through”
2008 – Bon Iver -“For Emma, Forever Ago”
2009 – Gregory Alan Isakov – “This Empty Northern Hemisphere”
Close calls:
2000 – Sarah Harmer – “Wish You Where Here”
2002 – Josh Ritter – “The Golden Age Of Radio”
2003 – Damien Rice – “O”
2003 – Ray LaMontagne – “Trouble”
2004 – Sam Phillips “A Boot And A Shoe”
2005 – Andrew Bird – “Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs”
Michael Pang
Top 5 Cover Songs of 2009
1. Mayer Hawthorne – “Maybe So, Maybe No” (originally by New Holidays, 1969)
2. Karen O and the Kids – “Worried Shoes” (originally by Daniel Johnston, 1983)
3. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – “Inspiration Information” (originally by Shuggie Otis, 1974)
4. El Michels Affair – “C.R.E.A.M.” (originally by Wu-Tang Clan, 1993)
5. The Dead Weather – “New Pony” (originally by Bob Dylan, 1978)
Ben Horowitz
top ten rock n’ roll records of the decade for formerly suburbanite ragers desiring more intellectuality out of their punk rawk
one – fugazi – the argument (dischord, 2001) – fugazi is the ultimate band, and they knew to go out on a high note. from the opening cello strings to the bitter end that comes too soon, this album changed my life and still gives me chills. having the only non-clunky song (and the best song) about gentrification of the decade solidifes the number one spot. (“on the morning of the first eviction / they carried out the wishes of the landlord and his son / furniture’s out on the sidewalk next to the family / that little piggie went to market, / so they’re kicking out everyone”)
two – godspeed you! black emperor – lift your skinny fists like antennaes to heaven (krank, 2002) – will any band ever dare to make twenty-minute sprawling, dynamic, epic songs that are accompanied by maps connecting record labels to the military-industrial death machine? maybe, but they’ll never be this incredible again. Best conceptual use of spoken word / oral history / a recording of a gas station announcement of the century. (“waaaaah, waaaaah, WAAAAAAAH WEEEEEE WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH, oooooh, waaah ,wooooh”)
three – against me! – …is reinventing axl rose (no idea, 2002) – for better or for worse, the sheer number of blatant knock-off bands spawned by this record should clue you into how amazing it is – an absolute ten on the sing-along-ability scale without resorting to cheap sloganeering. something lost on some of their “betrayed” anarcho-crustie, tire-slashing followers later on down the line, unfortunately. best songs of the decade about the joy of seeing scummy punk bands in basements with your friends, getting blood outta rocks to pay rent, and believing in something bigger than yourself in the face of the bush. (“Last night, a room full drunks / Sang along to the songs I never had the courage to write / Given the chance, I’d stay in this chorus forever / Where everything ugly in this world / Is sadly beautiful…”)
four – black eyes – black eyes and cough (dischord, 2003 & 2004) – free-form jazz punk with saxophones, inhuman wailing, and e.e. cummings-inspired lyrics? yes, please! best reference to the inherent machismo and implicit violence of nu-metal of the decade. (“What happens when ‘fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me to’ / Means that I will still fuck you even when you tell me not to?”)
five – ted leo & the pharmacists – hearts of oak (lookout!/touch&go, 2003) – if there were any justice in the world, the megalithic riffage on this album would be heralded in the same rock annals as those journey songs everyone can guitar with their mouth. maybe it’s teddy’s pesky english degree and all them big fancy words, and wimpy feminism. best song of the decade when it come to grappling with america’s -year abusive relationship with the rest of planet earth. (“you didn’t think they could hate you now, didja? / oh, but they hate ya, they hate ya coz you’re guilty …/ why would you think they would hate ya, wouldja? / oh but they hate ya, make no mistake, they hate ya”)
six – andrew jackson jihad – people that can eat people are the luckiest people in the world (asian man, 2007) - i’ll admit – i’m biased on this one. but – objectively – i don’t think i’ve heard another record quite like it. the amount of “guest” musicians – spanning the entire phoenix music scene – makes this an album and a sort of aural history of an underground. i also think mr. sean bonnette does the best of any lyricist of the naughties in capturing the need to celebrate in the face of hardships. best songs about… that… of the decade. (“Rejoice despite the fact this world will hurt you / Rejoice despite the fact this world will kill you / Rejoice despite the fact this world will tear you to shreds / Rejoice because you’re trying your best”)
seven – bruce springsteen & the e street band – the seeger sessions (columbia, 2006) – one of several records of the decade to prove that you don’t need electricity to rock, this album breathes new life into standards. listening to it, you actually feel like you’re rocking out with friends. it is true. best covers of the decade. (“tu-ra-hay-la-rudala-hay, ta-lu-la-lu-la-ray”)
eight – dillinger four – situationalist comedy (fat wreck, 2002) – this record takes less prisoners than any other chronologically qualifying absolutely-takes-no-prisoners power pop punk record. holy shit! seriously! crushing riffage, clever lyrics, mad dynamic and tempo changes. as always with the d4, hilarious use of samples. best “work sucks!” song of the decade! (“this isn’t what we want / this isn’t what we need / this is what we can afford! [massive guitar-destroying]“)
nine – constantines – tournament of hearts (sub-pop, 2005) – on this record, this band seemed to take everything our parents did, throw it in a tornado, and build a really kick ass house out of it. driving rhythms with plenty of room to move around in these songs. best stomping songs of the decade. (“Let the hand move its people, and draw us lines from our fiery designs / Unknown unknowns, let all our gardens grow, and overtake our history / Seeking strength in mystery / Let us feel the air inside the clothes that we wear / Try to find ghosts behind the buildings in our lives / Draw us lines.”)
ten – the weakerthans – left & leaving (2000) – can an album simultaneously feature a a song on “the wedding crashers” and poetically discuss romance, skewer gentrification & “pro-business” politics, and critique capitalism? hellz yeah, bro. best punk love songs of the decade. (“I’m unconsoled / I’m lonely / I am so much better than I used to be / Terrified of telephones / and shopping malls and knives”)
Tags: Great music, It's all about the music, Top Ten lists of a Non-Critic