10 Favourite Albums of 2009

well since there's one more day left before the new year, more like less than 6 hours to go. I'm gonna cobble up a list of my favourite albums this year. 10 albums. Here goes. Alright, enjoy your new year folks!


Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence



The xx - xx



The Black Atlantic - Reverence for Fallen Trees



Miike Snow - Miike Snow



Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix



Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion



The Antlers - Hospice


Atlas Sound - Logos



Fever Ray - Fever Ray


Florence + the Machine - Lungs

50 Favourite Songs of 2009: Part IV

YACHT - Psychic City (Voodoo City)
Ever felt that a song worms it's way into your head and stays there? Well, Psychic City is a classic example. Bubbly and fun, the handclaps and the guitar make up this song. They sing of the tale of three cities, Psychic, Voodoo and Heartbeat. What's the link? It's for you to listen and find out. Nevertheless, I totally love the chorus, in that it's both different (lyrically) and same (beat and rhythm wise). One thing to note though, throw all logic out of the window when you listen to this song, or YACHT for that matter, and just enjoy their music.

official, myspace, last.fm


Neon Indian - Terminally Chill
Right off, you're plunged into a world of 80s psychedelia, a hodgepodge of synths, haziness, nostalgia and what not. Do you hear those birds chirping in the background? Like who incorporates that into their music - Alan Palomo it seems (and it even sounds appropriate for the song). Whatever the case, let loose your inhibitions and and get "caught in the tide" (of Neon Indian). Meanwhile, I'm just drifting in and out of this woozy, intoxicating and echo-ey dope track.

myspace, last.fm


Tycho - Coastal Brake(mp3)
Pure ambient bliss. The idyllic feel, the reverie one could be almost put in. Such beautiful music, I feel inspired to create such music (if I could). Oh well.

official, myspace, last.fm


Animal Collective - Bluish
A little ghostly as he sings of getting lost in a girl's curls. It's not as "over the top" as the other tracks, more understated. I honestly tried, but I really can't put my finger to what makes this song one of my favourites, as a song and amongst MPP. Maybe it's that after all that electronic and synths, I just want something more subtle and simple. And to call an AC track simple is really hard to do so because if you listen to their stuff, you'll realise simple isn't a word used to describe their music.

I like your looks when you get mean
I know I shouldn't say so
But when you claw me like a cat, I'm beaming

It's lovely and sweet but yet positively funny at the same time. And check out this piano cover. It's damn good.

official, myspace, last.fm


Handsome Furs - Radio Kaliningrad
Myspace -> Click song. Youtube provided a shitty recorded version of their live performance. Personally I thought they were pretty under-listened for the year. They cut a pretty good album "Face Control" and Radio Kaliningrad's a frenetic blast that I love. Tight with cool synths and powerful drum machine, while Dan Boeckner's guitar does not let down too.

official, myspace, last.fm


The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
As usual, it's lyrical creativity with The Decemberists. The "narrator" speaks of entering a marriage and how he's saddled with three pests as his wife dies on delivery of the fourth kid. He sings with maniacal glee as he recounts how he kills his three kids and chants "alright, alright, alright".

official, myspace, last.fm


Little Dragon - My Step
Slick disco-esque chorus that certainly reminds me a little of Vitalic's Poison Lips which incidentally is also on this feature. Also the sensual vibe + vocals and the deep groovy beat. Doesn't it already make you wanna move to it? Yukimi Nagano reminds me a little of Yuki Chikudate (Asobi Seksu), both of mixed descent.

official, last.fm


Violens - Doomed
The song has a bit of that choir sound to it, only that you don't have millions of other vocals backing it, but catchy drumbeats and awesome bassline. They dive right in from the get go, immersing you in whimsical and dreamy pop. They never let up throughout the song, giving this good vibe that resonates deep within you. This has to be a must listen for today (coupled with the fact they have a fantastically directed video by Mateo Ramirez). And when they quote influences such as seashells, dreadlocks, gems, sand, veins, ribbons and steel, I know I'm gonna like them.

official, myspace, last.fm


Fanfarlo - I'm A Pilot
Lush orchestration and well crafted coupled with beautiful melodies. That's what I'm A Pilot is about. Deft piano playing at the beginning as the song builds slowly whilst the string-laden crescendo makes it feel grandiose yet affectionate at the same time. Infectious and compelling, they truly sound like a less angsty Arcade Fire and I'll definitely be listening to their brand of chamber indie folk for a while to come.

official, myspace, last.fm


Noah and The Whale - Blue Skies
This is a song for anyone with a broken heart
This is a song for anyone who can't get out of bed

Well, Charlie Fink has explicitly stated who this song is for. But NO! This song is so awesometastic, wonderbulous, not only for the emotion he's portraying, musically I think it's brilliant.

official, myspace, last.fm

Note: My brain and literary skills have been milked to the max trying to give apt descriptions for each track (and even then, a couple were quoted or reused from older posts). I don't think i'll do a write up for 2010's music. Look out for the final 10 tracks for this feature of the year.

50 Favourite Songs of 2009: Part I

Merry Christmas to all my readers (a very small number I suppose). Well, for the next five days including today, I will be doing a feature 50 Favourite Songs of 2009. It will be divided into 5 parts, 10 songs for each day. Why I'm not doing a ranked list - it's because I don't think I have that discerning a ear yet to rank the songs, and personally for me, good music is good music, there's no real need to rank them. Besides, it's gonna be a real huge headache trying to rank 50 songs, and the best ones at that, what with all the good music dropped this year. So, the 50 songs listed in this feature are my favourite songs for 2009, and are in no particular order.

Thought to self: To actually just fit 50 songs is gonna be crazy, I mean, I don't even know where to start. Gotta thank my procrastinating self, I knew I should have started earlier.

Muse - Resistance
The almost title track of the album, immediately reminded me of 2006's Starlight from "Black Holes and Revelations". The short piano-infused intro bears slight resemblance, and that chorus of "it could be wrong, could be wrong...." mildly reminiscent of "hold you in my arms/i just wanted to hold/you in my arms". A balladic rock anthem taking it's place amongst my Muse favourites such as Time Is Runnng Out, Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Knights of Cydonia amongst others.

official, myspace, last.fm


Kings of Convenience - Boat Behind
How is anyone not to enjoy their brand of laid back acoustic songs that totally lull you into singing along and feeling so good? Well, that's this Norwegian duo for you.

official, myspace, last.fm


Animal Collective - My Girls
My Girls is almost a compendium of sounds that can be used from the synths. Ok, it's an exaggeration, but clearly, a myriad of electronic sounds can be heard in the song at any point in time. Psychedelic euphoria at best, electronic noise at worst, much has been said of AC's much vaunted single from "Merriweather Post Pavillion". However, I believe that detractors are far too few and in between, and with a well produced song as such, it's not hard to see why. Approaching new grounds and yet retaining some elements of old, this will clearly remain a favourite for the years to come.

official, myspace, last.fm


Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Four of them looking goody-two-shoes, glowing even brighter than the early morning sun. Before long, sparks are flying and their heads catch fire. The same can be said of the song, hot out of the studio, the album leaked amid the hype surrounding "Veckatimest". The song building up gently with the keyboard and some choir-like vocals. Sounding almost like a church-choir, the song seems to be crawling out from under it's shelter, stretching well and good before hitting the ground running. It's apt that when they start off with a lilting "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh", they hit their stride midway with "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh", the fragmented phrases Ed Droste sings of distance and love, fall in place nicely; like the end where their heads burst into fire, one can bask in the song's full aural glory.

official, myspace, last.fm


Reverie Sound Revue - Walking Around Waiting Downtown
A really fantastic song set to a poor video. I mean, a very fast-forwarded Harry Potter? Lisa's well toned voice sings of something most people do everyday, literally of walking around and waiting downtown. A suitably paced song filled with ambient sounds, they do not feel like they're rushing through anything, taking their time with the song, walking and waiting. RSR have a delight that never fails to set one in a good contemplative mood.

official, myspace, last.fm


Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto)
When you have a song featuring Beth Ditto of Gossip, you know you're gonna have a song with solid vocals that's not going to let you down. Someone of her stature with
a duo who are known for their heavily stylised tracks, you can immediately turn up the dial and start grooving. SMD's background arrangements are nearly outdone by her vocals, but with deadly hooks like that, they go head to head with each other; at times competing yet complementing each other, it's one pretty good dance song.

official, myspace, last.fm


The Black Atlantic - Madagascar
This little known group hailing from Groningen, Netherlands leaves us wanting more with a pleasant, affectionate track titled Madagascar. I've not been to Madagascar, but if this song embodies what this country is about, I can perfectly envision a quaint country with so many little things to love. A particular line in this acoustic number keeps returning to me, because it seems so apt "whether man needs the lie like air to survive". I would like to pose this question to myself, but I think I wouldn't be able to find an answer.

official, myspace, last.fm


The Polyamorous Affair - New York City
The track in question is New York City pulled from their album "Bolshevik Disco", so click "full track" and then the play button at the top right hand box. Reminiscent of retro disco, complete with thumping electronic synths, this is pure decadence and lush melodies, nothing short of what you'd expect from glam-pop harkening from the 70s and 80s. They generally have quite short songs, ranging from 2:30 to 3:30, but this is slightly longer at 4:01. Escape into a world of fantasies and soak up the "inspired dance beats of Giorgio Moroder and the raw sexuality of Serge Gainsbourg’s collaborations with vixens, Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, plus a twist of Marc Bolan-esque hooks and Goldfrapp’s technological pagan naturist ways." (as said on last.fm) This husband and wife duo(remember Handsome Furs) are definitely one to keep on your playlist and radar. Why this seems so familiar is because it was from my previous post and I just cut and paste. Sorry for being a little lazy. Hah.

official, myspace, last.fm


Inch Chua - Devotion in Reality
This is actually a link to her official page where you can do a download of the lovely EP of which this track is part of. And shoot me, but I'm reusing the write up of this song from an older post again, partly cause I've got no time, and there's really way too much to write.

Devotion In Reality delves deep into her past, musing about lost love. Of (broken) promises and heartbreak, you realise that this album could be about personal experiences. Well paced, with what sounds like a xylophone(?) in the background, the song slowly introduces you into her world, where the lack of lyrics mid song coincide with the opening to the door into that cosy, intimate world of hers and moves on, as if she's showing you around this wonderful place. I'm reminded of The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, where the title character lives in a really tiny world (actually an asteroid), which is just about as big a house could be.

Listening to it again has made me realise this could be actually a very nice song to listen to if you're all alone on this Christmas where it's supposed to be a day of joy, love and giving.

official, purevolume, last.fm


Au Revoir Simone - Shadows
An emotional song which sees the trio going on about a break up, and how it affects both parties. The keyboards and synths are but only partners in crime in this intimate song. The dulcet yet at times appealingly flat sound of Erika's voice (I think) makes me want so much more.

official, myspace, last.fm

The Saturday Mix #28 - i wanna breathe that fire again

It's high time I changed the picture of this weekly fixture.

The Sound of Arrows - Danger!
maybe you're in danger, and you don't even know it. don't talk to strangers and know when to quit. such cute lyrics!

The Sound of Arrows - Danger! (Mr Pedro Remix)

Animal Collective - My Girls (Gigamesh Remix)
Yes, fabulous mix of a fantastic song. The psychedelic of the song is still present, but Gigamesh throws in quite a fair bit of ravey and turns it out into a fairly danceable tune. I like it. Speaking of AC, I was actually wondering if I should even do a poll of best album of the year. But I don't think anyone would vote. HAHA.

The Killers - Read My Mind (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
Josh and Dave take one of the hottest track's off "Sam's Town" and turn it into a trance beat. It runs a whopping 10plus minutes, with an intro and outro.

The Killers - Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Mix)
Jacques Lu Cont, also known as Thin White Duke but his real name is Stuart Price, does his stuff on a song from their debut album "Hot Fuss"

Muse - Undisclosed Desires
The second single of "The Resistance" is smashing. Not the usual rock, more balladic but smashing nonetheless. The lyrics are so damn good as well. Top notch Muse. I really can't wait to see them in Feb.

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart
I want to recognise your beauty is not just a mask
I want to exorcise the demons from your past
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart

Muse - Undisclosed Desires (Thin White Duke Mix)
Quite a decent mix, but I still like the original better.

i should be floating but i'm weighted by thinking

Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky
An AC track on their latest EP "Fall Be Kind". Having released the critically acclaimed "Merriweather Post Pavillion" at the start of this year, it is only fitting that they end it with a bang. Not so much a bang per se, but you get what I mean. Amid all that cymbals and electronic, lies a flower waiting to bloom, or a caterpillar metamorphosising into a butterfly, waiting to emerge from it's cocoon. It's not abrupt, more gradual, as the electronica gives way to Panda Bear's vocals accompanied by a bass-y drumbeat. It's here, where the butterfly breaks free ready for it's first time at flight. A wonderful song, beautiful and evocative. It could have been on MPP or stood strong on it's own, but either way, it's a wonderful way for AC to end the year.

Asobi Seksu - Thursday

Asobi Seksu - Thursday (Acoustic)
I totally love this acoustic version.

It seems you lost your way
You've let it all fall apart
Nothing's left here but you
All you do is remind me
Now that we've lost our way
The rest can all fall apart
All I see here is you
All it does is remind me

Such bittersweet lyrics and sublime melodies, belted out by Yuki's beautiful voice.

French Horn Rebellion - Up All Night
This is so fun! The slight falsetto is fitting, keyboards (MGMT style) providing a light backdrop to a streetside video.

The Saturday Mix #22 - i stand outside under broken leaves

This French pack here is dope. The whole world should get to know their music. And yes, Phoenix have been heavily remixed, which is a good thing. There's many different and new takes of their fantastic songs. I know that they've been really remixed so much, but it seems like there's a million remixes out there. It's rabid! Don't know if the remixes will ever stop rolling in like hot cakes off the pan, but I don't think I'll tire of them(and the remixes) though they should do more remixes of songs like Rome and Armistice, instead of 1901 and Lisztomania. Anyhow, testament to that, Phoenix decided to commission a release - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Remix Collection) - an eclectic compilation of 15 remixes of their songs by Yacht, Passion Pit, Animal Collective and Friendly Fires just to name a few. It just dawned on me how their album cover is of them dropping bombs, and it seems like they really dropped bombs filled with the best stuff in music.

Small little tidbit. I'm pretty sure many of you guys have heard of Daft Punk. Even I heard of them when I was younger. Band members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, together with Laurent Brancowitz made up Darlin', an indie rock outfit, albeit for a short period. However, things didn't pan out as well and I think they disbanded. This led to Laurent joining up with Phoenix while Guy-Manuel and Thomas made up Daft Punk. Interesting huh.


Phoenix - Fences (Grincheux And Dangereux mix)

Phoenix - Fences (Nujax Remix)

Phoenix - Rome (Neighbors feat. Devendra Banhart Remix)
Not your usual remix - it's normally a dancier, more souped up version of a song - but this is slower, remixed down. Really love it.

Phoenix - Love Like A Sunset (Animal Collective Remix)

Phoenix - Love Like A Sunset (Shuttle Remix)
This trippy mix is by Shuttle, who's Nate Donmoyer of Passion Pit. Music is so exciting right now.

Phoenix- 1901 Bo Flex'd (Passion Pit Remix)

Phoenix - Lisztomania (Alex Metric Remix)

THIS MONTH: what was and what will be

Well, August is coming to an end, and we're two-thirds through with the year. Music this year so far has been awesome. There's so many albums which could potentially be album of the year, nevertheless, here's some goodies released so far this year.



Of course, the much hyped Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective can most certainly not be left out. In fact, I'd think that MPP would be on nearly every Top Albums List of the Year. Something random, I've come across quite a number of people who say that Animal Collective sounds even better than they already do, when you're on drugs or on a high. Well, I should try listening to them when I'm on a high. Besides, they have this really dope optical illusion for their album cover. It's already making you see weird when you're sober, what more seeing it while you're high. Trippy!

Animal Collective - In The Flowers



This is one of my personal favourites for easy listening, like really, anytime anywhere. An unexplicable attraction to their songs is the easiest I can describe this. It's Au Revoir Simone with Still Night, Still Light. I did a review of it here and they certainly are much to love.

Au Revoir Simone - Knight of Wands



Dirty Projectors sure came a long way, since the time Longstreth struck it out on his own with "The Graceful Fallen Mango" and now releasing the critically acclaimed Bitte Orca, which means Please Orca or Please Whale, since Bitte is please in german and Orca is a species of carnivorous whale (remember Free Willy?) Their fresh experimental music is definitely here to stay.

Dirty Projectors - Temecula Sunrise



They are Robin Pecknold, Skyler Skjelset, Christian Wargo, Casey Wescott and Josh Tillman. They are Fleet Foxes. With their eponymous debut album, Fleet Foxes. Says Robin, who along with Skyler could be said to be the founders of Fleet Foxes, "We aim to be adventurous and true to ourselves and to enjoy our time together—the music we make is a reflection of our instincts... ...We love acoustic guitars, electric guitars, big rolling tom drums, mandolins, dulcimers, bass guitars, bass pedals, organs, pianos, kotos, and most of all harmony and melody.. ..try to draw from the traditions of folk music, pop, choral music and gospel, baroque psychedelic, sacred harp singing, West Coast music, traditional music from Ireland to Japan, and film scores, and are inspired by the music of our friends and contemporaries in the Seattle music family." Well, they've certainly succeeded in drawing from their influences, and clearly in Blue Ridge Mountains, there's the folksy english/irish sound accompanied by what I think is the mandolin.

Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains


There's tonnes more good music out there, these musicians, bands or singers etc, with unrelenting fervour in doing what they do best - creating music. Here's a list of several more albums that have been put out so far this year and is in no particular order. Also, this list is by no means exhaustive, for every album I list here, there's probably 5 more as good/better albums out there. Feel free to add in your comments what you think are your favourite albums so far this year.

Dan Deacon "Bromst"
Reverie Sound Revue "Reverie Sound Revue"
Whites Lies "To Lose My Life"
Bibio "Ambivalence Avenue"
Handsome Furs "Face Control"
The Antlers "Hospice"
Fever Ray "Fever Ray"
Grizzly Bear "Veckatimest"
Phoenix "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
Miike Snow "Miike Snow"
O+S "O+S"
Ohbijou "Beacons"
Passion Pit "Manners"
Portugal. The Man "The Satanic Satanist"
St. Vincent "Actor"
The Decemberists "The Hazards of Love"
Camera Obscura "My Maudlin Career"
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart "The Pains of Being Pure at Heart"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "It's Blitz!"
Florence + the Machine "Lungs"



Well, having said what was, now what will be. I'm pretty sure the later third of the year would not be a letdown, what with all the new releases anticipated by everyone out there. Here's some.

Yo La Tengo "Popular Songs"
The Big Pink "A Brief History of Love" The Big Pink - Dominos
Islands "Vapours"
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart "Higher Than The Stars EP" The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction
The Twilight Sad "Forget the Night Ahead"
Volcano Choir "Unmap"
Fool's Gold "Fool's Gold"
Memory Tapes "Seek Magic"
Headlights "Wild Life"
Sufjan Stevens "Run Rabbit Run" Sufjan Stevens - The Lord God Bird
Atlas Sound "Logos"
Fuck Buttons "Tarot Sport"
Built To Spill "There Is No Enemy"
Mayer Hawthorne "A Strange Arrangement" Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
The Raveonettes "In and Out of Control"
Neon Indian "Psychic Charm"




See yall in September!

let's face this night and see it through

Animal Collective - Daily Routine
Actually I figured on doing a review on Merriweather Post Pavillion, but there's a dearth of reviews on MPP, and there was so much hype over this damn good album that most reviews are positive.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction

Page France - Spine

Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
OMG, really creative video. I like the chalk drawn skeleton on the black outfit. Neat!


on a side note, someone should seriously do a remix of Miike Snow's Sylvia.

Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls

Animal Collective - Bluish

St. Vincent - The Strangers
Oddly nice song. A bit quirky but i like it.

The Saturday Mix #5 - It's TIMEEEE

Sally Shapiro - Miracle

The Most Serene Republic - Heavens to Purgatory

Fever Ray - Triangle Walks

The Decemberists - The Wanting Comes In Waves

Animal Collective - My Girls
reminds me of the Home Video - I Can Make You Feel It video.

Dan Deacon - Snookered

The Knife - Neverland

i think Snookered is a fantastic song, and I think he's one to look out for. Incredibly talented and worth checking out. May feature him soon, look out for it.