Raditude, Or, The Album We Wouldn't Wish Upon Surfer Blood.

During the hour and a half drive to Meaville, Pennsylvania to see Surfer Blood and Turbo Fruits play a free show at Allegheny College's Grounds for Change Coffee Shop, there were a series of appropriate, linear links. We had began listening to Broken Bells, a collaboration between The Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse, only to pass an exit for Mercer, PA. For a scant 37-minute album, the magnetism found on such highlights as "Vaporize" is markedly absent by record's end, and most critics will forget to place Broken Bell's magnet on their year-end fridge of favorites. As this was hardly long enough to hold us until we heard John Paul Pitts', of Surfer Blood, take on Mercer's reverb-laden melodic singing (alas, in actuality, the live show passes on the reverb), we delved into Plastic Beach by Gorillaz, where Damon Albarn recycles largely neglected genres such as disco, grime, and soul, along with downright resurrecting Lou Reed's charm as Brent DiCrescenzo illustrates. By the end of "Rhinestone Eyes", I was confident enough to proclaim, "take that, Julian Casablancas!," who, as you may know, failed to recreate the unbridled synth-pop energy of "11th Dimension" on the uneven Phrazes for the Young. Far from my first Plastic Beach listen, though, as the Gorillaz are receiving nearly as much attention as Joanna Newsom has as-of-late.

And that brings us to the mildly peculiar placement of Surfer Blood and Turbo Fruits at Grounds for Change, a nonprofit volunteer-run coffee shop in a building on Allegheny College's campus. We only had to weave our way through hallways lined with high-school-esque lockers and classrooms participating in choir practice or whatever it is that they do in there. On the miscalculated second floor, we swear the stair flights don't add up, we had found it. Students were lining up for their economic coffees and lounging on couches. Yet, somehow, as many small shows prove, the floor packs fast once the acts plug in. From there, Turbo Fruits took us through an unchallenging, yet mostly exciting, series of songs, including a cover of fucking CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" of all things. And, still, I wasn't voicing complaint. These Be Your Own Pet castoffs, two of the three, were meagerly attempting to channel the faux-punk of early Replacements, and that's honorable. It certainly had the kids who smuggled whiskey in a soda pop bottle excited along with well-underage girls shaking their asses and throwing their yogurt-fueled, milky arms in the direction of the jams. The drumming was wildly engaging, but this still-young band is stuck in 'promise'-land. There was just as much promise in BYOP's set at Bonnaroo in 2006, so how is it that these boys don't look or sound matured nearly four years later?

Surfer Blood only capitalized on the energy of Turbo Fruits, proving they may have more chops and poise than even their magnificent debut, Astro Coast, suggested. And, yes, as CokeMachineGlow has already illustrated twice, this band is comprised of four young dudes and one towering, peculiar enigma. And, yes, of-fucking-course, this is the latest great indie rock band to pilfer from Brian Eno ("Swim" rides the same wavelengths as "Needles in the Camel's Eye") and pluck sparingly from The Shins, Pavement and Weezer among others. But, seriously, was it necessary for the poor-man's mustachioed bassist to call out, "Raditude," after John Paul Pitts described "Fast Jabroni" as being "rad" and about his "love affair to wrestling?" Cringe-worthy, yet smile inducing. Dudes, you're supposed to focus on proto-turn-of-the-century Weezer. I'm certain we all know how toxic Raditude was, right?

The band eased their way through nearly all of Astro Coast, with the guitarist showboating briefly by playing with his mouth during "Catholic Pagans", and the boys did a number on our high expectations. After their goodbyes, Pitts returned to cover Guided by Voices' "Game of Pricks" to the young crowd's enjoyment. Somebody had requested it of him, and either I missed some pre-show discussion, or it was a friend of the band. Either way, it was just as rewarding as all straight-forward GBV covers are, and the band joined him after for a newer number, "I'm Not Ready". There's irony in the title, as my friend suggested, and they clearly appear ready to give us their Pinkerton in a year or two. That is, a terrific sophomore album. And, we can only hope they haven't a shred of Raditude in them.

Videos of "Catholic Pagans" and "Game of Pricks" are posted below, as well as links to a number of others.





Then, there's "Twin Peaks", "Fast Jabroni" , "Swim" and "I'm Not Ready". Enjoy.

Dwarf Planets and the Lioness

Earlier, The Planet Pluto was obligated to watch The Pluto Files, and I'd suggest that you do the same. That is, if you care to know why an insignificant, oddball mass of rock and ice became such an American heartthrob. Presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and endorsed by the likes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

 

Then, I wrote this oddball of a poem, endorsed by no one.

“The Lioness”

While studying lions

in Sub-Saharan

Africa,

I couldn’t resist falling for the lioness

that hunts the best.

Oh, but to place my paws on her,

and battle back the rest;

a strangulation of rival lion hearts

to become the mane man.

No king of wildlife researchers

in Africa or anywhere,

I am not powerful enough to fend off

the stigma against interspecies interplay

that keeps me as a mere zookeeper

of lion hearts,

rather than having my way

with her young lioness parts.

They say I'm Johnny Appleseed,

spreading my seed all over the land;

an omnipresent phantom

of interspecies dating.

But if you’re ever so smitten as to wade through

leech-ridden rivers in South Africa,

then you will know that you, too, are human.

No longer in Africa,

this is America,

the tranquilized beast

that can’t get behind me.

What can they?

While studying local businesses

in forgotten sub-suburban townships,

I couldn’t refrain from noticing

a sign endorsing a team

consisting of old, sexy predators:

“Go Cougars!”

Oh, but if a pack of cougars,

escaped from captivity

to maul elementary school kids,

well, I bet they’d take down the sign.

Lying in my den,

wishing the masses

would support my urges;

dreamt a metal wire

longed for a person

that was in love with another metal wire

that could form perfect right angles.

Comical to a degree.

And in my studies,

discovered everything’s fleeting;

there are dogs bleeding

into sewer drains

on the streets of Shanghai.

No one looks down,

they step over dry dog tongues

and sigh.

So, I sit in an intercity apartment complex,

pant like a lion in heat,

and miss my lioness.

Twitter Wars and The Clientele

Sure, I could discuss the siege of calculated post-rock behind Tortoise's terrific show at Mr. Small's Theater in Pittsburgh on February 17, or even how badass their encore was. I could also discuss how a couple friends and I went the distance to Brooklyn only a few nights later. On Sunday, February 21, after the Metropolitan Museum amazed two of us, we drove an hour and a half in traffic to Hoboken to see The Clientele at Maxwell's. And those British lads and lass charmed us off our collective ass. Yes, I could delve into this, but there's plenty of video below, so you can see for yourselves. There's a more pressing concern over here at The Planet Pluto. A war has emerged via the twittersphere, and I want to make everything abundantly clear. It's,

Michael T. vs. Fake Michael T.

Not only is this imposter stealing my name, but he's taking jokes straight from my playbook. On the way to NYC, Danny and I discussed how some states have unmarked cop cars. Quite possibly anything could be a cop car! And, fake me posted his own earthly observation:

Earthly Observation #55 & 1/2: Anything can be a cop car. SUV? Cop-SUV! Red wagon? Cop-wagon! Snow sled? Cop-sled! Cappuccino? Cop-uccino! about 5 hours ago via web

Beware of police in fake cars: Stair car with hop-ons? Cop-ons! Tug boat? Cop-boat! Bicycle? Cop-cycle! Animal Collective? Cop-lective! about 5 hours ago via web 

Oh, I slay me. about 4 hours ago via web

Michael Tkach? Cop-Tkach! about 4 hours ago via web


Naturally, I wasn't about to let this slide upon discovery:

How dare you @fakemichaeltkch !!! There's only room in twitterlandface for one of us, and that's me-me, not you-you-you-unfunny-imposter-me! about 4 hours ago via web

Plus, you've forgotten the 'A' that sounds more like a 'U' in 'Tkach' @fakemichaeltkch - Shame! Who do you think you are? Oh, right, me. about 4 hours ago via web


Since then, Fake Me has posted more and continues to post. I'd suggest you check out the fake page as he's clearly mastered my charm, but whatever you do- don't follow him! There are already Facebook fan pages forming claiming he is the better version of me. Don't buy into it! Do not join, or follow him. He wants to destroy me and any dignity I've left. Just look:


@michaeltkach I am more ME than you'll ever be. I left out the 'A' for dramatic effect & to expose my name for what it is: a consonant mess. about 4 hours ago via web in reply to michaeltkach 


And there's talk of stealing my credit cards (hasn't happened) and challenging me to Goldeneye 007 (no way he'll win). Ho-hum. What some people will do for attention.

Oh well, who wants some video of The Clientele?





And, there's also video of "Harvest Time", "Somebody Changed" and "The Garden at Night". Enjoy, and if you have a twitter, join/follow me and together we shall defeat all imposters, no matter how convincing they are.

The Wild Web versus L.

This week, I've been loving the harp out of Joanna Newsom, but last weekend was different. It was the weekend of love, right? Valentine's Day, all that hubbub. Well, I did some research, and I've been collecting my thoughts throughout the past week. You can also take a gander at some albums to theme Valentine's. This year, I added Serge Gainsbourg's Love on the Beat, Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, Leonard Cohen's Songs of Love and Hate, Super Furry Animals' Love Kraft and even Four Tet's There Is Love in You to the list.

Double dates are for the birds. Why doesn't anybody do triple or quadruple any longer?
Psht. Minimalism is what it is.
I'm an extreme minimalist. I date myself. I'm much easier to court.

The word is out! The critics hate Valentine's Day (the movie), and David unleashed the L word. And no, it isn't lesbian, it's love.

Oh, that L word. I'm disenfranchised from L. 
L is brutaL. 
LoL. 
Laughing out (of) love. 
Lately, it isn't safe out there for L. 
L will get raped.
Oo-la-la.

Sure, my parents spent last Saturday night in Cuba, New York, but there's a Bay of Pigs sinking their incisors into heart-shaped chocolates on V-Day. That's sort of like D-Day, only the primary danger is exploding <3s. KABOOM!

Hum. I should get out more. Or, should I? 

"On Agoraphobia"

If I could experience the planet online in 3-D, 
It would pop right out at me, 
Michael T. in 2-D, 
I'd never need to leave.

The 3-D Swiss cheese in Switzerland 
Seems mighty scrumptious. 
I will grab it! 
Shit. 
It's only holographic 
Cheese. 
Cannot eat! 
Must leave. 

Curse you, cheese!
Up your esophagus with a mini metropolis!

"On Leaving"

As I depart, she informs me to "take care," 
but she should be aware, 
I take more care than my fair share. 
I have spare care everywhere.

A Discussion on Chatroulette. 

What did I expect? I've heard reports of faux-Hitler, girls dancing to "Keep on, honey mustard, don't stop 'til you get enough," and a man stuffing himself into stuffed raccoon. Being that we live in a coon's age, I had to see for myself. I found a blue silhouette of a dog being pet, what might be a loop of Kermit the Muppet reaching for lotion and masturbating, someone force-feeding Dave Mathews Band's "Everyday" into the camera, a person who wanted to know if I was from Great America (I am Great America!), a cock ring that coils around, some women and more penis than I've seen in my entire life. All in one night. The Wild Web strikes back!

Oh, but there were a few decent conversations to be had, and I do not regret my visit. I'd encourage you to give the Wild West a shot. Never fear, if there's a tiny penis in sight, you can click away, and see what other absurdity awaits. My favorite side-game is guessing whether the stranger will skip to the next webcam before you do. Have a seat, cowboy, and discover the internet for what it is, raw and exposed.


Since then, what's been happening? I'm sad to report that I will not be competing for a spot on Dudes With Beards Eating Cupcakes after inadvertently trimming my beard away whilst listening to Kate Bush. For those that saw it, well it was as magical as a magic marker. My beard was as soft and white as my cat's, and with patches of gold like hers!

As you know, Goldie, my cat, is superb. Danny even charmed her: "You're much better than the Super Bowl. You're my Super Bowl."

If you did care, though, you know New Orleans won the Super Bowl because they have black Bush; proving George Bush should care about black people. The real winner was Kanye.

Well, my intent is not happiness and smiles and lucky charms and kids laughing in schoolyards and the birds and the bees and chirpy chirpy toot toot crickadeedeedees. But! I should also mention my dog, Dylan, before he becomes jealous of the cat, as always. Here's a photo competing to be among other pictures of Pupsters:

"Dylan is offended when people claim Tom Waits' singing resembles dogs howling at train whistles."

Oh, and here's a confused Dylan attempting escape:

Aww, look how cute he is when he's cold and in snow's captivity.

Anyway, Sir Shower suggested my butt-bone's sore. Thank Mr. Couch, my living room-mate; or it's tender after my tail was shot off like Fantastic Mr. Fox. Either way, I shall tend to this and prepare for the trip to Brooklyn tonight, then Hoboken for The Clientele.

Until next time, strangers and friends.

Well, there's gonna be a snowstorm.

I don't wear jammies; I kick out the jams.

Before you view the snowstorm of a poem and the photos, you should download and listen to The Planet Pluto's Snowstorm mix. You're going to like the way it sounds, I guarantee it.

 

“The Demise of Norway"

After the fabled Great Snowfall that would foreshadow the coming of a new Ice Age, this is a formal decree to construct the largest snow tunnel network this side of Sweden. Allow me to don my panda ski mask, and we'll dig,

dig,

dig.

Heigh ho, women and children, tunneling snow.

Who will front the first fast food chain? Who shall serve our blizzards extra gelid with chocolate chip cookies as black holes against a snow-covered, vanilla Earth in a waffle cone? Who will soon start the First National Snow Bank? Who will we blame for the first stock market crash under miles of dripping white cocaine? What asshole will hold the first Snow & Tell for the benefit of illiterate kids with frost-bit lips?

We will.

And the man named Joe Snow will be our king for obvious reasoning. Why bother with a democratic ballot when the competition lack a birth name to their credit, kissed by icebergs ushered along by katabatic winds in Greenland?

Or, as legend tells us, evil Arctic spirits commanded the caribou and polar bears to cast away icebergs that otherwise stunted the planet’s gentle masturbation.

And by that, I mean ejaculation at the sight of Norse colonies starving during the Little Ice Age. And by that, I mean children’s cadavers along the coastline like slaughtered seals, which comprise the finest boots. And by that, I mean the coming of Ragnarök and volcanoes erupting lava hearts for sake of winters’ love. And by that, I mean the departure of Vikings fearful of foul doings by pagan gods. And by all this, I mean dead babies, and nothing more.

After the avalanches that buried Norway, and the governmental effort to raise awareness from Incompetent to Mildly Competent, and the celebrity effort to boost their public image by excreting out a turd nugget or two from bloated bank accounts for the cause that makes their hearts the most lukewarm, and the public outcry:

“TELL THE AVALANCHES TO PICK ON SOMEBODY THEIR OWN SIZE!”

The Middle East was agreed upon by a majority vote as a fitting size match,

but after the failure,

failure,

failure to save Norway,

if we cannot stay on top of the snowfall that will befall us all, we shall get to the bottom of it.

Dig it?

And as our blood freezes over, and the igloo nights become colder, we shall give this winter the cold shoulder.

Enter Joe Snow, your great white leader, in a priest’s luxurious white robe, black bowtie and boots made of the most beautiful seal skin:

“C'mon, this snow ain't gonna form itself into a fine underground system. What do I look like? The Jesus of Avalanches?”

“(I'm not).”

“When morale falters, I can promise the pillaging of riches beyond your wickedest mental images. The stillness of snowy graves is not the move; it’s about the loot. Rich bastards buried amid their booty like goddamned Egyptian royalty. If only yearly currency, their pull on the land, was carved alongside epitaphs, then I’d know precisely where to plant my shovel. HEIGH HO!”

“Until then, travel light, folks. It's gonna be a long night; and be mindful of the snow beast that lurks in black snow heaps. He will illuminate your filthy, sun-deprived faces with his magnificent white fur coat and hands large enough to simultaneously crush the skulls of everyone present.”

As soon as their shovels started sinking into the snow, the yeti arose from hiding beneath a tuft of snow, and bellowed in anguish:

“ARGRAAHRGHRHGHR!”

It was an unrecognizable ululation, but we, the people, pissed our collective pants. Some of us were wearing two or three pairs. All the more pairs to piss through.

And the yeti said, “I don't light up a room; I darken it. I carry GLOOM and MISERY in suitcases! My pets are the Komodo dragon and Tasmanian devil! I cry hot magma.”

“I’m not racist, but white's my favorite color. I was rooting for a nuclear white-out to erase humanity, so that I could live harmoniously, alone. Snow, you make me melt. Thanks to its help in frosting over human progression, I can live without risk of being hunted.”

“I will kill you, but I can’t contain you. I will drain your blood in my bathtub, build forts with your bones, scrape your skin off my boots, and sustain you.”

“Naturally, as a beast of my stature, I will outlive you, but I will never outlove you. I'm not even living; I'm coexisting with the open air. I’m an influenza, and my resignation is catching in parts of town with the least oxygen.”

The people stared, lifeless zombies, as always.

“C’mon! Don’t even act as if you aren’t impressed by the size of my penis inherent in my words.”

Then, with a simple unhinging of latches of the yeti’s suitcases, and with a smattering of red on a snow white canvas, a bloodletting at the expense of a few average men; the beast proves all starts are DEAD ENDS.

Home again.

The demise of Norway awaits us all. A cursed snowstorm, in alliance with the fuckest king of beasts, has bested us with enough icy inches to make even the yeti's penis seem insignificant.

 

 

 

The Search for the Perfect Live Video

If you're the slightest bit familiar with me and my exploits, then you'll know I'm often taking off on musical adventures. In 2009, I went to a (personal) record-breaking total of 24 concerts, one three-day festival, and an average of, let's say, one local show per week. For the full report on my escapades, you can visit my last.fm 2009 events page. You can also peruse what I've written about some of the adventures: Department of Eagles (with burrito men jokes), The Mountain Goats, Max Tundra/Junior Boys (with video), Flight of the Conchords + Pains of Being Pure at Heart (with video), and, what the hell, here's my video blog containing Bob Dylan and Bill Callahan impressions, along with general mayhem.

Now, I'm attempting to bring the focus away from the 140 character twitter format, and back to the blog. So, I am playing catch-up with a plethora of live video I've taken dating back to July's Pitchfork Music Festival. It wouldn't be here if the sound and video quality weren't at least above average, and these are all live videos I've personally taken with my camera.

To begin, here's Yo La Tengo performing "Sugarcube" on the first night of the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. A Yo La Tengo show without covers is not much of a Yo La Tengo show, but at least there was Goose Island beer to be had, and they played hits such as this:



Recently (January 30th, 2010), I saw the Antlers with some friends in Akron, Ohio. For what that was like, imagine standing in a dark room, staring at a few men barely budge as they play an extended version of their entire album, with enough reverb to swallow Akron whole. On the other hand, you can watch them take "Bear" outside at Pitchfork, which is much easier on the eyes and ears.



Final Fantasy (now known by his real name, Owen Pallett) was the second best computer game-related artist at Pitchfork. #1 was DOOM.




In between sets, Pitchfork attendees read books, knit, yell obscure 'jokes' aimed at the stage, and talk about how much they hate music. The Walkmen crowd boos over people holding beach balls and cheers over a musical triangle. Haven't heard anyone that excited over geometry since 5th grade. Either way, here's The Walkmen performing a new tune.




Later, The Flaming Lips emerged from a psychedelic vagina screen and Wayne was in the hamster ball. Pitchfork added the spectacle to small festival. The next day, it was homeward, with a brief stop to drop off Dan Simpson in Defiance, Ohio: the antithesis of New York & Chicago, but didn't leave until Danny and I completed 25 consecutive frisbee catches. Also, there's the continuing search for the perfect beat. And, as Dan Graber would joke, "Help! I've been Taken by Trees."

After leaving Defiance, and during most of these extensive drives, there's the ongoing concern of angry semi drivers. After cutting off one such creature, I was concerned he'd team up and trap me with his semi-buddies.

Shortly thereafter, I was off to Cleveland to see The Walkmen (again) and Cass McCombs. Of course, there was the epic men's restroom wall battle in Beachland Ballroom. Then, I saw Cass McCombs play this great number, among others, with his Super Mario guitarist:


 

Naturally, The Walkmen performed plenty of You & Me songs, to the extent that I could use a break from You & Me, where they indulge in their recurring theme of songs centered around the Christmas/New Year's time-frame. Yet, an hour of their hungover laments is never enough.

Yes, there were concerts in between, but I made it just in time to see Circulatory System in Cleveland on September 16. What a lovely universe. And, here they perform "This Morning (We Remembered Everything)":



I had attempted to take decent video of the WHY? show in the land of Pitt Stops and Pitt Stains, where two friends couldn't return to their cars in parking decks that closed at midnight. It might've worked if I had been closer, and the crowd wasn't singing/rapping along.

On October 5, however, I saw Yo La Tengo for the second time this year, and third overall, as they ripped through an hour and 50 minutes of unrelenting, and riveting rock. Now, that's how it is done. There's video of Yo La Tengo's "Did I Tell You" below, and if you want more, then click the links for covers of "Accident" by Electric Eels and "Hungry" by Paul Revere and the Raiders.

Update: video of "I'm on My Way" and a cover of The Urinals' "Black Hole".

 

October 20: "Another concert: St. Vincent. Cleveland. Honda Civic. Sliced carrots. Keeping an appearance on country roads, route 14, 2009. Playing OutKast." That's how the drive went. Then, the show itself was as lovely as Annie Clark looks. Here's footage of "Marrow":



Twit on November 3: "At Garfield Artworks to see Mount Eerie. Even the 'cool' portion of Pittsburgh are dopey goobers that rep Steelers apparel & never cut hair." Here's "Between Two Mysteries":



On November 7, I saw White Denim at the Grog Shop in Cleveland. On the way, in a tiresome state, my car struck a dead deer in the road. The buzz was that the deer blood on the passenger side of my honeysuckle Honda was bound to attract bees if I didn't clean it by spring, 20-10. (I did). The payoff was the exhilarating performance by White Denim, who played for an hour with only a couple minutes of rest overall. There's some of that below.
 


November 16: "Off to Amish, Ohio/ Gambier's Kenyon College for A Sunny Day in Glasgow show in the same barn art space I saw Mountain Goats in late March."
"24 people came to Horn Gallery at Kenyon College to see A Sunny Day at Glasgow. They play jj, & set up a lamp, Christmas lights in the barn."

There's a triumphant version of "Failure" below, and also a link for footage of "Close Chorus" and the interpretive dancing that sparked in the barn.

 

December 9: "On the way to Columbus, stopped to piss, and the wind took the lid and some coffee content from a lady after knocking Karlee into a truck."
"They're playing Lou Reed, and I'm faking the violin as we await Phoenix, the live experience, so we can forget about the Cadillac commercials."

After opening with "Lisztomania" as seen below, Phoenix failed to turn "Love Like a Sunset" upwards to the live heights of Animal Collective's "Fireworks", but they were French-tastic otherwise. You can also view videos of "If I Ever Feel Better" and "1901" by following the links.




Finally, on December 26, there was a local show at Lemon Grove where I recorded Death Crazed Teenage Superheroes covering of Montreal's "Gronlandic Edit". If you want more, somebody recorded their cover of Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks". And yes, they have good original material, also.



Now, what musical adventures will 2010 provide? Well, not as many if I don't land a decent job. That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned for original material, and less music coverage.

Sometimes I Wish We Were an Album in 2009

To compliment my favorite tracks of 2009, here are my favorite albums. If you were following my favorite albums of the decade list, you'll notice a few discrepencies here. For instance, The Clientele's Bonfires on the Heath was once among my top 100 of the decade; here, it is reduced to #11, behind many other placers. I'd argue that The Clientele still deserve the spot in the decade list, but the album should've been Strange Geometry or Suburban Light. Either way, I have now had plenty of time to sit with these fifty albums, and they are all my babies; at least until I forget they exist in a couple years.

You'll notice a few oddities, surprises and the like. I mean, where else would you find three 'Mountain' bands: The Mountain Goats, Mountain Man and Mountains? Does this sicken you? Tell me about it. Have I slandered one of your favorites by calling them overrated? Get over it. Have I forgotten or miscalculated? Not entirely unlikely. It's an easy formula, really. First, I figure out how many listens an album has had via my last.fm. Quantitative, then, influences qualitative. Factor the time span I've had the album, and circumstancial elements such as accessibility to play around others. Then, add feeling. Voilà!

We've reached the final train stop for lists. After this, it'll be back to creative fictional madness. That's more than a promise, even if the final project requires many months of slow progress. I'll be certain to post apart from larger works that I've been sitting on. I'm keeping them warm, you know. Nesting. Caw.

The Finest Fifty Albums of 2009:

Photo by Seth Basista

1. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion

2. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

3. Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca

4. Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

5. The xx- xx

6. A Sunny Day in Glasgow- Ashes Grammar

7. DOOM- Born Like This

8. Atlas Sound- Logos

9. jj- n° 2

10. Burial + Four Tet- Moth/Wolf Cub 12"

11. The Clientele- Bonfires on the Heath

12. Bill Callahan- Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle

13. Fever Ray- Fever Ray

14. Raekwon- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II

15. Animal Collective- Fall Be Kind EP

16. Antony & the Johnsons- The Crying Light

17. Girls- Album

18. Blackout Beach- Skin of Evil

19. Emeralds- What Happened

20. Sunset Rubdown- Dragonslayer

21. Circulatory System- Signal Morning

22. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

23. Cass McCombs- Catacombs

24. Mount Eerie- Wind's Poem

25. Neon Indian- Psychic Chasms

26. St. Vincent- Actor

27. Yo La Tengo- Popular Songs

28. The Flaming Lips- Embryonic

29. Taken by Trees- East of Eden

30. Japandroids- Post-Nothing

31. The Antlers- Hospice

32. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone- Vs. Children

33. Super Furry Animals- Dark Days/Light Years

34. The Mountain Goats- The Life of the World to Come

35. Real Estate- Real Estate

36. Mountains- Choral

37. Dinosaur Jr.- Farm

38. Memory Tapes- Seek Magic

39. Bat for Lashes- Two Suns

40. Califone- All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

41. Micachu- Jewellery

42. William Basinski- 92982

43. Mountain Man- Mountain Man EP

44. Alec Ounsworth- Mo Beauty

45. Jim O'Rourke- The Visitor

46. Wild Beasts- Two Dancers

47. Sun O)))- Monoliths & Dimensions

48. Tortoise- Beacons of Ancestorship

49. WHY?- Eskimo Snow

50. Cymbals Eat Guitars- Why There Are Mountains

Honorable Mentions: Mos Def, Tim Hecker, Marissa Nadler, Here We Go Magic, Harlem Shakes, White Denim, Delorean, Andrew Bird, Woods, The Very Best, The Sandwitches, Pissed Jeans, Junior Boys, Mulatu Astake & the Heliocentrics, Do Make Say Think and many others that I won't bother to mention in honorable mentions.

Best Compilation for a Good Cause, and I Listen Because It's Awesome: Dark Was the Night

Best Live Albums: Nirvana's Live at Reading, and Tom Waits' Glitter and Doom Live (which hardly stands as the next best thing to tickets, which I've yet to manage)

Best & Only 2009 Comedy Album I've Heard: Patton Oswalt's My Weakness Is Strong

Best Comeback Album: The Flaming Lips- Embryonic

What the Fuck Album of 2009: You know what, I'm pulling the plug on this award; ever since I listened to Philip Glass' Einstein on the Beach, nothing really rattles me any longer

Biggest Disappointment: The Avalanches must still be "clearing samples," there wasn't a single mention of their second album after early May

Most Overrated in 2009: Wavves, Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, Green Day, Discovery, etc.

Worst Album of 2009: Owl City- Ocean Eyes

Best (So Far) of 2010: Beach House, Spoon, Alex Bleaker & the Freaks, Surfer Blood, The Besnard Lakes, Pantha du Prince; the rest deserve more listens before I call them 'best of'

Worst (So Far) of 2010: Vampire Weekend- Contra

Most Anticipated in 2010: The Avalanches, The Knife, Panda Bear, Radiohead, Joanna Newsom, the Wrens, Tom Waits, etc.

What Would I Want? Lists.

So, last year, the top tracks of 2008 were muddied by chatter. These are only songs, and some of the finest you'll find anywhere. And, honestly, after finishing writing blurbs for 100 of my favorite albums of the decade, I've grown a little tiresome of music talk. Finally, as expected, there are favorites that didn't fit, and ones I will likely wish I'd excluded later, or adjusted the order. Whatever. I've also decided to include the tracks in zip file clusters containing ten songs each because, well, it was quicker. How's that for you? When I post my favorite albums of 2009, you'll definitely find some high placers without songs to represent them here. For an idea of albums I believed were my favorite roughly six months ago, or for more music links, (re)visit my Summer Mix & Midyear Music Lisztomania.

The Best Tracks of the 2009 Crop:

Photo by Seth Basista

1. Animal Collective- "My Girls"

2. Grizzly Bear- "Two Weeks"

3. Dirty Projectors- "Stillness Is the Move"

4. Animal Collective- "What Would I Want? Sky"

5. Atlas Sound- "Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox)"

6. Phoenix- "1901"

7. Sufjan Stevens- "You Are the Blood" (Castanets cover)

8. Cass McCombs- "Dreams-Come-True-Girl"

9. Julian Casablancas- "11th Dimension"

10. Bill Callahan- "Eid Ma Clack Shaw"

----Tracks 1-10: mp3s

11. Grizzly Bear- "While You Wait for the Others"

12. The xx- "Basic Space"

13. A Sunny Day in Glasgow- "Failure"

14. Burial- "Fostercare"

15. jj- "ecstasy"

16. Air France- "GBG Belongs to Us"

17. Jay-Z- "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)"

18. Phoenix- "Lisztomania"

19. Yo La Tengo- "Here to Fall"

20. Super Furry Animals- "Inaugural Trams"

----Tracks 11-20: mp3s

21. Flight of the Conchords- "Hurt Feelings" (also, check out the show & "We're Both in Love With a Sexy Lady")

22. The Clientele- "Harvest Time"

23. Clipse- "Kinda Like a Big Deal (feat. Kanye West)"

24. Sunset Rubdown- "Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!"

25. Fever Ray- "If I Had a Heart"

26. Raekwon- "House of Flying Daggers (ft. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man)"

27. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- "Young Adult Friction"

28. DOOM- "Gazillion Ear"

29. Toro y Moi- "Blessa"

30. Girls- "Lust for Life"

----Tracks 21-30: mp3s

31. The Mountain Goats- "Psalms 40:2"

32. The Flaming Lips- "Watching the Planets"

33. St. Vincent- "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood"

34. Antony and the Johnsons- "Aeon"

35. WHY?- "This Blackest Purse"

36. Junior Boys- "Hazel"

37. Neon Indian- "Deadbeat Summer"

38. Portishead- "Chase the Tear"

39. Here We Go Magic- "Tunnelvision"

40. Micachu- "Calculator"

----Tracks 31-40: mp3s

41. The Tough Alliance- "Hung up on a Dream" (The Zombies cover)

42. Japandroids- "Young Hearts Spark Fire"

43. Mountain Man- "Animal Tracks"

44. Swan Lake- "Warlock Psychologist"

45. Basement Jaxx- "Raindrops"

46. Wild Beasts- "All the King's Men"

47. The Big Pink- "Dominos"

48. Bat for Lashes- "Daniel"

49. YACHT- "Psychic City (Voodoo City)" (really the only solid point on the album)

50. Future of the Left- "You Need Satan More Than He Needs You"

----Tracks 41-50: mp3s

Lastly, for the sake of fairness and simplicity, I've decided to present some of my favorite music by friends, one remix by Air France, and one comedy track by Patton Oswalt apart from the top 50. That isn't to say these tracks couldn't compete with those, but I really feel you should also check into them. If you're a fan of the list above, you'll enjoy these extras. There's one more I strongly desire to share; a close friend recorded a cover of The Microphones' "I Felt Your Shape" for me while she was in Cyprus. Yet, she was hesitant to even let me have it, so perhaps I'll spare her the "embarassment," but it is truly lovely, and I've listened seventeen times in less than three weeks. While that number may be personal, the rest of these are free for you to explore. So, uh, go wild.

Saint Etienne- "Spring (Air France Remix)"

Patton Oswalt- "Orgy"

Third Class- "Party in Your House" (three great guys, first local band I ever saw in 2002, and they continue to improve)

Sam Goodwill- "Entertainment for the Cultured" (quickly becoming the best act in Youngstown)

The final two tracks are both by my friend Danny; Deframe Court is his solo project that began when he stayed in Colorado for summer 2007, and Little Time is his collaborative project in Defiance, Ohio. He's gained mention before after a poetry post this past summer, and was #38 in 2008's top tracks list.

----Extra Tracks: mp3s

The Decade of Aughts: Albums 20-1

This is it. The horse and cabbage. The whole kittens and poodles. Or, well, you know, everything. The moment I've been indefinitely delaying. It has been months since I've finalized the order of this list; and yes, I'd make changes already, if you asked me. Ask me in another year, and you may see none of this here. Okay, sure, so that one is a lie. Unlike Facebook, I don't 'like' things. Instead, I rate them on scales of 1 to 10, or various increments in which I invent. Thus, defeating any general state of being, and living purely on a scale-oriented system where nothing is equal in value. While I don't like things in the social networking sense, I might fancy some, and hope you do, too. That way, we are on equal latitudes. I'd despise receiving more oxygen than you. Come on up to my house on the hill, and I'll share my top twenty of the past ten years.


100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1

The Top 100 Albums of the Aughts, and Here We Are at the Top:

Photo by Seth Basista

20. Shugo Tokumaru- Night Piece (2004)

This record is how I'd like to imagine Japan: its complexities as cuddly panda bears battling with bamboo sticks in a fight to see whose stock falls the fastest, and that's the weapon itself, bamboo. Of course, this means absolutely nothing amid a debut album that hardly pushes a half hour, and is entirely comprised of Japanese (see: gibberish) lyrics. As with Frédéric Chopin's nocturnes before it, Night Piece is furthering that tradition of a cantabile melody over an arpeggiated accompaniment. Shugo continues to thrive in this ground as we sing along to a bizarre, uncharted language (for Americans); and Night Piece, at the very least, is a remarkable place-holder album between two more substantial (lengthier) works.
--"Paparazzi": mp3

19. TV on the Radio- Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)

I'm not sure who let you in, but you're welcome. The definition of a band that takes themselves too seriously, and are lucky they've found themselves here. Dear Science was a bloated shot to land atop the indie rock mainstay, and it's a shame how many were fooled into believing them. Their definitive statement came two years prior, before they were too big for their own dancing shoes. An era when an english essay on Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse was titled "Woolf Like Me", even containing a TV on the Radio namedrop. And when the song itself unknowingly led me to a much higher mile per hour. This isn't just the worst album title on the list; it is an album to be reckoned with. Apparently, nothing can stop it; not even their own egos.
--"Wolf Like Me": mp3

18. Grizzly Bear- Yellow House (2006)

If there ever was an album I could live in, this would be it. Warm, spacious, endlessly inviting. And to think they would trump it only a few years later is startling. I could delve into an extended analogy of how the harmonies are the furniture, and yammer on about serenading a then-love-interest, now-friend with the tender sing-along song about backstabbing treason, "Knife". I could also add that while spending time with the aforementioned person, my Colorado friend called (a rarity), and I excitedly sang her this new song "Colorado", which as we all know is just as vast and epic as the state. But I won't. For sake of finishing this damned list, I'll merely tell you that this band is far greater than the sum of its parts. It's about the Yellow House, not the yellow canary in the living space, or the bodies under the floorboards. This is bigger than that.
--"Knife (Girl Talk Remix)": mp3

17. Spoon- Kill the Moonlight (2002)

So, of every Spoon album, why this one? To my surprise, many of you are still clinging onto your Gimme Fiction copies as if it didn't age. My friends still sing its praises as it was their introduction to the band. Well, mine, too. Then, my mathematical mind came to find the band at its brightest when they're at their absolute simplest. And I detest that every discussion of Spoon only reinforces their Spoonness. At least, while I cannot quite capture their essence, they've at least bested The Knife by becoming the highest placing kitchen utensil band on this list. Even worse, they are a kitchen utensil band named after a song by a little krautrock band named Can. Kids, do you enjoy your indie rock soup? As Britt Daniel would emote, "yeah, uh-huh, alright." I'm convinced.
--"Paper Tiger": mp3

16. My Morning Jacket- Z (2005)

"Dondante" is a daunting track to describe; so daunting that I dare not even include it as the mp3 sample. For a year, or what seemed a year, it was the sound of my descent to sleepland. Something about Jim James', "you had me worried," cries enveloped by a steady drum and a guitar big enough to echo through the entire Grand Canyon. Plus, it only seemed fitting for the final track of an album entitled Z to lead me to the coziest state of mental rest. It has a natural arc, and stands as the sole moment they really let themselves go on an otherwise concise record. And it could've been even greater had the album mood remained consistent. What the hell is up with "Into the Woods", anyway? But even a "baby in a blender" can't distract me from what is otherwise My Morning Jacket's most earnest approach to great songwriting in wasteless packaging.
--"Gideon": mp3

15. Jay-Z- The Blueprint (2001)

It was 9/11, and everybody was mourning, but my friend Danny and I still met to pick up this album after a rendezvous at McDonald's, our high school source of income. If only twenty-aught-nine-me could tell twenty-aught-one-me that this would prove to be hip-hop's greatest win-over album for me. Then, after I gave up hip-hop for a few years, Clipse and this album slowly helped me to my feet again. The past couple years have seen a resurgence in hip-hop interest. Only difference, now I'm not wasting earspace on Ja Rule and DMX. Naturally, the genre has changed much since then, but as Raekwon would contend this year, it doesn't always have to. Yet, Jay never could record a proper sequel, but like Star Wars or any other strong original work, this hasn't affected the source material. "Takeover" is just as shit-slingingly awesome, "Renegade" still inspired some of the best verses Eminem has ever contributed anywhere, and the whole is a great, everlasting effort to shake up the genre. So, sure, I've started into Ghostface Killah way late into the game to praise it as emphatically as other critics, but I've been with The Blueprint since day one, ground zero. It's just as life-altering now as it was then.
--"Takeover": mp3

14. Yo La Tengo- And Then Nothing Turns Itself Inside-Out (2000)

For what its worth, since Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, the husband/wife duo, formed the band in 1984, this stands as my second favourite album of theirs. Only I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One looms larger. One good reason: this record is a downer. Over the course of an hour and seventeen minutes, however, Nothing developes into a whole lot of something. Marital woes or what-have-you, this is that rare work that rarely sees daylight. "You Can Have It All" is easily the most uplifting moment considering the first song contains such a lyric: "I wanna cross my heart / I wanna hope to die." These days, as Popular Songs proves, they've little to fret over. And, why should they for a band so amazingly consistent?
--"You Can Have It All": mp3

13. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest (2009)

It's about Veckatimest that this little number gained some proper credit, rather than all the hubbub I've generated, going so far as to call Grizzly Bear silver-medalers. I considered them to be #2 in twenty aught six, and they'll again place at #2 in twenty aught nine. What keeps them from the number one spot? I'm not so certain, nor am I convinced they could've done this album better themselves if they re-recorded from scratch once per year. I'm getting delusional here. I'm trying to convey how magnificent this band is. This year was certainly one for catapaulting challenging artists to stellar status: Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors to name two, and Phoenix, too, if you disregard the 'challenging' adjective and supplant 'promising'. While Veckatimest isn't within the elusive top ten, they should find redemption in that TV on the Radio was once my number one of twenty aught six, and I've since reconsidered. Also, to find two of their albums within the top twenty is a feat that only one band could match/surpass: Animal Collective (shiver). At this height, it's only greatness among greatness.
--"Two Weeks": mp3

12. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

The are many forms of bands:
A) those that resist much change, whether that's good or bad (good: Low, bad: Nickleback)
B) those that keep you reeling, resisting a fear of music, risking failure and fans, but have thus far come out on top (Animal Collective)
C) those that fail to recapture a former glory (The Strokes and Constantines, thus far, whereas The Flaming Lips recently managed to amaze again)
D) those that are so consistently great that their oeuvre is daunting and downright embarassing to other artists (Tom Waits and underdogs like Super Furry Animals)
E) those that just really fuckin' nail it once in their lives, never again to be matched

And that's where Wilco come in. Welcome guys, glad you could make it for once in your lives. Credit Jim O'Rourke, one of the best ever album openers, the myth of its release, lyrics perfectly suited for the work, or whathaveyou, but it's difficult to imagine anyone denying this album. Wilco could continue to release mediocre albums for another decade, and we'll listen out of curiosity, to see how they've failed to match a masterpiece yet again. Oh, I should credit A Ghost Is Born (2004), though, I mean, it did have "Handshake Drugs" and a handful of other great numbers.
--"I Am Trying to Break Your Heart": mp3

11. Animal Collective- Strawberry Jam (2007)

The anthem to summer twenty aught seven, but you can take it anywhere. For instance, I took it to Colorado on my road trip to help a friend move, and Animal Collective continue to take "Fireworks" to dizzying new heights live, hovering over older numbers with Noah Lennox's helicopter drum coda holding the framework together. I've seen them live once per year since twenty aught seven, and that first time has always been my favorite. It was months before Strawberry Jam would be released, small sold-out Columbus campus venue with me gripping the stage, no light save for Geologist's (Brian Weitz) cave-dweller headlamp, no Deakin or guitars, and the unleashing of roughly seven completely new, mind-altering songs (one of which would become "My Girls"). The excitement of Strawberry Jam and post-Strawberry Jam material culminates as the strangest, most enlightening concert experience I've had. This album is the fan favourite, before they went global on our asses. Oh, and the mp3 is their best b-side, ever.
--"Safer": mp3

10. The Walkmen- You & Me (2008)

Once more, "I've been so excited about You & Me lately." Honestly, I can't imagine what life was like before You & Me came out. OK, I can, only said it for sake of the joke. To paraphrase myself, The Walkmen embody a New York band fully blossoming. During a Daytrotter session, they nailed a set of Leonard Cohen covers. Never before had I been so convinced with this band, and now every noise they make is definitive. Returning to themes of sadness howling at the red moon, New Year's and Christmas, they make the appropriate amount of noise to send the Grinch weeping. The waltzes, the yearning, the brass-filled brooding, the romantic swaggering of slow-dancing relatives, the drum splattered embellishes, the organ playing the empty cathedral and the echoing of other great songwriting. Oh, the noise, noise, noise! It was just enough to catapault them ahead of former year-end favorites, Fleet Foxes, and straight to the top ten of the decade. Later tonight, New Year's Eve, I'll put You & Me to the test to theme the new year. And it won't be the last breath for this band, either.
--"Four Provinces": mp3

9. Modest Mouse- The Moon & Antarctica (2000)

We meet again, Wilco theory of former glory. Sharpening the rough edges of The Lonesome Crowded West (1997), a relatively close second for the band at its best, this album defines what this band can do, and have failed to recapture since, despite their mainstream plunge. Dizzying, stunning lyrics such as: "I want to remember to remember to forget you forgot me" and bleak passages into a madman's psyche as he discovers himself, death and life itself are exactly the reasons I've kept returning. Yes, the album sounds precisely as we imagine the moon and Antarctica to be, just as "Wild Pack of Family Dogs" and every other song evokes just the right images. And to end it all on a crashing note is brilliance, like a train gaining steam for nearly an hour before plummeting as the final track leads it off an unexpected cliff, and into an ocean of applause for such a disasterous spectacle.
--"Tiny Cities Made of Ashes": mp3

8. The Shins- Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

"Young Pilgrims" pulled me in after hearing "Kissing the Lipless" on sattelite radio. This album is like living in a city where the bridges lead everywhere, and you're mere minutes from any desired spot. Verses merge into emotive choruses that flow directly back into the core of the music. Everything is interconnected pop brilliance. James Mercer's vocals are no longer washed over in reverb, and the record soars over itself and above any attempting to capture a similar swell in sound. If there's a way to play this without chiming along, gleefully, then I haven't found it in over half of a decade's time. As with the bridges, there are so many different ways to approach this album that it'll never tire, and it remains one of the most endlessly inviting albums in my collection.
--"Young Pilgrims": mp3

7. The Avalanches- Since I Left You (2000)

Of the two producers of this sample-based dance record, Robbie Chater said, "originally, we thought we'd make a love story. An international search for love from country to country. The idea of a guy following a girl around the world and always being one port behind." Instead, they've blurred the source material into a bright new world, strong enough to stand on its own. Listening to this on the way to see Miyazaki's latest, Ponyo, it's always fascinating to listen to this with the same wide-eyed wonderment as a newcomer on a musical adventure, as with Miyazaki's themes of children finding love and their parents. So, I allow others to find this record just as it was once strongly recommended to me. At first, you only hear the fun and the hilarity of "Frontier Psychiatrist", then you continue loving the entirety more and more earnestly. Eventually, you become the character Chater meant, ready to lift off towards exotic lands in search of love, but the real story is in the chase; The Avalanches captured that here.
--"Since I Left You": mp3

6. Arcade Fire- Funeral (2004)

When there's a heavy snow, I know just where to go: Funeral. Oh, the opening lyrics of "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)", those strings in "Crown of Love", and the thrust and mischief of "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)". Face it; it is an album comprised of terrific moments like the brother send-off comparison to Laïka, sent on an adventure that will inevitably end in his death. The little album that could, slowly gaining attention and heaps of praise, yet the best way to express this praise is simply to play it. It needn't be contextualized or articulated, it is pure greatness.
--"Crown of Love": mp3

5. The Strokes- Is This It (2001)

The debut that shook NYC. A band that struck oil when pillaging the definition of cool from The Velvet Underground and Television. Once, before discovering ambient music and post-rock, the CD was replayed for hours until I finished my first college English essay. Now, when I listen to the dueling guitars and emphatic studio energy, can't help but wish every band sounded this overjoyed to be recording. The American edition of this album was amended due to 9/11 attacks, and although my CD claims it has "When It Started" rather than "New York City Cops", it inexplicably does not. For any of you lacking this great song, I've included it.
--"New York City Cops": mp3

4. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

When I'm not writing poetry namedropping this album, I'm spinning it endlessly. Or, perhaps I'm writing jokes unafraid of the current, despicable vampire craze: What did one bloodthirsty vampire say to the other in tune to Animal Collective? "When the sun goes down, we'll go out again." Or, I could be bouncing along in public as I listen to it on headphones, tempted to invite others to dance along. Or, I could be contemplating recording myself singing the ABC’s backwards through a vocal loop, with synths, an oscillator, and a xylophone sample too, in an effort for their label, Paw Tracks, to put it out. Here's hoping! Now, on Domino, Animal Collective have practically shoehorned indie-land dominance, and universal praise. To which, I've already addressed how even praise is misguided.
--"My Girls": mp3

3. Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)

Indie rock genius, that's it. Plucking from the best of what others have accomplished, here's another album unashamed of hand claps, obscure anthems to ghosts and a modern world of savages. The torch is passed between guitarist Dan Boeckner and keyboardist Spencer Krug, both unique songwriters in their own right. While each can certainly write a terrific tune on their own, the biggest bang comes from their nuclear chemistry exhibited on Queen Mary. There'll be no dinner bells, because a full course meal has been served.
--"Shine a Light": mp3

2. Radiohead- Kid A (2000)

Number two?! I've been proudly touting this as my favourite album of all-time for quite some time, so why is it now reduced to number two? This is that galaxy-exploding triumph of a recording with enough depth to swallow a lighthouse in the darkness of a whale's stomach. Forget about the 'destroyers of rock' accusations, or the notion of championing a digital age. "Everything in Its Right Place" takes the proud honor of best opener this decade, like the ominous hum of turning on your computer, those robotic 'kid a' murmers, the keyboard textures over an icy landscape, and finally Thom Yorke's altogether alien vocals. For such a distant universe, there's an unbelievable amount of warmth. "The National Anthem" proves they haven't forgotten about their guitars, then blasts horns at you like they're triumphantly sounding the end of an era. "How to Disappear Completely" is the bottled desire of anyone human, where the Paul Lansky electronic sample of "Idioteque" is stretched across the largest icebergs of a planet ballooning towards apocalypse. There's the strange "Treefingers" interlude that is like a Robert Fripp exercise. And that finish, holy hell, "Motion Picture Soundtrack" is that brilliant closer that ties it all together. The album that does everything you could ever want out of an album; the difficulty is coming back to earth after the gravity-free album disappears completely.
--"Idioteque": mp3

1. Panda Bear- Person Pitch (2007)

The personal album experience of a lifetime. The reason Animal Collective gained another go. Feels didn't convince me, it was top-heavy and too 'weird' for me, until Person Pitch. That did it. Skeptical of a solo album by any member of Animal Collective, I approached this as if it were a dead tiger. Quietly, carefully, in case it were only sleeping. Frightened that it may pounce on me with experimental weirdness, clawing away at pop sensibility with relentless venom of its other wild brethren. Then, gaining courage to adjust the volume higher and higher still, as I put it before, Person Pitch "hypnotized me with a mix of sunny 60's pop harmonies, electronic grooves, African and Brazilian music, also convincing me to envelop myself in Animal Collective prior to their most recent release." So, why the sudden switch to number one? This is that rare euphoric, personal record you can enthusiastically share with others.
--"Bros": mp3


And now for some statistics from a mathematical monster:

Genre: 4 Ambient, 12 Hip-Hop (if you count WHY?), the rest are incategorizable (hah, sure)

Overall Albums Represented Per Year: 2000= 9, 2001= 12, 2002= 9, 2003= 7, 2004= 7,
2005= 13, 2006= 12, 2007= 15, 2008= 9, 2009= 7

Top 1-20 Albums: 2000= 4, 2001= 2, 2002= 2, 2003= 1, 2004= 2,
2005= 2, 2006= 2, 2007= 2, 2008= 1, 2009= 2

Top 1-50 Albums: 2000= 5, 2001= 7, 2002= 4, 2003= 3, 2004= 3,
2005= 4, 2006= 7, 2007= 6, 2008= 5, 2009= 3
Artists: Animal Collective= 3 (Panda Bear makes a sort-of 4), Radiohead= 3, Spoon= 3, Grizzly Bear= 2, The National= 2, Dirty Projectors= 2, My Morning Jacket= 2, The Fiery Furnaces= 2, The Streets= 2