Best of 2009

And here we are.

1. The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
2. August Burns Red - Constellations
3. Tides of Man - Empire Theory
4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
5. Closure in Moscow - First Temple
5. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
6. fun. - Aim and Ignite
7. Brakes - Touchdown
8. Thrice - Beggars
9. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
10. Kid CuDi - Man On The Moon
11. As Cities Burn - Hell or High Water
12. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
13. Reigns - The House on the Causeway
14. The xx - XX
15. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today, I'm Sorry, They Washed Away


Honorable Mentions:
bygones - by-
Passion Pit - Manners
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
The Wooden Birds - Magnolia
Blakroc - Blakroc
The Bloody Beetroots - Roborama
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
Russian Circles - Geneva
Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone


So this was a great year, and I might be a little biased on the top two because I saw both of those bands perform their album release shows (or just as it came out) within a month of each other. But regardless, 2009 just happened to be a great closer to the decade. It was a great year for new bands and established bands alike, with a few bands on their third LPs (The Dear Hunter, August Burns Red, As Cities Burn), some their fourth (Between the Buried and Me), and others elsewhere in their career (or i have forgot to properly research), and a few debuts (Tides of Man). Hope I hit everything I wanted to, there was a few records I got into reeeeeally late and haven't had enough time to enjoy fully, but maybe they can go in the 'best of the century' lists.

Review: As Cities Burn - Hell or High Water

As Cities Burn is, even in today's varied and often spastic scene, an oddity. Though beginning as an above-average post-hardcore outfit that fit in snugly with their veteran Solid State labelmates, the departure of lead vocalist TJ Burnette in 2007 led the band down a path far removed from that of their previous efforts. 2008's Come Now Sleep proved that the band was not only comfortable pushing the envelope musically, but lyrically and thematically as well.
Hell or High Water, the band's third record, continues the foray into novel sonic territory. The band, lead vocalist Cody Bonette in particular, seems to have grown into this new sound, with Bonette's vocals sounding more confident and even more expressive than before. The instrumentation is well-placed and adds life and passion to the thematic and conceptual elements of the album, in a sort of whole-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts way. Thematically, the album is rife with questioning and self-evaluation; it's deeply personal and very easy to connect to. The central focus is a look at the state of love and compassion in the real world, without ties to any church, much like the prior releases. It's powerufl from any point of view, giving it the ability to appeal to anyone who cares to listen. The eclectic soundscapes manage to mesh perfectly with the lyrics, ranging from spacey, Circa Survive-esque instrumentation to bluesy crunches and cleans.
Ultimately, however, the same eclectic qualities bog down some of the tracks--the opener and closer are good songs in their own right, but when compared with the rest of the record, seem out of place and don't mesh well with the other songs. Despite this, however, the flow of tracks is nearly seamless and the record proceeds very cleanly and flows smoothly. Bonette's lyrics catch the mind and heart, prompting thought, and the songwriting is top-notch.
Hell or High Water proves that As Cities Burn is still trailblazing and maturing in so many ways. The band is as progressive as progressive can be. Don't miss this one.
Check these tracks: "Errand Rum" / "Pirate Blues"
It is important to note that the last track, "Capo," is by the band Jonezetta and features Cody on vocals.

GENRE: Progressive Indie/Post-hardcore
RELEASE DATE: 4/21/09
RATINGS:
Musicianship: 9
Lyrics: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 10

This one got me, haha

You are home alone, and you hear on the news about the profile of a murderer who is on the loose.

You look out the sliding glass doors to your backyard, and you notice a man standing out in the snow. He fits the profile of the murderer exactly, and he is smiling at you.

You gulp, picking up the phone to your right and dialing 911.

You look back out the glass as you press the phone to your ear, and notice he is much closer to you now.

You then drop the phone in shock.









There are no footprints in the snow.

It's his reflection.


-


So good. Sorry, no actual content today.

Some records just become something more.

Certain records are just meant to be enjoyed on a whole other level. They transcend audio and become part of the soul. Honesty, sorrow, joy, genius, creativity, and everything else merge into moments of bliss that just seem to fit somewhere inside.
What I mean is, sometimes, a record does more than provide background noise or fill the air with harmony or dissonance. Some albums speak to the subconscious while still maintaining a solid aural presence. For me, it's records that impart so much of the emotion from the artist that they practically bleed honesty. They just get to me, whether it's giving a sense of peace or making me feel every pen stroke of every word. I just put on Alexander's White Flags... and got a deep, calming sense of peace. Coupled with high-quality headphones, I'm in both sonic and personal bliss. I could sleep for days on a bed of clouds.
I want this to be my effect on somebody, somewhere. Even if it's only two kids in a basement somewhere, listening through computer speakers off a MySpace track, I want it to be there. Connection between artist and listener is key.

Ramesses II

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1817.

I leave you all with this.

name drop for extra damage!

I'm too ambitious for my own good. Given the choice, I'd like to create tones, melodies, lyrics, sounds, rhythms, and patterns that span a large spectrum of styles and genres. It's difficult to imagine how this will be done, but one might as well start large, correct? So if, given complete creative control, I'd like a sound that's familiar but distinctly original. I'll list current bands as waypoints and directives.
Lyrically, we'd look at something like Circa Survive, Thrice, and The Receiving End of Sirens (R.I.P.), with other bits and pieces intermingled. Metaphor and scenario would run rampant, and conceptual aspects would be heavily considered. Words would flow, rhyme often, but stand alone if need be.
The vocals would preferably be sung, with a scream (more of a strained vocal or yell, really) for emphasis or effect. I'd like the sound and style and tones of Jake Snyder of Minus The Bear or Stuart Smith of This Town Needs Guns, mixed with intermittent screams or yells, similar to Matt Geise of Lower Definition (screams) or Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter (yells). Yeah, I'd like that. Now I'm no singer, but I can wing it...hopefully. We might end up with something like Geise's singing, or that guy from Look Mexico. Sort of a different style. Whateva. Oh, and I'd love to do something like Small Leaks Sink Ships did with their backup vocals ("please leave me alone!" comes to mind), along with backup lines like Closure in Moscow and/or This Town Needs Guns. Gang vocals will appear as well...sparingly.
Lately I've been really into the wall-of-sound technique in terms of guitar tone. The heavy, distorted, and full tone of ER White and Jonas Ladekjaer of Emarosa almost exactly what I'm talking about, mixed with the fuzz of TREOS' sound circa BTHATS, Dance Gavin Dance to round out the midrange. Maybe add in a bit of Edison Glass- or Closure in Moscow-esque sound too, for a distorted, midrange-ish sound. I'd like the leads to sound like Will Swan of DGD, occasionally supplemented by the airiness and complexity of Colin Frangicetto of Circa Survive. Add in a bright, cutting tone and clear presence in the mix, and it's pretty much what I want. Sounds sort of diverse, and I don't really know how it'll sound in practice, but I'd say like a heavier Dance Gavin Dance.
For drums, I love Beau McKee's (of Closure in Moscow) style, the moody, powerful drum sound with injected double-bass sound. Something like that, plus jazzy sounds for more low-key songs, akin to Erin Tate of Minus The Bear's drumming on the tracks When We Escape and Double Vision Quest, both off Planet of Ice. Actually, his drumming on that album as a whole is fantastic. I'm pretty much stuck with my kit though, but I just need to get a few cymbals and maybe (stress maybe) a double bass pedal (though that might be for The Bridge of Eldin or used very sparingly).
Bass...I wish to do some funky stuff with the bass guitar. Nothing too extreme, but I don't want it just tapping along a la Dragonforce. No, something like the arrangements on Planet of Ice, or Muse's Absolution, or perhaps even Nick Beard's parts in Circa Survive. I just want the bass to stand out.
Tempo would span a wide range. Fast as certain Dance Gavin Dance songs, slow and jazzy, slow and chugging, fast and chugging (probably not), you get the picture. I'd rather not limit the project to anything lest I pigeonhole myself.
And....keys and pianos as soon as I learn to learn things. Plus strings and horn synths, thanks to my computer.
I just dropped way too many names for the sake of conjecture.
g'nite.