Blog.H34 – Best of 2009, Part 1: Music
Yes, Yes, I know this is the time of year where everyone posts up their best music of 2009 list. If you’ve been following Blog.H34 for a while, or if you’ve taken some time to read back through past posts, you know that the range of genres looked at around here is pretty wide. It was, without any doubt, a really good year for good music. When I say that, I mean for the artists and for their listeners, there were no real breakthroughs in the music industry, the economic viability is still questionable…but the rate at which music continues to be released and proliferated is staggering. Here is the list of musicians, labels, and musical entities who have had the biggest impact on Blog.H34 this year.
Best New Musician: Washed Out / Bullion (tie)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
No new musicians made quite as profound a first impression on me than these two, nor made it this hard to chose a favorite. Their respective singles, Feel It All Around and Time For Us All To Love, grabbed me from the very start, and compelled me to listen to them again and again, never once losing interest. My hope for them in 2010 is that these two continue to grow as producers and release music, their talent shows and I think a lot of people are now listening.
Runner-up: Mayer Hawthorne / Mike Slott
Original post > / Original post >
Best Remix: Worst Friends – AG (Shigeto Remix)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
In a 2009 where some remixes caught my attention, but most flopped, only a select few really saw repeated play. This Shigeto remix of Worst Friends is exactly the sort of thing that impresses me with remixes…often times a remix is barely an edit, or a re-hash with some new bells and whistles. Very rarely do you hear a remix really take the original track and run with it to create something new. In this case, Shigeto did it deftly, crafting what could now hold its own as a track, not just a B-side or footnote to the original mix.
Runner-up: Boozoo Bajou – Same Sun (Quantec remake)
Original post >
Best EP: Big Bear EP
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I waited patiently all year since I first heard Palm Skin Productions‘ Big Bear EP for another release to come nearly as close, but none did. Call me crazy, or that there were definitely superior EP’s, but I can’t hear you over the sound of how awesome each one of these tracks are. The original mix of the title track leads and ties the whole thing together, but each of the other tracks and remixes brings something special, but still link together in this subtle, cohesive fashion. The sort of musical brilliance that mightn’t even have been consciously intended.
Runner-up: Body Language – Speaks EP
Original post >
Best Album: Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
This is an incredibly tough decision, a lot of really great albums came out this year…Bibio, The Flaming Lips, Tim Hecker, Engineers, Dam-Funk, just to name a few, all contributed to a good year of full-lengths. But I think I’ve had my mind made up for a while, that Prefuse 73‘s latest outing, Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian, takes the cake. The reasons extend beyond the music, which is nothing short of an epic adventure, into the incredible artwork across related releases. The thought and care applied to every facet of this album shows, and outshines just about everything else in sight.
Runner-up: Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
Original post >
Best Label: Ghostly International
In the wake of a landmark 10th year, Ghostly International did more in 2009 than many labels might do in a decade. With 10 year anniversary celebrations worldwide, featuring some of the label’s best DJ’s and musicians, they did good by the International part of their name, and made sure to keep fans everywhere happy. This is but a footnote in a year of bold moves, which includes the release of a free catalog-streaming iPhone app, a partnership with the life-saving organization SAVE, a slough of wildly popular merchandise on the Ghostly Store, and oh yeah, then there’s the music they’ve been putting out. When I saw Spectral Sound’s logo on Resident Advisor’s , I thought I’d see credit being given where it was due. I was surprised that Ghostly didn’t appear on their list, put perhaps it’s simply because Ghostly has transcended the traditional definition of a label. There is only one question remaining: What will they do in 2010?
Runner-up: Wolf + Lamb
Best Music Website:
Last year, if you would have asked me what would be the most important music site of 2008, I would have said muxtape. This year, it is without a doubt, Soundcloud, and the best news of all is that it can’t be shut down by the RIAA, because it’s made especially for DJ’s, musicians, and producers. The timed comment system, and easy upload and editing functions are a big plus. Even if you aren’t any of the above, casual listeners can find the best mixes and even hear exclusive unreleased material from their favorite musicians. It also serves as a potential way of getting your music picked up, I think Berlin-based producer will be a prime example of unsigned talent being able to find a label on Soundcloud in 2010.
Runner-up: Percussion Lab
Posted in Blog.H34 and Music Posted by Alex on Dec 22 2009 12:00 pm
2 Responses to “Blog.H34 – Best of 2009, Part 1: Music”
Trackback URL
on 13 Jan 2010 at 11:55 am # joshua easley
A great list — I can tell you weren’t simultaneously referencing Rolling Stone when you made it :>)
Cheers.
on 13 Jan 2010 at 4:45 pm #
Either I’m hopelessly disenchanted with Rolling Stone and the fact that 90% of their top albums of 2009 are as predictable and uninspired as a list of who the RIAA wants us all to like, or hopelessly disenchanted with what the world actually wants to listen to. Maybe both. Either way, there is a lot of wonderful music that anyone out there could benefit greatly from discovering.
Thanks for reading!