(TV) Top CDs of 2009

[Andy <andy@notaworry.net>]

A difficult year to limit picks to anything like a top 10 as few 
stand out from all the great music I heard.  So I have created 3 
groups of 7.  The first 2 groups are virtually interchangeable; the 
3rd group is new releases by personal faves that hung around the 
playlist all year.  Plus a special shout-out to The Beatles Mono Box 
Set, a wondrous success in bringing the Fab Four into the digital age.

First 7
A Place To Bury Strangers - Exploding Head - Swirling noise that seen 
live may actual cause some heads to explode.
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion - A brilliant mixture 
of experimental soundscapes tethered to a more accessible rock idiom.
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love - An intriguing song cycle 
that hearkens back to 1970s British folk rock.
Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels - Toronto singer-songwriter Tony 
Dekker's beautiful folk-pop songs shine in this, his 4th release.
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest - String quartets and  choral arrangements 
duel with acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies, sometimes rock, 
sometimes folk-jazz, always fun.
Lightning Dust - Infinite Light - A side project of Black Mountain 
fronted by vocalist Amber Webber highlighted by my personal song of 
the year, Take It Home.
The Warlocks - The Mirror Explodes - Taking a name used by the early 
Velvets and Dead, LA-based Bobby Hecksher blends shoegaze and 
Brit-pop to great effect.

Second 7
Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy - The lastest from guitar god Doug 
Martsch continues a wonderful tradition of scintillating rock and roll.
Doves - Kingdom Of Rust - Manchester Brit-pop thrives as Doves makes 
my list for the 4th time in 4 releases.
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown - A worthy follow-up to their 
Broadway-bound mega-smash American Idiot.
Heartless Bastards - The Mountain - Erika Wennerstrom moved from 
Cincinnati to Austin, replaced her 2 bandmates, and crafted another great disc.
Bob Mould - Life And Times - From Husker Du to Sugar (to writing 
wrestling scripts) Mould returns to his guitar roots with this 
follow-up to last year's District Line.
The Von Bondies - Love Hate And Then There's You - A 5-year hiatus 
did not dim the power of this Detroit quartet's hard-edged rock.
Wussy - Wussy - Chuck Cleaver of Ass Ponys joins with Lisa Walker in 
a rootsy, rollicking set.

Third 7
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone - The voice of The New Pornographers 
continues to produce gorgeous solo albums.
The Church - Untitled #23 - The Aussie masters of jangly guitar not 
only released this wondrous record, but also gave one of the best 
live shows of the year.
Peter Holsapple/Chris Stamey - Here And Now - The duo behind the dB's 
reunite for their second album and nearly top their masterful Mavericks.
Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky - Everything that comes out of Knopfler's 
guitar is worth hearing, and this release is among the best he has 
done, including the Dire Straits years.
AC Newman - Get Guilty - The other half of The New Pornographers also 
released a terrific sole set this year.
Sonic Youth - The Eternal - Now joined by Pavement's Mark Ibold, SY 
continue to crank out fantastic music.
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs - Hoboken lives and thrives in the latest 
opus from Ira, Georgia and James.
--------------
To post: Mail tv@obbard.com
To unsubscribe: Mail majordomo@obbard.com with message "unsubscribe tv"