Pylon – “Beep”

Karl Blau – “Dark Sedan”

Photo source

Sleigh Bells - “Ring Ring” Didn't hear this until late last week, but here's a song better than Sleigh Bells' late-breaking addition to my Best of 2009 list. Loose-fitting indie pop that's been weaned on r&b, that's got the nimblest little groove. "Ring Ring" is breath & snap & jingle, like the office Xmas party that might go late, that goes late, with the girls you weren't sure would come; there they are; hi. It's a winter-ready raspberry jam. [Sleigh Bells' MySpace]

Get 10% your order at the Merge Store through Friday with the code MRGXTEN! Now’s probably a good time to place your pre-order for Spoon’s Transfererence, or to pick up that 180g repress of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, or grab some of those great Merge books that came out this year.

These are 5 albums from 2009 that I listened to and enjoyed quite a lot.

Sharon Van Etten – Because I Was In Love
Language of Stone

I am absolutely thrilled to see praise for this album popping up on so many year-end wrap-ups already. I wasn’t expecting to see that, and it’s great that I’m not the only one who recognized that this record is one of the loveliest things you’re likely to hear all year.

MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “For You”
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Consolation Prize”
STREAM: Sharon Van Etten – Because I Was In Love via Listen@MBV
BUY IT: LP | CD | MP3

Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Domino

While I was familiar with Dirty Projectors, I’d never really spent a lot of quality listening-time with their earlier records, so it was with pretty fresh ears that I first heard Bitte Orca. So it’s fair to say I didn’t exactly know what to expect when I hit ‘Play,’ but then again, I doubt there was *anyone* out there who could have anticipated this unusual and sublime work. This was a polarizing record from a polarizing band, but you can plant me firmly in the “blown away by Bitte Orca” camp.

VIDEO: Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is The Move”
BUY IT: LP | CD | MP3 | Cassette

Death – …For The Whole World To See
Drag City

Massive props to Drag City for unearthing this one. These recordings sat in an attic for nearly 35 years and could easily have been lost to the ages, but thanks to DC, the magnificent Bad Brains-meets-Thin Lizzy tunes of Detroit’s Hackney brothers came into the spotlight this year, ahem, for the whole world to see.

MP3: Death – “Politicians In My Eyes”
BUY IT: LP | CD | MP3

Micachu & the Shapes – Jewellery
Beggars/Rough Trade

I seriously could not decide what to make of Micachu the first few times I listened to Jewellery– I’m not sure my brain knew exactly how to process young Mica Levi’s Partched Bone Machine‘d sounds. But my brain soon came around, and I realized what I was hearing were some really brilliant songs, deconstructed, reconstructed, and cut-and-pasted into something that actually sounded *new* to me. It sounded like the future.

MP3: Micachu – “Golden Phone”
MP3: Micachu – “Lips”
BUY IT: LP | CD | MP3

Apollo Ghosts – Hastings Sunrise
Self-Released/Catbird

I started the year gushing about Vancouver’s Apollo Ghosts, and continued to do so unrelentingly throughout the remainder of 2009 (Catbird was even lucky enough to have a hand in helping re-release the record). And the reason I have been such a vocal advocate for this band is quite simple: this album has consistently remained my favorite thing to listen to all throughout the year. Yes, it’s no contest, Hastings Sunrise is absolutely my favorite record of 2009. The band is currently in the studio with JC/DC recording LP #2, and though I am dumbfounded that all the labels out there are sleeping on this band, I fret not. Because regardless, 2010 is going to see album number #2 from Apollo Ghosts, and that makes me very, very happy.

MP3: Apollo Ghosts – “Dobermans”/”Land of the Morning Calm”
STREAM: Apollo Ghosts – Hastings Sunrise via Listen@MBV
BUY IT: LP (only 3 copies left) | CD | MP3

Sloan @ Bell House 12/4/2009
Take It Upon Yourself / At The Edge Of The Scene / Believe In Me / Autobiography / It Is Never / Don’t You Believe A Word / Keep On Thinkin’ / Money City Maniacs / The NS / new unreleased Andrew song / The Great Wall / Where Are You Now? / Midnight Mass / Oh Dear Diary / Friendship / Witch’s Wand / Fading Into Obscurity / Everything You’ve Done Wrong / Who Taught You To Live Like That? // The Other Man / C’mon C’mon / Chester The Molester / The Good In Everyone

Sloan - “Take It Upon Yourself” Sloan are very good at things that tend to get taken for granted: Writing large quantities of catchy songs; playing fun no-frills rock shows; somehow having the collective temperament to balance out the egos of four distinctly talented songwriters. As they continue to ease into their elder statesmen role, their unpretentious, craft-driven approach to rock and roll becomes more of a narrative thread, but really, when it comes to these guys the only hooks that matter are the ones in the songs. They’re currently touring in support of Hit & Run, an EP of slick, compact tunes in the vein of their two most recent albums, but the focus of the show is on back catalog, mixing surefire sing-along starters like “Money City Maniacs” and “Everything You’ve Done Wrong” with deep cuts like “The Great Wall” and the Between The Bridges b-side “At The Edge Of The Scene.” I was particularly thrilled that they dusted off “Keep On Thinkin’,” a personal favorite and one of the finest early Beatles pastiches I’ve ever heard. It’s hard to say this without worrying that it will come off as reductive or condescending, but this was a very enjoyable rock show from a super-consistent band of hard-working veterans. Good times.

Buy it directly from Sloan.