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Andy's Tops for 2009
Best Artists
1. Katatonia:
What this band meant to not only metal music
(or rock music) in concerts, but also to the
entire Halloween and Fall seasons is enough to
give them the number one spot on this list.
Without getting into them the last weekend of
August, there would be no big lead up to
October. Best songs:
Deadhouse, Saw You Drown, Stalemate, Teargas,
Unfurl
2. The Decemberists:
During the late winter and springtime this year,
The Decemberists really extenuated the folk rock
sound that decorated that period. With
flourishes of accordion, delicate acoustic
guitars, and New England and the Sea style
energy, this band sculpted out some beauties.
One of the more creatively unique and catchy
artists to come out of this year, let alone the
spring. Best songs:
The Engine Driver, Leslie Anne Levine, On
the Bus Mall, The Crane Wife, Pt. 3, Sons &
Daughters, The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
3. Deathcab for Cutie:
The other band that starts with the letter D to
make a huge impact this past spring. Perhaps
even better than The Decemberists (if only for
the more relatable and personal lyrical
content), Deathcab played a major role in
forming the folky, oceanic spring sound this
year. More electric and less concealed when
compared to The Decemberists, this artist
delivered perhaps some of the most heart-taking
songs with heartbreaking lyrics the spring ever
saw.
Best songs:
Transatlanticism, Passenger Seat, Expo
'86, The New Year, Tiny Vessels, Bend to Squares
4. Morrissey:
It was Morrissey, not the more critically
acclaimed The Smiths, that made the headlines
come post-Jamboree during this past summer. His
charm and off-the-beaten-path lyrical delivery
really became memorable the more July and August
went along. They saved the environment from let
down of an early exit for the Jamboree to
something truly exciting and new. His songs were
fun to act out and fun to play because they were
playful and full of humor (something that was
truly needed). For this reason alone they should
be number one on this list, but regardless they
will always be remembered for what they
provided.
Best songs:
Tomorrow, You're the One for Me Fatty,
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris, We Hate It
When Our Friends Become Successful
5. Neutral Milk Hotel:
The last of the three main players during the
spring, Neutral Milk expressed the freaky folky
side the most. With their uncomforting
atmosphere and lyrics, their songs had the
potential to become unusual and strange at any
moment...and they did! Probably not as memorable
nor catchy as the other two bigger seaside bands
(Decemberists and Deathcab), Neutral Milk Hotel
will at least be remembered for the cover of the
album I got into first and played the most songs
from. Best Songs: In
the Aeroplane Over the Sea, The King of Carrot
Flowers, Pt. 1, Two-Headed Boy
6. The Gathering:
Providing an offset to the oceanic folk rock of
the spring, The Gathering pitched in with their
heavier, moodier atmospheres. Despite this,
their slower, spacey ballads provided the best
material and ultimately had some of the best
songs of the year. Lead vocalist Anneke Van
Giersbergen delivers some of her best lines in
songs such as You Learn About It and Broken
Glass. After only hearing one song from them in
the Halloween Night '07 concert, The Gathering
came up big this year.
Best Songs: You Learn About It, Herbal
Movement, Saturnine, Broken Glass, Eleanor
7. Hit the Lights:
Once again, a band that provided a nice offset
to the folkier spirit during the spring, Hit the
Lights relived the careless (and funny) attitude
seen in other bands such as New Found Glory,
Simple Plan, and Lit. These guys were somewhat
better, though, because while they contained the
same standard punk rock and energy, they were
somehow more believable and wiser. In the punk
rock category, these guys were the only
competitors in the field...especially during the
springtime. Best Songs:
Bodybag, Speakers Blown, These Backs Are
Made for Stabbing
8. Embrace: Combining
the big, power anthems of Oasis with the tender,
spacey sound of The Verve, this British band
made quite a few powerful and songs this year.
As catchy as anything Oasis or The Verve put
out, Embrace's songs were thoughtful and
emotional, but always positive. The anthemic,
uplifting quality of songs like Milk and Honey,
Looking As You Are, Drawn from Memory, I Had a
Time, and That's All Changed Forever provided an
extra dimension to the bigger, moodier songs of
Deathcab. Big stuff, memorable stuff, these guys
were large. Best Songs:
Milk and Honey, That's All Changed Forever,
I Had a Time, Drawn from Memory
9. The Black Crowes:
While they didn't last long, The Black Crowes
perhaps had the warmest and fondest memories of
any '09 band. Played exclusively for the
Jamboree, this artist boomed onto the scene with
heavy and unafraid Southern rock anthems.
Whenever I think of them or listen to them now,
they always bring me back to that week in June
and the whole lead up to it and it makes me
smile. That's good stuff right there.
Best Songs: Jealous Again, Twice as Hard
10. Novembers Doom:
Just sneaking into this list, Novembers Doom
were easily the heaviest, darkest, and scariest
bands around in '09. They supported the
Halloween Plan very much and gave the concerts a
very extreme side of the genre. Blood-curling
vocals and terrifying low guitars, Novembers
Doom was just as exciting and important as
Deathcab was for the spring and Morrissey was
for the summer. You gotta put Autumn Reflection
up there as not only one of the best songs of
the year, but also one of the best metal songs
ever played in the cellar.
Best Songs: The Pale Haunt Departure,
Autumn Reflection, The Novella Reservoir
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