Earlier this week we took a magnifying glass to Pitchfork’s Top 100 Songs Of 2009. Most of those songs appeared on albums, which leads us to the site’s Top 50 Albums Of 2009. For starters, metal creeps in via Baroness and Sunn O))), but not Mastodon or Isis’ Best New Music-awarded Wavering Radiant. On that front, it’s interesting to go back through the BNM archives and see which bands didn’t make the cut. At a quick glance I spotted Wavves, Dark Was The Night, Camera Obscura, Sunset Rubdown, YACHT, Volcano Choir, and Delorean. Bon Iver shows up elsewhere via Blood Bank, so the lack of Volcano Choir makes sense. And you don’t want too many comps on a best of list (DWTN got an “Honorable Mention”). I do feel bad for Spencer Krug, who stays strong on a review-by-review basis, but plummets off these lists, for whatever reason. Etc., etc. The most glaring omission, for various reasons, is Wavves. Poor Nathan Williams: You build me up just to beat me down and leave me off your fucking list. As far as other new voices: Real Estate place higher than I thought they would (no complaints). tUnE-yArDs continues her post-Dirty Projector coming-out coronation. Neon Indian trumps Memory Tapes. Japandroids should start paying Lync royalty checks. Really, there are quite a few newbies and relative newcomers in the top 25, but once you get closer to the final countdown, some “old-timers” (a couple of which work well without the quotes) make their presence known. If you’re surprised by the no. 1, you didn’t pick up a blog this year.
50 Woods – Songs of Shame
49 Cass McCombs – Catacombs
48 DOOM – Born Like This
47 Zomby – Where Were U in ’92?
46 Dan Deacon – Bromst
45 The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
44 tUnE-yArDs – BiRd-BrAiNs
43 Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
42 A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Ashes Grammar
41 Baroness – Blue Record
40 Mos Def – The Ecstatic
39 Jim O’Rourke – The Visitor
38 Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People– Lazers Do
37 The Antlers – Hospice
36 Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
35 jj – jj n° 2
34 Passion Pit – Manners
33 Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
32 Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
31 Sunn O))) – Monoliths & Dimensions
30 Röyksopp – Junior
29 Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
28 Micachu and the Shapes – Jewellery
27 Various Artists – 5: Five Years of Hyperdub
26 Bon Iver – Blood Bank EP
25 DJ Quik & Kurupt – BlaQKout
24 Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
23 Memory Tapes – Seek Magic
22 Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
21 Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
20 Real Estate – Real Estate
19 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
18 Atlas Sound – Logos
17 The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa
16 Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
15 Japandroids – Post-Nothing
14 Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
13 St. Vincent – Actor
12 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
11 Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
10 Girls – Album
09 Fever Ray – Fever Ray
08 Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
07 Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
06 Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
05 Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Linx… Pt. II
04 The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
03 The xx – The xx
02 Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
01 Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
You can get the explanations at P4K.
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I, for one, look forward to reading the angry comments.
Preparing myself for the shitstorm of comments from disgruntled Grizzly Bear fans who are upset they made the short list of Best Albums of the Decade, yet somehow slipped to just #6 for Best Albums of 2009…
Gummies list is better
Agreed…but it was a pretty bad year in music anyways.
Just because Spoon doesn’t release an album doesn’t mean it was a bad year for music. That’s an old wives’ tale.
Also, Delorean made the Honorable Mentions list. Can you post those as well?
Oh, and can’t believe there’s not more love for the Fanfarlo album this year.
Seriously. “Reservoir” is amazing.
Its so typical. Pitchfork staff love the indie-experimental-electronic music. So of course the top 4 alum are just that
the XX and Lips’ Embryonic are not that.
The XX is crap.
Poor Krug. Not even an honorable mention for the best album of the year. I never thought I’d stick up for a Canadian, but the ‘fork is making me set old prejudices aside. Good thing I saw the light before the world ends in 2012.
Also, more like VeckatimeZZZZt and Merriweather Post PaviliYAWN, AM I RIGHT?!!
(downvote me into oblivion — someone else will carry the fire.)
AMEN. While I realize how useless it is to get angry at a hipster list of the year, I am actually PISSED that Dragonslayer got the shaft. Seriously, one of the best bands right now, and they get pissed on. Same happened to Random Spirit Lover. Total BS.
Also, I agree that Vecakatimist is BORING, but MPP was my fave of the year. However, if we’re discussing boring albums, let’s talk about The XX. OH MY, that is such bland, soulless music. Where is the passion and the power? Anyway…I want Spoon to leak.
wow….yeah….no sunset rubdown? that was a great album. good immediate listen and a big grower. no touch over p4k.
Okay, I’m glad I’m not the only one failing to jizz all over Veckatimezzzt. This guy, this davidmania guy, he is of the opinion of which I am as well.
Shut yer trap
Then how will you eat soup?
Also, my tired eyes make MPP look like its waving at me.
Where is M. Ward?
not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but Dragonslayer should’ve been an honorable mention at the very least
why do we bitch about the placement of albums that less than 5 percent of the population listen to?
Because it makes us feel relevant.
The same basic statement as the singles list…which I agree with…I WOULD pay to see AnCo the movie and I love the idea that the Projectors haven’t even peaked yet…Hard year to top…
m. ward’s Hold Time can be found around the 150 mark on my list. He’s made better albums.
They gave UGK 4 Life such a good review, and it didn’t get an honorable mention either. And let’s be honest, at one point or another in this year, everyone was rockin out to wavves, despite the fact that only half of that album is good, the half that’s good, is incredible addicting. And if anyone’s a fan of The Knife, they know, that the Fever Ray album, really isn’t that good.
Raekwon at #4? Really? I bet he wouldn’t even agree with that. I mean, it was good for modern day hip hop, but not amazing. Why does Pitchfork pretend to have an ear for this genre? Whatever, I guess I shouldn’t complain. Wu Tang 4 life.
I do like The XX cracking the top 3, although I’ve gotten way more listens out of Veckatimest and Girls.
And yes, Dragonslayer should have been in the top 20.
For the record, it’s not just pitchfork. Per metacritic, Raekwon is the critics’ concensus favorite for hip hop album of the year:
http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/raekwon/onlybuilt4cubanlinxPt2
LOVE the new Raekwon. I can totally dig it at No. 5. It’s my second favorite album of the year.
Rae gets #5, he should be #1, because his tunes were classic productions from two of the finest, Jay Dee and Pete Rock, especially Jay Dee. Many have tried to implement the Jay Dee style, but there is only one master. RIP Dilla. Thank the high lord that rappers like Raekwon still use his unmatched productions.
No Dragonslayer? And if they love electronic/experimental so much why is Dan Deacon way back at 46?
Dan Deacon blows… and I’m from baltimore
No Dragonslayer? And if they love electronic/experimental so much why is Dan Deacon way back at 46?
I love how stereogum has become THE place to voice frustration about p4k. “having said that”, Veckatimest eeked out the top spot on my personal list. They toured relentlessly, got covered by Michael McDonald, sold a ton of albums for an indie band (prob more than MPP), and got beyonce and jay-z dancing (jay even said they are “incredible”, whatever that’s worth). I knew they would rank mpp 1st but I was shocked at GB at 6th. Almost as much as I was last year when they put TVOTR at 6th or in 2007 when they put radiohead 4th. But that’s what they do..
I was really shocked at the xx. It’s a good album, but I feel it’s more like top 30 worthy rather than top 3.
That album blows hard. It’s the same slow song repeated 12 different times. Not terrible, but a 6.5/10
For real! It’s pleasant at best, boring most of the time. Definitely the most overrated thing this year.
I would have thought Andrew Bird would rank in the top 50.
Agreed…….
For sure, lack of Bird and Krug is not cool
real estate are overrated shit….fucking horrible
It’s been said, and likely will again..but seriously, no sunset rubdown?? The third in a series of brilliant records from them (aka Krug) and still no recognition. I doubt he gives two shits, but fuck it, I kinda do. His moonface ep is amazing, which makes Sunset’s absence all the more apparent. A curious omission.
How does Now We Can See not even make Honorable Mentions? Also Actor is way too low, and I’ll ad a +1 onto “WTF Veckatimest at 6?!”
I’m still convinced that the whole Animal Collective thing is a giant prank at my expense. Isn’t it about time you all came clean? We can laugh about it, joke about how you nearly fell for it yourself for a few minutes and then get on with the real business of music. It’ll be nice.
I don’t understand this whole Animal Collective thing either.
Ok.. is that MPP cover art pulsing and sliding around, or am I experiencing some residual effects from my past psychedelic experiments?
It’s what the kids can an optical illusion.
i’m suprised and happy to see tune-yards and micachu get on there. They are 2 of my favorite albums this year, but i never thought in a million years pitchfork would rank them in their list.
really? you don’t think pitchfork would put two of the most intolerable hipster records of the year on their top 50 list….where u been?
At the risk of being called an intolerable hipster, my favorite part about the Micachu album is that there are some good songs, and the stuff that just sounds like noise is short enough that I don’t have to slog through it to get to the next good song. They were fun to see in concert, though.
I’d never heard of Tune-Yards until the Dirty Projectors show, but she was excellent, and really got a good crowd reaction. It seemed like everyone was impressed. I’ve been listening to the album since that show, and it’s growing on me. But I get the sense that if they had toured in January instead of November, the buzz probably would have died down a bit and she wouldn’t be on the list.
Unrelated, count me in as one who thinks the xx album is overrated. I like Crystalised, but the rest sound all the same.
califone, califone, califone, what is wrong with you people?
I absolutely love Califone and would put AMFAFS in my top ten, but it was not their best and consistently good albums by old people doesn’t impress Pitchfork (except for the boring Mountain Goats for some reason).
And yes Animal Collective are super good at programming loops into their computers. Hooray for that. It’s a nice listen, but I really don’t understand the reverence. And I can’t imagine a bigger waste of time than their movie “album”.
Oh the Krugmanity!
I love how gangsta Pfork is with the inclusion of Raekwon in the top 5. As if any of those douchebags even listen to that…but it sure gives them a well rounded musical palette.
That is gangsta, putting one of the best well rounded hip/hop albums this decade on their list.
I do have to say that when Pitchfork rates artists who use a lot of soul samples, they should sort of back off because I think that is over their heads. The Dam Funk album is a perfect example. He is using samples that pitchfork critics are very unfamiliar with. It makes them look they are out of their league.
Fact: Dam Funk DOES NOT USE SAMPLES! And, when done, it’s once in a blue moon. Get your facts straight if you’re going to decide to throw him into this wildfire of a debate/conversation!
List was alright, Grizzly Bear was my favorite this year and expected it to be 2nd on their list next to AC but boy was I shocked to see it at 6th… Dirty Projectors should be switched with Flips and XX doesnt belong in this top 10 at all… I like the music but not even close to be a top album of the year… Oh and WHERE IS Super Furry Animals! Not even an honorable mention!!! They gave the album a great rating and it was very unique but yet nowhere to be found. Maybe I just have to much love for my fav band but that album deserved to be on this list. SFA always getting no love…
SFA made it to no. 38 in No Ripcord’s list.
This list gave me mixed feelings. Really glad to see P4k giving Neko Case some love and putting her in the top 25 for the first time ever. Also glad to see Passion Pit and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs made it at all since they didn’t get great reviews the first time around. REALLY glad to see they left Wavves off completely; I can’t tell you how much I hate Wavves or WAVVVES or whatever (lies, I hate Wavves a lot).
But bummed that Sunset Rubdown didn’t make it and REALLY bummed they left off Camera Obscura! WTFUCK?! It was one of the top 20 best, easy.
Say what now? Passion Pit and Yeah Yeah Yeahs both got 8.1s, which are really good review scores. They just didn’t get the overhype label known as “Best New Music.” I’m pretty sure if Pitchfork hadn’t done away with the “Recommended” tag in 2009, they would have gotten more attention on their reviews of those albums, and plenty more on this list such as Neko Case. Without it, everyone seems to think P4k gave every album not labeled “Best New Music” a bad review, when nothing here was given less than a 7.5 probably.
To this point, I think the lowest-rated album I’ve seen on a Pitchfork year-end list (that I remember, I may be wrong) was Hot Chip’s “Made in the Dark”, which got a 7.0 and was still in the top 25.
Camera Obscura had a fan-fucking tastic album!! i’m totally with you on that. Am I the only one who enjoyed Pete Yorn’s and Scarlett Johanssons “Break Up” album? hmmm…
I’m not a fan of the guy or his music personally, but like Brandon said, to leave Wavves out of the top 50 and even the honourable mentions is harsh. I know the top 50 is aggregated, but you’ve got to feel that if he was asked to play their music festival then there must have been widespread support for him at some point; enough, you’d think, to put him in the lower end of the list at least.
1.Antlers should of been in the top 10, that album is great.
2. The Dodo’s got snubbed horribly this year, most over looked album this year.
3. And Agreed with the other comment on Andrew Bird, should be on this list
CONCUR to your second point. And I thought their last album got overlooked.
so what do we have here:
“I love how stereogum has become THE place to voice frustration about p4k. “having said that”, Veckatimest eeked out the top spot on my personal list. They toured relentlessly, got covered by Michael McDonald, sold a ton of albums for an indie band (prob more than MPP), and got beyonce and jay-z dancing (jay even said they are “incredible”, whatever that’s worth). I knew they would rank mpp 1st but I was shocked at GB at 6th. Almost as much as I was last year when they put TVOTR at 6th or in 2007 when they put radiohead 4th. But that’s what they do..”
-hip “having said that” joke
-the most POINTLESS criteria i’ve ever seen for a band being good
-bitching about an albums placement within the top 10, as if this actually matters.
nice. people like you scare me. have fun seeing grizzly bear at town hall for $40! “they have such good voices….they’re gonna kill it….”
Since you don’t know how to use the reply button, I’ll come down to your level. My comment was a comment about the list and GBs placement, not about the band itself. Second, your comment was not criticism of anything but my comment. No opinions about the list smart guy? You are about as witty and sharp as the famous douchbag comedian who shares your name.
People like me “scare you”? What kind of a chicken shit pussy worries about other peoples’ musical taste? Grow up. I’m sure you “knew about GB before they were big” or “know their tour manager” or you think they sold out when they released the Friend EP. Bottom line, you have no opinion other than hating the opinions of others. Run along now, I think Carles just posted a rant about a new meme you need to go hate on..
I don’t know about pitchfork giving Neko love, but I gave her every inch of my love last night….she likes to squeeze those lemons….
am i the only one who thinks that wolfgang amadeus phoenix should be WAY higher than #8? i mean, maybe it went too mainstream, so p4k had to punish phoenix a little bit. but honestly, i cant think of an album that was as good and had more crossover potential from the indie world this year.
should be in the top 3, thats for sure.
I’m not so sure about that, it’s got some terrific songs, but there are a couple of valleys as well. Sometimes just can’t hold up to their opening one-two punch (see AC: Sung Tongs).
Am I the only one who’s pissed that Hospice (My favorite album of the decade, let alone the year) only got 37?
Also, a list without Krug is a list that is wrong.
i’m confirming both your points
I agree. The Antlers “Hospice” was amazing and easily one of my top five, maybe number one. I also thought that Harlem Shakes should have been included. “Technicolor Health” was a great album. Although I do like some of the songs on The xx album, I feel it’s overrated. The girl sings out of tune. Where is Fanfarlo? Andrew Bird? Fever Ray and Bat for Lashes are seriously overrated.
Worst thing about that list is the placement of Veckatimest so low and XX so high. And Phoenix so low.
God that XX album is boring
You, sir, do not understand the concept of “low”
Circulatory System’s Signal Morning got the shaft.
I can’t believe that Pictureplane’s album did not make this list, that album is so solid. No one has put it on any list. I don’t get it…
I am glad Ashes Grammar made it on there at 42. Fantastic record.
Happy to see Fever Ray crack the top ten, bat can’t in a million years see how XX would be rated higher, never mind all the way to number 3. I don’t get the Bat For Lashes drooling at all.
Can’t argue with MPP and Bitte Orca at 1&2…
It seems like it’s some kind of inside joke with them to not give Spencer Krug the love he deserves. They always give him a glowing review, but then a low number and a bad ranking. It’s not funny, Pitchfork guys. Stop it.
I think the xx album was the best thing released this year. I understand the “they all sound the same yadasldfjsld” feelings going around, but the fact is that I hated (and wanted to hate) this album ridiculously hard until I fell in love with it.
i’m gay, but you are a pussy. no offense.
cant agree more…listened to the album twice and couldnt understand why critics loved it so much…i guess it eventually made sense on the tenth listen…defintely hard to explain how it happened and im still not really sure.
I’m going to go ahead and say that, despite everyone preemptively disclaiming that this isn’t important so that they can show they’re at least somewhat self-aware, this is kind of important. Obviously not compared to getting a job or dying, but this isn’t Time Magazine, it’s Stereogum. The proper context here is importance in the realm of music. Like it or not, Pitchfork sets trends, makes and breaks bands, and has a lot to do with the landscape of independent music. Don’t be embarrassed for being mad at them for commandeering something you’re interested in so they can maintain their status as indie music king makers.
Leaving someone like Sunset Rubdown off this list because it doesn’t comport with their current genre agenda, when even they can’t deny that it’s a great album, is a big deal for independent music, its artists and its fans. The obvious goal here is to prevent more music like that from coming out next year, and Pitchfork has already proven they’re pretty successful at deciding what’s going to be popular.
So if you’re in a band that sounds like Sunset Rubdown, or you enjoy music that sounds like Sunset Rubdown, or you’re Sunset Rubdown, this is kind of a big deal.
Can I just point out that they went to the effort of giving Freddie Gibbs “Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik” an honorable mention…..but couldn’t throw Sunset Rubdown a bone at all? I think it’s unanimously a top 20 album (I would say top 3), but to not even give it an honorable mention, considering what did, seems just plain weird.
Grizzly Bear is completely boring and Animal Collective is just a bunch of oddly sounding layers looped and placed over each other, besides My Girls I honestly don’t get the appeal…
That being said where is Sunset Rubdown, The Horrors, The Dutchess & The Duke, The Cave Singers, Andrew Bird, and Handsome Furs? I understand none of them are “experimental”, but whats wrong with putting out solid good ol’ indie rock records?
I’m the sure the reason Sunset Rubdown is missing is because the only person on the staff that really liked it is the one that gave it a good review. It’s not some giant conspiracy against you. The other staffers probably had it on some of their lists, just not very high. If this makes you furious, go post a top 10 list on your blog and get enough people to read it so there’s more buzz for Krug next year or whatever.
Monsters of Folk is the best album of the year for me. I guess this makes me lame now.
Me too man. I think it means I’m getting old.
ok again
1.no tegan and sara!!!
2.no sunset rubdown!!
3.no thermals!!
4.no handsome furs!
5.antlers, wild beasts, fever ray, neko case, and phoenix should be higher!!
and i dont get the appeal of mountain goats.. pretty blah.
micachu is pretty cool! just getting into them thanks to pitchfork
um Noble Beast?
This has me peeved as well. Noble Beast and Dragonslayer were definitely two of my favourites this year.
all the “i don’t get animal collective” posts are getting ridiculous. i wouldn’t have considered myself an unadulterated fan of theirs even two years ago, but this album is magnificent and any list that completely omits it will be the equivalent of a bug-splattered windshield in ten or twenty years. i’m so grateful we haven’t had to endure another decade of whatever 90′s bullshit has these people mourning the downfall of music.
No Super Furry Animals
No Decemberists
Pitchfork Sucks
Phoenix and Grizzly Bear lost a few spots from
having achieved radio play and large record sales and the latter being on twilight! Pitchfork is punishing them for teetering too close to the mainstream. Remain obtuse and difficult and NEVER sell out and u get top 2 spots!
Ps. Dreagonslayer was robbed
pps. Veckatimest was best album of year
ppps. None of this matters
Someone should do a sound scan list of their top 50 I’d be curious
I don’t know about that. The Flaming Lips sold “Do You Realize?” for a commerical, and they still placed higher than both of those artists.
So Animal Collective puts out an album that, compared to their last two, is mediocre in every respect and they get the top spot? Also, no Sunset Rubdown? This might be Pitchfork’s worst list to date. Even if I disagree with their lists I can see where they’re coming from, but not this year.
So Sunset Rubdown puts out an album that, compared to his last two, is mediocre in every respect and he doesn’t get a spot? Oh wait, no, that makes sense.
Does Pitchfork have some beef against Krug? Dragonslayer was such an amazing album! Like others have said, sure it doesn’t matter much, but some recognition for the man would be nice! BAH.
Did anyone expect Animal Collective in any other spot? That one is getting tired. Pitchfork has created a beast in AC, the band you are “supposed to” love. Decent album but far from the best of 2009.
The most ridiculous omission from almost all the lists is DM Stith- heavy ghost- a supremely beautiful yet dark record- not even an honourable mention- fire of birds surely should be in the top 10 songs of the year, whilst in terms of debut of the year it is for me on a par with The XX.
Couldn’t agree more Silks – that record is flawless and it’s a shame it hasn’t been getting more recognition. Braid of Voices gets me every time. It’s his first album though – I have faith that he’ll get his due.
Also, I was glad to see The Clientele get an “honorable mention” even though I believe Bonfires deserves a spot in the top 50, and putting 2-5 before Grizzly Bear is laughable.
And, to chime in on all this Sunset Rubdown talk, I just figured it was included in the list of 50 until I came here and saw otherwise. I didn’t exactly love the album, but I’d certainly prefer it to most of what they included.
wilco?
elvis perkins?
The XX are the clap your hands say yeah of 2009
I wish, I still love their debut
good point! that is, if you meant they are totally overrated and will disappear off the face of the planet very soon…i mean, at least Clap Your Hands gets a few points for originality…
Not having Camera Obscura anywhere on any list is a fucking joke. It’s far better than the pretentious tripe that Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear call music.
Thank you for reminding me on how good that album is, i’m going to listen to that album right now
NO Handsome Furs, Great Lake Swimmers, Metric, Swan Lake, Tegan and Sara, Patrick Watson, Joel Plaskett = Pitchfork Hates Canadians
Bonnie Prince Billy “Beware”
Too twangy for the hipster set.
Clap your hands and say who?
Also, agreed about Wilco. 3rd on my AOTY list. Maybe not their best, but completely solid except for the last two tracks.
Wilco (The Album)…….?
DRAGONSLAYER GODDAMN IT!!!! AS GOOD OR BETTER AS ANY ON THIS LIST!!!
DRAGONSLAYER GODDAMN IT!!!! AS GOOD OR BETTER AS ANY ON THIS LIST!!!
So shocked at Fever Ray being in the top 10, but it sounds like they ranked it that high for the accompanying music videos more than for the music itself. And I thought for sure Girls would be in the top 3 (as this band is sort of like P4K?s baby), but I was pleasantly surprised to see The xx that high. I wonder if all the people saying they are boring have listened to XX more than once, because I thought it was boring the first and second time around too, but the songs started to build so much power around the third and fourth listens, and now I think its #3 spot is totally deserved. It?s a very subtle album, but an extremely beautiful and moving one too if you give it a chance.
i agree completely, i thought xx was incredibly bland and over-hyped the first couple times…but it’s a surprisingly rewarding disc the more spins you give it, the melodies start to present and get under your skin.
whoopsie daisies
Some other good albums from this year…
Here We Go Magic- self titled
Built to Spill- There is No Enemy
Circulatory System- Signal Morning
Akron/Family- Set Em Wild Set Em Free
Sad to see Yo La Tengo so far down on the list, but then again popular songs is nowhere near as good as I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
Not much is.
An explanation is is order: If ‘Veckatimest’ was the #2 album of the year a few weeks ago, then how did it fall to #6 in such a short time? What has changed in the past few weeks to warrant this flip-flop?
If ‘The xx’, ‘Embryonic’, and ‘Only Built for Cuban Linx 2′ are indeed superior records, then why screw them out of being honored in the Top Albums of the Decade list?
An explanation is in order.
I believe I’m one of the very few that really likes Wavves. With Jay Reatards ex-band backing Nathan now, I have a feeling Wavves will be releasing a great third album. And just hearing the direction they’re going in with the two self-released songs, “Cool Jumper” and “Mickey Mouse” from this year, has me even more interested.
As for the Pitchfork list, I believe it’s one of their weakest.
I meant to say “the direction Nathan is going in” rather than “the direction they’re going in”, because Jay’s old band didn’t join along until after those two songs.
I’m with you man. Though Jay’s old band may just be with them on the road, and not on record. Don’t forget about Zach Hill.
some of my favorites from this year…
Circulatory System- Signal Morning
Akron/Family-Set Em Wild Set Em Free
Here We Go Magic- self titled
Sleepy Sun- Embrace
Built to Spill- There is No Enemy
Pink Mountaintops – Outside Love?
IT’S THAT FUCKING CRASH TEST DUMMY AGAIN!!!
<-- (barf.)
Great list, but I think Franz Ferdinand’s “Tonight” deserves a lot more recognition than it got. I’ve seen it on about one list this year. I understand it not being top 10 or 20, but at least in the Top 50. It was great! And anyone who saw them perform Lucid Dreams live….man, AMAZING!
come on guys, we’re losing focus here. NO DRAGONSLAYER???
NOBLE BEAST = notably absent. WTF?
Last time I checked “veckatimest” was ranked in the best of decade list higher than Dirty Projectors, with only MPP above it and the XX, Flaming Lips latest and Raekwon were not even considered as decade’s best. What happened? I call bullshit. Veckatimest should be #2
A few months ago, St. Vincent’s “The Strangers” was on the Top 500 songs of the decade. Then a few days ago, I realize that “The Strangers” didn’t make the Top 100 songs of 2009.
I’ve tried to stop understanding Pitchfork’s logic
they surprised me this year on a few of the picks but i’m glad they stopped hyping that wavvves album. it’s interesting to see what ‘best new music’ albums were left out, but most of them ultimately made it as predicted. as with last year i think their honorable mentions was where they covered the least talked about but great records.
also, it’s one source, they may be influential as hell, but there are plenty of lists out there to check out as well
maybe in this list, pitchfork is acknowledging the sense that they have grown too big for their britches this year with all of the lists, lists, lists: p2k was a fucking joke, released way before the end of the year, not to mention before the end of the decade. and the self-importance of calling it “p2k”…my god. but on the other hand, let’s just admit it, as far as music is concerned (or at least the majority of white music) this decade belonged to pitchfork. now the decade is ending with even pitchfork-devotees understanding that this one music blog is unable to be the “most relevant” thing out there. and i think pitchfork realizes that too. so, oh well, they put out a sterile list this year. if they want to regain their cutting edge they will need to dig deeper into local scenes like they did for a little while from 02-06.
them’s the brakes…at this point, they almost exclusively give high marks to bands with label-backing and well-developed press kit apparatuses. with the exception of clap your hands say yeah, memory tapes, and a few others, it’s hard to find bands p4k loves that aren’t VERY easily accessible to everyone, if they are looking. of course a music site loses its appeal as it becomes more like other websites.
but i’m sure we will all keep going back to see what they think.
Just for the record, the list on the website is the culmination of the combination of all of the staff writer’s lists. In other words, this is how Veckatimest ends up at #6.
Metric’s album has at least 3 very good if not great songs on their album.. and where are they on this list?
and whats wrong with the monsters of folk album? id like to know.
cant even buy an honorable mention for an indie super group?
mount eerie – wind’s poem!!!!!
I am just going to look at this list as “50 good albums from 2009 presented in no discernible order!” because otherwise i will only get upset.
I’d like to see the Play Counts on all of Pitchfork staff’s iPods. Seriously, I think that’s a great way to judge what your favorite album is. I can’t imagine any of them listened to Animal Collective the most. If I listen to something repeatedly, that normally means I love. I can tell you I listened to Pearl Jam and Thrice more than Animal Collective. You can get lambasted for saying that in many indie circles. These lists get overly pretentious. Am I not allowed to love The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Thrice, Russian Circles, and Brand New? We all forget that most people in the real world look at us weird when we mention bands they’ve never heard of.
you listen to thrice?
Exactly. I can’t possibly imagine being sincerely hooked on Animal Collective.
Best guide = pleasure
Repeat listens is the best test. I got three or four listens out of the xx, therefore it sucks.
Go tune-yards! Too few other up and coming Montreal bands getting recognition, though. Braids, Witchies, Murder Ford Monument, Parlovr, Satellite Maps… I hope everyone knows these names by next year.
Are you kidding me??? Dragonslayer didn’t even make the top fifty let alone an honorable mention. By far my favorite album of the year… Such a slap in the face to Krug.
Sunset Rubdown and Wavves are easily in my Top 10. For them not to even make it into the Top 50?! For shame, Pitchfork. And I’m sorry, but…while I kinda enjoy both albums, The xx and Girls are simply not Top 10 material. Seriously. No opinion on Bat for Lashes. I’m fine with all the other albums in the Top 10. Logos should be higher. I’m happy to see Passion Pit made the list.
we get it. it’s cool to hate pitchfork.
future of the left deserves more than an honorable mention
I like this list. It includes most of my favorites this year. But, I guess the fact that I actually enjoy reading Pitchfork invalidates my opinion.
Oh, and the Camera Obscura and Sunset Rubdown albums are mediocre despite the fact that they got Best New Music nods upon release. I feel like the Spencer Krug-love is some inside joke similar to way many feel about Animal Collective.
American sights are totally out of it as far as younger British groups are concerned. Hardly anything on this list has real pop appeal. Pitchfork wants to stick to boring, vaguely impressive drivel. I can only imagine they didn’t put the Horrors album on their list because the group are poseurs, and therefore not serious. But this shouldn’t matter (just look at Crystal Castles). Even though half the songs on the album suck, the catchiest songs of the year are on there.
Any site or magazine that won’t pick an album with the catchiest songs of the year on it is spineless and pretentious. It shouldn’t piss me off so much but it does.
It is hard to make list like this. I did do a Top 100 list for songs, but for albums I can only muster out 30 albums that I liked from this year. I’m really pushing it when I think LaRoux came out with the 30th best album this year.
For Pitchfork, I really only listen to a 1/4 of those albums. I could care less about Cass McCombs, The Mountain Goats, and a few others. I guess that is coming from someone who pledges that Hip/Hop is the greatest musical artform since punk music. The xx, Islands is a great song, but I’m not buying the album on one song. If there is a album that surprised me this year, it had to be Bibio. I love that album to death. Oh yeah, that Flaming Lips album wasn’t anything special at all to my ears.
Dear Sunset Rubdown fans,
The best part about Pitchfork’s list is that it doesn’t include Dragonslayer. Seriously, who wants to listen to a whole album of a guy singing like a dying goat.
Thanks,
fever ray should be in the top 3. xx is overrated.
Where is
Fanfarlo
Asobi Seksu
Volcano Chor
Balmorhea
Chiming in on the not truly understanding AC and XX (Great albums but far from greatest release of 2009)
Neon Indian wasn’t that good, and neither was The Flaming Lips this year.
Wait where the hell is Soap&Skin??
Its really too bad that Dragonslayer was left off the list like tons of people said before.
I feel like Pitchfork tries too hard to seem relevant by including token rap albums that clearly is not their area of expertise.
I appreciate the AV Clubs end of year list, have to say its my fav of 2009 list.
the xx beat grizzly bear? wth!
There’s one album I adored that no one’s even mentioned that no one’s mentioned on any of these lists: Blue Rose . . .