This post is a really big deal because we never ask questions like this. (We always ask questions like this.) But for real this time … did Bitte Orca do it? Is this the one? It’s almost December right? At SXSW, where Dirty Projectors debuted the Bitte material in a set that’s a frontrunner for my favorite show of the year, Dave Longstreth punctuated the 45 minute premiere of his triumphant, fractured pop opuses and Meredith Monking mind explosions with a matter-of-fact declaration: “Those are all new songs, from a new album we have called Bitte Orca. We’re pretty excited about it.” We have been too, and so has the rest of the internet, asking questions and giving it scores that aren’t high enough, etc. I don’t think we’d rewrite a thought from our Premature Ejaculation, but we’d add that having had some time with the album, it’s one of few this year that rewards — and gets better — with sustained listening and revisitation. It don’t stop. And as the suite Longstreth composed in its wake for Björk (in just one week) demonstrated, neither will DPs.
Anyway, we’re taking off for Bonnaroo. We’ll see DPs play the David Byrne-curated stage on Friday, yay. As always we’ll have more photos than you need and Scott and I will be manning the Tweet, but until that coverage begins this weekend we’re gonna leave you with the best gift we can: A full stream of what is possibly maybe the best album of 2009.
Bitte Orca is out now. Buy a Walkman and dig in.
[Photo by Sarah Cass]
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ANCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is all.
anco sux. they are so unoriginal.
miley cyrus > animal collective > DC talk > grizzly bear
holy shit, you referenced DC talk in a *cough* well crafted burn, well done! bravo!
Bitte Orca is the best record of 2009 with the only rival being Vecktamist
I don’t get AC — I’ve tried a bunch of times, don’t get it –
DP < Dirty Projectors
GB < Grizzly Bear
ANCO < Animal Collective
Enough w/ the abbrev, plz.
ty.
BItte Orca kills MPP…and that saying something for a Ted Leo album. Wait, what? That’s not Ted Leo. Well I’ll be damned. Best Non-Ted Leo-Ted Leo album of the year, hands down.
This album is far better than the Merriweather….
So I would say, so far, yes.
why does no one like you? everything you post instantly has red highlighted vote downs.
because he’s Canadian??
I think it’s because he’s literally the only stereogum commentator with a webcam headshot for his graphic.
Don’t be an asshole.
Actually most albums this year are better than MPP. Animal Collective have just been over hyped across most music blogs. It’s a shame most people can’t see this as all their previous albums are infinitely better such as Feels and Strawberry Jam.
I guess I can agree with that statement, but I’d go so far as to say that ANYTHING is INFINITELY better that MPP for purely logical reasons…
Let BO = Bitte Orcha, MPP = Merriweather,
BO > MPP yet… BO < X
Therefore, it is logically sound to assume that
X = a donkey’s dick
The best album of the year is Veckatimest, barring any unforseable releases by The National and/or Radiohead.
False. I’ve got both albums, and although I’ve spent more time with MPP, I think it is faaaaaar better than Veckatimest.
Veckatimest is still a great album, however.
indie gods save me, but I sort of agree with this mofo. I can jam with MPP fine but i didn’t like it nearly as much as Vecka. also the National and Radiohead are both faves of mine.
check out Ben Sine’s 6/28/09 post; that kind of shit is constructive. not everyone likes DP, so if you’re going to debate if this is the best album, you need to talk in less subjective terms.
GB > Green Day lollllz
I’ll give a +1 to anyone with a Kingdom of Loathing pic.
Also, I think this is a highly important issue that needs to be discussed level-headedly and with as much respect for contrasting opinions as possible.
No fucking way.
agreed, no way… MPP is still the best of the year. this is close thou
Ok enough already, stop looking for the best album of 2009. I’m really not trying to be negative, but there is plenty of time to decide what the best album is at THE END OF THE YEAR when you can make a fair assessment. Its this constant early judging and evaluation and “who said it first” mentality that is making independent music unnecessarily competitive, stripping away the value of the music for only how it compares to everything else. Music shouldn’t be a competition about who’s the best, please stop making it into it.
psssh who are we kidding we love this stuff
Yeah, competition didn’t work out too well for The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys!
Face Control deserves a lot more love.
If by Face Control you mean Dragonslayer (the new album by the superior member of Wolf Parade) you are correct (although neither can rival MPP, Veckatimest or Bitte Orca at this point). Face Control sounds exactly like every other song/album that Dan has ever put out.
it’s honestly fucking possible. depends how ambivalence avenue turns out.
I’d like to see Dirty Projectors remix Animal Collective and vice versa.
It’s just safe to say ,easpecially in Steroegum’s eyes, Domino Records is the label having the beat year in music.
Under that logic, the next Arctic Monkeys album should get the following “best album of the year!!!” headline.
Domino’s been great this whole decade.
I’d like to see Dirty Projectors remix Animal Collective and vice versa. Also, throw us some of those tracks with Bjork for proper download please!
so far, it’s between this and passion pit’s manners.
i happen to totally agree
Honestly, this is a terrible record and I don’t think the editors of this site are in any position to comment on this, or music in general.
AOTY
I like Dragonslayer…
Have a gut feeling p4k will bash it, though. I hope I’m wrong. Not because I personally care about p4k, but because people won’t go nuts over an album unless p4k tells them to.
Agreed… I’m seeing a… 7.5 somewhere in the future. Somewhere between a 7 and an 8, depending on how bitchy P4K feels.
But us fans know that in reality, it’s the best album this year.
I too am loving Dragonslayer. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
WHEW. I thought I was losing my frickin mind over here, as just last week or so was the Premature ‘Ejaculation’ (heh. nice one.) of Dragonslayer. I say y’all can HAVE Dirty Projectors as long as I can still cuddle up and sleep with Dragonslayer in peace b/c that album is BYOOOTIFUL. Best of 2009? Didn’t MPP come out like ten years ago already? (kidding.)
Blah < Blah Blah < Blah Blah Blah
Bob Loblaw
mr. dobelina, mr. bob dobelina
Wait, is Blah Blah Blah the best album of 2009?
This is how I have it so far:
1. Animal Collective – Merriweather
2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
3. Dirty Projectors – Bitte
4. Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
5. Dark Was the Night
Regardless of what order, though, these are 5 great records and 2009 is shaping up to be a great year (waaay better than last year). Also, Bill Callahan and Phoenix. Jesus.
And the new Third Eye Blind comes out this month!
Lulz, no. I couldn’t even finish this record. It was a snooze fest.
*rolls eyes*
Here we go again…. and yet again, I have not heard it. And even if I started streaming it right now, it takes time to determine that sort of stuff.
You know what else takes time? Other contenders to arrive. Whatever. It’s in my to-download list.
Roll in all the GB comparison/bashing, more adequate than AC comparisons if you ask me.
Don’t feel bad. I listened to the first few seconds of the first track and said “Nope, this is not for me” and stopped it. Am I missing out on a monumental listening experience that will connect me on a transcendental level with my peers? The answer is no, no I am not.
(Also, for the record, I only found about 3 or 4 songs on the Animal Collective album I liked, too, so PHHHHHBBBBBTTTTT.)
Even as a die hard AnCo fan i must say that i think this record is better. is it the 2000s Ok Computer?
God, I hope not. What the hell! What an offensive thing to suggest? How many of youa re there? Too many! AAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!
Um, yes. So far. But I will say this … I doubt very much that there will be an album better than this this year.
Premature Ejaculation?
I think they liked it a little too much
OMG! This album is like so much better than Merriweather!
Wait, my bad, i just realized that my opinion should really only matter to myself and no one else. I shouldn’t post comments on music blogs trying to prove that my taste is more relevant that pitchfork.
A very boring album, this isn’t experimental music at all as this guy thinks his music his. The music is very thin sounding, hooks non existent, prominent vocal masturbation in every song. Horrible, check out the Dusted Magazine review, this guy is a retard.
third eye blind – ursa major
AOTY!!
Also the singer has a absolutely horrible voice, totally ruins the music. Such a painfully ordinary voice, no wonder David Byrne, another vocalist with a pedestrian and emotionless voice, likes him.
Way to talk up an album by a band who your writer Brandon Stosuy is BFFs with.
So what, pitchfork hypes bands they put on their festival also. Stupid people won’t care about this and will eat anything the big blogs and review sites hype. “PROFESSIONAL” music reviews are pointless.
If you had a festival, would you invite bands you think are shitty? Wouldn’t make sense.
they hype crap, and most of all, CHEAP new bands so they fill their lineup easier and spend less money while earning a lot more
Did you ever pause to think maybe the blogs are giving the people what they want? Last time I checked that was how the world worked.
no, most people do not know what they want. pitchfork creates their taste by hyping anything they want
It’s fun to pit artists against each other in a battle for supremacy but really, this year it started back in fucking JANUARY so everyone’s already exhausted and can barely lift their maces or shields anymore. Let’s take a break until December, please.
It’s a solid record, no doubt about it, but I can’t call it the best. My top picks, at the moment:
1. Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal Collective
2. Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear
3. Farm, Dinosaur Jr.
4. Noble Beast, Andrew Bird
5. Person to Person, Foreign Born
Bitte Orca falls somewhere in the next five. It’s a really good album, but I don’t think it can touch AC or Grizzly Bear.
I salut you for including Andrew Bird.
don’t forget Circulatory System – Signal Morning!
its the sleeper hit. bank on it
No. The album is boring and uninspiring. A light and not so horrible version of Black Dices “Repo”, meaning = a complete mess with no worthwhile melodies and with a lot of failed experiments.
WHERE DA HIP HOP AT?
Seriously. Wait til Cudi drops dat new new
I don’t understand why this bothers people. I want to constantly talk about what albums are my favourites. I want to rate them against each other. I want to casually mention, on the side, what other records deserve praise. And I don’t want to wait until December to do it.
Thank you, Professor Jeff! Your comment is The Best (and I mean that)… I think we’d all agree that it IS fun, as big-time music nerds, to discuss and argue and create some sort of discourse on contemporary music. What the rest of the crew on here doesn’t appreciate (without realizing it) is the idea of an authoritative figure. Websites like these don’t claim to be THE authority, but since they’re good as hell at what they do and since they get so many hits and page views, they are lifted up by our indie culture (so about 10% of the population) as BEING the taste-makers. It’s one of those “Don’t hate the player, hate the cliche” instances, but everyone gets mad at the players. Pathetic.
Oh, and making fun of the idea of comment boards by posting a comment is ridiculous. Welcome to College.
That’s fine, but how about some REASONING as to why these albums appeal to you? What makes them potentially the best records of the year? Are they a significant artistic departure or advancement in some way? The whole <> approach is getting lazy and boring.
1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
2. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
3. Grizzly Bear – Vecktamist
4. Micachu and the Shapes – Jewellery
5. TBA
Sin Fang Bous – Clangour?
dirty projectors just try way too hard to be interesting and relevant, usually at the cost of actually sounding good, or even listenable. I am not saying I hate his voice or the lyrical content or that the music is like truly awful, but this is clearly a love it or hate it sort of record/band, and in my mind that is not really grounds for a best record of the year.
animal collective and grizzly bear and phoenix and lots of other bands have put out great records that will be great records for a long time. I am comfortable with those other bands as far as being on he right side of music history… because all of those records have something I actually want to listen to, not something I have to train myself to enjoy.
dirty projectors just seem too divisive and pretentious. not bad. I would never bash their talent or skill level. but the ending result is not very welcoming. and that is not really a good way of describing a so called contender for best album of the year. maybe a good album of the year, but not best.
I can’t stand this band, and a good deal of it stems from them being the worst live act I’ve ever seen. They miss half their notes, their lead singer noodles around with his guitar like he’s some virtuoso when he can barely play the damn thing. It’s embarrassing and annoying.
For now I like MPP more, but we’ll see how Bitte Orca ages over the next few months. At the moment:
1. Animal Collective
2. Amadou et Mariam
3. Grizzly Bear
4. Dan Deacon (am I the only one?)
5. Dirty Projectors
you shouldn’t be. dan deacon’s album is amazing and will still be at the end of the year.
more people should also mention andrew bird’s noble beast.
(forgot I had this account)
I’ll also add I’m waiting on Wilco (though not expecting it to be great, to be honest) and Midlake.
i actually really like the new wilco a lot. i was surprised. maybe i was just in the right mood for it when i first heard it?
You both should have your profiles revoked for enjoying the new Wilco.
BORING
this album’s okay. but i wouldn’t say it’s on the level of grizzly bear or animal collective, considering their releases this year. and STOP WITH THIS ALBUM OF THE YEAR SHIT. there’s a time and place for it. at the end of the year.
SPAGHETT!
yes, yes it is the best album of the year
The answer you’re looking for is no. No, Bitte Orca is nowhere near the best album of 2009, or any year. ever.
IMO, yes. To all the people stating that the album is boring, uninspiring and lacking general good music really could not have listened to the album. Just listen to the “Useful Chamber” and tell me this is a boring album…I have never heard anything like it.
To answer the actual question posed in the headline:
Christ, I hope not.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear has produced some Dirty Projectors’ work in the past. Did he produce Bitte Orca as well? If so, that is very impressive especially considering the fact Veckatimest just came out and he produces all of Grizzly Bear’s work…
this album is really cool,but….. No chance its the best so far.. Too much filler.. Rise Above was much better.. That album didn’t have one bad song on it… What happened to all the melody?? Two Doves is out of control though!!!
Top five so far…
1) Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
2) Phoenix- Wolfgang amadeuas Phoenix
3) The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart-The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
4) The Dream- Love Vs. Money
5) Lotus Plaza- The Floodlight Collective
Thanks pitchfork.
dragonslayer!!!
..dragonslayer?
I haven’t heard the record, so I can’t say anything, but I just wanna say that I really don’t like it how every year, people’s top-whatever lists on this site all look exactly the same, just rearranged.
Last year it was Fleet Foxes, Portishead, Deerhunter, Bon Iver, No Age, etc.
This year it’s Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Bat for Lashes, Dirty Projectors, etc. (see several posts above for proof)
And if you dare put something that P4k don’t like in there, you get the hail of red arrows come down on you. Well guess what, my top 5′s probably gonna have Peter Bjorn & John in it, but not Veckatimest. NA-NA NA NA-NA.
I agree with just about everything you said, except for the PBJ part. But hey, what’s so bad about differing opinions?
It’s really funny how angry people get when others say something is the ‘best’ or is their ‘favorite.’ Committing is not a bad thing, we need more of that in music during these internet days. i still don’t understand why people pounce on individuals for liking something just because their tastes differ.
cum on, grow to the top, people.
I called “Merriweather” the most Revolver since Revolver and I stand by that…(I now know which people wouldn’t have cared much for “Love You To” and “Tommorow Never Knows” if this was1966)…maybe it’s 1966 again and the bands that are taking the chances are the ones that are being rewarded…maybe a bunch of people aren’t nearly as they think…
Oh… get the fuck over yourself.
Five of the year (no order):
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Fever Ray – s/t
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – s/t
Waiting for two more (I really like The Thermals – Now We Can See, but no way it’s an AOTY).
if i played sitar would i be cool, too?
All I know is that it’s my personal favorite. Am I going to get downvoted for that?
yeah man. but you know you wanted it.
I’m going to say it’s a tie. Yes, it’s DP and AC for me. I think MPP and BT are both magnificent and so replayable. Each time is better than the last. Other greats (for me) are Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, PB & J, YYY, Red Light Company, Thee Oh Sees, Mint Chicks, Swan Lake, and Pains of Being Pure at Heart. And some I forgot, I’m sure.
Oh wait, I forgot Grizzly Bear. Actually, I didn’t. That album is the opposite of a sandwich. The middle has no meat. What a bore. Just to insert an obligatory GB comment.
why did you post a series of random capital letters interspersed with words about sandwiches?
peter bjorn & john… that’s a fucking joke right?
i’d rather listen to my cat in heat than their latest
holy shit, less abbreviating, NOW!
DOWNVOTED!!!
this isn’t even the dirty projector’s best album.
i think The Mimicking Birds have potential, i saw them tour with modest mouse, i got a cd of theirs with a couple of songs and it fuckin rules, its going to be their first album and im really hoping their it will be awesome, they definitly have potential
I neither read palms nor own a crystal ball, but The Rural Alberta Advantage debut ‘Hometowns’ will get some well-deserved praise (and possibly make many best-of-2009 lists) when Saddle Creek Records drops it in July.
I also really like the latest from Deastro, ‘Moondagger.’
agreed. Hometowns is an excellent record.
I called “Merriweather” the most Revolver since Revolver and I stand by that…(I now know which people wouldn’t have cared much for “Love You To” and “Tommorow Never Knows” if this was1966) I would say both these bands are swimming in the same waters and that’s good enough.
lonely island – incredibad = grizzly bear – veckatimest
I called Merriweather the most Revolver since Revolver and I stand by that…
no judgments can be made until we listen to the new built to spill album in october.
DRAGONSLAYER.
Where’s the thread for discussion of best album of 2010?
Too early. I think that goes up next week.
The 5 tracks on Deradoorian’s Mind Raft > Bitte Orca as a whole………I called Merriweather the most Revolver since Revolver and I stand by that… (just had to see if my body would physically let me type that)
Veckatimest FTW
Bitte Orca grates and grates and grates. I loved it at first, now it just gives me a headache. Stillness is the move is still great. MPP is whatever.
Bitte Orca < Veckatimest < Merriweather Post Pavillion < Noble Beast.
Whatever it is, that cover is so fucking shitty and I haven’t managed to completely figure out why I hate it so much… yes it amazingly annoying but, there’s a whole rich kid art twee thing that makes me want to pull the plug on the world.
yeah Middle Cyclone and Veckamist are the easiest top contendors, though merriweather follows very close behind.
It’s always interesting to me how the lack of comments on P4K just inevitably lead to discussion / inevitable backlash on Stereogum. Would this site still be as popular if P4K allowed commenting?
I love these conversations. Shit, I even track my favorite records of the year on my facebook. cuz i’m a prick.
1. Animal Collective
2. Sunset Rubdown
3. Dirty Projectors
4. Sonic Youth
5. Phoenix
and then Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Japandroids, The Thermals, Dan Deacon, Handsome Furs, Wavves (fuck the hatahs) and Neko Case all deserve lots of love
That Japandroids is so good. It’s the first lo-fi (ish) album I’ve ever really liked, so of course it comes at the genres saturation point.
Yes, Japandroids is awesome I was waiting for someone to mention that. It’s nice to have such a light-hearted album I can yell along to
My favorite is Veckatimest, but maybe Merriweather is better. I’m not sure Bitte Orca is quite as good as those two albums, too woosie to me.
And now everybody is excited like last year with that TV on the Radio shit: Who is hearing Dear Science now? That silence says it all.
I dunno man. I recently went back to Dear Science thinking that I would less than entralled by it, but just the opposite happened: I liked it even more. It’s a big, fat, great album.
Agreed. I was listening to Dear Science on the drive home from work a few days ago and was loving every second of it.
Really????? Well, then you two can marry the Bitte Orca!
I’m personally just glad that this, MPP and Veckatimest are the only 3 albums coming out this year. This debate would be downright silly and impossible otherwise.
I dug it.
2009 was a very important year for me, most important so far. So i think it deserves a better “best album” than this, if this is the bet of 2009 then i am very sad.
My vote is for Pains of Being Pure At Heart
(also give a small shout out to the thermals and Grizzly Bear)
album of the year or not, face control hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention
That’s because it’s fucking boring and incredibly samey.
No……………………………..
Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, and DP albums are all great, but let them sink in and decide in December.
Good call from the guy who also mentioned Circulatory System.. that should be a good one. Also look out for White Denim’s Fits lp.
I guarantee there’ll be another album that pops up out of nowhere later in the year… Sufjan???
If you guys haven’t heard AC Newman’s new solo set, you’re missing out on our generations’ Brian Wilson.
More important question: who ISN’T our generation’s Brian Wilson and/or Beach Boys?
dirty projectors suck…his vocals make me want to kill myself….its hipster bullshit…i live in Portland Oregon and im surrounded by shit like this….its like the furthest you can get from an actual song or anything memorable the better jackoff hipsters like it….and the i covered black flag from memory is also bullshit…lies all lies…its like if a band has a huge gimmick and less actual songs the better pitchfork etc…will dig it….you people are all retards
Looking foward to you taking Rooney’s spot on 60 Minutes chief…
nah i know what your speaking of though..when andy rooney said that dumb shit about nirvana on 60 minutes….im not old if thats what your refering….i like songs…im not big on gimmick bands……and dont compare shit to the beach boys and an album being revolver…thats just fucking retarded….there isnt one song on any Animal collective, panda bear, dirty projectors…even better than one song off revolver…”im only sleeping” crushes all those retards..go listen to it..its fuckin genius….you see its a great song even on just an acoustic guitar striped down…no BS…also arent you guys tired of ambient shit>? god damn is this why hipsters dont dance at shows? i was watching the stooges on youtube from like 1970..compare that to some animal collective bullshit show….fucking retards dont stand for anything…fucking change something….knock down a fucking wall…make a statement
…
i don’t think i understand music at all, why is this the best album of the year and not St. Vincent’s Actor? i mean i think they are both equally as good. i can understand Animal Collective; not because i’m a huge fan but maybe because the sound is more modern and more of what you want 2009 to sound like. i dunno…
personally i’ve heard more Neko Case and St. Vincent and loved it more than everything else… but i guess its AC / GB / DP cuz’ P4 sez so…
Where is the love for Bromst?
I like music.
It’s apparently the best album of the year for the next month and a half until we all decide on another best album of the year.
If I played this in my neighborhood.
I’d get beat up.
This album may find fans in Canada.
Or the computer lab.
-Farmer Ted
I believe this is not highly important and shouldn’t be discussed until December where it is fully appropriate to discuss the best album of 2009. This is a waste of a blog.
Will someone please just tell me what the best album of 2009 is already? I can only listen to one album each year.
Pitchfork and Stereogum would like us to believe that Bitte Orca, Veckatimest, and Merriweather Post Pavillion are the only albums this year that truly matter, and a lot of you are buying into it. While I’ll agree that all three are fantastic, a lot of other bands came out with great albums this year. I would think, as music savvy blog readers, we would be able to form our own opinions. If I wanted no more than three bands endlessly shoved down my throat, I would listen to the radio, or read Rolling Stone, or watch the Grammys.
The radio, RS, and the Grammys all feature more bands than Stereogum.
Or read Absolutepunk.net. Way better than the radio, RS, Grammys, and Pitchfork.
the only way to decide is to do it the good old fashioned way… cage match between rossen, longstreth and panda bear.
You beat me to it, Ed. I was working my way towards the bottom of the comments to ask how there could be all this AOTY talk with no mention of St. Vincent Actor. Definitely the biggest standout for me so far this year.
Didn’t 21st Century Breakdown come out last month?
/debate
Premature Ejaculation?
i don’t think it’s THAT good
har har
Pooey.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves! What happened to enjoying an album. An album is made for pure enjoyment. i love this album, and MPP as well. And veckitamist, though not as much. I would say mpp is the best album of the year, but so what? I just happen to be a major animal collective fan. But who cares? Its just music! Why do you have to catagorize everything? What does it matter that people like the Jonas brothers? Its just music. God! This website is so pompus, yet I cannot stop! Fuck me! but you all know I am right! Just sit back, relax, and listen to this album without catagorizing it. DP I mean, not MPP… w/e… Fuck you…
makan – kamilya jubran
tuneyards – tuneyards
animal crackbox – animal collective
the end is near – fiery furnaces
hyperdub – zomby (so what if was from last year and an ep!)
hahahahahahahahahahaha
Who the fuck cares if it’s the best of the year? Every one has their own fucking opinion. Listen to the music YOU like. If you wanna say which one is better, point out your reasoning and make criticisms. It would make for a better discussion!
I’m still going with It’s Blitz. Indey Credd? I haz it!
guys, seriously, it’s not between AC, DP, and GB. All three of those albums really kind of suck. they’re rote as fuck without really good songwriting. Definitely slumps compared to all three of their previous high points.
People, there is no such thing as the universal “best album of 2009.” Can blogs please stop tacking “best album” on every great album released this year? This is getting tiring.
btw, kind of contradicting myself, people should definitely take a looks at the Antler’s Hospice. (Not that it’s my number 1) Definitely an amazing album, definitely overlooked.
Seriously these comments are almost as bad as BVs. VeckatiMEHst
Well, Joanna Newsom looks like she will be releasing a new album this fall, so I would hesitate to make any determinations of best album of the year until I hear her next album. Bitte Orcha in my top five favorites of the year so far.
I don’t know what the best album is, but the album I’ve been listening to the most in the last few weeks is The Juan Maclean’s “The Future Will Come”.
Also, Lindstrom and Prins Thomas’ “II” is pretty damn great.
Whatever. I’ll go back in my cave now.
This CD is garbage. Merriweather Post Pavilion is not legendary. “My Girls” and “Brothersport” are awesome songs, but comparing the LP as a whole to Revolver is completely insane. Yeah I’m talking to you ‘Un dia or 69 demos.’ I’m sorry, I just couldn’t let that slide.
Veckatimest is pretty damn awesome though. But why listen to me? I mean one of my favorite albums that came out this year is Kingdom of Rust by Doves. I mean I must be taking crazy pills.
there is nothing independent about this music, these comments, or about any of you cattle
you are fucking cattle. and an asshole. i would say go fuck yourself but i am sure that is all you do. fucking douche bag.
There are a lot of other bands out there besides Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors. Like, way more. Get out and see the world, people. This blog post is irresponsible, coming from a site whose opinion is respected by so many. For the record, my favorite record of the year so far is AZAR by underrated band Venice is Sinking. Grizzly Bear fans should check it out.
I just listened to this album for the first time, and I’m not sure if I’m feeling it. It’s…. interesting… intriguing… but also a little grating. It kinda has the ‘we’re tryng way too hard to be avant-garde’ vibe, which is a little pretentious and off-putting. It’s definitely not the type of music I normally love (I typically like more electronic stuff), but I like to try to listen to all the big releases, as sometimes it really pays off- I wasn’t a huge Grizzly Bear fan at all, but after hearing Veckatimest, I really got into their back catalog, especially all the IDM-y remixes.
Anyways, back to Bitte Orca. It’ just feels like, “Hey look at us, we’re randomly plucking our guitars and yelping off-beat, and the drums sound a little too slow… aren’t we sooooooo unique in our arrangement?!?!’ The songs rarely coalesce into a groove, and for the most part feel like they’re meandering without any intention. I’m going to keep an open mind tho and see if a few more listens help smooth some of the edges and reveal a strong album… its just way too early to tell now.
As long as we’re on the subject of AOTY tho, here are the albums I’ve really been enjoying a lot this year:
Royksopp – Junior
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus
Fever Ray – s/t
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
Passion Pit – Manners
Junior Boys – Begone Dull Care
The Juan Maclean – The Future Will Come
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Telefon Tel Aviv – Immolate Yourself
Moderat – s/t
Faunts – Feel.Love.Thinking.Of
Nosaj Thing – Drift
Starkey – Ephemeral Exhibits (very late 2008, I know, but it’s really friggin cool!)
Burial & Four Tet – Moth & Wolf Cub (yes, it’s only 2 tracks, but holy shit it’s amazing)
Lindstrom & Prins Thomas – II
We’re not even half-way through 2009, and there’s a *ton* of great albums released this year. Let’s not let the entire conversation revolve around the same two or three albums just because p4k and ‘gum busted nuts over them (apparently literally! hahaha). And we still have new albums coming from Basement Jaxx (ahhhh!!!), BT, Simian Mobile Disco, Scissor Sisters, and who knows, maybe even Daft Punk… this year is friggin ridiculous! Just enjoy it.
Damn, I forgot about ‘Immolate Yourself.’ Good record. Very good record.
Royksopp’s “Junior” was a definite grower for me.
definite grower?
this is quite awful.
If “Stillness is the move” wasn’t on this album, no one would give a shit about it. The rest of it is deece, but not great. You guys are forgetting about Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Phoenix, Grizz, and Andrew Bird are also frontrunners.