2009 Top 50 Albums

bestof2009cover_albums

Creating a Top 50 Albums list is never easy.  You have to battle with what you think the world believes, and what you truly believe in your heart, to be solid jams.  We have even more trouble because we have to three writers, all who have different ideas, and we have to make those ideas fit into a neat box.  Well, we got it done, and honestly, our criteria was based on two things: how great we thought the album was, artistically speaking, and how long we listened to it without getting bored.  That’s it. It’s fool proof; you might not like it, but it’s our list, so here it is… Read more

FT5: Album Covers of 2009 (So Far)

1120top5coverAt a time when we are all witnessing the CD’s imminent demise and the convenience of digital files running rampant, thankfully from an art perspective, a vinyl re-emergence is upon us. While sound quality is obviously seen as the most important reason why we are seeing audiophiles jumping back on the vinyl bandwagon, album artwork is also getting a much deserved close-up. With the vinyl album requiring more elaborate artwork packages, bands are re-thinking the overall aesthetic and producing some great work, which only enhances the overall music experience. 2009 has been a great year not only for the ears, but for the eyes as well and below are my picks for the Top 5 album covers from 2009 (so far). Honorable mentions go to Animal Collective’s cover for making me dizzy from staring at it too long and Neko Case for badass picture of the year. Obviously art is about as subjective as subjectivity can get, so give us some feedback. Who’s your number 1?
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Molina & Johnson Release First Single

molUnless you’ve been living under a rock for a while, you’ve heard that Will Johnson of Centro-matic and Jason Molina of Magnolia Electric Co. have teamed up for a collaborative release.  So after much anticipation, the duo has a single ready and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results.  You can pick up Molina & Johnson Nov. 3rd via Secretly Canadian.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Molina-And-Johnson-Twenty-Cycles-To-The-Ground.mp3]

Download: Molina And Johnson – Twenty Cycles To The Ground [MP3]