FT5: Albums of the Year (So Far)

0529top5coverAs we see it, we’re about midway through the year as far as record releases go, seeing as how no one really puts albums out in December for fear of being left off year-end lists. Since we’ve hit the half-way mark, we thought we would throw out a list of our Top 5 Records so far this year. Keep in mind, this list is subject to change, should something mind altering come our way, or should we just get bored with one of the following records.

thegreatnostalgic5. Great Nostalgic – s/t

This is a local band we’ve been hyping since we first caught a glimpse of them back in 08. In our eyes, this album is everything you want from a full-length debut. It carries istelf like a complete record should; it goes from Point A to Point B with a consistency that most things coming out nowadays won’t offer you. Sure, there are ridiculous singles you can fall in love with here and there, but all in all, you can’t help but listen to this one all the way through; you’d miss the point if you did.

mymaudlincareer4. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

When Let’s Get Out of This Country first came my way, I didn’t think that this band could get any better; I figured they had hit their peak, finally, after releasing several mediocre albums of pop. However, they rebounded nicely with what I consider to be an even better record than the previously mentioned one.  Now the band has thrown their arms around Phil Spector walls of sound and classic motown to win us over yet again; they just keep getting better.

wolfgangamadeusphoenix3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

This record is dangerously near the top, but it is also the one with the largest propensity for change; it is just so sugary sweet that it’s hard not to wear this album out. Seriously, how many times have you listened to “1901” and “Listzomania” already? Really, you haven’t broken a thousand? Get to work. And, that is just the tip of the iceberg. WAP is full of gems that will keep your head bobbing and your feet moving for months to come; let’s just hope it doesn’t wear out its welcome.

veckatimest2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

At this point, you can’t declare this the album of the year. It would be unfair to other bands who put their records out earlier.  I know, this leaked long ago, and we’ve been jamming it at our offices for a good long while, but we’re reluctant to give it the top status as of yet. That being said, we can easily see the longevity of Veckatimest, along with the fact that it is a brilliant piece of art, making the top of this list by the year end. Currently, it’s fighting with our Number One.

painsofbeingpureatheart1. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – s/t

Really?  A brand new band making the top of the list? Absolutely. Nothing has spun on my record player as much as this thing. I have it as an MP3 download, a CD and on vinyl.  That way I can maximize my listening purposes. It is one of the most refreshing albums to come our way, and the pop sensibility combined with the lo-fi fuzz is just too brilliant to ignore. Each listen has been equally as rewarding as the first, if not more so, which is really what you want from your top album of the year.

What? Are you mad we didn’t throw Animal Collective (I am) in the Top 5?  You think the Black Lips or Yeah Yeah Yeahs deserve a top spot? Well, hit us up with a comment and let us know where we went wrong, or what we should really be listening to in 2009.

9 comments

  • Mastodon’s new album is tops this year so far.

  • The Pains would be my #1 so far as well. Followed by YYYs, Marissa Nadler, Bat for Lashes, and Joker’s Daughter. But there is so much goodness on the horizon; so i doubt that would be my top five for much longer.

  • Doves- Kingdom of Rust SHOULD be up there!!

  • I sense a big “Animal Collective vs. Grizzly Bear” argument on the horizon in about 6 months.

    What album has the best shot of dethroning either of those two? Is it “The pains of being pure…?”

    I vote Griz. 100%

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  • Chuy, I’m thinking about checking out that Doves-Kingdom of Rust purty soon

    I just got that Grizzly Bear tonite and it sounds amazing from my first couple of spins and besides that either Dan Deacon’s Bromst or that Pains of Being Pure at Heart would be my favorite – prolly that Dan Deacon though – that CD is so amazing – still looking forward to that Sunset Rubdown and the Jay Reatard later this year though.

  • Swoon by Silversun Pickups should be up there!!!!

  • Oh and Passion Pits Manners!!!

  • Grizzly Bear and Camera obscura get my vote for pretty music, but Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears take it for raw garage soul.

  • No Bitte Orca from the Dirty Projectors? 🙂

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