LimeWire Music Blog

The end of the present decade is only days away, so our Frank Deserto has undertaken the massive task of presenting the highs and lows of each year. He continues this series with a look back on 2009. Hit us with your memories in the comment section.

Well, we’ve finally made it to the end of the rainbow, just in the knick of time. A new year and a new decade just around the bend, and I can’t wait to see what unfolds over the next ten years.

2009 has been a very curious year in music.  A very rotten year, in fact, for many fantastic musicians, including one of the greatest performers of all time. Unfortunately, the sheer amount of talent lost in 2009 seems to overshadow many of other relevant events and dozens of amazing releases from artists new and old.  In fact, what follows is one of the most difficult lists of this series to make. How could I neglect new material from the Pet Shop Boys, Cold Cave, Mew, The Horrors, Metric, and The Manic Street Preachers?  Well, let’s just see what made the cut, shall we?  For those who have followed this series to date, thanks for reading, and see you all in 2010!

News

1. 12 years after his death, Notorious, a biopic based on the late Notorious B.I.G. , opens to mixed reviews.
2. Chris Brown is arrested and charged with felony assault after an altercation with then girlfriend Rhianna. A media circus erupts around the pair for most of the year, resulting in several apologies from Brown.
3. Pop star Lady Gaga is all the rage, from her chart-topping singles to her controversial image.
4. The Beatles make a triumphant comeback with a series of stereo remasters and their very own Rock Band game.  Meanwhile, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform together on stage at Radio City Hall in April, their first performance together since 2002.
5. Deaths: Rowland S. Howard (The Birthday Party/These Immortal Souls), Jim Carroll, Lux Interior (The Cramps), Ron Asheton (The Stooges), Michael Jackson, Dolla, Jay Bennett (Wilco), Sky Saxon (The Seeds), Vic Chesnutt, Mary Travers (Peter, Paul, and Mary), DJ AM (Crazy Town), Bob Bogle (The Ventures), and Les Paul.
6. Adam Lambert is defeated by Kris Allen on American Idol. Despite this, Lambert’s career skyrockets over the course of the year.
7. Bands defunct: Silver Jews, Violent Femmes, The Verve, Harvey Danger, and Blue Cheer.
8. Blur celebrate their 20th anniversary with a series of sold-out performances in Europe.
9. After an impressive decade of musical productivity and industry innovation, Trent Reznor retires Nine Inch Nails as a touring outfit, but not before performing a series of final concerts featuring a reactivated Jane’s Addiction, plus special guests Peter Murphy, Gary Numan, Saul Williams, Mike Garson, and more.
10. Kanye West makes an ass out of himself at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. As a result, West becomes the butt of several Internet jokes and a rather satisfying episode of South Park.

Notable Albums

1. Led Er Est – Dust On Common
A true underground classic, Wierd Records unveiled this explosive debut from one of New York’s most promising bands. Dust on Common seamlessly spans several genres, including minimal synth, post-punk, and Italo-disco, wrapped up in one neat little package.

Standout tracks: “Port Isabel,” “Laredo,” “CC Exit”

2. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
With The Knife on temporary hiatus, vocalist Karin Dreijer Andersson debuted with a new and exciting project. While her soul-penetrating vocals and shadowy synth patches are still in full effect, Fever Ray is far more atmospheric and unsettling than her previous work, exploring the more visceral side of her psyche.

Standout tracks: “Seven,” “When I Grow Up,” “If I Had a Heart”

3. Amesoeurs – Amesoeurs
This fantastic French record combines gritty black metal with the classic coldwave sound, made famous in the ‘80s by such bands as Asylum Party and Little Nemo.  The outcome is a successful and unique hybrid of two similar, yet contrasting genres.

Standout tracks: “Les Ruches Malades” “Gas In Veins,” “Heurt”

4. Xeno and Oaklander - Sentinelle
The second of three prominent Wierd Records releases, this stunning (and long, long, long-awaited debut) from one of the label’s most vital acts couldn’t have come too soon.  Combing dozens of pulsing synths, driving drum patterns, and reverb-drenched female/male vocals, Xeno and Oaklander succeed in channeling the romantic swell of shoegaze with vintage analog synthesizers.

Standout tracks: “Rendezvous d’Or,” “Sentinelle,” “Shadow World”

5. The Church – Untitled #23
Mostly remembered for a few epic singles throughout the 1980s, The Church have been quietly releasing masterpieces well into the 2000s, including this particular gem, which explores the band’s more subdued, ambient sound.  Though there’s nothing as grand and sweeping as their earlier work, Untitled #23, it’s still a vital addition to the band’s already prolific career.

Standout tracks: “Cobalt Blue,” “Happenstance,” “Sunken Sun”

6. IAMX – Kingdom of Welcome Addiction
IAMX’s third release of the decade trades in the band’s sweeping new wave sound for a more punchy swagger, retaining all the drama, mystery, and intrigue of Chris Corner’s vocals. It’s a more mature record when compared to its counterparts, and all the better for it.

Standout tracks: “My Secret Friend,” “I Am Terrified,” “Nature of Inviting”

7. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions – Through the Devil Softly

After an eight-year hiatus, this alluring and soft-spoken chanteuse returns with a new record of mellow and melancholic material. She may not be reinventing the wheel here, exploring the same organ-driven, hazy territory of Mazzy Star, but Sandoval’s dreamy tone remains as timeless and necessary as ever.

Standout tracks: “Trouble,” “Blue Bird,” “Blanchard”

8. A Storm of Light – Forgive Us Our Trespasses
This sleek and incredibly sensual metal record features guest vocal contributions from both Lydia Lunch and Jarboe.  Speaking of the latter, the record’s percussive brutality stems from ex-Swans drummer Vincent Signorelli, while Josh Graham of Neurosis and Red Sparowes provides his trademark viciousness on both guitar and vocals.

Standout tracks: “Tempest,” “Omega,” “Midnight”

9. The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love
A successful hybrid of swirling shoegaze effects and catchy new wave sensibilities, The Big Pink’s debut on 4AD has been winning fans on both sides of the Atlantic.  So far, the record has sported four successful singles and overwhelmingly positive reviews, and is a breath of fresh air in the oversaturated indie-market.

Standout tracks: “Frisk,” “Dominos,” “Velvet”

10. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
For her fifth studio record, Neko Case explores her deep connection to the beauty of nature and weather. After a three year hiatus, Middle Cyclone is one of Case’s longest records to date, well worth the excruciating wait.

Standout tracks: “Prison Girls,” “This Tornado Loves You,” “I’m An Animal”

Unstoppable Tracks

1. Automelodi-  “Schéma Corporel”
This particularly icy tour de force stands out as the centerpiece of this Canadian band’s debut EP, previously reviewed here. Chock full of danceable hooks, crisp vocals, and a steady, four-on-the floor beat, this track never ever gets old.

2. Blacklist – “The Believer”
Beginning with an enticing keyboard line that cuts through a series of driving guitars and drums, the final track on Blacklist’s epic debut Midnight of the Century is one of the most timeless and crucial cuts on the record.

3. Bat For Lashes – “Daniel”
While Bat For Lashes’ latest effort does little to avoid previous comparisons to Bjork and Kate Bush, this particular single stands out from her otherwise spotty sophomore record.  Instead of floating around in similarly ethereal waters, “Daniel” is a more disco-driven affair, adding a little Cure-esque bass line in for good measure.

4. Health – “Die Slow”
This experimental rock band let loose a rare moment of dance-crazy fury with “Die Slow,” the lead-off single from their solid sophomore record.  While it retains the band’s abrasive and electronic edge, a series of textured guitars leads lend for a more captivating and focused listen.

5. Patrick Wolf – “Vulture”
As one half of a two-disc concept record, The Bachelor may just be Wolf’s most ambitious and bi-polar record to date. Of the many styles explored, this particular track lands right on the money for my ears, with buzzing synths and dramatic vocals reminiscent of Soft Cell.

6. Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
From the glittering synth-pop backing track straight down to that nonsense vocal hook, “Bad Romance” is a rare slice of pop perfection. Resistance is futile.

7. Portishead – “Chase the Tear”
Just as “Machine Gun,” before it, this track marks a new and exciting direction for the reactivated outfit, recalling a series of early wave greats. While this track may be a little too straightforward or different for fans of the band’s classic sound, I personally embrace Portishead’s more retro/new wave sensibilities with open arms.

8. The Mary Onettes – “Puzzles”
Speaking of retro sensibilities, this Swedish band continue to tug at heartstrings with this infectious single, which recalls the keyboard-drenched sound of middle-period Echo and the Bunnymen.

9. Morrissey- “Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed” / “It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore”
While it’s been a diffcult year in Morrissey’s personal and on-stage life, his 2009 effort Years of Refusal is his most vicious, playful, and downright best record since the early 1990s.  With a series of great singles and otherwise stellar album cuts, it was difficult to choose just one song, so I’ve picked my two  favorites from the record,.

10. A Place to Bury Strangers – “Ego Death”
A Place to Bury Strangers return with their first *proper* studio record, employing warmer production and even louder guitars, keeping their title of “NYC’s loudest band” intact.  The centerpiece of the aptly titled Exploding Head is this bubbling, chaotic track, building off a solid and repetitive rhythm section and skyrocketing into the atmosphere in one giant, guitar-driven freakout.

Previous Decade in Review Posts

• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008