Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt. 10 - 2009

Well, 2009 had it's fair share of great releases from some of my favorite artists, but I have to say that some of their releases from the previous decade top those from '09. Maybe these records didn't get played often enough to fully "click" with me. Again, I love them all, I just wouldn't rate any of them as perfect 10s. Sorry, no hyperlinks to Amazon this time as the text keeps coming up underlined, and that bothers me.

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Not my favorite Neko record (that'd be her previous release, 2006's Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - or sometimes 2002's Blacklisted), but a solid effort nonetheless - and with the best album cover of the year, brandishing a sword while crouching on the hood of her Cougar. Blessed with a hauntingly beautiful voice, Neko sounds a bit more upbeat on this record with a few poppy gems. But the darkness is still present. Unfortunately there are also a couple of tracks which I have resorted to skipping now, but in the grand scheme of things, Neko can do virtually no wrong in my book. Standout tracks: This Tornado Loves You, Middle Cyclone, Don't Forget Me (a Harry Nilsson cover).

The Bats - The Guilty Office

Califone - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

The Clean - Mister Pop

The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Grant-Lee Phillips - Little Moon

Volcano Choir - Unmap

William Elliott Whitmore - Animals In The Dark

Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs

It was a different story on the reissue front, with many spectacular re-releases of classics. The last gasp of the record industry, encouraging the fans to re-purchase the music of their past.

The Beatles - complete catalog

Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky (box set)

The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth


Iron & Wine - Around The Well

The Jesus Lizard - Head/Pure and Goat


Neil Young - Archives


The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines

And with that, this tepid Decade series has run its course. For the next 9.9 years at least. Whew. Back to scanning some old Green Lake postcards when I run outta things to say.

Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt 9 - 2008

This is an easy one, just a link to what I wrote one year plus one day ago. In case you didn't read the post last year or if you don't mind re-reading it, grab your mouse to find my favorite records of 2008 HERE.

Okay, I have to start going through my 2009 purchases. Almost done...

Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt 8 - 2007

status update: Okay, off the bat I've failed in my valiant effort to get this silliness wrapped up during the month of December. But a Field Trip to Palm Springs and house guests thru New Years Day put me off track. Only a few more years to go...

2007's best-of is similar to 2006's, as my favorite record was from a band that's both been around a very long time (since 1985 in this case) and has also put out what's arguably their best record at a very late stage of their career.

Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond

WOW! The first Dinosaur Jr record in ten years - and better yet, the first one with the original linup since the indie classic Bug. Beyond picks right up where J, Lou and Murph were back in 1988, aside from the splitting up part. And while it's not quite as solid as You're Living All Over Me or Bug, it's in the same league.

Grant-Lee Phillips - Stranglet

His Name Is Alive - Xmmer

Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch

Low - Drums And Guns
The National - Boxer

The New Pornographers - Challengers

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Radiohead - In Rainbows
I actually paid for IN RAINBOWS. As widely reported, Radiohead's self-released 2007 record was initially sold as download-only, pay what you want for it, even £0. Since I would have purchased this in a conventional 5" slab of aluminum and plastic anyway, I gave the band £5 for the download. Worth every penny.

Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt 7 - 2006

Looking back (as well as looking ahead at the music that came out in '07-'09), it appears that 2006 produced the largest volume of my favorite records of any year in the past decade. Not only that, but it's also presented me with a dilemma as far as selecting a favorite as there were four outstanding release by some of my all-time favorite artists.

His Name Is Alive - Detrola
HNIA released what is arguably their best album of their then sixteen year-old career in '06. Coming off a string of four decent-but-not-great records in the late-90s/early zips, Detrola nicely sums up their experimental pop sounds in eleven perfect tracks. Standout tracks: Get Your Curse, Send My Face

Band of Horses - Everything All The Time

Cat Power - The Greatest

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
(Very close to being my favorite of '06)

Elliott Smith - New Moon

Grant-Lee Phillips - Nineteeneighties

The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America
(Very very close to being my favorite of '06)

Lucero - Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers

The Minus 5 - The Minus Five (The Gun Album)

The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely

My Morning Jacket - Okonokos

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
(Very very VERY f-ing close to being my favorite of '06)

Tom Verlaine - Around

TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And Will Beat Your Ass
(hands-down the best title of the year!)

Decade - Favorite Records of the Zips, Pt 6 - 2005

Wow - lots of goodies released mid-decade, meaning lots of money spent at Madison's Strictly Discs back in ought-five.

Low - The Great Destroyer

My favorite record of the year marked a big change in sound for this Duluth-based band. Eschewing the quiet austere "slow core" sound of their previous six albums. The Great Destroyer saw Low literally turn up the amps and flesh out their minimalist sound. Overall, it's still a low record - ethereal, restrained and intense. Standout tracks: California, When I Go Deaf, Walk Into The Sea.

The Bats - At The National Grid

The Frames - Burn The Maps

The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

The Mountain Goats - Sunset Tree

My Morning Jacket - Z
(a very close second to the Low record)

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures

Ryan Adams - 29/Cold Roses/Jacksonville City Nights


(Private message to Mr. R. Adams - please resume taking drugs. 2005's output confirms that the music/art you create when high/stoned is much better than your sober stuff. Thank you)

Spoon - Gimmie Fiction

Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise!

The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

Wilco - Kicking Television