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Amanda Palmer
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MIA.
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My Brightest Diamond
Mindless Self Indulgence
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The Knife
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Mariee Sioux
Marissa Nadler
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Wir sind Helden
Frittenbude
Vashti Bunyan
Keren Ann
The Joy Formidable
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Flyleaf
Björk
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Grossstadtgeflüster
Fever Ray
Diane Cluck
Alina Orlova

The obligatory end of the year journal with my favorite albums and all that.

Favorite albums of 2009

1. Isis - Wavering Radiant (my favorite so far)
2. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
3. maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
4. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
5. OM - God Is Good
6. Drudkh - Microcosmos
7. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Other albums I liked a lot

8. Emilie Simon - The Big Machine
9. dälek - Gutter Tactics
10. Kylesa - Static Tensions
11. 10-20 - 10-20
12. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
13. Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs
14. Alamaailman Vasarat - Huuro Kolkko
15. Epica - The Classical Conspiracy / Design Your Universe
16. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
17. Cobalt - Gin
18. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
19. Marilyn Roxie - New Limerent Object
20. SND - Atavism
21. Katharsis - Fourth Reich
22. Mountains - Etching
23. The Bronzed Chorus - I'm the Spring
24. Orthodox - Sentencia
25. Metric - Fantasies
26. Supersilent - 9
27. Indukti - Idmen
28. 椎名林檎 - 三文ゴシップ
29. Thy Catafalque - Róka Hasa Rádió
30. Candlemass - Death Magic Doom
31. Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders
32. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

and a few others, got tired of listing them.

Best musical discoveries this year

1. Negative Approach, my new favorite band.
2. Infest, my other new favorite band.
3. OM, a name that I've read many times and never paid attention to, now I regret I didn't listen to them before
4. Can
5. Cannibal Ox
6. Kamelot, decided to listen to them after many years of hearing how good they are, it's the only power metal band that I can listen to without being bored after five or six songs.
7. Леонид Фёдоров, another new favorite.
8. Belle and Sebastian
9. The Magnetic Fields
10. Einstürzende Neubauten
11. The Fall, another band I finally listened to, after a couple of years of many people recommending them to me.

Other releases that caught my attention..

Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings, I think this is slightly better than Systematic Chaos, which means it's still bad, but I wasn't expecting anything from them so it was bit of a surprise. Still, I wish they went back to do demos before going in the studio, maybe get an outside producer, and please don't let Portnoy sing anymore.

Nightwish - Made in Hong Kong... this has to get the award for the most pointless release this year, a live album with only new songs and an audio quality that sounds like a badly recorded bootleg, the band's performance isn't very impressive either. Don't see why anyone would buy this.

Slayer - World Painted Blood, a bit of a surprise I suppose, this album is not very special, but it should've been much worse than it is, not only is not completely bad, but it also has some good songs (Psycopathy Red, Unit 731). Sure it's more of the same, but it'd be foolish to expect otherwise from Slayer.

Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars. I have mixed feelings about this one, this was my first non-Industrial Blut aus Nord album, I like it and I think it's very well done, but I still prefer their weird industrial/dark/creepy sounds from The Work Which Transforms God or Odinist.

Inferi - The End of an Era. This is a good album from a genre that I don't like very much, that's why I don't include it among my favorites, however I have to recommend this one to any melodic death metal fan.

Sonata Arctica - The Days of Gray. Didn't like it, I understand that they'd want to change or evolve their sound, (they don't seem to be taking many risks but whatever) I respect that, but this new "Prog" sound is boring, I think the world doesn't need more Power/Prog metal bands. So unless they go back to the cheesy/repetitive/Stratovarius-like sound of the first albums (which I doubt) I won't be listening to any new releases from them.

Ken Snyder - By Request Only. I'm both happy and sad that this album leaked, it's nice to finally be able to listen to it, but now it's lost some of the legendary status it had. However, the album is quite good and Modern Religion is great song.

Delain - April Rain, this was fun to listen to for a while, the music's good and Charlotte's voice is very nice, don't know when or if I'll listen to this again, but it is a good album, and better than the first one in my opinion.

The Agonist - Lullabies for the Dormant Mind. This was a big improvement from their previous album, it is a bit generic and I wouldn't call it good, but if they keep improving like this I imagine that by their fourth or fifth release they could become a very good band.

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You, silly, catchy pop music with nice hooks, don't know if I should like it, but I do.

Immortal - All Shall Fall. left me indifferent, it's not bad but I find it a bit lifeless, maybe it's my fault for expecting something else from them (as a rule I try to listen to an album without expectations of how should it sound), maybe it needs a couple more spins, but so far I don't like it much.

This year releases from Obscura, Hiroshima Will Burn, Trepalium, Black Sun Aeon, Hieronymus Bosch, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Ignominious Incarceration, Centaurus-A and Ulcerate, they all sounded the same to me, I'm not the biggest death metal fan, but it's starting to sound very boring, just an opinion, I don't consider those albums bad and I liked Centaurus-A and Ulcerate's releases, but I'm losing interest in the genre.

That's it for this year, I think.... there are a couple of albums I didn't get the chance to listen to, but overall I think it was a good year.

TOP ARTISTS

1. PMMP
2. Scandinavian Music Group
3. Keren Ann
4. Tori Amos
5. PJ Harvey
6. Regina
7. Emilíana Torrini
8. Regina Spektor
9. Anna Ternheim
10. Fiona Apple
11. Marissa Nadler
12. Björk
13. The Cranberries
14. Bat for Lashes
15. Feist
16. Goldfrapp
17. Ultra Bra
18. Jenny Wilson
19. The Knife
20. Frida Hyvönen
21. Tegan and Sara
22. Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton
23. Lykke Li
24. The Ditty Bops
25. Emilie Simon
26. Maija Vilkkumaa
27. Imogen Heap
28. My Brightest Diamond
29. Martha Wainwright
30. Kate Bush


TOP ALBUMS

1. PMMP: Veden varaan
2. Regina: Puutarhatrilogia
3. Marissa Nadler: Songs III - Bird On the Water
4. PJ Harvey: Uh Huh Her
5. Scandinavian Music Group: Palatkaa Pariisiin!
6. PJ Harvey: White Chalk
7. Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton: Knives Don't Have Your Back
8. Lykke Li: Youth Novels
9. Keren Ann: Nolita
10. Bat for Lashes: Two Suns
11. Anna Ternheim: Somebody Outside
12. The Ditty Bops: The Ditty Bops
13. Emilíana Torrini: Me and Armini
14. PMMP: Kovemmat kädet
15. Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope
16. Emilie Simon: The Flower Book
17. Keren Ann: La disparition
18. PMMP: Leskiäidin Tyttäret
19. Jenny Wilson: Love And Youth
20. My Brightest Diamond: Bring Me The Workhorse
21. PMMP: Kuulkaas enot!
22. Frida Hyvönen: Silence Is Wild
23. Charlotte Gainsbourg: 5:55
24. Regina: Oi miten suuria voimia!
25. Feist: The Reminder
26. The Knife: Deep Cuts
27. Feist: Let It Die
28. Noitalinna Huraa!: Kalan silmä
29. Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree
30. Coralie Clément: Salle des pas perdus

#16 Yasmin Levy
#15Charlotte Gainsbourg
#14Emilie Simon
#13Animal Collective
#12Yeah Yeah Yeahs
#11Little Boots
#10Soap&Skin
#9Espers
#8Marissa Nadler
#7Matteah Baim
#6Röyksopp
#5Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
#4Moby
#3La Roux
#2Lhasa de Sela
#1Fever Ray

-12 Favorite Albums of the Year-
(no particular order)

Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe

Best Tracks: Fragile Tension & In Sympathy

Sonic Youth - The Eternal

Best Tracks: Malibu Gas Station & Massage the History

Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself

Best Tracks: The Birds & You Are the Worst Thing in the World

The Dead Weather - Horehound

Best Tracks: Treat Me Like Your Mother & Bone House

Louderbach - Autumn

Best Tracks: Notes & Shine

Clark - Totems Flare

Best Tracks: Growls Garden & Look Into The Heart Now

Tegan and Sara - Sainthood

Best Tracks: On Directing & The Ocean

Memory Tapes - Seek Magic

Best Tracks: Bicycle & Green Knight

The Field - Yesterday & Today

Best Tracks: Leave It & The More That I Do

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams

Best Tracks: Feather & Blinking Pigs

Matias Aguayo - Ay Ay Ay

Best Tracks: Rollerskate & Me Vuelvo Loca

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM

Best Tracks: Greenwich Mean Time & Vanities

- 12 "Not the Best but still Good" Albums -

Peaches - I Feel Cream

Great Tracks: Lose You & Show Stopper

Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Two

Great Tracks: 1000 Dreams & Electronic City

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Great Tracks: Fences & Girlfriend

Iggy Pop - Préliminaires

Great Tracks: Spanish Coast & Je Sais Que Tu Sais

Air - Love 2

Great Tracks: Missing The Light Of The Day & Heaven's Light

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

Great Tracks: Daniel & Pearl's Dream

Magneta Lane - Gambling With God

Great Tracks: Lady Bones & September Came

Voodeux - The Paranormal

Great Tracks: Bones & Skeleton Key

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

Great Tracks: No One Loves Me & Neither Do I & Gunman

Emilie Simon - The Big Machine

Great Tracks: The Cycle & Closer

Lusine - A Certain Distance

Great Tracks: Every Disguise & Crowded Room

Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away

Great Tracks: No Turning Back & Atomic Soda

- 12 Disappointing / Meh Albums -

*6 Disappointing:

Nathan Fake - hard islands

Good Track: Castle Rising

Moderat - Moderat

Good Track: Rusty Nails

Fischerspooner - Entertainment

Good Track: Door Train Home

IAMX - Kingdom of Welcome Addiction

Good Track: The Great Shipwreck Of Life

Placebo - Battle For The Sun

Good Track: Battle For The Sun

Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure

Good Track: Ambulance

*6 "Meh": Overrated / Overhyped / I just don't get it:

Atlas Sound - Logos

The Track I'd Save:: Kid Klimax

Metric - Fantasies

The Track I'd Save: Help I'm Alive

Passion Pit - Manners

The Track I'd Save: Eyes as Candles

Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light

The Track I'd Save: All or Nothing

The xx - xx

The Track I'd Save: Islands

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Track I'd Save: None

Emilie Simon is the new Kate Bush indeed and our next platonic music affair after CocoRosie (not to disregard Maya von Doll, which was not even an affair, not really)

She has amazing videos,

like

Emilie Simon - Ice Girl
Emilie Simon - Ice Girl (live)

and much of everything else

IZIA, Wu-Tang Clan, Suprême NTM, Assassin, Nirvana, IAM, Bob Marley & The Wailers, La Spirale, Django Reinhardt, Squarepusher, The Prodigy, Necro, Ill Bill, Cypress Hill, Craig Armstrong, Heather Nova, La Coka Nostra, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Keny Arkana, Bérurier Noir, Birdy Nam Nam, System of a Down, dead prez, Le Peuple de l'Herbe, Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, Alpha & Omega, House of Pain, Seth Gueko, Aphex Twin, Profecy, DJ Krush, Prefuse 73, R.A. the Rugged Man, Rage Against the Machine, Laurent Garnier, Dead Can Dance, Kool Keith, High Tone, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Erik Truffaz, Portishead, Wax Poetic, Johnny Cash, Foreign Beggars, Lady Sovereign, Sinéad O'Connor, Vitalic, Radikal Dub Kolektiv, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jan Garbarek, Svinkels, Love Spirals Downwards, KRS-One, Dave Clarke, DJ Cam, The Doors, Clint Mansell, Lisa Gerrard, Fat Jon, Les Gourmets, The Beatles, Johannes Heil, KoЯn, Sleater-Kinney, Wax Tailor, B-Real, J Dilla, Filastine, Two Fingers, Asian Dub Foundation, Eminem, Jefferson Airplane, Autumn's Grey Solace, Gym Class Heroes, Shpongle, Herbie Hancock, Radiohead, Rockin' Squat, Mike Patton, Björk, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Waldeck, Millencolin, Massive Attack, This Ascension, Lordz of Brooklyn, Ensemble Badila, Snoop Dogg, The Problemaddicts, Dub Syndicate, Groundation, Wolf Myer Orchestra, Beth Orton, Oh No, Edward "Kid" Ory, The Offspring, Venetian Snares, Alexander Kowalski, Rageous Gratoons, Noir Désir, Ben Harper, Nas, Ideal J, Verbose, Micropoint, The Black Seeds, Metallica, General Elektriks, Buraka Som Sistema, The Chemical Brothers, Thom Yorke, Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke, Ayọ, EZ3kiel, Amon Tobin, Mano Negra, King of Conspiracy, Bob Marley, Moondog, 25G, Jimi Hendrix, Bauchklang, Moderat, Sigur Rós, DJ Muggs & Planet Asia, Louis Armstrong, Son Doobie, Tryo, Kronos Quartet, Iration Steppas, Looptroop, Mysa, Nine Inch Nails, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Olympic Gramofon, Leftfield, Fairy, Joy Division, 2Pac, Peace Orchestra, Eek-A-Mouse, Snowgoons, Heiko Laux, The Temptations, Le Trio Joubran, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Guru, Flunk, Earl Hines, Erykah Badu, Burning Spear, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Oi Va Voi, 80kidz, Infected Mushroom, Animal Collective, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, NOMAK, Year of No Light, Horace Andy, The Cinematic Orchestra, Red Snapper, Nneka, Leila, NOFX, Lucky Thompson, Cal Tjader, Le Klub des 7, Jeff Buckley, Manu Chao, Wagon Christ, Drummers of the Societe Absolument Guinin, Barney Wilen, Ol' Dirty Bastard, UNKLE, Erik Truffaz & Sly Johnson, The Blue Stars, Underworld, Shurik'N, Arsonists, Madeleine Peyroux, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Nostalgia 77, Terry Callier, Medine, Fingathing, Big Daddy Kane, Macka B, Keith Jarrett Trio, Iration Steppas Meet D. Rootical, De La Soul, Chali 2na, Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters, John Coltrane, DJ Food, Sergent Garcia, Rockamovya, Antonio Vivaldi, Notorious B.I.G., Sidney Bechet et Claude Luter, Tracy Chapman, Angélique Kidjo, EPMD, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, St. Germain, Daft Punk, Fat Freddy's Drop, Fatboy Slim, Johnny Clarke, RJD2, René Thomas, Soul Assassins, Deftones, Kaophonic Tribu, Linkin Park, The Skatalites, Muse, Belleruche, Sunflower Caravan, Les Reines Prochaines, DJ Shadow, Mass Hysteria, múm, Кочани Оркестар, Israel Vibration, Jurassic 5, Gelka, Lionel Hampton, Lost in Hildurness, Hilight Tribe, Shadow Dancer, Elek Bacsik, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tânia Ârab, Troublemakers, William Orbit, Plastikman, The Specials, CunninLynguists, dead prez & DJ Green Lantern, Mansfield.TYA, Thievery Corporation, Raphael Saadiq, Smooth, Kery James, DJ Muggs vs. GZA/Genius, Love Is Colder Than Death, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, YAS, Chet Baker, Pendulum, Claude Bolling, Hubert Rostaing, Georges Brassens, Refractory, Scarface, Bill Coleman, Funkdoobiest, Telefon Tel Aviv, Lightning Bolt, Morcheeba, DJ Mitsu The Beats, Tricky, Hafdís Huld, Sidsel Endresen & Christian Wallumrød & Helge Sten, Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse, Akhenaton, Alif Tree, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Maurice Meunier, TAT, Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald, Stéphane Grappelli, Black Uhuru, Kid Loco, Common, Ellen Allien, Roots Manuva, Joris Voorn, Method Man, Jah'licious, Hux Flux, Toots Thielemans, Blockhead, Rokia Traoré, Max Romeo, Cœur de Pirate, Method Man & Redman, RND, Volta & FX909, Venetian Snares & Speedranch, The Rolling Stones, BHASS Project, Orchestre National de Jazz, Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Michel Legrand, Sayag Jazz Machine, Emilie Simon, Late Night Fruit, Buddy Banks, Pan•American, Booba, DJ Muggs vs. Planet Asia, The Kumba Mela Experiment, Jeff Mills, Ulytau, ZAMAN 8 & Hafez Modir, Ematom, Harmonic 313, Freestylers, The Gladiators, Control Machete, The Bush Chemists, Twista, Orange Street, The Roots, Michael Jackson, Los Hermanos, Dub Incorporation, RZA, The Ananda Shankar Experience and State of Bengal, Da Taz, Thelonious Monk, Limp Bizkit, Mr. Oizo, 雅-miyavi-, Ella Fitzgerald, Sex Pistols, AC/DC, Minty Fresh Beats, Gus Gus, Gideon, Themselves, Parabellum, K2R Riddim, Easy Star All-Stars, Rhythm & Sound, The Toraia Orchestra Of Algiers, Lee "Scratch" Perry & King Tubby, Keziah Jones, Ataraxia, TTC, Immortal Technique, Coldcut, A Tribe Called Quest, Lali Puna, Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke, Iron Maiden, Dizzy Gillespie, Pierre Michelot, Umek, Miles Davis, Gang Starr, DJ Muggs, Orbital, OutKast, Anthony Rother, Donald Byrd Quintet, Diego, Igorrr, Raekwon, Pharoahe Monch, Dream Theater, Anoushka Shankar, Sonny Criss, The Smashing Pumpkins, K's Choice, Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor, The Herbaliser, Blakroc, Lenny Kravitz, Cujo, Cosma, Killarmy, Big Punisher, Jamiroquai, Charles Mingus, Missak, Burial, Bernard Peiffer and his Saint-Germain-des-Prés Orchestra, Albert Nicholas, Édith Piaf, Mix Master Mike, Maceo Parker, Rae & Christian, Steel Pulse, Hocus Pocus, Opeth, Dee Nasty, Tom Waits, DJ Fresh, Manu le Malin, Khoiba, Animaltek, Peter Tosh, Steppenwolf, Alter Ego, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boards of Canada, Red Hot Chili Peppers9, Bernard Zacharias et ses solistes, Ill Bill & Necro, Sublime, Crystal Distortion, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, GZA/Genius, Salmonella Dub, Harold Nicholas et son Orchestre, Grems, Missy Elliott, Sammy Price & Lucky Thompson, The Herbaliser Band, Ghostface Killah, Cranes, Slaine, Necro & Ill Bill, Lars Klein, Outlines, Saïan Supa Crew, John Dahlbäck, Junior Murvin, Delinquent Habits, Dubians, Arom & Gourmets Beatclub, Afu-Ra, Slide Hampton, Agoria, 2Pac & The Outlawz, Archive, The Alchemist, Somogo, Toots and The Maytals, Philip Glass, Ray Charles, Sia, Marcel et son Orchestre, Trust, Aretha Franklin, Sinsemilia, Public Enemy, Buck Clayton, James Brown, Zenzile & High Tone, The Streets, Adam F, Oscar Peterson, The Abyssinians, Improvisators Dub, Yuksek, Alanis Morissette, Alici, Cake, Up, Bustle and Out, Art Blakey, Scan X, DMX, Etikal Lab, Lady B, Keith Jarrett, David Carretta, Cocteau Twins, Lhasa de Sela, Jacques Brel, Charlie Singleton, Dimitri from Paris, Bonobo, Emmanuel Top, CéU, Kosheen, Jungle Brothers, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Nada Surf, Cercle Rouge, Monolake, Marilyn Manson, Rachid Taha, Alain Goraguer, Dub Pistols, Jimmy Archey, Pat Metheny, Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, Jimmy Riley, Wailing Souls, Taigaz, Air, Triston Palmer, Donald Byrd, Promoe, Ice Cube, Gang Gang Dance, Barbara Morgenstern, Technasia, Dubmood, Josh Wink, Eddy Louiss, Africa Combo & Bugge Wesseltoft.