Blog

16.01.2009 Oasis (Support: Twisted Wheel), Hamburg Alsterdorfer Sporthalle
15.02.2009 Peter Heppner & Band, Leipzig Werk 2
25.02.2009 Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub (Support: Mitropamusik), Leipzig Moritzbastei
05.03.2009 Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub, Bremen Lagerhof
27.03.2009 Jason Mraz (Support: Marit Larsen), Leipzig Haus Auensee
04.04.2009 Die Happy (akustik) (Support: Jake Roeder), Erfurt Gewerkschaftshaus
11.04.2009 Coppelius, Wilhelmshaven Pumpwerk
18.04.2009 Delain (Support: F.A.S.), Leipzig Hellraiser
25.04.2009 Project Pitchfork (Support: Heavy-Current), Magdeburg Factory
03.05.2009 Lily Allen, Berlin Postbahnhof
28.05.2009 Rummelsnuff (Support: T.W.A.T.), Leipzig Villa (Wave Gotik Treffen, Warm Up)
29.05.2009 Wave Gotik Treffen, Leipzig (Tag 1): Dies Ater, Staubkind, L’âme immortelle, Project Pitchfork
30.05.2009 Wave Gotik Treffen, Leipzig (Tag 2): Whispers in the Shadow, Die Art, Corde Oblique, iLiKETRAiNS, Current 93
31.05.2009 Wave Gotik Treffen, Leipzig (Tag 3): State of the Union, Painbastard, Aesthetic Perfection, Icon of Coil, Klimt 1918, Bushart
01.06.2009 Wave Gotik Treffen, Leipzig (Tag 4): Tunes Of Dawn, Schock, Die So Fluid, Lahannya, The Eternal Afflict, Amnistia
19.06.2009 Hurricane Festival, Scheeßel (Tag 1): The Horrors, Bosse, The Ting Tings, Katy Perry, Franz Ferdinand, Dendemann, Kraftwerk
20.06.2009 Hurricane Festival, Scheeßel (Tag 2): The Rakes, Pixies, Clueso, Faith No More, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
21.06.2009 Hurricane Festival, Scheeßel (Tag 3): Lovedrug, Lily Allen, Keane, Fettes Brot, Nine Inch Nails, Friendly Fires
10.07.2009 Rock am Schloss, Sande (Tag 1): Ex Animo, CHAX, One Day In June, Kendric, Eisblume, Everlaunch
11.07.2009 Rock am Schloss, Sande (Tag 2): Annie Soulshine, The FryBoxDesign, Fledermannkackaffen, Die Patenschaft, PopJohnPaul, Restmüllcrew, Die Happy
29.07.2009 Alex Amsterdam, Oldenburg Headcrash
08.08.2009 M’era Luna Festival, Hildesheim (Tag 1): No More, Whispers in the Shadow, Oomph!, The Birthday Massacre, Blutengel, Peter Heppner & Band, Apocalyptica, Nightwish
09.08.2009 M’era Luna Festival, Hildesheim (Tag 2): Leichtmatrose, Scream Silence, Zeromancer, L’âme immortelle, The Crüxshadows, Veljanov, Tyske Ludder, IAMX, The Prodigy
23.09.2009 Selig, Leipzig Haus Auensee
25.09.2009 Der Blutharsch (Support: Bain Wolfkind & Deutsch Nepal), Leipzig Lagerhof
26.09.2009 Ikon (Support: Die Kälte & Dandelion Wine), Leipzig Lagerhof
03.10.2009 Everlaunch (Support: The Martijnee), Oldenburg Polyester
23.10.2009 Maxïmo Park (Support: Blood Red Shoes), Bremen Pier 2
01.11.2009 Lily Allen, Hamburg Docks
21.11.2009 Placebo (Support: Expatriate), Leipzig Arena
25.11.2009 Silbermond (Support: Zeitweise), Bremen Pier 2
14.12.2009 Jochen Distelmeyer & Band, Bremen Tower

Rankings are lame, it was too hard. I think the most difficult thing was deciding the 100 tracks.

Everything listed below is nothing short of amazing, if you havent heard any of it I suggest you do.

My Top 20 Albums (in no order):

Metric - Fantasies
The xx - The xx
La Roux - La Roux
Atlas Sound - Logos
HEALTH - Get Color
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
The Antlers - Hospice
JJ - N° 2
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Washed out - Life Of Leisure
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
The Horrors - Primary Colours
Dan Deacon - Bromst
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
Telepathe - Dance Mother
Why? - Eskimo Snow
The Bloody Beetroots - Romborama
múm - Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know
Fever Ray - Fever Ray

Top 100 Tracks (in no order):

Girls - Lust For Life
Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes
Florence and The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Deerhunter - Disappearing Ink
Tyondai Braxton - Uffe's Woodshop
Zoot Woman - Just A Friend Of Mine
Vivian Girls - When I'm Gone
The Veils - The Letter
Isis - Hall of the Dead
YACHT - Psychic City
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Wavves - So Bored
The xx - Basic Space
Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi
Converge - Cutter
Bibio - Lovers' Carvings
Regina Spektor - Dance Anthem of the 80s
Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage
The Big Pink - Dominos
Sonic Youth - Anti-Orgasm
Best Coast - When I'm With You
Jay Reatard - It Ain't Gonna Save Me
We Have Band - Oh!
The Sound of Arrows - M.A.G.I.C.
The Antlers - Bear
Why? - January Twenty Something
No Age - You're a Target
VV Brown - Shark in the Water
Basement Jaxx - Raindrops
Pony Pony Run Run - Hey You
Washed out - New Theory
Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others
Simian Mobile Disco - Audacity Of Huge
Minuit - 25 Bucks
Röyksopp - Happy Up Here
The Bird and the Bee - My Love
MPHO - See Me Now
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction
Alphabeat - The Spell
Miike Snow - Animal
The Raveonettes - Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)
stellastarr* - Freak Out
Little Boots - Meddle
PENS - High in the Cinema
The Bloody Beetroots - Warp 1.9 (feat. Steve Aoki)
Matt & Kim - Daylight
The Sounds - No One Sleeps When I'm Awake
Pictureplane - Cyclical Cyclical (Atlantis)
Lady GaGa - Paparazzi
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Telepathe - Chrome's On It
Chew Lips - Solo
SLEIGH BELLS - A/B Machines
Marina & the Diamonds - Hollywood
Camera Obscura - French Navy
Patrick Wolf - Damaris
Fever Ray - When I Grow Up
Delorean - Deli
St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work
Dave Sitek - With A Girl Like You
Animal Collective - On a Highway
Lightning Bolt - Sound Guardians
CocoRosie - Happy Eyez
JJ - Intermezzo
Fuck Buttons - Surf Solar
Ganglians - voodoo
Metric - Satellite Mind
HEALTH - Die Slow
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Failure
fun. - All The Pretty Girls
The Horrors - Three Decades
Discovery - So Insane
The Golden Filter - Solid Gold
Dan Deacon - Woof Woof
La Roux - In For The Kill
Jemina Pearl - Heartbeats
The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
Hudson Mohawke - FUSE
Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)
Dan Black - Symphonies
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Kid Cudi - Up Up And Away
Frankmusik - Confusion Girl (Shame Shame Shame)
Just Jack - Embers
I Hate This Place - She's Space Invader
Yo La Tengo - Nothing to Hide
JJ - from africa to málaga
Atlas Sound - Shelia
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension
múm - Sing Along
Dinosaur Jr. - Pieces
Mika Miko - I Got A lot (New New New)
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
Sally Shapiro - Love In July
Kids of 88 - My House
Super Mash Bros. - From Honor Roll To Out Of Control
Arctic Monkeys - Pretty Visitors
Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls


2010 Albums to Get Excited About:


Liars - Sisterworld
Beach House - Teen Dream
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Spoon - Transference
Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
The Magnetic Fields - Realism
Four Tet - There Is Love In You
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Owen Pallett - Heartland
of Montreal - False Priest
Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself
These New Puritans - Hidden
RJD2 - The Colossus
Jónsi - Go
Pantha du Prince - Black Noise


So yes, 2010 is looking VERY promising!

in alphabethical order

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone
Discovery - LP
The Horrors - Primary Colours
Lost Valentinos – Cities Of Gold
Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today, I'm Sorry, They Washed Away
Passion Pit - Manners
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
White Lies - To Lose My Life
The xx - XX

Crystalised - The xx
Death - White Lies
Fences - Phoenix
I'll Never Drop My Sword - The Drums
Kiss Of Life - Friendly Fires
Osaka Loop Line - Discovery
The Reeling - Passion Pit
Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
Totally Bone - Dananananaykroyd
Who Can Say - The Horrors

Albums

1. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
2. The xx – xx
3. Future of the Left – Travels With Myself And Another
4. The Horrors – Primary Colours
5. HEALTH – Get Color
6. Cold Cave – Love Comes Close
7. Vivian Girls – Everything Goes Wrong
8. Soap&Skin – Lovetune for Vacuum
9. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
10. Emmy the Great – First Love
11. Taken By Trees – East Of Eden
12. Summer Cats – Songs For Tuesdays
13. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
14. Zola Jesus – The Spoils
15. Mika Miko – We Be XUXA
16. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
17. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
18. Slow Club – Yeah So
19. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
20. Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
21. Telepathe – Dance Mother
22. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone – Advance Base Battery Life
23. Nite Jewel – Good Evening
24. Telekinesis – Telekinesis!
25. Sky Larkin – The Golden Spike
26. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
27. Au Revoir Simone – Still Light, Still Night
28. A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
29. Former Ghosts – Fleurs
30. Dananananaykroyd – Hey Everyone!

Tracks

1. SLEIGH BELLS – Crown On The Ground
2. Internet Forever – Cover the Walls
3. Yeasayer – Ambling Alp
4. The Drums – Let's Go Surfing
5. Animal Collective – My Girls
6. Dirty Projectors & David Byrne – Knotty Pine
7. Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
8. The Horrors – Scarlet Fields
9. Florence + The Machine – Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
10. Soap&Skin – Cry Wolf
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
12. Slow Club – It Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful
13. Girls – Lust For Life
14. Lady GaGa – Poker Face
15. Flight of the Conchords – Too Many Dicks (On The Dance Floor)
16. Micachu – Calculator
17. Copy Haho – Wrong Direction
18. Metronomy – Do the right thing
19. Little Boots – New In Town
20. Florence + The Machine – You've Got The Love (Jamie XX Rework Featuring The XX)

Gigs & Festival Sets

1. Animal Collective – Park Stage, Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts – Saturday 27th June
2. of Montreal with Casiokids – Club Academy, Manchester – Thursday 29th January
3. Beirut with Shearwater & Sharon Van Etten – The Forum, London – Friday 8th May
4. School of Seven Bells with Telepathe – The Harley, Sheffield – Wednesday 13th May
5. Why? with Munch Munch – The Garage, London – Monday 6th July
6. Black Lips with Mika Miko – Skate Central, Sheffield – Saturday 16th May
7. Sonic Youth – Pavilion Stage, All Tomorrow's Parties: Nightmare Before Christmas curated by My Bloody Valentine – Saturday 5th December
8. The Horrors – Park Stage, Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts – Saturday 27th June
9. La Casa Azul – Elefant Stage, Indietracks Indiepop Festival – Saturday 25th July
10. Morrissey with Doll And The Kicks - Apollo Theatre, Manchester - Saturday 23rd May

100. The Horrors - Primary Colours
99. Weezer - Raditude
98. Johnny Foreigner - Grace And The Bigger Picture
97. Euros Childs - Son Of Euro Child
96. Kings of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence
95. Golden Silvers - True Romance
94. Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
93. Volcano Choir - Unmap
92. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
91. Brakes - Touchdown
90. PJ Harvey & John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By
89. Telepathe - Dance Mother
88. Titus Andronicus - The Airing Of Grievances
87. Oh, Atoms - You Can't See The Stars From Here
86. The Mountain Goats - Life of the World to Come
85. Datarock - Red
84. JJ - JJ No2
83. Muse - The Resistance
82. Malajube - Labyrinthes
81. Jason Lytle - Yours Truly The Commuter
80. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
79. The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
78. Woods - Songs of Shame
77. Charlotte Hatherley - New Worlds
76. Noah and the Whale - First Days Of Spring
75. M. Ward - Hold Time
74. The Cribs - Ignore The Ignorant
73. Sweet Baboo - Hello Wave
72. Real Estate - Real Estate
71. An Horse - Rearrange Beds
70. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
69. Karen O and the Kids - Where The Wild Things Are
68. Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away
67. The Maccabees - Wall Of Arms
66. The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead
65. Passion Pit - Manners
64. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Beware
63. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
62. Howling Bells - Radio Wars
61. The Dodos - Time To Die
60. Islands - Vapours
59. It Hugs Back - Inside Your Guitar
58. Cerys Matthews - Don't Look Down
57. Japandroids - Post Nothing
56. Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
55. Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth
54. A.C. Newman - Get Guilty
53. Theoretical Girl - Divided
52. Florence + The Machine - Lungs
51. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young

50. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
49. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
48. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
47. Asobi Seksu - Hush
46. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There are Mountains
45. YACHT - See Mystery Lights
44. Why? - Eskimo Snow
43. The Raveonettes - In And Out Of Control
42. Future of the Left - Travels With Myself And Another
41. Sibrydion - Campfire Classics
40. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
39. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
38. múm - Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know
37. Matt & Kim - Grand
36. Atlas Sound - Logos
35. Cate Le Bon - Me Oh My
34. Lightning Dust - Infinite Light
33. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
32. Swan Lake - Enemy Mine
31. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
30. stellastarr* - Civilized
29. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
28. The xx - The xx
27. Girls - Album
26. Graham Coxon - The Spinning Top
25. The Boy Least Likely To - The Law of the Playground
24. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
23. Emmy the Great - First Love
22. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
21. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

20. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
19. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
18. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
17. St. Vincent - Actor
16. Regina Spektor - Far
15. Slow Club - Yeah So
14. Alec Ounsworth - Mo Beauty
13. Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
12. Metric - Fantasies
11. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

10. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

9. The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away

8. Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

7. The Antlers - Hospice

6. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

5. The Voluntary Butler Scheme - At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea



4. Fever Ray - Fever Ray



3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz


2. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer


1. Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard - Em Are I

Ok, trocha bilancování neuškodí... Tady je desítka těch nejlepších desek (říkámjá) tohodle roku:

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
The Horrors - Primary Colours
The xx - The xx
Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years
Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Atlas Sound - Logos
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Zvláštní uznání:
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
The Dead Weather - Horehound
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care

2009 in Music

Tim Hecker – An Imaginary Country
Wolves in the Throne Room – Black Cascade
Zu – Carboniferous
Khanate – Clean Hands go foul
Nisennenmondai– FAN
Boris/ Torche - chapter ahead being fake
Dalek – Gutter Tactics
Pissed Jeans– King of Jeans
Animal Collective– Merriweather Post Pavillion
Sunn O)))– Monoliths & Dimensions
THE NOVEMBERS – Paraphilia
maudlin of the Well – Part the Second
Crystal Antlers – Tentacles
Monotonix– where were you when it happened?
Cymbals Eat Guitar– why there are mountains
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
Kid606– Shout at the Doner
Nero's Day At Disneyland – from rotting fantasylands
A Forest of Stars– The Corpse of Rebirth
Castrovalva – Self titled EP
Black Moth Super Rainbow– Eating Us
Dan Deacon – Bromst
Japandroids – Post Nothing
Rise & Fall– Our Circle is Vicious
Bats – Red in Tooth & Claw
The Horrors – Primary Colours
Doomriders– Darkness comes alive
Jesu – Opiate Sun
Apse– Climb Up
The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
OOIOO– Armonico Hewa
Baroness – Blue Record
Do Make Say Think– Other truths
Enablers – Tundra
Converge – Axe to fall
Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
Burnt by the Sun – Heart of Darkness
William Elliot Whitmore– Animals in the Dark
Six Organs of Admittance– Luminous Night
HEALTH – Get Color
Lovvers – OCD Go Go Go Girls
Lightning Bolt – Earthly Delights
Why? – Eskimo Snow
Part Chimp – Thriller
Shit & Shine – 229 – 2299 Girls against shit
Kong – Snake Magnet
Sabertooth Zombie - ... and your fathers are dead...
Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship
mewithoutYou – It’s all crazy! It’s all false! It’s all a dream! It’s alright
Eels – Hombre Lobo
Blut aus Nord – Dialogue with the Stars
Future of the Left – Travels with myself and another
Agoraphobic Nosebleed – Agorapocalypse
The Paper Chase – Someday this could all be yours, vol. 1
Crippled Black Phoenix – The Resurrectionists & the night raider
Big Business – Mind the Drift
Crippled Black Phoenix – 200 tons of bad luck
Dananananaykroyd – Hey everyone
Kylesa – Static Tensions
Buried Inside – Spoils of failure
Mono – hymn to the immortal wind
Zombi – Spirit Animal
Ars Dada - Assaualt Machine
Anaal Nathrakh - In the constellation of the ....


However if I was going to pick a top 5 it would be this:
1. Tim Hecker
2. Health
3. Zu
4. Pissed Jeans
5. I couldnt pick a fifth. So lets just leave is as top 4.

These are the 60 odd releases of my year. Some dont really deserve to be in this end of the year best of lists (see Khanate, oh god, that was awful), but they have a place here as this list doubles up as snapshot of the year.

I imagine there are some that werent actually released this year (and if there is I dont care, just keep it to yourself, ok, this isnt an excercise in the anal its a celebration of 2009 in music). Anyway this list is dictated by british release dates not the relase dates of whatever country you live in.

What I do care about, however, is bands/releases that I have missed out on and bands I should check out on the basis on whats included in this list. So by all means I'm happy to listen to what people have to say. Like Zola Jesus, I might check her stuff out for example, thats just to get the ball rolling.

New discovery of the year award (thats for the band that I didnt know about before this year, whether the band is new or old) goes to Corrupted. That performance at Supersonic alone was enough to make me a massive fan, its just a shame that finding their releases isnt as easy.

Heres hoping 2010 can be as good

1. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2. Noah and the Whale - The First Days of Spring
3. A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
4. The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead
5. The Horrors - Primary Colours
6. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
7. The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
8. Karen O and the Kids - Where The Wild Things Are OST
9.Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
10. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar