2009 Honourable Mentions: Part 2

(EDIT: *sigh* so I got away with Part 1 it seems, but Part 2 suffered a DMCA notice takedown. If you're unclear of what that means, read this, basically though I've just removed all the links that ain't YouTube and i'll go back and replace some time.)

Woah, sorry about the break there, it's been an eventful couple of weeks. Including a slew of top-notch concerts including Big Day Out, The Decemberists, Florence & The Machine and the almighty Porcupine Tree. On top of that, I've been wrapping my ears around a whole lot of new music - either new albums for this year (Owen Pallett, FourTet, Yeasayer) as well as some great heavy rock from Australia (Sleep Parade, Eleventh He Reaches London, Sydonia & Toehider)
I really want to just charge ahead on to new things, 2009 seems like so long ago already, but in the interest of spotlighting great music that may have otherwise been ignored, I shall fulfill my promise of part 2 of 2009's Honourable Mentions. In the words of Mario, "lets-a-go!"


Big Scary - Hey Somebody
If you've been following my writing in Beat magazine (or read my Interpol concert report) - you'll already know that I love this band, they're easily Melbourne's best unsigned act at the moment. Hey Somebody is the lead single from their brand-spanking new EP, At The Mercy Of The Elements. Displaying great diversity, immense talent and just straight-up excellent tunes, this is a band you best acquaint yourself with before they start a record label bidding war or storm the airwaves. Big Scary are that good.

Noah & The Whale - Love Of An Orchestra
The sophomore album from this indie folk collective was inspired by the break-up between bandleader Charlie Fink and former girlfriend/collaborator Laura Marling. It's not just a mopefest though, as this sprightly anthem attests.

DM Stith - Pity Dance
Combine Patrick Watson's inspired eccentricity, Sufjan Stevens' lush arrangements and Antony '& The Johnsons' Hegarty's haunting vocals and it would equate to DM Stith. Here is a suitably spooky cut taken from his supremely confident debut Heavy Ghost.

Kid Cudi - Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)
Though Cudi's conceptual record Man on The Moon: The End Of The Day was an unbalanced and occasionally monotonous affair, it did indeed contain its moments. By calling in psychedelic popsters MGMT and instrumental paramores Ratatat, Scott Mescudi ensured that Pursuit of Happiness was one of those moments.


The Swell Season - The Verb
The little couple that could from the delightful movie Once (aka Glenn Hansard and Markéta Irglová) make a return with a sombre set that encapsulated the full spectrum of love and heartbreak. Though it lacked a killer single, the likes of Oscar-winning Falling Slowly, it was a more consistent set peppered with strong cuts such as the dour The Verb.

Prince - (There'll Never B) Another Like Me
Taken from the second side of a double album (LotusFlow3r/MPLSoUND, a triple if you include the Prince-produced Elixer from Bria Valente... but I don't), this sees the Purple one laying down all his idiosyncracies in an equally eccentrically titled funk workout. Sample lyric: 'Slipped into the bathroom/Put some olive oil in my hair,' indeed, there will never be another like Prince, savour him at another career high.

The Melodics - Maple Leaf Rag
Even for a band whose profile is on the rise, The Melodics are still vastly under appreciated. Their confident debut 4D possessed a wealth of styles - synth pop, funk, new-wave,jazz, hip hop - eschewed through songwriting smarts. Not unlike fellow Melbourne groovesters The Cat Empire. The six degrees shorten with the presence of producer Jan Scubizewski , one half of Jackson Jackson (the other being Cat trumpeter Harry Angus). Maple Leaf Lag is just one of the may colours in their spectrum, sampling Joplin classic The Entertainer to dizzying effect.

Doves - Jetstream
The cinematic introduction to album number four, Kingdom Of Rust, was an 'imaginary soundtrack to the closing credits of Blade Runner' according to the band. Evident from its synth-driven sci-fi chug infused with group's usual penchant for finely honed production and building textures. It also heralded a triumphant return after a nearly half a decade's absence.


Marmaduke Duke - Rubber Lover
The bonkers side-project for Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neill, who along with partner in dirty-pop crime JP Reid, produced a zany off-beat album in the appropriately titled Duke Pandemonium. Including this brief, but perfectly crafted gem - achieving the unique feat of making Billy Joel sound sexy in sampling his Sleeping With The Television On.

Major Lazer - Pon De Floor
The pseudonym for taste-making producers Diplo and Switch gave them the freedom to conjure gritty electro inspired by the daggering dancehalls of Jamaica. Fronted by a ridiculous cartoon concept about a lazer-toting general who kills vampires and zombies, but backed by a balls-out frenetic live show and a cavalcade of guest spots.

Katatonia - Day And Then The Shade
Following on from their career-defining album, The Great Cold Distance, Katatonia solidified their unique style with Night Is The New Day. Mawkish title aside, it proffered doom-laden aesthetics and grinding metal sounds teeming with emotional pathos. If you've ever been curious about heavier rock or metal but never had an entrypoint, this is for you.

Julian Plenti - On The Esplanade
After a less-than-favourable reception to Our Love To Admire, Interpol frontman Paul Banks returned to the Julian Plenti moniker of his pre-fame days gigging as a solo act. You'd be hard-pressed to imagine these arrangements' acoustic origins however, delivering a set of songs that dispelled any doubts as to Banks' abilities as a unique voice in the rock landscape.


David Gray - Nemesis
His White Ladder chart-topping days may be behind him, but that doesn't mean that Mr. Gray's star has faded. Returning after a four year long hiatus, Draw The Line was a welcome return of a songwriter in the classical mould. Perfectly metered couplets, accessible tunes that still contained the spirit of invention and of course Gray's ever-felt presence in that voice.

Monsters Of Folk - Say Please
Not quite the sum of their legendary parts, the monsters in question - Conor Oberst & Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and influential singer-songwriter M. Ward - instead opted for casual bouts; but when the components sparked, it resulted in catchy tuneage such as this.

Arctic Monkeys - Cornerstone
The Sheffield heroes' third album may have polarised the lovers of their small-town-stories-meets-angular-rock aesthetic; but Humbug instead introduced a new kind of intimacy. Their excellent narratives were still intact, they just came accompanied in new musical guises, such as this relaxed ballad couching a deeply personal lyric that features a series of trysts in pubs

The Antlers - Bear
Alloyed by a steady stream of blogosphere hype, the Brookly three-piece's Hospice was a conceptual investigation into pain and loss via grief and hospital-bound turmoil. Though the prospect of such sour-faced introspection will have most heading for the exit, Antlers managed to temper it with cathartic build and release a la Arcade Fire en route through Okkervil River. The twinkling Bear being a perfect personification of their appeal.

Phew, that became far more of a trial than it needed to be. The Rant's internet plan is simply not cutting the mustard like it used to. So in the words of Farmer Hoggett "that'll do pig... that'll do"

2009 Honourable Mentions: Part 1

So it's time to go back and pick through the bones of 2009, to sift through the torrent of great music and pick out some highlights. As that big Part 1 in the title should suggest, there's an awful lot of great albums, artists and songs that deserve a mention. As such, you won't find anything from the Top 15 Albums of 2009 list, just the best of the rest. So let's get started.

Parallel Lions - Separated

Essentially the new group for Art Of Fighting's Ollie Browne, Parallel Lions continued his unique brand of soulful, eloquent songwriting but adding a new spin on it. Thanks largely to the equally talented Hamish Michael and Sam Bates filling out the other two thirds of this great new Australian act.

Wild Beasts - Hooting and Howling
Led by Hayden Thorpe's idiosyncratic falsetto (perhaps an understatement), the lead single for Wild Beasts' second album Two Dancers, it is a perfect showcase of their talents - moody, evocative, rhythmic and exciting.

Ramona Falls - Russia
In actual fact this is the working name for one Brent Knopf, of Menomena fame, and the resulting sound is not unlike his dayjob. Looped sampling of traditional instruments is weaved into beautiful, crystalline arrangements.

The Decemberists – The Rake's Song

It's hard to extrapolate a single track from The Decemberists latest, The Hazards of Love a prog-folk odyssey of operatic proportions, but this cut comes close to representing its scope without sacrificing on its individualistic storytelling, a creaking murder ballad.

Them Crooked Vultures - Scumbag Blues
The supergroup to end all supergroups. Three rock legends: Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) made every music fan's wet dream come true with their debut that managed to mix all their styles into a cohesive beast, and Scumbag Blues is just one of its excellent litter.

Archive - Bullets
A little-known UK outfit whose decade-long career has skirted the likes of alternative rock, electronica and even trip-hop. Taken from its parent album, Controlling Crowds, this track has a whiff of Radiohead about while only scratching the surface of the full album. I highly recommend you check it out if this pikes your interest.

Odawas - Harmless Lovers Discourse

I usually hate those “sounds like band ‘x’ jamming with band ‘y’” descriptions, but the haunting if elusive atmosphere of Odawas can best be thought of as Mercury Rev jamming with The Blue Nile by way of Neil Young's crooning and harmonica. Beautifully produced music with an air of breezy relaxation.
The Temper Trap - Fader
One of Australia's breakthrough acts of last year. Sweet Disposition may have led the charge on their popularity, but it was their confident debut album Conditions crowned it. With album cuts like Fader, it proved they were capable of upbeat rock as well as moody post-punk and dreamy atmospherics. Plus it features the great line, "I pledge myself allegiance to a better night's sleep at home."

Mos Def - Casa Bey
Prior to unleashing The Ecstatic you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that Mos had left behind the hip-hop game for a burgeoning, if selective, acting career. Instead he performs a complete 180 and delivers one of the top-tier rap releases of the year, including this, the excellent closing number.

Pure Reason Revolution - AVO
Speaking of 180s, the prog-rock luminaries ditched their classic Pink Floyd-influenced sound for a shiny new chrome finish that can best be described as prog-tronica. The title track from their second album, Amor Vincit Omnia, is a haunting example of their shiny new sound: progressive, textured and stunning.

Biffy Clyro - The Captain

I can't really put it better than my original assertion, The Captain sets a jubilant mood, featuring a giddy refrain of "somebody help me sing" that bounces and fizzes against a rolling brass section. If my interview with frontman Simon Neil is anything to go by, it is the work of a newly invigorated group.
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Isis Unveiled
Album number seven from the Texan art-rockers featured an even more symphonic approach to their epic sound, with Isis Unveiled being no exception. Its fiery hooks sound like gods clashing before a brooding mid-section sees them taking a breather. Widescreen, climactic music at its best.

Brand New - At The Bottom
Restlessly pushing to reinvent themselves with each passing album, Brand New delivered a claustrophobic but engaging record in the form of Daisy. Taking its cues from mid-nineties grunge as much as experimental rock, with At The Bottom providing a secular portrait of their daring sound.

Patrick Watson - Big Bird In A Small Cage
An equally eccentric and incendiary performer, Patrick Watson wields his talents towards this touching ballad, a Sufjan Stevens meets Damien Rice-esque acoustic number if you will. But you'd do well to seek out the rest of his diverse oeuvre, namely his two albums Welcome To Paradise and 09's Wooden Arms.
Volcano Choir - Still
aka. what Bon Iver did next. After releasing arguably, 'the best album of 2008', few would have predicted that Justin Vernon would join Collection of Colonies of Bees to form an experimental side-project - but that's precisely what he did. Still is actually a rewrite of Bon Iver's Woods (taken from the Blood Bank EP), and the resulting full band arrangement is nothing short of breathtaking.
U2 - Moment Of Surrender
Sure U2 are pompous, grandstanding and commercial; but they're these things for a reason - there's still one of the most popular and enduring acts in the world today. And that doesn't mean they're not good. In fact, their latest - No Line On The Horizon - was one of their best records yet. Including the long-winding Moment Of Surrender, a relaxed epic if ever there was one.

Wilco - You And I (feat. Feist)

Wilco's self-titled album followed in the same vein as its predecessor Sky Blue Sky, namely an album that drew from the band's tight live show and band line-up, steering away from the strenuous experimentation they peddled at the start of the decade. It even featured a classic duet in the form of You And I with Canadian indie queen Feist.
The Very Best - The Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig)
Calling themselves "ghetto pop" only goes some way to describing The Very Best's unique brand of hip world music. The combination of Milawian singer Esau Mwmwaya and European production duo Radioclit, this is the title track from their debut; in which Mwmwaya trades verses with Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig making for a joyous summer track.
Devin Townsend Project - Trainfire
Devin Townsend Project - Numbered!

'Hevy Devy' was a busy boy in 2009. The Canadian metal pioneer finding time to release two (of a prospective four) of his self-titled Project series. The former taken from Ki, a more ambient, spacier approach to Townsend's usually thunderous prog-metal, while the latter is taken from his unabashed pop album. Paired with Anneke Van Giersberg (formerly of The Gathering) to create what he calls "Heavy Enya." As is usually the case with Devin Townsend, it's all so crazy - it works.

Stay tuned for Part 2, and feel free to provide some suggestions in the comments below.

Like Father, Like Son

It's been a while since I did a playlist round these parts, partly because all the themes I came up with seem a little contrived compared to just doing some good honest reviews - but mostly cause i just got really sick of having posts taken down cause of links and such. As you (should) know though, this Sunday is Father's Day, and to celebrate I thought i'd give another mix cd a shot. Now I won't bore you all with a full autobiography, but my own father was integral to my musical development - always having the radio or vinyl on around the house - and he certainly encouraged my flourishing musical tastes and rabid appetite for collecting cd's. On top of all this i think he's been endlessly supportive of all my musical writing - compostion and critical wise - and of all my pursuits in general. So this list is dedicated to him, and though he probably won't like most of the selections (he's a hip-hop/R&B kinda guy), MediaMark, this one's for you.

Father's Day Playlist

Super Furry Animals - Father Father #1
The most famous Welsh outfit in indie offer a sunny instrumental that induces a kind of shimmering nostalgia that'll set the mood for the tracks ahead.
Bluebottle Kiss - Father's Hands
Jamie Hutchings offers a semi-autobiographical tune about seeking out his family's history. It's road-weary and intelligent but also offering a kind of naive innocence in its imagery and narration. The kind of song every artist wish they'd written about their own dad. Well, unless you're Yussef Islam...
Cat Stevens - Father and Son
Forget all the bad cover versions and cut straight to the classic original, with its timeless lyrics and Stevens' cracking voice that renders the emotion so palpable. It offers a darker side to father-son relationships but in doing so provides a slice of tangible realism in which the emotion is powerfully visceral.
George Michael - Father Figure Though it's artificial production air and backing gospel choir screams early nineties, this is still an intriguing ballad. It not only showcases Michael's still-impressive breathy timbre but also mixes an ambiguous sexual element with its yearning romanticism. In any case, it also serves to remind us that fathers and hereoes don't have to be biological.

Paul Simon - Father And Daughter
Taken from his 2006 "comeback" album Surprise, this track originally appeared in, of all things, The Wild Thornberrys Movie. Nevertheless, it doesn't play it so much cute, as breezily honest, Simon's love for his child beautifully captured in the simple efficiency of the chorus:
"As long as one and one is two/There could never be a father/ Who loved his daughter more than I love you."
Loudon Wainwright III - Daughter
Another song with a movie connection, playing over the credits of Judd Apatow's dramedy Knocked Up, a cover that betters Peter Blagved's original. It's an interesting choice for Wainwright too, considering the strained relationship he has with his own kin, Martha Wainwright, who obviously didn't return the favour when she wrote Bloody Motherfucking Asshole.
Radiohead - Sail To The Moon
One of the group's most beautiful moments from a catalgoue that has no shortage of them. Written as a lullaby for his son Noah, Yorke croons and sways his way through an aching melody and ethereal backing, ruminating on the future of his child "maybe you'll/be president/but know/right from wrong/or in the flood/you'll build an ark/and sail us to the moon." Sumptous without being sentimental, it's actually one of Radiohead's most deceptively direct songs.
Neil Finn & Liam Finn - Two Of Us
The son of the Crowded House/Split Enz/solo star is not only a spitting image of his dad (be it with a great grizzly beard), but he also followed in his father's musical footsteps. Here they cover The Beatles for the I Am Sam soundtrack (mmm detecting a theme yet?), there's something beautiful about hearing the nearly indistinguishable voices of the Finns singing in harmony about the simple pleasures of life. One of the rare instances of a father and son musical duo captured in a recording.

Keith Urban - Song For Dad
Forget George Michael, here's the cheesiest song on the list. A shamelessly schmaltzy ode from the country superstar better known as Mr. Nicole Kidman, to his old man. Despite the cringe factor, if you pay attention there's quite a lot to endear to; such as the images of jangling car keys, wrapping of fingers on table tops and Urban's realisation that he's become the image of his father even despite his stoic upbringing. It's not quite Father and Son but it can't be so easily dismissed either.
Ugly Kid Joe - Cat's In The Cradle
A fleeting one-hit wonder band best remembered for their snotty band character and this, their take on a 1974 Harry Chapin number. Interestingly, the original lyrics were actually from a poem written by Chapin's wife of the time. Still, it was Ugly Kid Joe who gave the song a resurgence into pop culture, later referenced in the likes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, Scrubs and even Shrek. Everclear - Father Of Mine
Everclear's strength always lay in bolstering their cartoon-rock with Art Alexakis' unique world-view of confusion, anxiety and personal experiences. Father of Mine is perhaps then the band's watershed moment. In brutally honest lyrics, Alexakis turns his semi-confession of anger and bitterness into a resolve to better his own role in fatherhood to his little girl. Equally rocking and meaningful.
Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone
Another song about a dad who up and ran out on the family, and the resulting repercussions. The little boy longing in this case is James Allan, whose Scottish brogue - broad as the English channel - renders the song with a highly personal touch. It's a symptom in Glasvegas' overall pattern of tear-jerking fuzz-rock, but no less powerful for it.

Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
Aparrantley written by Gabriel after a spiritual experience he had atop the titular hill after qutting as the frontman and chief songwriter of Genesis. Nevertheless, there's a fatherly vibe thanks to the jaunty off-kilter acoustic pattern (in 7/4 for you music buffs) and key line of "son, he said/grab your things i'm going to take you home".
Wilco - On and On and On
Changing pace from previous songs in the list about fathers writing about their children, here's a song written by a child to their father. Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy wrote the closing statement to 2007's Sky Blue Sky as a comforting hymn to his grieving father after his wife passed away. The bittersweet mood is reflected by the circling dissonance, the resulting effect is a song that, ostensibly is about death, but manages to be forthright and uplifting without pandering to sentimentality.
U2 - Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
A slow-burning ballad written by Bono for, and about, his father. Even though it was written four years after his passing in 2001, Paul Hewson as he was known to his papa, is obviously still smarting - and learning - from his loss. Rather than a grieving, funereal tune however, U2 turn in a wonderfully understated performance that balances Edge's guitar echoes with the slow-chug of the rhythm section. Rising to a chorus that acts as a perfect bed for the call and response falsetto of the chorus "and it's you when I look in the mirror/and it's you when I don't pick up the phone/sometimes you can't make it on your own."
Super Furry Animals - Father Father #2
Bringing the mix to a close is the second half of SFA's Father Father instrumental, bringing everything full cirlce - much like the relationship between a father and son. Awwww.

BONUS TRACK:

Perry Como - Papa Loves Mambo Though it doesn't quite fit in the tracklisting, I just had to include this swingin' ditty from the '50s.

Happy Father's Day for Sunday to all the Papas out there