With the most gluttonous of holidays behind us and the last month of 2009 in the throes of its annual death rattle, we’re using this time to leave you with our requisite year-end, “best of” list. There was a lot of music that slipped through the cracks in 2009, but we dug deep and gathered a substantial amount of albums which we believe to be the best that the last official year of the decade had to offer. Though, due to technological constraints, we weren’t able to include every artist, we have provided a playlist of highlights from the majority of the albums in our list!

As an independent music website run by a collection of music fans, we really appreciate every possible shred of support you send our way, so thank you for everything you’ve done to help contribute to the growth of Audioholic Media over the past year. Hi-fives for everyone, and happy New Year!

Audioholic Media‘s Favorite Albums of 2009
In alphabetical order, so as to not play favorites amongst our favorites:

Air
Love 2
12 tracks, Astralwerks — Caroline
Coming back around from their last foray into experimental music for experimenting’s sake, this stylish French duo turn in an album full of brilliant, accessible melodies and delightfully dense textures. Face it, these guys are freakin’ geniuses with all the grooves and tones they can pull out of those keyboard layers, and the driving, almost spy-like themes on some of these tracks take them in a whole new direction. Despite having a cover that looks more like an Air Supply album, the songs are dynamic and well-conducted, pared down in instrumentation but fleshed out in arrangement. Hip, stylish, catchy, and synth-y – coolness = maintained.

The Antlers
Hospice
10 tracks, Frenchkiss
This album shows us that we can have a dark side and be compassionate all at the same time. The haunting and melodic tunes of Hospice bring an unconventional feeling to easy listening. Make sure to listen to this album from beginning to end (no shuffle option, either!) because the whole story unfolds that way.

Antony and the Johnsons
The Crying Light
10 tracks, Secretly Canadian
The Crying Light is a quiet, polished and slightly left-of-center album either best or worst listened to while on psychedelics. The third studio release from the band, Antony Hegarty and his Johnsons created something that feels almost uncomfortably personal, with Hegarty’s unusual and slightly eerie voice and lyrics lingering over each melody. The album creates a sense of mystery and is a little haunting in an unearthly sort of way.

Bat For Lashes
Two Suns
11 tracks, Astralwerks — Caroline
If there’s an artist that combines modern heartache and yearning with mystical, mythical imagery more seamlessly than Natasha Khan, they’re in hiding. Her pure, crystalline voice delivers her heart’s longings cased within tales of knights in crystal armor and siren songs, evoking a palpable mystique which is both enchanting and jaw-dropping, turning from concert-hall tours-de-force to intimate piano missives without missing a step. Breathtaking in so many ways, this album amply demonstrates Khan’s place as a too-rare artist who keeps magic and melodrama dancing together brilliantly.

Bobby Long
Dirty Pond Songs
10 tracks, Bobby Long
When Bobby Long isn’t being attacked by girls who dream of being ravaged by a blockbuster vampire, he’s making really good music for girls who dream of being ravaged by a blockbuster vampire… and for the rest of us. Dirty Pond Songs is an honest album with so much depth you would think the kid is just hitting his mid-life crisis. This album is consistent the whole way through and is a pleasant reminder that music can still be solid without losing its sincerity. It isn’t packing any fancy tricks, it’s simply a beautiful album from beginning to end. Long clearly takes his craftsmanship seriously and it can be heard in every lyric of every track, particularly in songs like “Left to Lie” and “Dead and Done.”
» Read our interview with Bobby Long here.

Brandi Carlile
Give Up the Ghost
11 tracks, Columbia
In her third studio release, Pacific Northwesterner Brandi Carlile brings her trademark powerful, sometimes rugged vocals to some softer, more personal lyrics than she’s released in the past. Produced by Rick Rubin, Give Up the Ghost features a less guarded, more cerebral side to Carlile as a vocalist and occasional lyricist. “Caroline” even offers an almost-unrecognizable Elton John collaboration! They grow up so fast…

Coconut Records
Davy
10 tracks, Young Baby Records
Davy is a collection of songs built for sunny days, even when the second track, “Drummer,” begins with a lyric as honest and blunt as, At fourteen, I lost my dad, it’s true. Each track on the album is a welcome reminder that the words “fun” and “catchy” aren’t (always) synonymous with “obnoxious.” With each track lasting only about three minutes, every song on Davy has its own short story to tell, and as it turns out, Jason Schwartzman has some worthwhile things to say.
» Read the full review here.

Cymbals Eat Guitars
Why There Are Mountains
9 tracks, Sister’s Den Records
This album is a great reminder that indie rock isn’t dead (or hiding behind some really cool sunglasses). Why There Are Mountains is a great debut and steps up to the plate where other albums in this genre usually hit this standard somewhere right around their sophomore release. “Some Trees” and “Wild Phoenix” showcase the band’s ability to take songs on a musical ride. There is so much texture to these tracks, it’s almost rough to listen to at times. The joy behind it all is that you can actually anticipate the unexpected and find yourself hearing the next twist or turn that the song is about to take. If you’re looking for melodic hooks embedded into one hell of a bumpy ride, then Why There Are Mountains might be the right dose of chaos you’ve been looking for.

The Dead Weather
Horehound
11 tracks, Warner Bros.
This super-ish-group is the first creative project on which Jack White doesn’t take the spotlight (despite the fact that every headline about them has his name bigger than the band name), instead manning the drum kit and handling backing vox. This does not detract, however, and the music is trademark raw, bone-crunching psychedelic blues-rock, the kind for which Mr. Gillis is known and solely capable of producing. Alison Mosshart’s vocals do the right job, and Pat Keeler and Dean Fertita unleash this band’s melodic gunfighter-style bare-bones melodies with full barrels of dynamics and sticks of reverb dynamite. It’s undeniable — even with JW on the skins and the rushed story of the band — that this album is highly worth checking out.

Dirty Projectors
Bitte Orca
9 tracks, Domino Recording Co.
Admittedly a bit obtuse by popular standards, by musical standards no other album this year even approaches this excellent work. Long at odds with creating music anything short of eclectic and almost pretentious, DP’s veritable mastermind David Longstreth finally made some concessions and composed tunes that could almost be described as accessible and even catchy on this LP, adding yet another vocalist and solidifying their unit into a tight-as-nails full band. Wisely yielding the spotlight to his other vocalists for a few tracks also produced one of the year’s most interesting crossover tracks in “Stillness Is the Move,” with vocalist/guitarist Amber Coffman waxing soul-diva with a hook that keeps climbing to an amazing peak (SITM was recently covered by Solange and is now a legitimate hit in the R&B world as well. Variety!).
» You can see a full review of the compositional, musical, and vocal grandeur that is this wonderful piece of work here.

Ernie Halter
Ernie Halter Live
11 tracks, Rock Ridge Music
This is an excellent live album which showcases both Halter’s raw talent and his genuine affability. Ernie Halter Live is a felicitous representation of the level of fun and musicianship that can be expected at a typical Ernie Halter show. If you find yourself constantly searching YouTube to get a live fix of Ernie Halter, this should save you the trouble of sorting through all of those user-uploaded covers of “Whisper.”
» Read our interview with Ernie Halter here.

Freelance Whales
Weathervanes
13 tracks, Freelance Whales
It’s hard to make assumptions about a new band that is thrown into a scene where there are endless numbers of competitors. Freelance Whales make their mark with Weathervanes and do so in a way that saves them the trouble of trying to show off. They’re not getting lost in their sound only to polish up their mishaps the following year on a sophomore album to show us how much they’ve learned, they’re simply showing us that this is what they know, and that they will be the best at it. The layering in “Generator ^ First Floor” and “Starring” take songs with simple lyrics and turn them into more complex situations that are easy to listen to. Sometimes the depth in their songs can be dismissed for quirkiness, but in all respect, that’s part of the total package of Weathervanes.

fun.
Aim & Ignite
10 tracks, Nettwerk
Forming a modern day supergroup, Nate Ruess (formerly of The Format), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train) fuse their various talents to create a band with a name that couldn’t more appropriately define their sound. Aim and Ignite establishes a lighthearted and cheerful tone on first listen, but in true Nate Ruess form, a song’s lyrics can sometimes contradict its melody. In “Be Calm,” a full orchestra swells in an aggregation of emphatic melodies and uplifting chords behind Ruess’s catchy vocals while he sings about talking himself off a ledge. The last 60 seconds of “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)” bear an honesty not often explored by most artists. Despite the song’s breezy overtone, Ruess delivers an eloquent and emotionally apathetic gut punch in the song’s final lyrics when he states, “I’m not a prophet, but I’m here to profit” after proclaiming that he doesn’t fall in love, he just fakes it.

Ouch.

» Read the full review here.

Future of Forestry
Travel EP I & II
2 discs, 12 tracks, Credential Recordings
With Eric Owyoung’s breathy tenor and dynamic guitar textures mixing brilliantly with his rotating band’s masterful rhythmic and production dynamics, Future of Forestry promises to be a delightful band. These releases up the bar with some surprisingly deft world percussion flavors, skilled lyrical concept connectivity (the EPs cover themes of air, sea, and land — land being the subject of a third EP on the way in 2010), and wave after wave of huge, catchy chorus hooks. Surprises at every turn, and a solid and innovative follow-up to their 2007 debut. Top job all around.

Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest
12 tracks, Warp Records
Once the hype settled over this flagship indie hipster band’s new album (even their announcement of its title got more press than most other bands combined on the hipsterweb circuit), a careful listen revealed a wonderful album out of time, combining lush mini-orchestral arrangements, sunny harmonies, subtle production flourishes, a boys’ choir, and Ed Droste’s and Daniel Rossen’s singularly unique lead vocals leading the charge. These four guys have a lot of musical acumen under their belt, and they brought all their toys to the table here, ultimately living up to the hype this album generated, if only in retrospect.

Ice Palace
Wonder Subtly Crushing Us
10 tracks, Rebel Group
Wonder Subtly Crushing Us hints at being a folk-rock album then covers that idea with layers of grunge- and indie-rock, creating a comprehensive collection of tracks which utilize a multitude of concepts and introspective lyrics to construct Ice Palace’s second official studio release. Because the album draws from a plethora of genres and influences, critics have been hard-pressed to find a category in which to place the album — which is the album’s primary selling point as well as its (most impressive) pitfall.

Julian Casablancas
Phrazes For the Young
8 tracks, RCA
Coming in last of all the solo Strokes’ work in the ’00s, the style-idol frontman’s output really surprised on many levels. Digging and twiddling for “hip” keyboards, Casablancas hit the mother lode in sweet sounds, and used the whole payload on these eight tracks. His gift for wry, sardonic lyrics has not diminished, nor has his signature dry, disaffected delivery, but it’s the music here — both in composition and arrangement — that’s leaps and bounds beyond his work with his bandmates. Great cover art as well — a great bonus out of left field.

Julie Peel
Near the Sun
12 tracks, American Laundromat
Julie Peel is an understated singer/songwriter of French-Canadian descent with a subtle gift for expressing the most complicated of emotions with effortless grace and melancholy frankness.  Most of her songs are so film-scene worthy it’s ridiculous, and the deceptively simple arrangements lend a sort of faded classic feel to every track. Worthy of much more notice than she’s received so far, but we hear one of her tracks is featured on that Mercy show on NBC so maybe better things are a-comin’…

Neko Case
Middle Cyclone
15 tracks, Anti/Epitaph
That voice is unmistakable, big and broad-shouldered while subtle and vulnerable, usually weaving a tale of some myriad shade of dysfunctional relationship — romantic or otherwise — past the point of repair. Neko Case’s work over her last two albums has been a perfect confluence of folk Americana and gritty roots rock with a splash of traditional country, and her lyrical ability just keeps getting better. Add to that a band which has been honed to a razor-sharp edge and that waxes and wanes in flow and power with mechanic precision to every curve, every hairpin turn in Case’s masterful songwriting. Worthy of all the multiple “best of” year-end lists on which it has found itself.

Noah and the Whale
The First Days of Spring
11 tracks, Interscope
We get it. You’re really really sad and this break up is so different than any other one we’ve heard about. You’re in pain. If you’re apathetic to the pain of a struggling artist, we don’t really blame you. There are indie films for that. The First Days of Spring not only becomes its own film, it wraps up every cliche you could imagine in a little over 40 minutes. Is that bad? It’s not necessarily something to boast about, but it’s apparent that the band members weren’t trying to accomplish anything beyond that. This album is packed full of light strings, percussion and piano, making it a very calm and peaceful experience regardless of its thematic tone. “The First Days of Spring” and “My Door Is Always Open” are two standout tracks which reflect the liveliest parts of the album as well as the parts that barely have a heartbeat.

Person L
The Positives
12 tracks, Academy Fight Song
Having a soft spot for the punk-rock movement, it’s expected that an artist like Kenny Vasoli would want something more than what’s being dished out lately. Vasoli told us in an interview that he’s waiting for someone to do something dangerous. The Positives seems to be his “dangerous” something. It’s not a flawless album by any means, but it’s an album that isn’t afraid to try different things. Person L had a habit of taking songs to a certain peak but never really exceeding expectations. This album finally makes it over that hump and brings to the table tracks like “Changed Man,” making it an unpredictable piece of work. These stylistic surprises happen from track to track, but songs like “Loudmouth” and “Goodness Gracious” are specific reminders that this band has roots firmly planted in its punk-rock influences.
» Read our interview with Person L here.

Phoenix
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
10 tracks, Glassnote
Giving the French quartet the attention they’ve deserved for years, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix presents Phoenix as a band that the whole of the public can enjoy (as proven by this year’s late night talk show tour, showcasing the band on basically every American evening-based talk show). Still as poetic-yet-confusing as ever, the lyrics are no easier to understand upon first listen than they were on the band’s previous albums, but the songs are heavy on the dance vibe. Though “1901″ and “Lisztomania” were likely the most well-received tracks, “Rome” is the standout dark horse of the album.
Finding their footing as a band who are willing to experiment without being too experimental, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is left-of-center without being too esoteric for, say, basic cable.

St. Vincent
Actor
11 tracks, 4AD
In her second studio album as a solo artist, Annie Clark pairs her quiet vocals with some hard-ass guitar jams and creates the 11 ethereal, catchy, and sometimes haunting tracks which make up Actor. The lyrics on “Marrow” bear the most infectious cry for help of the year while the chorus of “The Bed” is little more than a serene-yet-severe threat which demands for you to stop right where you stand and put your hands in the air. The only real disappointment on the album is that “Actor Out of Work” is entirely too short, clocking in at a mere two minutes and 15 seconds of hard beats and pedal fuzz, but whatever. If your intention is to leave everyone wanting more, you have hit the nail on the head, St. Vincent.

The Swell Season
Strict Joy
12 tracks, Anti/Epitaph
This is the album Glen Hansard has been chasing his entire 2+ decade-long career. All his work with his veteran band The Frames, most of whom are present here, has been honing his songcraft for this moment, and all it took was Marketa Irglova’s fragile harmonies, perfect piano counterpoint, and lost love to cement it all in. These are songs which look achingly back through a bumpy relationship tunnel with honest self-deprecation and wide-smiling appreciation, played by a band who fills in the sonic corners with skill and tact and sung by Hansard and Irglova with complete transparency. Special props to the subtle strings played by violinist Colm MacIomaire, adding just the right shades of cloudy sky or warm sunbeams whenever necessary.
» Read the full review here.

Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures
13 tracks, DGC/Interscope
Does anything else need to be said other than Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones? This is way beyond a supergroup — these three rock icons came together over their love of each other’s music and rock ‘n’ roll as a force; the result wasn’t commercial, but is unstoppable, full of face-rocking riffs and pinpoint-precise rhythm section interplay. Every track on this album has something memorable and is noteworthy for far more than the pedigree of the musicians creating it. Them Crooked Vultures is rock for rock’s sake, crafted and released into an over-commercialized world by skilled tradesmen who know their way around the crushing power of well-played rock and roll. They’re already talking album #2, and rock fans in the know are mopping up their saliva, with good reason.

The Trews
Acoustic- Friends and Total Strangers
15 tracks, Bumstead Productions Ltd.
Whether The Trews find the most joy on the stage or in the studio, their songs seem to shine best when played to a live crowd and Acoustic — Friends & Total Strangers showcases exactly that. Opening the album with solid harmonies on “Poor Ol’ Broken Hearted Me” and ending just as strongly an hour later with Colin MacDonald’s seemingly unaffected and unwavering vocals powering through “Hold Me In Your Arms,” the album is consistent throughout all 15 of its tracks. As difficult to skip songs as it is to choose a favorite amongst them, Friends & Total Strangers is a kick ass, acoustic rock show just as much as it’s one more excuse to get off your ass and go see The Trews live.

WHY?
Eskimo Snow
10 tracks, anticon
There isn’t as much alternative rap in Eskimo Snow as you might have hoped for, but that isn’t necessarily the only magic behind frontman Yoni Wolf’s talent. There’s no need to worry — his poetic license is still stapled to every single track throughout the album. The joy behind the majority of this album is the constant wit, charm, humor and raw truth behind every single word. “January Twenty Something” isn’t a long track but it holds enough momentum to feel like a pretty substantial ride. Other tracks like “Against Me” build momentum solely on a lyrical level but couple well with the calm nature of the melodies, balancing the layers of each song. At times, the content can be cryptic and unsettling, but Eskimo Snow still finds a weird way of being comfortable.

Will Hoge
The Wreckage
11 tracks, Rykodisc
Born from the accident that landed him in intensive care last year, The Wreckage features Will Hoge’s strongest studio work to date. Highlighting some of his most earnest lyrics without sacrificing the trademark rock ‘n’ roll sound he has built his reputation around, this album ties all of Hoge’s previous work together while also coming closest to exemplifying the sweaty charm of his live shows. “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” delivers the album’s biggest gut punch in the lyric Keep on dreamin’, even if it breaks your heart, broaching the eternal conundrum of every starving artist: Get rich or die tryin’.

Various Artists
Ciao, My Shining Star
3 discs, 41 tracks, Shout! Factory
A stirring and stellar (and amazingly prolific) tribute to a little-known singer/songwriter, all for a heartwrenching and heartwarming cause. Although Marc Mulcahy, and his bands Miracle Legion and Polaris, aren’t household names, luckily the list of people that had heard of him included a veritable who’s who of rock music from all genres. So, when tragedy struck his family and he lost his wife, the mother of their 2 daughters, it evoked an outpouring of support from the likes of Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, Frank Black, and many, many others in the form of this album, a collection of Mulcahy’s songs re-interpreted by these artists and more, in order to provide him a means to support his remaining family. A noble gesture of course, but for the rest of us it is also a very satisfying piece of work — not only are these songs smart and intricate in their own right, the guest list’s renderings of them are spot-on and really incredible. Worth checking out for the charity, but more so for the incomparably great music.

Various Artists
Dark Was the Night
2 discs, 29 tracks, 4AD
A compilation for the Red Hot charity for AIDS research, somehow this double album turned into a summit of any and every big-name indie talent across the spectrum. Produced by Bryce and Aaron Dessner out of The National, this project pulled in the top-shelf tracks from anyone who’s anyone on the indie blog circuit: Arcade Fire? Check. Yeasayer? Check. Dirty Projectors? They did one with David Byrne. Feist, Grizzly Bear, and Bon Iver each appear twice, either on their own or with the likes of St. Vincent, Ben Gibbard, or each other. Sufjan Stevens even took a few moments away from his 50 States project and BQE orchestral suite to toss off a brilliant 10+ minute electronic work of staggering genius for the album. The only track that didn’t really make an impression was Kronos Quartet’s head-scratchingly dissonant title cut. All-in-all, this is 31 tracks of mind-altering brilliance — and for a good cause. You get great music, and up your hipster cred, and that’s what a great album is all about. WIN.

Monolith, 2009
by Nick Chaivarlis, Photography by Jon Bielecki, Angora Holly Polo, and Jake Cisneros

“She’s a bitch in September,” I heard a bystander mutter to whoever was listening. I was listening. “Who’s a bitch?” The dedicated music fan looked up at the clouds and without even thinking, answered me with, “Colorado.” It didn’t take long to figure out that he was talking about the weather.

Autovaughn put on a decent show for being one of the first bands playing for the smaller crowds outdoors. Festivals are created for the mere fact of supporting musicians, so why be there if you weren’t planning on checking out bands you have never heard of? The indoor stages were cramped regardless of the artist’s mainstream popularity. These United States were playing inside at the WOXY.com stage and the room was packed. Between both days, the Fire Marshal had to step in and regulate the crowds (safety is so lame) between acts.

Girl Talk, of Montreal, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs all put on stellar performances regardless of the rain sessions during their jam sessions. By the end of the night, no one cared how drenched they were, as long as the headliners were able to keep the party going. Girl Talk entertained the audience by allowing a handful of fans on stage to dance their asses off, while of Montreal put on what seemed to be a one-act play (creepy costumes and lights included).

The Knew kicked off day two with one of the first shows of the day (and it was one hell of a show). Everything seemed to be rolling according to plan (sun, cool crowd, reasonable security) until an announcer informed the entire amphitheater of the cancellation of MSTRKRFT‘s show (the word on the street is that they were a no-show due to illness), which sent an uproar through the amphitheater (but not for too long, as everyone then dispersed to go see another act or two).

Due to MSTRKRFT‘s last-minute cancellation, the lineup changed a bit and some patrons missed a show or were late to one due to not being informed of the schedule change (or due to drugs and alcohol, but who is really keeping tabs?), but for the most part, I think things went smoothly. Passion Pit, Phoenix, and Savoy were all equally tossed around the lineup, but everything worked out in the long run (and it worked out better for Phoenix, as they were moved to the main Esurance stage [which proved to be ideal since everyone in Colorado showed up for their set]).

We all learned that Passion Pit means “to dance,” because that’s exactly what everyone did as soon as the band hit the stage. Right before ending their session, Michael Angelakos took the time to inform everyone to go see their “friends” (Phoenix) down at the Esurance stage (as both bands were originally supposed to play back-to-back on the Southern Comfort stage). The crowd followed suit down the many flights of stairs of the amphitheater and filled in the main stage to hear Phoenix and The Mars Volta end a perfect night.

Phoenix had a late start but were totally worth it, seeing as how they filled up the entire arena and had the crowd up and moving regardless of how chilly the night had become. In terms of energy, it seems as if the final acts of the night delivered more than enough. Phoenix‘s Thomas Mars decided to redefine crowdsurfing by taking his ride into the fans (but at an incline) and making his way up the amphitheater rather than through it.

Regardless of the shifty weather, the Monolith Festival was a complete success. It offered a variety of artists to be appreciated by a variety of different music fans. When you’re surrounded by good music, people, food, and alcohol, you can’t really go wrong. Festivals are for music and Monolith proved just that.

Though the record industry is in a pretty shitty financial situation, Phoenix are nearing the apex of their careers, so it’s unlikely that this video is a consequence of a global recession or illegal downloading. (And lest we not forget how well connected Thomas Mars is.)

Watch Phoenix perform “1901″ acoustically in someone’s bedroom:

As you can tell within the first fifteen seconds of the video, the band is in on the joke, too. However, if you favor music videos with a higher production value, don’t forget that they did one of those, too.

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For more information on Phoenix, visit myspace.com/wearephoenix.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 05.26.09
by Joshua Krage

I know the music industry is forever continuing its fiscal downward spiral in the constant evolution of music listenership and technological innovation, but it’s still sobering and sad when the casualties hit close to home. This week Sacramento lost its best source for alternative music in KWOD 106.5, which went dark and was replaced by a 90′s station. Just another example of the times, I know, but a good reminder to invest in the things you don’t want to go away. For instance, if you want your favorite band to continue producing quality music, you must buy their product or attend their show, otherwise how are they gonna have time for that awesome tuneage while they’re holding down a day job to pay their rent? Here’s a list of what’s out this week for you to help support some starving (and not-so-starving) musicians and/or their record companies:

Black Moth Super Rainbow
Dave Brubeck – Time Out 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition
Miles Davis – Sketches of Spain 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition
Dmitri From Paris / The Idjut Boys
Electrik Red

Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest – once you get past all the blog buzz and hipsternet hype encasing this Brooklyn quartet, you’ll find a very adventurous avant-folk sound that doesn’t just defy description, it necessitates new adjectives. Lo-fi acoustic foundations support synth-augmented psychedelic flourishes, dynamic chamber pop gives way to lush, unhurried romanticism, old-timey classic ambiance is carried along atop odd time signatures and iced with ethereal children’s choirs… ambitious is an understatement, but if you’re familiar with their last few albums, they’ve been steadily building and streamlining toward this incredible amalgamation of sound for quite awhile now, and they have earned their place atop the indie-beard blogger lists.

Hillsong United, a_CROSS // the_EARTH: Tear Down the Walls – if you are part of a contemporary worship team at any church, you most likely play songs from this band, the youth component of Australia’s famously expansive house of praise. Part 1 of a 2-part series, they have some refreshing deviations from their normal formula on this live-recorded album, different time signatures and a bit of musical exploration on some tracks, a welcome change and an engaging set of worship altogether.

Marilyn Manson – I have no desire to listen to this album, but am sorely tempted on account of industrial-lounge mastermind Chris Vrenna (who records his own stuff under the “Tweaker” moniker) being present, both in the band and in the sound booth (as well as the songwriting).
Julian Marley
Donnie McClurkin

Mandy Moore, Amanda Leigh – it’s hard to not make fun of someone who got their start as a candy-pop teen sensation, but I admire Mandy’s newfound appreciation for authenticity in music, taste, and songwriting. This record has Inara George (Bird and the Bee) involvement so it gets immediate notice, and Moore’s chief collaborator and producer for the endeavor is established scene-scoring musician Mike Viola, who helps the overly-cute songstress pursue her Laurel Canyon ’70s sound pretty effectively. Although Moore still doesn’t possess an incredibly strong voice, her conviction is pretty solid here and her songs are relatively enjoyable.

Motley Crue – Dr. Feelgood 20th Anniversary – this album is actually a guilty pleasure of mine, though I still cannot stand Vince Neil’s nasally weenie-whine. I once constructed a killer mash-up of the title track with a Michael Jackson classic and a Bebel Gilberto tune. Someday I might even get to post it…

Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – up to this point, the most anyone knows about these Parisian pogo-pop hommes is that Sofia Coppola is a fan, as is somebody at Saturday Night Live. Honestly, the relative unfamiliarity is to be expected, since, until now, they haven’t done anything nearly as noteworthy as this new album. Their fourth full-length is up-front and catchy pop/rock, with lots of bright, jangly guitars and youthful yowling from effervescent vocalist Thomas Mars, plus a few mature moments with full, lush keyboard beds framing the sonic scene. A big step forward, and rather solid grab for the spotlight.

Eros Ramazzotti
Michelle Shocked
Siouxsie and the Banshees – at the BBC
Tiga

VAST, Me and You – moody guitar shredder turned songcrafter Jon Crosby sticks with his acoustic-based theme for a second straight album (regrettably) and turns in a rather lean set of ambient shadows looming over semi-gothic, minor-key majesty. I used to be a big VAST fan, but his songwriting skills really aren’t served by this acoustic crap, I think he’s just getting lazy.

Viva Voce
War Tapes

Jenny Owen Youngs, Transmitter Failure – far surpassing her acoustic singer-songwriter roots, my favorite imaginative lyric conjurer goes for broke on her follow-up LP, with ace help from producer Dan Romer and musician Bess Rogers, who contribute excellent songwriting collabs and innovative arrangements with elements ranging from studio-pop to old-timey ragtime to lush strings and beyond.

James Yuill, Turning Down Water for Air – I believe “electroacoustic” is the proper term, but I hate that term. The long-awaited U.S. release date of this superb folktronic songsmith, deftly melding his subdued acoustic compositions with big, meaty bliptop beats and electronic effect wizardry, effectively creating a kinder, gentler, guitar-toting industrial robot hiking across the countryside.

I know every other blog has been/is/will be gushing over that new Grizzly Bear album, if only because it’s incomprehensible to the masses and indiscernible to your average listener, thus the interweb community feels they must call it greatness. But greatness is where you find it, and hopefully something from this list will lift you up a few notches this week. Have a Happy Memorial Day, and see you next month.

P.S. Enjoy a sampling from this week’s new songs on my MySpace page. It’s updated pretty much weekly now…

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

If you’ve been following this band’s progression, you would have found out that their new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, will be released in the U.S. on May 26th. In the meantime, they just put out a new video for everyone’s favorite song, “1901.”

If that’s too flashy for you, then you can check out this unplugged version of “Lisztomania,” the new single from their upcoming album. This session was released exclusively by The Alternate Side.

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For more information on Phoenix, visit myspace.com/wearephoenix.

The video for “Lisztomania” was directed by Antoine Wagner and produced by Gangfilms.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix will be released May 25th.

If you’d like to see Phoenix play live in America (or Canada), June is your lucky month:

06.12.09 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
06.13.09 Chicago, IL @ Park West
06.15.09 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
06.16.09 Montreal, Canada @ Les Saints
06.17.09 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
06.19.09 New York, NY Terminal 5
06.21.09 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
06.23.09 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity
06.25.09 Denver, CO @ Bluebird
06.27.09 San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center – Grand Ballroom
06.28.09 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

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For more information on Phoenix, visit myspace.com/wearephoenix.

So say the band:

Why “1901″? Who knows? Maybe it was a good year. Maybe it’s someone’s PIN number. Maybe I need to listen to the lyrics more carefully. Phoenix tend not to dwell too much in predictability.

If you’d like to download “1901″ for free, visit wearephoenix.com for the full track.
You can also keep up with the band on Twitter at twitter.com/wearephoenix.