If 2009 has taught me anything about music it’s to never forget those acts that made you love music in the first place. For me this was primarily 90′s punk rock and 2009 saw bands I’ve been listening to for years on end release stellar releases, releases that simply clicked upon first listen and that require no effort to enjoy on repeat for many months. I’d love to say I’ve discovered a band in 2009 that has taken my breath away and made me move on to newer, fresher sounds (and in many way I have discovered bands like this) but there’s something unique about these bands that just appeals to who I am. Be it The Bouncing Souls honest anthemic punk telling everyman stories or the angry dissent of Propagandhi, these bands all appeal to different sides of me. It’s been a outstanding year overall, when I first drafted this list I could have easily doubled the amount here, if you include the albums released in past years that’s a hell of a lot of music. My love and desire to find and enjoy new music never ceases, regardless of genre, popularity or even talent, and I’m already excited for what 2010 has to hold.

20.

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

The term ‘super group’ usually transaltes to self-indulgent tripe but Them Crooked Vultures really broke the trend with their debut. It’s probably about 20 minutes too long and lacks any real stand-out tunes but what is there is solid boogy rock played hard and fast. Still only the second best band either Homme, Growl or Jones has been in but this was a pleasent surprise and grew on me immensely after a few listens.

19.

Mono

Hymn to The Immortal Wind

The genre of post rock is always something I’ve struggled to become immersed in, and this year has dropped out of favour almost completely. It just seems many bands make plundering, dull music that lasts way too long and only serves to frustrate out of repetitive tedium. That said, some bands loosely tagged as post rock just because, ya know, they don’t have vocals do break the mould. One of these bands is Japenese outfit Mono who while being a deafening live band have crafted a work of ambient instrumental beauty on Hymn to the Immortal Wind, the melodies are heart breaking and the ambient parts actually play a part instead of just linking together climaxes. It establishes Mono as Post Rock’s top dogs, simply because the music they play is too hypnotic to be tagged with such a tiresome label.

18.

Placebo

Battle For The Sun

This year the track ‘The Bitter End’ shot me into a phase on listening to nothing but Placebo, leading up to me getting their latest – Battle For the Sun. In many ways the album is Placebo by numbers, but for somebody new to the band that’s not a problem. With tracks like the electronic-driven ‘Julien’ and the anthemic riot ‘Breath Under Water’ you can’t doubt their skill at crafting rock songs with a hint of originalilty and killer choruses all round.

17.

Isis

Waivering Radient

Structurally complexed, with meandering instrumental soundscapes crushing into massive metal breakdowns, this an Isis record alright. Sadly it has a little bit too much meandering, and not enough genuine innovation to push it further up the list. If only all the tracks on the album were as good as ‘Threshold of Transformation’ it could have been special, as it stands even an Isis album with a little too much filler is still better than most other metal bands.

16.

John Frusciante

The Empyrean

John Frusciante’s solo work has always outshone most of what the Chili Peppers put out, and The Empyrean was no exception. Arriving right at the start of the year this takes the listener on a spiritual journey from the start to the end of life, so far so conceptial. The music itself was slightly let down by the poor production, I believe it was recorded in Frusciante’s house, but the virtuoso playing from all the members involved really shines on what is an adventurous, if a little messy, listen.

15.

Regina Spektor

Far

A cynical colleague of mine jokingly once commented ‘…so sad and beautiful’ when I put this on, it would be a fitting comment if not for the intended cynicism as Regina’s rolling piano loveliness fitted with dramatic, eccentric song-writing may sound cliched in the wrong hands, but Regina makes it all sound charmingly unconventional.

14.

Cobra Skulls

American Rubicon

The best straight forward punk release of the year, containing insightful and often funny lyrics and played with a great deal of energy and skill, channelling bands like Against Me! And maybe even Dead Kennedys with a rockabilly rhythm.

13.

Manic Street Preachers

Journal For Plague Lovers

This was a daring album by all accounts, with all lyrics taken from a booklet left to the band by Richey Edwards before he mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth. It’s a raw, dark album that still retains its accessibility, and the pop sensibilities of previous mid-career Manic’s albums. With lyrics and themes going to show why their lost band member has become such an cult figure in British rock.

12.

The Decemberists

The Hazards of Love

This is a concept album with a particular loony concept (I believe it to be a tale of a woman named Margeret who gets ravaged by shape-shifting animals….. right), is structured like an opera at a lengthy 70 minutes and spans many genres, from folk to metal, even including a children’s choir and more instruments than I can probably name. It’s frequently astounding and only when listening to, as intended, in full does it really shine. A grandeur masterpiece.

11.

Frank Turner

Poetry of the Deed

Shouty Frank Turner had a lot of expectation resting on his shoulders after the underground breakout of “Love, Ire and Song”. Signing to big-name indie Epitaph in America and getting a lot of press it all seemed a bit blown-up for a man who plays simple introspective songs about refusing to grow up when approaching thirty, growing disillusioned with Britain, and struggling against a weight to conform. He’s the new Billy Bragg, a punk heart hiding behind an acoustic guitar and a sensitive demeanour. Unfortunately despite a couple of stand-out tracks (‘the Road’, ‘Try This at Home’, ‘Journey of Magi’) Poetry of the Deed falls a little flat, some songs lack that song-writing spark where his usually shines through and the basic arrangements sag around the middle. However, it’s only a minor disappointment, the new backing band adds a lot on tracks like Our Lady Of the Campfire, and Frank’s heart is still firmly in the right place.

10.

The Twilight Sad

Forget The Night Ahead

When those winter nights roll in there is no better soundtrack than The Twilight Sad’s second full-length. Setting dark introspective instrumentals to a pulsating rhythm section and lyrics that howl with a deep Scottish brogue.

9.

A Death in the Family

Small Town Stories

The sub-genre of bands that sounds like Leatherface is now crowded enough to be labelled as ‘gruff punk’, one band to stand out from the crowd and almost match the masters for growling voiced emotional punk is Australia’s A Death in the Family. Small Town Stories, vaguely a concept album, chuggs by at a rugged mid-tempo, and real adult emotion shines through beneath the growl of the lead man’s voice.

8.

Polar Bear Club

Chasing Hamburg

A definite departure from their debut full-length, this sees Polar Bear Club hone their angular, gruff post-hardcore sound into something a lot more structured and accessible, however, in doing so they lose some of that repeat listening quality that the debut had. It’s an album that grips you on first listen but can become tiresome, not that this detracts from the fact that this is a strong, direct and energetic listen. The closest thing you’ll get to Hot Water Music these days outside of The Draft, only with an eye firmly on making this their breakout album from the underground.

7.

Idlewild

Post Electric Blues

Idlewild are one of the bands that have always threatened to break through to the mainstream and did with album ‘The Remote Part’ for a short time. Now with fan-funded album Post Electric Blues they seem to have stopped thriving for commercial success with grand indie balladry and made their most mature and natural album as a result. It still keeps the bands signature sound with Woomble’s tongue-twisting lyrics are as prevalent as ever, only now instead of making a folk album (Warnings/Promises) or a rock album (Make Another World) they’ve simply made an Idlewild album, as Woomble himself freely admits with lyrics from the title track ‘We’ve gone post electric, I’ve written down the concept”. Now any comparisons to their older work are made superfluous by just being so proud and confident of where they are now. This album also scores points for being decidedly more Scottish than previous outings, tracks like Circles in Stars could be lost Big Country B-Sides, and Woomble’s Scot brogue and sense of home enriches the album even more.

6.

Chuck Ragan

Gold Country

For a long time Chuck Ragan was simply known as the raspy-voiced one in seminal punk band Hot Water Music. He is now responsible for turning thousands of underground punk fans into country music by creating a series of authentic, Western country songs and make them sound credible and entirely natural. With Gold Country, as with all his music, it’s an album that feels very personal, played by friends for friends, and that sense of camaraderie gives the album a warm feeling. It sounds like country music should feel, down to earth, sing-your-heart-out, downtrodden violin-tinged Americana type stuff. Perfectly complemented by Chuck’s distinctive vocals, he’s a man that was made to sing this type of music.

5.

Telekenesis!

Tekekenesis!

Pure hook-laden pop music that urges you to create the perfect sunny afternoon just to play it. Michael Benjamin Learner’s debut channels 60′s pop music and Teenage Fanclub into an album that is instantly familiar, and by the same stone, ridiculously infectious. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes it’s simple, unpretentious fun, sweetly sung and energetically played.

4.

Strung Out

Agents of the Underground

Where as most 90′s skate punk bands have now either disbanded, been dropped by their label or sound way past their sell-by date, somehow veterans Strung Out still seem to keep moving forward. Forever tweeking their sound that now, after some 15 years, they seem to have finally found their comfort zone. This is a blistering listen, thunderous technical punk music, that sounds fresh and modern. Jason Cruz’s now raspy voice sounding more intense than ever, the musicianship is mind-blowing and the choruses soar, it sounds huge. Possibly the defining album of their career, and one that made me feel a fool for ever doubting their ability to evolve and push their sound.

3.

Propagandhi

Supporting Caste

If ever there is a modern punk band that transcends the cliché of 3 chord punk, make-up wearing poseurs and mindless political rhetoric it’s Propagandhi, these guys mean business both through their technical fretboard blistering thrash and their serious, intelligent politics. Supporting Caste was about the most intense record of the year, one that is genuinely horrifying in it’s well-researched political learnings, and one that is played and sang with a sincere anger and ferocity.

2.

Dredg

The Pariah, The Parrott and the Delusion

Dredg are a band that enjoy flirting between straight up alt-rock (Catch Without Arms) and more progressive art rock (El Cielo), and this album saw them combine the two brilliantly. Multi-layered tracks are split up with instrumental and vocal flourishes, and they even manage to squeeze in a power pop ballad or two. It’s an album that feels disjointed at it’s 18 tracks, and that took a lot of listens to click, but it’s also an album of real ambition and scale, one that leaves you exhausted and uplifted. The operatic vocals and some of the breaks are truly epic, the intersection in track ‘Quotes’ is a testament to their power.

1.

The Bouncing Souls

20th Anniversary Series

To celebrate the bands 20^th anniversary this was released as a single per month throughout 2009, as such it has grown throughout the year both as a whole and in my favour. Now with the split-song last single not disappointing it compiles into the Soul’s best and most rounded work to date. Sing-along punk of the tallest order, still as vibrant and heartfelt as they were when they started. Songs crammed full of nostalgia and sentiment, this sees the band on contemplative form in an album that is obviously a big thank you to fans.

In addition the track ‘Ghosts on the Boardwalk’ stands as my favourite track of the year.

EP’s / Singles

John K Samson – City Route 85

The Lawrence Arms – Buttsweat and Tears

Minus The Bear – Into The Mirror

Pulley – Time Insensitive Material

Small Brown Bike – Composite, Volume One

A Wilhelm Scream – S/T

Murder by Death Split Series

The Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice – Moon Colony Bloodbath

Albums that I heard too late to be included

Karen O and The Kids – Where The Wild Things Are

Nothington – Roads, Bridges and Ruins

Maybeshewill – Sing The Word Hope in Four-Part Harmony