Thunder Matt's Saloon: Best of Movies 2009

Hot on the heels (no) of our critically acclaimed and tepidly anticipated Best Of Music Lists comes this year's (last year's?) Best of Movies List. Since only a select few of us even get the chance to see more than a few films (non-porno) each year, these lists are sad and limp, like The Hundley that time he ran out of Cialis.

So without further ado, here's a hastily cobbled together list of movies for you to mock, ignore and bury at the bottom of your Netflix queue. Lights, camera, Jews!

Chaim Witz

1. Up in the Air – A pitch perfect adult dramedy that didn’t really excel in one particular area, but stuck with me for weeks after I saw it. Probably because I was worried about getting fired, but that's neither here nor there.

2. (500) Days of Summer – Always a sucker for a twee indie comedy with a hipster soundtrack, I fell head over heels and out of my skinny jeans for this rom com. The Hall and Oates montage probably bumped it up 2 or 3 spots on this list.

3. The Hangover – A Zach Galifiankis nerd from way back (“I liked him way before G-Force”), I had a feeling I’d love this movie as soon as I saw the poster. Classic instincts!

4. The Hurt Locker - Clunky title aside, this was one of the most intense experiences I’ve had at the movies in quite some time. I pooped my pants more times than Milton Bradley with men on base.

5. Away We Go - Probably hit home due to the fact that, like the pseudo hipster couple in the movie, Mrs. Witz and I just recently had our first child and, like said couple, also have no idea what we're doing. We saw this one right after we found out that our lives would be forever changed (for the better mind you)...I even got the idea for my Dad Beard from Jim from The Office. Maya Rudolph turns in one of the more underrated and affecting performances of the year.

6. Moon - I'm naturally predispositioned to like movies that take place in the jungle, space or a post-apocalyptic landscape. That said, I loved this space yarn. Sam Rockwell lends his considerable talents to this film that either steals from or pays homage to, 2001 Space Odyssey.

7. Inglorious Basterds – Allowing for a few Tarantino egotistical asides, this beautifully shot film is the Brad Pitt Nazi Movie that the world has waited for since he burst onto the scene shirtless in Thelma and Louise.

8. Avatar – It’s like they brought that Eiffel 65 song to life on the silver screen!

9. Star Trek – I hate nerds, but I loved this decidedly less nerdy version of Pocket Protectors in Space.

10. Adventureland – Reinforces my inkling that I should have been a carnie.

11. Drag Me To Hell – This movie was “grossly” entertaining! WOCKA WOCKA WOCKA!

12. Youth In Revolt - Technically this came out in 2010, but technically I'm a heterosexual as well.

Honorable Mention: Nice try assholes!

The Road - Post apocalyptic shenanigans, Oprah approved.

District 9 – A (relatively) thinking man’s Predator

Whip It – I hugged Drew Barrymore

Tyson – Face tattoo!

I Love You Man – I hate the band Rush, or this may have ranked higher.

Renters:

Crazy Heart – Jeff Bridges is great though.

Watchmen – Blue penis!

Last House on the Left – Pretty scary when you watch it at a bed in breakfast on the lake.

Up – Not as good as Wall E or Ratatouille.

Fantastic Mr. Fox – Wanted to love it, just liked it. Seems like it would get better with repeat viewings.

Minor Disappointments, Like Me

Bruno, Public Enemies, Funny People, Paranormal Activity, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Sherlock Holmes, IN the Loop

Worst Movies of the Year

Miss March, My Life in Ruins, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Time Traveler’s Wife, Couples Retreat

White Chili

Up in the Air - Having lost a job in 2009 with a lot of other people, watching a movie about a guy whose job it is to fire people for a living was an interesting experience for me. It's not why I ranked it at the top of my list, but it did provide a personal touch. Clooney does an excellent job in this timely and very well-told story by a young Jason Reitman, who also gave us Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Great job.

The Hurt Locker - I'm pretty sure that my asshole didn't unpucker for the duration of this movie. Holy crap was this intense. It starts off with the line "war is a drug", and goes off in a white knuckle bomb-diffusing rally from there. It was nice to see how excellent attention to how the subtleties of a scene are filmed goes so much further than just having a couple of huge CGI robots fire their missiles to knock the asses of some other huge CGI robots through the Eiffel Tower.

Avatar - The acting is not Oscar worthy and the story is essentially Dances With Wolves meets Fern Gully. Having said that, this was the most fun I've had at the movies that I can remember. I'm not a fan of the recent 3D fad with movies and I was worried that Cameron would unnecessarily have a spear fly into the audience or something. Not the case. It was very tastefully done. So much so that I'm worried about what the movie will be like without it. The special effects are tremendous and the last battle scene (which lasts for about 45 minutes) knocked my dick so far in the dirt that I have a new girlfriend in China to introduce to the folks. Go see it.

Up - All I knew going into this movie was an old guy had a house suspended with balloons. I wasn't sure how that translated into a feature-length film but Pixar hadn't given me a reason to doubt them. They still haven't. A word of warning: the first 20 minutes or so rivals Bambi for a sad beginning and had the woman in the seat next to me balling uncontrollably. I, on the other hand, just had something in my eye.

The Hangover - Funniest movie of the year. People will be quoting this one for years to come. Each subsequent viewing has made me want to go back to Vegas that much more. I sure hope they don't ruin it with a sequel. I just have one question. Is this the real Caesar's Palace?

Star Trek - JJ Abrams did a fantastic job with creating a new adaptation of the series. He certainly did his homework evidenced by enlisting a superb cast and keeping true to the smallest of details. He may have gone a bit overboard with the lens flares but for the most part the special effects were excellent. Also, Tyler Perry!

Watchmen - I think a lot of people saw this without having read the graphic novel and came out of the theater wondering just what the hell they saw. I read through it first and appreciated the attention to detail the producers of the film paid. The casting was perfect, the soundtrack was very appropriate and even a change to the original story was done in such a way that many fans have said was an improvement. I think this one got a bad rap and certainly didn't live up to the huge hype.

Funny People - I expected this to be unexpected, and enjoyed the result. This is not a typical Sandler funny face/voice experience. I liked how Sandler was able to actually do a bit of acting and portray a man having to deal with some very real problems. He also used his character to poke a bit of fun at the caliber of movies he has been known to churn out. The movie tends to run a bit long and could have probably been a bit better had they shaved off 20 minutes. Nobody likes those bushy films from the 70s.

Tyson - Say what you will about Iron Mike, this documentary was very well done. Not only did I learn quite a bit, Tyson came across as humble and honest about a great many things. If you have any interest in the sport of boxing, this is a must. Leave any preconceived notions you may have at the door and I think you'll enjoy this.

Inglorious Basterds - Better than I thought it would be. The opening scene is very well done and Christopher Waltz plays an excellent villain who clearly is in love with his job and himself. It would have been nice if the war actually played out like this.

Worst of the Year

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - I'm not normally one to declare such superlatives as my favorite band or least favorite melon (C'mon, Honeydew right?) but this movie may be the worst movie I've ever seen. The only hope is that it is, in fact, actually an art commentary piece in which case Michael Bay might be the smartest human being who has ever lived.

The Hundley

Best to worst:

Sugar - Totally changed the way I look at drugs in baseball and how I view Latin baseball immigrants.

It Might Get Loud - Guitar porn of the highest order.

500 Days of Summer - Easily the best comedy of the last 3 years that I can watch with my wife.

Taken - Lots of action + Liam Neeson + sex trafficking = enjoyable x 2!!

Star Trek - This prequel is infinitely better than what the Star Wars franchise did, and with about 300% less hype.

Inglorious Basterds - Oh really, Tarantino is affiliated? Shoddy plot and odd and uncomfortable cameos aside (Office guy, Mike Myers), a solid film, especially the performance by Christoph Waltz.

Tyson - Even though 50% of it is probably untrue, this is a captivating documentary. DVD 'extras' are a must-see here as well.

The Hangover - More Zach Galifianakis, please

9 (The Tim Burton one) - Special effects skeet!

A Christmas Carol 3D - Special effects skeet AND a timeless story!

Sherlock Holmes - Who knew Sherlie was into MMA? And where the fuck was the tweed coat and Sherlock cap?

District 9 - A reach, but decent. Lead actor reminds me of Murray from Flight of the Conchords.

Brothers - Shame on you, Jim Sheridan. I expected WAY more

The Watchmen - When will I learn not to expect anything of a book-to-movie film?

My Bloody Valentine - Worst one I saw in '09, fo sho

Daft Funk

There's no greater testament to how strong 2009's movies were overall than looking at the list of films I enjoyed immensely but still couldn't squeeze into my list. Whether you like pitch-black comedy (Observe and Report, World's Greatest Dad), off-beat documentaries (It Might Get Loud, Tyson, Anvil!) or a warm and fuzzy tale of political murder and revenge in Northern Ireland (Five Minutes of Heaven), there are many many fantastic films from last year that didn't make it onto any end of year lists. There just wasn't enough room. That's what she said.

Here are my top 20 movies of the year in alphabetical order. Why 20? Because I traded Chip Wesley a bottle of 10 High for his list. Why alphabetical? Just to mess with you, specifically. Yeah you. I'm watching you as you read this. I do like what you've done with your hair today...

1. (500) Days Of Summer - This movie is proof that if you take a generic romantic comedy and put a different spin on the way you tell the story, you can make a movie that stands out from the pack. Yes, it centers around the mythical MPDG, but Joseph Gordon Levitt joining the UCLA marching band for a musical number set to Hall and Oates can overcome just about anything.

2. A Serious Man - I bestow the honor of the 2009 "Arcturus Goreo Award" on this film. Much like the mythical cookie, the movie is bookended by a beginning and finish that are a bit bizarre, but the center is full of delicious Cohen Brothers frosting. Better make sure that cookie is kosher when viewing this film.

3. Assassination of a High School President - One very important thing I learned this year is that just because a movie goes straight to DVD doesn't mean it isn't good. As far as high school mysteries go, it's not as cerebral as Rian Johnson's excellent Brick, but it's not going to completely confuse you either. Plus there's a naked girl. And Bruce Willis. You're out of excuses.

4. Away We Go - I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It made me look forward to having kids one day. Then I went to the mall on a Sunday afternoon and I'm back to normal again.

5. Bad Lieutenant - It seems like Nicholas Cage got all the "bad" acting out of his system early in the year with Knowing because what he does in this movie is nothing short of brilliant. Full of one-liners, dancing souls, iguanas and fat Val Kilmer, this will most likely go down as my favorite Nicholas Cage movie of all time. And this is coming from someone who watches Raising Arizona and Face/Off on a regular basis.

6. Black Dynamite - Black Dynamite kung-fu fights RICHARD NIXON! If that's not enough to get you to add this blaxploitation throwback to your Netflix cue, you're on the wrong website.

7. Bronson - Michael Peterson is a real-life British criminal who has spent most of his entire life in solitary confinement for a number of crimes. If you had Guy Richie drop 4 hits of acid and direct a film about him, it would be this movie. The absolute insanity in this film reminded me of the first time I saw Fight Club. Easily one of the top 3 movies I saw in 2009.

8. Cold Souls - Paul Giamatti playing Paul Giamatti. Soul extraction services. Russian soul trafficking. The best movie Charlie Kaufmann wishes he wrote.

9. District 9 - The only complaint I have about this movie is that it switches from faux documentary to straight up action flick without much explanation. I wish it would have stayed one or the other. But that's me being seriously picky to try and find something I didn't care for in this movie. FOOK!

10. House of the Devil/Drag Me To Hell - Both of these films reminded me that, in a world full of Hostels and Friday the 13th remakes, fun and scary movies are still being made. While Drag Me To Hell pushes on the gas for the entire film, house of the Devil takes about 2/3 of the movie just setting up the Hitchcockian tension. But when you get to the payoff, you'll be crying for your mother.

11 - In The Loop - The Office meets the Bush White House. Sure, a lot of the characters are stock, but in a movie with so many characters and so much going on, there isn't a lot of depth that they can be given. Nothing beats seeing James Gandolfini telling someone he looks "like squeezed dick". I still don't know if I get that, but it made me laugh.

12. Inglorious Basterds - In a watershed year for war movies, Basterds is easily the most fun and balls-to-the-wall crazy. Who cares if the ending isn't what really happened in WWII? Ah wahnt mah scalps!

13. Moon - Much like how the movies listed at #10 made me feel better about the state of horror movies, films like Moon let me sleep better knowing that thought provoking sci-fi movies are still alive and well. While I feel like the "reveal" of the film happened too soon, that is but a small complaint in a movie carried by Sam Rockwell. And Sam Rockwell. Heh heh...I said "moon" and "reveal". Sounds like high school all over again.

14. Star Trek - I hated all Star Trek television shows and avoided all but one of the movies before this summer's "reboot" of sorts. I don't care if it had plotholes you could drive the Enterprise through or that everything was too shiny. I had a blast watching this movie. It needed more Eric Bana though. Then again, I think that about 95% of the movies I see.

15. Sugar/Big Fan - Just like 500 Days of Summer showed how romantic comedies can be done in new and exciting ways, Big Fan and Sugar were refreshing alternatives to the washed up, inspirational sports movies Disney vomits out every year. Want an ultra-real tale of what it's really like to be a Dominican player trying to break into the major leagues? Want to see what happens to the biggest NY Giants fan in the world when he gets attacked by his favorite player? Snap these two movies up and thank me later. With money.

16. Taken - Story? Why would you need story when Liam Neeson can kick ass all across Europe for an hour and a half?

17. The Hangover - I can't tell whether this movies was insanely funny or if the quality of comedies these days are so poor that The Hangover stood out more than usual. Either way, it's the most quotable comedy to come along since Anchorman. Classic!

18. The Hurt Locker - Alphabetical order or not, this was by far the best movie I saw all year. Just thinking about this movie again weeks later makes my hands sweat. Aside from an odd side-story involving a young Iraqi kid, this movie will Stranglehold you with its tension for 2 hours. Yes, that means this movie is Nugent Approved.

19. The Messenger - The second best movie about the Iraq war of 2009? Forget the emolicious Brothers and watch the underrated Woody Harrelson and the even-more underrated Ben Foster go door to door telling families that their loved ones have been killed in war. And Steve Buscemi has a supporting role, so you've got that going for you. Which is nice.

20. Up In The Air - Fantastic acting and directing make this movie a lot better than I would have thought. It really did come out at the perfect time and is the first movie to really take a close look at the economy we live in right now. My one complaint? Not enough Jason Bateman. Not enough Patrick Bateman either. Not quite blonde, are we? More of a dirty blonde...

Special Awards:

Most Disappointing: Bruno - I loved Borat. This movie...just wasn't funny. "Oh, you're dressed in a leather harness and humping the security guard at the zoo. Then what?"

Worst Ending: Knowing - Wait, so were they aliens or angels? Scientologists? An emo band? Just give me the answer!

Most Boring: Public Enemies - Never has there been a movie with so many actors I enjoy and a director I love that made me wish it was over so I could leave.

Best Use of Fake Genetalia (Make and Female): Antichrist - I still can't tell if this movie was genius or the worst thing I've ever seen. And I don't want to watch it again to find out because...well...I'm not a fan of multiple counts of genital mutilation.

Chip Wesley

1. New Moon
2. New Moon
3. New Moon
4. Taylor Lautner on SNL
5. Leaked trailer for Twilight: Eclipse on Access Hollywood
6. New Moon
7. New Moon
8. Robert Pattinson Pepsi Commercial
9. Wilford Brimley's Diabetes Dancemix
10. Waiting in line for New Moon with other New Moon fans, discussing our hopes, dreams and favorite/least favorite teachers.

Chip Wesley's REAL List (Even gayer than the fake one!)

Alright, so I don't see enough movies to have a formal best of list and I've been told I can't list New Moon 10 times. So instead here's a list of every movie I saw that was released in 2009, good or bad.

I Love You, Man - Paul Rudd and Jason Segal have some quotable lines and any movie with Lou Ferigno gets my approval. Grade: B

Monsters vs. Aliens - Having kids now, this is the type of flick in my wheelhouse any more. Overally pretty good. Some pop culture references will become dated over time. Grade: B-

Adventureland - Chaim Witz and I nearly had a limp-wristed slapfight over this one. He likes this movie while I hated it. The overall story was good but the acting sucked ass. Eisenberg and Stewart were a horrible couple and Ryan Reynolds' performance had "I'm mailing this in, just give me my paycheck" written all over it. A decent movie fallen victim to bad casting. Grade: C-

17 Again - Cheesy, dumb, mindless. Those are what I expected going in, and that's what I got out of it. I'll grade this better than Adventureland simply because my low expectations didn't lead me to disappointment. That and an outtake where Jim Gaffigan says "I have diarrhea," after saying his scripted line. Grade: C

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Better than X-Men 3 but not as good as X-Men. Watching will.i.am get killed by a mutant was a plus at least. Grade: B-

Star Trek - J.J. Abrams reboots the franchise for a new generation. This ain't your nerdy basement-dwelling uncle's Star Trek! I've never been a fan of the series but after seeing Abrams version I'm on board for this one. Grade: B+

Up - Pixar once again doesn't disappoint. Then again have they ever disappointed? If you don't count that time Owen Wilson was a talking car, then no, no they haven't. Grade: A-

The Hangover - One of the best comedies in years and finally a chance for mainstream audiences to see the brilliance of Zack Galiafinakis. Grade: A

Food, Inc. - Serious eye-opening documentary about our national food supply. In the end it really just made me feel shittier about myself when I eat quarter pounders. Grade: B+

The Proposal - Mediocre romantic comedy that could've been slightly better if Sandra Bullock was remotely likable in it. Grade: C-

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Way better than the book! (NOTE: I haven't read the book) Grade: B

The Ugly Truth - Cliche and formulaic comedy that gets bonus points for being raunchier than expected. Katherine Heigl, will you please just show your tits already? No one believes a sex scene where you wear your bra the whole time. Grade: C

It Might Get Loud - Jack White, Jimmy Page and The Edge talk about their life as a guitarist. Great film if you love rock music, or any of the bands these three have played in. Watching it made me want to listen to all my Zeppelin albums again. Grade: B

"Assholes."

Thunder Matt's Saloon Best of 2009: Music

Well better late than never. As we did for 2008, and 2007 and even 2006, it's time for our Best of 2009: Music list. Like before, a handful of the TMS bartenders put together a list of their favorite albums from the past year.

This year may not seem as diverse as last year but that's only because we don't have Governor X here to exclaim how great Adam Lambert and Tokio Hotel are.

Anyway, on with the lists.

Arcturus - I'm shocked to see actual new music on this list.

1. Middle Cyclone by Neko Case. I did a review of this album earlier in the year which pretty much says every thing I want to say about it. In my opinion, it's still the best album of 2009. The cover with her with a sword on the hood of a classic Mercury is pretty righteous in and of itself.

Check Out: "This Tornado Loves You", "Magpie to the Morning", "Prison Girls", "People Got a Lotta Nerve"

2. The Beatles Remasters. All of these albums are classics and the remastering job is fantastic. These recordings have never sounded as good, as least not since the vinyl era. I was really impressed by the sonic clarity, as each instrument is more sharply defined than on the 1990 CD versions.

Check Out: It's The Beatles, numbnuts. Aside from some of the dippy country covers where they let Ringo sing, it's pretty much all money.

3. The Fall by Norah Jones. Norah Jones is a big Tom Waits fan, especially of the album Mule Variations, to the point where she enlisted Jacquire King, one of the engineers on MV, to produce The Fall. King brought in some of the musicians from the album, including guitarists Smokey Hormel and Marc Ribot. The result is a slow burn of an album, with Jones's smoky voice set over an eclectic art-rock background. The more I listen to it, the more I like it.

Check Out: "Young Blood" (co-written by Okkervill River's Will Sheff), "Even Though", "Chasing Pirates", "Light as a Feather" (co-written by Ryan Adams). Also, make sure to download the Amazon bonus track "Can't Stop", which was too damn good to leave off the album, in my opinion. Also noteworthy is her subdued cover of Wilco's "Jesus Etc." from the deluxe version available on iTunes.

4. Coltrane by John Coltrane. Also known as Prestige 7105 or First Trane, this was Coltrane's first album recorded under his name for Prestige Records and released in 1957. While this was before Coltrane became a big name in jazz and before his evolution into one of the greatest jazz innovators in history, this is nonetheless a fantastic album. Coltrane's big tone is there and while he broke no new ground with this recording, it's one of my favorites of his.

Check Out: "Violets For Your Furs", "Chronic Blues", "Bakai", "While My Lady Sleeps"

5. By a Thread by Gov't Mule. The Mule's first studio album in three years. Gov't Mule have a new bass player, Jorgen Carlsson, who proves a muscular addition to the group consisting of Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals), Matt Abts (drums), and Danny Louis (keyboardist, guitar). Recorded at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studio.

Check Out: "Broke Down on the Brazos" (featuring ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons), the traditional "Railroad Boy", "Steppin' Lightly", "Gordon James"

6. Rollin' With Leo by Leo Parker. 2009 remaster of a 1961 session, baritone sax player Parker's second with Blue Note Records. Sadly, it would be his last, as he died from a heart attack four months after recording it. The album itself is a real burner, straight ahead bop with some real swing. Parker's baritone growl is well suited for the material and the various ensembles that back him.

Check Out: "The Lion's Roar", "Rollin' with Leo", "Mad Lad", "Talkin' the Blues"

7. Bible Belt by Diane Birch. Diane Birch's debut album has a nice Carole King, blues/gospel/soul kind of feel to it. Some of the horns are even provided by members of the Blues Brothers Band. I was surprised that this was her first album, as the songs are well written and very soulful. Worth looking into.

Check Out: "Rewind", "Rise Up", "Fire Escape"

Wolter - The Top and Only Four Albums Wolter Has Heard in 2009.

Mastodon - Crack the Skye: The best "prog-drenched metal album loosely based on Rasputin's life" of 2009. Not quite as good as Leviathan, but not much else is.

Zu - Carboniferous: The best "largely instrumental metal-jazz fusion album with a Mike Patton guest appearance" of 2009. Though Patton's by far the weakest link on this one.

Art Brut - Art Brut vs. Satan: The best "Art Brut album" of 2009. They really haven't changed the formula at all for this one. But I like the formula, so I really don't care.

Assjack - Assjack: The best EVERYTHING of 2009. It's also my vote for Best Picture, Best Detective Fiction, and Best Local Pizza. Hank Williams III plays all the instruments. If you don't own and love this album, I strongly suspect you have a vagina. And that your vagina has it's own vagina. Also you are deaf. Redneck punk-metal-violence fusion. Sure, the songs all sound alike. That's the point, Sally.

Brant Brown - This music is best served while eating your daily lunch of a turkey sandwich, chips and an apple.

1) Chris Cornell - Scream: For my money, this was the most exciting release of the year. I was floored when I first heard it, as I had found his previous effort, Carry On, absolutely stale. I applaud his daring effort to throw rock convention to the side. More artists need to take chances these days. Did it work out for him? Probably not, as he was widely ridiculed. But it worked for me, and if nothing else, it may have provided the necessary kick in the ass to regroup Soundgarden for a summer tour.

2) 7 Worlds Collide - The Sun Came Out: This double album is a collaboration of original songs by Neil Finn's friends throughout the industry. Joining Finn in the effort were members of Radiohead, Wilco, Johnny Marr, KT Tunstall, Bic Runga, and Neil's son Liam and brother Tim. All proceeds from the album sales go to Oxfam. A fantastic collection of music, all geared toward a good cause. Can't go wrong with that.

3) Richard Swift - The Atlantic Ocean: Swift is solo musician and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in tight, catchy numbers that make you want to tap your feet. Drum machines and effects give the record a brittle, poppy sound that gets stuck in your head and makes you whistle. A very enjoyable album.

4) Stereophonics - Keep Calm and Carry On: Certainly not their most ambitious effort, these songs get much better with repeat listens. There may be no satisfying guitar solos, but Kelly Jones' voice lifts many of these tunes to arena-worthy rockers.

5) Wilco - Wilco (the album): Laugh if choose, call them pretentious. They make no bones about this album having cosmic importance. This is no Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it's not supposed to be. Jeff Tweedy brings a light, refreshing airiness to this collection of songs. There are a few really worthy lite-rock tracks found here. That's all it is, nothing more, nothing less. It's fun.

Rounding out the Top Ten...
6) White Rabbits - It's Frightening
7) M Ward - Hold Time
8) Pearl Jam - Backspacer
9) Blakroc - Blakroc
10) Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Honorable mention:
Don McGlashan and the Seven Sisters - Marvellous Year
I haven't heard this album yet, so it can't make my list. It's an import from Australia, and Amazon and Amoeba Records can't help me out in obtaining it at this time. I will keep looking for it in 2010.

The Hundley - May have just reposted his 2008 list and changed the album names.

1. Black Crowes - Before the Frost...Until The Freeze
I'm including both of the albums here. ...Until The Freeze was a free add-on when you purchased Before the Frost. Seems to me that the Black Crowes keep getting better with age. They really seem to have developed their own sound with the past few releases as opposed to the Faces-clones they were before. They even decided to "roots" it up here, specifically on the second album, which could be called a bluegrass/Americana album. An amazing tight band and album.

Tight Cuts: Good Morning Captain, A Train Still Makes a Lonely Sound, What is Home, Roll Old Jeremiah

2. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
The Black Keys front-man steps out on his own here. Gone is the two-instrument arrangements of the former band, here arrive more low-key songs that are accompanied by bass, drums, and organ. Keep It Hid is surely a choice album for those that love the stoner rock genre. Consistent, looping hooks and mellow vocals will do that. An amazing tour accompanied this album as well, with Texas-based, Hacienda, stepping in as Dan's backing band.

Tight Cuts: I Want Some More, Real Desire, Street Walkin

3. Emmit-Nershi Band - New Country Blues
Take the main guys from Leftover Salmon and String Cheese Incident and put them together to make a traditional bluegrass album. A pretty basic concept, yes, but they really pull it off with aplomb. Both Drew Emmitt and Billy Nershi handle lead vocal duties for the versatile band. Acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass guitar and some occasional drums are all that are present. Full of instrumentals, ballad-y stuff, and knee slapping jigs, hey, it's a fun album.

Tight Cuts: New Country Blues, These Days, Wait Until Tomorrow

4. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
If you like classic Built to Spill, then you'll be happy with There is No Enemy. Not sure what else to say. It isn't groundbreaking, it certainly isn't their best effort (though closer to the top than the bottom), but it's better than subjecting yourself to Bon Iver or Grizzly Bear. It may not rock out quite as much as some of their earlier stuff, but even this more ballad-y album still has plenty of catchy hooks and layer upon layer of guitars. Like I said, classic Built to Spill.

Tight Cuts: Aisle 13, Nowhere Lullaby, Pat

5. Bowerbirds - Upper Air
I'll admit it, I'm a homer. I went to school with the main dude, Phil Moore. Even so, this is an incredible album. Sometimes you just want to get home and chill the fuck out. When this urge has struck me in the past few months, my go-to album is Upper Air. I really like that they've added more instruments to the fold, going with violin, piano, and organ in addition to their conventional acoustic guitar and accordion. Friend or not, Phil Moore really is a poet, and he writes some great lyrics. There are no weak songs here.

Tight Cuts: Northern Lights, Teeth, Beneath Your Tree

OK, I think this is supposed to be a Top 10 list or a Top 20 list, but I'm not filling them out with description because I just don't see them being all that strong, certainly not enough to be spoken about in such an eloquent tone that I throw down. Let's say they were OK in some aspects, but nothing to brag about. You'd need beer goggles, wait, EAR-goggles to enjoy them. In no particular order:

Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
Decemberists - Hazards of Love
Umphrey's McGee - Mantis
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
John Mayer - Battle Studies (Go ahead and make fun of me. Yeah, I like John Mayer!)
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Adam Blank - Tunes for the unemployed.

1. Yoko Ono & The Plastic Ono Band - Between My Head & the Sky: I know I have a weird obsession with Yoko Ono, and I'm going to get help. Regardless of my unnatural fixation, this is how I wish more of today's music sounded. Whether she's pouring out her aging heart in slow lounge tunes or rapping nonsensical refrains in surreal dance songs, Yoko isn't afraid to try new & different things. Somehow, the clusterfuck of textures create a cohesive album that's more insightful, experimental and downright interesting than anything made by people fifty years younger than her.

2. Sonic Youth - The Eternal: It's 2010. By now, you know whether you're a fan of Sonic Youth or not. If you aren't a fan yet, The Eternal offers nothing to convert you. If you are a fan, then you probably already know that this is easily their best album since the early 90's. After a decade and a half of mediocrity, I'm just happy that Sonic Youth finally released an album that doesn't make me feel embarrassed for them. Now, please retire before you make another NYC Ghosts & Flowers.

3. Dinosaur Jr.- Farm: Everybody is making a huge deal about this album and I'm not sure why. It sounds just like the Dinosaur Jr. I remember from high school. That's not a bad thing. It just goes to show you that distorted guitars & competent solos will never go out of style.


4. Micachu - Jewellry: The most positive thing I can say about Micachu is that she reminds of The Raincoats on downers. The simplest tracks tend to be the best. Luckily for us, she keeps most of it fairly simple.

5. Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum: There's nothing extraordinary about this album, but it's fun picking out their influences. Everything from Paul Revere & The Raiders and early Zeppelin to the techno bullshit of today is hinted at in their songs. It's more interesting than it is good.

6. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through the Devil Softly: This album makes the cut only because Hope Sandoval has the most awesomely haunting voice ever. Although both of her post-Mazzy Star albums sound pretty much like Mazzy Star albums, they lack some intangible quality that made the originals classics. As such, this isn't a bad album, but it's no Mazzy Star.

7. The Dead Weather - Horehound: This is really close to being a great album. Unfortunately, it's weighted down with too many songs full of obnoxious frat boy-style choruses that are reminiscent of the dark days of Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock.

8. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures: Who knew if you took a guy from Led Zeppelin, a guy from Queens of the Stone Age, and a guy from Nirvana that you'd get the best Alice In Chains album since Facelift?

9. The xx - xx: If your album cover consists only of a giant 'X', I'm going to assume that the criminally underrated Los Angeles punk band came out with a new album, and track it down. When I finally discovered that this was some new band, I decided to give them a day in court anyway. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I think of the album. The first time I listened to it, I was underwhelmed. The second time, it blew me away. The third time, I hated it. Subsequent listening evoked the same range of emotions.

10. Girls - Girls: I was lamenting how my taste in music seems to be permanently stuck in the punk/post-punk era of the 70's and 80's, and a friend suggested I go on Pitchfork to see what bands the cool kids were currently raving about. At the time, they were raving about this album. I have no idea why. Whereas I thought Kasabian was interesting because they borrowed from their influences, Girls goes out of their way to copy every nuance from their heroes and we're left with a predictable and jumbled album. But goddamn it if it isn't full of catchy songs. Fuck you, self-titled debut from Girls!

Chaim Witz - His ten favorite of 2009, aside from Cymbals Eat Guitars of course.

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! - The punky rockers deliver a imminently danceable yet utterly rocking masterpiece. Kicks yours ass and then kisses you on the mouth, without a false note.
Choice Cuts: Heads Will Roll, Dull Life, Hysteric

2. KISS - Sonic Boom - The face painted rockers eschew musical growth for an a throwback album of good time party rock, with blistering Ace Frehley solos not performed by Ace Frehley. If you can get past the dilemma of hearing a 60 year old man sing, "Baby feel my tower of power", you're in for a treat.
Choice Cuts: Modern Day Delilah, Russian Roulette, Say Yeah

3. Pearl Jam - Backspacer - The newly gregarious Eddie Vedder and his gang of flannel wearing Neil Young proteges deliver their best album of the decade. Upbeat and energetic, it contains the secret ingredient that was sorely lacking from their last few albums: memorable hooks.
Choice Cuts: Speed of Sound, The End, Got Some

4. Them Crooked Vultures - Self Titled - Probably not as kick ass it should be, but sometimes 'good enough' is still great. The good stuff is really, really good.
Choice Cuts: Mind Eraser/No Chaser, New Fang, Elephants

5. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young - The Strokes frontman puts together a crafty album of electro pop-rock (Strokes style), that is equal parts dance rock and music for the morning after. Beware of this post-hype sleeper.
Choice Cuts: 11th Dimension, Ludlow Street, Tourist

6. XX - Self Titled - Yet another dude/chick combo, but this one is British, ambient and not nearly as good looking as Pete and Scarlett. None-the-less, this hauntingly sparse production is chill in the best sense of the word.
Choice Cuts: Crystalised, Islands, Basic Space

7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Extremely catchy rock album from the French of all people. It loses steam towards the end but the first 3 songs are a combo not to be trifled with.
Choice Cuts: Lisztomania, 1901, Fences

8 Ace Frehley - Anomaly - Ace counters KISS with an album with fewer Ace Frehley solos than the KISS album he didn't play on, and instead delivers a (relatively) mature, polished album.
Choice Cuts: Change the World, Sister, It's A Great Life

9. Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue - No Layne Staley, no problem. AICN don't miss a beat on their latest gem, delivering the sludge-y yet melodic sound that made them everyone's favorite Nirvana alternative in the mid-90's.
Choice Cuts: Check My Brain, A Looking In View, Private Hell

10. Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - Break Up - Consider it the poor man's She and Him if you must, but 'Realtor' is a perfect pop song, and the rest of the album is completely inoffensive and at times divine.
Choice Cuts: Realtor, I Don't Know What to Do, Wear and Tear

Other albums I enjoyed to an extent:

Silversun Pickups - Swoon - Choice Cut: Panic Switch
The Black Crowes - Before the Frost...Until the Freeze - Choice Cut: Been a Long Time
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest - Choice Cut: Two Weeks

Biggest Disappointments

Muse - The Resistence - I hoped this would grow on me, I really did. I loved Black Holes and Revelations like an adopted son, but besides Uprising, none of these songs make my privates tingle.

The Swell Season - Strict Joy - Once is one of my favorite movies of the decade, possibly ever, so I had high hopes for the follow up from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Alas, it's all pretty same-y, uninspired and quite frankly, boring.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon - Apparently all of Bono's efforts went into saving Africa and not writing good music.


Chip Wesley - Because I was told putting "New Moon" down 20 times wasn't acceptable.

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest: Overall an outstanding album. Hauntingly beautiful, it's a great album to relax with.

2. White Denim - Fits: More kick ass tracks from White Denim. Unlike last year's release Exposion, Fits is not compiled from various EP tracks and singles they had previously released. Therefore as an album it's much more cohesive. I highly recommend you check them out. If you hate it whatever, but at least you heard them.

3. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns: I'm sure no one will notice, or most likely care, but I had this album on my 2008 list ranked 17th. However, since it was still relatively new at that time and that it had an official U.S. release in 2009 I decided to include it again and give it the proper recognition it deserves. Definitely another one to seriously seek out.

4. Richard Swift - The Atlantic Ocean: Another great release from Swift. Who knew depressing sad bastard music could be so damn fun?

5. Radio Moscow - Brain Cycles: Seriously heavy psychedelic blues rock from a two-man outfit from the middle of Iowa. Their debut album two years ago was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. If you dig the Keys then you'll certainly dig Radio Moscow.

6. The Dead Weather - Horehound: "It's not like the Raconteurs." That was one excuse I heard as to why someone didn't like Horehound. Seriously? Why on Earth would they assemble a new band to sound just like the one they were just in? This album is an all-around badass mix of sleazy rock and grimy blues.

7. Scott H. Biram - Something's Wrong/Lost Forever: If you haven't experienced the awesomeness of Scott H. Biram yet then it's about high time you did. This is the way I wish all country music today sounded.

8. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid: Speak of the devil. Auerbach's solo album doesn't steer too far from the Black Keys sound we've grown to love, but there's hints of a softer more personal side to this album that really make it a nice listen.

9. Sonic Youth - The Eternal: Honest to God fact: I have never fully listened to a Sonic Youth album until this one. I can't say I fell in love with it right away, but after a couple listens I started to realize how much The Eternal really fucking rocks. With so many indie acts doing throwbacks to post-punk 80's sounds, Sonic Youth does a throwback as well, except that it's a throwback to Sonic Youth.

10. White Rabbits - It's Frightening: Being a fan of Spoon it only seems fitting that I would enjoy this album as well. The opening track, "Percussion Gun" may well be the best song of 2009.

OK, I'm not going to bore you more with writeups for the rest of my list, so here they are in simple list form.

11. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
12. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
13. The Veils - Sun Gangs
14. Beirut - March of the Zapotec and Realpeople: Holland
15. Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
16. Royal Bangs - Let It Beep
17. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
18. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
19. M. Ward - Hold Time
20. Bowerbirds - Upper Air

Honorable Mention:
William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark
Art Brut - Art Brut vs. Satan
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Gomez - A New Tide
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

Albums that I just never got around to giving them enough of a listen to rank them but would have likely made the list if I had:
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free
Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

The 'I was wrong about this album last year' Award: Fleet Foxes. I just didn't care for this album at all and noted it last year by awarding it with the Interpol Award for the band the critics adore but I don't get the big deal. Well after several more listens the album really grew on me and I would like to retract my previous statements.

2009 Interpol Award: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. I have this album in my top 20 I know. It's a good album but I'm seeing this make #1 on a lot of lists, even making some best of the decade lists. Seriously? It's got some great tracks on it but it's really not that much different than Oracular Spectacular from MGMT. It opens strong with some great songs but completely fizzles out in the second half of the album. I guess I just don't see how it can be considered that great when half of it seems like filler.

Biggest Disappointment: Wilco - Wilco. What's the sound of thousands of listeners being bored to death? I'm by no means a Wilco hater either. I liked Sky Blue Sky. But this last album seems to really only appeal to Brant Brown and hipster dads in their late 30s that have lost any sense of being edgy.

Best Album Reissue of 2009: Beck - One Foot in the Grave. Recorded before Mellow Gold, this awesome lo-fi basement folk gem got a deluxe re-release this year with a whole second disc full of tracks.

*Comics from Married to the Sea and Superpoop