Zack's Top 10 for 2009

We've definitely been sleeping for a minute, but let's at least end out the year with a top ten list and a new year's resolution to fix all the mistakes we made this year.

So these were my top 10 favorite albums this year.

1. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
Definitely one the most musically diverse and pleasing-from-all-angles album to come out this year. Akron/Family came back sounding more mature this time and adding a whole lot of Paul Simon influence (because really there ain't nothin' wrong with that). Each song really speaks with its own voice, but flows cohesively as a single unit. I've tried to catch these guys a number of time this year and hoping that the 2010 show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg will be first time seeing this ex-Angels of Light act.

2. Shook Ones - The Unquotable A.M.H.
If you knew me at all this year, you were well aware of fact that I've been listening to this album on almost constant rotation, I'm almost surprised I had time to listen to anything else this year. These sons of Bellingham, WA and Kid Dynamite have fully developed their own sound with the release of this album. Cutting back on break-neck speeds and moving more into mid-tempo song structures, the Shooks have added more melody and better vocals (both structurally and lyrically) to churn out one of my favorite records this year. Unfortunately, because of my work and class schedule I was unable to attend both their Brooklyn and Long Island shows during their East Coast tour with Off With Their Heads, but hey there's always next year right?

3. Cult Ritual - LP
Well if you want to talk about this year's flash-in-a-pan, saving grace, hardcore band, we need mention Cult Ritual. Hailing from Tampa, FL and seeming to erupt from nowhere with a kind of hype that I hadn't seen since the birth of American Nightmare, had hipster-hardcore kids shelling out oodles-of-dollars and traveling hundreds of miles to catch this shortly-lived, explosion of anger. I didn't believe the hype until I heard the record, but shortly after retrieving my jaw from the floor I quickly realized that I hadn't heard a band do Black Flag like this since Black Flag. Although this band no longer exists, you can be sure to catch the same kind of energy in their new projects Nazi Dust and Slavescene.

4. Magrudergrind - S/T
Truly a grind masterpiece for both the heart and soul. Although I was impressed with their 2007 full-length Rehashed, I was not expecting Magrudergrind to raise the bar for metal bands to the level they did on this release. This time returning with better songs and a better sounding recording, this release will utterly obliterate the listener with crushing distortion tighly weaved between break-neck-style blast beats and screams that might have Jacob Bannon running for the door. If you don't listen to this for music, at least listen to it for samples...

And uh, if you happen to be in NYC on January 23rd, you might want to check out this.

5. Obits - I Blame You
The brainchild of Rick Froberg of Hot Snakes/Drive Like Jehu fame, this Brooklyn-Based act seemed to gain critical acclaim in no time for their 2009 Sub-Pop released, debut full-length. With rumors of Sub Pop signing them solely-based on a bootleg recording from their first performance at NYC's Cake Shop, they certainly lived up to their hype upon recording their most recent release. A perfect blend of direction Hot Snakes had been headed, mixed with some early punk and some 1950's era-rock'n roll for good measure, you don't know what you've been missing if you haven't heard this record.

6. Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave
It's fucking NAPALM DEATH, 'nuff said. Go see them before you die, they're awesome.

7. Confines - Demo
Featuring the former singer of Cut The Shit/Bones Brigade, this mid-tempo hardcore act hailing from Boston has been every hardcore kid's wet dream since the break up of Cut The Shit and actually lives up to expectations. Featuring the additional bonus of members of Failures, you can't really go wrong. Please come to NY!

8. Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse
The recording project of Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer (now featuring Katherine Katz of Salome) churned out another full length this year. Only this time around with better production quality, more interesting song structures and a better approach to vocals. I know its a drum machine, but it sounds so good on this record...

9. Them Crooked Vultures - S/T
If I had a separate list of albums that took my by surprise this year, this one would be right smack at the top. Usually most super groups wind up being a disappointment for me (i.e. Shrinebuilder), so upon first listen of this album I wasn't really expecting much. Now, I like Led Zeppelin as much as the next dude and I've never really been that much of a Queens of the Stone Age or Foo Fighters fan. So, when found myself being as impressed with the opening track 'No One Loves Me and Neither Do I' and the later track 'Elephants' as much as I was, I took myself by surprise (i.e. John Paul Jones kills it on this record and Josh Homme isn't annoying). Do yourself a favor and check it out, it might surprise you as much it did me.

10. Do Make Say Think - Other Truths
I would probably say that this might also be somewhere on my list of surprising albums for this year as well because I really wasn't expecting DMST to pop out another good album. Despite my on-going love affair with this band, I was running around with the idea that their last album was probably going to be their last listenable effort. I jumped right on the train of people that pre-ordered 2007's You, You're A History In Rust, because at that point the were one of my favorite bands. It was a good album, but not as solid as the rest of their catalog. I would say this album was on par and perhaps even a bit better than their last release, but not as good as 2003's Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn. Heading in a bit more structured/'rock' direction (similar to the style of the most recent A Silver Mt. Zion album), the group works with easier-follow-arrangements this time around (which you might recognize from their last record). So judge that how you will (because I don't want to say too much), but don't discredit this band yet, they still have some good songs to write.

Psychic Limb

It was only his second show singing for them.
That dead rat in the beginning is in a light of the practice space we both share.

Psychic Limb - Silent Barn - 11.20.09 from Benjamin Lim on Vimeo.

Bottle Rocket

Hailing from Long Island, Bottle Rocket is a pop-punk band that played only about 20 shows and was lead by Brian Cozer who would go on to join both Latterman and Iron Chic.

Following a similar style of other Long Island pop punk bands chock full of catchy riffs and gruffer sounding punk vocals, their demo is fun to listen to, but some songs are much stronger than other one.

Take a listen for yourself.

dl

Favorite Track: I Want To Watch The Grass Grow

Rating: 6 Out Of 10

Scraps and Heart Attacks - S/T

Zack requested some Scraps and Heart Attacks and I followed through. You're welcome, you sexy beast.

Anyway, I'm sure most people reading this blog are at least aware of this band's existence but for those of you not in the know, Travis from This is Hell and Kellen from I am the Avalanche were in this band prior to their current bands. In my opinion Scraps happened to be way better than TIH (and those who know me know I really do LOVE This is Hell) and they are about a trillion and one times better than IATA (and those who know me know I HATE I am the Avalanche. The Movielife was a far superior band. Although I am the Avalanche has entertained me when I have seen them, their recordings do not give me a boner. But I digress.)

Scraps were around for only a few years but I had the pleasure of seeing them live a few times, once happened t0 be immediately after they changed their name from the Heist. (Tangent: The Movielife played that show with them at The Chance and I really want to say Brand New did as well, but I might be confusing shows. If it wasn't Brand New then it was definitely One Line Drawing.) They played a somewhat controlled but still chaotic style of hardcore not unlike their fellow Dead by 23 Records brethren Frostbite, although the SAHA recordings were a lot less cohesive and focused more on guitars feeding back and coarse vocals that pummeled through with a sense of urgency. I have always loved their lyrics (so much so that the sidepiece I plan on getting will have their lyrics going along with it) and can always appreciate it when a band wears their influences on their sleeves lyrically, in their case making references to Jawbreaker and Inside Out lyrics. Also, any band that says "kids like you are fucking spent/do us a favor, get fucking bent" is pretty much the best band ever in my opinion.

Anyway, I am tired and anything else I have to say about the band is probably going to be stupid/unfunny/uninteresting, so I leave you with this: their Self-Titled release which contains their 7", demo and a live set. Enjoy!

DL HERE!!

For The Crown - Demo 2001

First off, a big THANK YOU to Insane Sasquatch on Last.FM for helping me find a download of this. I have been (unsuccessfully) searching the interwebs for this demo forfuckingever since I lost it and I am now at peace knowing I have these songs once again.

For The Crown were a west coast band and come to think of it, I don't think they actually ever made it out this way to my neck of the woods on the east coast. If they did then I am an idiot for not going to see them but I am pretty sure they didn't. Regardless, I never regretfully never saw them. I remember learning of them through the InStrife message board in 2001 when the guitarist's (I think?) brother used to post on there and mentioned this band. I do recall the dude who posted on the board was named Nate. I instantly fell in love with the music. Musically, it reminded me a little of Reach The Sky at the time without being a carbon copy of them. I very much enjoy the full length they put out a few years after this but I always felt the vocals were much better on this demo. "Counting Footsteps" was one of my favorite songs for a very long time and I am happy I can listen to this over and over again.

Check it out and hopefully someone will enjoy this demo half as much as I do.

DL HERE!!

So I know it is quite early, but here is my top 10 for 2009 so far...

Like I said, I am aware this is kind of premature but I kind of felt like jotting down my top ten releases of the year so far and seeing if and how much it really changes by December 31st.

1. Touche Amore - ...To the Beat of a Dead Horse
2. Iron Age - The Sleeping Eye
3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T Full Length
4. Pulling Teeth - Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions
5. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
6. Incendiary - Crusade
7. Government Warning - Paranoid Mess
8. P.O.S. - Never Better
9. Shadows Fall - Retribution
10. Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive/Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic TIE


This is a list excluding and EPs or demos.

I KNOW Another Breath - The God Complex would be on top of the list but since it hasn't been released yet (and I don't know when the fuck it will be) I have excluded that from this list as well. Sadly, Polar Bear Club probably will not make it this year but they were close as is Trapped Under Ice and The Black Dahlia Murder. I still haven't listened to the new Brother Ali, Converge, Strike Anywhere, Rise and Fall, Lewd Acts, Raekwon or Ghostface releases yet so I don't know if they will make it into the top ten.

Have Heart - Live at CBGB

Live set from 2005 I believe. The closed with an Inside Out cover. Always delicious.

I am going to miss this band...a lot.

DOWNLOAD HERE!!