Best Albums of 2009 June + July Edition

Best Albums of 2009

Rather than compiling a huge list at the end of the year, not having enough time to do a good job, and simply throwing something together really fast, I'm going to start compiling my thoughts on albums over the whole year - month by month. Some of these may have actually been released earlier in the year, but are in this months set because this is when I got my hands on them.


For some weird reason, my June/July post got deleted by blogger. I am too lazy to redo it completely, but here are the albums that were on it.

1.
Mos Def:
The Ecstatic

A huge improvement from his other solo efforts. Not quite Black Star, but very good.



2.
Before Braille:
Spring Cleaning

Dave finished cleaning out his old Before Braille unreleased (or hard to find) catalog. Much is rerecorded and sound diff. than some of the original tracks. A great conclusion to the band's catalog. Here's a sample - Elected to Die [download mp3]

3.
Jonsi and Alex:
Riceboy Sleeps

Project of Sigur Ros frontman. Ethereal. Less cohesive than Sigur Ros' recent (and old) material. Worth listening to though.


Running LP List

1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (May)
   
2. J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues (January)
   
3. Shark Speed - Sea Sick Music (April)
4. Say Hi - Oohs & Aahs (February)
5. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (January)
6. Iron & Wine - Around the Well (May)
7. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (March)
8. Before Braille - Spring Cleaning (June + July)
9. Art for Starters - Drugs Made / Drugs Ruined (April)
   
10. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South (May)
    
11. Mos Def - The Ecstatic (June + July)
    
12. Jeremy Enigk - OK Bear (May)
13. The Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels (March)
14. Dent May and his Magnificent Ukuele - The Good Feeling Music of Dent May (March)
15. Coconut Records - Davy (January)
16. Jimmy Eat World - Clarity Live (April)
    
17. Iain Archer - To the Pine Roots (April)
    
18. The Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha (February)
19. John Vanderslice - Romanian Names (May)
    
20. Peter, Bjorn and John - Living Thing (March)
21. Jonsi and Alex - Rice Boy Sleeps (June + July)
    
22. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (May)
    
23. Lateef the Truth Speaker - Truth is Love Mixtape (April)
    
24. Vetiver - Tight Knit (March)
25. General Elektriks - Good City for Dreamers (February)
26. Dark was the Night compilation (April)
    
27. Ben Kweller - Changing Horses (January)

Running EP List

1. Common Market - The Winter's End (March)
2. Death Cab for Cutie - Open Door (March)
3. Joshua James - Sing Songs (May)
   
4. The Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice - Moon Colony Blood Bath (April)