Can you believe that 2009 is more than halfway over with? It’s been a great year so far for local music with so many awesome things happening including TADgarden, Sasquatch!, the Sunny Day Real Estate Reunion and the return of Peal Jam and there is so much more to look forward too (CHBP, Bumbershoot, new Modest Mouse album … ). In case you missed any of the great local releases to hit shelves so far this year, here are my 10 favorite Northwest records of the year to date. Feel free to share yours in the comments section and let me know what I missed because I love being turned on to great local music.
10. “Ten Super Deluxe Edition” Pearl
Jam
Yes, it’s not technically a new album this year but between the
vinyl, the Unplugged DVD, demo tape replica and the Drop in the
Park concert, there’s enough new material on this remastered and
remixed reissue to merit inclusion on this list.
9. “Salvation is a Deep Dark Well” The Builders and the
Butchers
Sometimes its creepy. Sometimes its folky. All times its fun. This
group of PDX folk rockers definitely avoided the sophomore slump
with this album.
8. “Post-Nothing” Japandroids
Loud, fuzzy garage rock from a Vancouver, B.C. duo.
7. “Now We Can See” The Thermals
This is perhaps the best local pure pop-rock record of the year.
Definitely a bit of a departure for these guys.
6. “Sprezzatura” Born Anchors
Some guy named John Richards said this: “Born Anchors’ Sprezzatura
is, so far, the local rock record of the year.” I almost agree.
5. (Tie) “Winter’s End” Common Market, “High
Society” The
Physics, “Panic” Dyme Def,
“Chemistry” Grynch
There’s been lots of amazing local hip hop released this year. If
you combine these four EPs you get the perfect representation of
what Seattle hip hop is all about.
4. “The Redwood Plan” The Redwood Plan
This is perhaps the perfect EP. The four tracks on this release do
exactly what an EP is supposed to do. They draw you in and build
anticipation for the full length, which hopefully will be released
soon.
3. “The Hazards of Love” The Decemberists
Colin Meloy and company defy critics by making the a record that
allows them to use the descriptor “progressive folk opera” in a
good way.
2. “Concrete Class” The Lonely H
These kids (their oldest member is 21) do classic rock the right
way with their third album. It gets my pick for local album of the
summer.
1. “Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band” Mt. St. Helens Vietnam
Band
The more I listen to this album the more and more I enjoy it. There
isn’t a bad track in the bunch on the debut from this heavily hyped
group. Sure they will suffer some backlash because of the Pitchfork
buzz they got before even releasing a song. But once haters listen
to the album (ahem, Ear Candy’s Brian Kerin) or see them live, they
will see the buzz is well deserved.
Hey Travis, this top ten list is fantastic. I’m glad you included The Decemberists, they are one of my favorite bands that I only recently discovered, they are wearing out my iPod right now. You can post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and link back to your site. We are trying to create a directory for top ten lists where people can find your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.