The Arusha Accord: The Echo Verses

Artist: The Arusha Accord
Album: The Echo Verses
Date Released: November 2009
Genre: metal, indie metal, alternative metal, progressive metal
Rating: 7.6

Very heavy and highly technical indie metal from the UK, these guys draw influences from such bands as Dillinger Escape Plan, Tool and Machine Head.

Behemoth: Evangelion

Artist: Behemoth
Album: Evangelion
Date Released: August 11, 2009
Genre: metal, death metal, blackened death metal
Rating: 7.3

Running out of time...

We're now well into December and I haven't finished reviewing all the albums for 2009 that I want to. So, what I'm going to do is post the albums anyway and skip the written reviews for some. Time permitting I will add some notes about each album retroactively.

Peaches: I Feel Cream

Artist: Peaches
Album: I Feel Cream
Date Released: May 5, 2009
Genre: indie electronic, techno, electro-techno, dance, dance punk, synthpunk
Rating: 7.6

Former elementary school teacher turned potty mouth techno-dance musician, composer and producer, Peaches has released her fourth studio album -- and it's solid. Her lyrics are sexually explicit and provocative as usual; the beats, synth pulses and grooves are highly addictive and laden with ear candy. The album's got a lot of attitude and is a ton of fun. Track highlights include "Billionaire," "I Feel Cream," and "Take You On."

Health: Get Color

Artist: Health
Album: Get Color
Date Released: September 8, 2009
Genre: noise rock, alt-rock, indie-rock
Rating: 7.1

Health is an American noise rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band has collaborated with Crystal Castles and toured with Nine Inch Nails -- and it's fair to say that their sound is firmly situated between the two. Health's dark, noisy and experimental flair is offset by its predilection for synthy, high-energy and upbeat music.

On Get Color, the band is once again loud, noisy and digitally distorted in surprisingly beautiful ways. The tracks are fun, inventive and highly listenable -- though you have to have the patience for this kind of music. Track highlights include "Die Slow," "Before Tigers," and "We Are Water."

Black Crowes: Before the Frost/Until the Freeze

Artist: Black Crowes
Album: Before the Frost/Until the Freeze
Date Released: September 1, 2009
Genre: American trad rock, blues-rock, rock & roll, hard rock, blues
Rating: 8.2

Few people have noticed, but the Black Crowes are awesome again. It all started last year when the veteran band got back together to put out the outstanding War Paint album; the momentum has been carrying them forward ever since.

Witness this year's effort: An ambitious double album of new material recorded in front of a live audience at Levon Helm's barn in upstate New York. The tracks are vintage Black Crowes with distinctive hints of The Band, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan (Chris Robinson sounds downright Dylanesque on "Appaloosa"). And the production values are exquisite; rarely does a live album sound so damn good. Add some incredible performances and strong tracks and you have an absolutely stellar album.

Given their surprising resurgence and reinstated relevancy, the Black Crowes are making a strong case for being one of the best blues-rock bands of all-time.

Pyramids: Pyramids With Nadja

Artist: Pyramids
Album: Pyramids with Nadja
Date Released: October 27, 2009
Genre: metal, post-metal, alt-metal, experimental, avant-garde metal, ambient, minimalism
Rating: 8.4

Pyramids with Nadja (streaming audio available) is a massive collaborative effort between Pyramids, Nadja and a number of other musicians. All members of Pyramids (f. coloccia, m. dean, m. kraig, r. loren, d. william) and Nadja (Aidan Baker & Leah Buckereff) perform on all four tracks on the record.

In addition to this, Pyramids with Nadja also features Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil (performs bass on track one and four), Albin Julius of Der Blutharsch (performs vocals on track four), Chris Simpson of Mineral (performs vocals on track two), Colin Marston of Dysrhythmia and Behold the Arctopus (co-produced/engineered track one) and James Plotkin of Khanate, Khlyst, O.L.D. Phantomsmasher (mixed and mastered the entire album).

As the number of contributors would suggest, the music on Pyramids with Nadja is a remarkable integration of diverse sonic influences, a palate that includes ambient, industrial, shoe-gaze, and experimental/minimalist metal. While Pyramids and Nadja dominate the album, there's no question that this is a product of many musical minds.

The album itself consists of four long-play tracks that weave in and out of the listener's conscious awareness. Pyramids with Nadja is about slowly morphing texture, mood, and walls of soundscapes; it's a very 'visual' album in this sense. Remarkably, despite the minimalism and atmospheric bliss-outs, the album contains a definite melodic quality. Without a doubt, this is one of the most original and remarkable albums of the year.

New feature: Sort by genres

By popular demand I have added the ability to sort all genres listed on the Best Albums of 2009 site. It's located in the right-hand sidebar just below the list of rankings. Thanks to Lucas for setting this up. Enjoy!

Loney, Dear: Dear John

Artist: Loney, Dear
Album: Dear John
Date Released: January 27, 2009
Genre: alt-rock, indie-rock, indie-pop
Rating: 8.0

Loney, Dear is the pseudonym of Swedish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanängen. Dear John is Loney, Dear's third full-length album and the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Loney, Noir (2007).

On Dear John, Svanängen often treads perilously close to music that could be considered quite glossy and flowery, but his richly detailed arrangements and gorgeous soundscapes never allow the music to reach that point. Svanängen manages to darken these tracks with delicate moments of minimalism, his (almost uncomfortably) intimate vocal delivery, and plenty of minors and fifths.

Take the track, "Under a Silent Sea." Svanängen starts off with an unassuming acoustic guitar, but the arrangement slowly builds into one of the most powerful and dramatic tracks put out this year by any artist. The comparisons to Sufjan Stevens are not out of place.

Dear John is a difficult album to categorize and its charms aren't immediately recognizable. Stick with this album, though -- it's a real beauty.

Them Crooked Vultures: Them Crooked Vultures

Artist: Them Crooked Vultures
Album: Them Crooked Vultures
Date Released: November 17, 2009
Genre: rock, hard rock
Rating: 7.7

There's been a lot of hype surrounding the release of Them Crooked Vultures -- and for good reason: the band is a supergroup consisting of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) [I can't help sing to myself at this point, "These are a few of my favorite things..."].

The band is clearly dominated by its guiding force, that being Homme, who performs all vocal and rhythm/lead guitar duties; the album often feels like it could easily double as a QOTSA effort, but that's not to diminish the contributions of the other two band members. John Paul Jones's rhythmic structures and bass progressions bring late-era Zeppelin to mind, while Grohl continues to show why he's one of the most talented and coveted drummers in the business.

Them Crooked Vultures is raw, nasty and heavy -- exactly what you'd want and expect from these particular guys. Track highlights include "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I", "Elephants", "Scumbag Blues" and "Interlude with Ludes."

Latest adjustments to rankings

I've made some adjustments to the rankings:

Demotions:

• maudlin of the Well: Part the Second from 9.0 to 8.5
• The xx: The xx from 8.5 to 7.9
• The Most Serene Republic: ...And the Ever Expanding Universe from 8.3 to 7.5
• The Fiery Furnaces: I'm Going Away from 8.1 to 7.4

Promotions:

• Cymbals Eat Guitars: Why There Are Mountains from 8.3 to 8.7

Not done yet

We're quickly approaching the end of the year, but I've still got a bunch of albums that need to be reviewed; the BAo09 list is far from complete, so stay tuned for more.

Also, I'll be posting the best albums of the decade sometime in mid-December so watch out for that. And finally, I'll also be posting a list of decent albums from this year that failed to make the cut.

The Very Best: Warm Heart of Africa

Artist: The Very Best
Album: Warm Heart of Africa
Date Released: October 6, 2009
Genre: international, world music, African traditions, Afro-beat
Rating: 8.4

Esau Mwamwaya is a singer from Lilongwe, Malawi who is best known for his collaboration, The Very Best, with the British DJ/production duo Radioclit. Together, the music of The Very Best is an Afro-Western mix of dance, hiphop, pop and the traditional music of Malawi.

Warm Heart of Africa is the follow-up to their excellent 2008 debut, Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best. And the album is aptly titled: the music is upbeat, fun and extremely catchy. But most of all it sounds extremely fresh. There's no one right now mixing African, dance and pop traditions to the same effect as these guys. And when you add guest appearances from M.I.A. and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend it's instant win.

Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II

Artist: Raekwon
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II
Date Released: September 8, 2009
Genre: east coast rap, hardcore rap, gangsta rap
Rating: 8.7

Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., back in 1995, and has continued recording solo and with the Wu-Tang Clan since then. This year, Raekwon released the much anticipated sequel to his critically acclaimed debut with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II.

Like the original, the album follows a crime-laced cinematic approach. Lyrically, the concept follows the story of a mafioso crime boss and is told primarily from the third person perspective. It is combined with carefully placed skits weaved into the beginnings and ends of songs. The lyrics are raw, honest and very explicit -- not for the feint of heart.

The album is laced with incredible talent, both from the production and performance side of things. Featured members include RZA, Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss, Cappadonna, Pete Rock, the Alchemist, and even Dr. Dre. Raekwon also weaves in some incredible samples, including Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" on "Kiss the Ring," Odetta's "Hit or Miss" on "Penitentiary," and Styx's "Castle Walls," on "Surgical Gloves."

The only word that seems to do Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II justice is epic. The performances are spectacular and the production is remarkably creative, diverse and tight. Definitely the not-to-be-missed rap album of the year.

Lightning Dust: Infinite Light

Artist: Lightning Dust
Album: Infinite Light
Date Released: August 4, 2009
Genre: indie rock, alternative rock, indie folk, acid folk, sadcore
Rating: 8.1

Lightning Dust, a Canadian indie rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, is a side project of Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, both members of Black Mountain. But unlike Black Mountain, Lightning Dust has a sound that's softer and more melodic. As Wells has noted, the band arose from a desire to "do something that was sparse and minimal, and with a lot of space around it." Webber, who performs vocal duties, described the band as an opportunity to "explore her goth side."

And it's clear from the opening track, "Antonia Jane," that this is not a Black Mountain album -- far from.

Infinite Light is a lyrical, gentle and atmospheric album. It's also very sad and dark -- a mood that's punctuated by some spacey sonic elements, and of course, Webber's lyrics and vocals. Indeed, Infinite Light is an acid-folk tour de force for Webber's singing and she clearly takes center stage. Her warbly and somber delivery is an indelible part of the Lightning Dust sound, a style that's reminiscent of a much more subdued Grace Slick.

Another solid release from a very talented and prolific duo.