Best Albums Of 2009

20. The UV Race - S/T Lp (Aarght)
(Aarght record label on Myspace)


19. The Dutchess & The Duke - Sunset/Sunrise Lp (Hardly Art)
(The Dutchess & The Duke on Myspace)


18. Tortoise - Beacons Of Ancestorship Lp (Thrill Jockey)
(Tortoise website)


17. Girls - Album Lp (Fantasy Trashcan)
(Matador Records website)


16. Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement 2xLp+4" (Stones Throw)
(Mayer Hawthorne on Myspace)


15. Little Girls - Thrills Lp (Mexican Summer)
(Little Girls on Myspace)


14. Zombi - Spirit Animal 2xLp (Relapse)
(Zombi on Myspace)


13. Explorers - Bermuda Telepaths Lp (Not Not Fun)
(Not Not Fun record label website)


12. Balaclavas - Inferno Lp (Phonographic Arts)
(Balaclavas on Myspace)


11. Moritz Von Oswald Trio - Vertical Ascent 2xLp (Honest Jons)
(Honest Jons record label website)


10. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - S/T Lp (Honest Jons)
(Hypnotic Brass Ensemble on Myspace)


9. Ducktails - Backyard Lp (Not Not Fun)
(Ducktails on Myspace)


8. Andres - II Lp (Mahogani)
(Andres on Myspace)


7. Madeline - White Flag Lp (Orange Twin)
(Madeline website)


6. Mi Ami - Watersports Lp (Quarterstick)
(Mi Ami on Myspace)


5. Moodymann - Anotha Black Sunday Lp (Mahogani)
(Moodymann on Myspace)


4. Pterodactyl - Worldwild Lp (Brah)
(Pterodactyl on Myspace)


3. Carlos Nino - High With A Little Help Lp (Kindred Spirits)
(Carlos Nino website)


2. 9DW - S/T Lp (Wax Poetics)
(9DW on Myspace)


1. Build An Ark - Love Part 1 (Kindred Spirits)
(Build An Ark on Myspace)

Record Scores - Last Minute Shopping Edition

The Herbie Mann Afro-Jazz Sextet - The Common Ground Lp (Atlantic)
Barry Miles - S/T Lp (Poppy)
Rene McLean Sextet - Watch Out Lp (Inner City)
Joe Pass & Paulinho DaCosta - Tudo Bem Lp (Pablo)
The Chico Hamilton Quintet - A Different Journey Lp (Reprise)
Paul Desmond - Skylark Lp (CTI)
Larry Coryell - Spaces Lp (Vanguard)

Ocular Optometrical - Moviemadnomonium

I've been surprisingly slow on movie viewing this year. It means that i've missed a lot of stuff in theaters, but does have that consolation prize of offering lots of fresh stuff to watch on DVD soon.

Here it is, the good, bad and ugly of the past 3 or 4 months:
A Perfect Getaway (2009)
Italian Job (1969)
Trapped
Dr. Strange (1978)
Revenge Of The Living Dead Girls
Sleep Dealer
The King Of Marvin Gardens
The Changeling (1980)
Grace (2009)
36 Hours
Life On Mars (UK) Series 1 & 2
Zombieland (2009)
Devil's Rain
L'Enfant
Moon (2009)
Saw VI (2009)
REC
Paranormal Activity (2009)
Orphan (2009)
Murder Party
Thirst (2009)
Nosferatu The Vampyr
The Beast In Space
The Wild Blue Yonder
Straight Time
Away We Go (2009)
Paper Heart (2009)
The Limits Of Control (2009)
World's Best Dad (2009)
A Christmas Tale
Hump Day (2009)

Record Scores - Let's Close This Shit Out Edition

Cannonball Adderley Quintet - Country Preacher Lp (Capitol)
James Moody - Comin' On Strong Lp (Argo)
Aardvark - Pigstyle 12" (Kindred Spirits)
De Javaanse Jongens - P.S. 12" (Kindred Spirits)
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Roses 12" (Epistrophik Peach Sound)
Mike Watt - Detective Instinct 7" (Sick Room)
Vibracathedral Orchestra - The Momentary Aviary Lp (Manhand)
The Pyramids - Birth Speed Merging 1976 Lp (Ikef)
UV Race - S/T Lp (Aarght)
Richard "Groove" Holmes - Somethin' Special Lp (Pacific Jazz)
Gene Ludwig - This Is Gene Ludwig Lp (GeLu)
Gene Ludwig - The Educated Sounds Of Gene Ludwig Lp (Travis)

Record Scores - Winter Light Edition

Reuben Wilson - Set Us Free Lp (Blue Note)
Styrofoam - The Point Misser Lp (Morr Music)
Inquisition - Revolution, I Think It's Called Inspiration Lp (Seven Lucky)
Joe Mensah - Tribute To The Roots Lp (Mezumbah International)
Four Hundred Years / Seein' Red - Split 7" (Smith & Nephew Company)
Les Thugs - Radical Hystery Lp (Closer)
John Patton - Got a Good Thing Goin' Lp (Blue Note)
Jan Hammer Group - Melodies Lp (Nemperor)
Arnett Cobb - Movin' Right Along Lp (Prestige)
Thee Dead Clodettes - S/T 7" (Lipstick Pickup)
Useless Eaters - Sucked In 7" (Goner)
Crocodiles / Grafitti Island / Dum Dum Girls / PENS - Split 7" (Art Fag)
Whatever Brains - Mt. Whatever 7" (Bullcity)
Keith Jarrett & Jack DeJohnette - Ruta And Daitya Lp (ECM)
Chris Capizzi - A New Day Lp (Returnity Productions Limited)
Stereolab - Miss Modular 7" (Duophonic)

I will probably end up with one more Record Scores thread before the end of the year. I'm waiting on yet another record that i ordered directly from a label off of their Myspace page. I understand that this shit isn't your day job & that it could take you a while to get to the post office, but between these dudes flaking out completely & Paypal turning into the shittiest credit card company on earth (& completely betraying the escrow service it was started as), i'm getting pretty soured on the whole thing. That isn't to say that there aren't labels & bands doing this thing right. Not Not Fun & Fastcrowd have had some great records over the last couple of years & been a dream to order from.

I've already sifted through the ton of records that i picked up this year (maybe the most ever) and i've compiled a rough ranking of my top 20 albums of 2009. I'll probably get the final thing out in January, just in case someone drops something amazing in December.
I think best of the decade lists usually end up being pretty bad, usually too heavily weighted towards the latter half & leaning towards albums that have big reputations but aren't really that enjoyable in an attempt to somehow epitomize the 'sound' of the era. So i won't be doing one of those.

My top films of the year may take longer because i'm pretty far behind on new movies, and the list of stuff i need to catch up on is only going to get longer as studios dump all of their Oscar contenders into limited release. Also, unlike previous years, i don't really have too many standout favorites yet.

Record Scores - Don't Sleep Edition

Sex Worker - The Labor Of Love Lp (Not Not Fun)
Dolphins Into The future - ...On Sea-Faring Isolation Lp (Not Not Fun)
Jose James - Blackmagic 12" (Brownswood)
V/A - Music Track From The Picture "Black Dynamite" Lp (Wax Poetics)
Lonnie Smith - Keep On Lovin' Lp (Groove Merchant)
Eddie Harris - Free Speech Lp (Atlantic)
Joe Alexander - Blue Jubilee Lp (Jazzland)
Joanne Brackeen - Prism Lp (Choice)
Real Estate - S/T Lp (Woodsist)
Leroy Frank Starbird Band - Star Bird 7" (Heavy Light)
V/A - Myestrogeneration Lp (Not Not Fun)
Sun Araw - Heavy Deeds Lp (Not Not Fun)
Inca Ore - Silver Sea Surfer School Lp (Not Not Fun)
Secret Abuse - Violent Narcissus Lp (Not Not Fun)
Moonstarr - Farfisa 45 7" (PTR Music)