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Social News Community Picks Top Albums of 2009
News - General
Written by Andrew Landini   
Tuesday, 15 December 2009 13:23

REDDIT.COM -- The users at online news sharing community Reddit have chosen the top albums of 2009, with Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in the #1 position.

Following is the entire "press release" as given by the voting members at Reddit:

First off, I would like to say thanks to everyone who participated in putting together this list. There were over 160 bands submitted, more than 400 comments, and 1800+ votes in this badass unscientific poll. Also, it was nice to see the civility between submitters and, for the most part, people adhered to the rules (very few misused downvotes were recorded). Also, out of contention and irrelevant albums were ignored and rightly downvoted (hell I was almost sure that Rick Astley’s album was going to gain SOME traction!) So without further ado, here is /r/Music’s top albums of 2009:

  1. 1) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
  2. 2) Animal Collective –Merriweather Post Pavilion
  3. 3) Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
  4. 4) Them Crooked Vultures – S/T
  5. 5) Mastodon – Crack the Skye
  6. 6) Passion Pit – Manners
  7. 7(t) Royksopp – Junior
  8. 7(t) The xx – S/T
  9. 9) Metric – Fantasies
  10. 10) Muse – The Resistance
  11. 11) The Decemberists – Hazards of Love
  12. 12) The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
  13. 13) Silversun Pickups – Swoon
  14. 14) Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon End of Day
  15. 15) Mos Def – The Ecstatic
  16. 16) The Antlers – Hospice
  17. 17) Dan Deacon – Bromst
  18. 18) Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
  19. 19) Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2
  20. 20(t) Modest Mouse – No One’s First and You’re Next
  21. 20(t) Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
  22. 22) Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
  23. 23(t) Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
  24. 23(t) Matt & Kim – Grand
  25. 25) Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
  26. 26) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
  27. 27(t) Various Artists – Dark Was the Night
  28. 27(t) Danger Mouse& Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul

Note: All results were tabulated after using the suggested Greasemonkey script to disregard downvotes. I ended at 28 albums because after that number, too many albums were tied with the same amount of votes and I wanted to keep it at a reasonable size. Also, if you would like to hear some tunes from each band, the easiest way is to do a Google Music Search for each band name – streamable audio, videos, and band websites should pop up. For the lazy people/mix lovers, I put together a grooveshark playlist which features some of my favorites from each album (Note: Some songs contain explicit lyrics, so don’t blast it at work unless your boss is cool with that): Listen Here

All-in-all I think this is a pretty respectable list, and I haven’t seen any other publication’s “Top Albums of 2009” similar to what we came up with. As expected, it’s geared towards the non-Billboard Top 40 acts (you have to subscribe to /r/Music, so you are generally more than a casual music listener and you probably strive to find “non-mainstream” groups), but there are a handful of commercially successful acts that are included.

Now for the interesting parts: The biggest move from a band was easily Royksopp. Hardly a blip on the radar four hours after the poll began, it started to steadily move up the poll as Euro redditors began to wake up. Also, the Silversun Pickups bounced around the most throughout the day, moving up/down from as low as 17th to as high as 7th before settling down at 13th.

The biggest fall came from Neko Case and The Avett Brothers. Both started out in the top 12, but remained stagnant for most of the day and ultimately fell off the list.

As expected the top three remained intact throughout the day. I thought correctly that Phoenix was going to take the crown because I feel it is the most accessible album of the three. Not bad for a band which was #50 on Rolling Stone’s best of in ’06 (I know, using Rolling Stone as a metric isn’t advised, but still, impressive nonetheless).

Proportionately speaking, most of the top albums were downvoted the same amount, however there was a handful of exceptions. Taking downvotes into consideration, Muse fell off the top albums list completely (-39 vote differential). Also, it seemed like Phoenix fans and Animal Collective fans were equally downvoting each other (-56, -53 respectively) trying to help their favorite act gain the top spot. This worked once for Animal Collective 19 hours after the vote started, but then it dropped back down to #2 for the final tally. There were three other acts, all near the bottom, that if downvoting were considered would have been knocked off the list (Matt & Kim, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse), and one band, if downvoting was considered, would have made the list (Russian Circles).

So yeah, those are the figures. For anyone interested in seeing the running tally I made throughout the day (five times updated) and my personal perspective on the poll, I made a lengthier post on my personal blog.

If you have any questions about poll results, just leave a comment and I’ll try to answer it as promptly as I can. Let the discussion/arguing begin! Oh yeah, and don't forget to upvote so that this list can get more exposure and a better discussion can ensue (regardless if you like it or not)!

Edit: As requested by swordgeek, here is the clump of bands that just got edged out on the list (the vote totals were near identical when the final tally was taken):

  1. Russian Circle – Geneva
  2. Baroness – Blue Record
  3. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
  4. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
  5. Portugal. The Man. – The Satanic Satanist
  6. Florence + The Machine – Lungs
  7. Blackroc -Blackroc
  8. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
  9. Converge – Axe to Fall
  10. Fever Ray – S/T
  11. Sonic Youth – The Eternal

Edit Edit: I'm trying to get popular music site Stereogum to post the results of the poll on their site (they have a habit of displaying a lot of year-end lists). I sent an e-mail to the tips line, however, I'm unsure how likely it will get read. If anyone works for or knows someone who works for Stereogum, feel free to champion our cause!

Source
Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 14:20
 
The Smashing Pumpkins Release Free 44 Track Album
News - General
Monday, 07 December 2009 18:19

TcorganHE SMASHING PUMPKINS have released "A Song For A Son" online for free as the first offering from their upcoming album TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE, a 44-song work that is being recorded now. "A Song For A Son" was made available this morning (December 7) via AOL Music's Spinner.com as an online exclusive and can be downloaded for free starting tonight at midnight at the new Pumpkins site. The site will also offer a widget enabling fans to host the song anywhere on the web.

As Pumpkins leader BILLY CORGAN has said about the album, which will be released one song a time until all 44 tracks are out: "Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish."

"A Song For A Son" is emblematic of the entire collection of music, which CORGAN has said "harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins; atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty." TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE will be issued independently (release date TBA) now that the band are free agents, and the Pumpkins are planning a world tour slated for spring 2010.

Any particular reason you chose to launch the album with "A Song For A Son"?

Says Corgan: "The first sessions in September involved 4 songs: 'A Song For A Son', 'Astral Planes,' 'Widow Wake My Mind,' and 'A Stitch in Time.' What song would come out first really didn't cross my mind until they were all done being recorded. 'A Song For A Son' just seemed like it had the right epic quality to it that says, 'OK, here we go on this massive journey!' It sounds like the beginning of something more.

How has "A Song For A Son" evolved from the version that the Pumpkins were performing on the last tour?

"The version of the song from the 20th Anniversary tour was pretty basic, and I felt at the time that we didn't really find the heart of the song. However, the song was connecting to the audience emotionally so I knew something exciting was in there to be discovered. The recorded version is produced more like a movie, where it takes you to different places, from intimate to psychedelic to whimsical."

Can you describe what the song sounds like?

"The song sounds to me like The Smashing Pumpkins that I grew up with. Each song we've recorded is like its own movie, and hopefully when you put all 44 songs together they'll create a bigger journey that can only be seen when you have all the pieces to the map."

Since you made the statement in September that the album will be available for free to everyone, what is your mind set now that the fans have voiced their approval?

"My thought process is that I am happy to try unique approaches to get my music into the hands of fans without engaging in a system that is swallowing its own tail. I figure if people like what I'm doing musically and they can appreciate the risks I'm taking that maybe they'll invest in the future of SP."

TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE, CORGAN has said, "is based on 'The Fool's Journey,' as signified in the progress of the Tarot, the intention is to approach the work by breaking down the journey of life into four phases as made by different characters depicted in major arcana cards: the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic and the Mystic."

The music will not only be issued online, CORGAN has revealed. "We will sell highly limited edition EPs (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EPs will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EPs will be more like collector's items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EPs will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal CD single. We may also offer other variations for sale--say for example, a digital single with a demo version of a song."

Upon the album's completion, explained CORGAN, "it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EPs need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces. "

Adds CORGAN: "I am very committed to seeing this album through to its completion and very, very excited about the prospect of delivering new Smashing Pumpkins music to you in a unique and exciting way."  (via The Smashing Pumpkins)
Last Updated on Monday, 07 December 2009 19:07
 
Muse Announces Summer 2010 European Festival Dates
News - General
Saturday, 05 December 2009 16:56
museMuse tickets are now on sale for their European music festivals: Portugal’s Rock In Rio, Germany’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in summer 2010. Tickets for Rock In Rio will be available on February 3, 2010 on Muse’s official website muse.mu.

The trio will venture to the UK for two shows at Wembley Stadium in London and another at Lancashire County Cricket Ground in September 2010.

To check the availability of Muse tickets and get all the latest listings, call 0871 230 1094.

Tour Dates

Rock in Rio: 5/27/10
Rock Am Ring: 6/5/10
Rock Im Park: 6/6/10
Cricket Ground: 9/4/10
Wembley Stadium: 9/10/10, 9/11/10
Last Updated on Saturday, 05 December 2009 17:02
 
Johnny Marr to score ‘Big Bang’ Film
News - General
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:55

jm[Johnny Marr, guitarist for The Smiths, The Cribs, and Modest Mouse] is composing the original score for The Big Bang, “a neo-noir detective story” starring Banderas as a Los Angeles-based private detective, also starring are Delroy Lindo, Sam Elliott, William Fichtner and Snoop Dogg. “This will be Johnny’s first film score and he was just ranked the number one greatest guitarist of all time by Virgin Media,” producer Reece Pearson commented to MovieScore Magazine,comparing the assignment to that of Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead doing the score for There Will Be Blood and Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam doing Into the Wild.

The director of The Big Bang is Tony Krantz, who was a producer on David Lynch’s Mulholland Dr. and helmed last year’s Otis. The music supervisor on the picture is Rudy Chung (Goal! The Dream Begins, Flicka). The film stars Banderas as a private detective who is searching for a burlesque performer who no one has ever seen.

From Variety: Banderas stars as an L.A. private detective who's hired to find a missing stripper. The trail leads to the New Mexico desert, where the private eye finds a trail of bodies and contends with a brutal Russian boxer, three LAPD detectives and an aging billionaire looking to perfect the nuclear physics equivalent of the Big Bang.
Last Updated on Thursday, 03 December 2009 01:07
 
Dum Dum Girls Announce Debut LP
News - General
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 16:02

Sup Pop Records artist Dum Dum Girls have annouced that March 30 will be the release date for their debut album, I Will Be.  The album was co-produced by Richard Gottehrer, the man behind Blondie, the Go-Go's, and the Raveonettes.

dumdum

Track Listing:

01 It Only Takes One Night
02 Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout
03 Oh Mein M
04 Jail La La
05 Rest of Our Lives
06 Yours Alone
07 Blank Girl
08 I Will Be
09 Lines Her Eyes
10 Everybody's Out
11 Baby Don't Go

Dum Dum Girls on MySpace Music
Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 December 2009 16:12
 
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