Favorite Music of 2009

Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion/Be Fall Kind EP

Accessible, yet still challenging, Merriweather Post Pavillion is the most rewarding experience of 2009 returning the effort you give it ten-fold. I will admit, it took me a while to actually get into this album, but once I did I couldnt stop spinning it. Songs like "My Girls," "Summertime Clothes," and "Lion in a Coma" envelope into musical nirvana, sending you into a dizzying bliss. Merriweather Post Pavillion is more than worth the price. Also, the album sports the trippiest album art, probably ever. And then, after we've gotten into Merriweather Post Pavillion, and it has worn its way into our minds, they release the Be Fall Kind EP, almost as if to say "...and we're not going anywhere." A great open and close to a year that was full of great, innovative music.

Bat for Lashes- Two Suns

The most soothing album of the year, as well as one of the best, Two Suns, is an experiment in passion. The yearning behind Natasha Khan's voice is infectious, and beautiful. Her most ambitious album to date helps show her maturity as an artist as well as her creativity. Her soulful voice may seem on paper to be at odds with her choice of foreign drum patterns and alien vibes, yet they match perfectly. The trap of "style over substance" is avoided as well, due to Khan's song writing prowess, put best to use on songs such as "Daniel" and "Siren Song." In the latter Khan belts: "My name is Pearl and I love you/the best way I know how." The details on what exactly the "best way" entails is never given, nor is it needed. You hear it in the power of her voice.

Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Yes, the one with the song from the Cadillac commercial. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the most fun record of the year. To listen to tracks like "1901" and "Lisztomania" is to hear "dance rock" at its best. The highpoint of the album, however, is at the instrumental center of the album with "Love Like A Sunset." The track(s)--depending on how you look at it--start with the simplest of keynotes, but quickly delves into a majestry of tone and songwork. This is indeed, Phoenix's best work to date and shows that they are ready to play with their sound and venture into new territory. I welcome it all the more.

Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

When Grizzly Bear released their debut Yellow House they were quickly noted as artists to watch in music zines across America. Then they released Veckatimest, which is more of a refinement of their sound than it is a continuation. And what a sound it is. Being best described as melodic-chamber indie rock, Grizzly Bear furthers their ability to create some of the most powerful, albeit gentle, music around. The track "Ready, Able" is one of my favorites of the year as it slow-builds into one of the most dream-like melodys created. It's a strange experience as the album is most certainly on the softer side--the tunes evoke head nods that would most likely be performed during something edgier or more intense. But alas, Grizzly Bear pulls it off, and sucks you into their world of harmonizing vocals and subtle guitars.

Raekwon- Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt. II

The album that most Wu-Tang fans never thought would be made (it had been rumored to be released for years) does the impossible and doesnt dissappoint in the face of staggering hype. While Raekwons rhymes certainly aren't for the faint of heart, his mafia-tales are just as gritty and details as they were when he first came in the scene. With the help of longtime collaborator and fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah, Raekwon bursts back onto the scene as though he never left. Although Only Built For Cuban Linx Part II never reaches the epic heights the first album does (doing so would be near-impossible), the album is a worthy successor, which of course is saying a lot. To those who say "rap has lost it's edge" I'd reccommend giving this record a listen.

Girls- Album

Perhaps the best debut of the year, Album is the best Beach Boys record that Elvis Costello never made. Somehow both meloncholic and fun at the same time, Girls take their album the simple route: straight-forward rock, and it works. Stand-out tracks like "Lust for Life" and "Laura" make use of singer Christopher Owens' croon as he sings rock songs about, well, heartbreak. The thing that makes these songs work is their honesty. Owens' life-story is one for the record books as he was raised in a cult, fled, and lived as a homeless teenager for years before being adopted by a millionaire who gave him the chance to let his art flourish. His songs and voice seem wise beyond their singers years because he is.

Mos Def- The Ecstatic

Mos Def has experimented with his music for years, flirting with styles of rock and blues. On The Ecstatic--perhaps the best example of Mos Def's overall style--Def pushes his music to the boundaries and creates the best album of his career. His syrupy flow reaches never-before-seen heights on tracks such as "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" and "Supermagic." And his lyrics are as sharp as ever, mixing political sharpness with street-wise libretto better than anyone in the game. Even though this record is sprinkled with middle-eastern influences and touches, it is still undeniably Brooklyn-esque, and that is due to Mos Def himself.

Yo La Tengo- Popular Songs

A hazy mix of melancholy soft-indie-rock songs from some of the masters. The most impressive part of this album is how it acts as a mixed-bag of a Yo La Tengo songs that have never been released before. The album's opener, "Here to Fall" is a blend of subtly controlled distortion and guitar riffs. "The Fireside" is an eleven-minute jam of beautiful drum-patterns and swying vocals. This is a Yo La Tengo record through and through--and that is obviously a good thing!

Jay-Z- The Blueprint III

Of course Jay isn't rapping about the hood like he used to. He doesn't LIVE in the hood like he used to. The thing that struck me the most about this album is the way it is Jay rapping about the love of his life (sorry Beyonce), hip-hop. This album is all about Jay looking back at what he has done, and the genre that he helped create. On "A Star is Born" Jay pays tribute to rappers before him, and hose that will be getting their shot in the very near future. "Empire State of Mind" is more about the creativity that the city breeds rather than the city itself. "Forever Young" seems to evoke the way music will have an everlasting power over those who embrace it, and will make you feel as though you can live forever. Sure it may not be as good as The Black Album and The Blueprint, but was anybody really expecting that? This album was made for the Jay-Z fans, and as a Jay-Z fan, I love it.

Japandriods- Post-Nothing

"We used to dream/now we worry about dying." Could there be a more exacting statement on what it feels like to see your youth become a memory. The world seemed so huge when we were young. Now we have jobs, bills, and actual responsibilities. Japandroids debut release is a simple rock album that evokes the feelings of both being young as well as the yearning to be a kid once more. And when I say kid I don't mean a simple eigth grader. I mean a teenager on the precipice of life, drinking to much, staying out too late, and getting into to too much trouble. To say that's what life is about, may come across as shallow. But what I really mean by those statements is that it is the closest we can come to real freedom. In our minds it didnt really matter. Our juvenile actions had consequences but they were neither harsh nor everlasting. Post-Nothing doesn't try to hard to be ground-breaking, or thought-provoking. It wants to be a rock record that you play at 3 AM while you're driving home from the bar with too many people shoved in your sedan. It succeeds.

The Night I Missed Bruce

Monday night Bruce Springsteen played Born to Run in its entirety here in Washington DC. I came so close to going that it actually pains me to put into writing the events that occured. Let me just put it this way to save myself some agony: I came as close as a person could possibly come to seeing his or her hero perform his or her most classic album all the way through.

Sitting at my house at around 7:30 I thought about what the Boss was playing. I wondered what he would open with--especially considering his cousin had passed away a few days prior. When Lia and I saw him on the 2008 Magic Tour, Danny Federici, the original E-Street Band organ player and dear friend to Bruce, had passed away after a long fight with leukimia. He opened up with "Souls of the Departed" a rarely-played track he had recorded on the Lucky Town album. I found out later that Bruce dedicated the DC show to his cousin, and then proceeded to open the show with an emotional "Outlaw Pete." An interesting choice, indeed.

My mind wandered on--I wanted to know what Clarence's saxophone solo on "Jungleland" sounded like in-person. I wanted to see feel the opening bars of "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" raise the hairs on my forearms. I wanted to see The Boss sing the story about two kids getting in to deep with organized crime in "Meeting Across the River".

Some things just aren't meant to be. I guess I'll have to keep my fingers crossed he will still be doing his full album set-lists the next time I see him.

Oh well. What can ya do?

Halloween=Horror Movie Marathons (or Davids favorite horror movies)

So...I have complied a list of movies that I will (at least try) to watch on (or around) Halloween:

Here we go

To start things off: Shaun of the Dead (Gotta start things off on a positive note...)

Evil Dead

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn

Halloween

Alien (A different choice--but somehow still works)

Dawn of the Dead (1977)

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Friday the 13th (1980)

Dead/Alive

28 days later...

The Bride of Frankenstein (if I can get a hold of it)

Psycho



...if I can get around to watching half of these...I'll be a happy guy.

New Spoon Album! Yes!

New Spoon Album! Yes!

23 on the 23rd

Right now I am laying on the couch, stomach down, stretched out, listening to the new Yo La Tengo album Popular Songs. It is excellent, and the rain coming down outside only adds to the melanholy ambiance coming form my macbook's little speakers.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I spent it hanging around the house with my fiance and her family. If you had asked me any other day what I would've preferred to do on my 23rd birthday, hanging out with family may have not been the first thing I would've said. But for some reason yesterday it just felt perfect. I talked Steelers football with my soon-to-be brother-in-law, while my fiance and her sisters gabbed about family stuff.

Am I getting older, or does has the appeal of going out and "partying hard just because" lost its allure?

I think it's probably both but all I know is that this weekend is going by sweetly. Also, 23 is an age that sounds old. 21 and 22 still sounded young, but for some reason 23 seems different.I mean my life is drastically different today than it was a year ago. So maybe that has something to do with it. Actually, Im pretty sure it does.

Yesterday Afternoon...

Yesterday I blogged about my dog, Amelia and how much she meant to me. Later that day, when I went home to grab a quick bite to eat, I found something horrifying: Amelia lying in the kitchen surrounded by blood and diarrhea.

I franticly cleaned up the mess and called the nearest vet asking if there was anyway that we could come in for an emergency. They responded positively telling me to hurry because of the severity of her symptoms.

I rushed as Amelia lethargically walked out the door with me and hopped into her spot (my passenger side seat).

Five hours, countless tests and $750 later, the vets inform me that they think Amelia may have ingested a type of rat poison because her blood was not clotting. They also informed me that had I waited to bring her in, she would have bled to death because of how thin her blood had become due to the poison.

I quickly vanquished my shock at the amount of bills I had to pay. Amelia could have died. I glanced over at Lia, who had come to the vet's with me. She rubbed my hand reassuringly and told me that it didnt matter what we had to pay. That Amelia is our dog and we would have done anything to keep her safe and healthy.

Even when Amelia had epilepsy, I never thought that she might actually die from it. I spent the night cuddling her and stroking her head. Telling her, once again, "Everything is ok. Daddy is here."

Its amazing the power these creatures can have over us. Amelia is not just a canine companion. She is part of my family.

Must Love Dogs

This morning Amelia had an accident all over the kitchen floor. It was awful, and not very good timing either as Lia and I decided to sleep in a little later than usual. As we held our breath and cleaned up the mess, Amelia walked over to her chair and hopped in. She curled herself up and put her little head down on top of her paws as she watched her Mommy and Daddy grumble and work. She knew that we were dissappointed in her.

I walked over once we finished and scratched her on her head. Her droopy eyes looking up at me like a child preparing for a scolding.

"It's okay sweetheart," I said as I leaned in to give her a kiss. "It was only an accident and Daddy still loves you."

I named Amelia after the french film Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain or Amelie. I didnt want to be cheesy and make it a completely direct connection so I altered the name just a bit. In the film the main character, Amelie, dedicates her life to bringing small bits of joy to others in different ways. I bought Amelia in the wake of a rough break-up, so naturally I was a bit in the dumps. When it came to naming her it was the first thing to come to my mind. I knew I would be relying on this little black-and-white pup to cheer me up as I knew that more rocky roads were ahead.

Of course I was right on both accounts. I ended up going through rough patches in school, I made bad decisions, and decided to change up my life--pushing the people who I thought were friends out of my perimeter. It was something that needed to be done because I was not functioning well in the group I had created.

The one thing I didn't expect was how lonely my decisions would make me.

Days were speant going to school, coming home, walking Amelia on endless walks, going into work, and then studying or going to sleep. Human connection was kept at a minimum.

The only thing that never dissappointed me was Amelia. She was always there, at the foot of my bed, eager top be played with or talked to.

Perhaps it is no wonder if you ask my fiance, Lia, what one of the first things she liked about me was my dog. In fact one of the first times Lia and I ever "bonded" was when Amelia was sick and we both sat with her stroking her head. Nothing is more heart-breaking than a dog who doesnt know what is happening to them. Amelia has idiosymatic-epilepsy, which means that she can have seizures at any time and anything can trigger it. Once, Amelia had one of her fits whenever Lia was over at my apartment. We looked over and rushed to her side. Lia sat and watched as I poured over my girl calming her, and whispering "It's ok, Daddy is here."

The results went something like this: Lia fell in love with my dog, and in turn fell in love with me.

I owe a lot of things to my dog. She was there for me when I felt like I had noone. She nuzzled her head into my hand (something she still does to this day) just when I needed it. She helped me find the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Man's best friend seems like an understatement.

We Were Once A Fairtytale- Spike Jonze and Kanye West

So this is what you get when you meld the minds of two creative geniuses. Perhaps this was a timed career move for Kanye, but when the results are this introspective, who the hell cares. I sure hope Kanye can get his act together, because he has so many gifts it would be a shame to see them fade away.

Jonze is, of course, one of the most creative inventive directors working in cinema today. I mean just look at the emotions he can convey without the use of millions of dollars of CGI. Jonze uses whatever means necessary in order to capture his vision and the results are always stunning.