TRK Best of 2K9

As 2009 draws to a close, its a great time to reflect on the wonderful year we've had. One special way to reflect is with lists of things that were important to us. Specifically: music that blew our minds in 2009. We've compiled "Best of 2009" lists from select members of the Trekky Records Collective. Here's what they loved:


Martin Anderson (Trekky Records Management)

01. Megafaun- "Gather, Form & Fly"
02. Bowerbirds- "Upper Air"
03. Akron/Family- "Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free"
04. Midtown Dickens- "Lanterns"
05. Mount Eerie- "Wind's Poem"
06. Chris Darrow- "s/t + Under My Own Disguise" (Everloving reissue)
07. Phil Cook and His Feet- "s/t"
08. The Dodos- "Time to Die"
09. Embarrassing Fruits- "Community / Exploitation"
10. Slaraffenland- "We're On Your Side"
11. Volcano Choir- "Unmap"
12. Califone- "All My Friends Are Funeral Singers"
13. Horseback- "The Invisible Mountain"
14. The Kingsbury Manx- "Ascenseur Ouvert!"
15. Julie Doiron- "I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day"
16. Tinariwen- "Imidiwen Companions"
17. Hammer No More the Fingers- "Looking for Bruce"
18. Vetiver- "Tight Knit"
19. V/A- "Ghana Special" (Soundway)
20. Phosphorescent- "To Willie"

12"s/7"s/EPs/Singles:
01. High Places/Soft Circle- split 12"
02. Superchunk- "Crossed Wires" 7"
03. High Places- "I Was Born" single
04. Mark McGuire- "VDSQ - Solo Acoustic Volume Two"
05. Bell- "Magic Tape" 7"
06. No Age- "Losing Feeling" EP
07. Whatever Brains- "Saddle Up" 7"
08. Horseback- "MILH IHVH" 7"
09. All Tiny Creatures- "Segni" 12"

Most looking forward to in 2010: Gayngs (you've never really partied unless you've partied to Gayngs)


Clare Connolly (Auxiliary House)

1. Jonsi & Alex- "Riceboy Sleeps"
2. Jack Rose- "Dr. Ragtime & Pals" / "s/t" (RIP)
3. Megafaun- "Gather, Form and Fly"
4. Real Estate- "s/t"
5. D Rider- "Mother of Curses"
6. Love of Everything- "Ghosts & Friends"
7. Owen- "New Leaves"
8. Richard Youngs- "Under Stellar Stream"
9. Mount Eerie- "Wind’s Poem"
10. Jackie O Motherfucker- "Ballads of the Revolution"
11. Kurt Vile- "Childish Prodigy"
12. Neon Indian- "Psychic Chasms"


Wil Donegan (Auxiliary House)

Trembling Bells- "Carbeth" (I think my favorite? That and megafaun. http://www.myspace.com/tremblingbells First song. All of them. Rock it. Don't judge me for her voice)
Megafaun- "Gather, Form and Fly"
Bill Callahan- "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle"
Marvellous Boy- "Calypso From West Africa" (Honest Jon's)
The xx- "s/t"
The Clientele- "Bonfires On The Heath"
True Widow- "s/t" http://www.myspace.com/truewidow (Listen to Duelist, and loud...)
Akron/Family- "Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free"
Open Strings: 1920's Virtuoso Recordings and New Responses
Vetiver- "Tight Knit"

Things I discovered this year that are not new but I like a lot:

Wire (why was I not told how good this band is?)
Souled American (Fe and Flubber are awesome records)
Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance
Jim Ford (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-2-3JUim54)
Kath Bloom and Loren Conners


Will Hackney (Trekky Records Management, Lost in the Trees)

1. Bill Callahan- "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle"
2. Mount Eerie- "Wind's Poem"
3. Built to Spill- "There is No Enemy"
4. Wye Oak- "The Knot"
5. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy- "Beware"
6. Mirah- "(A)spera"
7. Embarrassing Fruits- "Community / Exploitation"
8. St. Vincent- "Actor"
9. Bowerbirds- "Upper Air"
10. Megafaun- "Gather, Form and Fly"
11. Karl Blau- "Zebra"
12. Neko Case- "Middle Cyclone"
13. Why?- "Eskimo Snow"
14. The Kingsbury Manx- "Ascenseur Ouvert!"
15. Drake- "So Far Gone"
16. The Beatles- Reissues


Josh Kimbrough (Butterflies)

Bowerbirds- "Upper Air"
D. Rider- "Mother of Curses"
Joan of Arc- "Flowers"
Jim O'Rourke- "The Visitor"
Yo La Tengo- "Popular Songs"
Megafaun- "Gather, Form, and Fly"
Birds and Arrows- "Starmaker"
Deleted Scenes- "Birdseed Shirt"
Embarrassing Fruits- "Community / Exploitation"


Seamus Kenney (Lost in the Trees)

Ray Davies- "The Kings Choral Collection"


Jon Mackey (Auxiliary House)

Megafaun- "Gather, Form and Fly"
Baroness- "Blue Record"
Horseback- "The Invisible Mountain"
David Bazan- "Curse Your Branches"
The Twilight Sad- "Forget the Night Ahead"
Dawes- "North Hills"
Molina & Johnson- "Molina & Johnson"
Hi Ho Silver Oh- "Put It All In One Place and Burn it"


Joe Norkus (Embarrassing Fruits)

BEST:
(in no order)
Marmoset- "Tea Tornado"
Sonic Youth- "The Eternal"
Dinosaur Jr.- "Farm"
Deerhunter- "Rainwater Cassette Exchange"
Girls- "Album" (suck it!)
Big Star- "Keep An Eye on the Sky" (reissues)
Veelee- "Two Sides"
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart- "s/t"
Nirvana- "Bleach" (deluxe edition)
Polvo- "In Prism" (!!!!)

WORST:
(as seen on Pitchfork's "Best New Music")
Animal Collective- "Merriweather Post Pavilion"
Dan Deacon- "Bromst"
Wavves- "WAVVVES"
The Antlers- "Hospice"
Dirty Projectors- "Bitte Orca"


Lee Shaw (Embarrassing Fruits)

Hammer No More The Fingers- "Looking For Bruce"
Marmoset- "Tea Tornado"
Karl Blau- "Zebra"
Kentucky Nightmare- "Take Her Favour"
Wavves- "Live in Barcelona"


David Straughan (Endless Mic)

Raekwon- "Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt. 2"
Elvis Costello- "Sulphur to Sugarcane"
Sean Price- "Kimbo Price"
Peter, Bjorn & John- "Living Thing"