Ryan from Mirror Universe Tapes Best of 2009:

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When Tom asked me to do this I had already compiled a Best Cassette Tapes of 09 over at my blogging home thefmly.com and I hadn’t really planned on doing much else. I had to reconsider because this is such an honor I just couldn’t say no! I’m not sucking up to anyone with this list. This is stuff I listened to NON-STOP, I’m actually probably listening to some of it right now. So don’t hate, alleviate.

1. Julian Lynch – Orange You Glad (website/ album info)
-Seriously, my favorite album of the year. It makes me melt and feel all gooey and strange but in a totally rad and good way. Jamming this heavy through some head phones while throwing back something dark roasted will make your brain do things you weren’t aware that it was capable of.

2. Alex Bleeker & the Freaks – S/T  (website/ album info)
-I feel like I went through hell and highwater to get this album. I don’t own a record player (I have an original 1979 Refurbished Walkman though, so I feel that that makes up for not having a record player), and tracking down mp3s of this album proved to be more difficult than finding an original Bobb Trimble record. My suffering and turmoil came to an end though, and man oh man could this album be any better. If you’ve heard it you know what I’m talking about, if you don’t then you are missing out. Its all kinds of modern day Crazy Horse, Neil Young, Grateful Dead happening. I listened to it at least 50 times within the first day of having it in my possesion.

3. Surfer Blood – Astrocoast (website/ album info)
-No explanation needed, correct?

4. Emeralds – Emeralds (band info / album info)
-I’m a fan of drone music just as much as I’m a fan of pop music. I can listen to this and feel at peace like to the point where I am certain that this could be played over loud speakers throughout the world and everyone will forget their worries and troubles and just meditate and live and have no urge to kill, rape, or destroy anymore. Thank you Emeralds, you are the answer to World Peace.

5. Naomi Punk – Naomi Punk (website/ album info)
-This album is a mystery to me. You just have to hear it for yourself.

6. M. Pyres & The Skygaze Family Band – Apart the Echo (website/ album info)

7. Nirvana – Bleach Reissues (band info / album info)
-Sure, this album is 20 years old, and sure I’ve heard it 500 times in the last 2 years, but JEEZY YEEZY have you heard the remasters?! It sounds amazing and it just solidifies the fact that no matter how long this album has been around it continues to be a hard hitting masterpiece.

8. Thee Oh Sees – Dog Poison (website/ album info)
-These guys (and gal) can do no wrong. They have touched on everything from garage to folk to country and now onto psych pop? Damn, they are the masters of their domain and they do it with heart. This is much better than “Help” and I’m sure there are people who are thinking, “HELP WAS AWESOME,” but you know what, sometimes you just need to branch out or get out.

9. Wet Hair – Glass Fountain (website/ album info)

10. Double Dagger – More (website/ album info)
-Who cares about Post-Punk anymore? I do, thats for sure but not until I had listened to this. I didn’t care, “Post-Punk? Who cares Fugazi broke up. I need more Glo-Fi and Chillwave in my life.” BOY WAS I WRONG. This is a hard hitting, raw, nerve grating album. 6 years to late, but still an intense experience,

11. Ducktails - Landscapes (website/ album info)
-Ridgewood got it goin’ on, amirite?

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and….Mirror Universe sent over a couple mp3s from two of their upcoming releases!

Dead Gaze is a band that Ben (the other half of Mirror Universe) told me about a couple months ago, and I have been following their myspace ever since.  It is the musical project of Ransome Cole Furlow, and he is based in Mississippi. This is one part of the country that I’m not so familiar with what is going on musically, but if Dead Gaze is any indication it’s sunny pop that has been sunk into a swamp of psychedelic haze.  Dead Gaze is preparing a kind of best of tape for Mirror Universe titled End of Days, Why Not You? that should be out sometime early this year.

[mp3] Dead Gaze- “Back and Forth”

Active Child hails from Los Angeles, and is the musical outlet of Pat Grossi. Active Child make haunting electronica full of synths, and drum machines…but the most unique part about Grossi is his voice which brings to mind R&B.  While I really enjoy the music that Grossi is producing I truly feel that his voice is what carries it, and not exactly what I would expect to come out of his mouth…it’s a welcomed and pleasant surprise.  Active Child seem to fit in well with the line up that Mirror Universe has already gathered, and I’m expecting to hear a lot more from him.  ”Wilderness” is a track from Sun Rooms that will be out on Mirror Universe soon, actually their next release TODAY!

[mp3] Active Child- “Wilderness”
buy Sun Rooms here.

In addition to Active Child and Dead Gaze be on the look out for upcoming releases on Mirror Universe by The Meanest Boys, Kid Trails, Truman Peyote, Sun Mantra, Sacred Harp, Pink Priest, Tapeworms Eat Bookworms…and in the future Deep Space Drum Circles (a fundraiser for OUTERSPACE) as well as many many more.  Lots of exciting stuff…I hope they start a subscription service (hint hint).

If you are in a touring band:

Ryan and Ben of Mirror Universe Tapes are both part of OUTERSPACE.  OUTERSPACE is an all ages show space and community center in Charleston, SC.  Get in touch, and bring your music to Charleston!

I would like to thank Ryan for contributing a best of list (and writing an introduction so I didn’t have to!), as well to Ben and Ryan (collectively) for contributing these awesome new tracks from their upcoming releases to the Great Pumpkin

Links:

• Mirror Universe Tapes blog / myspace / twitter
• Buy Mirror Universe releases here.
• more best of 2009 guest contributions can be found here.

So Cow is one of the many artists I found out about through the Somebody Come and Play podcast/blog, and when I stumbled upon the LP early in 2009 it instantly became one of my obsessions.  I got to see So Cow play many times while they were in NYC, and this first So Cow LP is by far one of my favorite things to be released in 2009.  If you haven’t already heard it go check it out at Tic Tac Totally!

Brian Kelly, the core of So Cow, was nice enough to contribute his best of 2009 list to the Great Pumpkin, and I am very excited to present it to you now:

So Cow’s Best of 2009

——————-

Things I’ve most enjoyed listening to this year:

1. Christmas Island – Blackout Summer (In The Red) (website/ album info)
2. Various Artists – ‘Tom – A tribute to Paul McCartney’s ‘RAM” (WFMU Best Show Premium)
3. Nobunny – Raw Romance (Burger Records) (website/ album info)
4. Amature Amplifier – Soo Sung Land (Self-released) (website)
5. Pigibit5 – EP (Self-released) (website/ album info)

Bands I most enjoyed seeing live:

1. Box Elders (Twisted Pepper, Dublin) (website)
2. Christmas Island (Casbah, San Diego) (website)
3. Chiquita Y Chatarra (Sidecar, Barcelona) (website)
4. Deerhoof (Roisin Dubh, Galway) (website)
5. Outer Spacist (Carabar, Columbus) (website)

Best cities/towns I visited for the first time:

1. Catania, Sicily, Italy
2. Philadelphia, PA, USA
3. Anstruther, Fife, Scotland
4. Barcelona, Spain
5. San Diego, CA, USA

Things I’ve most enjoyed watching this year, though not necessarily from this year:

1. The Micallef Programme (more info)
2. QI (more info)
3. Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe (more info)

Things I’ve most enjoyed listening to (that were not albums):

1. The Best Show on WFMU (more info)
2. Sunday Night Safran on Triple J (more info)
3. Guardian Football Podcast with James Richardson (more info)

——————-

There hasn’t been much talk about So Cow on this side of the Atlantic since he was in the states back in June, but last month he released another amazing free EP of cover songs (more on that here), and I have recently been obsessed with is cover of Del Shannon‘s “Runaway”:

[mp3] So Cow- “Runaway (Del Shannon cover)”
download the whole EP here.

Hearing these new covers makes me excited to see what he does in 2010, and speaking of twenty ten…

So Cow’s 2010 (mostly) American Tour!!!

• 01.28.10- Dublin, Ireland @  Crawdaddy
• 02.11.10 -Thu Asbury Park, New Jersey @ Asbury Lanes
• 02.12.10 -Fri Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Kung Fu Necktie
• 02.13.10 -Sat Brooklyn, New York @  Monster Island Basement
• 02.14.10 -Sun Manhattan, New York @  Cake Shop
• 02.17.10 -Wed Boston, Massachusetts @ Obrien’s Pub
• 02.19.10 -Fri Providence, Rhode Island @ AS220
• 02.20.10 -Sat Montreal, Quebec @ Casa del Popolo
• 02.21.10 -Sun Austin, Texas @ Rancho Relaxo
• 02.22.10 -Mon W Hamilton, Ontario @ The Casbah Lounge (ontario)
• 02.23.10 -Tue Rochester, New York @ The Bug Jar
• 02.24.10 -Wed Cleveland, Ohio @ Beachland Ballroom
• 02.25.10 -Thu Columbus, Ohio @ Cafe Bourbon Street
• 02.26.10 -Fri Detroit, Michigan @ Lager House
• 02.28.10 -Sun Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Eagle’s Nest
• 03.01.10 -Mon Minneapolis, Minnesota @ 7th St. Entry (first-avenue)
• 03.03.10 -Wed Missoula, Montana @ Badlander
• 03.05.10 -Fri Portland, Oregon @ East End
• 03.06.10 -Sat Seattle, Washington @ Comet Tavern
• 03.09.10 -Tue Santa Cruz, California @ Crepe Place
• 03.10.10 -Wed San Francisco, California @ Hemlock Tavern
• 03.11.10 -Thu Los Angeles, California @ The Smell
• 03.12.10 -Fri San Diego, California @ Bar Pink Elephant
• 03.13.10 -Sat Phoenix, Arizona @ Trunk Space w/ No Bunny
• 03.14.10 -Sun El Paso, Texas @ El Paso Block Party
• 03.16.10 -Tue Austin, Texas @ Mohawk
• 03.17.10 -Wed Austin, Texas @ SXSW
• 03.18.10 -Thu Austin, Texas @ SXSW
• 03.19.10 -Fri Austin, Texas @  SXSW
• 03.20.10 -Sat Austin, Texas @  SXSW
• 03.22.10 -Mon Oklahoma City, Oklahoma @ The Conservatory
• 03.23.10 -Tue Kansas City, Missouri @ Record Bar
• 03.25.10 -Thu Memphis, Tennessee @ Hi-Tone Cafe
• 03.26.10 -Fri Hattiesburg, Mississippi @ The Belafonte
• 03.30.10 -Tue Charlotte, North Carolina @ Snug Harbor
• 04.02.10 -Fri Grand Rapids, Michigan @ DAAC

Thanks again to Brian for contributing a best of 2009 list to the Great Pumpkin…I look forward to seeing you next month!

Links:

• So Cow’s website / myspace
• buy So Cow’s album from Tic Tac Totally here.
• more on So Cow (pictures, mp3s, reviews, ect) here.
• more best of 2009 guest contributions can be found here.
• Tay from Somebody Come and Play is now part of Outer Space.
  • if you are in a touring band, you should play Charleston, SC…contact Outer Space.

End Note: Hey Everyone….I know my best of lists are dragging out a bit, but I’m still letting 2009 settle in my head.  Mirror Universe Tapes have contributed a Best of List, and that will be up tomorrow…and I have a couple lists that will start either Friday or Monday.  Once those are done I’ll be back to my normal self with posts on music, beer, and what ever else I feel like writing about.  Here’s to twenty ten!

BOAT came into my life, and shortly after that I took the GRE…I totally bombed the first time I took it, but Setting the Paces was something that could always bring a smile to my face.  There is just something about these not-so-sloppy-pop / post-twee song-smiths that resonates deep in my brain, and bring to mind indie pop of yesterday…but with lyrics that make me want to press repeat over and over again.

I got to meet David Crane of BOAT when they played Bruar Falls in Williamsburg, and he was a super nice guy…so nice that he contributed his best of 2009 lists to the Great Pumpkin!

David Crane of BOAT’s Best of 2009

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I have been obsessed with these albums and researching dogs.  I am getting one in June….I am getting new albums all the time.  I am either searching Insound or the Humane Society website pretty much daily.

TOP MUSICAL RELEASES

• Dear Nora-Three States (website / album info)
• The Nightgowns-Sing Something (website / album info)
• Throw Me the Statue-Creaturesque (website / album info)
• The Fiery Furnaces-I’m Going Away (website / album info)
• Built to Spill-There Is No Enemy (website / album info)
• So Adult-Rookie EP (website / album info)

TOP DOGS

• Pitbulls

• Labrador/Pit mix

• Boxers

• New Foundland

• Beagle

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I’m really behind on posting videos that I have shot, and my videos of BOAT from Bruar Falls will surface sometime in 2010, but in the mean time Jenn of the Pelly Twins shot this amazing acoustic video of BOAT at Coney Island.  And guess what…they cover “A Salty Salute” by Guided by Voices and go straight into “Lately”!!! It’s totally rad, and I wish I could have been there.  Way to go Pelly Twins!

BOAT- “A Salty Salute (Guided By Voices cover)” & “Lately” Live at Coney Island

More video from the PellyTwins (including more BOAT) here.

I also discovered BOAT’s older, but still extremely wonderful album this year called Let’s Drag Our Feet… and while this song resonates in a different part of my indie pop past it still hits hard…I’ve really fallen in love with their entire catalog:

[mp3] BOAT- “(I’m a) Donkey For Your Love”
from Let’s Drag Our Feet. buy it here.

Thanks again to David and BOAT for contributing to the Great Pumpkin. NYC can’t wait for you to come back!

Links:

• BOAT’s website / twitter
• buy BOAT’s music here.
• more on BOAT here.
• more best of 2009 guest contributions can be found here.
• all dog photos via flickr.  click on the photo to be taken to the source.

Monday night Julian Lynch played, as far as I know, his only New York City show during his short stay in the north east.  The night would have been special if Julian took the stage by himself, but he came with a full band…consisting of 3/4 of Real Estate and Brody of Family Portrait/Underwater Peoples.  It was a magical performance, and was the perfect way for me to start off my year with live music.

Orange You Glad has been in my head for months, and I was really happy when Julian said that he would contribute a list of his favorite things from 2009 to the Great Pumpkin.  Since his album is one of my favorites I was really excited to see what he loved last year:

Julian Lynch’s Favorites of 2009

Favorite movie:

• Up (more info)

Favorite filmmakers:

• Amy Ruhl (more info)
• Richard Law (more info)

Favorite recorded music:

• Pill Wonder (website/ keep an eye out for an LP on Underwater Peoples!)

Favorite live music:

• Peaking Lights (website)
• Mountain Man (website)

Favorite record labels:

• Underwater Peoples (website)
• Olde English Spelling Bee (myspace/ blog)

Favorite home-cooked pastry:

• Yugoslavian Christmas cookies from my girlfriend, Eileen

Favorite TV series:

• Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 7) (more info)

Favorite new blog writer on the internet:

• Emilie Friedlander (visitation  rites)

Favorite online social networking:

• Twitter (tweet)

Favorite Youtube series:

• rickytic3′s Wizard Alibrataries (watch)
• Vantabill Bertaba Saga (watch)

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Chocolate Bobka was able to capture some of the magic from Monday night at Bruar Falls.  Chocolate Bobka has been doing amazing videos, and if you haven’t checked out their Vimeo channel you most definitely should.

The Underwater Peoples Winter Review was released on Christmas, and there is a new Julian Lynch song on it… as well as wonderful tracks by Pill Wonder, Fluffy Lumbers, Big Troubles, Family Portrait, Mountain Man, Alex Bleeker, Real Estate , and many more.  Get it free for a limited time here:

[Limited Time Free Download] VA- Underwater Peoples Winter Review (via Chocolate Bobka)

Oh if ya’ll didn’t already know…Julian Lynch is PopJew‘s pick for the Cutest Boy in Rock n’ Roll!

I took some pictures of Julian and Big Troubles at the show on Monday, and believe it or not…I used a camera with actual film!  When I get those back I hope to post them.  Fingers crossed.

Thanks again to Julian for contributing his favorites list to the Great Pumpkin.  I’m truly looking forward to whatever he releases in twenty ten.

Links:

• Julian Lynch’s myspace / blog / tumblr / twitter
• buy Julian Lynch’s music here.
• more on Julian Lynch here.
• more on Real Estate here.
• more on Underwater Peoples Records here.
• more best of 2009 guest contributions can be found here.

Today, January 7th 2010,  also marks the birthday of the Great Pumpkin!  We are One year old as of today, and I can’t wait to see where I am in 2011!

Fayettenam Records released the rare solo recordings of the great Franklin Bruno earlier this year, along with a 7″ of lost recordings, and an EP of people covering Bruno all as an added bonus if you placed an order direct with the label.

Fayettenam will be following this up with a release of FANGIO.  FANGIO is the new album by Peter Hughes that will be an  “electro-pop paean to deceased Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio.”  This LP will be preceded by a 7″. Peter Hughes is the long time base player in the Mountain Goats and Nothing Painted Blue as well as front man DiskothiQ.

In addition to the new Peter Hughes record Fayettenam has planned a vinyl and digital download compilation to benifit City Harvest, and will feature Woods, Franklin Bruno, Brian Dewan, Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly, Tender Trap), Jeffrey Lewis, Simon Joyner, Ron House (Great Plains, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments), Bill Goffrier (Big Dipper, The Embarrassment), Gary War, Claudia Gonson (The Magnetic Fields), Peter Hughes, Darren Hayman (Hefner), Matthew Hattie Hein, Refrigerator, Darlings, Kleenex Girl Wonder, Mean Spirit’d Robots, and Heartbreak Scene feat. Mark Szabo.  This is already a mind blowing line up…and I can’t wait to hear the finished product (I mean holy shit…Refrigerator!!!)!  This compilation is due out in April, and Peter Hughes FANGIO‘s release date has not been set yet.  More info on both of these releases can be found here.

Scott from Fayettenam Records was nice enough to contribute his best of 2009 list to the Great Pumpkin, and here it is:

BEST OF 2009

By Scott Jacobson

In no particular order…

1. “Party Down”, TV series on Starz.
This is my favorite show on TV right now. Very insightful and very very funny look at people who took bold risks that didn’t pan out. (more info)

2. Spider Bags- Goodbye Cruel World, Hello Crueler World. (band site/ album info)
I went to college in Chapel Hill, NC, back when Archers of Loaf, Superchunk and Polvo were all at their rockingest. This band is the first from CH in a while to earn a place in that company (says I). Dark, urgent country-rock with smart lyrics. (band site/ album info)

3. Comet Gain- Broken Record Prayers. (band site/ album info)
The song “If You Ever Walk Out of My Life” will be on every mix I make for many years to come.

4. Girls- Album (band site/ album info); Woods- Songs of Shame (band site/ album info).
Pitchfork and I agree to disagree a lot of the time, but these two albums truly were among the year’s best. I will see Woods anytime, anywhere (including a ramshackle, could-collapse-on-you-and-kill-you Todd P venue).

I’ve been in New York for three and a half years, and Greenpoint for the past year and a half.  When I moved to the city I never thought that I would have such a devotion to one record shop….I have always been a record buyer/ collector, and even worked at a record store (which I still consider one of the best).  I was familiar with the other stores in the city, but had not been to Permanent Records until I moved to Greenpoint.

This has come to be, more or less, my only stop for records in the city.  Marjorie and Ron have been working there since I started going in, and have become more like friends than people who run the shop.  I like that they are honest, and if they aren’t into something they will tell you, and if you are interested in recommendation they will offer you an endless array of albums and genres depending on your mood.

Permanent Records is one of those places that I always want to go, and some days find myself emailing or playing phone tag with them.  Permanent Records is my favorite record store in the city, and if you haven’t been yet I highly recommend it…you just might find your new regular record shop.

Marjorie, Ron, and Milli were nice enough to donate their best of lists to be posted here on the Great Pumpkin, and I was really excited to see what they loved this year:

Marjorie’s Best of 2009

• Albums (alphabetical):
  • Arbouretum- Song of the Pearl
  • Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
  • Jarvis Cocker- Further Complications
  • Eddy Current Suppression Ring- selftitled
  • Eddy Current Suppression Ring- Primaru colors
  • Fresh & Onlys- selftitled
  • Fresh & Onlys- Grey Eyed Girl
  • Horrors- Primary Colors
  • I Was A King- selftitled
  • Cass McCombs- Catacombs
  • R. Stevie Moore- Meet the R Stevie Moore
  • Muslims (now known as Soft Pack)- selftited
  • Mystery of Two- selftitled
  • Obits- I Blame You
  • Ty Segall- Lemons
  • Ty Segall- Horn of Unicorn
  • So Cow- selftitled
  • Sonny & The Sunsets- Tomorrow is Alright
  • Richard Swift- Atlantic Ocean
  • VA (Numero 028)-Wayfaring Strangers Lonesome Heroes
  • Woods- Songs of Shame

• Best Re-Issues:
  • Amanaz- Africa
  • Bachs- Out of the Bachs
  • Chandra- Transportation
  • Ryan Trevor- Introducing
  • Spiritual Singers- Ntsamina
  • Witch- Lazy Bones

• Live:
  • REM- Live at the Olympia

• Stand-out Tracks/ Song of the Year:
  • Laura Veirs- “July Flame” (from July Flame)
  • The xx- “Crystalized” (from selftitled)
  • Hush Arbors- “Fast Asleep” (from Yankee Reality)

Ron’s Best Albums of 2009

1. Mystery Of Two – S/T
2. Meanderthals – Desire Lines
3. Jeremy Jay – Slow Dance
4. Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy
5. Ganglians – Monster Head Room
6. A.C. Newman – Get Guilty
7. The Horrors – Primary Colors
8. Fresh & Onlys - Grey Eyed Girls
9. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - S/T
10. 9DW / Boris - Golden Dance Classics
11. Crocodiles – Summer Of Hate
12. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
13. Ty Segall – Horn The Unicorn

Milli’s Top 25 Albums 2009

• 25. Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
• 24. Devendra Banhart – What Will We Be?
• 23. Metric – Fantasies
• 22. Sunn O))) – Monoliths & Dimensions
• 21. Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
• 20. The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
• 19. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
• 18. Mandy Moore – Amanda Leigh
• 17. The Dead Weather – Horehound
• 16. Sean Lennon - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead
• 15. Tom Waits – Glitter & Doom Live
• 14. Daniel Johnston – Is And Always Was
• 13. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
• 12. Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band – Outer South
• 11. Dashboard Confessional – Alter The Ending
• 10. Ben Kweller – Changing Horses
• 09. Karen O & the Kids – Where The Wild Things Are (Original Soundtrack)
• 08. Regina Spektor – Far
• 07. Relient K – Forget And Not Slow Down
• 06. Andrew WK – 55 Cadillac
• 05. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
• 04. They Might Be Giants – Here Comes Science
• 03. Mastodon – Crack The Skye
• 02. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• 01. Eels – Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire

If you are interested in any of these releases, and happen to be in the New York City I would highly recommend checking at Permanent Records first. Marjorie, Ron, and Milli would be happy to help you find them, or anything you are looking for…and if they don’t have it they will try to order it(believe me I have them special order way too much for me). Customer service keeps people coming back, and this place definitely has it!

Permanent Records is located at
181 Franklin St
(between Green St & Huron St)
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
(718) 383-4083
website / twitter / facebook

If you are not in NYC maybe try an online music retailer ?

Links:

• more on Permanent Records here.
• more guest best of lists can be found here.

Thanks again to Permanent Records to contributing to the Great Pumpkins best of 2009 series and Happy Holidays!

Jamie from Group Tightener Records and Men & Women is next in my best of series.  Group Tightener is a label that I gained notice of earlier this year, and I had the pleasure of attending their un-official CMJ party at Monster Island (see videos of Best Coast at that show here).

Group Tightener Records has already released the Men & Women  LP (technically on War & Moon), and Best Coast’s Make You Mine 7″…and appears to have a big year in 2010 lined up. Upcoming releases include: Alex Bleeker & the Freaks, Fluffy Lumbers, Twin Lion, Fungi Girls, Cloud Nothings, Coasting, and a Forest Swords/High Wolf split.

Jamie from Group Tightener/ Men & Women’s Best of 2009:

real estate (band site/ album info)
- super great to see this band develop over the course of the year and release their awesome full length to cap it off.

rusko essential mix/joker purple wow sound mix (check it out here)
- in a year where i became pretty bored with dance music both of these artists pushed the envelope in different ways. joker laid down the buttery g-funk synths while rusko just went ape shit raving the fuck out – i picture this mix sound tracking some sort of intergalactic rodeo from the future…

salem (band site/ 7″ info)
- i think i subconsciously figured out why this band resonates with me so much the other night when i was talking to somebody about listening to music when i was younger. i was basically obsessed with 90s rap and grunge-y guitar music and this group meets 11 year old me in the middle. they only released three 7″s (and one of them had one song and was only in japan or something) this year and played like 2 live shows where they basically just smoked ciggs and looked at the ground while sketchy vhs tapes of drunk drivers played behind them, but for some reason all of that made sense.

brilliant colors (band site/ album info)
- even though i grew up in the northwest and went to college in olympia i was never all that into all the riot grrl bands to be honest. and truth be told out i wasn’t much into the first couple 7″s these ladies put out but that’s what made their full length that much more enjoyable to me.

wavves (band site / album info)
- my favorite shit all year was when i’d read people say stuff like ‘well it COULD be good but it just sounds like shit’ sorry that’s the point people – yeah, he may have had a limited range of recording options but it was definitely an aesthetic decision and i personally thought it ruled.

girls (band site / album info)
- this has been a pretty rough year for me personally and for some reason this album came around at the right time and made perfect sense to me. when i hear these songs later on in life i’m sure that, along with real estate, i’ll associate them with this time period. nostalgia in the making.

tim & eric awesome show great job (website)
- still the funniest and most forward thinking comedy around. this show has changed the way i think about all media. sort of like psychedelics -  i’ll never be the same.

fresh and onlys (band website / record info)
- they released two full lengths this year, and while i definitely think they would have gotten a stronger response if they edited both of them down to just one LP i’m never mad at listening to more music. some GREAT songs.

high wolf (band site / album info)
- along with ducktails, the high wolf tapes i was able to get my hands on were the best of the experimental/psychedelic stuff i heard this year. it encompasses everything i liked about early animal collective way before avey tare started yelling in my face. but beyond all those comparisons you can tell that he isn’t just fucking around and seeing what sticks – he is truly in the zone. excited to be putting out some of his first stuff on vinyl next year…

woods (band site / album info)
- this band really came into their own this year also. full length was awesome, 7″ was awesome, live radio record was surprisingly sophisticated and the live show just keeps getting better and better.

other stuff: ganglians – blood on the sand 7″, moon duo, memory tapes – bicycle, gary war, fever ray, blank dogs/dum dum girls/mayfair set, atlas sound, kurt vile, animal collective lp

7″ that should have happened: cold cave ‘life magazine/heaven was full’

Links:

• Group Tightener blog / twitter / myspace
• more on Group Tightener Records here.
• more on Best Coast here.
• more on Cloud Nothings here.
• more best of 2009 guest contributions can be found here.

thanks again to Jamie for contributing a best of list.  I look forward to the Group Tightener Releases to come, and ya’ll know I’m loving Cloud Nothings (I can’t wait for that 12″)!

“if some of these are 2008, you can make a denotation that we are stupid, lazy idiots” –Jaill

As far as I’m concerned I don’t care what year things came out…I just wanted to know what people loved this year.

If you haven’t heard There’s No Sky (Oh My My) I highly recommend it, and while were on that topic here is a track from the album:

[mp3] Jaill- “No Mindless Love”

Buy There’s No Sky (Oh My My) directly from Jaill here.  This version is a limited vinyl pressing with new stenciled and spray painted cover, each one-of-a-kind color patterns.  Get one while you can! And be on the look out for their debut Sup Pop release!

A big Thank You to Jaill for contributing a best of list to the Great Pumpkin!

• more on Jaill can be found here.
• many more are contributing best of lists too…those can be found here when they go up.