Best album of 2009?

[AJB32690]

Well, I was doing some thinking tonight while looking up live performances on youtube, and figured I'd ask around and get peoples personal opinions on which album they thought should be the top album of the year. Everytime I see lists pertaining to that, I always see the same mainstream pop bs. I'm looking for real bands. Real talent. Real people.

My pick:

Abney Park's "Aether Shanties."

Although the album has only been out for a couple of months, I'm still blown away by it. Abney Park is truly a great band, who deserves more recognition than what they get. Even after six albums, the band still sticks to their original sound, without selling out. They are honestly in it for the music and their fans. The music itself is so immensely complex, you find something different every time you listen. The album is a perfect blend of old and new. The odd instrumentation (Vocals, Darbuka, Accordian, Hamonica, Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitar, Violin, Mandolin, Bouzouki, Keyboard, and Trombone) somehow play in perfect harmony (Or disharmony, when applicable, lol) I suppose you need to understand the concept of "steampunk" to understand why the blend of old and new exists. The Victorian-era inspired melodies playing against a backdrop of modern synth, guitar and driving bass make this one hell of an album.


Well, that is both my opinion and reasoning. Let me hear what you guys have to say!

(P.S. I would've voted for Streetlight Manifesto's "99 Songs of Revolution" which was supposed to be released earlier this year, but is currently being withheld by Victory Records.)

(P.S.S. If any of this seems confusing or even rambling, I apologize in advance. I am quite tired, and will attempt to revise any problems tomorrow...)

[mycrors4]

not really an album, but i think
SOAD- The Forest Project is the song of 2009, it creates memories of their concerts and successes
(slight news from Daron from soad, my friend was hanging out with him the other day(he is a family friend) and Daron claimed the reunite of SOAD after serj's next solo album )

[texan_idiot25]

Take a kid who at age 12 could play Stevie Ray Vaughan like it's nothing:

YouTube Video

Let him stew in a band for the past three years. And you have Dalton Dunn of The Blue Threads. Kind of mash the power of Hendrix, SRV, Iggy Pop, Ramones, bit of funk, a dash of blues, and a hint of punk. Honestly it's a lot of what your top 40 rock stations are missing, good ol' high powered rock and roll! Even if they weren't friends of mine, I'd still be highly impress at what they can do. Solid, powerful sound with out being over the top or too congested. Dalton is beyond a talented guitarist, especially at a young age. Manages a clean sound that's always moving, always grooving, with a few licks thrown in here and there for good measure. And when he erupts into a solo, he goes.

YouTube Video

(3:10 here, but a good bluesy song of their 1st CD)

Last Friday was the most fun I've had a concert ever. The opening bands were top notch (Radio Ark is another to check out, great if you dig 80s metal guitar) but this was their strongest I've ever been to. They're forging they're own sound and played all original stuff. Crowd was stupid fun (most of the other bands came front stage to rock out too), and you can't beat a guitarist that will start a solo, and then jump into a mosh while still ripping it out. In fact, there's a lot he can do with a guitar that I can't say here A friend of mine brought some friends from his college and, and they were left with this "I've payed upwards of $80 for concert tickets and this is still better than anything I've been to. Including Vai, Lamb of God, Dream Theater..."

www.myspace.com/thebluethreads <- Leaves off some of their strongest songs, but I'll see what I can do to upload one of my favorites.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bluethreads2 <- Album review, track preview

Another good show case of guitar work, a cover of "rock me baby"

YouTube Video

These videos are fairly old, showing off much of their older sound and the band as a whole have massively improved. Some time I'll remember to get a video camera to their show. Words can't accurately describe how things are live. Another band like above, does this for the **** love of it, and continue to impress local Houston legends and others alike.