2009 Top 10 Tag Team: Bill Lohr & Corey Mack
Posted 12/28/2009 06:34AM by Rick Gebhardt as Top 10
Bill Lohr's Top 10:
It’s that time of year again. Ugly sweaters, shitty cookies, disgusting eggnog and a bunch of extended family members you hardly know that all smell funny. Here at Decoy, the family is pretty much the same, we hardly know each other and I’m pretty sure some of us have an odor only a few scientists can figure out. For the most part though, we all get along, except when the end of the year rolls around. We like to do a “Top Ten” list and then rip each other apart on the choices we made for the year. Well, this year is no different…so here is my ever so eclectic list. OH! And Mr. Gebhardt… this entire Top Ten is dedicated to you buddy.
1. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
People can talk and say all they want but when it comes to talent this band has it all. After suffering the loss of one of their founding members, LeRoi Moore, no one was certain about the future of this band. But, as always, DMB got back on their feet and released what could be one of their best albums to date. Big Whiskey…takes the sounds of old DMB and adds a hint of the new without straying too far from the sound fans first fell in love with.
2. Slayer - World Painted Blood
Just go buy this album, seriously.
3. Converge - Axe To Fall
Jacob Bannon might be one of the craziest dudes alive. This album sounds like a war from start to finish. Simply Amazing.
4. Isis - Wavering Radiant
Beautiful, heavy and near perfect. Isis have outdone themselves yet again, my friends.
5. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster - III
Dallas Taylor further solidifies the fact that Maylene is not here to be considered an Underoath afterthought. Amazing album.
6. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
Retiring and returning to the game more times than Michael Jordan, Jay-Z’s knows what it takes to please the listening audience. The Blueprint 3 has more hits than Babe Ruth and will go down in the history books as one of his best in my opinion.
7. Eminem - Relapse
Slim has completely lost his mind on this one. No holds barred hip hop. Excellent album.
8. Kids Like Us - The Game
KLU are something else. They’ve been playing hardcore for quite a while but never really got the recognition they deserve. The Game is completely different from anything they have released before. It’s got a southern flare to it and it is probably the heaviest album they have yet to release. If you like hardcore, buy this album now.
9. Blackhole - Dead Hearts
Stepping out of the shadows of his older brother Frank (lead singer of Gallows), Richard Carter takes his band of not so merry men and leads them through the frontlines of UK punk hardcore. Not many people know of these guys yet but trust me, they soon will.
10. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II
Keeping the WU flavor alive, The Chef cooked up a follow up to his 1995 cult classic Only Built For Cuban Linx… Raekwon is definitely back in the game with this release.
Honorable Mentions:
Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
Clutch - Strange Cousins from the West
Propagandhi - Supporting Caste
A Day To Remember - Homesick
Corey Mack's Top 10:
1. Converge - Axe To Fall
This band can do no wrong, like a fine wine getting better with age. The songs are tighter and even more chaotic.
2. Wilco - Wilco
Jeff Tweedy and the gang have struck gold again. Forget all the naysayers calling the band, "dad rock." This cd is filled with inventive and awe inspiring guitar work from both Tweedy and Nels Cline.
3. Ben Kweller - Changing Horses
Incredible cd, Ben Kweller consistently creates memorable and hook filled albums.
4. Owen - New Leaves
Mike Kinsella continues to make interesting albums even thought they are all in his distinct monotone voice. I still continue to pick up his release because I expect a solid release and have not been let down yet. This time we find Owen equipped with more of a backup band that fills out his usually sparse landscapes.
5. fun. - Aim And Ignite
I highly enjoyed The Format and was kind of bummed when they called it quits. Nate Reuss's new band fun. is exactly how it sounds fun. It is a jaunty and pop filled cd.
6. Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Pretty much a mix of All We Know is Falling and Riot equals an overall enjoyable record.
7. Kevin Devine - Brother's Blood
Solid release from a great artist.
8. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
In an interesting twist, some of the best songs on this cd are not done by Mr. Oberst but rather his equally talented cohorts. This include Nik Frietas who is pretty genius in his own right.
9. Russian Circles - Geneva
Though this record is not as great as Station, it still shows the band has promise. Venturing out into the more spacious environments created a more atmospheric record. Which in turn grew on me over time.
10. Pelican - What We All Come to Need
This record is no The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw. With that said Pelican create an overall interesting cd. Pulling from the older catalog was a good thing and was the only thing that kept it in my cd player. Pelican are a really great band, they just need to rediscover what made their earlier albums so great. Or lose their drummer.....
Honorable Mentions:
Weatherbox - The Cosmic Drama
The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Worse Than Alone
Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen
Comments
Dubuque
Loved the Dave Matthews album, but didn't make it #1 for me. Did make it in the Top 10 though. How did you like the new Eminem album?
I do have to that Bill's and Corey's list are definitely all over the place (genres wise). Like it.
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Milwaukee, WI
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I do not think you will find another top 10 list with DMB and Slayer ranked as 1/2. That right there was a good enough start for me.
Obviously this stuff is all a matter of taste, but I really don't like the selections of Pelican or Russian Circles on Corey's list. Geneva is by far the worst release from Russian Circles and Pelican is so insanely boring I don't know how anyone can sit through the whole thing. If we are going with "post-metal" or harder post rock I think there are a lot of better choices from this year. Long Distance Calling, If These Trees Could Talk, Minsk, Isis and Caspian all off the top of my head. But to each their own, just throwing my two cents in.
read my reviews @useless randomness
My Top Picks of 2009
Minnesota
Yeah, gotta agree on the Russian Circles and Pelican choices. I was really scratching my head with those.
As for Bill's list... I'll refrain from commenting :-)
Somewhere in New York
With throwing my two cents in, reviewing Russian Circle's Geneva was one of the hardest things to do. I battled boredom and sleep so much while listening to that disc. I may have to respectfully disagree. And DMB at #1 Bill? It was good, but I guess in my opinion it wasn't that good. Corey, what did you like about Mama, I'm Swollen? Just curious.
"If someone gives you a kazoo and toots around the house to MTV, they're not gonna fuck you." - David Cross
Milwaukee, WI
I also thing having a top ten with two items (again, Russian Circles and Pelican) where in your reasoning you more or less say "this stuff isn't anywhere near as good as their other stuff, but....". It's like backing into your top ten. I personally think there is enough good stuff from any year where you don't have to "back in" to your top ten, if that makes any sense.
read my reviews @useless randomness
My Top Picks of 2009
Los Angeles
I am actually going to go back and find those releases that you talked about BobbyLight. Consider me uniformed in terms of good post rock this year. I kind of lost touch with that type of music. As for putting Russian Circles and Pelican on my list, I didn't really hate either release they just took time to grow on me. I am in agreement that they are lesser releases but still on long drives home where I need to space out they do the job fine.
Milwaukee, WI
I'd strongly recomend Long Distance Calling, If These Trees Could Talk and Caspian. I'd be surprised if you didn't like all three of those better than the two you finsihed your list off with.
read my reviews @useless randomness
My Top Picks of 2009
Los Angeles
I know a lot of people hated Mama, I'm Swollen but I found it to be a nice evolution of the band. They incorporated elements of Happy Hollow into a pretty decent record.
Los Angeles
I know it does seem contradictory in both of my opening sentences stating that I like the older stuff better but I still liked both of those releases. I think I should have mentioned that watching both bands perform the new songs live may have influenced my rating.
Hillsborough, NC
Glad to see some albums I've got on my list on these. Still don't see the hype about Converge. *runs*
Dubuque
You won't see Converge on my list.
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Lehigh Valley, PA
Andrew, I thought that this release was amazing. Back to the old sounds of DMB. Call it biased...I don't know, but I love DMB and this release gave me faith in the band again.
Rick...shut up. hahahaha.
As everyone can see, I have an eclectic taste in music. I personally feel that it's good to be like that. Granted, it's odd to see a DMB Slayer 1/2 combo, but at least you are not seeing a million "generic" hardcore bands back to back, which was expected from me since all I mainly write about on this site is hardcore.
Cory, I dig your top 10 dude, except for the Fun album, can't get into them. That Wilco release was awesome.
Lehigh Valley, PA
Los Angeles
Thanks Bill, it is cool to see people with varied musical interests. By the way I love this tag team idea.
Wilmington DE
Glad to see someone else hear that appreciates Wilco. They didn't make my top 10 but definitely my top 20.
Still a little shocked to see DMB on the top of any list here atDecoy...butheythis place is never predictable.
Listening to:
East of the Wall
Maps and Atlases
The Roots
Sunwrae
Dubuque
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Maine
Bill-
Love the list, minus the Jay-Z and Eminem selections. Surprised not to see Reign Supreme or TUI though.
Everyone on the dancefloor is doomed!
Lehigh Valley, PA
Maine
Yeah it was a big year and crowded field for hardcore, I see what you're saying. Huge kudos for your inclusion of Blackhole dude, awesome album.
Everyone on the dancefloor is doomed!