Neko Case

I don’t know how the rest of you are feeling, but the arrival of December hit me like a giant sack of alarm clocks, sending all those projects and to-do lists I’d put on the back burner into a rolling boil. As I’ve been scrambling to tie up loose ends and reflect a little on the past year—honestly, I was just getting used to it being 2009—I’ve compiled the following rather self-indulgent list of the earcandy that I’ve been gnawing on for the last 365 days or so. The significance of the number 9, if you were wondering, is not great—it merely reflects an aversion I have to even numbers (and thus, top 10 lists) and I felt it was appropriate, given that we are bidding farewell to the 9^th year of the new millennium.

1. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

From that long ago first listen to the song “Letter from an Occupant” I was struck by the force of nature that resides in Neko Case’s chest. And even more than my addiction to the delicious sugar-pop she creates with The New Pornographers, I’ve become hooked on her solo material which, laden with animal desire and natural imagery, is delivered in a dynamic voice whose power is unmatched in music today. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Neko’s 2007 release, blew me away and honestly deserves a spot among the top records of the decade. Needless to say, Middle Cyclone was highly anticipated by all, and it did not fail to deliver. From the glorious ruckus that is “People Got A Lotta Nerve” to the naked vulnerability of its title track, Middle Cyclone alternates between making me run through the house punching and twirling through the air and breaking my heart.

2. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

As much as the lyrical content of Camera Obscura’s newest album matches Tracyanne Campbell’s love-affair with all things melancholy, it also carries the joyous sonic qualities (ahhh those horns!) that I’ve come to love from this band. It’s the bittersweet juxtaposition of the shadows of life and the joie on My Maudlin Career that glues my finger to the repeat button. A beautiful rainbow sorbet of icy-sweet flavours, every track (well, almost every track—perhaps I’ll exclude a certain song about a boy whose name starts with a J) on this album is a favourite. I mean, it even makes my three-year-old niece do some elated prancing around the room.

3. Amy Millan – Masters of the Burial

Now, I must pause to mention that there is just something about Amy Millan’s voice that I will never get over. It posesses this spark that has the power to make one die a little inside and then subsequently be revived as though by a gulp of fresh air (if you really need a specific example please refer to Millan’s breathy line, “this scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin” from Stars’ “Your Ex-lover is Dead” and you will know what I am talking about). While a fan of her first solo release Honey from the Tombs, I feel like Masters of the Burial is a much more cohesive album; the gentleness of Amy’s song-writing style and her voice are the through-line that makes even her cover songs sound like originals. Directions: Listen when in need of lullabies to soften the ears and put the mind at ease. Best when enjoyed with tea and good company. And maybe some biscotti.

4. The Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

a)      Do you hear those sounds? Those are girls, singing.

b)      Why isn’t this band more famous?

While their debut release floated a bit off of my radar, Bitte Orca has me head over heels for the astonishing harmonies and poppy guitar riffs that are The Dirty Projectors’ specialty. Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of this band lies in how versatile they are, easily sliding from the bravado that is “Cannibal Resource” to the softer tones of Angel Deradoorian on “Two Doves”. I hereby mandate that it become part of everyone’s Saturday morning routine to blast a little of this sextet’s energetic sound through some big speakers. The world will be a better place for it.

5. Think About Life – Family

Without a doubt, Think About Life threw two of the craziest shows of my entire concert-going year. From these experiences I’ve learned that it is physically impossible to stand still while their ridiculously catchy retro-synth-dance-pop-whachamacallit tickles your eardrums. Every single track on their sophomore release, Family, screams DANCE! SING! ME-OWWW! Brought to you by a bunch of crazy geniuses from Montreal (yeah I know, something in the water), this is the album that will make even the blackest hearts love music again.

6. St. Vincent – Actor

St. Vincent a.k.a. Annie Clark a.k.a. Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens collaborator has created her own oeuvre of solo work that pairs songs of Disney-esque sweep with often times eerie reverb and mad guitar work. This style resulted in the brilliant collection of tracks that were released on her debut album Marry Me, and has spilled over onto her 2009 release of Actor. The dark imagery of Clark’s lyrics conveyed in her crystalline vocals is both chilling and addictive. I can’t tear my ears away.

7. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer

Even though Sunset Rubdown’s latest release came in the form of an 8-song EP, this little gem deserves a place on my top shelf because, to put it simply, it is awesome. Definitely going for quality over quantity on this one, I would venture to say that this is my favourite Sunset Rubdown album, ever. Containing one of the best songs of the year and Bucky Award nominee for best lyric, “Idiot Heart”, Dragonslayer is captivating from beginning to end, capturing all the elements of Sunset Rubdown that I most love and distilling them down to one perfect little package.

8. Dark Was the Night: A Red Hot Compilation

I’ve already broken the rules once by including an EP on my list, so there’s really no harm in also throwing in a shout-out to this amazing compilation, because it deserves it. I usually enjoy compilations for compilation sake—that is, I enjoy hearing new songs from certain artists, even if they aren’t hit singles or chart-toppers. Rarely does a compilation, however, manage to combine so many (two discs full!) of great artists’ tracks and be as unbelievably cohesive as Dark Was the Night is. Bravo to the guys at The Red Hot Organization for facilitating such great musical collaboration and harnessing pop culture in the fight against AIDS. Containing new favourites including, but not limited to, Feist and Ben Gibbard’s cover of “Train Song”, Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s “Big Red Machine” and The National’s “So Far Around the Bend” this album is all kinds of wonderful.

For more information on the The Red Hot Organization and its endeavours, visit http://www.redhot.org/

9. Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice

From pounding back insane amounts of coffee to lubricate the creative writing process, to having intense Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em-esque robot wars in alley ways (if you have no idea what I am talking about, please refer to the latest video accompaniments to Dan’s “The Indie Queens are Waiting” and “Robots”) to winning the XM Verge Award and storming CBC Radio 3’s Bucky awards, 2009 was a busy year for Vancouver native Dan Mangan. Still on tour, Dan is traipsing across the world in support of his sophomore effort, Nice, Nice, Very Nice. This album is like an old familiar blanket: it slips comfortably around the shoulders like it’s the most natural thing in the world. It might even have some of those electric heating pads for extra warmth. The chorus of “Robots,” a true chorus in that there are many voices singing the refrain, contains undoubtedly one of the best phrases of the year: “robots need love too, they want to be loved by you……”

And there you have it—a list of albums that makes me weak in the knees. Here’s to wishing for giant helpings of snow and big sounds in the New Year. Be kind to each other.

Peace,
Leah