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My favourite album of 2009 is “A Mountain is a Mouth”

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Why do we bother with lists? I think it has to do with taste, as if when we collectively choose the same items, it means we all have highly developed critical faculties. These days,  I see “best-of” lists as being pointless. Yes, there are “good” movies and “bad movies,” and “popular” doesn’t always equal good. Instead,  I’ve abandoned “best” for “favourite,” because things that make an album or record “good” goes way beyond the aesthetic qualities, and extends to how it interacts and influences life itself. Your life.

In some ways, it’s like the band “The Editors.” They’re not a great band, but there’s something in their spirit I connect with, and find  compelling. Critically I can’t defend everything they do, especially their new record, “In This Light and on This Evening,” which at times is downright embarrassing.

Or U2. Sure, some people loved the band when they were good (when they were teens/adults listening to half-decent music in the eighties), but a lot of people love the band now, despite Bono and co. being a dreadful foursome these days.

So here goes my theory:  if you are checking out the band on their “Blackberry” tour (or whatever it is), you may go and think it’s the greatest concert in years. I won’t disagree with your feelings (because doing that is pointless and stupid), because odds are it might be the only concert you have been to in years. But like I said, I have no qualms with anyone who enjoys U2 or Nickelback, because your thing is your thing and that’s cool.

And that’s why I like to stick with “Favourite.” Because in the age of the internet, all anyone needs to do is download a best-of list of whatever Pitchfork posts online, and BAM, they have “good taste.” Which is why there are so many frat boys at National concerts.

So anyways, here’s the list of albums I loved and listened to this year that were “new,” in 2009. If you haven’t heard of them, check out their myspace, or hit up a record store like Rotate This, Soundscapes or Sonic Boom in Toronto, and grab any of these albums. I’m kind of curious what I’ll go back and listen to 10 years from now (Hello, “Kid A” and “Things We Lost in the Fire”).

  1. “A Mountain is a Mouth” by Bruce Peninsula
  2. “In Deference to a Broken Back” by The Daredevil Christopher Wright
  3. “Merriweather Post Pavilion” by Animal Collective
  4. “Bitte Orca” by Dirty Projectors
  5. “Now I am Champion” by Sister Suvi
  6. “The Life of the World to Come” by Mountain Goats
  7. “Beware” by Bonnie “Prince” Billy
  8. “Dragonslayer” by Sunset Rubdown
  9. “Farm” by Dinosaur Jr.
  10. “Embryonic” by The Flaming Lips
  11. “Music for Men” by The Gossip
  12. “Begone Dull Care” by Junior Boys
  13. “Born on Flag Day” by Deer Tick
  14. “Heavy Ghost” by DM Stith
  15. “Potential Things” by Canaille
  16. “Gospel” by the Schomberg Fair
  17. “Phrazes for the Young” by Julian Casablancas
  18. “Pegatively Nositive” by Blankket
  19. “Mating Calls” by Eatoin Shrdlu
  20. “Other Truths” by Do Make Say Think

The last decade (2000-2009): Life and a list

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Ten years.

Ten years ago, I was halfway through my first year at Queen’s University in Kingston, making some of the best friends of my life and listening to some amazing music. One summer in British Columbia and two in Kingston later, I fell in love and graduated. Then I got engaged. After spending a depressing summer realizing I had no plans beyond university, I enrolled in the e-Journalism program at Loyalist College in Belleville. The instructors were amazing and inspiring, but most of the class were total petty jerks. I wrote for Tinymixtapes.com and interviewed the Arcade Fire in a parking lot outside Clark Hall Pub. I worked at Radioshack. Totally broke, I managed to “win” a trip to Abu Dhabi (with a pitstop in Amersterdam). I did an internship with CTV.ca news (never went back to Loyalist for graduation), got married, and earned a full-on job with the site. Moved into first Toronto apartment at Denison and Queen. Took first trip to Chicago.

Wrote for Wavelengthtoronto.com. Worked lots of afternoons. I put on 25 pounds. I finally settled in Toronto with Grace Toronto Church and again made more life-long friends. “So Wonderful” from the “Silver Speakers EP” gets played on CBCRadio3. I got off the afternoon shift, still working with CTV.ca. Moved to second apartment in Toronto on Danforth East. Record full-length “Streetlights and Stars” album in my bedroom. More tracks played on CBCRadio3. Lots of gigs. Take first trip to New York City. I’m diagnosed with chronic anxiety and put on another 25. Start taking Strattera. I started smoking heavily. Stopped taking Strattera. Buy TFC season tickets. Slowly work on paying off debt (unsuccessfully). Wife goes on sick leave. I put on another 30. Father-in-law passes away suddenly.

New workplace (same job) on Queen Street. Quit smoking. Silver Speakers perform at the Horseshoe Tavern. Begin to suffer most intense depression of my life. Start taking Wellbutrin. Quit drinking. Stop leading worship at Grace Toronto. Get treated for acute sleep apnea. Lost 20 pounds. Wife still sick. Still deep in school debt and wasting money on slick interior design objects. Eventual home ownership still looks unlikely, with baby plans also pushed back.

Overall, my outlook is far less hopeful and optimistic than 10 years ago, but I’m working on that.

And somewhere along the way in the last year I listened to a lot of music. Some of it life-changing, some not. A pile of old stuff (Smiths, Cure, Rolling Stones), and an even larger pile of new music that journeyed with me. Here’s the list of my favourite albums that for better or worse, will always remind me of this decade:

  • The ’59 Sound – The Gaslight Anthem
  • Set Yourself On Fire – Stars
  • Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams
  • Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
  • Seven Swans – Sufjan Stevens
  • Good News for People Who Love Bad News – Modest Mouse
  • Alligator – The National
  • Funeral – Arcade Fire
  • () – Sigur Ros
  • Is This It – The Strokes
  • The Life of the World to Come – The Mountain Goats
  • Control – Pedro the Lion
  • Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips
  • Transatlanticism – Death Cab for Cutie
  • Kid A – Radiohead
  • Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven – Godspeed You! Black Emperor
  • A Mountain is a Mouth – Bruce Peninsula
  • Things We Lost in the Fire – Low
  • Apologies to the Queen Mary – Wolf Parade
  • Turn on the Bright Lights – Interpol
  • Superwolf – Bonnie “Prince” Billy
  • In Deference to a Broken Back – Daredevil Christopher Wright
  • You Were Here – Sarah Harmer
  • No Cities Left – The Dears
  • Skyscraper National Park – Hayden
  • Mogwai – Rock Action
  • Mogwai – O Father My Father
  • Good Morning Beautiful – By Divine Right
  • Young Adults Against Suicide – Ninja High School
  • Double Suicide – Sandro Perri
  • Diableros – You Can’t Break the Strings on our Olympic Hearts
  • At the Drive In – Relationship of Command
  • Mars Volta – Deloused in the Comatorium
  • Final Fantasy – Has a Good Home

What Are the Best Canadian Albums Ever?

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“North by East West” posited the question, and here’s my own personal take, in no particular order:

(Keep in mind, I choose albums I actually listened to, are quintessentially Canadian, and I wouldn’t hesitate to put amongst the best albums, ever. So no cheesy can-pop (Alanis, the Hip), no Canadian-but-really-American albums (Neil Young, The Band), and nothing really post-2000s if I can help it (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Broken Social Scene).)

1. “The Ghosts that Haunt Me” (1991) by Crash Test Dummies

2. “Everything I Long For” (1995) by Hayden

3. “Sometimes I Cry” (1999) by Tricky Woo

4. “F#A#(infinity)” (1997) by Godspeed You Black Emperor!

5. “No Cities Left” (2003) by The Dears

6. “Limblifer” (1996) by Limblifter

7. “Five Hundred Pounds” (1993) by Big Sugar

8. “Scenery and Fish” (1996) by I Mother Earth

9. “Moving Pictures” (1981) by Rush

10. “Gordon” (1992) by Barenaked Ladies

Honourable mentions: “Silver” (1993) by Moist, “Waking up the Neighbours” (1991) by Bryan Adams, “Sudden Stop” by Colin James, “My Love is Bold” (1999) by Danko Jones, “Smile and Wave” (1997) by the Headstones, “Mad Mad World” (1991) by Tom Cochrane, “Five Days in July” (1993) by Blue Rodeo and “Radical Dudez” (2005) by Radical Dudez.

If you want to read more about these kinds of lists, there was a big book published a couple years ago, and Chart Magazine has done a pile of lists like this.