The 25 Best Shows of 2009
My goal had been to catch 365 live performances in 2009. I'm going to fall just short. That's still a lot of music. Here's the top seven percent.
1. Nas and Damian Marley- Beaumont Club (Same show footage.)
2. Leonard Cohen- Midland Theater (Same show footage.)
3. Esperanza Spalding- Folly Theater (Performance at The White House.)
4. Steve Coleman- Blue Room (Different show.)
5. AC/DC- Sprint Center (Same show footage.)
6. Solange- VooDoo Lounge (On Jools Holland's show.)
7. Mastodon- Uptown Theater (Same show footage.)
8. People's Liberation Big Band- Pistol Social Club (Different show.)
9. Fito Olivares- Crown Center (Different show.)
10. James Christos- Riot Room (Same show footage.)
11. Unearth- Beaumont Club (Different show.)
12. Kris Kristofferson- Uptown Theater (Different show.)
13. Mars Volta- Midland Theater (Same show footage.)
14. Tony Bennett- Midland Theater (Different show.)
15. Blind Pilot- Record Bar (Same show footage.)
16. Lil Wayne- Sprint Center (Same show footage.)
17. The Pogues- The Midland (Same show footage.)
18. Slipknot- Sprint Center (Same show footage.)
19. Cannibal Corpse- Sandstone (Same show footage.)
20. Afinidad- Folly Theater (Incredibly, no video of any kind exists.)
21. Karrin Allyson- Jardine's (Performance at Montreux.)
22. Katie Herzig- Crosstown Station (Different show.)
23. Tech N9ne- Independence Events Center (Same show footage.)
24. Aterciopelados- Beaumont Club (Different show.)
25. Hearts of Darkness- Crosstown Station (Different show.)
The 25 Best Albums of 2009
I also recommend taking a peak at the lists of dozens of Kansas City-area music fans that are compiled at Back To Rockville.
1. Maxwell- BLACKsummers'night
This is the album I hoped Michael would make.
2. P.O.S.- Never Better
A supremely intelligent genre-defying opus.
3. Ron Ron- Skitzofrinik
Kansas City's hip hop scene is on fire. This inventive concept album is simultaneously hilarious and harrowing.
4. Green Day- 21st Century Breakdown
The intersection of punk rock and classic rock.
5. Joe Lovano- Folk Art
Clever and soulful jazz.
6. Cecilia Bartoli- Sacrificium
Underneath the creepiest of concepts lies ravishing music.
7. Steddy P- Style Like Mind
As if Chuck D was born in Kansas City and raised on Tech N9ne.
8. Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
A rose with toxic thorns.
9. Graciela Beltran- La Reina de la Banda
I listened to this album more than any other in 2009. It makes me happy.
10. The Life and Times- Tragic Boogie
The Flaming Lips meet Sonic Youth.
11. Heartless Bastards- The Mountain
Industrial blues.
12. Diverse- Diverse
A throwback to a time when mainstream jazz wasn't self-conscious and insular.
13. Jay-Z- The Blueprint 3
Egotism is attractive.
14. Mac Lethal- Love Potion 5
My neighbor sure is cranky lately.
15. We Were Promised Jet Packs- We Were Promised Jet Packs
Like an agoraphobic Arctic Monkeys.
16. Sugarland- Live On the Inside
Captured in their native habitat.
17. Krizz Kaliko- Genius
Out of Tech N9ne's shadow.
18. XV- Everybody Is Nobody
May become the biggest thing out of Kansas since Dorothy.
19. Speech Debelle- Speech Therapy
Refreshing.
20. Mike Farris- Shout!
I didn't see this one coming.
21. Lee Barber- Thief and Rescue
The Tom Waits of Texas.
22. Kid Cudi- Man On the Moon
Lonely loner.
23. Eilen Jewell- Sea of Tears
Woman out of time.
24. Sachal Vasandani- We Move
A crooner for the new millennium.
25. Jon Hassell- Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In the Street
And it looks good naked.
The 25 Best Songs of 2009
When it comes to singles, I'm truly a man of the people.
1. George Strait- Living For the Night (YouTube)
I've had better years.
2. Kid Cudi- Day 'n' Night (YouTube)
State of the art.
3. Miley Cyrus- Party in The U.S.A. (YouTube)
Like yeah.
4. Jay-Z- D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) (YouTube)
Moment of silence.
5. Soulja Boy- Turn My Swag On (YouTube)
What? Why are you looking at me like that?
6. Lily Allen- The Fear (YouTube)
The zeitgeist in 3:26.
7. The Lonely Island- I'm On a Boat (YouTube)
It never gets old.
8. Regina Spektor- Laughing With (YouTube)
Sobering.
9. Jamey Johnson- High Cost of Living (YouTube)
Waylon lives!
10. Rick Ross- Maybach Music 2 (YouTube)
Even funnier than "I'm On a Boat" and all the better for it.
11. Dirty Projectors- Stillness Is the Move (YouTube)
The cool kids got one right.
12. New Boyz- You're a Jerk (YouTube)
I know.
13. Major Lazer- Hold the Line (YouTube)
Ridiculous.
14. Anthony Hamilton- The Point of It All (YouTube)
Old school.
15. Noisettes- Never Forget You (YouTube)
I'm a sucker for this faux-soul formula.
16. Sick Puppies- You're Going Down (YouTube)
Bring the pain.
17. Dave Matthews Band- Why I Am (YouTube)
A surprising blast of soul.
18. Taking Back Sunday- Sink Into Me (YouTube)
Hey! Hey! Hey!
19. Beyonce- Halo (YouTube)
I surrender.
20. Manchester Orchestra- I've Got Friends (YouTube)
God is great, beer is good and people are crazy. Oh wait- wrong song.
21. Ghostface Killah- Baby (YouTube)
One of the weirdest songs ever.
22. Slaughterhouse- The One (YouTube)
Supergroup sleaze.
23. Melanie Fiona- It Kills Me (YouTube)
Massive.
24. Darius Rucker- Alright (YouTube)
Making the best of it.
25. GS Boyz- Stanky Legg (YouTube)
I can't do it.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
2 comments:
that maxwell album falls into my top 5 albums as well. brilliant soul record.
Yes sir.
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