The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
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All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
December 29, 2009
New CD Album Releases, 12-29-2009: Steve Martin, Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, Flaming Lips There's obviously not much in the way of new releases this last week of the year, so this list is basically constituted of what were supposed to be the big albums of the year. Looking over this list, I'm way less than impressed.
I've heard exactly ONE new 2009 album worth the bother, Steve Martin's bluegrass album The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. That's an outstanding piece of work, worth spending money on.
Other than that, I will note that I have of course not heard everything that came out in 2009, and that I should probably particularly give a listen to the Allen Toussaint album. But not much of what I've heard of 2009 releases has made much impression on me.
And, unfortunately, I must blow an emphatic raspberry at my beloved Flaming Lips for the near to worthless Embryonic. The authors of "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton" and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" could not come up with even one real song. This is just crappy electronic noise. Might as well try convincing yourself that John Lennon's Two Virgins album was music.
Oh well, maybe 2010 will bring great things.
Here's a list of the most recognized 2009 releases:
Steve Martin The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo Rounder/UMGD Bluegrass
Matias Aguayo Ay Ay Ay Left-Field House, Club/Dance, House, Experimental Techno, Techno
Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You Contemporary Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion Alternative/Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Antipop Consortium Fluorescent Black Underground Rap
Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Punk Blues, Garage Punk
Baroness Blue Record Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Post-Hardcore, Alternative/Indie Rock
Bibio Ambivalence Avenue Indie Electronic, Alternative/Indie Rock, Post-Rock
The Black Crowes Before the Frost/Until the Freeze American Trad Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
Bill Callahan Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Brandi Carlile Give Up the Ghost Alternative/Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Julian Casablancas Phrazes for the Young New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Neko Case Middle Cyclone Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Rosanne Cash The List Neo-Traditionalist Country, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Country
Jarvis Cocker Further Complications Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Dalek Gutter Tactics Left-Field Hip-Hop, Alternative Rap
Dallas Wind Symphony Lincolnshire Posy: Music for band by Percy Grainger Reference Recordings Modern Music for Band
Dam-Funk Toeachizown Contemporary R&B, Funk
The Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca Alternative/Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Indie Rock, Experimental Rock
Drake So Far Gone [Explicit] Pop-Rap, Contemporary R&B, Hardcore Rap, Southern Rap
The-Dream Love vs Money Contemporary R&B, Pop
Bob Dylan Together Through Life Album Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
Fever Ray Fever Ray Indie Electronic, Alternative/Indie Rock, IDM
The Fiery Furnaces I'm Going Away Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock
Flaming Lips Embryonic Noise Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Pop/Rock, Experimental Rock
Jan Garbarek Group Dresden: In Concert Continental Jazz, Modern Creative, Spiritual
Girls Album Indie Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock
Green Day 21st Century Breakdown Alternative/Indie Rock, Punk-Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Punk Revival, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest Alternative/Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock
Paul Hillier David Lang: The Little Match Girl Passion Harmonia MundiContemporary Choral Music
Hudson Mohawke Butter Left-Field Hip-Hop, IDM
Shafiq Husayn Shafiq En' A-Free-Ka Left-Field Hip-Hop, Contemporary R&B
Japandroids Post-Nothing Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Noise-Rock
Norah Jones The Fall Alternative/Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of Day Left-Field Hip-Hop, Underground Rap, Alternative Rap
King Midas Sound Waiting for You Experimental Dub
Kronos Quartet Floodplain Nonesuch Records Contemporary Chamber Music
La Roux La Roux Dance-Pop, Pop
Lady Gaga The Fame Monster Pop, Dance-Pop, Urban
Miranda Lambert Revolution Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Sondre Lerche Heartbeat Radio Indie Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Little Boots Hands Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Dance, Dance-Pop
Madness The Liberty of Norton Folgate Contemporary Pop/Rock
Major Lazer Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do Dancehall, Ragga, Club/Dance
Manic Street Preachers Journal for Plague Lovers Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Jun Markl Messiaen: Poemes pour Mi; Les offrandes oubliees; Un sourire NaxosModern Orchestral & Vocal Music
Mastodon Crack the Skye Post-Hardcore, Alternative/Indie Rock, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
Mika The Boy Who Knew Too Much Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Mos Def The Ecstatic Underground Rap, East Coast Rap, Alternative Rap, Political Rap
Os Mutantes Haih...Ou Amortecedor... Brazilian Traditions, Brazilian Pop, MPB
Maki Namekawa Philip Glass: Piano Music Orange Mountain MusicComtemporary Piano Music
Neon Indian Psychic Chasms Indie Electronic, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Club/Dance
David "Fathead" Newman The Blessing Mainstream Jazz, Jazz Blues, Saxophone Jazz, Jazz Instrument
Brad Paisley American Saturday Night Contemporary Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country
Pelican What We All Come to Need Alternative/Indie Rock, Post-Rock, Heavy Metal, Instrumental Rock
Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Dance
A Place to Bury Strangers Exploding Head Noise Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Shoegaze
Roberto Juan Rodriguez The First Basket Cuban Traditions, Jewish Music, Avant-Garde Jazz, Hebrew, Son, Rumba, Klezmer, Latin Folk, Mambo, New York Salsa, Salsa, World Fusion
St. Vincent Actor Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Shakira She Wolf Pop, Latin Pop, Club/Dance, Urban, Dance-Pop
Sonic Youth The Eternal Alternative/Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Rock
Sunn 0))) Monoliths & Dimensions Doom Metal, Alternative/Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Noise, Experimental, Heavy Metal
Super Furry Animals Dark Days/Light Years Alternative/Indie Rock, Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Pop
The Swell Season Strict Joy Alternative/Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
David Sylvian Manafon Art Rock, Experimental
Tanya Morgan Brooklynati Underground Rap
Them Crooked Vultures Them Crooked Vultures
Allen Toussaint The Bright Mississippi New Orleans Jazz Revival, Post-Bop
Various Artists 5 Years of Hyperdub Dubstep, Garage, Club/Dance
Moritz von Oswald Trio Vertical Ascent Minimal Techno, Experimental, Techno, Ambient Techno
