[jhm731]

Sonny Rollins, Road Shows, Vol. 1
Kurt Elling, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and
Hartman
Melody Gardot, "My One And Only Thrill"
Joe Lovan Us Five,"Folk Art"
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, "Yesterdays"
The Monterey Quartet, "Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz"
Chris Potter, "Underground"
McCoy Tyner, "Solo: Live from San Francisco"
Van Morrison, "Astral Weeks Live"

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou

[Mike Nomad]

~

[konut]

The Beatles Remasters

[ctviggen]

I actually think "The Crane's Wife" is a bit lackluster compared to THOL and "Picaresque"

I think the opposite:  The Crane Wife is better than Picaresque, but The Hazards of Love is better than both.

[95Dyna]

The Beatles Remasters

Great choice, Konut.  I posted the Beethoven CD earlier but that was before I had a chance to listen to the Beatles remasters I received as a Christmas gift.  Having grown up with the Beatles, they came to America when I was 13, these new recordings are blowing me away.  I have the stereo recordings, have you heard the monos?

[Scottdazzle]

Buddy and Julie Miller - Written in Chalk
Along with the Levon Helm and Allen Toussaint albums, this one deserves some accolades. 

[Moon Doggy]

Buddy and Julie Miller - Written in Chalk
Along with the Levon Helm and Allen Toussaint albums, this one deserves some accolades.

+1  Buddy and Julie Miller don't just play Roots music... they are roots music. This could have easily been my no. 1 selection. The duo can connect with their audience emotionally. Superb!

[konut]

The Beatles Remasters

Great choice, Konut.  I posted the Beethoven CD earlier but that was before I had a chance to listen to the Beatles remasters I received as a Christmas gift.  Having grown up with the Beatles, they came to America when I was 13, these new recordings are blowing me away.  I have the stereo recordings, have you heard the monos?

I have not heard the monos. I grew up with the stereo versions, as my dad purchased a stereo in '62, so we got the stereo albums back then, and that is what I'm used to.

[SlushPuppy]

2009 was a very good year for me. I was able to add a lot of new stuff to my collection and was able to score some very collectible discs for ridiculously cheap prices. As far as new music goes, it was probably my second favorite since 2000. Last year being slightly better thanks to Goldfrapp, British Sea Power, and the Helio Sequence putting out some amazing music. This year started slow, but ended with one heck of a ride - with four of my top five released after August. As usual, there were a handful of releases that reviewers gushed over, but just left me scratching my head. Grizzly Bear was this years Vampire Weekend - IMHO. I love experimental music. My music library has many selections. But Grizzly Bear? Good grief..... Nuff' said. I just discovered my number one a few weeks ago and have already played it about 30 times. It's amazing. Just a drummer and a guitar player making distorted garage/post-punk songs that really gets my blood flowing. In the end that's what it's all about. Isn't it?



Best of 2009:
1. Japandroids - Post-Nothing
2. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
3. Steve Wilson - Insurgentes
4. Fanfarlo - Reservoir
5. Caspian - Tertia


Best reissue of 2009:
The Beatles stereo box set


Most overrated stinkbombs of 2009 (Pee-U!):
1. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
3. St. Vincent - Actor
4. The Decemberists - Hazards Of Love
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

[Phil A]

The Beatles Remasters

Great choice, Konut.  I posted the Beethoven CD earlier but that was before I had a chance to listen to the Beatles remasters I received as a Christmas gift.  Having grown up with the Beatles, they came to America when I was 13, these new recordings are blowing me away.  I have the stereo recordings, have you heard the monos?

I have not heard the monos. I grew up with the stereo versions, as my dad purchased a stereo in '62, so we got the stereo albums back then, and that is what I'm used to.

The monos were excellent.  I've only made it through 4 of the stereo ones so far.  When I bought the albums when they came out mono was usually a bit cheaper.  I remember going to the store and the new album releases were $1.59 in mono and $2.19 in stereo.  Since I had nothing but mono in the beginning and they were cheaper I would get those.  Of course I got used to the stereo mixes as I have not owned a turntable in about 25 years (although I still have the beat up copies of the Beatle albums - when I sold my albums they were not in condition to be worth anything for the records but probably more so for the covers).  When I get done I'll do a comparison on some things.  The way the early stereo ones were mixed (with vocals on one side and instruments in the other), I think the mono ones from memory definitely had more presence

[Laundrew]

Emilie Autumn tops my album list for 2009.

[sfraser]

Mishka

"Above the Bones"

Seldom does a CD come into the house that I, my wife and my 16 old daughter all endorse.

Here is the URL if you are interested . Recorded pretty good as well. Lots of dynamic range.

http://www.mishka.com/

[droht]

Thanks for this decal -- awesome disc!

[emac]

Will go completely electronic with my choices:

1.  Bop - Clear Your Mind.  Lovely minimal and glitchy electronics w/ ambient and drum & bass touches.
2.  Commix - FabricLive 44.  A journey through the current state of drum & bass in it's slower, more minimal glory.
3.  Various - Future Sound of Russia.  Drum & bass pretty much reinvigorated by a number of very talented Russian artists. 
4.  Chase & Status - More than Alot.  Fun and very varied drum & bass.  Bit more club oriented than the above albums, but fun to listen to.
5.  OB1 - Dream Dictionary.  Breaking the trend by putting a "gasp" trance album here.  But whereas I find most trance to get monotonous after the 2nd track, the OB1 tracks often include vocals, and a good electronic compositions.

Track of the year:
Instra:mental - Watching You.  Lovely, emotive drum & bass w/ a minimal tip.

[Jon L]

Emilie Autumn tops my album list for 2009.

HOLY CRAP!

How come I haven't heard of her before! 

Too bad the 2009 album is a few singles (still brilliant), but the 2006 "Opheliac" is blowing my mind 

[VOLKS]

I LOVE the Deluxe Edition

[Laundrew]

HOLY CRAP!

How come I haven't heard of her before! 

Too bad the 2009 album is a few singles (still brilliant), but the 2006 "Opheliac" is blowing my mind 

"Mad Girl" recorded live in the pictured CD is truly haunting - this is by far my favourite rendition. There is so much that lies beneath the surface of her lyrics...

Be well....