Bill's Top 15 + Albums of 2009

And with little fanfare here it is, my top 15 (and then some) albums of 2009. Making this list told me a few things about my musical tastes for this year. My musical tastes have evolved over the past several years, but pop punk is still far and away my favorite genre. Pop punk itself has also evolved like my music tastes. Most of the bands in that genre on this list incorporate bits of hardcore or other forms of music, bringing some new life into it. This year has also continued my love affair with pop music featuring female vocals. I am not sure how that started, but as long as they keep making catchy upbeat albums, I will continue to listen. The amount of country artsist on the list is really low, but that's because I really only like a few country artists and most of them didn't release anyting this year, or it just wasn't anything special (looking at you Miranda Lambert). I still listen to country radio more than any other type when in the car. I am sure those of you reading this will be unfamiliar with more than a few bands on the list, but please take a listen, you might find something you like (and if you do, tell me, I will most likely give you a link to download it) that you had never heard previously. I made sure to put a genre description before each link to give you a little heads up on what you might be hearing after clicking.

As always you can check out what music I have been listening to anytime you want by visiting my last.fm page.
http://www.last.fm/user/billcom6
(last.fm is a site that keeps track of the music you listen to)

In No Specific Order Here Are Those Also Receiving Votes...

Alestorm - Black Sails at Midnight (pirate metal)
Everytime I Die - New Junk Aesthetic (hardcore)
BoA - BoA (dance pop)
Tiffany Giardina - self titled (pop)
Broadway Calls - Good Views, Bad News (punk)
The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and Branches Below (metalcore)
Emery - ...In Shallow Seas We Sail (punk)
Farewell - Run it up the Flag Pole (pop punk)
Fireworks - All I Have to Offer is my Own Confusion (pop punk/hardcore)
Say Anything - self title (punk)
Saosin - In Search of Solid Ground (post hardcore)
Cartel - Cycles (pop punk)

And now onto the actual list

My Top 15 Albums of 2009

#15
All Time Low - Nothing Personal
pop punk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xJdHkQkBTo
ATL is probably the most popular up and coming pure pop punk band around, replacing Fall Out Boy who held that title for the last few years. Its not hard to see why. Girls think they are cute, and guys can relate their lyrics (and like going to shows for bands where the audience is full of cute girls). I didn't like this as much as their last album, but its still fun stuff.

#14
Dreadnoughts - Victory Square
punk/celtic rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_aqTKCLquo
I am putting this on the list because it is something a little different than everything else. They are a band that mixes celtic influences (and a little Russian IMO) into punk music. I always hear people asking if there are bands similar to Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys and when they ask that I scream DREADNOUGHTs. Because they are very similar to those two more popular bands yet barely anyone knows about them, which is a shame. There musicianship is just flat out outstanding, whether it is on a guitar, a fiddle, or whatever else they are using. They even have one purely instumental song, and another song without music, and I actually like both of them which is amazing because I usually can't stand instrumentals. Listening to this album just makes me want to grab a beer and start dancing around.

#13
Gloriana - Gloriana
country/pop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhEHjlsRQH4
I really have a thing for country groups that feature both female and male vocalists (Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland). Gloriana is the newest, and youngest, band to give that formula a try. The thing that impressed me the most with this album was that it in no way sounds like a debut. Everything about this album (music, lyrics, vocals) sound like they are from a group who has been together for like 20 years, it is really impressive. They were on tour with Taylor Swift for awhile and that makes sense. Their music has a lot in common with hers, and if they play their cards right they could even be as popular as her in the future, okay maybe not but they could be big. They did beat out Lady Gaga for the Best New Artist award at this year's Billboard Awards. I also can't forget to mention that both of the girls in Gloriana are really cute, which is a fact not lost on me at all.

#12
A Day to Remember - Homesick
metalcore/pop punk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd-lbg1QQ-Y
For those who don't listen to this kind of music, ADTR is probably the biggest band in the scene right now. The crowd they had a Warped Tour was by far the largest. Even though I like them I am not sure how they became this popular. I guess their mixed of harsh metalcore vocals and guitar riffs combined with their melodic choruses attract fans from both ends of the spectrum. Their latest album is more of them perfecting their sound. Harsh screaming followed up with a extremely catchy chorus sung in clear vocals, just asking to be sung along with at a concert. I have seem them live twice in the past year or so, and that was still not enough.

#11
Cout Your Blessings - Like Gum In Your Hair
pop punk/punk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldppUiJCQvw
When I first started listening to this album I put in on my playlist and thought, "Hey, this is pretty good." Then a week later I realized I hadn't listened to anything else, and was Okay with that fact. The lyrics on this album, like the title, are are a little tongue in cheek and cocky. This might be because it is their debut, and because of that, I can't wait to see what they release next.

#10
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
pop punk/rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH9A6tn_P6g
Paramore is probably the most popular band with a female lead singer out there right now. They are not my favorite, but they are close. This being their 3rd album they had built up a reasonably large fan base and with that comes high expectations. And lucky for them, they have met those expectations. This is an album for all of great pop punk songs with the subtle twist having a female vocalist (and lyrcisit) brings. My only complaint, like with most albums it seems, is too many slow songs, if every song was as fast and and upbeat as "Ignorance" this would have most likely cracked the top 5.

#9
Flyleaf - Memento Mori
rock/Christian rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbdCeWoEH1U
I have been waiting for this album for so long. Their debut album came out like 3 years ago before this one finally arrived. Flyleaf is another rock band with a female lead singer. I like Flyleaf more than Paramore because they are more of a rock band and seem less worried about appealing to 12 year old girls. People used to wonder if Flyleaf was a Christian band or not, well with this album they leave no doubts. Several songs feature them openly proclaiming their faith and I appreciate it.

#8
New Found Glory - Not Without a Fight
pop punk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1uWuwQGzlU (cool video, its part zombie movie)
NFG is probably my favorite band of all time. Though because of that (rightfully or wrongfully) I will never love anyting as much as their first few albums. Those were albums I listened to all the time in high school so they hold certain nostalgia for me. They have been putting out music I love for over 10 years, by far longer than anyone else on this list. So they are pros, they know what they are doing. They can write another song about girls and friends, but make it sound new and fresh. It pisses me off that kids in high school today that I see at shows don't name NGF as one of their favorite bands, because they are 5 times better than the crap they like better. NFG helped to perfect the modern pop punk style and are still some of the best at it.

#7
Carrie Underwood - Play On
pop/country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTH-PMNBv9g (but basically every song on this is really good)
Even though this is not that high on the list I really have nothing negative to say about this album. This is Carrie Underwood's 3rd album so you basically know what you are getting, which is a great mix of pop and country. The people who made this album knew what they were doing. This is so finely polished and produced to be a great pop album there are no real flaws. I only dislike one song on the album really (Temorary Home which for some reason was chose as the second single), and any of the songs could easily be a hit single. If you like pop music or country music, there is no reason not to listen to this. Plus she is probably the celebrity I have the biggest crush on.

#6
Demi Lovato - Here We Go Again
pop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWFWRLE1X3Q
I am in no way ashamed to admit that I am a huge Demi Lovato fan. Over the past 12 months she is my most listened to artist. If that puts me in the same category as 13 year old girls, then so be it. Her first album was one of my favs from 2008 and at first I didn't like this as much as that, but after more listens I think it has topped it. The song I linked to, Every Time You Lie, is seriously one of my favorite songs of the year, by anyone. For being so young she is really an impressive artist, writing almost all of her own music. There is a reason somebody like John Mayer worked with her on this album, because she is the real deal. I really should rent Camp Rock soon...

#5
BarlowGirl - Love & War
Christian rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTtENjxrmY8 (by far my favorite song ever from them)
BarlowGirl is a Christian pop rock band made up of 3 sisters. This is their most mature album. In past albums they seem like they worried about proving that they can rock with the boys, but they are not a hard rock band, so playing faster or harder does not really suit them. Instead on this album they explore new sounds and in the process find a sound that is their own. They also stake a claim with their beliefs with lyrics about abortion and what their faith their means to them. Most Christian artists shy away from controversial topics like that, but I am glad that BarlowGirl didn't because it has made them a better band. Can't wait to see what their next album sounds like.

#4
Selena Gomez & The Scene - Kiss N Tell
pop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_YR4dKArgo&feature=fvst
I wasn't that excited for this album's release. I only listened to it because Selena Gomez is best friends with Demi Lovato, and since I like Demi so much I figured I might as well give it a try. Good thing I did, because this album is so fun. Selena Gomez isn't the best singer, but I don't care, all the songs here are great, catchy, pop songs that would be great to dance to, and I loved every minute of it. When I say I like pop music, I mean I want stuff exactly like this.

#3
MC Lars - This Gigantic Robot Kills
nerdcore rap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTbwCsjN4Ek (perfectly describes all the hipster I see)
I would suspect that nobody reading this has really heard of nerdcore rap before. The best way I describe it is that it is rap about nerdy stuff (video games, computers, comic books, etc.) done by white guys. I liked nerdcore and MC Lars before this album, but this made me a hardcore fan. The ryhmes and lyrics on this are so smart and witty. It is also about stuff I can relate to, which something regular rap does not have for me. This album also mixes in other kinds of music, so its not just your regular hip hop beats the whole time. Check it out, it might suprise you.

#2
This Time Next Year - Road Maps and Heart Attacks
pop punk/hardcore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmCK59b0BQM
Well this album came out of nowhere. I had never really heard of this band before listening to it, but I am glad I know about them now. This is some more upbeat pop punk that I love so much. A little less pop that other groups but that is no problem. Catchy hooks about stuff that I could very easily connect with (friendship, relationships, etc.). It is music I can't wait to hear at a concert and scream the choruses with everybody else in the crowd.

#1
Set Your Goals - This Will Be the Death of Us
melodic hardcore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8Eb5jZu5UI
Here it is, my top album from 2009. A lot of magazines and websites had this as one of the most anticipated of the year before it came out, and its safe to say it succeeded in matching expecations. I liked SYG's previous album, but not to the extent that I thought I would love this one so much. This album just has such an energy to it. Like they were out to prove that they were good and they know what they are doing. Listening to it you can just feel that they love what they do and believe what they are saying. This album even has great guest vocalists (Hayley from Paramore and Chad from New Found Glory/Shai Hulud), something usually saved for rap music. This album is great and I know it took a lot of work from SYG to make it but I hope that "This Will Be the Death Of Us" is just a figure of speech and not literal...

And there is the list. Now to move onto all the stuff I am already missing from 2010.
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