I kinda want to do what I did at the end of last year, but differently. Rather than make it part of my year-end list, I'll just go through all of the 2009 albums that I've been listening to in the order that I've acquired them.

So, no, I'm not naming the best albums of 2009 at the end of August. I'm just getting an early start on running through all of the 2009 albums I've been listening to so that I'll have time to do them all, and so that they'll be fresh on my mind when I write about them.

I had wanted to do this for each one immediately after listening to it, but I listened to this in the car yesterday morning and am just gonna try to remember my thoughts from that.



Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light (CD purchased 1/28/09)

I didn't immediately like I Am a Bird Now, but when it hit, it hit me pretty hard and left a big impression... for a little while. Once that wore off, I never really had a desire to hear it again, and unfortunately for this album, I don't think I've ever been able to hear it without feeling like I was "over" Antony and the Johnsons. This just doesn't really speak to me, and I don't find myself pulled into or wrapped up in his overwhelming melancholy the way I guess I would have to be for this album to really matter to me. "One Dove" is still the standout, I guess, and this time around I was sort of struck by how odd the incessant, fairly rapid drum pattern is underneath all that languid, nasal bawling. The song has a nice "rainy" feel to it because of that, I guess. The whole album has a sort of jazz-opera sophistication to the arrangements and stuff, but it's hard to bring myself to really care too much. I doubt I'll bother with whatever Antony does next.

(Edit) Rating: 4.5/10

I agree, completely. This was a bomb drop, that just didn't ignite for me. It just sat there, and never found a proper time or energy to wade through it. For all the amazing talent that is on IAABN, this just was a dropoff and had no discernible "grab me" parts to it.

I kind of liked this at first, but my skin crawls if I hear a few notes from it now.

brilliant album featuring some of the best material Antony has written imo (One Dove, Another World).

I really liked his debut album but I always had to be in the mood to want to hear it. I never had a moment where I felt like I was "over" Antony but I haven't had a mood to listen to him in a couple of years and figured I wouldn't bother with the new one until in one of those moods. Hasn't happened yet and I still haven't heard it.

This is how I feel. I liked it at first but good lord, I tried listening to it recently, and I felt sick to my stomach.

This nails it for me. Definitely have to be in the mood and that mood is quite rare. I liked his last album but don't need to hear more from him.

I had a love affair with I Am A Bird Now... but like everyone else (apparently) I reached a point where I couldn't muster the thought of listening to him again. I have zero interest in this new album. Have no regrets in having sold I Am A Bird Now. Thanks Antony, I enjoyed it while it lasted and wish you the best... but stay outta my stereo.

It made me kinda queasy from Note One. I almost feel validated that some early fans wound up there. I mean I'm not thrilled that I can "not like" something, but you know.

i pretty much only like one song of his (Fist) and this new one is boring

Skipping ahead a little because I don't want to listen to this one anymore:


themselves - theFREEhoudini Deluxe (emusic download - 5/29/09)

This album is currently at the bottom of the list of everything I've listened to from 2009. It has two major things working against it; 1)It's a "mixtape" called theFREEhoudini that is not, in fact, free, and 2)I think I'm getting pretty tired of Anticon, anyway. It also doesn't help that it just isn't very good at all, and that it sounds like a record of outtakes and rough ideas. A track here and there that might be suitable for public consumption, but it's mostly a bunch of sketches, brief cameos, and toss-offs. The cLOUDDEAD track is pretty weak, too, and it might be the main reason I wasted 20 (!) emusic credits (just prior to their announced pricing change) on this thing. Had it at least actually been free, it might get a pass, but it would still only be worth a couple of listens.

(Edit) Rating: 3/10

Agreed. That album is awful, and this is coming from someone who likes Anticon.

I somehow suspect I'm not going to have heard too many more that Drinky posts about.

I always thought that mixtapes were meant to be fillers anyway, and just released to keep the artist in the consciousness of the music consumer. I haven't heard an exceptional number of great mixtapes. I've been burned a few times.

As far as this release goes, I haven't heard it, but there isn't too much on anticon that I'm fiending for lately. I think the last thing I listened to was the release from Anathallo last year.

i like this thread. keep it going.

Indeed.

Thanks, guys!

It'll be slow and sporadic, but I'll keep it going.

Only because I consider Drinky to have similar musical tastes to mine, otherwise, this thread would be a cure for insomnia if someone like Radcliffe or Dumpjack started it.

And this post is evidence that no matter how much you may feign a new level of maturity, at heart you're still the same catty, repugnant little bitch you've always been.

OPA, you have the worst musical taste on the board. If you actually liked anything I did I'd flush my collection and probably fucking kill myself.

Plus you're Greek.

should i do this

Sure, why not?

Of course.

Which (for some reason) reminds me, I was gonna upload or link to one song from each album.

But I'm glad I skipped it for those two. I'll just do that for the ones I really like.

I listened to both of these albums once and deleted them...actually I couldn't make it through Themselves...so bad.