I know we've still got two weeks to go, but I've been thinking about music this year, and how it was mostly average. This is not to say that there wasn't anything awesome, just not enough of it.
The year started out fun with the Juno soundtrack. Strange mix of new and old stuff, but it worked so well together. Appropriately good music for a great movie.
The next big release for me was Supreme Beings of Leisure's 11i. I've been a big SBL fan since 1999 or whenever it was that their first record came out. The first one was pretty good, if somewhat repetitive, the second was better if a little too disco influenced, and this one was a total slam dunk. This is easily one of the most listenable albums I've bought in a very long time. It plays well as an album too, which is unfortunately rare these days. Especially on a drive, I can just get lost in it, start to finish.
It seems that the Blue Man Love just kept on coming, with the release of the live album for the Megastar tour (which came with the DVD of the performance, actually). I loved the album, and was surprised at how much Adrian Hartley grew on me as the female singer. It really captured the energy of the show. That said, I also think I'm done with Blue Man for awhile (recordings anyway) until they come up with some new material.
R.E.M. put out a pretty good album, Accelerate. The last one I bought from them was Monster like 14 years ago. Nothing they did in the mean time grabbed my attention at all. Good stuff, finally.
Bitter:Sweet did a second album and it's tons of fun. You've already heard "The Bomb" in TV commercials, trailers and apparently the opener of some show. It's not ground breaking, and it is totally derivative of certain styles, but very entertaining.
Portishead put out an album and nothing jumped out at me except the single "Machine Gun." The rest didn't hold my interest. Bummer.
I picked up the James live album, which I somehow never caught wind of when it came out a couple of years ago. Loved it. The live version of "Sound" reinforces it as one of my favorite songs ever.
Alanis put out an album, and it was largely forgettable. I gave it lots of chances, but it just never grabbed me. I don't think she's suffering or as sad/angry as she used to be. The result is less inspired music.
Nine Inch Nails did The Slip, and in a fuck-you to the record companies, Trent Reznor simply gave it away, because he could afford to. I didn't think much of it at first, but the more I listened, the more it felt like the great 90's stuff. "Letting You" makes you want to bounce off the walls and punch someone. Only not really, which is what makes it so clever.
While Imogen Heap has not yet finished her new album, she did do a remake of "Hide and Seek" for the Free Tibet album or whatever. I dig it. And her video blog is ridiculously interesting.
The other slam dunk this year, about on par for me with the SBL album, is Jem's Down to Earth. Absolutely fucking brilliant pop music. Because she's her own song writer who happens to like working with a variety of producers, she seems to come up with these rich ideas that turn out vastly different from each other. And yet, it's another album that listens remarkably well.
I'm still getting into Dido's new album. It's the most mellow thing she's done, and it doesn't have the electronic flavor of her previous two albums. I think that's OK, because I think it's her voice and lyrics that people are attracted to. Most people I suspect won't get it or will write it off quickly. The more I listen, the more I like it.
Keane's new album... gosh, I'm not even sure what to say. They've got a ridiculously talented group with a very unique sound. This new album tries so hard to emulate 80's pop-synth that it becomes distracting. I'm going to give it time, but so far it's hard to get into.
Britney has a pretty good single to start her new album. The rest of the songs sound similar. I'm on the fence about buying it. I doubt she'll ever top In The Zone which, manufactured or not, was one of the greatest pop albums of all time as far as I'm concerned.
You know what I can't stand? What is it with hip-hop and R&B and the various hybrid artists and that stupid fucking Cher "Believe" vocal effect from ten years ago? Who pushes off this Kanye shit as music, and why do people dig it?
I'm crossing my fingers for a more interesting 2009 in terms of music. Several great albums this year, but overall I was unenthused. I need a soundtrack for my life, dammit.