2009? More like 200bust

This year was not too great for punk. I found myself quite disappointed with most punk releases this year. Maybe my expectations were too high. I doubt it though. Get ready for some pop.

Notables:

• Paramore - Bright New Eyes. First and foremost, fuck y'all. I'll put up whatever I want. This shit is catchy as hell.
• Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You. A fantastic follow up to her great debut album Alright, Still. Unconventional lyrics and a very airy sound for a pop star.
• Cold Cave - Love Comes Close. I saw this group not too long ago and I thought I'd hate it. I was so wrong. Although I was the only person not dancing (of course I wasn't dancing. That's what the third X is about), I loved every second of their set.
• Gucci Mane - The State Vs. Radric Davis. Top 40 rap at its best or worst depending on how you look at it. The first track is a serious banguh.
• Cult Ritual LP. I encourage everyone to go a couple posts back and look at Adam get called a Cult Ritual dick rider. Hilarious.
  

On to the meat:



10. Trapped Under Ice - Secrets Of The World

The first five tracks are quick, hard, and bro-as-fuck (should've stayed Gemini and not The Gemini). As 95% of hardcore LPs go, should've been a 7". Wignorance everywhere.




9. Lady Gaga - The Fame

Technically this is 2008, but it didn't catch fire until 2009 and the deluxe edition that has the best tracks back to back to back to back to back came out in 2009. Just dance, it'll be okay.



8. Tegan and Sara - Sainthood

They don't stop. Third album in a row that doesn't really have a song that doesn't hook you like a catfish.



7. Nomos - Demo

I really don't get why this band is grouped with the hip hardcore crowd. This shit is short and sweet straight hardcore. It's a bummer that I only saw them once during my month long stay in New York.

Download Here



6. Lil Wayne - No Ceilings

I was referred to this mixtape after I posted The Dedication 2. Ever since then this hasn't been too far from my ears, much to my last.fm's dismay.

Download Here



5. The Ambulars - Summer Of The Ambulars

Let's add to the hype. This band is fucking great. They take their collective love for Alkaline Trio (the clavicle cover was great) and go places with it. Stoked for the new line up and more shows in 2010. Andy bangs the drums damn well.

Download Here
Get this in your hands by emailing michaeldcantor@gmail.com



4. The-Dream - Love Vs. Money

Terius Youngdell Nash is a force to be reckoned with. His lyrics dominate the pop world. This album has a slight lull in the middle, but opens and closes perfectly. Still jocks Prince, but definitely does his own thing. The song "Fancy" is definitely the song of the year. The beat is flawless.



3. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. 2

Holy Shit! When I heard he was doing a sequel to my favorite hip-hop album ever, I was really worried. He had put out shit since the first Cuban Linx, so who would've thought he would come out with an instant classic? Not a single song on this is bad. Jadakiss and Styles P probably have the best verses of their fucking awful careers. Get this shit or die.



2. Turboslut/Pygmy Lush Split LP

Really, Catherine? Just Turboslut's side? Pygmy Lush's side massacre's Turboslut's side. PL is the only post-pg.99 that I have ever really enjoyed. Mount Hope was perfect and their side of this split takes it a notch. PL's schtick is that they have soft songs and then fast, hard songs. Normally, this is a terrible formula because the band is simply not in touch with one or both of the genres they are attempting to do and then inevitably mixing the two and making a big mass of recorded garbage. The Lush boys just don't do that. Their hard shit is in the vein of pg. 99's fast non-clappy stuff. Their soft stuff (my fav) is just incredible. I don't even know what to call it. They invented their own sound during Bitter River and have perfected it with their last two releases. The best damn track on this whole release is "Affluence At The Altar," PL's grunge-ish song. It rules.

Turboslut was awesome. I know it was made for the ladies, but I enjoyed it anyway. I really think if the adult contemporary [read: hip] hardcore crowd wasn't such a dudefest (not unlike all other hardcore) that this band would've taken off more then they did. Slower and better then their first jam.

Can you tell which side I like more?



1. Slices - Self Titled 7" [16oh]

It's fucking perfect. There isn't a single bad thing about this 7". Speechless. I'm so bummed I missed them when they came to DC. Poor planning on my part and it took Adam fucking forever to get out of his room and onto the bus.

Download Here



Punk really disappointed me this year. I wasn't into P.S. Eliot's new jam and Cheeky's What The Heck 12" left me completely unfulfilled. However, I did really love the shows this year. I saw EyeHateGod on a booze cruise. I saw Life Of Agony play River Runs Red in it's entirety. And this year will be no different. Seeing EyeHateGod again and road tripping with people I love to Atlanta and seeing Floor. And Timber is back together. Fuck yes.

Sorry about the lack of links. Since most of my list is pop, we run the risk of getting this operation shut down if we post the links. And some people don't want their entire releases up for free. I'm sure youins are smart and already know that if you type "site:mediafire.com [name]" into google that you can find basically anything you want.

Hey punk. Get your weight up.

-Trey