I Owe My Soul and Every Ounce of Social Credibility I Possess to Adam: Top Ten of 2009

"How quaint of you. What are you VH1?" This was the reaction that I was met with when telling a friend about having to compile a year-end list for ICDT. In truth, I felt a little hackneyed, or inauthentic writing this up. By January I can hardly remember any of the year's releases. This list does not represent the most artful, sincere, or necessarily worthy albums of 2009, but just those records that come December were still being played along side other releases from years past.

Notables:

Viper - Committing the Seven Deadly Sins CS

This debut cassette by the surreptitious "Viper" has been in my car tape deck since I received it in early January (much to the dismay of my friends and loved ones). Viper play a brand of UK inspired, Japanese d-beat to a tee. Probably because the bands members are hardened criminals, I've heard, that live somewhere in Upstate New York, or maybe Canada. Thematically wicked, lyrically horrifying (not in a good way), with wicked good parts. Catch them at Chaos in Tejas. But beware, these men should be considered dangerous.

Nomos - Demo (Deranged)

Dustheads wasn't really my thing so I was uncertain of what to expect from this band. I was shocked by this demo. It's great! Nomos is anti-trend biting unapologetic hardcore band made by unapologetic hardcore kids. In an age where hardcore seems to be ignoring the plea, "How much art can you take?" Nomos offer up punk music that still maintains it's ignorance (in terms of sound style), but is high-quality (in terms of lyrical content, and aesthetics, in my opinion.)

Cult Ritual - Self Titled LP (Youth Attack!)

I had expected that this record would make my top ten list originally, but ultimately held back. This is not because of a hype "backlash" or due to some pseudo-elitist contempt for the popular. This record deserves every ounce of praise that it has received since its release. I am putting the Cult Ritual LP on my notable list ultimately because it receives less play by me then the other records in my top ten. This is only because I find it difficult to listen to individual tracks without going through the entire record. It is a great album.

Aerosols - Self Titled LP (Youth Attack!)

What a ridiculous year for the YA imprint. Aerosols are at it again, with this eleven-minute hardcore onslaught. This band always surprises me. They are billed as degenerates, weirdos, and long-hairs but have an innate capacity to deliver timeless, hardcore gems that spin through my head for days. 100% hardcore hatred. Make jocks pay.

Slices - Self Titled 7" (160h)

Not groundbreaking, but certainly not lacking in originality, the Slices ST 7in rules. I don't really know where this sound of hardcore is coming from (historically speaking), but I love it. Sludgy, sometimes fast, degenerate vocals, etc.


And here is my top ten in no particular order:

Axolotl - Of Bonds in General CD-R

I have been sleeping on this artist for the past few years despite my admiration of the Not Not Fun label. Axolotl has done several releases on this cool vinyl and cassette brand, only one of which I have in my possession. The “Loci” imprint put out Of Bonds in General as a CD-R limited to 200, with plans for vinyl on the annoying Catsup Plate. If anyone actually owns a copy of this and is interested in parting with it let me know. Of Bonds in General is three masterfully executed noise tracks. The opening track begins with what sounds like the string section of a symphony tuning, and then builds into a discordant but beautiful lead of (electronic?) violin. Distorted, strangely syncopated electronic drums carry it. The second song gracefully moves between melodic static, and eerie, chirping rhythms. The third track is the same. All can properly evoke sadness, or joy.

Download Here

The Rival Mob - Raw Life LP

A strange Lockin’ Out release that FINALLY arrived in my mailbox yesterday. This includes re-recorded tracks from the band’s demo. The Rival Mob play hardcore that is underrepresented these days; it is hard but not for the sake of being hard, it is embittered but pointed, it sounds like a millennial Cro-mags. The bands' members are that group of Bostonians who apparently only play hardcore (DFJ, Doug Cho, etc.) Expect fat guitar riffs played incredibly fast with appropriate breakdowns. Favorite track is the ambiguously titled "RxCxBxSx". It is an incredible mid-tempo hardcore anthem (listen for DFJ's hidden, right hand power). Missed these guys at Edge Day while waiting for a friend to call and sneak me into the show in his bass drum. But, hey, an afternoon spent in a parking lot in Revere, MA is not one wasted.

Download Here
Buy Here

RVIVR -Life Moves 7"

I was just recently exposed to RVIVR (and for that matter, Shorebirds) and immediately fell into a kind of giddy spell because I love the over-the-top vocal styling of Matt Canino. Sometimes I'm late on arrival for stuff like this. I didn't really discover Latterman until just before their official break-up in 2007. I did a breeze through the Shorebirds material and then discovered RVIVR whom I love. It took me forever to hunt down a copy of the Life Moves 7" online but I finally found it in Razorcake distro. Another reason ICDT <3 style="font-style: italic;">Life Moves 7" is four tracks of high-quality melodic pop-punk with dual male/female vocals. RVIVR has great lyrics which fluctuate between introspective, and socially aware. "Plenty of Town" and "Scrooged" may be my two favorite songs of 2009. Enjoy!

Download Here

Masshysteri - Vår Del Av Stan LP

I never got to see the Vicious. Their records warmed on me after the band had broken up. Luckily for me there is Masshysteri, who released a 7" in 2008 and this amazing LP in 2009. Masshysteri do several Vicious covers live, and did so when they played with an amazing line-up at ABC No Rio last spring (Blank Stare, Antidote). Many of the other reviews I've read of this have called Vår Del Av Stan surf-punk or surf inspired but that has never really struck me. The guitar lead is loud in the mix with a heavy chorus effect on most of the songs but it just sounds like early punk to me. The whole album carries an almost mournful, and paranoid feeling. Excellent song writing. I wish I spoke Swedish, because the words on this record are sung so soulfully.

Download Here
Buy Here

Confines - Demo CS

This demo was posted already, but had to make my year end list. I haven't heard such hardcore in years and am excited for great things from this band. Confines is four hardcore stalwarts, and some of the best songwriters in the North East. They have composed an incredible demo, perhaps the most noteworthy hardcore of 2009 . As also noted by poster Catherine, they have the most dynamic vocals in the current hardcore cosmos.

Download Here

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Out of Noise

The Japanese transplant to New York, and master of minimalism was back in 2009 with what he does best, delivering twelve tracks of spacious instrumentals. My relationship with Sakamoto is love and hate. In all of his warm electronic composition there is a lot of gold, but also a lot of mind-numbingly bad genre-bending. The Vrioon LP with Alva Noto is my favorite Sakamoto record and Out of Noise comes pretty close as an album in quality. Lots of keys still, but also a greater variety of instrumentation, and electronic sounds. 8 out of 10.

Download Here

Salvation - Of Unforgiving Wind

In what might have been Youth Attack's "sleeper" release of 2009, Salvation's Of Unforgiving Wind has been on my record player with more consistency than any other record this year. Why? Of Unforgiving Wind is multifaceted. Different elements kept getting through to me as I listened to the album. At first, it was the rich and thick production. If you listen to this record enough you begin to pick out all the interesting guitar leads that sort of ride the top of the noise wave. And when it comes down to it, these are just supremely written songs. Of Unforgiving Wind is filled with anxious sounding stomp-ers, sassy rhythms, raw punk speed, and elements of what I think resembles early melodic hardcore (ala The Faith, at least in one track). Sorry all, no repress in the pipeline, to my knowledge.

Download Here

Merchandise- Terminal Jagger Jane's Addiction Boxset CS

It took me awhile to realize that there were more than two songs on this tape. After, "White Walls", the opening distorted vocals, engine gunning punk anthem, the other songs flow into each other seamlessly. Starting with "History Repeats (God Bows To The Past)" the three remaining tracks flow into each other as if they were one epic. This tape takes so many different twists and turns in volume and tempo that it was hard for me to keep track of the changes while listening to this tape over and over again in my car. One garage sounding punk song, and three epic testaments to the best of early 90s rock music make a bizarre, but ultimately redeeming listen.

Download Here

Weed Hounds - Demo

I still haven't had the chance to see this new New York band. Probably because they are from Long Island, and their itinerary for the comings months only includes two shows. I am disappointed because the Weed Hounds cassette was one of my favorite plays of this year. Here are four tracks of raw, dreamy pop music, over-driven just enough to make you feel like you haven't settled into soft, easy-listening adulthood.

Download Here

Social Circkle - City Shock

Don't know what to say about this band except that every release since U.S.S.A. has shown a vast improvement on the former. This album is packed with modern classics, and as a whole is very cohesive. More than any other No Way band Social Circkle represents the spirit of revival that this label is trying to accomplish. It's new, but obviously pays homage to the past. The sound is not trying to recover lost recording techniques or sound quality. "Out of Focus", "Under Suspicion", and "Third Shift" are some of my favorite tracks but its all good.

Download Here
Buy Here

-Colman