Finally the best of 2009

download the show here (unfortunately the first two releases are cut off please look them up anyways.

http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/168-TBA-20100108-0200-t1262916000.mp3
http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/165-TBA-20100108-0400-t1262923200.mp3
25. Punch-Punch : a late addition to the list. This could have been the new Striver records slot but this was much more vicious. It also plays with the thrashy hardcore sound more than your average band.
24. Her Breath on Glass-We Aimed Straight Down : really reminds me why I loved basement screamo in the earlier part of the decade. This is 1 part new recordings and 1 part live show. Best screamo record of the year.
23. Heartsounds- Until We Surrender : Former members of Light This City realize they’re a mediocre metal band and decide to do what they’re good at: writing fast, catchy, poppy hardcore. The girls voice also reminds me of Genevieve from Fifth Hour Hero.
22. Banner Pilot-Collapser : what this band has lost in speed, they have more than made up for with density (still fast though). I love that heavy base guitar sound that Banner Pilot and Off With Their Heads have almost patented at this point.
21. Thursday-Common Existence : I don’t think Thursday will ever again reach the greatness of Full Collapse, but this record goes into some very interesting directions. Case in point, download the song circuits in fever. It’s one of the best songs of the year and I would be thrilled if their next record was full of songs like it.
20. The Casting Out-go crazy, throw fireworks : This is the band Nathen Grey always should have fronted. I was privy to this one in November of 08 but it didn’t have a real release until 2009. Way better than Boy Sets Fire.
19. Prize Country-With Love : Excellent post hardcore. Think early Helmet mixed with later Snapcase and some Quicksand to garnish. Unfortunately all of the songs kind of run together. Otherwise it would be higher on the list.
18. Carry the Torch : A Tribute to Kid Dynamite : one of my favorite tribute records of all time. Most of the bands play it pretty straight, which I’d rather hear than a bunch of bands playing badly rearranged covers. The bands that do experiment a bit do really well. Especially Comadre and To the Lions. It also covers almost their entire discography.
17. Cheap Girls-My roaring 20’s : This is what emo should be. Fat ugly white guys singing slow songs about lost love and getting drunk. The second best emo record of the year.
16. Teenage Bottlerocket-They Came From the Shadows : driving Ramones style (and dare I say Ramones surpassing) punk rock and roll. This is a solid record the whole way through. They should just name their next record Catchy/Fast.
15. Marked Men-Ghosts : Simple but complex driving punk. I would live to see this band live. I’d imagine their fingers bleed they play with so much passion. I was worried that people would have forgotten this one on their best of lists since it came out so early in the year, but it has been well represented on all the punk review sites. Every time I listen to this I’m able to pick out another small nuance in the production that I like.
14. Propagandhi-Supporting Caste : It’s impossible to say you hate a propagandhi record. So I will only say I was disappointed by Potemkin City Limits. I’m not even sure why. Supporting Caste however is a return to form. That form being the head of Cthulu. That what I imagine their music would look like if it took form and started ravaging government buildings.
13. Wisdom in Chains-Everything You Know : You have to love an band that doesn’t have to remind you of how hard they are. You already know they’re hard. So they write songs about dogs and bullies, keeping the fun in tough guy hardcore.
12. Evening Rig-Is doin stuff : A perfect blend of Lucero, Limbeck, Replacements and Gin blossoms. There is not a music fan alive that can’t admit to loving two out of four of those. The others you have probably never heard.
11. Broadway Calls-Good News, Bad Views : If you’re an older guy like me, in 94 Greenday’s Dookie hit the airwaves so hard it changed my taste in music forever. The next month they played Joe Louis area for $10 tickets. I tried like hell so get some but they sold out in 7 minutes. I always imagine that seeing Greenday in a basement in the Kerplunk era would be similar to a Broadway Calls show. Basically I’m comparing Broadway Calls to early Greenday. So check them out in a small venue while you can. They have to potential to get huge.
10. Converge-Axe to Fall : Every time a Converge record comes out you don’t have to hope that it’s good. You just have to listen to it and get your mind blown by a sound more innovative than any other hardcore band has and will ever come up with.
9. C.Aarme-World Music : This was really hard to come by and I would not compile my list until I’d heard it. Almost dancy post everything. If I compared it to another band I’d be doing them an injustice. If you need some convincing before you seek it out than I just need to tell you they’re Swedish. And everyone knows all the best bands come from Sweden.
8. Lewd Acts-Black Eyes Blue : Suddenly these guys have become the hardcore band you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. This record is dark, angry and unpredictable. I feel a lot of influence from Cursed on this one.
7. Failures Union-In What Way : The best emo record of the year. It’s sad and fun at the same time. They are very similar to Cheap Girls in most ways except that their songs sound more important.
6. Burnt by the Sun-Heart of Darkness : In my opinion there is no band heavier than Burnt by the Sun. A return to form after the disappointing and experimental The Perfect is the Enemy of The Good. This is what every metal core band should strive to be, instead of trying to sound like every band on roadrunner.
5. Last Lights-No Past, No Present, No Future : This band was so pissed the singers head exploded. Literally. Of a brain aneurism after a show. I have a feeling this band could have had the same following that American Nightmare had in 2001. A really sad ending to a band with more potential for legendary hardcore status than 95% of new hardcore bands out there today. Also check out the other members new band Mountain Man. It’s in the same vein.
4. Hit the Switch-Observing Infinities : This band was royally screwed over by nitro records. They signed to the label right before the label decided to stop releasing records. Instead of hooking them up with another label they just released it for free online. This is their new record however. And it’s angry. It’s fast. It doesn’t take any shit. I would say if you miss the early day’s of Hopeless records, then this record is for you.
3. The Shook Ones-Unquotable AHM : The Shook Ones will always be compared to Kid Dynamite with good reason. And they’re unapologetic about it. On their new record they carve out their own path. Writing songs as good as Kid Dynamite ever did that are distinctly their own. If they toured full time they might one day be seen as the better band in the eyes of the punk rock gods.
2. Polar Bear Club-Chasing Hamburg : This was a toughie. I kept switching my number one release right up until I did my best of show. So you can almost say it’s half of the best record of the year. I love what the singer has been doing with his vocals. He runs from smooth melodic to deep gruff and back to a melodic harmony that gives me chills. No matter what style of music you’re into you should love this record
1. Set Your Goals-This Will Be the Death of Us : This is Set Your Goals’ Thicker Than Water. It won’t be remembered as their best release since their first record was also amazing, but they really upped everything: The speed, the melody, the bite (thanks to the members of Smartbomb they picked up). The songs really sound like they have importance to the world of hardcore. Also some really great guest spots. So sure Mutiny is the revelation and it will always have a place in my heart but This Will Be the Death of Us will never leave my car.