We did a staff poll of our favorite albums from 2009, here are our top 20.

Wind’s Poem echos a loud sonic force that Phil Elverum has never before been attempted on this scale. Phil’s introspective endeavors from the Microphones into Mount Eerie have always captured an ethereal essence this one brutally grabs hold of it

Everyone needs a few albums in their collection that they can throw on- usually on a whim or during a fleeting moment of giddiness- to capitalize on or add a little musical light-heartedness to the day. For me, Manners, the first full-length release by Passion Pit is that ticket

Conor Oberst has always rode a fine line as far as acclaim came. Some flip flopped, some stuck it through and others never got it.

Their dreamy yet reserved approach is appealing and a nice change of pace, in comparison to a lot of modern acts whom seem to force experimentation.

Jof Owen and Pete Hobbs are armed with the same weapons they used to create 2005’s The Best Party Ever. Pete’s distinctly adolescent music (in spirit, not ability) continues to be the perfect compliment to Jof’s primarily morose lyrics. The glockenspiel’s still there and so is the banjo, but the production is much better this time around.

The Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival
April 17-19 in Indio, California.

Better Than DISCO presents full coverage of the Coachella Valley Arts and Music festival. We created a mini-site with all the information and resources you will need to check out the festival including our most anticipated sets

visit our mini-site here: http://www.betterthandisco.com/festivals/coachella

When was the last time you came across a recording that caused you to examine what you thought you knew about music? Mystery, the first EP from the Johannesburg, South Africa-based quartet BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks), packs a potent potential for this type of musical introspection. I don’t know how else to describe it but as an experience. Seat belts recommended.

…a perfect example of Bat For Lashes’ sound; she uses natural, organic-sounding instruments to create a beautiful but decidedly unearthly sound. Khan describes her “musical landscape” as one that melds “ancient and modern, dark and night.” She tries to create layers of noise and lush sounds, but admits to the emotional intensity of her music. “The type of music we giving out is quite spiritual,” Khan told HIP Video. “It doesn’t come across well if you’re feeling bad about yourself.”

Looking at past material like Hutch and Kathy and Urban Legends I can’t help but feel that this current Thermals sound is the purest they’ve been. The Thermals may have started out as a fun project to make music, but the current direction seems to hold what I’ve loved while moving in what direction Hutch and Kathy seem most comfortable with.

“Daniel,” the first single from upcoming LP Two Suns, is itself a killer track, possibly the new album’s best. She farmed the main bass groove from the Patrick Bateman school of synthesizers, and marries the 80s aesthetic to her gorgeous choral melodies and thundering tympanis.

Fever Ray’s Karin Dreijer Andersson and Danish Director Martin de Thurah seem to have met at a creative crossroads. Fever Ray is a dark and deeply introspective work, exploring lots of child-like imagery as Dreijer Andersson tended to her newborn daughter. De Thurah is well versed on childhood innocence, having recently screened films starring children at the Cannes and Venice film festivals. He’s says he’s ready to move on to a new direction, yet here he is shooting “When I Grow Up.”

Swedish director Andreas Nilsson is a vet. Having worked with most of Sweden’s hottest musical exports over the last few years (The Knife, José González, Loney, Dear) he’s developed a distinctive style while picking excellent tracks to create visuals for. But his latest effort, on Peter Bjorn and John single “Nothing to Worry About,” is unlike anything Nilsson has ever done.

So goes the conventional wisdom in indie rock circles. Band forms, Band makes record, Band gains loyal following of hardcore fans. Band gets bored, Band begins to evolve their sound, hardcore fans scream bloody murder, sellout, etc. It’s a tiresome cliché, and not just because it’s asinine to expect hyper-creative people like musicians to keep churning out the same thing year after year. Some of the greatest pop music has been born out of such experimentation.

Foot-tapping percussion and equally catchy (yet simple) melodies have always driven their infectious brand of pop. It’s what makes this kind of music enjoyable; the saddest lyrics in the world can put a smile on your face if you’re dancing along.

The dichotomy of sounds makes Bromst a bit more inviting for listeners without it being entirely accessible. And with the introduction to more organic instruments, this does not necessarily make this record more mature or sophisticated. If anything, it seems a tad easier to be more appreciative of what Dan Deacon is truly capable of.

While The Wrens have been active in the recording industry for some years now, The Meadowlands offered my first taste of the Secaucus, NJ-based band. Purchased used on a whim, I was pleasantly surprised by the offerings contained within.

All Points West is back for its second year at Liberty State Park in NJ

The festival this year will be held on July 31- August 2nd.

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