Releasing the sequel to an album that came out 14 years ago seems like an unexpected move from an MC that has been in the game as long as Raekwon has. But to have that sequel be every bit as solid as its seemingly one-of-a-kind companion is straight up unprecedented. And yet Cuban Linx… Pt. II did just that this year, as it traced the contours of New York City criminal life in vivid and sometimes excruciating detail. (At one point during “Sonny’s Missing,†Rae even talks about cutting up some dude’s cheek.) But that kind of raw delivery only helped Cuban Linx… Pt. II channel that classic Wu-Tang feel. All of which is to say that we look forward to Part III… due out at some point in 2023.
If nothing else, this decade in indie rock was defined by hype: From The Strokes to Vampire Weekend, a whole slew of new acts had to suffer through being dubbed The Best Band In The World before experiencing the inevitable backlash that came with such a title. That same phenomenon could have occurred in 2009 with electro-pop newcomers Passion Pit, but the fact that it didn’t had everything to do with the eleven songs found here. From the playful melodies of “Little Secrets” to the soothing electronics of “Sleepyhead,” Manners was a feel good record, made for people who don’t feel good very often.
No major label hip-hop record in 2009 carried a more thrilling roster of collaborators than the debut full length from Wale: The Neptunes, Lady Gaga, Cool & Dre, K’naan, Mark Ronson, Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, Susan Boyle… okay, maybe not Susan Boyle. But the thing about Attention Deficit is that, no matter who he had on the album, Wale never gave up the spotlight, thanks to his tight grasp on the intrinsic absurdity of pop culture and a hyper-intelligent delivery that reflects years of grinding it out in the underground scene. Forget that misleading album title. In 2009, Wale had no trouble whatsoever holding our focus.
We still haven’t figured out what exactly the concept was behind this banging electro-dancehall act, which was made up of white-hot producers Diplo and Switch. Apparently Major Lazer is a Jamaican military leader who fights zombies? Oh, and he might be a cartoon, too? Whatever the real back-story is, Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do provided some of 2009’s finest and funniest dance-party fodder, with a motley crew of guest rappers and singers (including Vybz Kartel, Nina Sky and Amanda Blank) working their frantic magic over furious beats. Was this the collaboration of the year? Maybe. But if not, it was definitely the most unique.
On-air radio appearances. Hearing their song in the background of a very special episode of Gossip Girl. Having actual catering at their shows. None of these things must have seemed even remotely possible when Emily Haines and her sharply dressed bandmates literally mortgaged their houses so that they could scrape together enough money to not only record, but release, Fantasies on their own dime. The result was by far the most successful record of Metric’s career, but the monetary long shot wouldn’t have paid off had the songs—glammed up anthems like “Gimme Sympathy” and strutting pop rock dirges such as “Satellite Mind”—not been so seducing or strong. Take a bow, Ms. Haines. Take a bow.
When writing about Mastodon’s fourth record, Crack The Skye, it’s hard not to discuss all the totally effed up things that went into making it. Like frontman Brent Hinds almost dying. Or drummer Brann Dailor coming to terms with his sister committing suicide at the age of 14. Yeah dude, this was heavy. But out of such bleak moments often come the kind of life-altering artistic statements that bands make maybe once in their career. For Mastodon, Crack The Skye was that moment and, as it moved in its dark and meticulous hard rock suites, it stood tall as not only one of the most forward thinking metal albums of 2009, but of the past 10 years.
Legal and label issues kept this Lil Wayne protégé from releasing his full-length debut in 2009, but this seven track mini-album announced the arrival of a major new talent all on its own. So Far Gone shared some highlights from Drake’s stunning mixtape of the same name—including “Best I Ever Had,†a masterful swirl of sensitivity and swagger—as well as a pair of fresh cuts that demonstrated just how capable this one-time blog star is of competing in the big leagues. But what’s most stunning about So Far Gone is that even for those who were in the underground know, you couldn’t have possibly seen this perfect storm coming.
Even now when the everydude members of Animal Collective are asked why Merriweather Post Pavilion seemed to resonate with so many people in 2009, they merely shove their hands into the pockets of their RVCA hoodies and shrug their shoulders. And they’re not being humble, either: They really have no idea. Was it the spaced out melodies? The diversions into big beat rave? The hypnotic vocal tracks that Panda Bear and Avey Tare seemed to lace into every song? For these experimental indie dreamers, it was all a mystery. But for the rest of us, the reason seemed perfectly clear: In a year as musically adventurous as 2009, there was no other record that sounded even remotely like it.
Okay, so he didn’t quite succeed in dealing a deathblow to Auto-Tune. (Hell, in 2009 even Andy Samberg used it.) But in a year free of new albums by Kanye West and Lil Wayne, someone had to step up as the King Of All Things Hip-Hop—and who better than the guy who’s worn the crown several times before? Hitting digital retailers exactly eight years to the day after the first album in this game-changing franchise, The Blueprint 3 gave us Jay-Z as we haven’t heard him since the glory days of “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)†and “Encore,†with his incomparable balance of humor, pathos and sex appeal all set against primetime beats by some of the best in the biz. “Run This Town� Yeah, you could say he did just that.
They were no music industry giants. They didn’t come out first week, blow doors open with a Best Buy exclusive, and then saunter to the top of the Billboard albums charts. Hell, once they finally did crash the Top 40 their singer didn’t even bother to buy a new Oxford shirt. Yet, as unassuming as they may have been, Phoenix still managed to make hands down the best album of 2009, a charming romp that was so full of heart and hooks that it managed to follow us everywhere this year.
Kicking things off with “Liztomania,†quite possibly the most infectious song about an 18th Century pianist ever written, and following it with the instant classic “1901,†Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix suggested that it may have been 2009’s crowning achievement—after two songs. But Phoenix’s fourth full-length was a far more rounded affair, balancing irresistible pop-rock singles with quiet, atmospheric comedowns and thoughtful odes to hard-fought love. Even now, as the year winds to a close, it’s clear that a band hasn’t been this on point since The Strokes with Is This It or, to really push the analogy, Radiohead with OK Computer.
And, like both of those fiercely respected artists, Phoenix made their definitive album at a time when they couldn’t have seemed more out of place. After all, this was a year dominated by superstars like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, two artists who toured the world with $1000-a-day stylists and elaborate laser light shows. But ultimately it was four unassuming French dudes who proved they were the real pop stars of 2009. And they did so while reminding everyone of the fact that pop music can only be larger than life, when you don’t forget about the songs.
