Oh, that time again

Yes, it's the ending of the year and even of the decade. I respect those who are able to make an entire "best of the Noughties"-list... (btw, am I the only one who hadn't heard that word until December 2009?) Because I really couldn't do that. This decade has shaped me in such a drastic way as a music lover and as a person in general, there's no way I could wrap it up in a simple Top 10 or something. I mean, I was 13 at the change of the millenium and now I am 23. There's been top 40-pop shit, pop rock, some goth, nu-metal, punk rock, hiphop, electro, reggae, grunge, even a brief emo-phaze... You probably get my point. What I can do, is reflect on the year that just passed!



ALBUM TOP 50


1. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Mmm, such an amazing and brilliant album. I really took me some time to get used to her sound, but Fever Ray managed to grab me by the throat with this one.


2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Full of great songs such as My Girls, Lion in a Coma and Brothersport.


3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Brilliant, yet subtle compositions. Two Weeks must've been the most perfect single of '09...


4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
... or is it Lisztomania? Phoenix managed to keep me interested for quite a few years now, but this album finally got them the attention they deserve.


5. Gossip - Music For Men
This album has so much energy wrapped into perfect pop gems. Because of all the media attention you might forget that Beth Ditto is not only a truly inspirational person, but also a great singer.


6. The Hickey Underworld - The Hickey Underworld
Surprisingly good debut album of this Antwerp quartet.


7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Not as edgy as their previous work, but still highly enjoyable.


8. HEALTH - Get Color
About 30 minutes of loud, way too loud brilliance.


9. Absynthe Minded - Absynthe Minded
Yes, it was a great year for Belgian music.


10. The xx - The xx
Because how could it not be in the top 10?

11. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
12. Metric - Fantasies
13. The Bony King of Nowhere - Alas My Love
14. The Thermals - Now We Can See
15. Girls - Album
16. Isbells - Isbells
17. John Frusciante - The Empyrian
18. Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper
19. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
20. Das Pop - Das Pop

21. The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control
22. Jamie T - Kings and Queens
23. Ghinzu - Mirror Mirror
24. Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts
25. The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules
26. Regina Spektor - Far
27. The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
28. Emilíana Torrini - Me and Armini
29. Nouvelle Vague - 3
30. Fanfarlo - Reservoir

31. Florence and the Machine - Lungs
32. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
33. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
34. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
35. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
36. Jiggy Djé - De Ark de Triomf
37. Röyksopp - Junior
38. Spinnerette - Spinnerette
39. N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo
40. Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone!

41. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
42. Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure
43. Karen O and the Kids - Where The Wild Things Are OST
44. Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence
45. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
46. Little Dragon - Machine Dreams
47. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
48. Howling Bells - Radio Wars
49. White Rabbits - It's Frightening
50. Tiga - Ciao

Yes, but no:
La Roux - La Roux
Yes, she produced a bunch of more than decent and highly addictive singles, but she also goes down in history as one of the most annoying personalities of the year, in my opinion. The voice! The face! Aargh!

Passion Pit - Manners
The Reeling is an amazing song, but the rest of the album fairly disappointed me. A bit too soft, although their live show at Melt was a lot edgier than the album.

GIG TOP 10


1. Florence and the Machine, Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)


2. Gossip, Melt Festival (D)


3. Grizzly Bear, Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)


4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
you know it's been a good show when someone faints afterwards ;)


5. Fever Ray, Polsslag Festival (B)


6. Beirut, Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)


7. Kings of Convenience, Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)


8. Das Pop, Mezz, Breda (NL)


9. Noisettes, Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)


10. White Rabbits, Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)

BEST MOVIES



I really liked Inglourious Basterds and De Helaasheid der Dingen. This year I really started getting into Belgian cinema, but most of the films I saw were released before 2009... Public Enemies was also enjoyable. My expections were really high for (500) Days of Summer, but the ending really disappointed me. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was also a bit disappointing, He's Really Just Not That Into You was pretty terrible. There are still quite a few movies I have yet to see, such as Antichrist, Up or New York, I Love You. And Where The Wild Are too, of course, but that hasn't even been released in NL yet.

BEST BOOK
Like in 2008, I don't think I've read one book that came out this year. I re-read Microserfs by Douglas Coupland, spent about 7 months getting through Naomi Klein's No Logo, which was very interesting but a bit heavy before bedtime or on the beach. Other books I read were A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by Ken Kalfus and Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, both entertaining and somewhat funny, but not brilliant. A few weeks ago I started reading A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Tolz, so far I really like it. Oh and I got Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer for Sinterklaas, that'll be my next read.

ALBUM COVER
Little Dragon - Machine Dreams:
So predictable, I like anything with lots of colour and detail



I also really liked the cover art of Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors, Tonight by Franz Ferdinand, Further Complications by Jarvis Cocker and Grrr.. by Bishop Allen. Definitely NOT memorable for their design: My Maudlin Career by Camera Obscura (the font!) and Junior by Röyksopp.

Have a more than brilliant 2010 everyone!

Merry christmas y'all!

The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride (mp3)

Illustration by Hedof.

December = bells

Delicate, lovely tunes to crawl underneath the blankets to under these snowy circumstances: Isbells. Yet another pearl from the fields of Belgium (Leuven to be more precise), Isbells is singer/songwriter Gaëtan Vandewoude. He played in bands such as Soon and Ellroy (yeah, never heard of them either) and is now taking the solo route. His music is often compared to Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes, which makes sense because of the high-pitched vocals and the singing in parts, but his music is a lot less complex than the above mentioned artists. This might make Isbells a shortlived hype, but so far I've played his album to pieces on my iPod.


Isbells - Reunite (mp3)

He is playing all over the Benelux next year, so don't miss out! A few tourdates:

7 Jan: Rotown, Rotterdam (NL)
10 Jan: Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
16 Jan: Tivoli de Helling, Utrecht (NL)
22 Jan: Doornroosjes, Nijmegen (NL)
30 Jan: AB, Brussels (BE)

For the cheap ones among us: he's also doing a few FNAC instores in Belgium.

Het betere uitpakwerk met C-Mon & Kypski

Een beetje oud nieuws, maar een aantal weken geleden schreef ik een review over het concert van C-Mon & Kypski op 4 december jl. in Mezz, Breda voor 3VOOR12/Breda.

Sinterklaas-voorpret met zoete traktaties in Mezz. Met de nieuwe plaat ‘We Are Square’ op zak komt C-Mon & Kypski de laatste keer hun set testen voordat ze in de Heineken Music Hall staan met Kyteman. En dat belooft veel goeds.



SKIP & DIE
De avond wordt geopend door Skip & Die. Dit duo bestaat uit Jori Colligon (tevens C-Mon & Kypski) en de Zuid-Afrikaanse Catarina Aimee Dahms, die we dan weer kennen van Shane Shu. De formule is vrij simpel: elektronisch geweld, hier en daar een trommel en vrouwelijke raps en Skip & Die doet op papier denken aan M.I.A. of Amanda Blank. Live blijkt het juist meer te neigen naar de baile funk van Bonde do Rolê. Het niveau ‘hobbyproject’ overstijgt het nergens, maar het is een geinige opening van de avond. Bonuspunten voor de aankleding, visuals en Catarina’s glitterjurkje.



C-MON & KYPSKI
De show van C-Mon & Kypski gaat van start met een druk op de rode knop, die door een mysterieus figuur in zwart pak met lichtgevende banen wordt aangereikt aan het publiek. Voor C-Mon & Kypski is het optreden in Mezz een generale repetitie voor hun show met Kyteman in de Heineken Music Hall, die volgende week zal plaatsvinden. En we kunnen al zeggen: dat belooft veel goeds in de bierhal.

Zo terughoudend als de zaal tijdens Skip & Die was, zo uitbundig wordt het tijdens de hoofdact. Al vanaf het eerste nummer zit er sfeer er goed in en eet het publiek uit C-Mon & Kypski’s hand. Er wordt geklapt, meegezongen, er ontstaat een mosh pit en later zelfs een heuse polonaise. ‘We Are Square’, het nieuwste album van de band staat deze avond centraal. Hoewel deze plaat slechts enkele maanden geleden verscheen, worden ook de nieuwe nummers goed opgepikt. De band lijkt uitstekend in vorm en heeft er zelf ook plezier in, wat aanstekelijk werkt.

Minpunt is dat de show halverwege wat inzakt, mede omdat publieksfavorieten als ‘Bumpy Road’ en ‘Make My Day’ al vroeg gespeeld worden. Hiervoor haalt de band nog enkele trucjes uit de kast: zesvoudig scratchkampioen Kypski komt van achter de drums vandaan om zijn kunsten te vertonen, terwijl de andere drie bandleden hem vocaal aanvullen. “Burning… hot!”. Tijdens het nummer ‘Bomba’ komt Catarina van Skip & Die een mopje mee rappen en wordt de eerste helft van de set besloten. De uitgerekte toegift verzandt in Balkan Beats-achtige toestanden, wat het publiek overigens niet deert. Hoewel zij zich prima amuseren, mag het duidelijk zijn: deze band verdient een groter publiek dan de matig gevulde Mezz op deze vrijdagavond. Ten slotte nog een compliment voor Kyteman: als je dìt in de voorprogramma hebt staan dan heb je het erg goed voor elkaar.

Gezien: Skip & Die en C-Mon & Kypski. Mezz, vrijdag 4 december 2009.

Zie ook: http://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/artikel/42839913