The Best of 2009

I know most Best of the Years are out before the year is even over, but we here at the stately Voices mansion wanted to take our time and make sure that someone didn't slip a great album in at the last minute.  (In other words we're scrambling to try and not be too late in getting this thing up.)

A caveat about this list and best of lists in general.  We can pretend that we think this is the best music of the last year, but what we really mean is that this is the music we liked the most.  Another site or magazine will definitely have a different list, everyone's thoughts are different.  That doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of other good music out there, there was, this was what we found to be the music we listened to the most, that kept finding its way back to our cd players or kept getting hit on our Ipods.

Also we should point out that the point of this site is to highlight those artists that you normally don't see a lot of press for, so our Best of list is going to reflect that.  We run a thin line here between who we think should be featured here and those who appear in the mainstream mags such as Rolling Stone.  We don't want to ignore someone that is making great music just because they had a write up or review in the Stone or Spin, good music is good music.  But you won't see any mention of any acts like Geen Day or U2 who put out music that deserves to be on a Best of list themselves, they will undoubtly find themselves on plenty of such lists for the year.   We want to feature what we consider the Best of that may not get as much attention as we think they deserve.

We'll count down backwards to what we thought the best of the year, just to keep you in suspense.

10.  Some Assembly Required by Assembly of Dust:  A group that has been together for over a decade this roots rock group plays without a lot of flash, but its songs are heartfelt and its emotions sincere.  On this album they gather together a collection of friends and idols such as Bela Fleck, Martin Sexton and Theresa Andersson to help perform the music.

9. Time Stands Still by Chris Smither:  Chris has been performing since the mid-sixties, starting in the New York fold scene with such greats as Eric Von Schmidt.  This is his 13th release and is a stripped down affair, relying on mostly his voice and guitar with quiet help from his bandmates.  This is folk blues at the best.

8.  Middle Cyclone by Neko Case:  This is where the line becomes thin, some people might think Neko has had more than her share of attention.  This album debuted at number three on the charts.  But we love Neko and while she is probably one of the artists here with more recongntion she is still a far cry from being a sure thing.  (We're not sure that makes sense but like we've said before good music is good music and that's the end point of this site.)  Neko has  voice unlike anyone else out there and her writing continues to amaze.  She's moved away from her americana style and is creating her own style.

7.  I and Love and You by Avett Brothers:  This is the major lable debut from the North Carolina brothers.  Rick Rubin produces and while he cleans up their style they still put out a great disc of music.  Pop, bluegrass, punk, whatever the term you want to put to them they put out a great album.

6.  Golden Apples of the Sun by Caroline Herring:  Another singer that's been around for more than a few albums.  She moves away from her country influenced sound to more of a modern feel.  She contributes great original tunes such at "The Dozens" and others about her childhood and upbringing as well as covering songs you wouldn't expect like Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" but making it her own in doing so.

5. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: In a band of great song writers like the Drive by Truckers Jason still stood out.  This is his release and is better than his solo debut. He writes great story songs and continues the streak here with songs about everday people and their lives.

4. Live at Jazz Fest by John Boutte:  This album is only available through the New Orleans Jazz Fest web page, but is more than worth seeking out.  John has a voice that reminds me of Sam Cooke and is best heard live.  He takes "City of New Orleans" and makes it his song, after hearing his version I can't imagine anyone else doing it as well.  He does a version of Paul Simon's "American Tune" with just Paul Sanchez on guitar that is haunting and beautiful.

3. Written In Chalk by Buddy and Julie Miller:  One of my favorite albums of the year.  Anything this husband and wife does I'm there to listen to.  The song opens with "Ellis County" a song written by Julie about her childhood.  From country to folk to rocking out this song covers it all.

2. Coldwater by Shannon McNally:  This album contains parts of Shannon's unreleased Windswept Moon which we called the best album of the year that it never appeared in but was supposed to.  Like the number one album this is an album made for adult relationships and features her own songs as well as some covers by Bob Dylan and others.  The centerpiece of the album is her own song "Bohemian Wedding Song".  "The battles that you've lost/Are as beautiufl as your victories to me" sums it up for me.

1. The Wreckage by Will Hoge:  Just a little over a year ago Will was seriously injured when a van hit him while driving home from a late night recording session.  Besides just learning how to play again he's had to learn how to walk again.  With the title of this album a lot of people might have assumed it was going to reflect on the accident, but he stays clear of that subject.  What he focuses on here is how two adults can try to live together, love together and what happens when that doesn't happen.  This is most mature work to date and just a remarkable album from the cover to the music itself.