Best of 2009 (11-20)

11) Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows


Horn-heavy orchestrated post-rock. Less doom and gloom than some of their contemporaries, it’s at times lilting, pastoral, and ethereal. Definitely more cohesive than their previous effort.

Seizure city:


12) Dinosaur Jr. - Farm


The original Dinosaur Jr. line-up once again prove that they're capable of sounding exactly the same as they did 20 years ago. And who doesn't need another Dinosaur Jr. record? But if you're a fan of Mascis's guitar solos, beware. This album only averages 1.5 solos per song.

Sk8rs:


13) Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career


This sounds nothing like Belle & Sebastian! Where do people get this stuff? It's a girl singing...come on, Belle & Sebastian have a guy singer. A little wimpy one. So what if they're both Scottish bands. Wait, you're telling me that that little twee turd photographed one of Camera Obscura's album covers? And Belle & Sebastian have girls that sing too? Hmm. Did Wet Wet Wet release anything this year?

John McVie stand-in:


14) M. Ward - Hold Time


Last year's She & Him record didn't hurt M. Ward's cause at all. Hold Time features Ward's familiar songwriting and production skills, with a couple of cameos from everybody's mind-mistress, Zooey Deschanel.

Slow motion accident:


15) The Flips - That Girl Stacey 7"


Fresh out of Brew City, these girls marry the 60's girl-group sounds of the Shangri-Las and Martha and the Vandellas with the lo-fi aesthetic of the Vivian Girls (but much more classy and charming).

16) Mulatu Astatqe & the Heliocentrics - Inspiration Information Vol. 3


Steeped in the Ethiopian jazz that Mulatu came to patent and popularize, and coupled with the funk backbone of the Heliocentrics, this album is reminiscent of the Ethiopian Quintet’s Afro-Latin Soul.

17) Implodes - everything I heard on myspace


They released a cassette on plustapes this year, but since I don't own a cassette player anymore, it did me no good. Shoegaze guitar tones for creaming jeans.

18) Zombi - Spirit Animal


If this album were a spirit animal, it would be a shark being eaten by a rhinoceros being ridden by Geddy Lee.

19) Other Animals - Other Animals


Debut from Chicago-area dudes sounds like Explosions in the Sky, but with less explosions and more sexy guitars.

20) Tyondai Braxton - Central Market


Battles meets 20th Century composing. Complete with Wizard of Oz munchkin vocals (and even some human vocals).

Bell Orchestre

When the first Bell Orchestre album "Recording a Tape the Colour of Light" came out, I remember it as being touted an Arcade Fire side project. This was 2005, after all, when you couldn't go two seconds without hearing the "Arcade Fire...awesome...best band....taking over..." Fair enough, I guess. After all, it IS an Arcade Fire-related project. But the Bell Orchestre are more closely related to their fellow instrumentalist Canadians Do Make Say Think or Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Unlike DMST, however, the Bell Orchestre has a greater focus on percussion and/or horns (French horn, clarinet, trumpet, and perhaps my favorite, bass saxaphone) rather than guitars. And unlike GY!BE, there is no impending doom. Their first album has a sense of urgency without getting overwhelming, and stradles a fine line between beauty and chaos. With all these ingredients- a member of Arcade Fire, comparisons to heavy-hitting post-rockers, and a sound that is complex-yet-accessible-- you'd think they'd be an underground success, right? But when "Recording a Tape the Colour of Light" came out it was largely ignored, and I haven't heard mention of the band since. Again, I must say, the music industry is a fortuitous and fickle mistress.

Fortunately, the band is soon releasing a new album called "As Seen Through Windows." This album is similar in style to their first LP, though they've taken a step away from the urgency that was so pressing in "Recording a Tape the Colour of Light" and decided to build open planes of sound instead. They make better use of the band as a whole this time around instead of stringing together short solos for each instrument. This allows for a denser record that doesn't feel suffocating, but rather ephemeral and lilting. Think Rachel's, think Efterklang, think Sigur Ros with horns in place of vocals. It's music for late snowy nights, warm baths, and slow, slow death.

The title track:
Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows

The music video for "Throw It On A Fire" (from "Recording a Tape the Colour of Light"):