Matthew Waldman | Vol. 11 My Album of the Year 2009

Vol. 11 My Album of the Year 2009

My craving for new things is satisfied by listening to new music. As such, I bought a lot of new music in 2009 and filled the Nooka office with sound. I believe this list contains sounds that will appeal to any music lover, excluding country, jazz, and hip-hop. The big difference from the past two years is that there are no Swedish or Australian bands on this list. Also, I really like all the bands listed below, so the order doesn't matter.

Words and photos by Matthew Waldman

Since I can't post album art, I've expressed it with sound.

"Seek Magic" by Memory Tapes

Memory Tapes is the recording project of Dayve Hawk, also known as Hail Social, based in New Jersey. "Seek Magic" features mellow ambient electro tracks as well as purely pop songs. The overall atmosphere is calm and dreamy.

"The Fame Monster" by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is also known as an American singer-songwriter or performing artist, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. This new album is crafted to highlight her incredible voice, and I think it's very well done. She mentioned somewhere that she was influenced by the sound of Freddie Mercury, but I didn't really feel that until "The Fame Monster" was released. This album far exceeds expectations.

"See Mystery Lights" by YACHT
Yacht is another project by Jona Bechtolt, a musician and multimedia artist. The band skillfully blends idea-rich, playful electronica with acoustic percussion and noise. "Psychic City" in particular is a fantastic song, arguably my song of the year. Their playful, no-wave New York vibe and sound remind me of the early B-52s.

"Psychic Chasms" by Neon Indian
Neon Indian is a band from Austin, Texas, and Brooklyn, New York. The main composer for this music duo is Alan Palomo. The other band member is video artist Alicia Scardetta, who handles all of the band's visual production. I first learned about them when Ladytron's Rueben Wu introduced their MySpace page, but I was very happy to learn they would be releasing a full album this year. It's like music that charted in the 70s and 80s has gone through some tunnels to become the current Brooklyn-esque electro sound. I've always found something lovable about this Brooklyn sound over the past two years, which is why I'm returning to it again.

"Further Complications" by Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is the former vocalist of the British band Pulp and a musician. He was a leading figure in the Britpop movement of the mid-90s. I don't like being nostalgic, but this album reminds me of David Bowie's albums from the 70s. It has a vibe like a more relaxed version of Bowie, and I really liked the lyrics because they were very interesting.

"Moondagger" by Deastro
Deastro is another project by Randolph Chabot, who has been making music for many years. He has already released more than three albums, always designs his own album covers, and has performed at numerous DIY venues in Detroit. Randolph's passion for music is truly infectious.

"Illuminations EP" by Little Boots
Little Boots is the stage name of Victoria Christina Hesketh, an electropop musician. As a musician, she performs using vocals, keyboards, piano, stylophone, and the Japanese Tenori-on. Little Boots' electropop is playful, including her cover of Freddie Mercury's "Love Kills." Her live shows are very fun, and she plays everything herself.

"Music from the Atom Smashers" by Kate Simko
Kate Simko is an electronic music producer from Chicago. Her music, for both men and women, features rich, funky synth sounds and groovy basslines, much like the 137 Film science documentary "The Atom Smashers," which follows physicists at Fermilab. Her soundtrack is truly wonderful. It's full of hip sounds perfect for long drives or plane rides. As I always say, the future looks incredibly sexy!

"Ay Ay Ay" by Matias Aguayo
Matias Aguayo is an artist who splits his time between Buenos Aires and Paris. He DJs and composes, performing solo or with Marcus Rossknecht as the project BROKE. "Ay Ay Ay" is more performance-oriented pop music than experimental. Listening to this album conjures images of unseen insects marching through an unknown jungle.

"Hollow M" by Yura Yura Teikoku
Yura Yura Teikoku is a trio from Koenji, a mecca of Tokyo's underground music scene. They produce a diverse range of sounds that could be defined as psychedelic pop-punk. The album includes several songs that suggest progressive rock, but no wave-like tracks. The simple lineup of guitar, bass, and drums, along with the sound that feels completely unedited after production, is surprisingly refreshing and psychedelic. If I were to translate their name into English, I might call them 'The Swaying Empire'.

"Big Fun" by Towa Tei
Towa Tei is an original member of the New York-based group Deee-Lite and has since pursued a solo career. Personally, I consider "Big Fun" to be his best album to date. It includes two collaborations with Miho Hattori of CIBOMATTO, and I think these tracks are perfect for those pursuing new sounds.

"Alice EP" by Immi
Immi is a Japanese electropop artist. "Alice EP" is an album where she fully showcases her talent and serves as an excellent introduction for a Japanese artist.