As yall know from the popular website calendar.blogspot.com, the year 2k9 only has 2 months left. The annual music cycle is ‘officially over’ and will be dormant until the first major indie album release in 2k10. This means ‘we’ as an altosphere need 2 do our best to reflect on the year that we just lived, and try 2 analyze which album/artist/mp3 we want to be the embodiment of 2k9. Each alt website has a responsibility to select a ‘best’ artist, which may not actually ‘be the best’, but instead will represent ‘how they think 2k9 should be remembered’, and convince u 2 ’stay on board with us, cuz our perception of the indiesphere is really genuine and down2earth in a hi-level kinda way.’
I will make a list of potential ‘Best’ Artists/song writers/album makers/meme generators of 2k9, and evaluate the evaluation process of each product.
/////WHAT WILL BE THE BEST ALBUM/MP3/SONG OF 2K9?
Animal Collective - I feel like websites that select AnCo as their #1 album will end up doing the usual AnCo ‘Journalism’, which addresses ‘the hype bubble’ on the internet, but then switches to a ’serious tone’ that refocuses on the ‘brilliance/textures/genius’ of the album. It seems like this is a ’safe pick’ which will keep your readers happy, and feeling relevant. Possibly ‘too boring’ of a selection for some readers, but also possibly ‘the correct decision.’
Grizzly Bear – It seems like their album Veckytemmy was ‘very well received’, but people only really learned 2 evaluate them in comparison to AnCo. Maybe this is more indicative of the flaws in the US Educational System, not really teaching kids how to evaluate and analyze products for ‘what they are.’ Instead, we can only ‘compare’ stuff/events/people/places/nouns/ideas to ‘what already exists.’ It might be a ’somewhat controversial’ selection to put them at #1, but also possibly ‘bold’, like u could really ‘get ur music journalism on’ in an impassioned blog/blurb. The product seems transcendental of eras, so it might be the sort of album that does better on a ‘best of decade’ list, as opposed to a ‘best of year’ list (This does/does not make sense).
Atlas Sound - I feel like I ‘enjoyed’ this band/album, but wonder if it was ‘overrated.’ Feels like it followed the model of having 2.5 ‘obviously good songs’, then sorta just existing in positive chillspace for the rest of time, with a few ‘kewl sounding parts.’ Possibly music that appeals to college students who need some ambient shit 2 study 2, then they have a ‘positive memory’ of the album, since it helped them get a B+, even though they ‘only studied the night before.’ It still seems ‘very good’, but feel like we are possibly entering an era where most semi-conceptual artists can poop out this kind of album every 6 months. Feel relieved that Panda Bear ‘takes his time’ on his personal albums. Really preserves his brand. I feel like another positive blurbing tool when blogging about Atlas Sound, is that u can say something like ‘Georgia-based frontman Bradford Cox is also the mastermind behind indie rock band Deerhunter’, or a similar sentence.
Neon Indian - It’s kinda weird how u can have a ‘good band’/'good song’/'good album’, but not every product is worth paying attention to, or convincing people that it is ‘worth their time’ to say that they are a ‘fan.’ Now that Neon Indian has reached the point where ‘every1′ likes them and ‘knows about them’, they could enter a backlash phase where their original fans [via blogCulture] are reluctant to ‘commit to them’ as a band that they will cover for the next 5-20 years. It’s always scary to commit urself to a band that was once only ‘buzzworthy’, and say ‘I am looking forward to looking forward to this band in the future’ and ‘I will consider overhyping their next album.’ I don’t think Neon Indian really ‘resonates’ enough with music criticism aged bros, but will do well in emerging consumer demographics (so u can’t really leave them out of ur top 10).
VEGA - I wonder if electro bros would select Vega as ‘electro’s last hope’, or if critics would rather just ‘focus on Neon Indian’ since that aesthetic is ‘way cooler/coverable’ now. Seems like it would be ‘kewl’ to say ‘Yeah, I liked Vega before Neon Indian’ in 2-4 years when Neon Indian has to go into conceptual hibernation.
Passion Pit - I wonder if we ‘expect greatness’ from this band, of if they are they have an existence where they aren’t really ‘expected to be great’, but we ‘know what we get from them.’ Seems like they might be the new type of festival band that can sort of just chill indefinitely as long as their music stays positive/poppy and they don’t get too ‘dark.’ Feels like they are a band who ‘u got 2 see for free’ and then u ‘became a big fan of theirs.’
The Very Best - Don’t really want to cover/think about the type of people who ‘love’ this band/album/mp3.
Here We Go Magic – I feel like these bros were probably ‘the best’ of the conceptual-core flareup of mid-2k9, and people might select them as a ‘hey… remember this was kinda good’ way (not as #1).
Washed Out - possibly ‘too chill’ to feel like a ‘historical selection’ to listmaking music bros, but could be ‘very definitive’ based on your perception of what happened this year.
Girls – If I owned a major publication in San Fransisco, I would require my Indie Journalism writers to make Girls the #1 artist of the year, in order to make it seem like San Fransisco’s scene was hella important. I feel like Girls are sorta like ‘chill out music’ for those Gen X alts who like garage rock. It seems like it might be ‘cool’ to know about them, but I don’t know if your readers will value your list if you pick them #1, unless they are over-40 and looking for something ‘cool, but not isolating.’ I think they ‘look like a band’ to it might be sweet to have a picture of them on your blogpost/article.
The XX - Selecting the XX as the #1 ______ of the year would be very bold. The band hovers on the ‘fringes’ of ‘indie greatness’, but it is probably a more logical decision to ‘hype them’, encourage people to consider them a ‘band 2 watch’, then ‘gush’ over their future releases, whether or not they are as good as/better than their debut. They physically ‘look like’ a relevant band, and their music is also easy to explain/’gush’ about in a generic indieblurb way so those are huge pluses for your blog/magazine layout. Wonder if any indie debut could ever be considered ‘album of the year’, or if indie websites have an established hierarchy/progression of buzz that no band will be able to shatter. How long does it take for a band to ‘change the aesthetic of relevancy’? (How long has AnCo been a band?)
Yacht – Seems like this album really went ‘in one ear and out the other.’ Probably ’sounded kewl’ or something, but seems ’shameful’ to select as a seminal album of 2k9.
Dirty Projectors - I feel like the people who select the Dirt Projjies as #1 probably ‘believe in their decision’ the most. They think that there is a ‘right answer’ to “Who is the Best _____ of 2k9?” and they are the only bros to truly understand the criteria and have the critical thinking skills to come to this decision. But it seems like it is ‘easier to enjoy’ AnCo than it is to enjoy the Dirt Projjies, so you don’t want people 2 h8 ur alt website/magazine if they buy the album, and it is just these people ‘wailing’ over complex guitar stuff. It still seems plausible to describe/pan the DirProjjies as ‘a Jack Johnson-sounding bro with broads wailing in the background.’
Phoenix - ‘I really want to remember 2k9 as being a peppy, poppy time.’ I feel like this is a ‘feel good’ album to put into your top 10, like you want people to say ‘oh ya… that was a lil fun… totes love phx… great pop music.’ Probably something that female blogger would put at #1, but most male music journalism bros ‘need to seem like they are yearning 4 more’ than what Phoenix gives them.
St Vincent - I am not sure if her latest album was really ‘that identifiable’ to men or women. It seems like if it was, she would have ended up with a Feist-like existence, since she is potentially younger and more attractive than Feist. I am proud of Feist for becoming the ‘gold standard’ for indie female artists.
Fever Ray - I feel like this product is ‘too dark’ to ever be an ‘album of the year.’ No1 wants to select a gothy product as being ‘definitive’ of an entire year/era. It seems like society approves of ‘escapist’ art, but doesn’t want stuff that sounds ‘too dark.’
Bat for Lashes - Never really listened, but seems like it would be ‘acceptable’ to be the lone female in your year-end list. If you have a top 10, it seems healthy to have no more than 2 female singers/artists, since the majority of your readers are men.
Wavves – The Wavves Bro might have been the ‘human meme’ of the year in terms of the zany headlines that he generated 4 the altosphere. Hope he ‘keeps it up’ in 2k10. His music is also ‘theoretically memorable’, but I think his genre is not really era-defining. It sorta just will ‘exist forever.’
The “Dark Was the Night” compilation - Think that this was a ‘big deal’ and ‘for a good cause’ or something. I feel like it might be worth mentioning again if you feel like ’seeming like a good person’ based on the brand of your website/magazine. This probably appeals to people over the age of 28. ‘Know ur audience’ -music journalism editors when coming up with their lists
The Big Pink/Florence and the Machine - I am not really sure who these bands are, but it seems like something a UK publication would select. Seems like those bros always ‘try to take credit’ for top American artists, but also ‘hype up their own shitty bands/comedians’etc. Wish we could set up some sort of artistic trading guidelines with them. Wonder if the Spice Girls/The Office were ‘good imports.’ Worried about Amy Winehouses, etc.
Julian Casablancas - Wonder if bros who pick this solo-debut to ‘define 2k9′ are the kind of bros who ‘are too impatient’ to wait to excessively value the next Strokes album.
Kings of Leon - Can’t believe they are ’s0 mainstream’ now. Wonder if it would be ‘cutting-edge’ to write some indie journalism about ‘why we should still appreciate them’, or if u should just pretend they don’t exist n e more [via Nickelback].
Lady Gaga - It seems like it might be trendy/cutting edge to select her as an ‘artist of the year’ if you had an altWEbsite, then talk about her art/concept/ability to create pop Art, or something.
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/////////Did I miss n e 1?
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Can’t believe 2k9 is done. U were a good year, 2k9. U did ur best.
What/who do u think should be remembered as ‘the Most 2k9′ album/song/mp3 of 2k9?
R u gonna miss 2k9? Will 2k10 be any better or any worse?
What is the ‘most likely’ artist to be pitchforked to the #1 spot?
What is the ‘boldest’ album of the Year selection?
What is the ‘fucking obvious’ album of the Year selection?
Are ‘lists’ the future of music journalism since they get ’so many eye balls’/it is easier for normal readers to ‘catch up’ with new music on an annual basis?
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