REVIEW: End of 2009 list are cool, right?....

You’ve fucked up in 2009 if you haven’t heard these records:

#1 Captain, We’re Sinking – It’s A Trap

I got hold of this when I came back from FEST 8 after meeting the guy who runs the label it was put out on. Instantly became one of my favourite releases of the year.

Track 1 starts just like the new Lawrence Arms EP (see #2) with a single guitar, palm-muted with gravelly, fucking amazing vocals.

This EP is anthemic and such a fucking good singalong. I wish more of my friends would get into it so when we’re smashed we can sing that instead of Journey. I’m just kidding, nothing beats Journey. You can download it here, don't worry, it's there for free on their myspace too!

#2 The Lawrence Arms – Buttsweat and Tears

Long, long overdue, but totally justifiable when you listen to these 4 tracks. Following on from where they left off with Oh! Calcutta! This is typical amazing Lawrence Arms. Track 2 “The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest day in the Greatest City” is my personal favourite. Just when it goes into the amazing guitar chord part at 2:30 “walk through the snow to a bar where there’s no-one I know, drink slow, drink slow with nowhere to go, and when I leave I’ll be singing this song.” Fucking amazing.

#3 RVIVR – Life Moves 7”

I’m pretty sure this was a 2009 release, correct me if I’m wrong. Often the debate comes up about which post-Latterman band is the greatest. Is it Iron Chic? Was it Shorebirds? Is it RVIVR? Right now, I’d say yes it is RVIVR. Latterman meets The Distillers but not shit. A very similar sound to Shorebirds but with something else, something better and with a bit more direction. Having the female vocals does wonders too and their 2^nd 7” is also out so I’d recommend snapping both of them up.

#4 Above Them – Blueprint For A Better Time

This is undoubtedly my favourite LP of 2009. There was a slight buzz about this band before I saw them and just watching them live blew me away. And this record far beyond exceeded my expectations. I haven’t appreciated an entire album as much as this since The ’59 Sound came out. Tracks like ‘For Those Who Paved The Way’ ‘Keep Smiling’ and ‘Where Did All The Hope Go?’ blow my mind constantly. Hit after hit after hit on this album and if you don’t own it, go buy it! Something for the UK folk to be very proud of.

#5 Dear Landlord – Dream Homes

I Live In Hell…from that line 2 seconds in on the first track I was gripped. This is No Idea Pop-Punk Gruff done perfectly. A definite for fans of Off With Their Heads/House Boat/Steinways. Songs about being broke, “Whisky and Records”, drinking your money away and the usual. I know for a lot of my friends this was their #1 record of 2009 and I can easily see why. You can stream it here.

#6 Cop Out – 7”

Some of the songs on this 7” are a few years old, but if you didn’t know, Cop Out are the laziest band ever and asides from a demo CD this is the only thing they’ve released, and sadly now they’ve split up, the only thing they ever will. This 7” is 7 tracks of incredible punk/hardcore in the Kid Dynamite vein. No bullshit here, relentlessly amazing, song after song. So many moments in this 7” where (if you can make out the words) you’ll be screaming along, playing air drums, air guitar, jumping up and down…argh! This is the best £2.50 I ever spent and I’ll miss this band dearly. I've no idea if they've got any 7" left, but I'm gonna up the mp3's anyway, I hope they're cool with it.

#7 Our Time Down Here – Live. Love. Let Go.

Another UK record on this list and another one that was long overdue. There had been a fair bit of internet hype around the release of this record and the bar was set pretty high for them. The first song being 26 seconds long, is a perfect example of what’s to come, the change in vocals between the EP and this album is noticeable but I feel it works well for Will and the band. “Curtain Call” is an absolute tune and there are tonnes of singalong and what you want from a solid punk-pop-hardcore record. With this release I think they’ve gone more towards the Set Your Goals side of hardcore as opposed to the more aggressive side they were before, I hope it works for them because they definitely deserve it. A personal highlight for me is in the track “Dusk” where 1:12 in, a 4 count and a drumroll comes in and Wills vocals come at you relentlessly before it breaks into a fucking sick Gallows-like gang vocals and riffage. Ah fuck yeah, this album rules, hard.

#8 Apologies, I have none – Two Sticks and Six Strings

I’d been waiting for this release for a long while, and between getting their first demo “Done.” And this being released I’d become good friends with Josh and Dan and when the CD was ready they gave it to me the first day, I went back to my car and listened to it on repeat, several times. It was perfect, I thought “Done.” was genius and would be hard to beat but they just blew it out of the water. “100 Club”(free download) is an absolute smash, heavy Against Me! influence, instant hit. These are some of the best songs in UK punk rock and now they’ve added a bassist and a new drummer, the sound live is so much deeper and complete. Go buy the record, I think it’s about 4 quid, and then go see them. Boom!

#9 Solutions – Before The Roars

This is a late contender. Released late November and I was so stoked on it. I’d been waiting ages for Solutions to release something and this was worth waiting for. It’s 9 tracks that have such a massive sound and for me, separates Solutions from ‘other bands’. There must be something in the water in the South West of England. The Cut Ups, Brothers, Solutions, all amazing bands. I need some of their water. But H2O aside, you can download this record for free off their blog and I’d recommend doing it, now, NOW!.

#10 Calvinball – Moving Homes and Breaking Bones

These guys wrap up my Top 10 of 2009. I first heard Calvinball’s first CD in Summer 2008 I think, then saw them acoustic at a house show in York and they were pretty fun. Drunk and messy, but that’s how I like my music sometimes. In almost every song there is one line, or one short verse that sticks in your head all fucking day and you can’t help but sing it out loud all the time. And when I got the new EP I was hoping it’d follow suit. It did, both EP’s are similar however I think Calvinball really define themselves on the new EP. First two tracks are beyond amazing, and then the next two shows they’ve been hanging out with Apologies, I have none too much with all the ‘whoahs!’. 5 tracks, 5 killer songs. I think Joe’s lead guitar parts play a large part in Calvinball’s sound along with the duel gruffy vocals and Connors stupidly amazing drumming, Calvinball are fucking rad, get this.

Honourable mentions go to:

Shook Ones – The Unquotable A.M.H

Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg

Tim Vantol – Road Sweet Road

Bangers/Break The Habit - Split 12”

Green Day – 21^st Century Breakdown (yeah fuck you, I love this band and this album was sweet)

House Boat – The Delaware Octopus

Crazy Arm – Born To Ruin

NOFX – Coaster

The Skints – Live. Breathe. Build. Believe.

Red City Radio – To The Sons and Daughters of Woody Guthrie

There we go, lists are rad!