Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2009

It was another full year of remarkable live shows in 2009, which was also not immune to a few train wrecks (Enon, Dan Deacon). Whether it was a cold and rainy night in Philly to see White Lies overcome a historically shitty venue to play a show for the ages or a late night train ride to the East Village to see Karin Dreijer Andersson’s Fever Ray outfit put on a visually stunning performance, this past year reinforced our music fandom. Here’s a list of our favorite shows of 2009:

1. White Lies @ First Unitarian Church
2. Grizzly Bear @ Trocadero
3. Fever Ray @ Webster Hall
4. Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brenda’s
5. Animal Collective @ Bowery Ballroom
6. Morrissey @ Carnegie Hall
7. Vic Chestnutt & Elf Power @ Bowery Ballroom
8. Autolux @ Johnny Brenda’s
9. Built to Spill @ SIREN Festival
10. Monsters of Folk @ United Palace
    

Least Favorite:

• Enon @ Johnny Brenda’s
• Dan Deacon/Deerhunter/No Age @ Fly W Airport
• NIN/JA @ PNC Bank Arts Center

Fishpork’s 50 Favorite Tracks of 2009

This year really didn’t end up being that “greatest of the decade” as January-March may have suggested. With that said, our favorite tracks list became very album-heavy as it evolved throughout the year. With seven tracks from Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear in the top 20, you kinda get the point. Here is our very biased list of favorite tracks from 2009:

1. HEALTH - “Die Slow”
2. Grizzly Bear - “While You Wait for the Others“
3. Animal Collective - “Summertime Clothes”
4. Fuck Buttons - “Olympians”
5. Built to Spill - “Things Fall Apart”
6. Animal Collective - “My Girls”
7. Fever Ray - “Concrete Walls”
8. Grizzly Bear - “Ready, Able“
9. White Lies - “Farewell to the Foreground”
10. Moderat - “New Error”
11. Atlas Sound - “Attic Lights”
12. Grizzly Bear - “Two Weeks“
13. Animal Collective - “Guy’s Eyes”
14. Fuck Buttons - “The Lisbon Maru”
15. Atlas Sound - “Walkabout”
16. Animal Collective - “What Would I Want? Sky”
17. Dredg - “Information”
18. White Lies - “Death”
19. Fever Ray - “Coconut”
20. Animal Collective - “Brothersport”
21. Built to Spill - “Good Ol’ Boredom”
22. MC Rut - “I Don’t Really Know”
23. The Mars Volta - “Since We’ve Been Wrong”
24. Modest Mouse - “The Whale Song”
25. Dirty Projectors - “Cannibal Resource”
26. Deerhunter - “Game of Diamonds”
27. Morrissey - “It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore”
28. Animal Collective - “I Think I Can”
29. HEALTH - “We Are Water”
30. Dredg - “Mourning This Morning”
31. Sufjan Stevens - “You Are the Blood”
32. Fuck Buttons - “Surf Solar”
33. Phoenix - “Girlfriend”
34. The Flaming Lips - “Silver Trembling Hands”
35. White Rabbits - “Rudie Fails”
36. The Mars Volta - “With Twilight As Our Guide”
37. Radiohead - “These Are My Twisted Words”
38. Great Northern - “Fingers”
39. Royksopp - “Tricky, Tricky”
40. Dirty Projectors - “Useful Chamber”
41. St. Vincent - “The Party”
42. YACHT - “Ring The Bell”
43. Bat For Lashes - “Sleep Alone”
44. Atlas Sound - “Sheila”
45. Washed Out - “Feel It All Around”
46. Das Racist - “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”
47. Dirty Projectors - “Stillness Is The Move”
48. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - “Skeletons”
49. Great Northern - “Driveway”
50. Morrissey - “I’m OK By Myself”

The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2009

2009 started off as one of the strongest years for music in the decade but then slipped into a summer that left us scratching our heads and yearning for more. An impressive set of Fall releases surprised their way onto our Favorites List and cemented 2009 as a year that will impress music lovers in retrospect. These are our favorite albums from the past year:

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

2. Fever Ray - Fever Ray

3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

4. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport

5. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy

6. Atlas Sound - Logos

7. Morrissey - Years of Refusal

8. Dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

9. White Lies - To Lose Your Life

10. Moderat - Moderat

11. The Mars Volta - Octahedron

12. MC Rut - Middle Class Rut

13. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

14. Great Northern - Remind Me Where The Light Is

15. HEALTH - Get Color

16. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

17. The Flaming Lips - Embyronic

18. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

19. Isis - Wavering Radiant

20. Royksopp - Junior

Most Disappointing Albums:

• Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective
• Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

Fishpork’s 100 Favorite Tracks of the 2000s

This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.

1. Panda Bear - “Bros” (2007)

2. The Knife - “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)

3. Animal Collective - “For Reverend Green” (2007)

4. Grizzly Bear - “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)

5. The Knife - “Heartbeats” (2003)

6. Grizzly Bear - “The Knife” (2005)

7. LCD Soundsystem - “Someone Great” (2007)

8. TV on the Radio - “Staring at the Sun” (2003)

9. Crystal Castles - “Crimewave” (2008)

10. Beirut - “Ciloqut” (2007)

11. Thom Yorke - “Harrowdown Hill

12. Animal Collective - “Derek” (2007)

13. Nine Inch Nails - “Me, I’m Not” (2007)

14. Beck - “Lonesome Tears” (2002)

15. At The Drive-in - “One Armed Scissor” (2004)

16. Animal Collective - “Grass” (2005)

17. Deerhunter - “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)

18. Atlas Sound - “Recent Bedroom” (2008)

19. Panda Bear - “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)

20. System of a Down - “Chop Suey” (2001)

21. Animal Collective - “Peacebone” (2007)

22. Battles - “Atlas” (2007)

23. Error - “Jack the Ripper” (2004)

24. Enon - “Pleasure and the Privilege”

25. Elliott Smith - “Son of Sam” (2000)

26. Animal Collective - “Did You See the Words” (2005)

27. The Knife - “Marble House” (2006)

28. LCD Soundsystem - “All My Friends” (2007)

29. Thom Yorke - “Analyse” (2006)

30. The Flaming Lips - “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)

31. Girl Talk - “Smash Your Head” (2006)
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32. A Perfect Circle - “Judith” (2000)

33. Radiohead - “Idioteque” (2000)

34. Tapes N’ Tapes - “Manitoba” (2006)

35. TV On The Radio - “I Was A Lover” (2006)

36. Radiohead - “Reckoner” (2007)

37. Fever Ray - “Coconut” (2009)

38. Animal Collective - “My Girls” (2009)

39. Built to Spill - “Things Fall Apart” (2009)

40. Wilco - “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)

41. Modest Mouse - “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)

42. Animal Collective - “Leaf House” (2004)

43. Modeselektor - “Happy Birthday” (2007)

44. Arcade Fire - “Wake Up” (2004)

45. Autolux - “Blanket” (2004)

46. MGMT - “Time to Pretend” (2007)

47.  Built to Spill - “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)

48. Wilco - “Side With the Seeds” (2007)

49. Elliott Smith - “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)

50. Avey Tare - “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)

51. Department of Eagles - “Waves of Rye” (2008)

52. Animal Collective - “Summertime Clothes” (2009)

53. Radiohead - “2+2 = 5″ (2003)

54. Dredg - “Sang Real” (2005)

55. While Lies - “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)

56. Grizzly Bear - “Ready, Able” (2009)

57. Matisyahu - “King Without a Crown” (2005)

58. Modest Mouse - “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)

59. Dillinger Escape Plan - “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)

60. Elliott Smith - “Twilight” (2004)

61. Deerhunter - “Flourescent Grey” (2007)

62. Holy Fuck - “Lovely Allen” (2007)

63. LCD Soundsystem - “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)

64. The Notwist - “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)

65. Liars - “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)

66. The Mars Volta - “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)

67. The Notwist - “Solitaire” (2002)

68. Of Montreal - “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)

69. Queens of the Stone Age - “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)

70. Radiohead - “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)

71. Saul Williams - “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)

72. Autolux - “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)

73. Sigur Ros - “Untitled 8″ (2002)

74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - “Maps” (2003)

75. Portishead - “Threads” (2008)

76. Sufjan Stevens - “Chicago” (2005)

77. Ugly Casanova - “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)

78. Animal Collective - “Brothersport” (2009)

79. Radiohead - “Pyramid Song” (2001)

80. Nine Inch Nails - “Only” (2005)

81. El-P - “Flyentology” (2007)

82. Queens of the Stone Age - “No One Knows” (2002)

83. Ghostface Killah - “Shakey Dog” (2006)

84. Modest Mouse - “Missed the Boat” (2007)

85. UNKLE - “Persons and Machinery” (2007)

86. Amon Tobin - “Verbal” (2002)

87. The White Stripes - “Denial Twist” (2005)
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88. Tomahawk - “Captain Midnight” (2003)

89. Modest Mouse - “Bukowski” (2004)

90. Sigur Ros - “Hoppipolia” (2005)

92. Fuck Buttons - “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)

93. Bon Iver - “Skinny Love” (2008)

94. Built to Spill - “In Your Mind” (2001)

95. The White Stripes - “Icky Thump” (2007)

96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - “We Are Rockstars” (2008)

97. Dub Trio - “Not Alone” (2006)

98. Modest Mouse - “The World At Large”

99. The Walkmen - “In the New Year” (2008)

100. Nine Inch Nails - “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)

Fishpork’s Favorite Albums of the 2000s

Compiling a list of your favorite albums for an entire decade is quite the challenge, especially when that decade was as strong as the 2000s were. Six of our favorites come from two bands (Animal Collective and Radiohead), and two were from this past year (Veckatimest and Merriweather Post Pavilion). This list is by no means a definitive statement of the best music from last decade. Instead, these are our favorite albums that were on heavy rotation in our iPods and scrobbled endlessly on Last.FM.

1. Strawberry Jam (2007) - Animal Collective

2. Silent Shout (2006) - The Knife

3. The Moon and Antarctica (2000) -  Modest Mouse

4. Kid A (2000) - Radiohead

5. Figure 8 (2000) - Elliott Smith

6. Veckatimest (2009) - Grizzly Bear

7. De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003) - The Mars Volta

8. Future Perfect (2004) - Autolux

9. The Eraser (2006) - Thom Yorke

10. Person Pitch (2007) - Panda Bear

11. Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) - TV on the Radio

12. Sea Change (2002) - Beck

13. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) - Wilco

14. High Society (2002) - Enon

15. The Loon (2006) - Tapes N’ Tapes

16. Microcastle (2008) - Deerhunter

17. Feels (2005) - Animal Collective

18. Sound of Silver (2007) - LCD Soundsystem

19. In Rainbows (2007) - Radiohead

20. Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - Animal Collective

Fishpork’s Favorite EPs of the 2000s

It’s that time of year again, when music blog debates get nasty and irrational. We wouldn’t dare declare a “best of” list. These are simply our favorites. We’ll start with releases that didn’t make full album status but were too good to be ignored. These are our favorite EPs of the decade:

1. Flourescent Grey - Deerhunter (2007)
Deerhunter have yet to misstep in their short but brilliant career. Flourescent Grey represents the band at their best.

2. Error - Error (2004)
A real supergroup featuring NIN programmer Atticus Ross, Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, and Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato. It’s hard to believe that this is their only release. “Jack the Ripper” is mind-numbing perfection.

3. Irony is a Dead Scene - Dillinger Escape Plan (2002)
Dillinger Escape Plan is a decent band known for their energetic live sets. Throw in Mike Patton as guest vocalist for an entire EP, and DEP reach their pinnacle. Patton shows his entire vocal palette on Irony by softly crooning one minute and conjuring screamo and Fantomas-style yelping the next. “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” might be the best song Patton has ever been associated with.

4. Water Curses - Animal Collective (2008)
An underrated EP from Animal Collective that held us over between the releases of 2007’s Strawberry Jam and 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. “Street Flash” is a highlight.

5. Tremulant - The Mars Volta (2002)
The first introduction to The Mars Volta after the 2001 split of At The Drive-in. Our ears would never be the same.

Fishpork’s Ten Favorite Shows of 2008

As a collective, Fishpork attended 15 live shows this year (and there are still two more: Of Montreal tomorrow and Crystal Castles on New Year’s Eve, both at the Music Hall of Williamsburg). Unfortunately, a band does not have complete control over how well received their live performance can be. This was the case with all bands that played in our least favorite venue of 2008: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Although Animal Collective managed to overcome the venue’s sound limitations the best, others were not so lucky (The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal). Unless Jeff Mangum announces a show here, Fishpork will avoid it at all costs in 2009. Highlights of the year included an intoxicating performance by Deerhunter, a sweaty dance party curated by Girl Talk, and a 3am secret show by Modest Mouse. These were our favorite shows of 2008:

1. Deerhunter @ The Music Hall of Wiiliamsburg
2. Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom
3. Enon @ Hiro Ballroom
4. Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5. Built to Spill @ Terminal 5
6. Animal Collective @ Electric Factory
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
8. Radiohead @ APW Festival
9. Saul Williams @ The Trocadero
10. Battles @ Johnny Brendas

Honorable Mention:

Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brendas
Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall
Health @ House of Blues
TV on the Radio @ Electric Factory
Of Montreal @ Electric Factory

Least Favorite Show of 2008

The Mars Volta @ Electric Factory

Favorite Live Venue of 2008

Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

Least Favorite Venue of 2008

Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

Fishpork’s Favorite 50 Tracks of 2008

Ranking our favorite 50 songs of 2008 was no simple task. There were many great songs that were left off the list, as well as some surprises that made it. We’ve included several songs from the same bands (Crystal Castles, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal, etc.), seven songs of projects by Bradford Cox (Deerhunter, Atlas Sound) and even an entire LP (Animal Collective’s Water Curses). Some of the tracks were rather new to our iPods (The Walkmen, Vic Chesnutt), while others had the benefit of being part of our summer soundtrack (Tapes N’ Tapes, Elf Power, Eric Avery, Ladytron). These were the tracks that made us fans of music in 2008:

1. Nothing Even Happened - Deerhunter
2. Crimewave - Crystal Castles
3. For Our Elegant Caste - Of Montreal
4. Echoplex - Nine Inch Nails
5. Spiral Stairs - Elf Power
6. Set It Off - Girl Talk
7. Recent Bedroom - Atlas Sound
8. Street Flashes - Animal Collective
9. Boneless (Notwist Remix) - Panda Bear
10. Hang Them All - Tapes N’ Tapes
11. Air War - Crystal Castles
12. Water Curses - Animal Collective
13. In the New Year -  The Walkmen
14. Never Stops - Deerhunter
15. Two Propellers - First Wave Hello
16. Cobwebs - Animal Collective
17. Runs in the Family - Amanda Palmer
18. Quarantined - Atlas Sound
19. Seal Eyeing - Animal Collective
20. Gobbledigook - Sigur Ros
21. 35 Ghosts III - Nine Inch Nails
22. The Clockwise Witness - Devotchka
23. Stork and Owl - TV on the Radio
24. Strange Overtones - David Byrne & Brian Eno
25. Dancing Choose - TV on the Radio
26. Logos - Atlas Sound
27. Knights - Crystal Castles
28. On Planet Off - The Notwist
29. Little Kids - Deerhunter
30. George Michael - Tapes N’ Tapes
31. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
32. Teenagers - Department of Eagles
33. All Remote and No Control - Eric Avery
34. Revolution - Eric Avery
35. Nights of the Week - Apes and Androids
36. And How - Vic Chesnutt and Elf Power
37. Softly Through the Void - Elf Power
38. The Blue Route - The Walkmen
39. Triceratops (Acid Girls Remix A) - Health
40. Bitch Went Nuts - Ben Folds
41. Id Engager - Of Montreal
42. Predict the Day - Ladytron
43. Ribs Out - Fuck Buttons
44. Threads - Portishead
45. Crosseyed Beautiful Youngunz - Love as Laughter
46. Waves of Rye - Department of Eagles
47. Danse Infernale - Atlas Sound
48. Gallery Piece - Of Montreal
49. Idle Hands - The Gutter Twins
50. Ghosts - Ladytron

The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2008

Remember this era in music. It’s a special one. We’re going to look back and talk about it like we talk about the 60s or 70s. I used to miss all the great bands that came out of the 90s, but my longing for the hay days of grunge and industrial has since dissipated. Go ahead and disagree, but this is a renaissance period for music. This year was no exception. In fact, it served as an endless discovery period of great bands and classic albums. However, our favorite album of 2008 was not a difficult choice at all. Here is our list of favorite albums of 2008:

1. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
2. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
3. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
4. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
5. Eric Avery - Help Wanted
6. Elf Power - In a Cave
7. Guns N’ Roses - Chinese Democracy
8. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
9. Tapes N’ Tapes - Walk It Off
10. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
11. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
12. Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
13. Portishead - Third
14. Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
15. Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power - Dark Developments
16. Ladytron - Velocifero
17. The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
18. First Wave Hello - God Bless, Devil You
19. Fuck Buttons - Street Horsssing
20. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
    

Honorable Mentions:

• Dub Trio - Another Sound is Dying
• Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer
• Health - Disco

Most Disappointing Albums:

• Beck - Modern Guilt
• SexTapes - SexTapes
• UNKLE - End Title . . . Stories For Film

Most Overrated Albums:

• Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
• Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
• Cold Play - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Fishpork will post our favorite songs and live shows of the year next week. Check back soon!