yanoff.org
Skip navigation.
yan·off (yä nôf) n. A Wisconsin family consisting of Gillie, Carly, Kathy and Scott Yanoff.

music

Best Albums | Best Songs | Most Disappointing Albums

Scott's Picks for Best Albums of 2009

  1. Middle Cyclone by Neko Case - Neko came back with a strong album after her last effort, "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood". It's hard to say which album is better, so let's just say that this one is just as good. Oh, and the cover art rocks. I picked "I'm an Animal" as my favorite track and possibly one of my favorite of all time, but there are a number of worthy tracks on this set.
    Favorite track: I'm an Animal
  2. No Line on the Horizon by U2 - There are some really oustanding tracks on this album. "Magnificent" is soaring, especially thanks to Edge's guitar work. "Fez - Being Born" is a welcome departure from the typical U2 song, and a direction I would not mind seeing the band take. However, there are a couple of duds as well. "Get on Your Boots" was a poor choice for a first single which can be as annoying as it is catchy. The band has never sounded better sonically, but Bono's lyrics took a real nose-dive, especially with the song "Unknown Caller" where he writes things such as "force-quit, move to trash". C'mon, Bono, you're writing about using a Macintosh?
    Favorite track: Magnificent
  3. Be Set Free by Langhorne Slim - I had no idea who this band/guy was until I heard the free stream of it from MSN Music. It kind of proves that you should take a chance on some of the free music streams out there (as outlined on my free music page). This album's really solid and in a year without Neko Case and U2, it may have easily made the top of my list. I've picked "Land of Dreams" as my favorite track but "Yer Wrong" was a close second, and the album as a whole is really solid.
    Favorite track: Land of Dreams
  4. Dark Was the Night by Various Artists - This two-disc compilation album appeared on Amazon.com for a bargain price of around $10 for the MP3s with the proceeds going to fight AIDS. Produced by a couple of the guys from one of my favorite bands, The National, it is chock-full of indie rock that's filled with actual new songs or covers for once. It was a great way to hear some of the newer hot-shots of indie rock such as Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear alongside old favorites such as The National, The Decemberists, and The New Pornographers.
    Favorite track: Hey, Snow White (by The New Pornographers)
  5. 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day - A second concept album from Green Day that is as equally enjoyable as "American Idiot". There's not as many radio-friendly hits as appeared on "American Idiot", but the music's still mature punk at its finest.
    Favorite track: Before the Lobotomy
  6. The Open Door EP by Death Cab for Cutie - This was an oddball Grammy nomination for best alternative album because it's only an EP. Regardless, it's a no-brainer for any fan of Death Cab for Cutie. There are 4 new songs and one demo version, "Little Bird", from their previous album, "Narrow Stairs". That last album received much acclaim but I found only a couple of songs worth purchasing, whereas the band's sound on this follow-up EP was stellar. Had there been a full album's worth of material like this and it would have made it much higher on my list.
    Favorite track: A Diamond and a Tether
  7. Working on a Dream by Bruce Springsteen - In some ways, this is also one of my more disappointing albums of the year. In the same way that Bono faltered lyrics-wise on "Horizon", Bruce turned out some of his worst lyrics ever, especially on duds such as "Surprise, Surprise" and "Queen of the Supermarket". On the other hand, though, the 8-minute introductory song "Outlaw Pete" is fantastic and while it doesn't come close to the equally-long rock ballad "Jungleland", it's a new shot at creative songmanship for Bruce. The rest of the songs are so-so, although musically the band themselves are excellent and help to alleviate some of Bruce's worst lyric writing. I recommend adding on the bonus track, "The Wrestler", from the motion picture of the same name.
    Favorite track: Outlaw Pete

back to top

Scott's Picks for Best Songs of 2009

  1. I'm an Animal by Neko Case
  2. This Tornado Loves You by Neko Case
  3. People Got a Lotta Nerve by Neko Case
  4. California on My Mind by Wild Light
  5. It's Not Your Birthday Anymore by Morrissey
  6. Magnificent by U2
  7. A Diamond and a Tether by Death Cab for Cutie
  8. Empire State of Mind, Part II by Alicia Keys
  9. I and Love and You by Avett Brothers
  10. I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight by U2
  11. Another Saturday by Stuart Murdoch
  12. The Goldrush by Coldplay
  13. No Line on the Horizon by U2
  14. A Sort of Homecoming (Danny Lanois Remix) by U2
  15. The Next Time You Say Forever by Neko Case
  16. The Great Defector by Bell X1
  17. One-Stringed Harp by Bell X1
  18. Fire on the Mountain by Rob Thomas
  19. Yer Wrong by Langhorne Slim
  20. Land of Dreams by Langhorne Slim
  21. Everybody Learns from Disaster by Dashboard Confessional
  22. Hey, Snow White by New Pornographers
  23. Little Bribes by Death Cab for Cutie
  24. Peggy-O by Among The Oak & Ash
  25. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Peter Gabriel
  26. Before the Lobotomy by Green Day
  27. Shining Light by Annie Lennox
  28. So Far Around the Bend by The National
  29. Model Homes by In-Flight Safety
  30. Focus by Cyndi Harvell
  31. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris by Morrissey
  32. Ulysses by Franz Ferdinand
  33. Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me by Cracker
  34. Love of Our Lives by Indigo Girls
  35. Come Monday Night by God Help the Girl
  36. Willow Tree by Chad Vangaalen
  37. The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists
  38. Stu's Song by Ed Helms

back to top

Scott's Most-Disappointing Albums of 2009

  1. Poseidon and the Bitter Bug by Indigo Girls - "Love of Our Lives" was the only song worth purchasing off of this album. Otherwise, this album didn't find them breaking any new ground and it certainly didn't equal the old ground already tread.
  2. Draw the Line by David Gray - This guy is just amazing and I'd encourage everyone to pick up his three preceeding albums, "White Ladder", "A New Day at Midnight", and "Life in Slow Motion". All are light years away from this long-awaited album, and save for the single, "Fugitive", there was nothing much here that registered emotionally the way nearly everything from the aforementioned previous three albums did.
  3. Noble Beast by Andrew Bird - Admittedly, I only own one album by him, "The Mysterious Production of Eggs", which is very enjoyable. "Noble Beast" made many a best-of-2009 list but I just didn't get it. I didn't buy any songs off of it whereas I at least found a couple worth purchasing off of his last album, "Armchair Apocrypha".
  4. Swords by Morrissey - It sounded like die-hard fans loved this 18-track collection of B-Sides from Morrissey's last four or five albums, but they sounded like nothing special to me, which is why I guess they were all songs that never made it onto the actual albums.