On the gramophone.

,So seeing as I said I'd do it, and people (it turns out) actually bother to read what can only be described as the musings of the most underinformed person on the internet not commenting on Youtube videos, here is my thoughts on actual music in 2009.

First off, I'll say that I've not really been keeping up-to-date with music, so I'll just spout about the things I have heard or that my friends have showed me, and give you some of my favourites.

How about I do 5 albums and 5 songs? Seem reasonable? I don't know who that question is addressed to.

Ok so first off, my favourite 5 albums released in 2009.

In no particular order:

1. Regina Spektor - Far

What can I say about this? It was something of a soundtrack to my summer. It has been one of the most pleasant and wonderful things I have heard in a while. The songs span a fair distance in disparity, ranging from the upbeat pop-y-er (why does that non-word look like the name of a Welsh town) numbers such as The Calculation and Dance Anthem of the 80's, to the whispered lovelyness of Blue Lips and Genius Next Door and the to the more soulful Human of the Year and One More Time With Feeling.

Regina is one of those artists who is constantly there on the fringe, with a hardcore of fans, making quality album after quality album. You cannot fault her infectious enthusiasm which is apparent in all her songs, it adds a real energy, even to the more downbeat numbers. The songs all speak of love, passion and obscure stories. Her voice is a force alone, and the piano can only be described as huge in its effect. The two come together to give the whole album a theatrical feel without being cheesy, not an easy feat in my mind...

I'd give this album a solid 5/5, because quite honestly I can listen to it any time and feel it has something to offer.

2. Frank Turner - Poetry Of The Deed

I must be honest, I am a little biased towards (read "gay for") Frank Turner, so I fully expected to love this album off the bat, but I'll be honest, on the first few listen, I wasn't blown away, or even amused or mildly aroused as I normally am by Frank Turner, so I decided to ignore it as the "difficult third album". Then the time came to go see him live, and the performance DID blow me away. I mean it was brilliant. I couldn't help but love everything he played, so when I got home and had another listen, it turned out I did like this album. The thing is, Frank's taken a slightly different turn with this one, gone a bit more towards his punky roots once more, and brought some electricity and interesting new ideas into the proceedings. All-in-all it's not as good as his previous work, but you can't fault the fact that he's actually branched out. I think in that respect I like it more. Nothing irritates me more than a band who go stale...

Some of the highlights of the album include Sons of Liberty, a nod, it would appear, to bands like Flogging Molly, The Pogues and the Real McKenzies, and Dan's Song, a feel good summery tune about getting the most out of life. A solid 4/5!

3. Cougar - Patriot

Chances are you'll never hear of Wisconsin 5 piece Cougar. Not for any other reason than they're a fairly experimental, instrumental, post-rock band (you may however know their drummer's other project, the Youngblood Brass Band). This is Cougar's second album, and a fantastic follow-up to 2007's Law. Where Law was a slow-burner, brimming with sounds and ambience, Patriot is a small explosion, breaking out with heavy guitars, and a more full, developed and play-me-loud feel to it. The album opens with a fantastic foot-stomper and continues in a similar vein without becoming tiresome. Bridges and breaks split each song nicely, with inventive riffs and peaks, to the accompaniment of a sharp backing from D. H. Skogen (of Youngblood).

This one is a straight 5/5, it's experimental, it's exciting, it's new, and that pretentious part of my brain which I like to feed, loves being a fan of obscure bands (you know you do too!)

I know that instrumental stuff isn't to everyone's taste, but give this a whirl, you may be pleasantly surprised.

4. Adam Gnade - The Wild Homesick

Gnade's EP (ok not an album, I know) The Wild Homesick is rare enough that I couldn't even find a proper picture of it (look, that's Gande himself holding it), but it's something I got on recommendation earlier this year from a good friend of mine. If I'm honest, there's a large percentage of you that won't like it. It's obscure, it's somewhat long winded if you're not expecting it. Gnade is a singer, but from most of his work you wouldn't know it. Gnade's music is something akin to storytelling, with a guitar. He spins tales of his friends, his family, his life, weather, you name it. It sounds terrible, but somehow it's mostly just intriguing and a little stirring. Gnade's lyrics concerned with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are thought provoking, not in any political sense, but in sense of it showing the effect on the people back home and the families of those out there fighting.

The first three tracks portray scenes of long awaited social occasions, storms and the coming together of friends and strangers, and all through you just want to stand on a porch in the warm dark, a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, and your friends surrounding you.

The EP rounds off with a song by Gnade, a short, sharp, lo-fi, distored number, called I Will Put Away My Pain And Be A Beacon. It's an interesting change of pace, and brings the album to a nice ringing close.

This is another 4/5, which would've scored higher if it was longer, but the fact is this is an EP so I can hardly complain.

5. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

I don't have much to write about this. I discovered it this morning. I've not turned it off since. This album is just excellent. It makes me think of gospel with a bit of a more folky feel to it. Banjos, violins, and choruses of almost discordant voices, sound so much like these boys traipsed in from the northern moors, or maybe even further, but the boys hail straight from our capital itself, and take the country from without it seems.

The thing about this album is the soul in the whole affair. The voices, gravelly and full of emotion, backed up by string and wind make for quite a mixture.

Without a doubt, tracks Little Lion Man, Awake My Soul and Winter Winds have made this album for me. For the reason that in a matter of hours it has become one of my albums of the year and within a minute of Little Lion Man I was hooked on these boys, I can't give this anything other than 5/5. A brilliant album and one which most can enjoy!

So go forth, invest in these albums, treat your friends and family over Christmas, "treat your wife, treat someone else's wife", whatever!

And if anyone has another opinion then feel free to share it in the comments section.

Except you Haddock. You're banned from commenting on my blog now, on the basis that you're not even difficult to spot.

Eejit.