Tag Archives: best of 2009

Best of 2009 by Shawn of Kata Rokkar

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Who: Shawn, Editor in Chief, Photographer
Blog: Kata Rokkar
Location: San Rafael, CA
Twitter: @katarokkar

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest – I was stubborn about the Grizzly-craze at first. But when I finally sat down with this record, I realized how special this record is.
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Division Day – Visitation – It’s such a dark and colorful record. Why anyone missed this is beyond me.
  3. Best Song: I probably listened to Phoenix’s “Fences”  a lot because it wakes me up when I go to work. Clues “Remember Severed Head”, Mos Def “Auditorium, Mos Def”, and Jeremy Enigk’s “April Storm” got major replays over the year.
  4. Best Live Show: It’s a tie between The Mars Volta’s epic performance at Outside Lands Festival and Fanfarlo’s show at Popscene. While Fanfarlo showed they are one of the most charismatic bands of the year, Mars Volta went absolutely ballistic on stage at Outside Lands….hmmm, tough one.
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Sleep Whale and Fanfarlo
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: Bon Iver, both shows. I couldn’t make it and it still kills me to this day.
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
  8. Favorite SF Band: Too many, but it’s a tie between Judgement Day and Sean Hayes.
  9. One to Watch in 2010: The Limousines

Best of 2009 by Jay of Stranger Dance

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Who: Jay, Editor in Chief
Blog: Stranger Dance
Location: San Francisco
Twitter: @strangerdance

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: Dark was the Night compilation – tough to beat out this much fire power
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms – I just can’t stop listening to this album.
  3. Best Song: Yikes. This one’s to close to call. Last.fm tells me I’ve listened to “So Far Around the Bend” by The National the most this year, so I guess that’s as good an indicator as any.  Elvis Perkins’ “Shampoo”, Phoenix’s “1901” and “What I Mean To You” by Justin Townes Earle are all right up there.
  4. Best Live Show: Josh Ritter’s NoisePop gig at Great American Music Hall last February just edged out J. Tillman’s surprisingly epic show at Cafe du Nord. Both shows outmatched a lot of the bigger ticket shows I caught this year.
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Patrick Watson
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: St. Vincent
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Animal Collective
  8. Favorite SF Band: Maus Haus. You’d probably get a different answer tomorrow, but that’s my pick today.
  9. One to Watch in 2010: Girls / Maus Haus

Best of 2009 by Ben Van Houten of The Bay Bridged

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Who: Ben Van Houten, Co-founder
Blog: The Bay Bridged
Twitter: @thebaybridged

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: Girls – Album / The Fresh & Onlys – Grey-Eyed Girls
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Sonny & The Sunsets – Tomorrow is Alright / Former Ghosts – Fleurs / Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – ‘Em Are I
  3. Best Song: Girls – “Hellhole Ratrace” / Garrett Pierce – “Can I Stop Breathing?” / Odawas – “Harmless Lover’s Discourse”
  4. Best Live Show: The Mountain Goats at the Swedish American Hall for Noise Pop / Every time I see Thee Oh Sees
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Grizzly Bear (I finally get it with Veckatimest)
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: Cass McCombs/Papercuts/Girls show at Great American Music Hall.  Catacombs is an unreal album that I just started getting into a month too late.
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Girl Talk. He puts on an energetic live show, but I just can’t get into the albums.  I appreciate the technique and skill involved, but I can’t really sit down and listen to a Girl Talk record.
  8. Favorite SF Band: THEY’RE ALL MY FAVORITES.
  9. One to Watch in 2010: Adam Stephens

Best of 2009 by Anna of Stranger Dance

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Who: Anna, Local Music Editor
Blog: Stranger Dance
Location: San Francisco
Twitter: @strangerdance

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: Tie – Various Artists – Dark Was the Night / The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns. Not sure if some will count Dark Was the Night as year-end worthy because it’s a compilation, but I just can’t leave it out.
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend. Maybe some won’t consider this album as overlooked, but I felt like I should have seen more coverage of it across the blogosphere.
  3. Best Song: Tie – The Books ft. Jose Gonzalez – “‘Cello Song” (Nick Drake cover)/Fanfarlo – “I’m a Pilot”
  4. Best Live Show: Tie – The Tallest Man on Earth, the Independent, 7/2/09 / Bon Iver, Fox Theater, 9/24/09
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Fanfarlo
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: J. Tillman, both at Cafe du Nord in August and the Great American on December 4th. D’oh!
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Dirty Projectors. And Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (except for that “Home” song, that song warms my lil’ heart).
  8. Favorite SF Band: There are so many, but I always come back to Or, the Whale. Grand Lake is probably my latest local favorite.
  9. One to Watch in 2010: Sleepy Sun – local and fabulous.

Best of 2009: Dany, FutureSounds

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Who: Dany
Blog: FutureSounds
Location: LA
Twitter: @futuresounds

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: tie between A Balloon Called Whirring by the Joy Formidable + Journal for Plague Lovers by Manic Street Preachers
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Hello Seahorse! “Bestia”
  3. Best Song: The Joy Formidable “Whirring”
  4. Best Live Show: The Joy Formidable @ The Great Escape, May 2009 in Brighton, UK
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: NewIslands and The Good Natured
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: Florence + the Machine (but I finally got into them a few months ago)
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Animal Collective
  8. Favorite SF Band: LoveLikeFire
  9. One to Watch in 2010: NewIslands and The Joy Formidable (I cheated and picked two)
  10. Band that broke up that I still miss: Elle Milano

Best of 2009: Cian, See What You Hear

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Who: Cian
Blog: See What You Hear
Location: UK
Twitter: @seewhatyouhear

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: at the moment it’s a tie between Real Estate – S/T and Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms
  3. Best Song: Girls – “Lust for Life”
  4. Best Live Show: Patrick Watson / Spiritualized
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Kurt Vile
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: I missed a Nobunny show; I missed Primavera, and as I write this, I am about to miss a special intimate gig by Beach House. But I broke my personal best for shows this year, so I can’t complain!
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Wilco
  8. Favorite SF Band: Thee Oh Sees
  9. One to Watch in 2010: Joseph Childress