Honorable Mentions of 2009

Well hello there! As I stated in my last "real" blog post, i would be doing a follow up to my best of 2009 post. This post will contain albums that i didn't listen to enough or just plain forgot to cover in the “Best of 2009” post. As I also mentioned, I’m not going to do full write ups of the the albums. Just album and link. Maybe ill put genre tags for good measure. Enjoy shit i should've written about already! haha.
Them Crooked Vultures – Self Titled
stoner rock/metal, neo-classic rock, alternative rock

Download The Album Here
Bygones – By-
instrumental math rock, experimental, noise

Download The Album Here
Narrows – New Distances
metalcore, math metal

Download The Album Here
Saxon Shore – It Doesn't Matter
instrumental post rock

Download The Album Here
Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

Download The Album Here
Toe – For Long Tomorrow
post rock, instrumental rock, indie rock

Download The Album Here
Polar Bear Club – Chasing Hamburg
post hardcore, emo, indie rock, alternative rock

Download The Album Here
Victor Villarreal – Alive
Indie Rock, Acoustic, Singer/Songwriter

Download The Album Here
Kalpana – Teeth On The Wheel
Post rock, Indie rock, Space rock

Download The Album Here
Converge – Axe To Fall
math metal, metalcore

Download The Album Here
Maserati – Passages
Post Rock, Instrumental Rock, Experimental Rock

Download The Album Here
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez – Cryptomnesia
Experimental Rock, Neo-Progressive Rock, Alternative Rock

Download The Album Here
Do Make Say Think – Other Truths
Post Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock

Download The Album Here
Built To Spill – There Is No Enemy
Indie Rock, Alternative Rock

Download The Album Here
Young Widows – Split Series
Post Hardcore, Noise Rock, Alternative Rock

Download Them Here
As always, if you enjoy the music you've heard, please seek it out and buy it! I cant stress this enough!

Achilles - The Dark Horse

So recently on the local syracuse music scene message board, there was some chatter about a re-release of Achilles' last album, Hospice, on vinyl. I was stoked. I fucking love that album & I just recently inherited a gnarly record player from my recently deceased grandma (RIP). But in all of the posts about praise was a remark that, though meant in a positive way, i viewed as extremely negative and unintelligent..."This record makes their older material look bad." Now, I love the guy that made this remark. But seriously, dumb. Maybe its just part of being an older guy that was there when things happened and followed a band as they progressed. Maybe its just the fact that "The Dark Horse" was such a personally important album to me. I don't really know. I will thank this young fellow though, because his remark got me to pull out my copy of this album and listen to it. Which just furthered in my head how wrong his statement is. Start to finish, amazing album. Granted, they changed more musically on Hospice. But I really don't know if it was enough to act as if it was a giant leap. I also think the changes made on that album made the band more accessible to people who otherwise wouldn't listen to them. Most people who know me wont be surprised when I say I am usually against musical changes that end with that result. Blah blah. This album is heavy as balls. It was recorded by the guitarist of Breather Resist. There is not much I can say except that I fucking love this band. I've loved everything they have put out and I will continue to follow them until they call it quits. With the members all over now, and Polar Bear Club on their way to being MTV's "next big thing", I don't know when they will find the time to play shows, let alone write and record another album. But I'll be waiting. If all you have heard by the band is Hospice, I highly recommend listening to The Dark Horse. Preferably over and over again. haha.

Download The Album Here

I cant stress enough, that if you enjoy this album, you need to buy a copy. I'm personal friends with the members of the band and with the record label that put out the album. Please support independent bands and labels.