2009 Wrap #12: Heath Byers

First, live:  I see a lot of shows. Its really hard to choose.  In roughly chronological order…

Gentleman Jesse + Paul Collins Beat @ Bear’s Place (Jan 2009) There was a snowstorm. It was midweek. But a small crowd came out and  was completely floored by this amazing performance from a legend and  the winner of Jason’s album of the year for last year. Power pop lives!

Lambchop @ Anna’s basement in Nashville, TN (February 2009) An intimate basement show from the always magnificent Lambchop. Now  here, almost a year later, it makes me wish even moreso that I had  seen the late, great Vic Chesnutt touring w/ Silver Mt Zion recently.

Bonnie Prince Billy & Lou Barlow instores @ Landlocked (March/April  2009) Two legendary performers do us a super kind favor and pop in for  amazing live sets.  Oldham ad-libbed some Coug over breakfast and Lou  played amazing acoustic versions from his entire catalog. 

Dinosaur Jr @ Bluebird (April 2009) Wow. Total sonic annihilation. J is the man, the myth, the legend.

Here We Go Magic @ Cinemat, Buskirk, ACLFest Lucky enough to see HWGM at ever-increasing capacity shows 3 times in  ‘09. A great band with a very bright future. Bring it on.

Balmorhea & Tiny Vipers @ Bear’s Place (June 2009) Two beautiful albums and gorgeous hushed live shows.

Entrance Band @ Russian Recording (July 2009) The skinniest man alive playing the fattest riffs. Third eye salute!

Kings Go Forth @ Video Saloon (August 2009) The best soul/funk album of 2010. I brought them through town and they completely destroyed and won over every single person in attendence.  Luaka Bop is putting out their album very soon.

Endless Boogie @ The Bishop (September 2009) I love their album. Its totally record store rock. Black Oak Kraut?  the 4 other dudes in attendence agree.

Thee Oh Sees @ Festers (September 2009) The last show I ever saw at Festers (hurrah) – They set up their own  PA upstairs and slayed a writhing mess of bodies. If you were lucky enough to be close, this is probably on your list too.

Jack Rose @ The Bishop (September 2009) Lucky enough to catch the most amazing contemporary acoustic guitarist  one last time before he sadly passed on, far too young, this past month. Absolutely mesmerising.

Bon Iver @ Austin City Limits Festival (October 2009) Watched from sidestage with Lance Armstrong (!?!?) as Justin and his band play to thousands of awe-struck fans in a freak torrential downpour. This might be the optimum way to experience his music.

Grouper / Polvo / Damien Jurado / Tiny Vipers / Mountains / Early Day  Miners @ Tanned Tin Madrid (November 2009) Hanging out and absorbing amazing sets from all these wonderful acts  in Spain. Hot damn! Absinthe blinded and ecstatic.

Honorable live mentions: final Impossible Shapes show, Carolina  Chocolate Drops, DM Stith, Larkin Grimm, Neil Hamburger, Drakkar  Sauna, Hold Steady, Grizzly Bear, Tammar, Nomo, final Tremendous  Fucking show, Deerhunter + No Age, Woods, Davila 666, Sufjan Stevens,  Blitzen Trapper, Hacienda, Califone

Top whatever (in no order):

Phoenix//Bill Callahan//Deradoorian EP//Flaming Lips//Destroyer EP//Megafaun//xx//Gentleman Losers//Marmoset//Kurt Vile//Bear in Heaven//Magnolia Electric Co + 7″//Kings of Convenience//Half Rats//On Fillmore//jj

some reissues:

Numero Records: Still killin’ it in everything they do
Mississippi Recs: Still amazing with their depth and quality.
Nerves reissues (Alive)
Zero Boys Vicious Circle, History Of (Secretly Canadian)
Death For the Whole World to See (Drag City)
A zillion reissues of African funk and Afro-Gospel: What a year!

handful o’ soul/funk/jazz:

Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi (Family Vineyard) Best legit free jazz of the year!
Lee Fields & The Expressions My World (Truth & Soul) As good as any Daptone record.
Mr Chop For Pete’s Sake (Now Again) A favorite future producer bangs it, Pete Rock-style.
Black Dynamite OST & Score (Wax Poetics) Can’t wait to see this movie!
Natural Yogurt Band Away With Melancholy 2×10″ (Jazzman / Now Again)  A futuristic funky soundtrack to nothing, YET.
Chin Chin The Flashing, The Fancing (Def Jux) Modern 70s disco-funk done right.

I also like electronic/hip-hop:

Juan Maclean Future Will Come (DFA) “Happy House” is one of my fave tracks of the year.
Junior Boys Begone Dull Care (Domino) Another amazing album.
Telefon Tel Aviv Immolate Yourself (Bpitch Control) A sad end (?),  I love their glitch soul.
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 Duh, it was worth the wait. hip hop was dead til this.
MF Doom Born Like This (Lex) After all this time… still good.

Etienne Jaumet Night Music (Domino) All analog Goblin-throb produced by Carl Craig!

Heath spends a lot of his free time DJing around Bloomington and half-owning Landlocked Music.  While there, he special orders music for himself that no one else wants and watches in horror as great albums  are ignored and mediocre tripe is a best seller. In short, he is an average record store employee. Make his day by buying some of this great music.

Filed under: 2009 Wrap  Balmorhea  bloomingtopia  Bon Iver  Bonnie "Prince" Billy  Dinosaur Jr.  Endless Boogie  Entrance Band  Gentleman Jesse  Here We Go Magic  Jack Rose  Kings Go Forth  Lambchop  Landlocked Music  Lou Barlow  Paul Collins Beat  Thee Oh Sees  Tiny Vipers