Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig

Favorite Album of 2009

Antony & the Johnsons The Crying Light - A near flawless collection of songs performed by an incomparable artist, perhaps one of the greatest to emerge from this first decade of the new millennium.

Best Album Cover of 2009

Tie between Blue Record by Baroness (which also happens to be my pick for Most Highly-Anticipated Yet Thoroughly Disappointing Album of the Year) and Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective.

Songs of the Year

'Meditation is the Practice of Death' - OM God Is Good

'Her Eyes are Underneath the Ground' - Antony & the Johnsons The Crying Light

'Ashes in the Snow' - Mono Hymn to the Immortal Wind

'Hate Worldwide' - Slayer World Painted Blood

'Ego Death' - A Place To Bury Strangers Exploding Head

'This Tornado Loves You' - Neko Case Middle Cyclone

'Empire State of Mind' - Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys The Blueprint 3

'Black Gives Way to Blue' - Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue

'Scapegoat' - Kylesa Static Tensions

Viva vinyl reissues 2009

This year yielded vinyl reissues of some of my favorite albums from the late 80s and 90s.

The Stone Roses ST - Repressed for the 20th anniversary of it's release. The whole album still holds up.



Red House Painters Songs for a Blue Guitar - Released for the first time on wax. I got the limited edition on lovely blue vinyl.



Mazzy Star She Hangs Brightly - I believe this came out just a few weeks ago. And here I thought I'd never have this on LP, as an original pressing typically sells for a small fortune on Ebay.



The Black Crowes The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - Hands down my favorite album of theirs, and one of my favorite all-time albums of the 90s.



Lisa Gerrard The Mirror Pool - Also available for the first time on LP format, complete with new sleeve artwork by Chris Bigg, who also designed the original CD version.

Russian Gulch State Park 2

Russian Gulch State Park

Ami and Rob Wedding 2: This Time It's Formal

I wasn't even in LA a full week before I flew back up to the Bay Area for Ami and Rob's second nuptials in Oakland. Here's a review of the good and the bad.
Good: The ceremony was held at a beautiful church in the Oakland hills.
Bad: On the way to the rehearsal I thought I made a wrong turn and ended up stopping at a gas station smack dab in the middle of the 'hiz-ood.
Good: It was great to see the East Coast people again.
Bad: No Flip Cup re-match!
Good: I beat out everyone else at my table in Canadian Row Sham Bow to win the Speak and Spell centerpiece.
Bad: That particular item wasn't up for grabs!
Good: The reception was a smashing success.
Bad: Jen and I missed out on the cracked out after party.