2009: The Year of Lists - Kate

Kate is my sister. She is studying to be a baker. She's smart, funny, and has good taste in music. Little Katie used to raid my music collection in order to shape her own. The fact that she made multiple mix tapes of grunge bands gives you some idea as to how old we are.

These lists are hers, not mine, but she's right on every choice. I totally forgot about that Sunset Rubdown record. I may have to dig that one up again. Be kind or I won't let you comment again.

This is for you. If you find it to be too lame or embarrassing, my feelings won't be hurt.

5 Best Albums of 2009 I don't think I could honestly say I heard 10 really great albums that came out this year...mainly because of my laziness.

1) Dragonslayer-Sunset Rubdown

2) Embryonic-The Flaming Lips

3) Wolfgang Amadeaus Phoenix-Phoenix

4) Merriweather Post Pavilion-Animal Collective

5) Where the Wild Things Are-Karen O. & the Kids

10 Best Songs of 2009

1) Worm Mountain-Flaming Lips

2) Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!-Sunset Rubdown

3) Worried Shoes-Karen O. & the Kids

4) My Girls-Animal Collective

5) Empire State of Mind-Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys)

6) Lisztomania-Phoenix

7) You and I-Wilco

8) Inspiration Information-Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

9) IRM-Charlotte Gainsbourg

10) So Far Around the Bend-The National

My 10 Favorite Albums of the Decade This is not concrete and by the time you read this it could be completely different.

1) Broken Social Scene-Broken Social Scene

2) Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone-The Walkmen

3) The Letting Go-Bonnie "Prince" Billy

4) Random Spirit Lover-Sunset Rubdown

5) Boxer-The National

6) Strawberry Jam-Animal Collective

7) Rather Ripped-Sonic Youth

8) Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks-Modest Mouse

9) De Stijl-The White Stripes

10) Neon Bible-Arcade Fire

Top 10 shows/concerts/live appearances/whatever you want to call it of the Decade

1) Broken Social Scene at The House of Blues, Cleveland, Ohio-November 2006

This was my first and only (so far) time seeing the great band of the North. Feist wasn't there but it quickly didn't matter so much. I went to the show by myself but had so much fun that, after awhile, I preferred it that way. At one point, they stopped in the middle of a song because some boneheads were moshing a little too violently. Can you believe people were still moshing in 2006? They ended with "It's all Gonna Break", which is probably on of my favorite 5+ minute songs ever.

2) Arcade Fire at Promowest, Columbus, Ohio-October 2007

I went to this show with my brother Nate and his girlfriend Tera. I think I was the only person in the audience who was sober that night too. No matter, I danced like my life depended on it and Arcade Fire made the show worth the 40-some dollars I paid for it.

3) Guided By Voices at Little Brothers, Columbus, Ohio-March 2004

This would be my last GBV show. At this point, GBV's schtick had kind of run its course and they weren't even putting out albums I cared to rip from the library. My best friend Annie was in town from Boston and she had never seen them before so I took her to her first GBV show. That seemed to make all the difference for me and we had a great time. I remember her falling on the floor at one point during the show. I quickly helped her up and we continued rocking out. That says it all, I think.

4) Siren Fest at Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY-July 2001

My brothers have always been my greatest concert-going companions...no contest. There seems to be an understanding that goes on between us when it comes to music, bands, tours, etc. We don't always agree on what we like but there's an appreciation (at least I hope there is) for the dedication we have to music. We went to Siren Fest in its inaugural year in one blur of a weekend. We took along our honorary brother Tod and got sunburned, exhausted and angry. The performances were, for the most part, ok but there will never be anything that compares to seeing the Blues Explosion playing "Full Grown" against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean.

5) Sunset Rubdown at The Summit, Columbus, Ohio-October 2009

It's no secret that I love this band. I won't shut up about this band. They played "Us One in Between" & "Mending of the Gown", which made me pretty psyched. I also think my choice of concert-companion that night was spot on for the proceedings.

6) Bonnie "Prince" Billy at Buskirk Chumley, Bloomington, IN-March 2009

My mom was mad at me when she found out I drove 3 hours to Bloomington by myself to see this band. It was my first live Will Oldham and it didn't disappoint. It was so good that I went to the show he played in Kentucky 3 months later. That one wasn't quite as good.

7) Sleater-Kinney at Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH-June 2005

Hmm, it seems like most of the shows I'm listing are my first concerts with certain bands. Oh well, no one said this was a scientific or well-thought out list. I can't believe I didn't see Sleater-Kinney until the tour for the last album they put out (at least indefinitely). Based on that show alone, they were 3 different components that worked perfectly together. Carrie Brownstein doing windmills is one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed.

8) Devendra Banhart at Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH October 2005

I was interviewed for a documentary they were shooting about Banhart on tour before the show started. Hopefully, my interview never sees the light of day. Regardless, I had a great time with my friend Chad at this show (who, incidentally, interviewed Banhart for the newspaper he was working for at the time. Yes, Banhart is that crazy.). He performed "Little Boys"...even crazier.

9) Brights Eyes at Southgate House, Newport, KY-May (?) 2002

Oy, it's another first show experience! I wasn't super familiar with the band yet but I'm pretty sure this was the night where my obsession began. It was the first time I had hear "Lover I Don't Have to Love", which would appear 2 months later on their release "Lifted or...". Now that song is kind of embarrassing to listen to but I'll never forget how exciting it was to hear it at the time.

10) Sonic Youth at Promowest, Columbus, OH-August 2006

The Flaming Lips were the headliner that night but, as far as I was concerned, Sonic Youth was the better of the two. At least they weren't recycling the same show they had been using for the last couple of years (I'm looking at you FLAMING LIPS). This was during the Rather Ripped tour, which just so happened to be one of my favorite album releases of the decade. The day before the show, Thurston Moore performed a solo show at Cafe Burbon Street and I was one of the few lucky ones to get into that show. To be honest, it wasn't really my cup of tea but when you get to spend part of the evening being this close to Kim Gordon, there's not much to complain about.

11) Elliott Smith at Southgate House, Newport, KY-November 2000

Ok, I just realized I left off one of the best and most amazing nights of my life. For some reason, I thought I saw Elliott only in the 90's. Again, I went with my best friend Annie (this time we were in school at OU) to Cincinnati. Annie and I instantly became friends one night at school when we both realized we were obsessed with Elliott Smith. It seems odd, now, to think he never came up in the year or so we had known each other. Anyway, it was a great show, he seemed relatively sober and I stole his lighter off the stage at the end of the encore (Don't Fear the Reaper!). I gave it to Annie and I think (hope) she still has it.

10 Best Things I Ate in 2009

1) Eggs & Chorizo at Egg in Williamsburg, NY

2) Santa Brioche in my mom's dining room, OH

3) Peanut Butter Pie with chocolate ganache and a pretzel crust in my kitchen in Clifton, OH

4) Pork Tenderloin Dinner at The Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC

5) "Fish Nuggets" at Apna Indian Buffet in Clifton, OH

6) BLT in Fort Greene, NY

7) Derby Pie in my mom's dining room, OH

8) Smoked chocolate ice cream with marshmallows at Jeni's in Columbus, OH (could be wrong on the exact name)

9) Cinnamon Rolls at my aunt's in Wake Forrest, NC

10) Hawaiian Hot Dog at Extreme Wieners in Columbus, OH