Musoscribe’s Best of 2009

2009 shaped up to be a great year for pop music, if not for the music business. In no particular order — here are my choices for the Best of 2009.

The Twilight Hours – Stereo Night. Veterans of underappreciated groups Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic come together to create a masterful pop record. Available on clear red vinyl, too! Review here.
Pugwash – Giddy. Irishman Thomas Walsh has been making records for awhile, but none has gotten released outside the Emerald Isle. Andy Partridge’s Ape label corrects that tragic oversight with a best-of. Review here.
Big Star – Keep an Eye on the Sky. Another in that long, revered line of groups that didn’t succeed commercially but exerted far-reaching influence, Big Star finally gets the box set treatment they’ve long deserved.
Jamie & Steve – English Afterthoughts. Half of the Spongetones channel their inner Chad & Jeremy. Pure pop for anytime people. Interview here.
Various Artists – Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968. 100-plus tracks of garagey, psychey pop goodness. Need I say more? I think not.

Dennis Diken with Bell Sound – Late Music. 2009 was a banner year for breakout side-project albums. Evoking the Who, the Move and Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, Diken’s album is a real gem. Review here, and extensive interview here.
Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey – hERE aND nOW. Half of the dB’s follow up their Mavericks collaboration of many years ago with this acoustic-flavored delight. Album review here, and interview here.
Dukes of Stratosphear – The Complete and Utter Dukes. XTC’s psych-pop alter egos have gotten the box treatment. Review here.
King Crimson – Red (40^th Anniversary Series). This expanded packaging of the classic 1974 prog album simply sets the standard for reissues. A perfect album gets even better. Review here.
The Orange Peels – 2020. A late entry, this album is not to be missed. Review to be published the week after Christmas.

Five excellent music or music-related DVDs top my list for 2009:

My Dinner With Jimi – Howard Kaylan’s true and uproarious tale of the day the Turtles met the Beatles, Brian Jones, Donovan and Jimi Hendrix. Interview here.
Blackfield – Live in NYC. Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Aviv Geffen turn in a stellar performance onstage. Review here.
BB King – Live in Africa. An important historical document, and some great music to boot. Review here.
Let Freedom Sing – How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement. A thoughtful look at the connection between music and social change. Review here.
Paul McCartney – Good Evening NYC. A sentimental choice, yes. Great show, great packaging. Review soon.

Top that, 2010.

About the Author

Bill Kopp

With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.