Special feature: Beartrap's 2009 list

To celebrate the end of 2009, I have teamed up with Beartrap PR to bring you a special feature. Beartrap is a DIY promotion and publicity company assisting lots of amazing bands in their quest for success (or not). Most of the bands they work with just killed 2009 (and made it to my best of the year list) and it's their turn to tell us what made their year a musical (and others) heaven.
Thank you very much to Chuck which response has been amazing and thanks to all the bands who participated as well. If you didn't already, check them out!

Click on the link below to read the lists.





Chuck Daley (Beartrap PR company/label Tiny Engines)

Friends Of Friends - Deep search
The G - Hold my gold
Juevenescent Beat! - One day we're gonna fall through this roof
Tigers Jaw - Spirit desire (7")
Broadway Calls - Good views, bad news
P.O.S - Never better
What Price, Wonderland? - It is true, it is shakey
Teenage Cool Kids - Foreign lands
Shook Ones - The unquotable A.M.H.
Double Dagger - More


Aaron Danger (label Team Science Records)

No Bunny - Love visions
The Thermals - Now we can see
Converge - Axe to fall
Dave Bazan - Curse your branches
Ringers - Hurry up and wait
Swellers - Ups and downsizing
Marked Men - Ghosts
The Spits - Volume 4
Hex Dispensers - Winchester mystery house
The Sidekicks - The weight of airir


Mike Moak (After The Fall)

Propagandhi - Supporting caste
Preying Hands - Through the dark
Paint It Black - Amnesia (7'')
Shook Ones - The unquotable A.M.H.
Defeater - Lost ground (EP)
Marked Men - Ghosts
Agent - Awake in their world
Buried Inside - Spoils of failure
Iron Chic - Shitty rambo
Strike Anywhere - Iron front


Erik Petersen (Balance And Composure)

LPs:
Blacklisted - No one deserves to be here more than me
Kevin Devine - Brother's blood
Raekwon - Only built 4 Cuban linx pt. II
Iron Age - The sleeping eye
White Lies - To lose my life
Jay-Z - The blueprint 3

EPs:
Rival Mob - Raw life
Gypsy - Gypsy (7'')
Sun Kil Moon - Tonight the sky


Jon Simmons (Balance And Composure)

EPs:
Tigers Jaw - Spirit desire (7'')
Title Fight - The last thing you forget (7'')
Daylight - Sinking
Transit - Stay Home
Man Overboard - Dahlia (Digital)
Modest Mouse - No one's first and you're next

LPs:
Manchester Orchestra - Mean everything to nothing
Mother Of Mercy - III
Brand New - Daisy
Into It. Over It. - 52 weeks
Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
Paramore - brand new eyes
Morrissey - Years of refusal
Cage - Depart from me
Kid Cudi - Man on the moon
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Eminem - Relapse


Matt Scottoline (Everyone Everywhere)

1. David Bazan - Curse your branches
2. Cheap Girls - My roaring 20's
3. Built To Spill - There is no enemy
4. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Sufjan Stevens - The bqe
7. Japandroids - Post nothing
8. Sonic Youth - The eternal
9. Weezer - Raditude
10. Passion Pit - Manners


Look Mexico

Modest Mouse - No one's first and you're next (EP)
Dirty Projectors - Bitte orca
Dave Bazan - Curse your branches
mewithoutYou - It's all crazy! It's all false! It's all a dream! It's alright
Various artists - Dark was the night
Fake Problems - It's great to be alive
Michael Jackson - This is it
Manchester Orchestra - Mean everything to nothing
Built to Spill - There is no enemy
Frank Turner - Poetry of the deed
Wilco - Wilco


Brendan Coon (Ludlow Lions)

1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
2. Karen O & The Kids - Where the wild things are (OST)
3. Keelhaul - Keelhaul's triumphant return to obscurity
4. Riceboy Sleeps - Riceboy Sleeps
5. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures


Jordan Melkin (Ludlow Lions)

1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
2. Converge - Axe to fall
3. Neko Case - Middle cyclone
4. Polvo - In prism
5. Vic Chesnutt - At the cut
6. Pissed Jeans - King of jeans
7. Sonic Youth - The eternal
8. Mt. Eerie - Wind's poem
9. Kowloon Walled City - Gambling on the Richter scale
10. Future Of The Left - Travels with myself and another


Oscar Albis Rodriguez (Ludlow Lions/Nakatomi Plaza)

1. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
2. Sonic Youth - The eternal
3. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the young
4. Metric - Fantasies
5. Nirvana - Live at Reading


Andy Thomas (Only Thunder)

Mastodon - Crack the sky
Converge - Axe to fall
Damien Suomi – Damien Suomi
Good Old War – The only way to be alone [2008]
P.O.S. – Never better
William Elliot Whitmore – Animals in the dark
Cheap Girls - My roaring 20's
Chuck Ragan - Gold counrty
The Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx
Frank Turner - Poetry of the deed


Justin Hackl (Only Thunder)

1. Converge - Axe to fall
2. Isis - Wavering radiant
3. Baroness - Blue record
4. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
5. The Swellers - Ups and downsizing
6. Chris Wollard And The Ship Thieves - Chris Wollard And The Ship Thieves
7. Propagandhi - Supporting caste
8. Narrows - New distances
9. Mastodon - Crack the skye
10. Jawbox - For your own special sweetheart(Reissue)


PJ Bond

I've realized that between touring, not owning a computer and being broke, 2009 did not allow me much in the way of listening to new records. I played with a bunch of amazing bands, made great friends and saw awesome shows, but feel there are many more people who can weigh in heavier on what was actually worth listening to this year. That being said, I did scrape some money together to join up with some friends and stroll around New York on a beautiful spring day drinking beers on the sly and taking in some amazing pizzas. Here are some highlights from the pizza tour 2k9.

Top 5 pizza places in NYC:
1. Defaro (whether you like square slices or not, their square slice beats the regular slice hands down.)
2. Artichoke (believe it or not, their crab slice is incredible. And the line is in fact worth the wait. But be drunk. Not too drunk though.)
3. Lucali (check the schedule to make sure it's open and I think going with two people is your best bet. Only serve pizzas and calzones.)
4. Grimaldi's (under the Brooklyn Bridge. Go with friends and order a whole pie so you don't have to wait on line.)
5. Una Pizza Napoletano (expensive but totally worth it. The crust is insanely amazing. You'll rethink pizza dough.)

I hope you enjoy. But not too much, because then it will be harder for me to get my favorite slices.


Jon Loudon (Restorations)

1. Attack In Black - Years (By one thousand fingertips)
2. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I wish we were an eagle
3. Paint It Black - Amnesia/Surrender (7'')
4. Tombs - Winter hours
5. Mountain Goats - The life of the world to come
6. Baroness - Blue record
7. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
8. Hopalong - Wretches
9. Mark Kozelek - Lost verses (Live)
10. Tom Waits - Orphans (Box set)


Joseph Christian (Shark Speed)

I figured everybody has already had an ear full or an eye sore of everyone else’s top 10 or 50 albums of 2009, for this reason I decided to make a list of albums I liked that were not at the top of many lists. I’m sure these albums were honorable mentions or on someone’s top 50 but to me they were pretty rad. These albums were not exactly the best of 2009, but I feel they are worth checkin'! So here they are,
in NO particular order.

Foreign Born - Person to person
The Soft Pack - Muslims
Telekinesis - Telekinesis
Morning Benders - Grain of salt (EP)
Handsome Furs - Face control (This one grows)
Junior Boys - Begone dull care
Empire Of The Sun - Walking on a dream
Black Lips - 200 million thousand ('Short fuse' is sooo gooood)
The Mercury Program - Chez Viking (Still at it and still pretty good)
Lymbyc System - Shutter release
Smith Westerns - Smith Westerns
Islands - Arms way/Vapors


Matt Brasch (The Wonder Years)

LPs:
The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and death
Fireworks - All I have to offer is my own confusion
Paramore - brand new eyes
The Swellers - Ups and downsizing
Title Fight - The last thing you forget
Weezer - Raditude

EPs:
Chaos Days & All Or Nothing - Split
Man Overboard - Dahlia
Such Gold - Stand tall
Transit & Man Overboard - Split (7'')

Most anticipated of 2010:
Alkaline Trio - This addiction
Motion City Soundtrack - My dinosaur life


Dan Campbell (The Wonder Years)

Fireworks - All I have to offer is my own confusion
Blacklisted - No one deserves to be here more than me
The Swellers - Ups and downsizing
The Hold Steady - A positive rage (Live)
Title Fight - The last thing you forget


Pat Brier (Tigers Jaw)

1. Favorite food: Brunetti's buffalo chicken hoagie
2. Favorite person: Pete Knepper
3. Favorite animal: rat terrier
4. Favorite place: Adam and Eric's apartment
5. Favorite car: yellow Chevrolet Cobalt


Brianna Collins (Tigers Jaw)

1. Graduating high school. This ruled, for obvious reasons.
2. 'The time travelor's wife' (both the book and the movie). I highly recommend this book for any girl whose boyfriend goes on tour or leaves for long periods of time. It's also a great date movie, both of you will end up crying.
2.5. 'Twilight: new moon'. TEAM EDWARD.
3. Words With Friends (username: HATEbri)
4. Brand New - Daisy
4.5. Paramore - brand new eyes ('Brick by boring brick' on repeat)
5. "Fuck you Dad" tour 2009. This was my first tour EVER. Shout outs to Dad (a.k.a. Justin Kite Party), Sad Panda faces, Poopy Puppy and Randy Johnson.


Adam McIlwee (Tigers Jaw)

1. New Fulmarine Petrels - Yes no minutes seconds
2. Gordon Voidwell on Halloween
3. Kite Party (tour, new EP, as men)
4. Grant Morrison's 'Batman and Robin'
5. The Moneynotes - On the town, on the vine (EP)


Dennis Mishko (Tigers Jaw)

1. The Sw!ms - Itemlord
2. Kite Party - Wish mountain
3. Good Luck - Into Lake Griffy
4. The Menzingers - Hold on, dodge
5. Propaghandi - Supporting caste


Ned Russin (Title Fight)

LPs:
Blacklisted - No one deserves to be here more than me
Mother Of Mercy - III
Brand New - Daisy
Trapped Under Ice - Secrets of the world
Teenage Cool Kids - Foreign lands

EPs:
Gypsy - Gypsy (7'')
Foundation - Hang your head
Tigers Jaw - Spirit desire (7'')
Balance And Composure - Only boundaries
Transit - Stay home


Joe Boynton (Transit)

1. Banner Pilot – Collapser
2. Shook Ones - The unquotable A.M.H.
3. Tegan And Sara – Sainthood
4. Converge – Axe to fall
5. Algernon Cadwallader – Hot green EP
6. Tiger’s Jaw – Spirit desire (7'')
7. Lawrence Arms – Buttsweat and tears (7'')
8. Agent – Awake in their world (7'')
9. Owen – New leaves
10. The Dangerous Summer – Reach for the sun


Daniel Frazier (Transit)

1. Balance And Composure - Only boundaries (EP)
2. The Dangerous Summer - Reach for the sun
3. Brand New - Daisy
4. Owen - New leaves
5. Manchester Orchestra - Mean everything to nothing
6. New Found Glory - Not without a fight
7. Jay-Z - The lueprint 3
8. A Loss For Words - The kids can't lose
9. Man Overboard - Dahlia (Digital EP)
10. The Swellers - Ups and downsizing


PJ Jefferson (Transit)

1. Shook Ones - The unquotable A.M.H.
2. Banner Pilot - Collapser
3. Brand New - Daisy
4. Agent - Awake in their world (7'')
5. Tigers Jaw - Spirit desire (7'')
6. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
7. Firewords - All I have to offer is my own confusion
8. Manchester Orchestra - Mean everything to nothing
9. Such Gold - Stand tall (EP)
10. The Swellers - Ups and downsizing


Joe Lacy (Transit)

1. Castevet - Summer fences
2. Converge - Axe to fall
3. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
4. Dangers - Anger [2008]
5. Shook Ones - The unquotable A.M.H.
6. Owen - New leaves
7. Balance And Composure - Only boundaries (EP)
8. Algernon Cadwallader - Hot green EP
9. Paramore - brand new eyes
10. Tigers Jaw - Spirit desire (7'')


Tim Landers (Transit)

1. Banner Pilot - Collapser
2. Manchester Orchestra - Mean everything to nothing
3. Brand New - Daisy
4. Shook Ones - The unquotable A.M.H.
5. Balance And Composure - Only boundaries (EP)
6. Defeater - Lost ground (EP)
7. Owen - New leaves
8. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
9. Man Overboard - Dahlia (Digital EP)
10. GDP - Realistic expectations