My Top 10 Albums of 2009

As some of you may know, in addition to having a passion for photography I also have a passion for music. As such, here are my top 10 list of albums released in 2009. Each album links to their Amazon.com MP3 counterparts where you can sample all the tracks.

1.
Elvis Perkins In Dearland - "Elvis Perkins In Dearland"

2.
Eilen Jewell - "Sea Of Tears"

3.
Soweto Gospel Choir - "The Sounds Of Soweto Gospel Choir"

4.
Ida Maria - "Fortress 'round My Heart"

5.
The Panderers - "Mucho Diggo"

6.
The Felice Brothers - "Yonder Is The Clock"

7.
Fanfarlo - "Reservoir"

8.
Slow Club - "Yeah So?"

9.
The Heartless Bastards - "The Mountain"

10.
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!"

My runners-up, both released on the web:

Max Tannone's mashup of Radiohead and Jay-Z (a free download!)
Max Tannone - "Jaydiohead: Jay-Z vs Radiohead"

Kutiman's amazing mix of songs compiled of various YouTube clips

Kutiman - "Thru You"

In return I ask the same of you: What are your top albums of 2009? Either share a link to your own blog post or list them in the comments section, thanks!

So, what are yours?

p.s. My Top 10 Albums of 2008

DeVotchKa in Salt Lake City, UT

DeVotchKa, originally uploaded by calanan.

DeVotchKa
In The Venue
Salt Lake City, UT

Nikon D700
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8

I recently saw one of my favorite bands live in Salt Lake, that being Denver's gypsy-punk sensation DeVotchKa.

For those unfamiliar with the band you may recognise their music from the film LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE - nevertheless, check out their site for some great samples.

This was the third time I'd seen them live, I caught shows in Toronto and Buffalo before moving out west and when I heard they were coming to SLC I knew there was no way I'd miss seeing them again! Renee and I met up with some friends for dinner beforehand then we walked down to In The Venue to catch their opener, Crooked Fingers, before settling in for the main event. And what an event it was! DeVotchKa never fail to provide equal parts aural and visual entertainment and this show offered not only fantastic lighting (including a Sousaphone covered in fairy lights) but also an amazing aerial dancer.

Thankfully staff allowed me to bring in my new Nikon D700, which performed extremely well in a live concert setting. Some of my favorite photos are below, the rest can be seen in this Flickr slideshow.

My Top 10 Albums of 2008

A tad late but here it is, my top 10 list of albums released in 2008. I'll link to their Amazon.com counterparts where you can sample tracks on just about all of them.

In return I ask the same of you: What are your top albums of 2008? Either share a link to your own blog post or list them in the comments section, thanks!

1.
Vampire Weekend - "Vampire Weekend"

2.
Fleet Foxes - "Fleet Foxes"

3.
Cloud Cult - "Feel Good Ghosts"

4.
The Dutchess & The Duke - "She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke"

5.
The Moondoggies - "Don't Be A Stranger"

6.
Elliott Brood - "Mountain Meadows"

7.
The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive"

8.
She & Him - "Volume One"

9.
Langhorne Slim - "Langhorne Slim"

10.
The Plastic Constellations - "We Appreciate You"

My runner-up:

11.
DeVotchKa - "A Mad & Faithful Telling"

This one stung but despite how much I love DeVotchKa I had to leave "A Mad & Faithful Telling" off the top 10 list as it just didn't impress me as much as their earlier releases did.

So, what are yours?

The Hotel Cafe Tour: Salt Lake City, UT

The Hotel Cafe Tour: Lenka, originally uploaded by calanan.

Earlier this week my editor (at Wasatch Woman magazine) sent me to cover The Hotel Cafe Tour:

...For the past 4 years, The Hotel Café has been presenting a tour that has hit every major market in the United States and UK. The concept of the tour was to share the same community vibe with music fans all over the country. Artists performed solo and would then share the stage with fellow tour mates. No cookie cutter corporate American Idols, just real music, written by real artists, surrounded by real friends, who actually have a story to tell.

Salt Lake's stop included artists Kate Havnevik, Rachael Yamagata, Meiko, Emily Wells, Lenka and Thao Nguyen and it was an excellent show!

Here are some of my favorites from the night:







You can view more in this Flickr slideshow.