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Emeritus
Reviews 255
Approval 93%
Soundoffs 107
News Articles 15
Band Edits + Tags 26
Album Edits 124
Album Ratings 2182
Objectivity 82%
Last Active 11-02-22 4:56 am
Joined 12-31-08
Review Comments 12,409
| Klap4music's Under The Radar 2009
Since Sputnik has been slow to come out with an "Under The Radar 2.0" for 2009, below is
ten of my favorite under-appreciated releases of the year, just in time for the new flurry of
end-of-the-year lists and the User Top 100. From power-pop to hip-hop, I picked albums that
I rated a 3.5 or higher and had less than a certain number of ratings (generally 40-50 - I
tried very hard to not include Phoenix's new album). Feel free to add your own "under the
radar" picks in the comments, and listen to these before you make your own lists if you get a
chance! | | 1 |  | A.C. Newman
Get Guilty
2nd solo effort from the New Pornographers frontman, "Anal Cunt" Newman - "few songwriters working
today can match his depth of wit and devious lyrical turns, and his immediately pleasing arrangements
match the best of ?60s pop with a properly indie experimental sensibility | | 2 |  | The Fiery Furnaces
I'm Going Away
Cam said it best: "all that?s left is just the breezy, highly listenable melodic stuff. But leaving behind all the
experimentation reveals a surprisingly pure and gimmick-free sound, one that doesn?t get lost in its own
pretentions." | | 3 |  | Islands
Vapours
"Vapours doesn?t get carried away like Arm?s Way and even Return To The Sea tended to do at times. At its
root this is a record that is in love with the simple structure of a good pop/rock song, one that basks in the
glow of summery feel-good tunes, no matter how many are actually fairly twisted thanks to Diamonds? off-
the-wall subject matter." | | 4 |  | Brendan Benson
My Old, Familiar Friend
Hypercharged power-pop shows fun. who's boss | | 5 |  | Miike Snow
Miike Snow
Maybe the best production I've heard all year - "Miike Snow is the kind of brain-imprinting electro that gets
in your head and refuses to go away." | | 6 |  | The Mountain Goats
The Life of the World To Come
Surprised this didn't get more press on Sputnik. What's not to like about John Darnielle? | | 7 |  | Neko Case
Middle Cyclone
Two New Pornographer's on the same list! "It?s a cinematic record that wanes and waxes to its singer?s
tunes, going from dauntless love to quiet, sultry melancholia with the ease of a well-practiced performer." | | 8 |  | Taken By Trees
East of Eden
Criminally unknown 2nd solo album from the Concretes ex-frontwoman (you know, the chick who did
"Young Folks") - "Few can make such an out-of-left-field experiment work and, better yet, not come off as
unbearably pretentious doing it." | | 9 |  | The Veils
Sun Gangs
3 ratings for this?!?!?! Not as good as Nux Vomica, but still an impressive record - "the Veils? penchant for
sharp guitar melodies, affecting acoustic slow-burners, and Andrews? inimitable vocals and nakedly
emotional lyrics remain just as fine-tuned as ever before." | | 10 |  | Wale
Attention Deficit
Blowing this up before Sobhi can get to it - alternative hip/hop in the Kid Cudi vein, except ten times better | |
klap
11.13.09 | oh yeah nothing like end of the year lists | Douglas
11.13.09 | Good list! Needs Paul Dempsey and Mumford & Sons though haha | klap
11.13.09 | still need to get to those dougie, you're recs are wayyyyy under the radar i'm intrigued | StreetlightRock
11.13.09 | Nice list, i've myspace'd most of these that i havent already heard in full, ands its nice to see Taken By Trees and Neko C here. | klap
11.13.09 | thanks alex, definitely agree about the taken by trees in particular. had to write a review on it when i saw there was 3 ratings for it
would do neko case | ninjuice
11.13.09 | A Fine Frenzy's latest. Streetlight will disagree, but it's a great pop album. (just don't review it cause I want to) | thebhoy
11.13.09 | good stuff. Still need the new Mountain Goats, STILL need to listen to the Neko Case, 8 has intrigued me for awhile as has 2. 3 was okay, but nothing too, too special. | iranscam
11.13.09 | I'm also kind of shocked that that Mountain Goats album didn't blow up. | klap
11.13.09 | you'll like 'em all i think bhoy; particularly that fiery furnaces i think
a fine frenzy sounds interesting i'll have to check her out | Electric City
11.13.09 | Sunny Day In Glasgow and City Safe From The Sea are my favorite under the radar releases | klap
11.13.09 | you're more indie than me downer, i will strive to reach your level and check those out | JacobsLadder
11.13.09 | Everyone has forgotten about the new mwY even though it is such an a amazing album | BigTuna
11.13.09 | 6 is absolutely fantastic. | BigTuna
11.13.09 | Oh shit, and 8 :) | bungy
11.13.09 | I like 1 and 6 havent heard much else.....cuz my opinion is important | qwe3
11.13.09 | islands bores me : | klap
11.13.09 | check out miike snow | shindip
11.13.09 | 9 was pretty great | klap
11.13.09 | concurred, hardly any ratings though. | jrowa001
11.13.09 | thanks for reminding me about the new Wale | kingsoby1
11.14.09 | finally posted up my review, not *terribly* late, ha.
it's nice having a job lately, but it's really impacting my f*cking around on the internet/ listening to music time! | klap
11.14.09 | haha nice one sobhi i was going to write one tomorrow if yours wasn't up yet | Kiran
11.14.09 | that mountain goats album ruuuuules | klap
11.14.09 | yo kir i got the teenage album, and the sunny day in glasgow. teenage was okay, i wasn't really blown away though. excited for glasgow | Kiran
11.14.09 | teenage one rules, klap, don't be a playa hata. but yeah, the sunny day in glasgow album is incredible. | Phil
11.14.09 | The Fumes! Pretty cool folkish stuff. | qwe3
12.08.09 | i prefer kid cudi to wale but thats just me | Roach
12.08.09 | the veils suck |
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