dos mil nueve la primera parte

Ok, so the year is ending soon (and the world, but that is best told in the new blockbuster 2012 starring John Cusack, go see it and don't tell me how it ends, or ever talk to me again while your at it) So us at the Rial Blog Robotic Massage Parlor and Saw Mill have decided to start a multi part series of things that made this year HUGE!

Lets get a small recap about this year Anno Domini 2009.
I went from drinking whiskey with cola to drinking whiskey straight.
I experienced a -15 degree day at a funeral.
I bought a house.
I had my possessions stolen from a previous house.

Hmmmm...what else happened this year....buying the house was pretty huge....uuuuggghhhh...yeah I think that was the milestone...the house.....well this is an ongoing series, so maybe I will think of something bigger and more life changing than the house purchase.

But, part one of this series will be a little more focused then a free flowing one sided discussion, oh yes, direction, goals, vision, that is what we are aiming for here. So Part one of 2009:

MUSIC
So this year kicked off with my band, Said Gun playing our first "show" and I put that in quotations a it was a new years party, but it was a show non the less, all Said Gun shows are a show in some sorts, and sometimes we play music. Since that night, we have played around 20 shows, three outside of Phoenix and 2/3 of those weren't disastrous, we recorded a 6 song demo and made some stickers and shirts and have had a great time. This has been pretty fun.

Now this year has seen my musical taste go from crummy vocals, emotional lyrics, post hardcore instrumentation domination to sludgy, drudgy, swampy, heavy. I still very much love the before mentioned music, but the heavy has really drawn me in.

Baroness - Blue Album
A quick google search has resulted in these adjectives to describe this Heavy band from Georgia:
sludge metal, progressive metal, post-metal, Southern rock, the dissonance of Fugazi, the classic gallop and twin guitar work of Thin Lizzy, and the stripped-down, straightforward approach of a jam-oriented indie rock band, pure heaviness offset by an often startling knack for arresting melodies.
What does that all mean? These guys friggin rule, and I highly recommend that you see them live, it is really important in your quest for heaviness (if you are on such a quest and you should be) Don't let the metal part turn you off, these guys are more HEAVY than metal, think Fugazi and Helmet mixed with Built To Spill and early metallica.
(Right Click the links for vids)
Swollen Halo
A Horse Called Golgotha
The Sweetest Curse

Russian Circles - Geneva
Border line fantasy music...more like instru-metal, classic combination of quite loud quite, but done from a more "indie rock" sensibility, excellent driving music, work music, house cleaning music. Exceptional drummer as well. This band has been getting better and better with each 6-7 song release, shit is tight
Geneva
Fathom
Melee

Pelican - What We All Come To Need
Another "stonor" "doom" "post rock" band that is a kind of blend aggression with a pop sensibility. A more working class version of Russian Circles, these dudes really brought with the new album as well. Again, shit is tight.
Glimmer
Ephemeral

propagandhi - Supporting Caste
Holy crap this record is soooo good. I thought Less Talk More Rock was the pinnacle of albums and the end all be all of how I think a record should sound like and be layed out, track wise, subject wise recoding wise, concept wise. But shit man, this one blows that away. With the departure of the Weakerthans guy ushered in a new an awesome era for propagandhi, that has helped bring me into the fold with regard to heavy music, 2001 Todays Empires Tomorrows Ashes, then Potemkin City Limits and now this, Supporting Caste, it is what all the previous post Sampson albums have been leading up to. This band as never ever been better, and they have a fourth member.
Night Letters
Dear Coaches Corner
Potemkin City Limits

Dillinger Four - CIVIL WAR
These dudes took Leatherfaces Mush and revamped it for 2009, they also took whatever any one else was trying to accomplish with pop punk and beer and smashed it. This is the best punk/pop record this year, maybe in the past three years, totally effing rad! It does help that I saw them play a small house show this year.
A Jingle For The Product
Gainesville
The Classical Arrangement

HONORABLE MENTION:
Banner Pilot - Collapser
Isis - Wavering Radiant
Dear Landlord - Dream homes

So yeah, there it is, part one, music. Go and buy or steal all these albums, and it isn't hard to steal, and I even thought of providing download links, but do that yourself you cheap SOB's!!!!

Part Two Coming Soon, but its not next, but soon.....