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Ben's Top 40 Albums of 2009
ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
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The following list might not appeal to you. This is a passion project, and you can feel free to skip over it. If you get anything out of this list, great! But if you aren't a fan of comedy, then you should probably just skip to the next post.
Top 5 Comedy Albums*
*Comedy albums meaning stand-up recordings. Music comedy will not be listed, as one music comedy album is in the top 40.
01. Paul F. Tompkins - Freak Wharf
That's the best album cover of the year. No contest.
Paul F. Tompkins is underappreciated. Sure, he was in every episode (and the eventual movie) of Tenacious D, and earlier this year he was the host of the short-lived-but-much-improved Best Week Ever. If you only know him from those two things, then you are missing on a completely different side of PFT.
His first album, Impersonal, was released in 2007, and it's about as consistent a comedy album as you could want. An amazing delivery, great, offbeat material, and a person who truly knows his craft. His latest album, Freak Wharf, is an extension on Impersonal's well-crafted bits, but adds the whole new area of riffing for 15 minutes at the beginning of the set. It's amazing the kinds of things he can come up with in these three "Riff Suites", as some of the stuff is just as well thought out as the actual written material presented. it's a transition album, as PFT says in the liner notes, as his current style is very free-form and not very written at all. A more story based comedian that changes details as he pleases. With Impersonal, and now Freak Wharf, Paul F. Tompkins has cemented himself as one of the major stand-up comedians to be reckoned with.
A side note: PFT started a truly wonderful thing this year. Long story short: A person from Toronto asked him to play there as he had trouble filling another venue. PFT, knowing that's the worst possible thing you could say to someone in that situation, said he would only play if he could get 300 people to agree to go. One Facebook group, and 300 people later within a week, and he stuck to his word. PFT has said that it was one of the best shows of his career, and now he wants to try it everywhere. If someone from your city starts a group asking Paul to play in your city, and you get 300 people, he will go. It has caught on like wildfire and he has recently gotten 300 people each to play in places like Halifax, and Dallas. Calgary's group has only 198 members so far (boo!!!). Check to see if your city is doing something here.
Key Bit: Cake vs. Pie
02. John Mulaney - The Top Part
PFT had the best album, but John Mulaney had the best debut. John Mulaney, previously known from the UCB theatre in NY, a writer on Important Things with Demetri Martin, and currently a writer on Saturday Night Live, released The Top Part earlier in the year. It is such an assured, confident, and consistently funny album that you can't believe he hasn't been doing stand-up for a long time. His bits are well-crafted, and his storytelling skills are unreal. His skills are most present on the final track, "The Salt and Pepper Diner", which is a remarkable display of storytelling and wit that talks about one day where he and a childhood pal as kids went to the titular diner and did something involving a jukebox. To say anything more would rob you of the twists and turns of the truly hysterical story. If you don't listen to his entire album (though, you really should), you should at the very least check out "The Salt and Pepper Diner".
Key Bit: The Salt and Pepper Diner
03. Patton Oswalt - My Weakness Is Strong
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"I’m not doing stand-up so that I can start doing movies or TV shows and never have to do stand-up anymore. I do movies and TV shows and write things so that I have more free time to do stand-up. Or I’m trying to increase my exposure so that I can do more stand-up. Everything is so that I can do stand-up; it’s not the other way around."
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Patton had a huge 2009. Not only did he release this wonderful album (which was recently nominated for a Grammy! Go Patton!), but he also starred in a million diffrent things. Two guest turns on Dollhouse, a guest turn on Flight Of The Conchords, a guest turn on Community, a guest part on Bored To Death, a vocal cameo on the Venture Brothers, a recurring part on United States of Tara, and bit parts in movies like Observe and Report and The Informant! Basically, Patton Oswalt was in every single amazing thing from the year. You know when a show/movie is good? You see Patton show up. That's not even including his starring turn in Robert "Former Onion Editor In Chief, The Wrestler Screenwriter" Siegel's directorial debut Big Fan, which i'm dying to see.
So, how did he with all of this acting work concentrate on his main gig and deliver an amazing special/album? I don't know! But it happened. I've seen My Weakness Is Strong get weak response from fans, and I don't get it. It's a more mature album, since the material talks about his home life and his baby that was born this year. It's no less hilarious, though, as Patton is a master of the super specific details that bring you right into the story. Also not lost: Patton's wonderful turns of phrase, chief among them: Uncle Touchy's Naked Puzzle Basement. That's not even talking about Ginseng Hitler Bee Pollen. Basically, it's the same Patton we all know and love, but in a new chapter of his life. I hope to to hear great material for many years to come from him.
Key Bit: Rats
04. Maria Bamford - Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome
I want to disspell the false notion that women aren't good stand-ups. It's ********, as there are plenty out there. The great Jen Kirkman, Morgan Murphy (who is currently writing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Tig Notaro, Sarah Silverman, among others. In my opinion, the very best (not to segregate) is Maria Bamford. She is a vocal genius, being able to imitate many different voices to further the realities of her act. Like everyone on this list, she nails down these super specific details on life that you have never heard said that way to you before. Her latest album, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome, tackles a lot of topics from her previous albums, but the highlight is the nearly 10 minute, raw, honest, hysterical bit titled "Free Clinic". It's almost the perfect starter track for people who haven't heard Maria before. If you enjoy this, you will certainly enjoy her other stuff. Whichever way you go trying to listen to her, just make sure to check her out, period. You'll be glad you did.
Key Bit: Free Clinic
05. Matt Braunger - Soak Up The Night
Matt Braunger had two things happen to him this year: He was on for a season (the last season) of MadTV, and he released his first stand-up album Soak Up The Night. It didn't take him long to far remove himself from that **** hole.
Some talented people managed to work on MadTV during its run (DId you know that Patton Oswalt wrote there in the beginning seasons? Also, Did you know that Dino Stamatopoulos, first writing staff of Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Mr. Show, Moral Orel creator, did as well?), but even if your next gig was House Of Payne it was always an upgrade to leave. Matt Braunger made the most of it, as he is a very talented comedian and Soak Up The Night is the second best debut for a comic i've heard this year. His takes on the awkward proposition of lifting weights to Morrisey, and the truly hilarious names he found in the Portland phonebook are true to life, and very funny. I believe he has a Comedy Central Presents special coming up in 2010, so be on the look out for that.
Key Bit: Soak Up The Night
Close Calls:
Todd Glass - Thin Pig
Doug Benson - Unbalanced Load
Jim Gaffigan - King Baby
Coming up? Albums part 5. Let's gooooooo!
Thanks for all the comments.
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Member Since: 10/18/2007
Posts: 28,980
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i can't rate it because i haven't heard any of these 
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Member Since: 3/30/2009
Posts: 79,408
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^ 
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Spaceman
The following list might not appeal to you. This is a passion project, and you can feel free to skip over it. If you get anything out of this list, great! But if you aren't a fan of comedy, then you should probably just skip to the next post.
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
Posts: 2,844
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I SUPPORT THIS LIST and I support anything Patton Oswalt does. I should check out the other albums. Not that I necessarily will, just saying, I should. This is a ********-free comment!
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 12/7/2008
Posts: 87,284
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
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Karen O and the Kids! Eminem! PEARL JAM!
It's an orgy of awesome!
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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Where Kathy Griffin at? WHERE MY MONEY AT.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 11/6/2002
Posts: 10,641
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I'm a fan of comedy albums just haven't heard any of these.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 12/29/2003
Posts: 6,311
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Man it's been a while since I've heard a comedy album... buutt I am looking forward to see the placement of the music comedy album!!11 O:-)
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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Before I get into the next set of albums, here's a list of all the albums that didn't make it. Maybe due to me not listening to them enough, maybe due to me being disappointed, who knows. This is the list.
In no particular order:
Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane, & Sugarcane
Elvis Costello is one of my very favorite artists. On my list of all-time favs, he's definitely top 5. So, this album looked great on paper: A country/acoustic album produced by the great T. Bone Burnett. The results are only OK, with highlights being the country-fied version of Costello's mid '90s song "Complicated Shadows", and the newly written for this album by Elvis and T. Bone "Sulphur to Sugarcane". It's one of my favorite recent Elvis songs, and I just wish the rest of the album could be that good.
Best Song: Sulphur To Sugarcane
Brendan Benson - My Old Familiar Friend
I love Benson's style, and this is his first solo album since he joined The Raconteurs. This album was pretty close in making the Top 40, as there are some truly wonderful 70's pop radio-type songs on here. I think if you love that retro, pop style, then you should really check this out.
Best Song: Garbage Day
Blakroc - Blakroc
This was a novel concept: Dame Dash heard The Black Keys and wanted to get them to perform with rappers. The fact that it works as well as it does is quite shocking. The Black Keys provide all the music/backing vocals as rappers varied as Jim Jones, Mos Def, Ludacris, RZA, Billy Danze from M.O.P., Raekwon, Pharoahe Monch, among others rap over the music. It's not all successful, but these types of albums generally aren't successful, period. So, it's lucky that we had this work as well as it did.
Best Song: Stay Off The ****in' Flowers feat. Raekwon
Ghostface Killah - Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
A year-end list without GFK? I know, it's a shocker. Ghostdini isn't bad at all, but it isn't top shelf Ghostface. It's probably his least successful album in a catalog full of successful ones, but I give props for him trying something new. The songs with R&B singers don't turn out that great, so it's the songs where GFK gets to be himself is where the album shines. "Stapleton Sex" sets a whole new bar on perverted sex raps, and "Guest House" is another classic storytelling cut, this time featuring Fabolous.
Best Song: Guest House feat. Fabolous
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
I have to say: This is an example of an album that I played at the beginning of the year, and then never touched again. Maybe if I were to play it some more, it would be on the top 40? Who knows.I don't remember it ever being bad, just that it was during a time when I was listening to a bunch of other stuff that appealed to me more.
Best Song: No, You Girls
Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
Yet another example of I Listened To It Briefly, But Never Again. In Lily's case, it maybe had to do with that I really didn't like her single "The Fear" very much. I realize i'm in the minority. I never liked that kind of song coming from Pink, so I especially don't like it when it comes from Lily. I don't want Lily to turn into UK-Pink, unless that means she ends up working with Tim Armstrong, then yes! Please be UK-Pink! Certain songs from It's Not Me, It's You are quite fun and great like the schoolyard-singsongy "**** You".One half of The Bird and The Bee, Greg Kurstin, produced the majority of it and does a fairly good job.
Best Song: **** You
Hot Leg - Red Light Fever
Well, this is an album I discovered last month, and completely forgot about. This album would very likely have ended up on my top 40 albums, but yeah, damn!
Hot Leg is the first major project Justin Hawkins, former lead singer of The Darkness, has done since the group's second (and underrated) release One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back. Hot Leg is basically a Justin Hawkins solo project, with hired session musicians helping him out on the recording. I've always liked The Darkness, and I loved both albums, so this album was a long time coming. It's the third Darkness album, essentially. Basically, if you ever liked The Darkness, then you have to listen to this. It's the exact same thing, in the best way possible.
Best Song: I've Met Jesus
Morrissey - Years of Refusal
No idea why I never listened to this album more. When I did hear it, it was nothing but top notch. A sad thing about this album, is that it was the last album produced by the late, great Jerry Finn who passed away in August 2008. Jerry worked on albums from artists such as Rancid, Jawbreaker, Blink-182, Green Day, AFI, Bad Religion, Tiger Army, Sum 41, among many others. He'll be missed
Best Song: I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
Another album that I didn't listen to as much as I should have. Sorry TC! When I did, I greatly enjoyed it. I'm glad that Tegan and Sara are getting continued success (Calgary represent!) in the music biz, and I hope it continues for as long as they record music.
Best Song: Hell
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Sonic Youth are about as legendary as you can get. Their latest album, first on Matador Records, is yet another quality release from the godfathers of cool. They appeared on Gossip Girl this year, and it was very strange. In a good way.
Best Song: Anti-Orgasm
Robert Cray Band - This Time
The great Robert Cray! Of all the late night shows that I watch, it's Late Show with David Letterman where I find out about a lot of great, new music. I would have had no idea that Robert Cray had released a new album without seeing his wonderful performance on the Late Show in August. His 1986 breakthrough, Strong Persuader, is one of the greatest records you'll ever hear. You should check that album out, and also This Time. You'll see an artist still in peak form, and as great as he's ever been.
Best Song: Trouble & Pain
Project Pat - Real Recognize Real
It seems like every year I do a Top 40 Albums list, and one of these Closecalls sections that Project Pat always makes it. Which kinda sucks. It says that Project Pat is consistent and releases good albums every year. Just that he has yet to make the top 40. With Three 6 Mafia in a complete tailspin (working with Tiesto? WHAT THE **** IS GOING ON?!?!), Project Pat is helping serve the fans who want the classic DJ Paul & Juicy J sound. Let's help you get a top 40 spot next year, Pat!
Best Song: Ain't Scared Of Ya
Loudon Wainwright III - High, Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project
The Wainwright family is very talented. You have Rufus, Martha, and Lucy but the best is father, Loudon. He has proven to be a great comic actor (Undeclared), and has released decades of wonderful music. For this album, he decided to release a 2 CD set of him recording songs by the legendary Charlie Poole. The album consists of his new takes on Poole's classics, and has many guests including members of The Roches, Chris Thile from Nickel Creek, and Rufus, Martha, Lucy, and sister Sloan Wainwright. At 2CD's it's an album I didn't get to hear a lot, but when I did I loved it. Definitely worth checking out.
Best Song: High Wide & Handsome
St. Vincent - Actor
Another top notch release from earlier in the year that slipped through the cracks. Check it out.
Best Song: Actor Out of Work
Bill Callahan - I Wish We Were an Eagle
The voice on this guy!!! Just sends chills down your spine. I can't get enough of it. However, I found out about this album too late for it to chart. It's a very nice, mellow, singer/songwriter album. If I could single out any of these albums as being my favorite, it would be this one.
Best Song: The Wind and the Dove
Next up? Next part of the albums list!
Thanks for the comments! Yes, even Ditto guy.
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Member Since: 8/5/2006
Posts: 63,266
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It's not Me, It's You was good
I like The Fear, Not Fair, 22 & **** You
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
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I'm really with you on "The Fear", but Lily Allen will likely make my top 40 albums of 2009 anyway. I forgive you for not listening to Sainthood very much, but your assignment for this week is to give it another spin.
Anyway, I never listened to a bunch of those albums either. Surprise!
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Member Since: 10/28/2008
Posts: 22,771
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Lily is the only one I know. 
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 12/29/2003
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Woo, I know a couple of the albums listed! Blockroc has something about it that has me interested but also not that excited about it. I just recently found out about it, anyway. I think part of my problem with Lily's album was that in a sense it was a forgettable album, with some good singles but nothing that made it as a strong album...
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 12/21/2002
Posts: 20,569
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Franz Ferdinand and Lily ^_^
That was actually my first Franz album and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 11/6/2002
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 7/24/2004
Posts: 12,563
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Lily Allen's album is actually pretty good. I also thought Morrissey album would made your list too.
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Member Since: 10/18/2007
Posts: 28,980
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Franz Ferdinand and Lily Allen 
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ATRL Senior Member
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Posts: 6,789
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25. The Bird and The Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
I first heard of The Bird and The Bee after seeing the video for "Polite Dance Song" in early 2008 (the first music video directed by Eric Wareheim), and was very taken with it. After hearing them do a song on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! I was sold. This album is a real delight, and I think everyone should check it out.
fun fact: Inara George, one half of the group, is married to director Jake Kasdan. Kasdan, the director of The Zero Effect, Orange County, The TV Set, and Walk Hard. Also, the father of screenwriter/director Lawrence Kasdan. The More You Know.
Best Songs:
01. Polite Dance Song
02. Diamond Dave
03. Love Letter to Japan
24. Jarvis Cocker - "Further Complications"
Jarvis Cocker is wonderful. One of the greatest rock singer/songwriters we have right now, his second solo album is just a total delight. Produced by the legendary Steve Albini, it's a very raw and dirty rock album. "Homewrecker!" feels like Jarvis bumrushing a '1970's blaxplotation score recording session. The highlight of the album though, and one of the best songs released by anyone all year, is "I Never Said I Was Deep". It's a lyrical masterwork complemented by the perfect horn arrangement. The songs punchline is one of the biggest laughs i've gotten out of music all year. I hope he takes less time in between albums next time.
btw, his appearance (and what follows) in Fantastic Mr. Fox is the funniest thing of an already very funny film. But, more on that during the film list.
Best Songs:
01. I Never Said I Was Deep
02. Homewrecker!
03. Caucasian Blues
23. Boston Spaceships - Zero To 99
Robert Pollard, the founder of Guided By Voices, is great. Newsflash, I know. This is the second album he's done as Boston Spaceships, and it's really wonderful. One of the musical highlights is the 1:37 minute "Psycho is a Bad Boy" that sounds like a 3 minute song that gets cut off in the middle of an old school drum solo. Not a pressing error! "Radical Amazement" is as great a song Pollard has done in a while, and the whole album is worth your time.
Best Songs:
01. Radical Amazement
02. Meddle
03. Psycho Is A Bad Boy
22. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
There was no possible way for this thing to lose, and it didn't. If there is an opposite of losing, it would be this. I've just gotten word that it would be "winning". Sounds about right.
I don't know what else is there to say about this, besides that you either know that this thing shreds faces or doesn't. My favorite song, "Elephants", is a wonder. It has a really cool opening that lasts over a minute, and then when the song actually kicks in? It actually sounds like stampeding elephants! Except that it's instruments! Just the greatest. and, that's only about the second changeup of about four during the song.
Best Songs:
01. Elephants
02. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
03. Caligulove
21. The Lonely Island - Incredibad
Musical comedy is hard. A lot of it stinks, and a lot of it has 0 replay value after the first listen. There are some worthwhile music comics (Weird Al, obviously, being the standout. other highlights: Hard 'n Phirm, Dragon Boy Suede, R.O. Manse), but it's not the greatest genre to record. What The Lonely Island, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, have done with Incredibad is truly remarkable, and it's amazing it turned out this well. I speak as a fan of them for a long while (their SNL Digital Shorts are always highlights, Hot Rod is one of the best comedies of the past 5 years), and i'm still shocked how well this album turned out.
The album could have just been a collection of their songs from SNL Digital Shorts the first time in uncensored form. That would have been great. BUT THEY WENT THE EXTRA MILE. They recorded many different new songs, and funny skits that continue to be funny on further listens. "I'm On A Boat", of course, is a highlight, and same with "Like A Boss". My three favorite songs, though, are three truly wonderful explorations into absurdity in music. The whole concept of Santana DVX feels too goofy to work on paper: Carlos Santana put out a champagne (not a joke), and The Lonely Island record a song about how great it is. A typical hip-hop song cliche inverted. The song turns from great to sublime, though, when Bay Area legend E-40 shows up rapping as Santana. It's such a wonderfully bizarre song that doesn't get old. "Boombox", and "Dreamgirl" also hit similar points of absurd topics raised, and the guest singers getting the craziest part of the song to say (Norah Jones loves Chex Mix! Julian Casablancas is singing about the Bartman!).
There are many other highlights on this disc including the absolutely spot-on "Punch You In The Jeans", which could be slipped onto an early '90s hip-hop playlist without anyone noticing, and the underrated "Ras Trent" which is a favorite of mine because I know many Ras Trent's personally. Another worthwhile bit is the short skit titled "The Old Saloon", that takes on a super-specific topic in hip-hop DJ's, and distorts it brilliantly. A music comedy album shouldn't be this good, and replayable, but Incredibad is.
Best Songs:
01. Santana DVX feat. E-40
02. Boombox feat. Julian Casablancas
03. Dreamgirl feat. Norah Jones
Next up? Start of the TV list, or maybe next albums part? WHO KNOWS.
Thanks for the comments!
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