24 notes &
Bell - “Magic Tape”
2009 was a year of old faithfuls for me. Many of my long term favorites released new albums. There was a lot of new great music, but for me it was solid artists that I anticipated and loved. The exception to this is a band I can’t find enough about, Bell. I heard a few Bell songs on Sirius XM’s Blog Radio and aside from a Stereogum post or two, all that’s out there is a 2008 EP and the 2 song “Magic Tape” single. It was a magical, Bjork-like find.
Courtney’s Favorites of 2009:
- Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
- Royksopp - Junior
- Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
- The Clientele - Bonfires on the Heath
- Bell - Magic Tape
I know it’s kind of cheating to have a single on here, and if it didn’t feel like cheating I would have also put the new Minus the Bear single “Into the Mirror” on there. And I really wish that the new Pearl Jam record, Backspacer would have found a spot, but the entire album was just missing something. Luckily, Royksopp, The Clientele and Au Revoir Simone created something equal to or better than ever before. There’s always Jay-Z songs I skip over, but he always can make one amazing single and this time it’s “Empire State of Mind.” I just didn’t have time to make a rehash list of the best indie darlings from this year when so many established musicians had solid releases.
