PopMatters turns 20 years old this October and we're beginning to celebrate our history by taking you back in time a decade ago. Obama was in the White House and the musical times were very good indeed. Revisit 2009 through its best albums.
Continuing our celebration of PopMatters' 20th anniversary, we revisit our 10 picks for the best debut albums of 2009. It turns out our selections were prescient as many of these artists have gone on to storied careers. Travel back to 2009 and see them again for the first time.
M83's follow-up to 2007's ambient collection Digital Shades Vol. 1 lacks the ingenuity of his pioneering predecessors' output and the thrill-ride wonder of the genres he set out to salute.
Electronic rockers Swoll craft a powerful song in "Shudder to Think" that moves beyond boundaries.
A rewarding, enriching and outstanding collaboration between Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Bryce Dessner, and Eighth Blackbird makes the old sound new, the new sound old and shines a light on a long lost minimalist composer.
The Book of Traps and Lessons reveals Kate Tempest's disdain with contemporary society while also envisioning a future where it all can be changed. With a flair for hip-hop laced with Marxism, the album is poetic artistry.
Signed to Vince Clarke's Very Records, Brook's electropop debut is a rich mix of taut electronics and captivating vocals.
Folk poppers Firewoodisland deliver peak chamber pop with the gorgeously arranged and performed ode, "Hollow Coves".
The lasting, overall impression of Why Me? Why Not. is Liam Gallagher discovering a belief in himself as an artist rather than simply as a singer in a rock 'n' roll band.
"Playing more for the song," Samantha Fish feels right at home dealing with various shades of blues in New Orleans, and proves it with a sneak preview of her sixth studio album.
Slayyyter's debut mixtape suggests not only nostalgia for, but an intrinsic value in, a long-dead version of celebrity in which artists needn't make statements to achieve icon status.
Neurosis and Jarboe collaborated on a stunning album of heavy metal experimentation back in 2003. Now the album has been remastered and it's time for a fresh appraisal.
Vampire Weekend's largest headlining show in New York City, in support of their fourth album, Father of the Bride, was just one date of an extensive tour.
The HawtThorns successfully shine-up classic country music with sumptuous harmonies and innovative instrumentation on Morning Sun.
For his debut as a producer, journalist and Rare Record Guide editor Ian Shirley has recorded a unique cross-pollination – London's Ebony Steel Band playing the works of German electronic music legends, Kraftwerk.
That mullet, those shades, the slender build, and his angular mug in those epic videos from the days when MTV ruled. The Cars' Ric Ocasek was the picture boy of '70s and '80s new wave / power pop.
There's still beauty to be found in the best of humanity, says the kindest guy in underground music, Thor Harris of Thor & Friends.
The long-awaited third LP from Charli XCX is here at last, and nearly half-a-decade of anticipation weighs heavily on the artist and everyone else's expectations.
Hull, UK punk rockers, LIFE offer stripped down sound and creative arrangements that make A Picture of Good Health a compelling second album.
Why? return from a hiatus with the new visual album, Aokohio, which recalls Yoni Wolf's earlier works.
Critic Casey Rae depicts William S. Burroughs as a wise sage whom the wild creatives seek out for his wisdom... well, almost.
Dreamlike, psychedelic and infectious, the new single from Costa Rica's Las Robertas will make you grab your dancing shoes and head to the desert.
Chicago-based vocalist HEAZZA blends pop and neo-soul on her new single "The Dark". She discusses finding a song's emotional core.
Lo-fi, black metal-cum-goth-ish outfit, Timelost share a cover of Marilyn Manson's "Cryptorchid". They talk with us about the importance of making the old new.
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