Year End Review

Year End Review Part 4- The Year in Pop Culture

So, we’re here. The last few hours of 2009, what better way to end the New Year than to sit in front of the computer and read my article! Sara & I reviewed a lot of music this past year, so here are my thoughts of the best songs and album of the year in 2009! Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t listen to the radio, so I listen to indie music, so here are the top 5 songs I feel were the best of 2009:

Top 5 Songs of 2009

5. It’s Not Fair- Lily Allen: Too bad she’s retired! This song was released on March 20, 2009. I know Sara reviewed her album, It’s Not Me, It’s You and felt her first album was better. I have to respectfully disagree. I thought this was one of the best albums released last year. This was such a catchy tune, I love everything about it. Especially that cowboy-line dancing sound it evoked! I love how she is not afraid to express herself and tell her fans that she is not afraid of telling people that she likes to have sex. Although it isn’t as taboo today as it was several decades ago, females don’t really do that too often!

4. Already Gone- Kelly Clarkson: So the world now knows that Kelly Clarkson is my guilty pleasure, I’m not afraid to admit that! This song was released on my birthday, August 11, 2009, and I had no idea until I researched it! This song sounds a lot like Beyonce’s “Halo,” but this is even better. Kelly has been in our lives several years now, and it seems as though she always puts out quality pop songs! This one is no different. This song is taken off her 2009 release, All I Ever Wanted.

3. Morning Light- Ida Maria: Ida was my first ever Artist of the Week, and deservedly so! As a matter of fact, she was the first blog I had ever written! Her album, Fortress ‘Round My Heart came close to getting the Album of the Year nod, but just came up short. Nonetheless, it is a spectacular album with a great rock edge. If I said it once, I’ll say it again: I Love Chicks That Rock! Her album was released in 2008 in the UK, but released in March, 2009 in the US. This chick is so good, you’ll have to read my blog about her! You’ll see that my writing has improved!

2. French Navy- Camera Obscura: Ah yes, the final two! This was a hard choice, because this song is so good! It just feels so good! Camera Obscura was also featured on my Artist of the Week segment earlier in the year. Their infectious pop 60s sound made a real impact on me in 2009. This song was released in April 2009, and I have loved it ever since. The album and the song were produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Björn and John. I cannot tell you how much I love this song. I wish I could scream out at the top of my lungs! But there is one song that I feel is just a pinch better.

1. Blinking Pigs- Little Dragon: So here it is, the Song of the Year 2009! So how did I determine the song of the year? Was it by album sales, was it by radio airplay, or by a sophisticated algorithm? No! I determined this to be the song of the year because I constantly played it in my car and at home! I have a playlist on my iPod called “Recent.” Every time I get something new, I put it there, but my rule is that I have to remove old tracks. This is the only song that I NEVER removed! It has been there from day one. It doesn’t hurt that lead singer Yukimi Nagano is super sexy and that they have a killer video!

Album of the Year

My Maudlin Career- Camera Obscura: Well, they may have lost the battle for best song, but they definitely won the war for supremacy in 2009! This was one of those albums that you could play and walk away, you didn’t need a remote to forward any track. The album is made up of hit after hit after hit! Their track James is the highlight of the album, while French Navy kicks the album off. This has been an excellent year for Camera Obscura in 2009. They were given the Artist of the Week, 2nd in Song of the Year and won Album of the Year! Not too shabby for a group of Scotts! Well done lads! Please check out this album, I feel you’ll really enjoy it!

Things of Note in 2009:

-President Barrack Obama was sworn in as President, becoming the first Black President in our history.

-“Octo-Mom” became part of our culture/vocab. Nadya Suleman gave birth to ocuplets, while already having 6 kids.

-The Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XLIII

-The iPhone 3GS & Palm-Pre are released

-The Lakers win the NBA Finals

-Kris Allen beats Adam Lambert in American Idol, and Paula Abdul is fired/quits.

-TV signal goes digital

-The TV Show ER ends its run of 15 years.

-Perez Hilton get his ass kicked, then cries like a bitch!

-H1N1 “Swine Flu” enters our vocabulary. We see people walking around wearing doctors masks, yeah like that little piece of cloth is really going to protect you!

-1500 Filipino Inmates do a “Thriller” dance.

– Farrah Fawcett & MJ die on the same day.

-Sara Palin announced she was quitting as Governor of Alaska.

-The most devastating news of 2009: Jon & Kate break up!

-Oprah interviews Whitney Houston about Bobby Brown, drugs and life, while totally licking her ass!

– The New York Yankees win The World Series, making them the most successful sports franchise.

-David Letterman admits to having an affair, yet still makes fun of Tiger Woods.

-The latest in the Twilight movie series New Moon is released, while legions of guys are forced to sit and watch, all the while telling their girls how great the movie is, yet wishing the movie ended as soon as they sat down!  Hopefully it got a few guys laid in the process!

-Actress Brittney Murphy dies.

-Tiger Woods get his ass kicked!

Notable Deaths in 2009

-Fantasy Island star Ricardo MontalbĂĄn (January 14), Actor David Carradine (June 3), Actress Farrah Fawcett (June 25), Singer Michael Jackson (June 25), Newsman Walter Cronkite (July 17), Director John Hughes (August 6), Musician Les Paul (August 13), Politician Ted Kennedy (August 25), Actor Patrick Swayze (September 14)

See You Guys in 2010!