This list represents the strongest 25 albums we heard in 2009 from bands based in the Northwest. We approximated the Northwest as Vancouver to the North, Eugene to the South, Boise to the East, and the Olympic Peninsula West. Even though we snuck in a few Portland bands and a Vancouver band, this is largely a list of Seattle releases. We did our best to feature the vast array of the Seattle Sound in 2009, though there’s no denying some genres fared better than others–genres that you might be surprised by, genres we were surprised by. If there was any doubt left, 2009 proved Seattle isn’t just a rock town.

2009 was an incredible year for local music in Seattle. There’ve been some unnecessary put-downs of Seattle’s musical output in 2009, because the scene didn’t spawn a new Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, or Death Cab for Cutie, and the biggest local record label didn’t sign a single Seattle band. That’s “the industry” and Sub Pop’s loss, not ours. Just because the rest of the world isn’t blasting The Maldives or Macklemore yet (or even if they never do) it doesn’t reflect poorly on the scene or the talented folks who call Seattle home. From our front row vantage point, Seattle had an embarrassment of riches in the local music department.

The local hip hop scene bubbled with excitement and slowly-but-surely burgeoned into a topic on everyone’s lips, thanks to the energy of head-turning acts like They Live!, Champagne Champagne, Fresh Espresso, Macklemore, as well as the notorious antics of Mad Rad. Across town from Pike St., Ballard Avenue continued to cultivate a tight-knit community of Americana and rockin’ country bands where pedal steel and fiddle were the instruments du jour. The Maldives, The Moondoggies, Sera Cahoone, Zoe Muth and so many others inhabited both the stages and the bars at the Conor Byrne, the Sunset Tavern, Hatties Hat, and the now 15-year-old environs of the Tractor Tavern, feeding a spirit of collaboration and verve. King Cobra, a rock club which opened up in 2008 in the wake of the Crocodile Cafe’s closing, shut its doors after barely a year of rough business–just in time for a newly revamped Crocodile (without the Cafe in the name) to reclaim its place in March as one of the premier venues in Seattle to see live local music.

While Seattle didn’t spawn a new Fleet Foxes sized success in 2009, we certainly won’t be surprised if a few of the many bands on this list find national attention come 2010. No matter what, we’ll look back on 2009 with warm nostalgia as a vibrant year of local music, when we saw these bands play in living rooms and local bars: the year Seattle knew the words before everyone else could sing along.

25. Zebra by Karl Blau (K Records)

Psychedelic shape-shifter Karl Blau creates an utterly Northwest soundscape that identifies strongly with the output of the Haight-Ashbury facilitated psych movement, as well as the more modern creative likes of Grizzly Bear. “Waiting for the Wind” reminds me of Esquivel’s avant, arty piano, while “Welcome in NW” sounds like it was banged out of an actual sixties basement, fueled by homegrown psilocybins. “‘Tha Ole Moon Smile” makes me do a “Is this a Sixto Rodriguez cut I haven’t heard?” double-take every time. Each new song turns in a completely different direction. By the end you’re left dazed, trying to decipher where you started and what just happened. What happened was Blau presented a reverent journey into musical history through a warped and hazy Technicolor filter. [Josh]

24. From Slaveships to Spaceships by Khingz (self-released)

Much like D. Black’s record this year, Khingz’ From Slaveships to Spaceships finds an MC ignoring hip-hop’s self-imposed strictures about toughness and content, and succeeding through sheer force of purpose and humor. Even though MC Khalil Equiano left town for a while and now lives in British Columbia with his significant other, he obviously loves his hometown scene and returned to the Northwest with this new album in tow, showcasing a rapid-fire rhyming style and spitting dense, wordy verses filled with references to science fiction and his former life on Seattle’s Southside. This is another record distinguished by its brazen autobiographical nature and the surety of the conclusions that follow. “Intellect is a weapon,” he says in “Escape Society.” “You’re at war, please respect it, your struggle is a blessing, embrace, don’t deflect it.” Hip-hop was once widely known as a vehicle for imparting social understanding, and Khingz’ latest is his contribution toward seeing it return once more to that primary function. [Josh]

23. Life On Earth by Tiny Vipers (Sub Pop Records)

Each time I listen to this record I’m reminded that I should probably mentally prepare myself before taking in a whole Tiny Vipers record, unsure if the tears that will inevitably form in my eyes are due to the inherent sadness being communicated, or if I can attribute it to the effect of the one-of-a-kind voice of Jesy Fortino. Four songs in, “Dreamer” hits the headphones; as she coos, “I’m dying for a way out,” I feel as though I’m vibrating on an inter-dimensional frequency, able to sense every haunting ghost, able to see each person’s natural aura of sadness in hues of deep blue. Even though I know this record isn’t for everyone, and though I can’t guarantee you’ll like this record as much as I did, I can guarantee it will change your perspective. If you let it, Life On Earth will overwhelm you. Whether you like it or not, the remainder of your day after a listen is liable to be heightened emotionally because of it. [Josh]

22. The Way We Live by Erik Blood (self-released)

It’s very possible that Erik Blood went around to every hot studio in London ,yoinked every good idea he heard and used it for himself. If he didn’t, maybe they should be coming to him, because he clearly has lots of good ideas. Early on, the title track, “To Leave America,” and “Home & Walk” all synthesize the best of the expansive guitar and organ Brit-rock sound (think Doves), while later in “Broken Glass” and “Too Early & Too Late” we’re notified Blood also has a handle on turning uncomplicated rhythms into sonically interesting pop songs that also sound modern. My one criticism of the record would be that the material is all over the place, and maybe he should have stuck to a rock record instead of including the final two R&B inspired cuts. But then again, “Better Days” is one of the stronger tracks on the record, fusing soul-ish singing with very rock backing to unexpectedly great results. There is something to be said for being able to do experiment with anything and make it sound not just good, but as good as those who do it best. [Josh]

21. Ali’Yah by D. Black (Sportin’ Life Records)

Though much of the recent focus on Seattle hip-hop has been tied to the so-called “3rd-wave” of party rap, one can’t ignore the continued influence of the second wave and its socially conscious approach to concept and performance. In his second album, Ali’Yah, D. Black does a 180 from his previous effort–a stereotypical rap record where he thought he had to be hard–instead opting to be completely REAL about his choices, his identity, and his mistakes. The record is an indictment of his former gangsta self, and by dropping in “The Return,” “I can’t associate with them fake ones/to add to their fake bullets coming out of fake guns,” he’s no doubt turning his back on old friends and the possibility of success by usual means. Yet one can only come away from this record with the conclusion that D. Black is not only confident in his conviction, but righteous. As I said earlier this year, “the force of his example on this record serves to quash any weak retorts that it’s not so easy to turn your back on the game. Not simply inflammatory words, he’s genuinely attempting to engage a nuanced conversation from the inside.” [Josh]

20. Shouting At A Silent Sky by Shane Tutmarc (self-released)

For almost the entirety of his musical career, Shane Tutmarc has been on a journey through history, beginning with an intense interest in classic pop lyricists before more recently being entranced by the gospel recordings of Elvis and the songs of the South. Billed as his first solo effort as Shane Tutmarc, Shouting At A Silent Skyis also probably the most complete, and therefore satisfying, of his recent records–though the Traveling Mercies records are notable themselves for their raw pre-rock quality. By recruiting a few ringers to form his studio support (local producer Johnny Sangster among them), Shane was able to focus on just being Shane at the mic, and the practiced performer really showed through. If Shane’s music occasionally seems styled from another era, just remember that when they came up with the term ‘Rock n’ Roll’, this is what they were talking about: dirtied up blues and church numbers warning about “Crimes of Passion” and the dangers of “Idle Hands.” [Josh]

Read the rest of Sound on the Sound’s Top 25 Northwest Albums of 2009 after the jump

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The Whore Moans at Bruar Falls during CMJ ::: All photos by Brady Sprouse

[Brady Sprouse, our man-about-Ballard and album reviewer headed out to CMJ a few weeks ago for one of his other gigs, The Maldives tour manager. He was kind enough to share his experience and report back with a review about Ballard Ave. taking over Brooklyn for Mt. Fuji Records' CMJ Showcase. - abbey]

A few weeks ago I went to New York with the Maldives for the CMJ Mt Fuji Showcase in Brooklyn. Having never been to New York before, I was, to say the least, very excited to get out of Seattle and go to the “Big City”. “The City Seattle Wishes it Was”. “Some Place Where it Wasn’t Raining”.

My alarm went of at 3:40 am on Monday morning. Three hours after I’d gone to bed. I met The Maldives at the 65th house in Ballard at 4:30 and everybody was on time (for once), more or less. As we were loading our luggage into the van, I sat smoking a cigarette thinking at least we didn’t have to load any gear this trip, but was not looking forward to herding 8 people through airport security. It’s hard enough to keep them together when we’re all in the same room. But, as I’m learning about my job as “tour manager”, the more I worry, the smoother things usually end up going. At the airport we got through security without incident and on the plane without waiting more than five minutes at the gate. Five or so hours later we landed at JFK.

After a slight delay trying to figure out our subway pass situation, which involved more than one of us (myself included) trying the patience of multiple MTA employees, we were on the subway headed into Brooklyn. The sun was shining and it was in the low 60’s. I’d brought two jackets and a sweatshirt which I couldn’t even fit into my bag. We got off the subway in Williamsburg and I was already down to the sweatshirt and carrying one jacket I didn’t really need. We ended up at a place called the Alligator Lounge waiting for some friends who were going to be putting us up for the week. The Alligator Lounge gives you a free pizza for every drink you order. Not a frozen cardboard slab, but a real wood fired cheese pizza that was much better than bad. I ate two for the $10 price of a Bud and Jameson. Not bad, even for New York prices. So we drank, ate pizza, watched some baseball and waited. Eventually our friends started trickling in. Most were Seattle transplants or reverse transplants who’d left Seattle to come back to New York. They got us settled and we we went exploring our little corner of Williamsburg.

The next day was somewhat of a blur: almost 70 degrees, MTV studios in Times Square, picking up the CMJ  badges at Washington Square Park, seeing where that kid caught a skateboard beating in Kids, The Village and “The Bitter End”. I was barely able to keep my inner, wide-eyed gaping tourist in check. We got our badges and and sat down at a pub in a few blocks away called The Red Lion who’s proprietor could’ve easily been my lrish grandfather. There we met up with the rest of the boys and made plans to meet up with the rest of the Mt. Fuji crew (label heads Mike Jaworski and Rich Green, The Whore Moans, and the Black Whales).

Back in Brooklyn I had to pick up a guitar from an old friend for the Maldives (Thanks to Sarah and Cedar). Since we were only out for one show all the gear was being loaned out by the Black Whales (Much thanks to those guys) except and acoustic guitar which is, to say the least, kind of important during a Maldives show. With guitar procured we all met at a little place underneath where I was staying. Mike and the other bands started staggering in one and two at a time and we all got some food and just kind of relaxed. It was nice to see so much Seattle so far from Seattle (this was a theme our whole week in New York. Seattle everywhere we went. It was great.)

The Mt Fuji Showcase was at Bruar Falls, about four blocks from where most of us were staying in Williamsburg so it made things pretty easy to maneuver as far as keeping track of people and knowing where we were. I had never really met the guys from the other bands so it was nice to put some faces to music and names. We all had a drink and then a few more at another place across the street from Bruar Falls called The Trash Bar which was definitely one of the cooler places we hung out that week. Seriously, cheap whiskey and beer combo specials, your bar could be a cardboard box in an alley and I will have something nice to say about it. Bruar Falls wasn’t bad either. It was tiny though (imagine a show at the Golden City or that little side room at The Canterbury). So tiny in fact I was surprised that one: nobody was brained by Whore Moans bassist Ryan Devlin on their way to the bathroom, and two: all The Maldives were able to fit up on stage (Chris Zasche and his peddle steel could not make it to New York and thus was probably the reason everybody was able to squeeze up there). The Black Whales didn’t even bother trying to fit and set up partially on the floor in front of the stage. This made for an amazingly intimate closing performance to the showcase. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The night was getting a late start due to earlier shows so there was a lot of standing around and waiting but once The Whore Moans went on, the faces began to melt. The crowd was surprisingly subdued for the amount of energy that the Whore Moans were throwing into it. At one point Nikki O jumped down into the crowd on is knees and began wailing into everybody which seemed to get people a little more involved. Though the crowd was not spastically flailing about, everybody was into it as the boys burned through one after another, shedding clothing and sweat along the way.

After a quick transition and set up The Maldives were on stage with the Black Whales’ gear. Hilariously, every piece of borrowed equipment was like a bizarro copy of what each normally used. Kevin Barrens replacement accordion was a melodica. Each guitar was a slightly different model and/or color. It’s like everything was the same, but different. Not to mention all the sets were 30 minutes long so they really had to tighten up their set length which made a perfect fit in between the other two bands. What I like to refer to as “The Rock Set.” And it was outstanding, especially considering the missing component of the peddle steel whose absence was more than accounted for by Seth Warren’s fiddle. As they closed with Blood Relations, one of the best performances to date, I realized that for as many times as I’ve heard these songs, they do not get old. In fact, they get better.

I’d never seen the Black Whales live and had only heard a few tracks off of they’re debut EP Origins so I was excited to get the opportunity to watch and photograph the band in action. And, with one minor electrical snafu notwithstanding, they did not disappoint. They came out blazing with their heavy electric jangle and amazing melodies. They’d been out on tour for the past month or so and you could see it in their performance. Tight and loose at the same time. Breezing through there songs with a passion and confidence afforded to a band that after this many times, could do it with their eyes closed. At least most of the way. The night went off more or less without a hitch and all the bands sounded great.

The next evening after sight seeing around Manhattan, we met up with Mike Jaworski in the East Village and we had a chance to talk a little about the show the previous night. We both agreed the line up couldn’t have been better. These three bands are a perfect representation of Seattle and the music that it’s producing right now. Music that is as similar as it is different. Good music.

I didn’t want to leave New York. I’d spent thirty years never being that impressed with the city. Now I don’t know why I wasn’t. We were treated so well. All the silly tourist stuff I’d seen in movies was incredible and right in front of me. We had one of the best times on the road to date. The show was fun. Really fun. So many Seattle friends made it out. Old and new. Out to visit or now living in New York. Witnessing some of the best music going happening right now in our little city.

When I left JFK it was 73 degrees. When I landed at Sea-Tac it was 40 degrees and raining lightly. A meter maid on a Segway told me I couldn’t smoke at the arrival terminal. Outside. I wanted to get back on a plane immediately. But then my friend picked me up and took me to The Smoke Shop and I slowly began to remember where I’m from and how much I love it here. How much the music in this town means to me. How many more times I want to visit New York to see Seattle bands take over a whole neighborhood in one of the biggest cities in the world and melt the faces of the newly converted.

See More of Brady’s Photos from the Mt. Fuji Records CMJ Showcase after the jump:

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The Whore Moans go Acoustic at Bumbershoot 2009 ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

Mt. Fuji Records is home to a number of our absolute favorite local bands so it’s with much excitement that I have a reason to reiterate that fact. Next Friday and Saturday Mt Fuji is packing their bands and a few friends into two Ballard venues to showcase what they’ve got.

The Maldives, who barely fit in the Tractor anymore, will be headlining night one (which is sure to be a sellout), along with Spiral Stairs, who’ve got a split single with the Long Winters slated to come out on Mt. Fuji by the end of the year. Night two features Mt. Fuji’s past, present and future all in a nice neat package. The “present” in long time Mt. Fuji mainstay’s the Whore Moans and the Black Whales, and the “past” and “future” in Mt. Fuji helmsman (and Cops member) Mike Jaworski’s new band Virgin Islands who are just getting out into the world and releasing their first EP that very same week.

Peep these lineups:

Mt Fuji Records Showcases

Friday November 20th @ The Tractor with:
The Maldives
Spiral Stairs (Scott Kannberg of Pavement)
Point Juncture, WA
Weinland
$10 at TicketWeb / 9pm

Saturday November 21st @ The Sunset with:
The Whore Moans
Black Whales
Virgin Islands (EP Release for “The Age of Anxiety”)
Mr. Gnome
$8 at BrownPaperTickets / 10pm

For people who want to hit up the Saturday night edition of the showcase, happening at the Sunset Tavern, we’ve got two pairs of tickets to give away. Drop your name in the comments and we’ll choose two winners to have their name “plus one” on the guestlist courtesy of Mt Fuji Records. Winners will be randomly chosen Monday the 16th at 5pm.

We’ll see you there?!

…Because I didn’t miss Seattle summer enough already, the Black Whales had to go and tease us all with this sunny video reminder.

People of New York City! Music bloggers who are lucky enough to be going to NYC for CMJ! Bookending this years CMJ festivities are two showcases featuring the talented bands and local labels of the Pacific Northwest, and we assure you, they are very worthy of your time. The Maldives, who tour minimally outside of Seattle are coming special for the Mt. Fuji showcase, so please don’t miss your chance to see them. And I think you’ve probably heard of a little Seattle label called Sub Pop and it’s offshoot Hardly Art…

October 20th at Bruar Falls, 245 Grand St.
Mt Fuji CMJ Showcase featuring
10.15pm Whore Moans
11pm Maldives
11.45pm Black Whales
(See the poster above)

October 24th at the Mercury Lounge
The Sub Pop/Hardly Art CMJ Showcase featuring
7pm Unnatural Helpers
8pm Dum Dum Girls
9pm Moondoggies
10pm The Dutchess & The Duke
11pm Golden Triangle
12am Pissed Jeans
1am Obits
2am Male Bonding

KEXP will be there broadcasting live performances every day and hosting a film festival. Locals the Blakes and the Moondoggies will both be stopping by to get in a session, in addition to bands like the XX. It’s actually a pretty wide ranging lineup, very much in the spirit of the fest.

There are a few other showcases which will will be featuring other Seattle area bands including:

October 20th at the Santos House Party Basement
10.30 Flexions
11.30 Unnatural Helpers

October 20th at the Suffolk
9.00 Tennis Pro

October 21st at Wicked Willies
9.00pm The Purrs

October 22nd at Googies Lounge
8.00pm Kasey Anderson

October 22nd at Union Hall
11.00pm Army Navy

October 23rd at Googies Lounge
7.30pm Kate Tucker

October 23rd at Crash Mansion (Downstairs)
9.15pm The Blakes
10.45pm Army Navy

October 24th at Union Pool
7.40pm Flexions

October 24th at the Gramercy Theater
10.10pm Blue Scholars

October 24th at the Suffolk
10pm D. Black
11.00 Champagne Champagne

This is your chance NYC to see a number of bands we’ve helped to get you to know and there’s plenty of talent to chew on from those listings alone.  Of course there is an insane number of other non-Seattle bands playing CMJ, you can find the complete schedule for the festival online.

The Maldives ::: Photo by Abbey

The only surprise we felt when we heard today that The Maldives were signed to up and coming local label Mt. Fuji, was that it had taken someone so long to sign a band with such massive appeal and potential. The Maldives have played their share of sold out shows at the Sunset Tavern in the past few months, so it comes as no surprise to us that Sunset booker Mike Jaworski has also transferred his favor to the band in the form of now formal support from his own record label, Seattle’s Mt. Fuji Records, also home to Sound on the Sound favorite the Whore Moans. (Who incidentally is headlining a show we’re sponsoring this Saturday. Heard of it?)

Also according to Sara over at Reverb, Listen to Thunder is the name of the band’s slated full length for Mt. Fuji, but prior to that in August the band will be dropping a four song EP called Tequila Someday, and will be celebrating with a three-night stand at the Tractor Tavern surrounding the Tractor’s own 15th Anniversary.

You can download a few demo’s and live recordings of some songs that I expect to be on one of those releases at the Maldives Stranger Band page. None of the three songs they have available, “The Time is Right Now,” “Cold November,” or “Whidbey Island Blues” appeared on the Maldives self-titled first 6 song release.

MP3: “Cold November” by The Maldives from The Shoreline Tapes originally available from the band’s Stranger profile.

With this news I think the Maldives have just announced what are likely to be the two most hotly anticipated releases out of Seattle for at least the next 9 months.