Top Ten Albums Of 2009

So here it is folks my top albums of 2009. I had an opportunity to catch a few of these bands this year during SXSW, Monolith, and other shows here in Denver. So without further adieu I present you A Walking Disaster's Top Ten.

1. Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

2. Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest

3. Animal Collective-Meriweather Post Pavillion

4. Metric-Fantasies

5. The XX-Self Titled

6. The Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca

7. Julian Plenti-Julian Plenti...Is Skyscraper

8. Raekwon-Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.. II

9. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs-It's Blitz

10. Blakroc-Blakroc

Metric Announce North American Tour

METRIC ANNOUNCES BRAND-NEW NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF SMASH HIT FANTASIES

BAND MAKES HISTORY BY SCORING THEIR FIRST
TOP 20 RADIO HIT WITHOUT A LABEL

Riding the wave of success of their latest album Fantasies, METRIC announces that they will hit the road for a fresh round of North American tour dates this fall, beginning on November 16th at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY.

METRIC stands out amongst a new breed of music acts that opts for a hands-on approach, as opposed to turning to established labels and large management companies to chart their destiny and develop fan relationships.

That success is punctuated by the fact that METRIC's debut single, "Help I'm Alive," has officially cracked the Top 20 Alternative charts on US commercial radio (Mediabase.) The single got something of an organic start as it was accidentally leaked online, picked up by The Hype Machine blog and then put on air by Seattle's KNDD last February.

METRIC is in solid, groundbreaking company with their self-released approach, joining Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam and a host of others who are going to market without the support of a traditional retail label. However, Metric sets itself apart by being the only one so far to actually "break" and begin to cross over in to the mainstream entirely on the basis of a self-released album. All of the other artists currently taking a similar path were previously well established, generally having had the backing of a major label in the initial stages of their career, which helped them sell millions of albums and establish a global fan base which has been instrumental in allowing them to do what they are doing today. METRIC, on the other hand, sold more albums within 8 weeks of releasing Fantasies than they did in the previous four years with their prior release, Live It Out... making this album their first major breakthrough success.

METRIC accomplished this feat with the help of a small but global operation coordinated by their two managers, operating out of their home in Montreal, Canada. The operation included direct-to-fan efforts, extensive online, radio, retail, video, tour, and synch licensing initiatives.

The first leg of METRIC's North American tour can be found below. More dates to be announced soon.

You can listen to Fantasies in its entirety and download the hit single "Help I'm Alive" at http://ilovemetric.com.


Tour dates for METRIC:

November 16, 2009 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom

November 17, 2009 Portland, ME Portland City Music Hall

November 18, 2009 Hartford, CT Webster

November 19, 2009 Providence, RI Lupo's

November 20, 2009 Boston, MA House of Blues

November 21, 2009 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights

November 23, 2009 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head Live!

November 24, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small's

November 25, 2009 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory

November 27, 2009 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre

November 28, 2009 Atlanta, GA Center Stage

November 30, 2009 Houston, TX Warehouse Live

December 1, 2009 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa

December 2, 2009 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom

Metric at The Ogden Theater::July 11, 2009

Drizzly skies and six dollar Newcastle's could not deter loyal fans of Metric from the Ogden on the night of the 11th. Openers Sebastien Grainger and The Mountains gave the crowd a rock frenzy of distorting guitars with a dose of dance friendly numbers, contradicting to his My Space page that describes his sound as healing and easy listening. Next up was Metric, hailing from Toronto they supplied the all-ages crowd with a long energetic set taking no time at all to smash into their current single Help I'm Alive off their April album release Fantasies.

Mesmerizingly beautiful front-woman Emily Haines moved between the guitar, tambourine, and keyboard throughout the hour and a half long set. A set very reminiscent of The Sounds mixed in with a tame No Doubt. The only time she would pause would be to address the audience or say something that truly needed to be said. "Maybe we could be the Canadian equivalent to the Stones and the Beatles; two bands that we idolize," Haines said after a minute of reflecting on the fact that "the [Rolling] Stones went corporate and The Beattes broke up." Metric has been making music and touring since '98 and show no sign of fatigue. Ending the show tonight, they made it feel like it was their last night of their last tour. But that is far from the truth. These four will be going hard and strong through the rest of the summer and well into next autumn stopping at halls like Terminal 5 in NYC and supernatural festivals such as Glastonbury. During this nearly unbelievable four day fest, Haines, Shaw, Winstead, and Scott-Key will share a four-day weekend with acts ranging from The Prodigy to Maximo Park to The Streets to Metronomy.

PS: I love you Emily.

-Randy Washington

For more pics of the show click here.

Sebastien Grainger brings it to the Mile High

We are in for a special treat tonight as not only to we get to witness Metric but also opener Sebastien Grainger as he opens the show at The Ogden tonight.

Here is a little bit about Mr. Grainger:

Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains out October 21 on Saddle Creek

"When Grainger goes by his given name, it means he's all about two things and two things only: the rock, and the roll." -Pitchfork

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains is a record that reflects the majesty its title suggests. Big chords, soaring choruses, and Sebastien’s voice paint the portrait of a man still climbing. While lyrically and musically Grainger’s taken a sidestep away from the more aggressive approach of his past musical pursuits in favor of a more reflective and personal style, he still knows how to rock it when necessary. Pulling no punches, Sebastien’s crafted a muscular and smart rock record that will surprise people expecting him to relive his past.

Best known for his contributions as singer and drummer for Canadian dance-punk duo Death From Above 1979, whose decadently catchy anthems took the world by storm with the release of their breakthrough record You're a Woman, I'm a Machine in 2004, Sebastien Grainger is soon to be even better known to the world as a singer and songwriter of sophisticated distinction via his new solo works. Fans of his prior music will likely be surprised by his new direction: delicately layered ruminations rich with energetic arrangements and deep melodic undercurrents. With his first full-length album Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains he further expands upon the well-received melodic endeavors of his digital EP American Names.

Grainger will modestly tell you "every song is a problem, or an equation that I have to resolve," but it's obvious that the results are richer and more soulful rather than calculated and mathematical. Feeling like he is finally expressing himself on his own terms with the new record, Grainger is eager to hit the road once again and present these songs to the folks who've been curious about his next move after the dissolution of DFA 1979. Although he's a self-described "domestic person," Grainger's penchant for singing loudly, playing as hard as possible, and getting sweaty is real–as real as people's enthusiasm for him to keep doing so.