2009 Album Releases

I did prepare this the other day, Been sick, getting slowly better, can't focus well on TV despite watching My Kitchen Rules Australia, little to do. Today will be a full day out with taking my son to a robotics tournament.

2009 is very good year for Progressive Rock and is an unusual year in that I know and and rate highly three of the top four albums. Magma's was my album of the year for 2009 in 2009. And that Present might have been my number two (I could look that up but I like to make lists fresher and I got to know so much since then and got into different music avenues, especially as I got more into Indie and related music over the past years.. Just a few more years of the polls with Collab lists. I have done lists at Awesome Prog going back to the early 90s, and would like to see more ways of us sharing and comparing our lists although there have been many such topics on that. Mira did an excellent related series. To me there is something almost therapeutic about list-making, learn about music from others lists, and it can increase my passion for music.

This poll comes in three sections and an "other" (see details on when to use), and multiple voting is not enabled. One can list all ones faves anyway and I do no treat such poll as contests. I feel like societies emphasise and facilitate competition (and winning) too much commonly and cooperation (and caring and sharing) often not enough. There is my not deep thought of the day.

The first eight are taken from the unfiltered, except by year, Prog Archives Top Album Chart for 2009. The second eight is taken from the top fourteen listed albums of the 2009 Collab Album of the Year topic. I don't wish to duplicate albums across sections. The third eight is from my top eleven Awesome Prog for 2009 list.

"Other" as a voting option is intended to use if you don't like any of the listed options. That said, I would ask people to mention their favourites both on and off the list. If, for instance, your favourite on the list is Magma's E-Re, but your actual favourite is Weezer's Raditude (Weezer is an in-joke with my eldest child and I. I have not heard the album), then I request voting for and mentioning Magma's album in a post while also mentioning Weezer's as being your actual favourite album of 2009.

So I would like to hear about what people like both on AND off the list if applicable and, to reiterate, for the "other" voting poll option only to be used if nothing is liked that is already listed. Again, mention as many of your favourites as you like, both and off the list. And feel free to mention what you don't like that is listed too, and then preferably why it does not appeal. Pleas mention your vote, mention if you can't vote (reason), and mention other likes if applicable. I am a details-oriented guy so don't worry about writing too much, as long as it is sufficiently relevant I guess. :)

PA's Top 8 from its Progressive Rock Albums chart

1. Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré (Zeuhl)
2. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (Progressive Metal)
3. Present - Barbaro (Ma Non Troppo) (RIO/Avant Prog)
4. maudlin of the Well - Part the Second (Experimental/Post Metal)
5. Big Big Train - The Underfall Yard (Crossover Prog)
6. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal)
7. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal)
8. Forgas Band Phenomena - L'Axe du Fou / Axis of Madness

Taken from the top 14 Collaborators Top Prog Rock Albums of 2009

Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré (the actual #1. The Collab Album of the Year, but also number one in PA chart)
maudlin of the well - Part The Second (the actual # 2, but already listed)
1. Transatlantic - The Whirldwind (Symphonic Prog, #3 in collab list)
2. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (Prog Folk, #4 in collab list)
3. Porcupine Tree - The Incident (Heavy Prog, #5 in collab list)
Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (the actual #6 in collab list, but already listed)
Mastodon - Crack The Skye (the actual #7 in collab list, but already listed)
Between The Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect (the actual #8 in collab list, but already listed)
4. The Mars Volta - Octahedron (Heavy Prog, #9 in collab list)
5. Miriodor - Avanti! (RIO/Avant Prog, #10 in collab list)
Big Big Train - The Underfall Yard (#11 in collab list, already listed)
6. Isis - Wavering Radiant (Experimental/Post Metal, #12 in collab list)
7. Deluge Grander - The Form of the Good (Symphonic Prog, #13 in collab list)
8. Astra - The Weirding (Pysych/Space, #14 in collab list)

From my top 11 at Awesome Prog

1. Natural Snow Buildings - Daughter of Darkness (in PA's Post Rock/Math rock category)
Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê (at #2 in my AwesomeProg list but already listed, was my number one for 2009 in Collab AOTY)
2. St. Vincent - Actor (not in PA, Art Pop, Indie Rock, Neo-Psych)
Miriodor - Avanti! (already listed)
3. Natural Snow Buildings - Shadow Kingdom (in PA's Post Rock/Math rock category)
4. John Fruscniante - The Empyrean (not in PA, Art Rock)
5. Aranis - Songs From Mirage (in PA, RIO/Avant prog)
6. The Antlers - Hospice (not in PA and not to be confused with Psych/Space Antlers that is in PA)
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (already listed)
7. Matt Berry - Witchazel (not in PA, Pysch Pop, British Folk Rock)
8. Sweet Trip - You Will Never Know Why (not in PA, Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Indie Rock


Here is my top 20 at Awesome Prog, the order is not always that meaningful and some albums should be re-visited more than others to assess with current ears. I often favour that which is newer to me but this is real mix of stuff I liked at the time, much later and got to know throughout 2009 plus.

1. Natural Snow Buildings - Daughter of Darkness
    Dark Ritualistic Neo Non-Prog Drone Rock/Noise
2. Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
    Flashy Creative French Prog Art Rock/Zeuhl
3. St. Vincent - Actor
    Bittersweet Melodic Neo Non-Prog Art Pop/Independent
4. Miriodor - Avanti!
    Quirky Exp Prog Avant RIO/Jazz
5. Natural Snow Buildings - Shadow Kingdom
    Prog Post Rock
6. John Frusciante - The Empyrean
    Mellow Melodic Non-Prog Rock
7. Aranis - Songs from mirage
    Prog RIO
8. The Antlers - Hospice
9. The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
    Ominous Melodic Prog Alt Rock/Pop
10. Matt Berry - Witchazel
    Humorous Pastoral Neo Prog-Adj Folk Pop/Psychedelia
11. Sweet Trip - You Will Never Know Why
    Melancholic Melodic Prog Pop/Electronic
12. Present - Barbaro(ma non troppo)
    Manic Uncommon Prog Avant RIO
13. miRthkon - Vehicle
    Prog Avant RIO/Jazz
14. Cheer Accident - Fear Draws Misfortune
    Exp Prog Avant Rock/Jazz
15. Maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
    Mellow Eclectic Exp Prog Avant Rock/Metal
16. Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind
    Calm Orchestral Exp Japanese Prog Post Rock/Independent
17. Astra - The Weirding
    Trippy Psych Prog Retro Rock
18. Kotebel - Ouroboros
    Gloomy Eclectic Prog Avant Rock/Jazz
19. Deluge Grander - The Form of the Good
    Playful Tech Prog Avant Rock/Jazz
20. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing-Along Songs For the Damned and Delirious
    Prog Avant Swing


I do hope to make at least one poll in PA eventually where every active forum member likes one option enough to post in it. One can dream, and I dream small. LOL.

Big Big Train - The Underfall Yard 

ADHD

Present > Magma, Aranis, Miriodor, Forgas

Astra – The Weirding

Tough one! There are two of the monster albums of the 21st Century sitting near the top and I can't choose between them! 

Voted Astra
greta selection, lot of music I like
Deluge Grander
Transatlantic
RIverside
BBT
Porcupine Tree
FBP

Some good ones here, but I'm going with Magma.

Voted for Riverside. I still need to put together my list and will be a while as I go through the 2010s. So maybe in a couple of months. 😆