E. Kula’s Choicest Picks for 2009

Please note: A mix of E. Kula’s finest cuts of 2009 can be found in a .zip file at the bottom of this post.

Top Ten Albums 2009

10. Grooms – Rejoicer (Death by Audio)

9. Manic Street Preachers – Journal for Plague Lovers (Columbia)

“This Joke Sport Severed”


8. Circulatory System – Signal Morning (Cloud Recordings)

7. Wavves – Wavvves (Fat Possum)


“So Bored” (buy)

6. A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Ashes Grammar (Mis Ojos Discos)


“Close Chorus” (buy)

5. The Present – The Way We Are (Loaf)

4. Jonsi & Alex (Riceboy Sleeps) – Riceboy Sleeps (XL)

“Indian Summer”

3. Bobby Emmett – Learning Love (self-released)

2. Pastels/Tenniscoats – Two Sunsets (Domino)

“Vivid Youth”

1. I Was A King – s/t (Control Group)


“Norman Bleik” (buy)

Honorable Mention Albums

Dalek – Gutter Tactics (Ernest Jenning)
Tenniscoats – Temporacha (Room 40)
Silk Flowers – s/t (PPM Records)
Savath & Savalas – La Llama (Stones Throw)
Jon Hopkins – Insides (Domino)
DJ Spooky – Secret Song (Thirsty Ear Recordings)
Little Claw – Human Taste (Ecstatic Peace!)

Top EP

Washed Out – Life of Leisure (Mexican Summer)


“New Theory” (buy)

Honorable Mention EPs

Mayfair Set – Young One (Captured Tracks)
Banjo or Freakout – Upside Down (Half Machine Records)
Julianna Barwick – Florine (Florid Recordings)
Olafur Arnalds – Found Songs (Erased Tapes)

Favorite Song

“If I Had a Heart” by Fever Ray (Mute)

Compilations/Reissues

Various Artists – Where the Action Is: Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 (Rhino)
Milky Disco – Let’s Go Freakout: Vol 2 (Lo Recordings)
Big Star – Keep an Eye on the Sky Box Set (Rhino)

“The Ballad of El Goodo”

Starring Dallas Alice

Right-click the above link to download E. Kula’s definitive 2k9 mix tape. Track listing and artist information is included there within.