Love and Mathematics – Favorite Local Albums of 2009

2009 was a great, great year for rock in Boston, and so I could have easily expanded this list into a top 20. But, anyway, here are my ten most favorite local recordings from the year just past.

1. Old Furnace, Hidden Hills
2. Pants Yell!, Received Pronunciation
3. Neats, 1981-84 The Ace of Hearts Years
4. Chriss Sutherland, Worried Love
5. Arms and Sleepers, Matador
6. Mission of Burma, The Sound The Speed The Light
7. Joe Pernice, It Feels So Good When I Stop
8. Technoir MA, Technoir MA
9. Appletown Gun Shop, Ghosts of Green
10. Animal Hospital, Good or Plenty, Streets + Avenues

Pants Yell! Received Pronunciation

My thanks to James of Friday morning Kick Out the James for telling me I’ve gotta listen to this new lp by Pants Yell! So let me pass along the favor and tell you, dear reader: you’ve gotta listen to this new lp by Pants Yell!

Pants Yell! play what I call pure pop perfection. The cover of the new album is designed by Mark Robinson of Unrest, and that I’d say is not an accident or unrelated coincidence, because Mark Robinson is one of the all-time greats when it comes to ppp.

Check out the video below for “Someone Loves You” and/or go to the Slumberland Records webpage and download the mp3 for “Cold Hands.” The whole album runs for less than 30 minutes, but that, too, is exactly how it should be: play what you want to play, say what you want to say, then call it quits. Just like the Beatles did on their early lps; just like Buddy Holly did, too.

In this interview, Andrew Churchman says this lp will be the band’s last, and that’s too bad. But if he wanted to go out on top, this was certainly the way to do it.

Pants Yell! Someone Loves You

Smoking behind the drums like Bun E. Carlos ….