Feature / Music
Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2009

Posted pre-2010

ARTICLE JUMP

Magic Bullet Records /

Forensics / Aughra

(Brent Eyestone)

What are your top five albums that were released in 2009? (In order 1-5)

  1. The Marked Men - Ghosts

  2. Silversun Pickups - Swoon

  3. Made Out of Babies - Coward

  4. Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive

  5. Disappearer - The Clearing

What band did you discover in 2009 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?

I got really into Scott Walker, mainly because it's such an interesting story. Mega-popstar goes dark ambient. Seeing some of his recording techniques and ideas was pretty captivating as well. I show the documentary to a lot of people. It usually goes the same: they start with a lot of "what the fuck are we watching"s that eventually turn into "this guy is so unbelievably cool."

How will you remember 2009? (In terms of music)

I'll remember 2009 in a couple of ways. It's definitely the year of Boston heaviness and a tight-knit group of dudes in particular. Three stellar albums from three incestuous bands. Disappearer's "The Clearing" connects to Doomriders' "Darkness Come Alive" connects to Converge's "Axe To Fall." All three were recorded at God City in very close proximity to one another. Something was really happening up there, as all three albums are light years beyond expectations from these bands. I suspect they will easily become classics when it comes to the genre. Outside of that, I'll remember it as a year of finally getting back out on the road a bunch. The last couple years were definitely trapped under a lot of the administrative and business side of growing the label, so it was nice to relax for a bit and have some great shows and adventures again.

2009 was a huge year for reunions. What reunion excited you the most? What band that has not reunited would you love to see play/record most in 2010?

I usually don't get excited for reunions at all. They are usually comprised of bloated men running out of breath playing embarrassing "emotional" ditties from their late teens/early 20's. But I got pumped when Charles and the Rorschach dudes asked us to play their reunion. They definitely brought it. The only band I'd care to see a reunion of at this point is the Afghan Whigs.

What can we look forward to from you in 2010?

  • Christie Front Drive "Stereo" reissue LP/CD/DVD

  • Christie Front Drive "Discography" 2xLP/CD
  • Made Out of Babies "The Ruiner" LP

  • Julie Christmas "The Scribbles and Scrapes of Amy Anyone" Book/Album/CD

  • Forensics "You Don't Have to Win, But You Have to Fight" 10"/CD

  • Jesuit "Discography" LP/CD

  • Suppression "Alliance of Concerned Men" CD

  • Years "Semblance" CD

  • Golden City - new album

What three records are you looking forward to most in 2010?

I don't even know what's coming out. So I'll just hope my favorites keep cranking stuff out: PJ Harvey, Mogwai, hopefully a really killer Jesu album?

Website Link (Website/Myspace/Blog/Etc.): http://www.magicbulletrecords.com

— words by the SPB team

Related features

Demos You Want To Check #3

Music / New Kids On The Block • May 8, 2026

The musical landscape is ever changing. New genres are popping up, new hypes burst out of nowhere and die out and new bands present themselves to the world. How on earth are you expected to keep up, right? Well, it never hurts to help! So here we are, your humble … Read more

Jason Paul + the Know It Alls

Interviews • May 8, 2026

Here in Scene Point Blank Land, I sometimes get lost in the inbox of endless submissions and new music. I find things I like, but the great digital expanse still makes the records feel, well, a little too distant. Music is supposed to be personal, even if I'm not standing … Read more

Unseemlier

Interviews • April 24, 2026

It was about a year ago I discovered Unseemlier, shortly before the release of I Have A Screw Loose, Somewhere. It's a wordy title and a somewhat unwieldy band name -- and I’ll use that “a lot going on in a little space” metaphor even further to talk about the … Read more

Guest List: War On Women

Music / The Set List • April 24, 2026

It feels like a lifetime ago when Mitt Romney referenced a "war on women" during the 2012 presidential cycle. A lot has changed, a lot has stayed the same -- but a new politically-charged band formed in the aftermath of that comment, calling themselves War On Women. Now, roughly 14 … Read more

Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental

One Question Interviews • April 16, 2026

Maria (Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental – vocals/artist) SPB: The artwork of your album took over a year to make. What was this long experience like for you? Maria: If I were to put it shortly, the first thing that comes to mind is a long and winding road: exhausting but exciting … Read more

More from this section

Demos You Want To Check #3

Music / New Kids On The Block • May 8, 2026

The musical landscape is ever changing. New genres are popping up, new hypes burst out of nowhere and die out and new bands present themselves to the world. How on earth are you expected to keep up, right? Well, it never hurts to help! So here we are, your humble … Read more

Guest List: War On Women

Music / The Set List • April 24, 2026

It feels like a lifetime ago when Mitt Romney referenced a "war on women" during the 2012 presidential cycle. A lot has changed, a lot has stayed the same -- but a new politically-charged band formed in the aftermath of that comment, calling themselves War On Women. Now, roughly 14 … Read more

The New York Dolls: Reflections and Legacy

Music • March 30, 2026

I first discovered the New York Dolls in the mid-to-late 1980s, just as I was beginning to stretch the boundaries of my musical journey. Up until then, my exposure to music had mostly come through my parents, aunts, and uncles. They planted the initial seeds, and those seeds quickly grew, … Read more