Joe’s Top Merge Moments of 2010:

- Mistook John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats for the copier repairman.
- Worked the merch table at Superchunk’s tour kickoff.
- Stayed up 36 hours to move the Merge Site to a faster web host.
- Arcade Fire’s #1 album, woo!
- Hung out with Let’s Wrestle at Local 506 and elsewhere.
- After-work beers at the Pinhook with awesome co-workers.

Get Up with the Get Down in 2009:

1. The Black Keys: Blak Rock
2. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
3. Trampled by Turtles @ Pour House (show)
4. The Heavy: The House That Dirt Built
5. The Moderate: The Rest Is Up To You
6. The Antlers: Hospice
7. The Love Language: The Love Language
8. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: Up from Below
9. Lil’ Wayne: No Ceilings (mixtape)
10. Dark Was The Night

Things I have been enjoying this year (not necessarily released in 2009):

10. Music video: Bjork’s “Triumph of a Heart,” where her boyfriend is a cat
9. Poetry book: New Addresses by Kenneth Koch
8. Office supply: 1/2 inch Scotch brand “Magic” tape
7. Non-fiction book: The Rest Is Noise by Alex Ross
6. Movie: “I Love You, Man” (was a lot funnier than I thought it would be)
5. Television: that show about obsessive hoarding
4. Food: Sweet potato tempura at Akai Hana in Carrboro, NC
3. Concert: Animal Collective w/ Grouper at the House of Blues in Boston (May 2009)
2. Song: “Little Secrets” — Passion Pit
1. Album: Middle Cyclone — Neko Case

Christina, 7 Ft Tall Metronome, & Julian Koster at XX Merge

This list excludes the 2009 Merge albums, because you already know they were the greatest!

Fruit Bats – The Ruminant Band
The Love Language – s/t
God Help the Girl
Greece! – ferries, feral doggies, ancient ruins, beautiful beaches and lots of citron!
Ground Control Showcase @ CMJ ’09 – Surf City, Let’s Wrestle, The Love Language, and Pete & the Pirates!
The Generationals – Con Law
Discovering Julia Child – My Life in France is essential reading.
Mastering the perfect chicken & sausage gumbo
Kronhaus creations & Christinapalooza – every girl deserves a red silk party dress and a big party if she has to get older!
The Thermals – Now We Can See
Rediscovering Paul McCartney’s RAM
Neko Case & Crooked Fingers at Meymandi Concert Hall (And Neko’s fantastic new album, Middle Cyclone!)

Last, but most importantly – XX Merge!  As if we needed more proof that Merge bands & fans are the best!

Every Time I Die – New Junk Aesthetic
Dethklok – Dethalbum II
Baroness – The Blue Record
Tera Melos – Idioms vol. 1
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
The Number 12 Looks Like You – Worse Than Alone
The Fall of Troy – In The Unlikely Event
Gossip Grows on Trees – Hollywood (thats my band! is this a copout?)
Calico Haunts – After All
Polvo – In Prism
Minus the Bear – Into the Mirror (AND seeing them at the Cat’s Cradle!)
The Lawrence Arms – Buttsweat and Tears

In lieu of a photo, we have Jay’s brand new music video! His band is Gossip Grows on Trees and the song is “Hollywood!”