The Best Local Albums of 2009, Part Four of Four

Click to read parts one, two, and three of this list.

Jacuzzi Boys
No Seasons (Florida's Dying)
myspace.com/jacuzziboys

Miami's best garage rock threesome seems to succeed in spite of itself. Where a lot of local bands spend all their time on self-promotion through social media abuse, the Jacuzzi Boys really couldn't care less. Instead, it appears these guys spend their time drinking, playing pretty much anywhere in the city, and writing these weirdly good, gently psychedelic jams that jibe well with the country's current appetite for lo fi rock. Even Iggy Pop, now seemingly Miami's rock and roll mascot, is a public supporter. Hell, the Jacuzzi Boys can pretty much retire on that bit of fandom. This LP is a recent release of Florida's Dying, the Orlando-based backbone of the Sunshine State's new acid-fried wave. It's especially worth buying on vinyl, thanks to its lewd, Bosch-in-scratchy-pencil-style artwork. -- Arielle Castillo

Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers
¡Socialismo Americano! (Self-released)
myspace.com/mrentertainmentandthepookiesmackers

A staple of South Florida's musical community for over a decade, Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers traverse psychedelia, Latin rhythms, and pop-rock. This time around they infuse their sound with leftist concepts and an album-cover homage to Sgt. Pepper's on its fourth album, ¡Socialismo Americano! The two stand-outs on the record start with "The Looker," a fun, memorable song with touches of classic rock, alternative, and Latin rhythms with and breezy vocals. Then there's "Center of the Universe," which sounds like a slowed-down take on "Back in the U.S.S.R." Palatable and poppy, it will be stuck in your brain for days. The rest of the record retains the whimsical qualities of these songs and cover topics such as Miami-Dade County Jail and war, keeping with the politically charged theme of the album. -- Erica K. Landau

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