(no subject)
Wonders really never cease, do they? Sadly, in spite of it being such an incredible year for music, I've had much less time to concentrate on articulating the joys I got from it. But these are my attempts:
10) Neon Neon: Stainless Style
There is no reason why an electro-rap concept album about the man who created the DeLorean should be good, but in the hands of Gruff Rhys--and I guess Boom Bip--it became one of the slickest releases of the year. Even an appearance by Har Mar Superstar could not, er, mar the Midnite Vultures-era Beck meets Mighty Boosh vibe of "Trick for Treat."
best track: "I Told Her On Alderaan," one of the most synthetically authentic sounding new wave tracks ever. If that makes sense...
what I hope they got for the holidays: Backing to re-release the album in Welsh. It's the only way to make its success seem more implausible.
9) The Kills: Midnight Boom
The only thing keeping this from a higher ranking is that the lyrics are pretty bad. Not that any one considers The Kills laureates, but there's a lot of "going to pretend you didn't just rhyme that with that" when I listen to this. Otherwise, as far as scuzz-rock guy girl duos go, The Kills are heads and tails above the rest. What's more, the quiet songs ("Good Night Bad Morning") are just as good, if not better than, the percussion-driven ones. One of my greatest gig-going regrets of the year is missing out on seeing them. Because the footage I've seen on Youtube can only be described by typing "Yowsers!"
best track: The aforementioned "Good Night Bad Morning," tenderest song of the year (and, according to Last.fm, my most-listened to new song of the year).
what I hope they go for the holidays: Jamie Hince, it may be a good idea to make sure your gf didn't give you the gift of syphilis. Or worse. Juuuust sayin'.
8) Atlas Sound/Deerhunter: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel/Microcastle
Two separate projects/albums, but both are headed by that guy with Marfan's, so they're sharing spot number 8. Despite being two separate entities, both albums share a lot of the same dream-pop sensibilities, something that came as a big snog on the mouth for me. A lot of music makes me swoon, but this was the only album of '08 that made me want to scribble hearts over ever stray notepad I saw.
best track: "River Card," for helping me to dream the bad parts of the summer away; "Saved by Old Times," for the line, "we were captured by Victorian vampires/with elaborate designs." And "Nothing Ever Happened" has the best outro to a tune since "PDA" by those Interpol jerks.
what I hope they got for the holidays: On Bradford Cox's behalf, for the anorexia comments on Brooklyn Vegan to cease. Or maybe not.
7) Sparks: Exotic Creatures of the Deep
As far as I can tell, this album got absolutely no press over here, but then again, I guess songs glorifying the Renaissance and male pregnancy are pretty hard to market. Also, Ron Mael = still creepy. Sparks, however, still bizarre, still symphonic, still very much doing their idiosyncratic best.
best track: "Lighten up Morrissey," perhaps for that "If only Morrissey weren't so Morrissey-esque she might overlook my flaws " line alone. Oh god, and the line about "She won't have sex with me unless it's done with a pseudonym." Classic.
what I hope they got for the holidays: Well, seeing as one of their older songs is called "Thank God it's not Christmas," nothing!
6) Santogold: Santogold
I'm a knob for letting the hype keep me away from this one until very, very recently. Santogold is neither an American M.I.A. nor a black Karen O. Nor a whatever. She's a totally awesome Philly lady in and of herself. Perhaps the most promising debut of the year.
best track: "L.E.S. Artistes" is of course brilliant, but "I'm a Lady," always puts a smile on my face, something which can be as difficult to do as achieve brilliance.
what I hope she got for the holidays: Keys to the cities of Philadelphia and Brooklyn, 'cos she owns them both.
5) Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come, Easy Go
Pretty sure this isn't released stateside until next year, but I heard it this year, so oh well. Have you ever felt really down, and then listened to an album that causes your spirits to instantly lift, because it appears to have been crafted just for you, because it either encapsulates how you'd been feeling or exemplifies why you love music so much? This one is the latter for me. Every track is either a cover of a song I like, or features another artist whom I adore, and the whole album adheres to that sweeping, fucked up cabaret sound I love so dearly.
best track: "Hold On, Hold On," a cover of the song that got me hooked on Neko Case, featuring a violin solo by Warren Ellis that hits you like a firm upper cut to the jaw. The duet with Antony Hegarty on "O O Baby" is really nice too.
what I hope she got for the holidays: throat lozenges.
4) Spiritualized: Songs in A&E
Oh J. Spaceman, from the sounds of your first A&E vocal appearance, there is no doubt your near-death experience was no exaggeration. But your borderline raspy moans don't detract from your lush orchestrations. Songs in A&E has got so many pretty moments, it could easily collapse under its own grandiosity, yet Spaceman keeps it tight by not lingering on any particular moment for too long. Thus, the little seventeen second "harmonies" in between the real tracks dodge pretension and the whole thing leaves you craving another hit of "play".
best track: "Death Takes a Fiddle." The title alone is enough, but the song itself is pretty good also.
what I hope they got for the holidays: A new Roky Erikson t-shirt; seeing as Jason seems to wear that old one at every single gig, it must be getting a little worn by now.
3) Laura Marling: Alas, I cannot Swim
For better or worse, this album provided the soundtrack for some of the more unpleasant moments of this past year, meaning I'm not going to easily forget those not so fun times, and that I should probably hate Laura Marling's sweet voice for reminding me. But she's just too good. True, her sound is nothing new really, there's a bit of a Decemberists meets Fiona Apple vibe to it (FApple vibes are fine, but Decemberists?), but that means the album feels timeless. Lyrically, it's very complex and yeah, Laura Marling should get props for the fact that she's only eighteen and producing music of this quality.
best track: "Ghosts." The build-up never loses its drama, no matter how many listens. Also, the video is decent and features a very cute "Bohemian Rhapsody" homage.
what I hope she got for the holidays: the head of Kate Nash.
2) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
So, I neither loved nor hated Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, but let's face it, it had a lot of filler, a fact that not even a video with animated bunnies could cover up. But this--this--is track after track of lean rockin' tunes and has already found its place in my top five favorite Nick Cave albums ever, maybe even top three. And the liner notes? Some body really likes the exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!
best track: "We Call Upon the Author," and Eddie Argos agrees. I can relate, because I feel like a vacuum cleaner, pretty much all the time! "Today's Lesson" is also amazing. As is "Lie Down Here and Be My Girl." And, oh, the whole thing.
what I hope they got for the holidays: Please, Nick Cave, either buy yourself a scarf, or button your shirt, because chest colds are not sexy. The rest of the Bad Seeds should get another year of being awesome, I guess.
1) Aidan John Moffat: I Can Hear Your Heart
At this point, you may be asking yourself, "why the fuck is this hopelessly obsessive girl not listing Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! as her favorite album of the year?" It was the better album, true, but I found this more unique and, I suppose, more surprising. Or maybe I'm just surprised at myself for enjoying a spoken word concept album about sex and general deviousness so much. Strangely, I found a lot of comfort in this throughout the year. It made me feel less of a knucklehead because the points it was trying to raise were pretty straightforward, and it was easy to figure out why that sample backing was used for that poem, etc. Also, it reminded me yet again that relationships aren't the most joyous things ever, so I should be thankful the one I wanted to be in didn't work out. Also, any piece that requires its listener to play it as, you know, an album, is usually good.
best track: "Nothing in Common" is pretty clever.
what I hope he got for the holidays: Soap, to wash out his dirty, dirty mouth.
Five FavoriteTracks of 2008 (coming from albums not in my top ten):
5)Janelle Monae--Violet Stars Happy Hunting!! (like a lady Outkast, but better)
4)Beck--Gamma Ray (Chloe Sevigny's appearance in the video=not as good as her appearance in Sonic Youth's one for "Sugar Kane", but the former has the upper hand, songwise)
3)Jamie Lidell--Another Day (the introductory hand claps never fail to compel me to get up and hand clap along, although I never actually do this)
2)TV on the Radio--Family Tree (this album is overrated, but there's no knocking a song with strings as fruity as the ones in the outro) 1)Mystery Jets--Young Love (single of the year; Laura Marling's cameo breaks my heart every time).
Happy New Year, people! My #1 resolution for 2009? To become an egomaniac.
10) Neon Neon: Stainless Style
There is no reason why an electro-rap concept album about the man who created the DeLorean should be good, but in the hands of Gruff Rhys--and I guess Boom Bip--it became one of the slickest releases of the year. Even an appearance by Har Mar Superstar could not, er, mar the Midnite Vultures-era Beck meets Mighty Boosh vibe of "Trick for Treat."
best track: "I Told Her On Alderaan," one of the most synthetically authentic sounding new wave tracks ever. If that makes sense...
what I hope they got for the holidays: Backing to re-release the album in Welsh. It's the only way to make its success seem more implausible.
9) The Kills: Midnight Boom
The only thing keeping this from a higher ranking is that the lyrics are pretty bad. Not that any one considers The Kills laureates, but there's a lot of "going to pretend you didn't just rhyme that with that" when I listen to this. Otherwise, as far as scuzz-rock guy girl duos go, The Kills are heads and tails above the rest. What's more, the quiet songs ("Good Night Bad Morning") are just as good, if not better than, the percussion-driven ones. One of my greatest gig-going regrets of the year is missing out on seeing them. Because the footage I've seen on Youtube can only be described by typing "Yowsers!"
best track: The aforementioned "Good Night Bad Morning," tenderest song of the year (and, according to Last.fm, my most-listened to new song of the year).
what I hope they go for the holidays: Jamie Hince, it may be a good idea to make sure your gf didn't give you the gift of syphilis. Or worse. Juuuust sayin'.
8) Atlas Sound/Deerhunter: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel/Microcastle
Two separate projects/albums, but both are headed by that guy with Marfan's, so they're sharing spot number 8. Despite being two separate entities, both albums share a lot of the same dream-pop sensibilities, something that came as a big snog on the mouth for me. A lot of music makes me swoon, but this was the only album of '08 that made me want to scribble hearts over ever stray notepad I saw.
best track: "River Card," for helping me to dream the bad parts of the summer away; "Saved by Old Times," for the line, "we were captured by Victorian vampires/with elaborate designs." And "Nothing Ever Happened" has the best outro to a tune since "PDA" by those Interpol jerks.
what I hope they got for the holidays: On Bradford Cox's behalf, for the anorexia comments on Brooklyn Vegan to cease. Or maybe not.
7) Sparks: Exotic Creatures of the Deep
As far as I can tell, this album got absolutely no press over here, but then again, I guess songs glorifying the Renaissance and male pregnancy are pretty hard to market. Also, Ron Mael = still creepy. Sparks, however, still bizarre, still symphonic, still very much doing their idiosyncratic best.
best track: "Lighten up Morrissey," perhaps for that "If only Morrissey weren't so Morrissey-esque she might overlook my flaws " line alone. Oh god, and the line about "She won't have sex with me unless it's done with a pseudonym." Classic.
what I hope they got for the holidays: Well, seeing as one of their older songs is called "Thank God it's not Christmas," nothing!
6) Santogold: Santogold
I'm a knob for letting the hype keep me away from this one until very, very recently. Santogold is neither an American M.I.A. nor a black Karen O. Nor a whatever. She's a totally awesome Philly lady in and of herself. Perhaps the most promising debut of the year.
best track: "L.E.S. Artistes" is of course brilliant, but "I'm a Lady," always puts a smile on my face, something which can be as difficult to do as achieve brilliance.
what I hope she got for the holidays: Keys to the cities of Philadelphia and Brooklyn, 'cos she owns them both.
5) Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come, Easy Go
Pretty sure this isn't released stateside until next year, but I heard it this year, so oh well. Have you ever felt really down, and then listened to an album that causes your spirits to instantly lift, because it appears to have been crafted just for you, because it either encapsulates how you'd been feeling or exemplifies why you love music so much? This one is the latter for me. Every track is either a cover of a song I like, or features another artist whom I adore, and the whole album adheres to that sweeping, fucked up cabaret sound I love so dearly.
best track: "Hold On, Hold On," a cover of the song that got me hooked on Neko Case, featuring a violin solo by Warren Ellis that hits you like a firm upper cut to the jaw. The duet with Antony Hegarty on "O O Baby" is really nice too.
what I hope she got for the holidays: throat lozenges.
4) Spiritualized: Songs in A&E
Oh J. Spaceman, from the sounds of your first A&E vocal appearance, there is no doubt your near-death experience was no exaggeration. But your borderline raspy moans don't detract from your lush orchestrations. Songs in A&E has got so many pretty moments, it could easily collapse under its own grandiosity, yet Spaceman keeps it tight by not lingering on any particular moment for too long. Thus, the little seventeen second "harmonies" in between the real tracks dodge pretension and the whole thing leaves you craving another hit of "play".
best track: "Death Takes a Fiddle." The title alone is enough, but the song itself is pretty good also.
what I hope they got for the holidays: A new Roky Erikson t-shirt; seeing as Jason seems to wear that old one at every single gig, it must be getting a little worn by now.
3) Laura Marling: Alas, I cannot Swim
For better or worse, this album provided the soundtrack for some of the more unpleasant moments of this past year, meaning I'm not going to easily forget those not so fun times, and that I should probably hate Laura Marling's sweet voice for reminding me. But she's just too good. True, her sound is nothing new really, there's a bit of a Decemberists meets Fiona Apple vibe to it (FApple vibes are fine, but Decemberists?), but that means the album feels timeless. Lyrically, it's very complex and yeah, Laura Marling should get props for the fact that she's only eighteen and producing music of this quality.
best track: "Ghosts." The build-up never loses its drama, no matter how many listens. Also, the video is decent and features a very cute "Bohemian Rhapsody" homage.
what I hope she got for the holidays: the head of Kate Nash.
2) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
So, I neither loved nor hated Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, but let's face it, it had a lot of filler, a fact that not even a video with animated bunnies could cover up. But this--this--is track after track of lean rockin' tunes and has already found its place in my top five favorite Nick Cave albums ever, maybe even top three. And the liner notes? Some body really likes the exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!
best track: "We Call Upon the Author," and Eddie Argos agrees. I can relate, because I feel like a vacuum cleaner, pretty much all the time! "Today's Lesson" is also amazing. As is "Lie Down Here and Be My Girl." And, oh, the whole thing.
what I hope they got for the holidays: Please, Nick Cave, either buy yourself a scarf, or button your shirt, because chest colds are not sexy. The rest of the Bad Seeds should get another year of being awesome, I guess.
1) Aidan John Moffat: I Can Hear Your Heart
At this point, you may be asking yourself, "why the fuck is this hopelessly obsessive girl not listing Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! as her favorite album of the year?" It was the better album, true, but I found this more unique and, I suppose, more surprising. Or maybe I'm just surprised at myself for enjoying a spoken word concept album about sex and general deviousness so much. Strangely, I found a lot of comfort in this throughout the year. It made me feel less of a knucklehead because the points it was trying to raise were pretty straightforward, and it was easy to figure out why that sample backing was used for that poem, etc. Also, it reminded me yet again that relationships aren't the most joyous things ever, so I should be thankful the one I wanted to be in didn't work out. Also, any piece that requires its listener to play it as, you know, an album, is usually good.
best track: "Nothing in Common" is pretty clever.
what I hope he got for the holidays: Soap, to wash out his dirty, dirty mouth.
Five FavoriteTracks of 2008 (coming from albums not in my top ten):
5)Janelle Monae--Violet Stars Happy Hunting!! (like a lady Outkast, but better)
4)Beck--Gamma Ray (Chloe Sevigny's appearance in the video=not as good as her appearance in Sonic Youth's one for "Sugar Kane", but the former has the upper hand, songwise)
3)Jamie Lidell--Another Day (the introductory hand claps never fail to compel me to get up and hand clap along, although I never actually do this)
2)TV on the Radio--Family Tree (this album is overrated, but there's no knocking a song with strings as fruity as the ones in the outro) 1)Mystery Jets--Young Love (single of the year; Laura Marling's cameo breaks my heart every time).
Happy New Year, people! My #1 resolution for 2009? To become an egomaniac.