(Everything But) Top 10 Albums of 2008

So in neurotically compiling my favorite albums of the year, I came to realize just how many songs/albums/artists I was going to be leaving off my list in order to make the list a bit manageable. Therefore...I present to you, many other far less manageable lists. Top 10 albums to follow in a few days.


Top 5 songs of 2008 that are not represented in my top 10 albums:

Wale - The Opening Title Sequence (youtube)
Any hip-hop song that is built upon the premise of sampling the theme from Seinfeld is off to a good start in my book. When that's added to the ultra-skilled style of Wale, mentioned here earlier this year, you get an attention-grabbing song that hopefully is just the start for this dude.

BOAT - Topps (Mp3)
Love documented for this song back in July. Hopefully at this time in 2009, I'll be posting the next BOAT full-length as one of the year's best.

M83 - Graveyard Girl (youtube)
Although their last album, Before the Dawn Heals Us, was a favorite of mine several years back, I was somewhat skeptical that M83 would ever produce a song that I enjoyed as much as "Don't Save Us From the Flames;" not necessarily because I thought the act wasn't capable or talented enough, but rather because I liked the song so much. Roy over at Odd Lyric did a great write-up that looks a bit at M83's evolution that I highly recommend if you're interested in checking out more of their music.

Delta Spirit - Trashcan (youtube, live @ Club Downunder 10/18/08)
Last year at Club Downunder, we had Delta Spirit here opening for Dr. Dog, and I only caught a portion of their set, as I was unfamiliar with the majority of their music. After being impressed seeing them again this summer, I was pretty excited when we booked them again, this time for a headlining show, in the fall. This tune in particular is a great, upbeat example of the band's soulful live rock show. The video above (from the aforementioned fall show) is not great quality, but the sound comes across pretty well.

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
If you read my best of 2007 post way back last January, you saw that Okkervil River's last album, The Stage Names, was my favorite release of last year. Although I did enjoy this year's follow-up, The Stand-Ins, "Lost Coastlines" clearly stood out to me as a cut above the rest of the album. You can check it out, in video form, below.

Top 5 shows of 2008:

1) Beirut – Sasquatch! Festival, George, Washington (How come?)
2) M.I.A. – Sasquatch! Festival, George, Washington (How come?)
3) Alejandro Escovedo – Stubb’s, Austin, TX (How come?)
4) Of Montreal – The Moon, Tallahassee, FL (How come?)
5) Mittens on Strings – The Hideout, Austin, TX (How come?)

Album That Would Have Battled it Out for My #1 Had I Been Able to Justify it's 2008 Re-Release as an Actual Release Date:

Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse
I've already gone on a bit about this album already, so I'll just present to you one of my favorite Take-Away Shows of 2008.

#90.4 - BOWERBIRDS - In our talons
by lablogotheque

Best Random Live Video Featured on the Internets That Was Not on the Take-Away Shows:
Yeasayer - 2080 (On Pitchfork.tv's Don't Look Down)



And finally, the albums that just missed my top 10 of 2008 (aka Honorable Mentions):

Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Hand claps, intricate instrumental arrangements, whistling, and hooks everywhere. They even use a ukulele. I mean, how could you not like this band? More to come in 2009.

Dr. Dog - Fate
With a darker feel than it's predecessor, 2007's We All Belong, Fate was Dr. Dog continuing along it's harmonic path but taking a sidestep in a slightly new direction. Their music has always sounded rich and full, but this newest effort is even moreso, and placing it outside the top 10 was difficult.

Lambchop - OH (Ohio)
Few bands have a more pleasant sound than Lambchop. If I had to make them the middle point between two bands, they would fit halfway between Silver Jews and Iron & Wine. Sounds ridiculous, but check them out and it may make sense.

Missed Posts of '08: The Little Ones - Boracay

If asked to name the band best at writing pop hooks today, I'd probably have to say The Little Ones. I can't even attempt to surpass the eloquence of the following statement regarding their debut album, Morning Tide, by Funky Cold Sabrina, who says "Makes me want to eat skittles..."

Anyway, the song "Boracay" was first featured on the Terry Tales & Fallen Gates EP, which was released in April. The track is also included on Morning Tide, which was released later in the year. The song is a great example of the act's instant appeal. I'm going to pretty much leave it at that and encourage you to check out an interesting interview with the band over at STLMTM.

Mp3: The Little Ones - Boracay
Buy: The Little Ones - Morning Tide

The Light Footwork - The Art of Everyday Communication, Part 1

This video/song should've been huge.

Big hopes for the next album.



Also, please buy their Split EP with Tereu Tereu, it's completely great & worth it.

Missed Posts of '08: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious

[photo credit: kk+]

Between a busy schedule and wanting each post to stay up for at least a few days at the top, there's been a lot of songs this year that I've wanted to feature but haven't had the chance. Since we're nearing the end of 2008, I figured I'd try and highlight a few of my favorite tracks of the year that I previously missed. First up: R.E.M., whose lead single "Supernatural Superserious," off 2008's Accelerate took me a bit off guard (and emerged as my favorite since "Imitation of Life"). I've always considered myself a big fan of the band (who are now nearing the 30 year mark together), but I think I had instinctively lowered my expectations after 2004's disappointing Around the Sun. Accelerate is an overall return to form for the band, and this single was a great example of the fun, reinvigorated sound of their live show that I was lucky enough to catch twice over the course of just a few months.

Mp3: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious
Video: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious (features just about every version online)

Clues - Perfect Fit

What happens when you mix a member of The Unicorns with a member of Arcade Fire with several Montrealites that I don't know? Well, based on the first song from the mysterious new band Clues, the answer is that it sounds like about 70% Unicorns, 10% Arcade Fire, and 20% non-identified. Which is to say, big thumbs up so far. The band has their debut album coming out at some point in 2009, and it is being released on Constellation. Please listen ASAP thx.

Mp3: Clues - Perfect Fit (link courtesy of spin.com)

Interview - The Octopus Project

Texas-based band The Octopus Project create the sort of music that intensifies and reveals more layers the more times you listen through. Their sound is heavy on the electronics but avoids the common pitfall of too much repetition. Currently known as one of Austin's best local bands, it seems to be a matter of time before they become a national fixture. They recently took the time to answer some questions from the road, which you can check out below.

What is the best description of your music that you’ve read (in a review/feature/etc)?

There’s a (now defunct) magazine called Resonance that wrote a pretty amazing article about us. It was literally the dream article that said all the things I’ve always wanted someone to say about us. They even put us on the cover. Unfortunately, the issue that featured us was the first issue to not be printed, and didn’t come out on newsstands. It was an amazing article though!

One of the things that The Octopus project is known for is as being a big part of the Austin music scene – How has the area affected your music, and would you say that there is an “Austin sound?”

I think living in Austin is amazing. It’s my favorite town in the world. The general vibe around town is pretty relaxed, and incredibly friendly, so it’s possible that sneaks into our music somehow. I think we’re happy folks, and living in Austin makes us happy, so I suppose that might have something to do with the way we approach making music.

I don’t think there is one particular “Austin sound,” but I do think we have a pretty amazing scene going on. There are a million bands in town, and the community is incredibly supportive of musicians. That environment seems to foster creativity and a general excitement about doing your own thing.

How do your songs begin? Do they start out from an electronic place, or does the songwriting process begin with a more stripped-down instrument and then evolve?

Every song we write is different, but most of them come from a sound or idea from one person, then things get passed around a bit between the rest of us for a while before we consider something to be complete. We tend to like to work on things by ourselves – sitting in front of the computer, or at the practice space. Also, if one person has specific ideas for a song, sometimes they’ll just write the majority of the song, and the rest of us will figure out how to play the parts/change things around a little bit to make them our own. Almost every song touches all of our hands at one point or another.

However, it’s pretty rare that we’ll write a song while we’re all in the room together. We tend not to jam a whole lot. It’s really fun, but I feel like most things we make up at practice have a tendency to sound like Stereolab – long and droney. Which is great, but I think we're going for a different thing. It often takes us a while to write new songs by passing them back and forth, but I feel like we work really well together that way.

What is your current favorite new or lesser-known band at the moment?

We’re all pretty into diverse things, so it’s hard to pinpoint one band. But, to name some: Ananda Shankar, Satyajit Ray, Alice Coltrane, Dead Science, Diagonals.

Are there any albums that are indispensable in the tour van rotation?

We tend to listen to a lot of quiet, minimal stuff in the van. Things that are really repetitive are pretty awesome to drive to. Right now, we play a bunch of stuff by Steve Reich, Johann Johannsen, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Popol Vuh.

If you could play a show alongside any artist or band, ala the Beck tour that had The Flaming Lips as his backing band, who would it be?

If I had to pick any band in history, the Beatles would be a pretty easy choice. But, as far as current bands go, I think Deerhoof, Sonic Youth or Flaming Lips would be pretty high up there.

What has been your proudest achievement as a band to date?

Hmm…. I’m pretty proud of the fact that we’ve been a band for a while now, and are still really excited about the things we do. I don’t feel like we’ve gotten burned out, and still feel like there’s so much we have left to explore.

What artists that you listened to growing up most influence the music you’re now making?

I was pretty obsessed with bands like Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Velvet Underground when I was in high school, and I know their musical ideas definitely creep into our music every once in a while. One of the things I liked most about those bands is that they were always more than just rock bands. All of those bands was/are first and foremost, excited about experimenting with sounds, but at the same time they know how to write amazingly beautiful songs. That’s a balance that we strive for as well.

How would you define success as a band?

I think bands are successful when they are making music that they are happy about. We were talking with a friend the other day, and he told us about a band that he knew who had been together for 20 years. They barely ever tour, and don’t really put out too many records, but have practiced every Tuesday night for the last 20 years. They just love what they’re doing, and love being together, and that’s really what it all boils down to. Making money and being recognized by your peers are great, but at the end of the day you have to be happy with what you are doing and whom you are doing it with. Those are the measures of success to me.

So, a tour ends, and you all head back to Austin. What’s the first place you go? And, if it’s different, what is your favorite spot in Austin?

There are so many great things about Austin. We all love swimming at Barton Springs, watching movies at the Alamo Drafthouse, and eating at our favorite restaurant, Uchi. Just being home is pretty amazing though!

If budget wasn’t an issue, what kinds of things (if anything at all) would you like to incorporate into your live show?

I don’t know what we’d do. We’ve always had an enormously tiny budget, so we’ve had to work around that. I think there’s so much more you can do when you have no money versus a huge budget. It forces you to think more creatively.


Mp3: The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies
Video: The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies

Passion Pit - I've Got Your Number

Some of you may have read about Passion Pit lately due to the release of their new video for "Sleepyhead," off of their EP Chunk of Change. That track is promising, but to me it doesn't stand up terribly well over repeated listenings. Thankfully, Passion Pit brings the real jams elsewhere on their EP. One of my favorites is "I've Got Your Number," which you can find below. For those of you that think you might like your MGMT with a bit of a Postal Service filter, give this one a shot.

Myspace: Passion Pit
Stream: Passion Pit - I've Got Your Number

Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

I was trying to decide if I should post this song for the past few weeks, but as I can't get it out of my head, I think that's a sign that it's time. Maybe if I pass it along to others, we can share the "Ring ring, I hang up"'s. Try to think of it in a sharing candy kind of way, not in a videotape in The Ring kind of way.

Be sure to check out the 1:22-1:33 instrumental break in the song - it's a great little example of the attention to detail that the band shows at their best moments.

Mp3: Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

Abrahamson & The Façade - Julie

I know nearly nothing about this artist, except that it is a solo project by Tyler Futrell, and that he's made a track worth sharing. The song starts off with a slow tempo and a guitar accompaniment, but takes a number of interesting turns as the full five minutes or so play out. Check it out for yourself below.

Mp3: Abrahamson & The Façade - Julie

Wale - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.

It's been awhile since I heard a hip-hop artist that stuck out as being head and shoulders above anything else out at the moment*. DC rapper Wale sounds like an artist that desperately wants to be the best at what he does, and after hearing just two of his albums, I'm convinced that he's already there. I'll just leave it at that, but please do yourself a favor and download both The Mixtape About Nothing (an entire album that uses Seinfeld clips/samples, oh yeah) and 100 Miles and Running for free at Wale's myspace. Also, below is Wale rapping over Justice's D.A.N.C.E. Re-adjust your favorite artist lists accordingly.

Mp3: Wale - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
Video: Justice - D.A.N.C.E.

*Credit to the music master Willis for the heads-up on this one.

Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare

Matt and Kim, the Mates of State in reverse (or at least on reverse instruments), are on the verge of releasing a new album, Grand. The first single from the album, "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare," features a decidedly less lo-fi sound for the duo, which works great on this track. When you just have a drum set and keyboard to work with, the sound is going to be pretty minimalistic, but the higher level of production here though fills out the sound in a positive way. You can find the track at the Matt & Kim-friendly site below.

Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare

R.I.P. Paperthinwalls.com

Sad day, as one of my favorite non-blog, sort-of music blog roundup websites, Paper Thin Walls, announced it is ending its run. Check out their "PTW's Almanack: The Greatest Hits" feature to see some of the best featured on the site over the years.

mr. Gnome - Night of the Crickets

So I just recently came across this band/song/video and though a bit odd, all are worth a look. The band's sound reminds me off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, perhaps with a bit more of a mid-90s-alternative-nation-appeal to it. Keeping with that theme, the video is reminiscent of the kind of videos that you would stumble upon while watching late night MTV back when it was good and did things like play music videos. Oh, 120 Minutes, where have you gone?

"Night of the Crickets" by mr. Gnome

Bowerbirds - Olive Hearts

A track that I was mildly obsessed with last year was Bowerbirds' "In Our Talons," which led me to check out their great set at SXSW '08. This week I finally picked up the band's full length debut, Hymns for a Dark Horse, and now wish I had done so months ago.

Lead single "In Our Talons" is immediately catchy, due in part to a main refrain sung as a group effort, and an accordian hook (just go with it). The song on the album that took me off guard in terms of how much I liked it, though, was "Olive Hearts," which starts out a bit slower but builds as the song develops. As I was listening to the album through (particularly "Olive Hearts"), I realized that I really enjoyed how the vocals and instrumentation interact in Bowerbirds. The two entities are almost like an owner walking their dog, with the dog happily walking off the trail here and there, but never straying too far. It's a style that could go dramatically wrong (see: Dirty Projectors), but works perfectly for Bowerbirds. Streaming and video links below.

Stream: Bowerbirds - Olive Hearts
Video: Bowerbirds - In Our Talons

Meeting (& Exceeding) the Hype: Fleet Foxes

White Winter Hymnal from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

Nowadays, so many bands are overhyped to the point of unattainable expectations. With blogs and media sites posting music recommendations that they get from one another, a band can be over saturated in the matter of a week or two. This new fishbowl environment makes it so much more gratifying to find a few notable bands that emerge as worthy of all that praise (Grizzly Bear & Arcade Fire to name a few that I'd put in this category, disagree as you see fit). The debut Fleet Foxes album has had all kinds of people heaping praise all over it (that dude over at Stereogum, for one, should probably take it down a notch), but the honest truth is that their album really is that good (and as someone who was lucky enough to see them live twice this year, the music translates great in concert). I mean damn, they even made their myspace page funny.

Folksy but not sleepy and spacey but focused, Fleet Foxes really is one of the best albums of 2008. Video above, Mp3 below. Enjoy.

Mp3: Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why

The Donkeys - Walk Through a Cloud

From the moment you hear the great opening guitar hook in The Donkeys' "Walk Through a Cloud," it's hard not to be won over immediately. It's a light, likable song from the San Diego band that serves as a fun preview of some new music headed our way this fall. Their next album, Living on the Other Side, is due out on September 9th, and I'd recommend staying posted here for more info. Until then, this song is destined to be on my next mixtape. Check it:

Mp3: The Donkeys - Walk Through a Cloud

White Hassle - Life is Still Sweet

I once read this quote from a musician in which they said that their favorite songs had upbeat music but dismal lyrics. While that pretty much defines a large part of indie rock these days, sometimes it's good to just listen to a song that's positive all around. New Yorkers White Hassle crafted one such song a few years back (which later inspired Isaac Brock to write "Float On," incidentally), "Life is Still Sweet." Although the band is now on hiatus, this track should live on in peoples' iPhones or whatever the kids have these days.


Mp3: White Hassle - Life is Still Sweet

BOAT - Topps

Well, I said I'd post about them at some point, and with the arrival of a new EP, the day has arrived. BOAT's new song, "Topps," combines the worlds of baseball and indie pop as a select few have done before. If you've never heard BOAT before, their sound is both catchy and jumpy, and features a vocal style that evolves depending on what is called for by the backing music (Good examples of other songs to check out include "Elephant Ears" and "I'm a Donkey for Your Love," both on the band's myspace). Anyway, new track for your loving:

Mp3: BOAT - Topps
Buy: BOAT - Topps EP

Take Away Shows in Tallahassee

My new apartment has stairs. Therefore, this is how my mornings will be as I walk down them on my way to work. Happy Saturday,
Adam

She & Him - Why do you Let Me Stay Here?

I hope to not make a habit of posting videos linking to MTV, since they barely even play music themselves anymore, but so be it for today. This one's for a favorite song of mine on She & Him's debut album, Volume One. After watching it, I felt like it came close to being half creepy and half endearing. However, I think the Zooey Deschanel presence tips it over into the endearing side. As they used to say at the end of "Making the Video" episodes, "AND NOW, THE WORLD PREMIERE (pause for effect) OF SHE & HIM'S "WHY DO YOU LET ME STAY HERE" ("whoosh" noise):