2008 Year-End List #4: Favorite Albums #40-21

Finally, it starts: My 40 favorite albums of 2008. This year was shockingly good. 2007 was outstanding, and I was expecting barely anything great to come out this year. I was terribly wrong.

While several albums were released in 2007 that came to be potential life long classics, and I was completely confident in my top 20 list, this year there is so much more. Only one classic, but 19 other albums that I absolutely flipped out about, and 20 others that I simply loved or had a strong liking for.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and begin with numbers 40 through 21.


(40) Sea Lion - The Ruby Suns (Sub Pop)
I did not spend nearly enough time with this record. I love the blatant calypso feel of the first three tracks and the sudden shift to synthier, more grandiose lo-fi pop. "Morning Sun" is truly bizarre.
Top jam: "Tane Mahuta"


(39) Fate - Dr. Dog (Park the Van)
My passion for this record has gone back and forth, and most recently I have not been as impressed with it as I was back in say, October. That's not to say I don't like it anymore or anything. It is obvious that these guys love The Beatles, and that's a good thing, duh. Nothing original, but still a nice, solid pop album.
Top jam: "The Rabbit, the Bat and the Reindeer"


(38) Chemical Chords - Stereolab (4AD)
Back in May my friend Anthony subjected me to Stereolab for the first time, and I was floored. I figured Chemical Chords would without question be a bone blower. I was sadly mistaken. I am most bummed about how the record is a little too cohesive: most of the songs run together in a sort of monotony. Fortunately there are some redeeming characteristics that still merit this at the 38th position on my list, namely the vintage analog love the band have given to these recordings and the Brian Wilson-esque arrangements.
Top jam: "Self Portrait With Electric Brain"


(37) I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke and Laura - Pas/Cal (Le Grand Magistery)
Truly a mind boggler on first listen, this came to be one of two entirely overwhelming-yet-good albums that were released this year. For one, most of the songs are too long (no song as poppy as any of these should be any longer than four minutes, and a lot of these are five). Secondly there is just way too much going on. Too many instruments and an overabundance of sections per song (in 2007, Field Music had mastered this within a three minute timeframe). In spite of all of this, I am still infatuated by how lush and complex these songs are, even after I just finished complaining about it. The songs are beautiful elaborations on piano-driven indie pop, and the band's skill level is top notch.
Top jams: "The Truth Behind All the Vogues She Sold," "Cherry Tree (Suite Cherry Pt. 2)"


(36) Something for All of Us - Brendan Canning (Arts & Crafts)
I believe the Broken Social Scene guys are losing it. To this day, You Forgot It in People is one of the greatest albums I've ever come across. The self-titled is a great follow-up and all, but in my opinion, is nowhere near as good. And, this extended break they're taking to record all these solo albums is getting tiresome. Kevin Drew's sounded more like YFIiP than Broken Social Scene did, but it was painfully long and masturbatory. With Something for All of Us, Brendan Canning has recaptured that energy that was the reason us fans originally loved BSS, but still, something just isn't right. Maybe it's too straightforward? I think that is the main issue here. There are good rock songs like "Churches Under the Stairs" and "Hit the Wall" (which is especially awesome), and a few pretty tracks, but what is missing is true inspiration. Still, it's music written and recorded by guys in Broken Social Scene, and I will continue to buy into that.
Top jam: "Hit the Wall"


(35) Phylactery Factory - White Hinterland (Dead Oceans)
This came out of nowhere. I don't even remember what initially peaked my interest, but Phylactery Factory was a welcome surprise. Some moments are reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi's piano work, and every song is aurally attractive. It's lengthy for a nine track album, and pretty much everything is a little too drawn out, but I can forgive that due to its simplistic beauty.
Top jams: "Dreaming of the Plum Trees," "Hometown Hooray," "A Beast Washed Ashore"


(34) The Devil, You + Me - The Notwist (Domino)
Nothing on The Notwist's long awaited return comes even close to touching anything on their magnificent Neon Golden. Originally I thought "Good Lies", which was the first track released, was a sure sign of good things to come, but The Devil, You + Me is a total snoozer. However, much like Phylactery Factory, the beauty found deep within was enough to sway me into digging it.
Top jam: "Gloomy Planets"


(33) Plunder, Beg, and Curse - Colour Revolt (Fat Possum)
Finally, Colour Revolt have backed up the promise of their self-titled debut EP, and it is a terrifying doozy. Within, one will find a bad ass three guitar attack, some great rhythmic decisions from a good drummer and some of the most intense and intimidating vocals of the year. All of this is spiced up with a taste of the south and some frightening fire 'n brimstone quandaries. It took me a while, but I get it. Now I have these guys to thank for instilling in me the fear of God yet again.
Top jams: "Moses of the South," "Swamp," "Ageless Everytime"


(32) Women - Women (Jagjaguwar)
I am confident that if I started listening to this record earlier than I had, it would be ranked at a higher position on this list. There are a few noise tracks that are barely tolerable, but "Cameras," "Black Rice" and "Group Transport Hall" are phenominal pop songs with some nasty, lo-fi production via Chad VanGaalen. "Shaking Hands" is a fantastic tribute to 90s midwest emo, which was the most pleasant surprise amongst several pleasant surprises.
Top jams: "Black Rice," "Group Transport Hall," "Shaking Hands"


(31) In Ghost Colours - Cut Copy (Modular/Interscope)
I don't consider In Ghost Colours so much of a dance album as a really fun, mostly electronic pop album. The first half consists of straightforward, almost mainstream radio pop songs. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as these are solid. The dancier tracks start trickling in during the second half, and there are some prize jewels. Sure, "Hearts on Fire" obviously is a great song, but "Far Away" and "Strangers in the Wind" are even better.
Top jams: "Far Away," "Strangers in the Wind"


(30) The Globe - The Silent Years (Defend/First Date)
I'm not entirely familiar with The Silent Years' debut album, but I can still tell that adding three members of Detroit's defunct Rescue as their base instrumentation was the best idea. The result is great pop songs, a plethora of intriguing textures and some mind-altering structural and rhythmic trickery. Throw in Radiohead's The Bends and even some Sunny Day Real Estate for good measure, and you have one of the best albums to come out of Detroit in recent memory. Two complaints that aren't crucial at all: there are no real standout cuts, and Josh Epstein's voice may be a little too good.
Top jams: "Ropes," "Goddamn You!," "The Axiom"


(29) April - Sun Kil Moon (Caldo Verde)
I was extremely weary at first when I found April's 11 tracks clocked in at almost 80 minutes. Miraculously, the songs seem to fly by in nowhere near that amount of time. I don't know how that works. I could see how this could be considered boring, but every song is gorgeous enough and Mark Kozelek's guitar playing great enough for no real dull moments, at least for this listener. And, in spite of the title, with every listen I can't help but reminisce about all my favorite fall memories, which always makes for a nice, bittersweet experience.
Top jams: "Moorestown," "Tonight in Bilbao"


(28) Swimming - French Kicks (Vagrant)
I have two issues with this, French Kicks' fourth full length. First off, I miss Doug Boehm's production work. The band recorded Swimming on their own, and the production is uneven, to say the least (and I'm not going to get into it). Secondly, they seem to be known as this bland and boring band (which I have always disagreed with), and I cannot deny that this is their most boring record. This said, it is still a French Kicks album, and it has most of the elements I anticipate from a typical French Kicks release, just done in a different way. The fact that most of the songs are so slow (boring) and the way everything sounds so distant puts a spin on their sound that caught me off guard. Unlike their past two records, Swimming was a grower, and when I finally got it, I really got it.
Top jams: "Abandon," "Over the World," "All Our Weekends," "Sex Tourists"


(27) Stars of Stage and Screen - The Pop Project (Suburban Sprawl)
Put simply, this is an awesome pop record. The band's name says it all. The Pop Project take different sub-genres of pop music and either fuse some together all in one track, or switch things around from song to song. "Secondary Players," "House of Books" and "You've Won the Lottery" are prime examples of the former, and "Coerce," "Another Kind of Love" and "Stand In" the latter. The geekiness put on display throughout is very charming, and what a bonus that all four members are absolute masters at their craft.
Top jams: "Never Got the Breaks," "The Longest Time," "House of Books," "You've Won the Lottery"


(26) Furr - Blitzen Trapper (Sub Pop)
Furr is not as zany or all over the place as last year's Wild Mountain Nation, and I think that's what makes this the better record. Blitzen Trapper's overall sound is still intact (backwoods country music mixed with your modern indie pop), but it is more contained and mature. It's missing a mega-jam like WMN's "Futures and Folly," but there are still some monumental peaks, and the album's consistency is a plus.
Top jams: "God + Suicide," "Saturday Nite"


(25) For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
Yes, yes. I know Bon Iver blew Pitchfork's mind with this little record a year ago. I wasn't born under a rock. Lay off. Don't you know it was re-released by Jagjaguwar this year? That's when I finally decided to see what all the hype was about. It turns out For Emma, Forever Ago isn't stupid boring folk fluff like I was expecting. The songs are totally good, and this dude's voice is awesome. I don't usually get into the whole cabin-porch-in-the-woods production (of course Nick Drake nailed it on Pink Moon), and I know it's a folk mainstay, but it is what makes this record.
Top jams: "Lump Sum," "Skinny Love," "Re: Stacks"


(24) Soft Airplane - Chad VanGaalen (Sub Pop)
Soft Airplane is another album where more time spent with it would have led to it ranking higher on the list. There are some regrettable tracks like the maddening racket of "Frozen Energon" (and I think "TMNT Mask" is fairly obnoxious), but most everything else is pure gold. VanGaalen plays weird and inspiring bedroom pop, showcasing a balance between pure indie rock and expansive folk music. Soft Airplane also completed the task of forcing me to pay attention to the lyrics (which so rarely happens), which encourage the listener to use their imagination, yet still exhibit mesmerizing visuals. A lot of the words are eerie, morbid, violent and extremely fascinating. About a month ago I saw a video for "Molten Light," which is probably the most morose song, musically and lyrically, and it forever creeped me the fuck out.
Top jams: "Willow Tree," "Inside the Molecules," "Molten Light," "City of Electric Light"


(23) Your Anchor - Lackthereof (Barsuk)
Lackthereof is the side project of Menomena's Danny Seim. I have this to say about his 2008 record, Your Anchor: I like it a lot more than I did his band's critically acclaimed 2007 release, Friend & Foe. I'm not exactly sure how, or why. Your Anchor lacks variety, and it is an incredibly sparse record; there is not much going on. There is just some inexplicable charm about it. I know I like these songs better than Friend & Foe's (which I also thought lacked variety, in a way). The drumming and the lo-fi production sound good. There is a cover of The National's "Fake Empires," and it's kind of shitty (and also too soon). I just don't know what to say. I really enjoyed this quirky pop record that doesn't really have much to offer, and I can't clarify why. Sorry.
Top jams: "Chest Pass," "Last November"


(22) In Ear Park - Department of Eagles (4AD)
I was really excited about In Ear Park the first few times I heard it, then it struck me: "Wait just a minute, this is tiresome." I took a break from it, and came back again fairly recently, and changed my mind again. I mean, it's a little sluggish, but completely original. A lot of the songs are set to this beautiful fantasy world mood, and are a bit wintery, which is very cool. These are olde towne songs. Whatever that means. Lastly, three of the guys who played on the record are in Grizzly Bear (one of which is a real member of Department of Eagles), so in all honesty, this really just sounds like an in-between Grizzly Bear album. Obviously, I am fine with this.
Top jams: "Teenagers," "Floating on the Lehigh"


(21) The Week That Was - The Week That Was (Memphis Industries)
My boys, the brothers Brewis, have supposedly all but killed Field Music (the band who recorded and released my second favorite album of 2007). I am still disheartened, but this year they have been trying to make up for it by splitting in two and recording separate projects. Peter's The Week That Was proves that he was Field Music's Paul McCartney, while David is maybe John Lennon. His self-titled debut (featuring friends, like HIS BROTHER AND EX-BANDMATE DAVID) is a much more straight and narrow affair than FM, and highlights the lush string arrangements and pop simplicity he offered his old band (the simplicity only slightly). What's interesting about the album is that about half of it brings to mind pop acts like The Beatles and later XTC, while the rest sounds like pieces to an original film score (not a specific one). Like I said in my top 20 songs of 2008 list, as long as Peter is writing songs like "The Airport Line," (and also as long as the Brewis bros. are creating music in some capacity), I think I can cope. It's just not the same.
Top jams: "The Story Waits for No One," "The Airport Line," "Come Home"

2008 Year-End List #3: Honorable Mention Albums

I did it. I comprised a top 40 albums of the year list. And honestly, I probably could have done a top 50, as here I am listing ten albums that didn't make it into the top 40, but that I still like better than the 100 other albums I listened to this year. My only excuse for not including these in a top 50 list is that I was struggling to put these in any order. So, I am just listing them in alphabetical. I hope that's okay.

Soon, my top 40 will be revealed, but first, here are 2008's ten honorable mentions.


Everything That Happens Will Happen Today - David Byrne & Brian Eno (Todo Mundo)
Whenever there is a reunion album, I automatically assume it will turn out pretty shitty (disregard Dinosaur Jr.'s 2007 return to glory, Beyond, for that is an exception). I'm not sure if I'd consider Everything That Happens Will Happen Today a reunion exactly, but it's close enough, and it sure ain't shitty. It isn't great or anything, but it is an acceptible return collaboration for these two behemoths of cutting edge music made in the late 1970s. As I stated on Christmas Eve, "Strange Overtones" is my favorite song of the year, and there are definitely some gorgeous tracks, but the rest is hit or miss. "I Feel My Stuff" is horse shit.
Top jams: "Everything That Happens," "The River," "Strange Overtones"


Fantastic Gusts of Blood - Child Bite (Suburban Sprawl)
Child Bite play weird, aggressive, fun, angry party music. Typically, that wouldn't really be my thing, but there is enough to like about these songs. There is quirky and intelligent drum banging that I drool over, and the warbled vocals are extremely entertaining. The guitars, bass, synth and various wind instruments each have their shining moments in which they arrive. And there are some simply good songs laced throughout.
Top jams: "Venom Bowl, Kids Guts," "Banana Gorgon," "The Rainbow Church," "Jewels Rules"


Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie (Atlantic)
At first, I liked this way more than I was expecting to. I was a huge Death Cab for Cutie fan for the vast majority of my young adult life thus far, and still hold three of their records very close to my heart, but in retrospect, Narrow Stairs is a major disappointment. It was time for them to make sure everyone knew they were on a major label, but were still artists and in charge, so they recorded "I Will Possess Your Heart," which is just pure garbage. Ben Gibbard's use of vibrato and way more falsetto have ruined him, but still, there are enough solid moments of Death Cabsyisms to keep the rest of the album out of the dumpster.
Top jams: "No Sunlight," "Cath...," "Long Division"


Trouble in Dreams - Destroyer (Merge)
It's true that Trouble in Dreams sounds just like the follow-up to 2006's Destroyer's Rubies, but I don't mind so much when bands do a repeat album as long as it's good. Here is a decent example, even though Rubies blows this out of the water. Maybe half of these songs are good, two of which are borderline great. The rest is too dramatic and just too much of the same.
Top jams: "Blue Flower/Blue Flame," "Dark Leaves Form a Thread"


The Evening Descends - Evangelicals (Dead Oceans)
What an insane record. It's all over the place and similarly weird to mid-to-late 90s Flaming Lips. The weirdness is pretty overbearing at times, and all the songs are jumbled together, but if you can weed through all of that and get to the instances of brilliance, well then, there you go. I caught some of those moments, but not enough due to the lack of time I spent with this. One last thing: Singer dude reminds me of my boy Kevin McGorey a little bit.
Top jam: "Bloodstream"


Keep Your Eyes Ahead - The Helio Sequence (Sub Pop)
I became interested in The Helio Sequence after I found out that this is the drummer who played on Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News. He's still got it, and this album is actually pretty good, but it's just too safe, especially for a Sub Pop release.
Top jam: "You Can Come to Me"


High Places - High Places (Thrill Jockey)
Now this is a cool sounding record! I get a little lost in the African and Caribbean pulses and the blandness of Mary Peason's voice (although I have grown accustomed to it as it is charming and inoffensive, and also I am in love with her). But, there are a lot of neat, original ideas here. The synthetic sounds mixed with random, household percussion is one of them.
Top jams: "The Storm," "From Stardust to Sentience"


Lovers Prayers - Ida (Polyvinyl)
This is an Ida record. It is mellow, at times a little boring, really pretty and (way) too long. What more do you expect?
Top jam: "Worried Mind Blues"


Pershing - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Polyvinyl)
SSLYBY play pop music too perfectly. There is no room for error, which is kind of a shame. Sure, some of the songs are structured in interesting ways, and their talent is undeniable, especially when it comes to melodies. My main concern is that dude's voice is way too nice and pretty. It makes me think of Christian bands like Switchfoot and Copeland and stuff, which is unfortunate.
Top jams: "Dead Right," "Modern Mysteries"


Elephant Shell - Tokyo Police Club (Saddle Creek)
Part of the reason I really wanted to like Elephant Shell is because I feel like it's a little bit of a black sheep. I will not deny this. Thankfully, I ended up very far from hating it in spite of its slight nu-emoness (which is still too much). These kids definitely are talented and I'm interested to see what they come up with next. If Hot Topic gets behind them though, we're through.
Top jams: "In a Cave," "Nursery, Academy"

2008 Year-End List #2: Top 20 Songs

I'm totally an album guy. I very rarely skip around during any album I am listening to. I guess I like to see things through until their fruition. Musically speaking, at least.

Last year I tried to make a top 20 songs of the year list, and it was difficult. I had a hard time separating any single track from the albums that I truly loved. I could not take those out of context. I probably could have come up with something, but it would have been a list of favorite songs from albums that weren't in my top 20, because it was easier to weed out the good songs on those releases.

This year I tried even harder to come up with 20 songs that I thought were the cream of the crop, above all other songs. I'm not sure exactly how accurate this is, but hey, I gave it my best shot. Here they are, my 20 favorite songs of the year. I think.

(20) "I Can Do What I Want, When I Want" Xiu Xiu (from Women as Lovers)
Xiu Xiu is a conundrum to me. My first experience was with 2004's Fabulous Muscles, which had maybe three totally great, schizophrenic synthy pop gems. The rest of the album was ruined by some of the most bizarre shit I've ever heard: overdramatic loud/soft/loud dynamics, grating noise for grating noise's sake and an ultimately creepy spoken word track. This goes for every album since (and I assume every album before).

Women as Lovers doesn't have as much of the synthy stuff, but it opens with this jam. In spite of the blaring saxophone (which is kind of cool), this is a subtle piece, considering who's written and recorded it. There are cool melodies during the choruses, but the best part is that drum beat. Here, the drummer is a man after my own heart.

(19) "The Airport Line" The Week That Was (from The Week That Was)
I am still bumming about Field Music's "break up" or hiatus, or whatever it is they're on. But, thank God and Peter Brewis for this beautiful ode to some of the best music the 80s had to offer (XTC, The Police, maybe?). I can cope somewhat with songs like this.

(18) "Black Rice" Women (from Women)
Women did right to go to Chad VanGaalen to capture the songs on this record the way they did. Typically, I love my clean production (and dirty production put through a cleansing filter, or vice versa), but when lo-fi recording is done right, like this, then I am about it. What a pop song! Awesome melodies sang by an imperfect voice, appropriate use of glockenspeil (which is rare nowadays), big, overdriven drums, it's all here! Travis Bravender also helped me to realize that the best part is when the bass guitar is playing the glockenspeil part. Seriously, what a great idea, dudes!

(17) "The Hollows" Why? (from Alopecia)
I will admit, I'm not a huge fan of the verses in this song, even though Yoni Wolf could be considered one of indie rock's great modern lyricists (this coming from someone who usually doesn't pay attention to lyrics). The magic happens in the choruses and the middle section. During the choruses, the drum part is smart and unconventional and the distant female backing vocals are my jam. Also, the harpsichord part is great. My favorite part is during the end of the bridge, right when Yoni's voice is doubled. It's subtle, and only a little bit of a crescendo, but for some reason it resonates and feels intense. This is a great song.

(16) "In a Cave" Tokyo Police Club (from Elephant Shell)
This is my guilty pleasure of the list. Tokyo Police Club are a little too close to nu-emo for my liking. Even though they use space in their songs well (ala Spoon, who are a WAY better band, of course), the vocals sound forced or fake and there is this overriding sense of nu-emoness that I just cannot shake. All of this to say this song is fantastic (and there is one other on the album).

I love songs and albums that make me wait for my favorite part, and TPC nail it here by tagging the chorus on at the very end. Everything just clicks there: the repeating synth part, the simple guitar line (which is joined by a slightly funky riff reminiscent of the end of Death Cab for Cutie's "The Sound of Settling") and especially the vocal melody, which is perfect.

(15) "Gobbledigook" Sigur Ros (from Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust)
I will not deny that the music sounds like Animal Collective covering a Dave Matthews Band tune (which was the lost B-side to Sung Tongs, j/k). I also will not deny that this is probably Sigur Ros' greatest song because it is pop song length and there are actual melodies. Of course the percussion is really cool too.

(14) "Abandon" French Kicks (from Swimming)
Every French Kicks album after their debut full length, One Time Bells, opens with what is at first the obvious best track. With their last one, 2006's Two Thousand, this changed. On The Trial of the Century (2004) and this year's Swimming, it did not.

On "Abandon," the usual suspects are all here: an innovative and quirky drum beat, some synth, a repetitive, reverby one note guitar line and LOTS of vocal harmonies in the higher register. But, what this has that all other French Kicks songs don't is an awesomely inspiring and bad ass guitar riff. Nothing else on the record comes even close to touching this.

(13) "Gardenia" Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (from Real Emotional Trash)
Here is further proof that Stephen Malkmus still has it in him. This is a perfect pop song. That is all that needs to be said.

(12) "Top Drawer" Man Man (from Rabbit Habbits)
This time last year I was reminded how much I liked 2006's Six Demon Bag. I was surprised to find that it was quite a bit. Early on this year, Rabbit Habbits was one of the albums I anticipated the most. Even though I was let down, at least it birthed this jam of jams with its strutting rhythm, less pirate-y gang vocals, totally awesome drumming and the Sufjan Stevens-ish string and woodwind insanity at the end.

(11) "Weekend" The Sea and Cake (from Car Alarm)
Lord Jesus, what a song! After listening to Car Alarm the other day I decided that from now on I declare The Sea and Cake my second favorite band. I've also decided that "Weekend" is their best song since the one-two punch of "Afternoon Speaker" and "All the Photos" that opened up 2000's Oui. This is interesting to me because there is virtually one chord played through the entire thing, only to switch for two counts after every four measures. Smooth! It also helps that there is some bleep-bloop synth programming via The Fawn (1997) and a nonsensical yet fitting bass synth lick. Plus, John McEntire, as would be expected, is at his most awesome behind the kit. Bonus!

(10) "The Rip" Portishead (from Third)
I don't know why I never checked Portishead out well before this record. I remember my brother being really into them back in the late 90s. Unfortunately I could only get behind a few of the tracks on Third. It is just one of those challenging records that I can't wrap my brain around.

For me, "The Rip" is a diamond in the rough. The clashing of organic and inorganic sounds as well as the minor key chord progression and dark tone of the song remind me of something Radiohead would have recorded for Kid A or Amnesiac (as do the other songs that I like from the album). This is both haunting and beautiful.

(9) "Heavy Meadows" Javelins (from Heavy Meadows)
I already wrote a blurb for "Heavy Meadows" for my Top 10 Songs of 2008 by Local Bands list, but here it is again, copied and pasted:

This title track is the best song on my favorite Detroit area album since Red Shirt Brigade's Home of the Cannon Saints. It might be the band's smartest track: Matt Howard's guitar odes to The Smiths and Talking Heads (but weirder). rhythm section Matt Rickle and Julian Wettlin (both also of Thunderbirds Are Now!) showing restraint but keeping things interesting (Wettlin is especially genius on the choruses) and the mixture of Rickle's voice with Anathallo's Erica Froman. The strings add a nice amount of quirk and all of these things combined make for this subtle but key song from the local album of the year.

(8) "In the New Year" The Walkmen (from You & Me)
I was shocked at how great of a song this was when I first heard it back in June. It is a jam in the truest sense of the word. Hamilton Leithauser belts his guts out per usual, but instead of rage or doubt or whatever negative emotion he usually seems to be feeling, he seems optimistic here. The organ during the choruses and the bubbly drum part (especially those classy, subtle fills) help to match the mood. Even the harsh, reverby guitar riff seems to have overflowed with joy. It's neat to hear The Walkmen like this.

(7) "Friends" Lightning Love (from November Birthday)
I've also already written about this. This song consists solely of piano (or the piano sound on a keyboard) and the most simple of drum parts. Oh, and of course there are vocals, primarily by Leah Diehl, who sings only the sweetest of melodies and harmonies. That's all there is, and apparently that's all that is needed to make THE perfect pop song.

(6) "Foxes Mate for Life" Born Ruffians (from Red, Yellow and Blue)
This song simply rules hard. Here we have the most basic of rock 'n roll instrumentation (guitar, bass, drums) assisted by some synthesizer to spice things up. But still, somehow, Born Ruffians have a completely weird and quirky take on indie rock. Just know that it was my favorite song from the first half of the year.

(5) "Offend Maggie" Deerhoof (from Offend Maggie)
Here is another song that I was in complete awe after the first time it graced my earlobes. On "Offend Maggie," Deerhoof take Joan of Arc's emo and force it into a blissful and beautiful nature party with The Who's classic rock guitars. Keith Moon's drumming is there also, of course. He is the dude who is at that "perfectly drunk" point, loving on all the treefolk.

(4) "M79" Vampire Weekend (from Vampire Weekend)
For a second there, this was my unquestioned song of 2008. I don't know what happened, but I have never tired of it. "M79" sneaks away from the Paul Simon comparisions for four minutes and instead channels Mark Mothersbaugh's original scores to Wes Anderson films. For another second I wondered if maybe the song goes on just a tiny bit too long, but that is just ridiculous. It is as close to perfect that Vampire Weekend got on their debut (which is pretty damn close).

(3) "Street Flash" Animal Collective (from Water Curses EP)
It took me about half of the year to understand exactly how absolutely perfect this song is. I originally questioned it for its combination of obnoxious horror and earthly beauty. Now, and over the past few months, I have realized that it is pure genius. At its base, "Street Flash" is so gorgeous, and peaceful, that it doesn't really sound like Animal Collective. The beauty is what makes this such a great song, but it's the creepy cackling and alien sounds throughout and the questionable screaming in the middle that make this the song that it is, thusly branding it Animal Collective. It's as if the band layed this out as a challenge to help us grow as critical listeners and maybe even as human beings. "If you, our listeners can get through this and completely understand it, you shall be promoted from young Padawan learner to Jedi Knight." This is a dramatic way to look at this, I know, but guys, I am totally there. Inspiring.

(2) "Nothing Ever Happened" Deerhunter (from Microcastle)
In my slightly vision-impaired eyes, no 2008 album had a song that stood out as much as Microcastle's "Nothing Ever Happened." Not to say that the rest of the album is trash, because sure as a donkey's dick it's not. It's just that there are songs that are just your regular tall buildings, which are still pretty impressive, and "Agorophobia" and "Never Stops" are your typical skyscrapers: songs that are remarkable, but there are others like them. "Nothing Ever Happened" is like the Sears Tower or something. Is that a good comparison? I'm thinking the Sears Tower is the tallest building in the US, but I'm not sure at all. ANWAY, what I'm trying to get at is that it is one of a kind. The two verses showcase a superb melody and some really great bass playing. But, the extensive ending is what I've been looking for all year. Sure, it's repetitive, but does that even matter when it is such a bad ass section of a song? It is Microcastle's focal point, three-and-a-half moments of clarity, when all things good and modern rock 'n roll come together to say, "Yes, this part of this song is totally awesome, and don't you think we fucking know it?" It's what makes the entire song my second favorite of the year.

(1) "Strange Overtones" David Byrne & Brian Eno (from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)
Yes, David Byrne and Brian Eno have collaborated again after so many years of not. Unfortunately, the result as a whole is not nearly as fruitful as this one, tremendous jam. So tremendous that the amount of songs released in 2008 that I liked as much or more than it is zero.

"Strange Overtones" is a feel good jam. The lyrics are charming, and if I were drunk and in the right company, I could and would dance to it. Eno's production is aces. The instrumentation is exactly what the song needs: a subtle dancy drum beat, some pretty and funky guitars, various synthesizer sounds. The highlight though, without question, is how incredibly great David Byrne's voice sounds. For one, technically, it just sounds beautiful. Here, his is the singing voice of my guardian angel. Secondly, he is seriously yearning, man. This is the perfect display of emotion. This is what I want all vocalists to sing like. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, I've been at this list for a LONG ASS TIME.

"Strange Overtones" is my favorite song of the year, and that is that.

2008 Year-End List #1: Top 10 Songs by Local Bands

This year Jay Carroll of the Detroit music blog Eat This City asked me to a submit a top ten whatever list for his year-end post. I wanted to unveil my favorite records on my own accord, so I decided to list my ten favorite songs by local (mainly Detroit or Ann Arbor area) bands. After spending a couple hours on it, I emailed it to him the day it was due, and a few days later when it was posted, I found that I had been omitted from the post (he had asked more then ten different people involved in some way with the local scene). Either not playing drums in his favorite band ever (Deastro) anymore makes my opinions completely irrelevent, or this list is too Suburban Sprawl heavy. I don't know, but REAL COOL.

Anyway, I'll stop bitching. Here is my list of ten favorite songs by local bands, plus three honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTIONS


"Venom Bowl, Kids Guts" Child Bite (from Fantastic Gusts of Blood)
What a way to open your record. Weird, fast, loud, abrasive, almost but not quite obnoxious. The high pitched guitar makes my ears hurt in the good way, and the bassline during the chorus is SO catchy.

http://www.myspace.com/childbite


"Great Lakes" Prussia (from Dear Emily, Best Wishes, Molly)
Prussia seem to be Detroit's new "IT" band, at least locally speaking, and I just don't get it. I wasn't really impressed the only time I've seen them live (granted it was in the Garden Bowl and the sound was so shitty), and on the record, the band seems to be trying a little too hard to be weird. "Great Lakes," however, is a truly great pop song. I love everything about it, except for the fact that with two drummers, it seems like the percussion is hardly even there.

http://www.myspace.com/prussiamusic


"Ropes" The Silent Years (from The Globe)
My main complant about The Globe (and believe me, there are few) is that all the good songs are on level playing field. Nothing really sticks out above the rest. In my opinion, this is an awesome characteristic for an album to have, but makes it hard to pick a favorite song. After much deliberation, I have chosen "Ropes" due to its rhythm, mood, smart instrumentation and awesome melody.

http://www.myspace.com/thesilentyears

TOP 10


(10) "Couch Surfing" Friendly Foes (from Born Radical)
This might be my favorite Ryan Allen (Thunderbirds Are Now!) song ever. The vocal melody is perfect, the guitar part is pure 90s indie rock nostalgia and Brad Elliott's drumming here is spot on.

http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfoes


(9) "Selfless Devotion" The Dead Bodies (from Cock Cock Cock Cock Xanadu Xanadu EP)
On every other song but this, I feel like The Dead Bodies might be Detroit's answer to The Flaming Lips. Here, they remind me of mid-to-late 80s The Cure with the drum production, guitar jangle and subtle synth line. These guys are masters at what they do.

http://www.myspace.com/thedeadbodies


(8) "Unicorn Bible" Champions of Breakfast (from Pleasure Mountain)
If you take away the novelty of this act (synthy fantasy programming, fake identites, fake instruments on stage) then this song is probably even better than it already is. It is catchy as hell, and has some of the greatest melodies all year.

http://www.myspace.com/thechampionsofbreakfast


(7) "Winning Prizes" The Word Play (from How I Became Illustrated)
Somewhere between Television, Pavement, Modest Mouse and Q and Not U, "Winning Prizes" (and The Word Play in general) is truly my type of indie rock. And with how great this whole record is, the band shouldn't go unknown or overlooked any longer.

http://www.myspace.com/thewordplay


(6) "Cherry Tree (Suite Cherry pt. 2)" Pas/Cal (from I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke and Laura)
On an album that is overflowing with a boastful mix of poppiness and complexity, Trevor Naud's (Zoos of Berlin/Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship) contribution, "Cherry Tree (Suite Cherry pt. 2)" is both a nice break (it's under two minutes long) and a subtle breath of fresh air. And it is exactly what I would imagine a straightforward pop song from Naud would sound like.

http://www.myspace.com/pascalgoespop


(5) "You've Won the Lottery" The Pop Project (from Stars of Stage and Screen)
The band is exactly what their name suggests: pretty much an accessible as all get out (in a great way) experiment of various sub-genres of pop music. I consider this their "A Day in the Life." Epic and brilliant.

http://www.myspace.com/thepopproject


(4) "Latest Journey" Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship (from Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship)
Another Trevor Naud ditty, this time with his new project. I don't know how to describe this except that it is a wonderful cut and paste experiment featuring some slight and smart drumming and Naud's spectacular croon.

http://www.myspace.com/hiddenghostballoonship


(3) "Spritle" Deastro (unreleased)
A live staple from back when I was playing drums in this project. My inclusion of this on my list might seem a little shady, but whatever. This jam is synthy shoegaze heaven, with the catchiest chorus I've heard all year.

http://www.myspace.com/deastro


(2) "Heavy Meadows" Javelins (from Heavy Meadows)
This title track is the best song on my favorite Detroit area album since Red Shirt Brigade's Home of the Cannon Saints. It might be the band's smartest track: Matt Howard's guitar odes to The Smiths and Talking Heads (but weirder). rhythm section Matt Rickle and Julian Wettlin (both also of Thunderbirds Are Now!) showing restraint but keeping things interesting (Wettlin is especially genius on the choruses) and the mixture of Rickle's voice with Anathallo's Erica Froman. The strings add a nice amount of quirk and all of these things combined make for this subtle but key song from the local album of the year.

http://www.myspace.com/javelins


(1) "Friends" Lightning Love (from November Birthday)
The perfect pop song, this one right here. Simple, quirky and CATCHY. I don't know what else to say. It is flawless.

http://www.myspace.com/lightninglove

Review: Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2008

Yesterday and today, Pitchfork Media posted their 50 best albums of 2008 list.

I have been reading Pitchfork since 2004, and am a huge fan of their year-end lists. In spite of the site's pretense and high sense of self-worth, I have become a fan of (some of) the writing, but moreso their rating system (pompous, but it really makes things easy) and how meticulous they are at making lists. In the words of a defunct independent music and literature magazine that was crude and out of Seattle I used to subscribe to, Bandoppler, "No one fucks with Pitchfork when it comes to list-making."

Last year was the best year-end top 50 list I have read to this day. Perhaps due to 2007 being my favorite year in new music, EVER. I was totally into Pitchfork's inclusion of records by Deerhoof (#31), Dinosaur Jr. (#28), Arcade Fire (#27), Dirty Projectors (#21), The National (#17), Jens Lekman (#11), Spoon (#7), Animal Collective (#6), Radiohead (#4) and Panda Bear (#1), as each of these were in my top 20. It was by far the pest representation of what they had been raving about all year.

This year is different. 2007's list was not a typical one from Pitchfork because it was SO appropriate. This year (and every other year) is (or has been) predictible in a different way. Predictible not in exactly what records were included, but in the distribution of genre, popularity level and accessibilty represented, in my humble opinion. For me, a Pitchfork year- end list consists of the following four categories:

(1) Obvious choices (whether that means for me personally, or based off how much they raved about a particular artist or group)
(2) Personal pleasant surprises (or at least releases that I kind of liked and rooted for)
(3) (Assumed) random pretentious bullshit that no one seemed to give a shit about (or at least I didn't). This could also include releases that Pitchfork amongst others might have pretended they understood, but really did not.
(4) Uncategorizable, or releases that I didn't know anything about due to lack of research or just simply being clueless

I will separate the top 50 into the four categories below, with notes if an album is deserving:

Obvious choices
- Beach House's Devotion (#46) - I thought this would be higher.
- Marnie Stern's This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (#44) - Again, I thought this would be higher. Also, even though this record had some cool songs, this could also be in the (assumed) random pretentious bullshit category based on the album title alone.
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (#32)
- Atlas Sound's Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel (#26)
- Titus Andronicus' The Airing of Grievances (#25) - I'm surprised this is so high.
- Santogold's Santogold (#22)
- The Walkmen's You & Me (#19)
- Fucked Up's The Chemistry of Common Life (#17)
- Vivian Girls' Vivian Girls (#16)
- Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III (#11)
- Hercules and Love Affair's Hercules and Love Affair (#9) - I would have been surprised that this was so high had I read this list before Pitchfork's 100 Best Tracks of 2008.
- Vampire Weekend's Vampire Weekend (#7) - It's surprising that Pitchfork wasn't too embarrassed to rank it this high.
- TV on the Radio's Dear Science (#6)
- Deerhunter's Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. (#5) - I thought this was going to be #1.
- Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours (#4)
- No Age's Nouns (#3)
- Portishead's Third (#2)
- Fleet Foxes' Sun Giant EP/Fleet Foxes (#1) - I don't hate Fleet Foxes, but this bums me out.

Pleasant surprises
- Crystal Stilts' Alight of Night (#49) - There were a few really great songs.
- High Places' High Places (#48)
- Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Lie Down in the Light (#42)
- David Bryne and Brian Eno's Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (#41)
- The Hold Steady's Stay Positive (#29) - I know Pfork loves The Hold Steady, but I figured this was going to be left off.
- M83's Saturdays = Youth (#8) - I didn't realize they loved this so much.

(Assumed) random pretentious bullshit
- Ponytail's Ice Cream Spiritual (#50) - The first song is awesome, but the rest, ugh.
- The Very Best's Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are the Very Best (#40)
- Times New Viking's Rip it Off (#39) - I liked them at the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival, but the record sounds awful for the sake of sounding awful.
- The Bug's London Zoo (#38)
- Wale's The Mixtape About Nothing (#36)
- Girl Talk's Feed the Animals (#35) - I just hate the concept behind his albums. Too overwhelming.
- Los Campesinos!'s Hold on Now, Youngster... (#30) - This record had some jams, but why does Pitchfork love them and claim they sound like Pavement, when really they sound like a shitty version of The Anniversary's Designing a Nervious Breakdown, which they gave a pretty bad review to.
- Flying Lotus' Los Angeles (#28)
- Hot Chip's Made in the Dark (#23) - REALLY? This is bad.
- Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak (#21) - I can't believe they still care about Kanye. Sheesh.
- Fuck Buttons' Street Horrrsing (#20) - This is junk noise.
- The Mae Shi's HLLLYH (#18)
- Crystal Castles' Crystal Castles (#15) - I actually was into a few songs from this, but it is definitely pretentious.
- Lindstrom's Where You Go I Go Too (#12) - GREAT album title though.
- DJ/rupture's Uproot (#10)

Uncategorizable
- The Tallest Man on Earth's Shallow Grave (#47)
- Lykke Li's Youth Novels (#45)
- Shearwater's Rook (#43)
- Grouper's Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (#37)
- Arthur Russell's Love is Overtaking Me (#34)
- Frightened Rabbit's Midnight Organ Fight (#33)
- Fennesz's Black Sea (#31)
- Max Tundra's Parallax Error Beheads You (#27)
- Gang Gang Dance's Saint Dymphna (#24)
- Air France's No Way Down (#14)
- Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (#13) - What?

Not so many pleasant surprises, but an interesting mix nonetheless. I don't mean to complain too much. Every year their list, whether I agree with it or not, is really interesting at, and the day it is posted is often times like Christmas. I will continue reading you Pitchfork, especially your year-end lists.

And also, I apologize to you, my friends, and myself, for even posting this, especially at such length. It is just further proof that I am the biggest geek to ever walk this earth, especially for thinking so much about this shit. However, I am okay with this.

And I Think I'm Back

Above is a picture of me, and what my life has been like the past few months. That is why I haven't been blogging. Life's been a maelstrom.

Just kidding. Even though I have more free/alone time these days than I ever have, maybe I have just subconciously chosen to not blog. That, or television watching, video game playing, reading, hanging out with friends and the fact that work has been slightly more hectic (excluding the past week) has contributed.

Either way, I am trying to bring it back this week. Hopefully, there will be some random blog posting, until I am ready to blow the few of you that were reading this away with my year-end music list posts.

Lastly, I'm going to try and make this a less formal attempt at blogging. I will stop trying to aim it at random people who might come across it and instead toward the people that matter: my friends and my brother Jason.

Know Your Onion #8

This is borderline tasteless, but so so funny. It's the Onion, so it's permissible.

Huricane Katrina Returns to New Orleans To Apologize

Know Your Onion #7

Struggling Mets Combine To Form Carlos Voltron

I am a bad, bad blogger. One day, I'll get really into this. Until then... I hope this cracks someone up as much as it did me.

2008 NFL Predictions

I am horrible at this blogging stuff. I am trying to get my ass back in gear, and in a big way right now.

When I emailed/MySpaced/Facebooked all my friends about starting a blog, I said it was mostly going to be about music, and I'll probably sneak in a few rants about this NFL season, which begins tonight. Here is my first football rant, and it is a huge one, as it is my predictions for the 2008 season, including regular season standings and post-season outcome. I was planning on including my thoughts and some figures to back up these predictions, but I thought that would be boring to read (though really fun for me to type).

Just know that I am serious about these predictions, and of course I'm not 100% sold that this is exactly how the season is going to turn out. In fact, I am about 98% sure that this is not even close to how it will turn out. But to the best of my knowledge, after all the football reading and thinking I've done this summer, this is how I see things panning out in the NFL in 2008.

Here we go now.



AFC East
(1) New England Patriots 14-2
(2) New York Jets 8-8
(3) Buffalo Bills 5-11
(4) Miami Dolphins 2-14



AFC North
(1) Cleveland Browns 11-5
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6
(3) Cincinatti Bengals 8-8
(4) Baltimore Ravens 5-11



AFC South
(1) Indianapolis Colts 14-2
(2) Jacksonville Jaguars 12-4
(3) Tennessee Titans 8-8
(4) Houstan Texans 7-9



AFC West
(1) San Diego Chargers 13-3
(2) Denver Broncos 8-8
(3) Kansas City Chiefs 4-12
(4) Oakland Raiders 3-13



NFC East
(1) New York Giants 12-4
(2) Dallas Cowboys 11-5
(3) Philadelphia Eagles 10-6
(4) Washington Redskins 6-10



NFC North
(1) Minnesota Vikings 11-5
(2) Green Bay Packers 8-8
(3) Detroit Lions 4-12
(4) Chicago Bears 4-12



NFC South
(1) New Orleans Saints 12-4
(2) Carolina Panthers 8-8
(3) Tampa Bay Buccineers 6-10
(4) Atlanta Falcons 2-14



NFC West
(1) Seattle Seahawks 10-6
(2) St. Louis Rams 9-7
(3) Arizona Cardinals 8-8
(4) San Francisco 49ers 3-13

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AFC Playoff Teams
(1) New England Patriots
(2) Indianapolis Colts
(3) San Diego Chargers
(4) Cleveland Browns
(5) Jacksonville Jaguars
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC Playoff Teams
(1) New York Giants
(2) New Orleans Saints
(3) Minnesota Vikings
(4) Seattle Seahawks
(5) Dallas Cowboys
(6) Philadelphia Eagles

Wild Card Round
San Diego def. Pittsburgh
Jacksonville def. Cleveland
Philadelphia def. Minnesota
Dallas def. Seattle

Divisional Round
New England def. Jacksonville
Indianapolis def. San Diego
N.Y. Giants def. Philadelphia
Dallas def. New Orleans

Conference Championships
Indianapolis def. New England
N.Y. Giants def. Dallas

Super Bowl
Indianapolis def. N.Y. Giants

Know Your Onion #6

Michael Phelps Returns To His Tank At Sea World

I haven't posted in over a month. It is ridiculous, and I have no real excuse. Apathy maybe. Denial. I don't know whatever.

Anyway, I promise, myself, that I will get back into music bloggin', ideally even moreso than I was before.

Until then, I just had to share this timely Onion article, in spite of how sick and tired I am of hearing about this asshole.