Brian’s Top Some Number Of Music Related Things In The Year 2008
I’m going to go ahead right here and now and say that Mike’s list is much more unique, and, therefore, a lot more impressive than my list of favorite albums for 2008. I’m a little jealous but mostly just pissed at myself for not being as adventurous this year as I should have been/have been in the past. I know that I listened to at last 20 albums that were made in the year 2008, but in no way shape or form were there 20 releases I feel like designating the best of the year. 2008 was an off year all around for me, and for music as well, but here are a few things that made this year a little more enjoyable for me. So how about 1o albums, a few memories, and one trip to Radioshack as my year in music 2008.
First, the records.
10. Dirt Dress - Theme Songs EP
Sure, it’s only an EP. Only 5 songs, 23 minutes long with one of the songs taking up half the run time in a noisy, velvety squall of feedback and noise but, goddamn, this record is fun. Hints of the Modern Lovers (I don’t even like the Modern Lovers!) and just some flat out snotty garage rock. In a time where a lot of bands take themselves really, really seriously its nice to see an upstart outfit put something on tape and sound like they are enjoying themselves.
9. Department Of Eagles – In Ear Park
Yeah, it sounds like Grizzly Bear, I know, but what else would you expect from a side project? It’s got harmonies and ramshackle kitchen sinkesque brand of percussion that isn’t all that out there but just off enough to be interesting. “No One Does It Like You” is a flat out great song and the album doesn’t sag after it passes by quickly as the second song on the album. I think this is pretty much one of those records that’s impossible to dislike and yes, it does kind of bother me that I like it as much as I do. I’m getting soft.
8. Lambchop – OH(Ohio)
Further evidence of my softening here. I can’t wait to see them at Off Broadway on Jan. 23. “National Talk Like A Pirate Day” is a revelation, especially the opening lyrics: This is my song, don’t sing along. Nice, Kurt, very nice.
7. Growing – All The Way
Probably the most accessible Growing record to date, either this or the Lateral EP. All The Way pushed Growing further down the path of melody and structure which may or may not be a good thing overall, only time will tell.
6. Spiritualized – Songs In A & E
I can’t tell you how happy I was that this record was any good. Yeah, sure, “Soul On Fire” was a boring track and probably shouldn’t have been the single, but outside of that this album was vintage Spiritualized, and hey, it didn’t even have a song that sounded exactly like “Electricity” on it. That’s progress, man.
5. Jumbling Towers – Classy Entertainment EP
COLUMBIA, MO REPRESENT!
4 & 3. Ulaan Khol – Celebration I & II
Guitar, Organ, Drum drone-ish stuff that left me pretty floored when I listened to it in December. It sounds more uplifting than it does doom based, which is refreshing, and it doesn’t crush you under it’s weight, its pleasant, an accent, not a harbinger of doom like so much other ambient/drone/etc can be.
2. Fennesz – Black Sea
This album has the unique distinction as being the only album to appear on both my and Mike’s respective lists which pretty much makes it album of the year as far as Way Past College as a conglomerate of our taste is concerned. This is a gorgeous record that may chart so highly on my list because it was actually my first exposure to Fennesz. There are so many just flat out “how?” moments on this record that it pretty much had to be one of the best things I heard all year.
1. The Walkmen – You & Me
I wrote about this album earlier in the year and I still find myself captivated by it. I’m sure a lot of this has to do with seeing the band playing to a crowd of 30 the cuts they were trying out for this record and I’ll say they picked the right ones. I have a feeling this record will actually stick with me for quite a while, like it will still be cool to listen to when I’m 40. And why not?
Random Music Moments from 2008
Getting to see Mount Eerie/Juile Dorion/Fred Squire perform individually and then come together to play all of Lost Wisdom in its entirety with Linds, my sister Lauren and her boyfriend Patrick at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center was amazing.
Hearing Otis Clay’s “Trying To Live My Life Without You” on KDHX in my car with Rogie in tow on my way to the dog park and then deciding I MUST HAVE an antenna for my reciever so I can actually get KDHX in my house. I swear it is so nice to have the radio back in my life. I can remember listening to KDHX in middle school and through high school and wondering how the hell anyone knew that much about music, and listening now I can actually name 2/3 of the bands on the air, which floors me and makes me wonder if I’ll ever have any knowledge I’ll actually be able to put to use one day.
And finally, actually attempting this blog with Bling. It lost a lot of momentum when we kind of collectively realized we didnt really have all that much to say but it was fun and we wound up getting some great comments by artists whose work we each appreciate, which is more than we ever thought would happen during the epic strategy meeting at a Taco Bell in Eureka. It’s been real, internet, we may be back, we may not, who knows? I’ll leave you with this one last thought: Record of the year 2009: Blackout Beach - Skin Of Evil. You heard it hear first, well, actually you probably didn’t.
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