Good Albums of 2008

Seeing as how this is a music blog and that the year is coming to an end, I felt that it might be appropriate to make a best of 2008 list of some sort. Since I don’t listen to that much new music, this is by no means a comprehensive list but just some things I liked from this year. I was going to upload some songs for you to listen to from these artists, but I ran into some difficulty, so hopefully this'll suffice. In no particular order:

Son Lux - At War with Walls and Mazes

I was blown away when I first heard this album. I love his mixture of electronic and acoustic sounds and his simple, emotional, at times chant-like lyrics. His weak voice might put off some, but I like it.  

"Break"

Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight

I only recently heard of this band from Scotland, and their album was one I found myself definitely wanting to listen to several times. I like the raw sound of lead singer/guitarist Scott Hutchinson’s voice--and lyrics to match!

"Heads Roll Off"

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Justin Vernon apparently stayed in his father’s cabin in the woods by himself one winter in Wisconsin to write and record this album—the name Bon Iver comes from the French for “Good Winter.” This is some nice, unique folk music. His doubled high falsetto is surprisingly pleasant to listen to.

"Lump Sum"

She & Him – Volume One

Actress Zooey Deschanel teamed up with singer/songwriter M Ward to produce this album of her songs and a few covers. It has a vintage pop/country sound to it, and it’s pretty good!

"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here"

Rachel Yamagata – Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Heart

As I said in my previous post, I’m mostly a fan of the first part of this double album.  

Anathallo – Canopy Glow

I actually haven’t gotten a copy of this full album yet, but what I have heard is fantastic. I love their odd time signatures and eclectic instrumentation.  

"Bells"

Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line

This is a pretty good indie/pop/punk album. It reminds me at times of a modern version of The Clash or The Police with some strings added.  Maybe a little bit of Cursive as well?  Whatever it is, it's cool.

"Ghost Under Rocks"

Charlie Haden Family and Friends – Ramblin’ Boy

I’m not usually a big fan of country/bluegrass music, but Charlie Haden is a renowned jazz bassist and his offspring are indie musicians. This album also has all kinds of guest artists like Elvis Costello, Pat Metheny, Jack Black, and Vince Gill.

"Spiritual"

 
Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s – Not Animal

I saw this band on Conan for the first time this year (below), and while I thought their performance was gimmicky (the toy piano), they’re pretty darn good. I like the folky songs and arrangements of guitars, synths, bells, harmonica , horns, percussion, and whatever else.  

"As Tall As Cliffs"

Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster

See the post below.

... What'd you guys like this year?

Music Monday: Los Campesinos!

Hi everyone. I'm Jessica, Matt's sister. He's letting me post here once a week. I know he mentioned Los Campesinos once before, but hey, I have some new info and a different video. Enjoy. PS, This post is cross-posted at The Joy of Daily Living.

Los Campesinos! photo from kevchino.com

Los Campesinos! have been my favorite band this year & they are COMING TO THE UNITED STATES SOON! WOO HOO! Go to their myspace page to hear their music and see the tour schedule. (In Chicago on February 7th baby!)

Okay, so I jumped ahead of myself. Los Campesinos are a deliciously poppy UK 7-person group. Sometimes all seven of them sing/shout in unision! YES! Their music is exciting, energetic, and in my humble opinion, a perfect example of the Twee genre. The lyrics are actually deep and sometimes depressing, which makes the whole experience as a listener richer. That said, get listening! Here is Los Campesinos!'s video for You! Me! Dancing!

Oh & for those who wonder, "los campesinos" is a Spanish term that means country person, peasant, or farmer.

(Oh & you might've noticed it's Tuesday already...forgive me! It's the holidays!)

Machito

I recently downloaded some music of Machito & His Afro-Cuban Orchestra, including the album Kenya which this track was taken from.  If you, like myself, were wondering who was laying down that great alto playing, it's none other than Cannonball Adderly.  I know--I was like, "I didn't know there were any Cuban guys from the 50s that could play like that... oh."  (no offense to Cuban guys).  He has a lot of short but sweet solos throughout the album.  Solos aside, though, doesn't this music make you wanna dance? 

Animated Hip Hop/Electronic Videos

so i've been listening to more hip hop/electronic music lately, most of which my sister has hipped me to over the years, and i was looking on youtube and found a bunch of cool videos with animation in them.  check em out.

Daedelus - Fair Weather Friends

daedelus, or alfred weisberg-roberts, is a bass/bass clarinet player/multi-instrumentalist turned electronic musician who studied jazz at USC.  sweet. maybe i have a future in electronic music.

Kid Koala - Basin Street Blues

i love the way he uses the turntables to create a stylistic improvisational solo like you'd find in an acoustic jazz setting.  apparently he's a classically trained pianist.

The Grouch - Artsy

i like the hp commercial parody.  funny song, too.

Atmosphere - God Loves Ugly

Madvillain - All Caps

madvillian = madlib, a dope producer + mf doom a great, laid-back, rapper with a dr. doom mask.  this is from like 5 years ago, i hope they work together again.

Peanut Butter Wolf - B-Ball Zombie War

A Change is Gonna Come

seal recently covered sam cooke's "a change is gonna come."  it might not be quite as good as the original, but it's pretty good.  it might not have been coincidence that they released the recording near obama's election, it seems pretty appropriate, even though seal's english.  can you imagine what sam cooke would think if he knew the united states had elected a black president?  here's a music video of the song, it's from a whole album of covers simply called "soul."  

Los Campesinos, Ra Ra Riot

here are a few groups i've been listening to lately that are sort of in the same vein, sort of an indie pop/rock/punk thing with not all the usual instruments, los campesinos being a little more raucous of the two.  i would include vampire weekend since everything i've read about ra ra riot compares the two, but i've only heard a few of their songs and can't say i was as intrigued.  here are two videos i found on youtube:

"death to los campesinos" los campesinos

"can you tell" ra ra riot (on letterman)

Rachel Yamagata

a friend sent me Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart a while ago, and i really like it.  when i first got it, it was only in one folder of sound files on my computer, so i didn't realize that this was a two-disc set.  but after finding this out, it made a lot of sense, with the title and all and the variation in style.  the first disc is much softer and gentler with really nice string arrangements, and the second is much more rocking.  i definitely prefer the first.  the rock sounds slightly outdated to me.  but i do think it's an interesting concept.  i think the softer arrangements really showcase the full range of her voice, which sounds to me like a cross between fiona apple and damien rice.  here's "duet," which features her with ray lamontagne, who also has a great voice that is quite similar to hers when you put them up to one another.  

Mountain Goats: Satanic Messiah

i know i just blogged about mountain goats two posts ago, but someone just told me there's a new ep for free download (optional donation) called satanic messiah.  it's only four songs and i've only listened to it once, but it's not bad.  his voice reminds me of a mix between sufjan stevens and the weakerthans' john k samson.  you can download the songs at satanicmessiah.com

David Bazan DVD

david bazan has a new dvd out called bazan: alone at the microphone, and it looks like there's almost half of it on youtube.  i particularly enjoyed the more acoustic version of "i never wanted you" (3rd song).  he seems to have a penchant for themes of failed relationships and infidelity, but is himself happily married.  it seems the device is used to bring light to how flawed and wrong these sometimes socially accepted sentiments are, and how sacred love is.  or maybe it's just a strange fascination, i don't know.  enjoy.

The Mountain Goats

the mountain goats is actually the name for one guy, john danielle.  this is the first and only album i've listened to by the mountain goats, and i'd say it's not bad.  judging by what allmusic has to say about him, there are high literary expectations from his work and it seems as if the focus of his fans is directed towards this end and not necessarily to the musical aspects of his songs.  as far as the music goes, it's fairly simple and DIY indie/folk, though this album is apparently more produced than his earlier work.  here's the title track, "get lonely." 

Paul Tiernan

i went to see nick and norah's infinite playlist the other night, which perhaps needless to say had a pretty good soundtrack, regardless of how good or bad the movie was.  i think my friend and i both agreed the song that struck us most was this one--"how to say goodbye" by paul tiernan.  i was not familiar with him before the movie nor am i really now, so i can't make any promises about his other songs, but this one is nice.  it's very simple--just his raw voice and a keyboard (with a little bit of string action near the very end).  

Farewell Flight

like paste magazine (from my last post), it looks like relevant magazine features streaming full length albums on what they call the drop.  right now there's a band on there called farewell flight, who i am really enjoying.  i can't place exactly who they sound like to me, but i hear some slight death cab for cutie and coldplay influences in a few of their songs, and the vocals sometimes remind me of the magic numbers.  check it out soon while it's still up there.  if not, here's their myspace.  they have a song up there from an earlier, less produced ep that i'm definitely interested in checking out in the future.  

William Fitzsimmons

my friend ben brought this guy to my attention.  he has a new album that just came out called the sparrow and the crow and it is available to listen to streaming at paiste magazine's website.  it's really nice stuff.  the acoustic guitar and banjo along with his voice sound a lot like sufjan stevens sometimes, but his stuff is maybe more on the pop side ultimately.  i read his bio on wikipedia--both of his parents were blind, and they divorced during his adolescence.  that's gotta be a big source for song writing material.  

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names

when i read the sticker on this album--"swedish folk/pop/rock - a little Postal Service, a little Pavement, a LOT of fun!"--i had to give it a listen.  i'm not sure how well they live up to the comparisons, but it certainly is fun.  #3, put out by chicago's mintyfresh label, sounds just like two guys messing around and having fun with overdubs.  the vocals--lead and background--resemble jens lekman, and the lyrics are often sort of stream-of-consciousness.  here is "parakit." i really enjoy the hallelujahs in this song, suggesting something sacred about the subject matter of his hometown.  

Softly and Tenderly

this is a great hymn from the movie junebug

Kate Walsh

apparently there is another kate walsh who is an actress on some tv show that came up when i searched for her on the internet.  this is not her.  this is a folk singer from the uk.  a little on the commercial side sometimes, tim's house is a soft, sweet folk album.  here's "your song," the first track from the album.  the way she sings it kind of makes you wish it was your song.

Andrew Bird Live

i recently saw andrew bird play at millennium park, and this being the second time i've seen him, i think i can say there is nothing that really comes close to his live performance--at least not within his genre.  it's amazing what he can accomplish with the unlikely combination of violin and various pedals--most notably the loop pedal--and you really can't appreciate this in his recordings.  he also has a great personality that he incorporates into the set for songs like "nervous tic motion" and  "why?" where he is very conversational and eccentric in his gestures.  on top of that, he plays through some very interesting-looking amps that have these giant horns on them like from an old phonograph (pictured).  apparently xrt was broadcasting the show live on the internet, but i haven't been able to find any good recordings yet.  for the time being, here's video i found on youtube from another concert:

Norwegian Pop

apparently they don't like to be mistaken for each other, but i figured since their countries are right next to each other i didn't want to leave norway out after that post on swedish pop.  here are a few artists i like:

Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue

Kings of Convenience - Misread

Dylan Mondegreen - Girl in Grass

Swedish Pop

i've noticed a phenomenon of interesting pop music coming out of sweden lately, and i know i'm not the only one.  it seems they must have a pretty good scene going over there, and i thought i'd showcase some of the groups/artists i've heard.  luckily for my purposes here, many also have interesting music videos, so here's what i found on youtube:

Jens Lekman - You are the Light

The Concretes - You Can't Hurry Love

Acid House Kings - That's Because You Drive Me

(there are several videos like this on youtube that are apparently from a sing-along karaoke dvd)

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats

this is a commercial for sony bravia and it's where i first heard his music.  it's a really good commercial.

Shout Out Louds - Tonight I have to Leave it

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks

i'm sure you've already heard this a million times and may or may not be mad at me for getting it stuck in your head again

pretty good stuff, huh?  at the very least their accents are funny/endearing.

Doveman

doveman is thomas bartlett; who is apparently an in-demand rock pianist in new york who covered the whole soundtrack to footloose.  the movie is a little before my time, and i have never seen it; but i think it's safe to say his version is a little different.  you can read more about it on his website.

Stevie Wonder

i found this early recording of stevie wonder's on youtube.  it's one of my favorite songs, which i first heard played by sonny rollins, but i love the lyrics, so it's nice to hear a vocalist sing it as well.  it's interesting to hear him at such a young age in a sort of transitional style between popular jazz and soul.  on a side note, thinking of tenor saxophonists and stevie wonder, someone once told me that they heard stevie wonder sit in with someone and play john coltrane's giant steps and that he sounded great.  impressive, stevie.

The Thrills

i first got this album some months ago and initially wasn't that impressed.  i mean, it was good, but nothing that special.  and that may still be true, but after coming back to it after a while and listening to it a few more times, i'm really digging it.  i love the theme of the album (all the songs deal with life as a teenager), which is kind of appropriate for the sort of nostalgic power pop they play.  indeed, the concept of nostalgia should probably be applied to the musical aspects of the album as well when listening.  they aren't trying to do anything especially cutting edge, and once you accept that, i think they've got a pretty good album here.  here's "there's joy to be found... the boy who caught all the breaks" (that's right, two tracks in one!)

Cloud Cult

thinking about folk songs about haunting ghosts from last post, i was reminded of cloud cult's "the ghost in our house" from the album feel good ghosts (2008).  i love the eccentric, innocent sound of singer/songwriter craig minowa's voice.  

Hayden

elk lake serenade (2004)

i recently missed an opportunity to see this guy play live, which is unfortunate because i would be curious to see if his songs would sound just as warm and intimate in a live setting.  there's something sad and nostalgic about this album, which is embodied in "1939," a song about a ghost of a girl who drowned in the writer's current home.  moments of it sound much like adem to me, but it is appropriately more haunting.

The Four Mints

i just heard this song on the radio and wanted to share it.  it sounds like any generic rip off of a temptations song, but i think the modification of the folk/kids song is what does it for me.  "life with you would be a dream..."

The Cribs

men's needs women's needs whatever (2007)

sometimes, there's nothing like some good punk rock.  granted, the cribs are a little commercial to call straight punk, but their rough-edged pop songs just feel good to listen to.  it makes sense, though, because the three bothers from england have been playing together since they were just nine and five years old.  the album was produced by alex kapranos of franz ferdinand, and there is definitely a strong strokes influence, and once in a while some weezer-esque things pop up, and the shouting background vocals remind me of cursive, but the cribs are definitely doing something of their own in this album.  it's a progression in the genre that i welcome warmly.  here's "men's needs."

Beirut

"nantes" from the flying club cup (2007)

i first heard about this band/project from a cousin of the lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist zach condon, and then from an accordion-enthusiast i know, and i admit, i initially wrote it off as a little too "out there" for my tastes.  it just sounded too gimmicky.  take ordinary indie rock and then throw in some accordion and brass instruments and the hipsters will eat it up, right?  well, after actually giving them an honest listen, i have to say that i am really enjoying it.  the songs are very literary and romantic, but there seems to be something real and honest to them.  condon's voice has a swelling, quick vibrato to it that both fits with the current indie music trends and what i would imagine is part of the eastern european folk music influence.  the instrumentation is very refreshing (no guitars or drum sets to be heard!) and ranges from intimate to raucous.  listen to how this song builds, condon adds overdub after overdub and it works beautifully.  

Nick Drake

"the thoughts of mary jane" from five leaves left (1969)

it's songs like this that make me wonder why i've never tried marijuana.  

David Bazan

here's a video of david bazan playing the famous leonard cohen song "hallelujah."  it's definitely in his more laid-back, straightforward style as opposed to jeff buckley's or rufus wainwright's versions, but still emotionally powerful in its own right.  if you want to hear more of his live solo stuff, there's a full concert from november on his website.  

Esperanza Spalding

so i read about esperanza spalding in an article in downbeat a little while ago and forgot to check her out, but she was on letterman tonight, and after listening to some of her other music online, i was BLOWN AWAY.  she is a killin' jazz bassist and singer, but she also has a neo-soul sound in her voice and some of her songs that promise commercial success.  and if all this wasn't good enough, she's a real looker, too!  and only 23 years old!  i think i may be in love. 

check out her myspace or her website.

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

about a month or so ago i looked on youtube for every version of this song i could find.  oddly enough it looks like my two favorites were taken from the same tv show that i've never heard of before.  the first is from jimmy ruffin, who originally made it famous, and the second is colin blunstone (of the zombies) with dave stewart (some british keyboardist who i'd never heard of).  i know both of these singers are showmen to some extent, but it really looks like they're honestly drawing from some sort of heartbreak in their lives, doesn't it?  i also really dig the synth breakdown in the latter.

 

Okkervil River

i'm a sucker for sparse arrangements that feature the vocalist, and okkervil river throws plenty of moments into their songs that do just that.  i hear some similarities to the arcade fire as well as chicago artists andrew bird and devin davis in their eclectic instrumentation and vocal style.  here's "savannah smiles" off of their 2007 album the stage names.  

Garrison Starr

"we were just boys and girls" from the sound of you + me (2006)

i happened upon this album in my itunes and was reminded of how nice it is despite her more commercial pop/country leanings.  i kind of like it when she sounds like she runs out of air and her voice almost cracks or something.  it's endearing.

Ben Webster

he's got a big sound and an instantly recognizable playing style.  check this video out.

The National

in case you haven't already heard of these guys, here is a song from their latest album, boxer (2007), called "slow show."  they sound to me like a mellowed out killers or interpol, and in turn, maybe more honest.  i really like the lyrics on the bridge:  "you know i dreamed about you/twenty nine years before i saw you..." 

John Vanderslice

i heard of this guy a few years ago, but just started listening to him a few weeks ago.  he's good, he has a unique voice and does some interesting things in his writing.  here is " my family tree" from his album cellar door, from 2004.  

Stuff You Should Listen To

i'm always telling people what to listen to.  not because i hope that everyone adopts my taste in music, i just like sharing the music i listen to. music is something i enjoy greatly, and it is a good way to relate to people.  i like to think i have a fairly wide taste in music, so hopefully you'll like something i suggest.  so here i go:

miles kurosky, former singer songwriter for beulah just put a new song on his myspace page after several years of hiatus after the band broke up.  doesn't sound too far from beulah, but that's not a bad thing.  it's always good to hear pop music with some nice horn and vocal arrangements. 

alright, that's all for now.