2008

About three of four months into 2008, i was in a deep state of unrest and despair. There had been a lack of new releases and the majority of releases that had dared to show their face, didn't leave me with that sense of completion. This left me with two options. Either kill myself, which may be a little extreme, or, ride the roller coaster that is music and hope that something fills the void. As you may be aware, I'm still alive, so you can work out which path i eventually took.

I don't feel like explaining my reasons as to why i picked these albums. Instead, i'm going to use a comment extracted from youtube.com, just for the lulz.


Best Albums Of 2008


20) Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

"this is one if the first video that was almost perfect with the lyrics.
p.s. i think that ppl on their wedding day would prolly wear mascara."

In relation to "Cath..." video. Courtesy of secretPiper


19) Sigur Ros - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

"lalalala i love the nakedness involved in this song!"

In relation to "Gobbledigook" - live. Courtesy of rishy561


18) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

"This video makes me want to take drugs."

In relation to "Time to Pretend". Courtesy of ZodiacRabit


17) She & Him - Volume One

"if katy perry had any talent, maybe."

In relation to "Why do you let me stay here?". Courtesy of alrightmadison


16) Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

"I listen this song every morning. Wakes up - shower - turns on this song - breakfast - fixes hair and stuff - work.
Yes, you needed to know this. "

In relation to "Kissing the beehive". Courtesy of BamRyan


15) School Of Language - Sea From Shore

"What an overlooked album; not even its own wikipedia entry. Criminal."

In realtion to "The rockist". Courtesy of divingbellbutterfly


14) Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

"im pretty sure theyre english"

In reltation to "Grounds For Divorce". Courtesy of fraserfj


13) Daniel Martin Moore - Stray Age

"stunningly honest and melodious."

In relation to "Fly-Rock Blues". Courtesy of berendjan1943


12) The Dodo's - Visiter

"this song/video is like sex
hot sweaty rhythmin
haha"

In relation to "Fools". Courtesy of martinikississ


11) The Sleeping Years - We're Becoming Islands One By One

"omg i luff dis song i fink its da best wel dats my opinion lol..... u r a reali good singer pity it didnt run in the family lol xxxxx"

In relation to "Macosquin, Coleraine". Courtesy of (the well spoken) mgrundle754


10) No Age - Nouns

"This could be the opening for a teenage drama series."

In relation to "Eraser". Courtesy of SluttySanta


9) TV On The Radio - Dear, Science

"esta muy muy bueno"

In relation to "Dancing Choose". Courtesy of javitomas09


8) Deerhunter - Microcastle

"this band has really good guitar."

In relation to "Nothing Ever Happened". Courtesy of tucker0987654321


7) Fleet Foxes - self titled

"yeah i know and the red scarfs. must be cold. who is this michael?"

In relation to "White Winter Hymnal". Courtesy of Andis345


6) Department of Eagles - In Ear Park

"im going to kick your arse! your sleeping in the garage tonight bitch...."

In relation to "In Ear Park". Courtesy of artillero9


5) The Delta Spirit - Ode To Sunshine

"does anyone else think this guy sounds like Bono?"

In relation to "Trashcan'. Courtesy of mets6891


4) Sun Kil Moon - April

"sends a deep feeling of longing for something more in this life down my spine."

In relation to "Lost Verses". Courtesy of Silversteele13


3) Frightend Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight

"raygun says why not after a few if u dont like this switch off please! cant stop listening to this album do i need to say more?talk to me lol"

In relation to 'Heads Roll Off". Courtesy of (the slightly inebriated?) raygun180


2) The Week That Was - self titled

"it's so hard to imagine them as office workers! thank goodness they're musicians!"

In relation to "Scratch The Surface". Courtesy of thatgirlinthehat


1) Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

"goosebumps all the way, amazing!!!!!"

In realation to "re: Stacks". Courtesy of KiDd083


I'm sure some of you won't agree with all of the albums i've listed above, but to me they represent what as been an awesome year for music......





Wankiest Albums of the Year (in no particular order)


Ryan Adams - Cardinology

"Adams draws the blinds entirely and Cardinology starts sliding into self-indulgent banality of a sort so pinched and uninviting it makes Conor Oberst seem like Will Rogers (and I'm not even counting the butt-rock red herring "Magick," which makes you wonder what Adams actually hears when he listens to the Rolling Stones or New York Dolls)." anon.


My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

"How does a band that put songs like Bermuda Highway, Golden and Gideon come out with a song that has "Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise" in it? Is this some bad joke?
I will never pay to see them again. If they happen to be at a festival, I may give them a chance. So long My Morning Jacket. You'll be missed. " comment by theotherone58 on RollingStone.com


Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

"It all starts with Caleb Followill's never-ending need to play to type, and if you've kept up to this point, you know the drill-- though his band has toured the world several times over, dude can't see past his own dick." Ian Cohen - Pitchfork


The Killers - Day & Night

"omg i had no idea till now they were american!, they sound british. it was funni i used to think oh the killers r prob one of the best british bands" comment by matthewfoong on "Human" video on youtube.com



Also, whats a year of music without a few live gigs, huh?! Here's the my highlights of the year...


Best Live Act of 2008

Foals
Bon Iver
Radiohead
Fleet Foxes
The Henry Clay People



SeeqPod - Playable Search

Bloc Party - Intimacy

Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm defined a change in music taste and life for me. It's still up there as one of my favourite albums of the 00's and, upon listen, brings back some fond memories. Tracks such as 'Banquet', 'Helicopter' & 'So Here We Are' stood out on a critically acclaimed debut and shot Bloc Party to the top of most peoples 'best of' lists.

Sophomore album A Weekend In The City received mixed reviews. It showcased a band that were keen to progress through experimentation. Although it was certainly wasn't up to the same standard as Silent Alarm, it had some great tracks, and showed that the band were not content with sticking to one sound, which tends to be the downfall of new bands nowadays.

Bloc Party then took some Radiohead-like initiative and announced on 18th August - via their first ever live web chat - that their third album, Intimacy, will be available digitally on 21st August. Fans can pre-order the cd via Bloc Party's website, giving them a digital copy of the album straight away. The track listing is as follows:

01. Ares
02. Mercury
03. Halo
04. Biko
05. Trojan Horse
06. Signs
07. One Month Off
08. Zephyrus
09. Better Than Heaven
10. Ion Square

Upon the first few listens, its obvious to any Bloc Party fan that this is their most experimental album to date. When i first heard 'Mercury' a few weeks ago, i wasn't entirely sold on the new sound. However, once you hear it as part of the LP then its starts to make sense.

I'm not going to go into great deal about each track. I will however point out that 'Halo' and 'Signs' are stand out tracks from the off. Each taking us back to the Silent Alarm days whilst demonstrating the progression the band has made over the past few years. Closing track 'Ion Square' is immense. Its a perfect album closer that would have fit perfectly into any one of the three albums and possibly one of the best songs the band have made to date.

Its fair to say that Bloc Party are still up there as one of the UK's most promising bands. It may sound out of place that i use the word 'promising' upon the release of their third release. This merely displays that fact that they are not content with one sound. The move to the next step every release and keep pushing boundaries for both the band and the listener.

http://www.myspace.com/blocparty


BAM

A quickie.

Just wanted to post this video and give a shout out to the artist, Jesse E String. Its a fantastic video and a great song. A hidden gem that deserves more recognition.

Kudos.


BAM

Rick Howie....

Sometimes the music industry can be extremely frustrating. The sheer amount of crap music that is forced down the throats of most human beings is unreal. It makes you stop and think as to what the head honchos are actually saying to their A&R departments. Maybe something along these lines:

Honcho:"Hey Frank, its Hocho here. I have a new task for you"
Frank: "What would you have me do sir?"
Honcho: "You remember that rapper we signed last year? The one that made us a load of cash. His name was something like Lil' Fizzy Wizzy Dizzle Dogg."
Frank: "I remember him well."
Honcho: "Well, i need you to go find me another one of these kind of guys. We need a quick fix, that will provide us with a nice influx of cash. Screw long term goals!"
Frank: "Sir, yes sir!"

Okay, this may not be the most accurate portrayal of the industry's inner workings, but I'm pretty sure its something along those lines. What happened to the days when bands/artists would be releasing four or five great albums? Some bands have such strong first albums, that it seems the labels need to cash in on this popularity by making them push out a second album faster than a member of the paparazzi chasing down Britney Spears' hoo-haah.

We seem to be in a time where everyone wants the next best thing. iphones, Video games and Hand bags for example, have all been in such demand that people will line up outside stores for days on end, just so they can have it as soon as. When was the last time anyone waited in line at a music store to get their grubby mitts on their favorite artist new CD?

I understand that the industry is going through changes with all this internet/mp3 malarkey, but surely this can't have an effect on the quality of what is being produced. Every boy and his dog seems to be in a band now, which, if it gets the hoodlums of the streets, can't be a bad thing. The time has come where major labels need to look deeper into the bargain bin, searching for that hidden gem at the bottom.

Quality has served many smaller labels well. Sub Pop, Saddle Creek, Fat Cat, Wichita, Transgressive & Domino have a good reputation for allowing good bands to make great music. It's these labels that keep the industry on it's toes and keeps them one step ahead of the majors. Hopefully - sooner rather than later - the majors will realize the general public aren't THAT stupid, forcing them to produce some decent music again.

The reason i went off on that rant was due to an artist named Nick Howard. He is a talented, up and coming songwriter from NYC, and is trying to force his way into the industry. I've been told, by the ladies of course, that he's pretty easy on the eyes too. Being a friend of his means my opinion of his work is slightly biased, but, even a trained monkey can tell that this guy has more talent in his right femur than most major labels have on their rosters. Its just tough watching someone, that clearly has talent, not being recognized for their work, when there are all sorts of abysmal artists getting record deals through shows like American Idol (that's another topic of discussion).

If you're looking for heartfelt lyrics and soulful melodies, then stop by one of Nick's various shows in NYC. He also released his debut album this year, which you can purchase via various places on the world wide web.



http://nickhowardmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/nickhoward


BAM

Dead as a.....

It may have come out a few months back, but it's only lately that I've come to really appreciate the sophomore outing 'Vister' by The Dodo's.

I tend to be a bit weary of duo's, due to the fact that one half tends to be worse than the other. For example: Ike (wife-beater) & Tina, Sonny & (do you believe in life after love) Cher, The Fresh Prince & DJ (not so) Jazzy Jeff and Charles & Eddie (okay, we'll take both in this case).

However, lately there seems to have been an influx on good bands that consist of two people. Daft Punk, The White Stripes (though not my cup of tea), The Ravonettes, No Age, and The Helio Sequence, are all bands that have tickled my fancy, leading me to branch out a bit more.

Thinking about it, the reason I wasn't entirely sold on duo's was the lack of depth. I'm not saying that they didn't lack quality. Far from it. They tended to lack a certain something that other bands had. Not in this case. The Dodo's manage to give the listener depth and atmosphere, whilst using their minimalistic sound to their advantage.

The first track 'Walking' is one of the better openers I've heard on an album this year. It sets the albums tone perfectly. The album then proceeds through a journey of something that can only be called folkindiebluesrock. The amount of genres that influence this album is what makes it so strong. It keeps you captivated in the small world they create, causing you to yearn for more of the distorted guitars and twee-ish lyrics.

SeeqPod - Playable Search

'Red And Purple', 'Fools', 'Park Song' and 'Jodi' are stand outs on the album, which from the first few listens, seems to be void of any fillers.

It's getting harder, especially now, to find interesting indie bands, due to the sheer numbers of them. However, when a band like The Dodo's steps out of the indie box, its a refreshing change. I'm sure this will be up there on many peoples 'best of' list come December. I know it'll be on mine.


BAM

Ketchup!

Playing catch up is not an easy thing.

I remember when i was back at school, and 'sports day' was one of the highlights of the summer. Basically, you didn't have to go to class, you just went to a running track and performed in a scaled-down Olympics. It was fairly mundane, but the thought of not having to sit through a class recital of Lord Of The Flies made me think I was getting a good deal.

I always managed to worm my way out of doing many of the events, as i wasn't really the 'sporty' type. At worst I would be put into the 'Shuttle relay', which basically consisted of running 50 meters in a straight line and handing a baton to the next unwilling participant.

However, this year was different. The guy (who will remain nameless) that was running the 400m decided that he would sprain some meaningless muscle in his leg, meaning that some unfortunate soul was going to have to take his place. After much argument from both sides of the fence, that unfortunate soul turned out to be me (click here).

When i say i can't really run, that would be an understatement. I find it hard walking the stairs at home without wheezing and gagging for a cigarette, let alone cantering along 400m worth of reddish pink track.

I take my place at the starting line. The gun sounds, I run, the crowd cheers. I get to around the 150m mark and I seem to be doing okay, as I can see the other guys around me. My confidence in my ability was premature. I got to around the 250m/300m mark and I got this weird sensation in my legs. This sensation could be known to the common man as 'Jelly Legs'. All of a sudden my legs turned into liquid and I was struggling to stand up, let alone run.

I look off into the distance to see the rest of the guys close to finishing the race, whilst I have now got to the point where i am walking the remainder of the track. A few people in the crowd start cheering my name, more out of sympathy than anything, which urges me to cross the finish line, about one minute after the rest of the group mind you.

So yes, catching up is a problem, especially when you get a sudden case of 'Jelly Legs'. I'm nearly three quarters of the way through 2008 and I've only just started writing about this years music, so I'm going to summarize the years best so far with a variety of splendid videos.

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

No Age - Nouns

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

The Grand Archives - The Grand Archives




M83 - Saturdays=Youth

That's just few samples from many good albums I've heard this year. Also check out the new albums from My Morning Jacket, The Ruby Suns, The Notwist, Los Campesinos!, Lightspeed Champion, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Wolf Parade, British Sea Power, Why?, Nick Howard, The Mae Shi & Cut Copy.

Also, if you want to listen to a selection from some of the above, then check out my mix on Muxtape. You can find it here.


BAM

Snob? Moi?

So I've been called a music snob from time to time due to my taste, which has led me to look up the word 'snob' on the ever reliable Wikipedia (If its on Wikipedia then it must be true, right?).

"A snob, guilty of snobbery, is someone who adopts the worldview that some people are inherently inferior to him/her for any one of a variety of reasons including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, etc."

In that extremely accurate excerpt i don't spy the word 'music' anywhere? Do you?

Its not as if i when i find a band or an artist that i don't like i look down upon my peers and say 'for liking this ear pollution you must feel the wrath of the music gods' and point my fore finger at them is it? see figure on left.

I simply say: 'No, they are shit, that's why i don't like them.' And to be honest, I'm usually right. Oh wait, does that make me a snob?

Any of my friends will tell you that i am neither vastly intellectual, extremely wealthy, or highly educated, so going by the above explanation it would mean i am not a snob. (this may be subject to change after further investigation into my ancestry).

I think when people call me a music snob, they are simply complimenting me on my eclectic and superior taste in music to theirs, which i will gladly accept, so thanks!

Starting a music blog about your likes/dislikes would be the perfect way to prove your snobbery, right?

Wrong! This is the perfect way for me to prove having good taste in music and disliking others is my opinion and nothing else.

So from here on out, i'll be posting non-snobby (wiki that one) and extremely intuitive ditties about whats spinning in my cd player, crashing on my ipod and streaming through the interweb.

So i'll leave you with something that i found. Which i think perfectly sums up a lot of what I've just penned.

http://www.myspace.com/thesnobsrock

BAM