White Plains’ 4th Best Personal Blog

We interrupt our regularly — or not so regularly — scheduled programming to bring you an attempted summation of 2008 as it related to my musical experience. In some ways, I have to admit that I find this whole year-end exercise dumb, or at least a bit futile since I haven’t even written about more than half of 2008 here yet (though I swear that I’m going to eventually catch up!) Not to mention, I’m certain there are plenty of details I have already forgotten about.

There are also plenty of things that don’t neatly fit into this “top 10 list” format. Like having the pleasure and good fortune to see my friends Martin Rivas and Craig Meyer (and their many friends) play so often in and around New York. Or the discovery of an awesome box set like Dust To Digital’s Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days, a collection of vintage recordings from around the world taken from old 78s. Or the audacious concept of creating a “fake” album of alternate versions of songs (a number of which people wound up liking more than the “real” versions) to thwart leakers the way Ben Folds did with his new album Way to Normal. Or any number of “No way!” moments when you stumble across a record in a shop that you’ve been looking for or didn’t even know existed.

In terms of actual music listening, I’m also getting curmudgeonly and finding that I’m probably listening to as much older music these days as I am new stuff; although I try to stay in the loop as much as possible, I can only keep track of so many bands with “crystal,” “wolf” or “deer” in their names. But jokes aside, I guess I’m just learning that there’s so much stuff out there — both past and present — that it’s OK a) not to be able to listen to everything and b) to listen to stuff that you like and not dwell on stuff you don’t.

To that end, here’s the list of 10 albums released in 2008 that I enjoyed the most. As I explained last year in my year-end music post, I prefer not to rank my top-10 list. It’s really more of a top-20 list this year anyway since, as far as I’m concerned, the 10 records I’ve listed as honorable mentions could easily be flip-flopped with those in my top 10. Nonetheless, tradition demands some sort of “best of the best,” right? So here’s what I’ve come up with:

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)

I have to be honest: This debut record wasn’t one that I immediately responded to, as many people did. But it has a way of seeping into your consciousness over time and kind of planting itself there. When I finally heard the songs performed live — and really could experience the emotional impact of Justin Vernon’s unique voice — that cemented this collection for me. Collection is a key word here, I think, because it really works beautifully as such, probably reflecting the environment and mood in which it was created.

Favorite track: “Re: Stacks.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

British Sea Power, Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade)

It was a little surprising not to see this one on more year-end lists; perhaps it had something to do with it being released in January, one of several records on my list that came out very early in the year. Whatever the reason, I’m kind of secretly glad that these Brighton lads (and lass) seem to be remaining a relatively well-kept secret for now. This album poses a simple, straightforward question and answers it with both epic and melodic songwriting and arrangements that hint at their often-frenetic live performances. If this is what rock music can be, sign me up!

Favorite track: “Open The Door.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Kathleen Edwards, Asking For Flowers (Zoe)

If you know me, you might know about my fondness for Canadian musicians — and, more specifically, Canadian female singer-songwriters (Sarah Harmer, pretty much everyone who’s sung with Broken Social Scene). Kathleen Edwards, of course, fits right into that category, and might be right at the top of the list. I thought this record represented another step forward in terms of her maturity as a songwriter, as she tackled some weightier subjects and took some chances without losing her knack for lyrics and melodies.

Favorite track: “I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal (Back Porch)

Whether it’s because of his association with Bloodshot Records in the late 1990s or because he’s based in Austin (and thus identified as a “Texas singer-songwriter”), Alejandro Escovedo has often been stuck with that dreaded alt-country label. But as a friend of mine put it recently, his latest effort rocks. Written in collaboration with Chuck Prophet, the record touches on everything from Escovedo’s days in the California punk scene to friends lost along the way to a music venue from his youth. It’s a love letter to Escovedo’s musical influences and he sings about them with the kind of heart that made no less than Bruce Springsteen take notice.

Favorite track: “Always A Friend.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)

For a while I grappled with whether to put this comedy album on a list of music or to give it a special category, but what the folk? OK, that was bad. But the bottom line is that this was one of the records I most enjoyed this year, so I feel comfortable with putting it on the list. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have become infinitely more popular since their HBO show, of course, and “Business Time” is now an NPR staple (who’d have thunk it?), but I really appreciated their full-length studio debut for its seamless blend of musical parodies, originality and zaniness.

Favorite track: “Think About It.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Jamie Lidell, Jim (Warp)

For the most part, I have to say, I am a big fan of the so-called “neo-soul” movement that has emerged over the past few years. While most people have flocked to Amy Winehouse and such spinoffs as Adele and Duffy, however, Jamie Lidell has managed to crank out a pair of terrific records while remaining relatively under the radar. This past year’s Jim represented a big step forward from 2005’s Multiply in both songwriting and production. It’s just a great album to listen to. In fact, I dare you to listen to the first half — Side A, as the vinyl-inclined among us might say — and not come away feeling better than when you started.

Favorite track: “Another Day.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Randy Newman, Harps and Angels (Nonesuch)

Another thing about me, musically speaking: I have a soft spot for piano men (although, curiously, not so much for piano women). When it comes to that category, you won’t find many better than Randy Newman. On his first album of new material in nearly a decade, Newman featured his trademark biting wit, a tenderness that comes with growing older and reflecting on your life and, of course, some good old Dixieland rhythms. Like Joe Henry’s Civilians a year ago, Harps and Angels gave me a greater appreciation for an artist I was aware had been making great records for a long time but to whom I hadn’t previously devoted much time. I’m grateful that I finally saw the light.

Favorite track: “Feels Like Home.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Old 97’s, Blame It On Gravity (New West)

It can be easy to pick on the Old 97’s, still doing what they do after nearly 15 years when most of their contemporaries have either parted ways or evolved into something else entirely. They’ve gotten older, gotten more curmudgeonly perhaps, but they’re still cranking out great pop songs and that sort of stability is comforting in these turbulent times. I wouldn’t call this a comeback album, as some have, because I don’t think they’ve ever made a “bad” album. But give credit to producer Salim Nourallah for helping to bring together a collection of songs drawn from new life experiences, old Ranchero Brothers material and outtakes from past recordings.

Favorite track: “The One.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Tilly and the Wall, o (Team Love)

Hard to believe that the Tillys didn’t even put their best song of the year, “Beat Control,” on their album, choosing instead to release it as a 7-inch and digital EP months before. (It was included on the UK and Japanese versions, as well as promos in the U.S.) Despite that odd decision, this latest offering presented a more grown-up side of the band. Angrier, too, which I know didn’t suit some people but which I thought was cool. I can’t say that this is my favorite of the three Tilly full-lengths, but I respect that they took some chances and pushed the envelope a little bit. And I still enjoyed it more than the vast majority of stuff that came out last year.

Favorite track: “Alligator Skin.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend (XL)

The trajectory of this record — and this band — has been fascinating. From a CD-R version of demo versions issued in 2007 (the so-called “Blue CD-R”) that was endlessly hyped in the blogosphere to the official release and inevitable backlash to its appearance on most every year-end list, this was an album for our times. The thing is, the music itself really does hold up; it had to, given so much scrutiny. Having gotten a chance to see them live several times, I can say that everyone from frontman Ezra Koenig to keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij to the rhythm section of Chris Tomson and Chris Baio has chops. It will be interesting to see where they go next.

Favorite track: “Walcott.”

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Honorable mentions:

• Army Navy, Army Navy (The Fever Zone)
• Liam Finn, I’ll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
• Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
• King Khan and the Shrines, The Supreme Genius Of… (Vice)
• Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue (Warner Bros.)
• The Magnetic Fields, Distortion (Nonesuch)
• Aimee Mann, @#%&*! Smilers (Superego)
• My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges (Ato/Red)
• Jenny Scheinman, Jenny Scheinman (Koch)
• She & Him, Volume One (Merge)

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Special citation:

Various artists, Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story (Big Beat UK)

Obviously it’s not feasible here to mention all of the great compilations — whether they’re reissues, box sets or soundtracks — coming out these days. But as a fan and collector of comps, I always want to leave room in my year-end summary to discuss at least one. For me, 2008 was a big year for delving into the music of legendary Memphis rockers Big Star after reading Rob Jovanovic’s interesting book about them. Of course I have long been aware of the influential band, but I discovered there was a lot I didn’t know about their history and the music scene in Memphis at the time. One nexus of that scene was Ardent Studios, where members of Big Star and many of their friends worked and recorded. It was a happy coincidence that this excellent two-disc collection came out around the same time I was reading the book, providing a terrific overview of the period with outtakes and demos from Big Star and rare cuts by bands such as Cargoe and the Hot Dogs that ran in the same circles. Read the book and buy this collection and you’ll definitely unearth some buried treasures.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Ten I wish I had spent more time with (or some time with):

• Calexico, Carried to Dust (Quarterstick)
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Anti)
• Centro-matic/South San Gabriel, Dual Hawks (Misra)
• Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight (Fat Cat)
• Girl Talk, Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
• Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
• MGMT, Oracular Spectacular (Sony)
• Mudcrutch, Mudcrutch (Warner Bros.)
• TV On The Radio, Dear Science (DGC/Interscope)
• Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella)

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Favorite shows of 2008

The year 2008 will probably wind up being the high watermark of my life in terms of the number of shows I had the good fortune to attend. It would honestly be difficult for me to make an accurate count, especially if you include local shows in New York. So it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to whittle this list down to 15 (or so), and I’m probably leaving out something great. And since Wilco shows — as usual — comprised a significant portion of what I saw, I deliberately tried to limit those to just a few for variety’s sake. But anyway, without further ado, here are some of the 2008 concerts I will remember most fondly in the years to come:

1. Wilco, 2-16-08, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL [Residency]/Wilco, 2-26-08, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC [non-Residency]: The five-night Residency deserved a category of its own, and Night 2 topped my list on account of such memories as the deafening ovation for John Stirratt after “It’s Just That Simple,” Andrew Bird’s terrific guest turn and the unforgettable “Peaches” encore. Of the non-Residency shows this year, the first of two nights at 9:30 gets my nod for the unpredictability of the setlist, bra-throwing shenanigans and, of course, the faux Grammy.
2. Jon Brion, 5-2-08, Largo, Los Angeles, CA: Jon’s last show at the old place, and it really had it all — Bobb Bruno in the bunny suit, a surprise cameo by Flight of the Conchords, E, PFT, teary speeches, Flanagan singing an Icelandic lullabye.
3. Ben Folds Five, 9-18-08, Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC: The only other thing I could have asked for was a better seat.
4. The Decemberists, 11-5-08, Terminal 5, New York, NY: One day after Obama’s historic victory, everybody was in a downright celebratory mood.
5. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band/Jenny Lewis/M. Ward, 9-28-08, La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX: Special guests Gillian Welch and David Rawlings joined all three acts on stage, leading to a memorable night of collaborations.
6. My Morning Jacket, 8-16-08, Waterfront Park, Louisville, KY: All I can say is…flying V and giant puppets!
7. British Sea Power, 5-19-08, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ: Amazing to still be able to see them in such a small venue, and amazing that the place’s roof is still on.
8. Neil Young/Wilco, 12-16-08, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY: Spencer and Sam Tweedy both got some stage time on the last night of the tour, which featured smiles all around.
9. The Feelies, 7-1 and 7-2-08, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ: Their first shows in nearly 17 years, and it was wonderful to be able to see them on their home turf.
10. Randy Newman, 10-10-08, Genesee Theater, Waukegan, IL: Just Newman and a piano, and he played just about everything you could want to hear.

Honorable mentions:

• Bon Iver, 4-10-08, Lakeshore Theater, Chicago, IL
• Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Indie Rock Karaoke), 12-3-08, Studio B, Brooklyn, NY
• The Magnetic Fields, 10-11-08, Capitol Theater at the Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, WI
• Ranchero Brothers, 11-24-08, Largo at the Coronet Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
• Jamie Lidell, 9-26-08, The Parish, Austin, TX