Posted December 10, 200816 yr Jake || 2008 Well 2008 and was quite the year in music. I'm starting my year-to-date earlier than usual this year for several reasons. 01: Busy rest of month 02: So I actually finish it this time (most of it is written up!) 03: Because the year in music is now over. There is nothing more to come. Overall 2008 was a pretty sucky year for music if I'm being honest. Yes there were the brilliant albums and singles but nothing truly amazing was released and the general standard feels much lower than 2007. The British music scene seems to have essentially died, well in terms of bands it has. A series of reaaally $h!t albums from British bands anyway; with a few exceptions though as ever. Lots of amazing stuff from Africa and Australia this year which is pleasing. America too has had a good year. Anyway enough rambling from me. I'm going to do my 100 tracks of the year first, then the albums then the worst-of lists and then maybe my top 10 gigs or something. If I find the time. About three people will care but oh well. Oh and no graphics this year. They just take time. Singles || 100 Wild Beasts 'The Devil's Crayon' 99 The Hold Steady 'One for the Cutters' 98 Sarah Nixey 'Le temps de l'amour' 97 Ladytron 'Burning Up' 96 The Notwist 'Boneless' (Panda Bear Remix)
December 10, 200816 yr Author 100 Wild Beasts 'The Devil's Crayon' // Taken from 'Limbo, Panto'; Domino Wild Beasts are the epitomy of love/hate. Shriek, freak or fun? Well I sort of fall into the category of all three. The album was difficult listening for me. There's only so much I can take of that voice. 'The Devil's Crayon' was the poppy standout moment and good fun. A track that harks back to the times of summer and random jokes. Memories eh? [29-09-09-17-12-21-31-39] 99 The Hold Steady 'One for the Cutters' // Taken from 'Stay Positive'; Rough Trade I often find that The Hold Steady get stuck in a rut. Yeah, they're a "bar band" but going round in circles is nonetheless not always good. 'One for the Cutters' therefore proved refreshing. A Hold Steady track with some darn pesky experimentation. I'm a sucker for any antiquity enriched backing and well wasn't this just positively regal?! It's a shame the rest of the album froze in the shadow of 'Boys and Girls'. Poor Hold Steady. [n/a] 98 Sarah Nixey 'Le temps de l'amour' // Taken from 'Le temps de l'amour' EP; ServiceAV I LOVE BOOMINGBASS. No seriously. I'm so sad that I do hand movements like waves everytime I hear any track that vaguely has BOOMINGBASS. I also happen to love anything sung in French (well close to anything-- I draw the line at Celine). Therefore anything that combines these two magical elements through the medium of song is very good indeed. 'Let temps de l'amour' = very good. Oh and the video makes me LOL. What more could one need eh? [01-01-02-05-13] 97 Ladytron 'Burning Up' // Taken from 'Velocifero'; Nettwerk Do you ever see songs as colours? I do all the time. The recent unreleased Annie album had a different colour for every track for example. Dark blue through to pastille pink. A similar thang happens to be true of Ladytron and there cacophony of tracks. I won't bore you with the rainbow and random 'tron tracks. What is important though is that 'Burning Up' is red. Lyrical licks such as 'I set myself on fire without you' would explain it oh and swirly wirly synth (yay). Oh how simple I can be sometimes ): [n/a] 96 The Notwist 'Boneless' (Panda Bear Remix) // Original track taken from 'The Devil, Me + You'; Big Store What a BIG remix. Not necessarily in terms of sound but most certainly in terms of name. Whenever Panda Bear (Noah Lennox w/e) so much as creaks there's a visual orquasm in blogratron-ville. Of course, the majority of the time it is deserving. He takes 'Boneless'; something of a coarse, turgid track in original form and lightens it the f*** up. 60s psychedelic wheels and tint. It's humbly organic yet unrestricted in its veraciousness. Remixes aren't so often this epic. [n/a]
December 11, 200816 yr Author 95 Silver Jews 'What Is Not But Could Be If' // Taken from 'Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea'; Drag City Silver Jews may well be past it in terms of full-length records but they still do occasionally produce brilliant tracks and this lead single from their most recent record holds testament to that. It combines all the quintessential components of a good country track: it speaks for itself, it speaks to its time and it has, at its heart it speaks with experience. 'What Is Not But Could Be If' philosophises with itself: "one has lived life carelessly / if he or she has failed to see / that the truth is not alive or dead / the truth is struggling to be said". If only the rest of the album had been this good ): [18-28-37] 94 Laura Marling 'Ghosts' // Taken from 'Alas I Cannot Swim'; Virgin A sort-of theme seems to be developing in the lower-ecolons of this chart thus far: very good singles taken from not very good records. Ms. Marling continues that theme. Everything about 'Alas I Cannot Swim' was pretty awful bar this gem. I blame her for the death of the British singer/songwriter contingent too. I just don't like her? But ANYWAY. 'Ghosts' ahhh. It's just so calming and not-trite. "These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you". What's not to love? That list minute where she nicks Noah and the Whale trick and speeds it all up into a powerful, heavy thud. It's a song and a journey. Something that doesn't often work for me but here does so, oh so well. [24-19-17-05-09-16-25-40] 93 The Tin Foil Hat Brigade 'CHK DIS OUT' // Taken from 'Scouse Powerhouse'; CalmDownKidder If there is one song that reminds me of going out and getting quite f***ed it would be this. On a particularly recreational evening too I must note. Perhaps I should combine recreation and song? The bleeps, the scuzz, the mental-f***edness of it. It would perhaps all be too much. There isn't much to 'CHK DIS OUT', one wonders if it's all a bit of a joke (obv yes, with a name and song title like that), but that's the point really. Who needs brains eh? [n/a] 92 La Roux 'Quicksand' // Taken from the 'Qucicksand' 12"; Kitsune In many senses La Roux is treading the same water Lily Allen did back in 2005. Both discovered by Seb Chew. Both filled with an unrepenting sense of a-i-chude. Lily's gone all Dido on us now so perhaps the comparisons will be more mournful if they ever do make it into fruition. (What Myspace Sensation? Wha'?) Musically both are of course quite different. I'M NOT THAT IGNORANT FO'SURE. 'Quicksand' is pastichey 80s-ville with a bit of modern twist as the quite lovely video for the track plays on. la Roux may be a bit hard-faced but somewhat ironically and dare I say paradoxically her voice is one of aching sadness and actually forms a successful connection with the listener. Alas though she's going to get loads of slagging off next year, I blame the ginger hair really. [27-05-06-14-21-16-01-01-02*] 91 Ladyhawke 'My Delirium' // Taken from 'Ladyhawke'; Modular Pip has had a very good year. I look back fondly to her early days when she was a nothing. Island injected a funk load of money, the blog calvary arrived and voilà here we are (some Radio 1 love too maybe?!). 'My Delirium' is certainly one of the most sprawling pop tracks on 2008. Extroverted reverb, spikey synth and clashtastic drums all combine to form a wonderfully bright pop song. Ladyhawke is a simple lady and 'My Delirium' a very simple song. That's where I think the joy lies really. [37-29-07-03-04-11*]
December 11, 200816 yr Author 90 Deerhunter 'Twilight at Carbon Lake' // Taken from 'Microcastle'; 4AD Bradford Cox is so very malleable; in the vocal sense anyway. He can do rough, he can do cold, he can do twisted but he does "sad" on a whole other level and sad is the most suitable word to describe 'Twilight at Carbon Lake': little, straightforward, aching and yearnest. Cox's vocals are barely inaudible, as if alienated before everything collapses around the 2:50 mark and clatter and clang take over. Speaking from experience on 'Twilight' he may be. Not knowing is the fascination and buzz that allows this track to ascend. [n/a] 89 Tilly and the Wall 'Falling Without Knowing' // Taken from 'O'; Moshi Moshi I think the reason 'Falling Without Knowing ended up being my highlight from the lovely 'O' was because it didn't exhaust me. An album of technicolour youth and play proved too much at times but 'Falling' was an oasis of calm in the final third of the album. "The feeling is psychic, passing through electric"; lyrical bliss. The wind-up, spacey instrumental. The whole Metaphysical theme and imagery. Tilly can do clever when they really want to but who wants serious all the time? [n/a] 88 Hot Chip 'Ready for the Floor' // Taken from 'Made in the Dark'; DFA 'Ready for the Floor' already sounds so very dated. Perhaps it's because I've had the track for so long (I received the promo from them personally in January; no name dropping will take place :x...oh wait. Ack.) But being quite serious this is a lovely slice of odd-pop and a minor progression from their older (better) more abstract material. "I am ready I am ready for a fall" has to be one of the best pop lyrics of the year and really this is a fantastic pop track. I've just outgrown, over-listened and been left feeling a sense of out-of-dateness by it. The shame. [03-03-08-12-19-15-14-21-27-36] 87 Santogold 'Say Aha' (TEPR Remix) // Original track taken from 'Santogold'; Atlantic Santogold's music is best listened to in remixed form. It seems to take a myriad of producers to make her sound the punchy thing it should have been on the record. TEPR (a Frenchman and a member of Yelle) totally explodes the track from the centre out. It all starts a bit reggae before clattering drums are pounded, a proper good synth line is dropped and Santi sounds like a lady possessed. It improves on the original tenfold and ultimately gives the track a new purpose; something all the best remixes do. [16-19-28-34-39*] 86 Noah and the Whale '5 Years Time' // Taken from 'Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down'; Young and Lost Club Well here it is, my one obligatory YTD posting. I will be frank: this is a song I really do not like anymore by a band who I sort-of like. Why include it then you HARK. Well, it was the anthem of my summer. A cliché, dare I say cringey concept but nonetheless true. A simple little folky ditty and very sunny ("sun sun sun") etc. Undoubtedly its release and indeed notable success is due to the savvy actions of the little men at Mercury (their major label money splashers) but cynicism aside, reviewing this track 5 months on in 4ºc and near Arctic-like weather, '5 Years Time' just feels a touch tacky and dare I say it, novel. How I hate novelty songs. [07-01-01-01-01-01-03-07-06-10-17-24-33-35-33-36]
December 11, 200816 yr I only know and like Laura Marling and Ladyhawke so far. I checked out the Santogold remix and that was quite good. What other remixes of hers are there? :o
December 12, 200816 yr Author I only know and like Laura Marling and Ladyhawke so far. I checked out the Santogold remix and that was quite good. What other remixes of hers are there? :o A million billion people have remixed her :o She did a whole mixtape with various skews and splices of her songs/remixes/random old songs etc very good. Features in my album YTD Xxxchange's Remix of 'L.E.S. Artistes' is very good.
December 12, 200816 yr Ladytron, Laura Marling, La Roux (:heart::heart:), Ladyhawke, Santogold and Noah and the Whale are all lovely from this so far :wub: Although I do see the point with 5YT, it is really hard to like it anymore...
December 12, 200816 yr Author 85 Cloetta Paris 'Young Girls In Town' // Taken from 'Secret Eyes'; Skywriting Records I am really quite fond of some Italo-disco. I am also quite fond of synth-pop. 'Young Girls In Town' is therefore very good because it combines both of these elements. Add in hushed, Annie-esque vocals and a brilliant hook and you have one of the year's best alternative electro-pop singles. It's a track I've listened to on and off throughout the year and is the stand-out from her debut record which has received sadly nil attention; "Sally Shapiro or no-one" seems to be message of the blog-folk. Touché. [n/a] 84 Heads We Dance 'Love in the Digital Age' Taken from the 'Love in the Digital Age' 7"; Gold City Records Heads We Dance are rather good fun. I'm not the biggest fan of glam-pop romping but add in some electronics and tone down the campery and well...I'm in. Backed with a brilliant collection of remixes from TEPR and Frankmusik, the original nonetheless remains my favourite. A fun track but with a strong post-modern lyrical basis (computers, love etc you get the idea). It'll be interesting to see where Heads We Dance go in 2009. The obvious mainstream deal will channel them somewhere. Where that is though, I am not quite sure. [38-32-25-15-23-32] 83 Playdoe 'It's That Beat' (Toxic Avenger Remix) Taken from 'Sibot and Spoek are Playdoe'; Try Harder Records Playdoe are a South African group who combine elements of modern-electro, brekbeat, hip-hop and micromusic. Their music though is decidedly un-African. French house seems to be the greatest source of inspiration. With a chorus "E-A-T that B-E-A-T" reminiscent of Justice and very-Uffieish vocal deliveries (Tthhee Ppaarrttyy pppaarrtt ttwwoo?!). There's also some bits of Spank Rock in the original track but it's this remix which is KILLLLLERR. The whole thing is sped up, a pounding backing beat added and a dirtyyy-arse synth turns it into a killer track. I love adding this into my DJ sets. Power power. [40-31-20-20-19-24-32-39-40] 82 The Big Pink 'Too Young to Love' // Taken from 'Too Young to Love' / 'Crystal Visions' 7"; House Anxiety I must admit I was somewhat surprised to see The Big Pink garner so much hype of late. Drone-pop and shoegaze has always been a genre to remain somewhat, well...underground. That said they do take their sound onto more of a trippy pop level and the track works all the better for it. Swirly vocals over a harsh minimal backing. It's a fascinating track: coded, barren and fragile. The whole homoerotic visual edge they have going is pretty interesting to go. One is intrigued to see where this lot go in 2009. [36-19-08-10-18-28-39-40] 81 Atlas Sound 'River Card' Taken from 'Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel; 4AD The second of three Bradford Cox-related entries and my personal favourite from his debut solo Atlas Sound release. 'River Card' leans more toward the poppy spectrum of Cox's vision. A beautiful backdrop is constructed to his softly-spoken vocals. A dainty ringing comes and goes. It's a track which leaves me oh-so very peaceful and as clichéd as it sounds, it needs no words because this track doesn't need any [/CRINGE] [n/a]
December 12, 200816 yr A million billion people have remixed her :o She did a whole mixtape with various skews and splices of her songs/remixes/random old songs etc very good. Features in my album YTD Xxxchange's Remix of 'L.E.S. Artistes' is very good. Oh right haha. I shall try and find this mixtape then. ^_^
December 14, 200816 yr Author 80 Brandy 'Long Distance' Taken from 'Human'; Epic Records 'Long Distance' is a bit of a sore thumb on 'Human'. It's the only ballad-proper and it's the only track without any notable electronic influences. In a way that's what makes the track the highlight of the entire disc. Not to say the electronic trappings don't work (they most definitely do). 'Long Distance' just allows for Brandy's sound to be stripped backed and her greatest asset; her lovely voice, come to the forefront. 'Long Distance' is aching and yearning. From the beautiful vocal arrangments to the powerhouse ending. The best RnB-ballad since 'We Belong Together' it most definately is. Gorgeous. [n/a] 79 The Long Blondes 'Century' Taken from '"The Couples"'; Rough Trade From that first monotone synth I was shocked. Long Blondes and electronic?! What? "Where had the girlie groove gone?". I so simplistically thought. Then the ethereal, church-like vocals come in courtsey of Jackson and I'm hooked. "Everything I touch" she coos. "This sound suits The Long Blondes", I begin to think, somewhat surprised. It's something I still think all these months on. The noir-edge and spastic breakdown all add into this ambitious single. It may not compete with anything from their brilliant debut record's singles but it certainly stands its ground. Fierce. [16-15-16-09-11-12-20-27-38] 78 Martina Topley-Bird 'Poison' (Van She Tech Remix) // Original track taken from 'The Blue God'; Independiente Martina Topley-Bird's inextricable surname is just about the most interesting thing about her or her bloody ordinary music. The second most interesting thing is this wonderful remix of one of the barely palatable tracks from 'The Blue God'. Why I'm quite so fond of this remix I do not know. Perhaps it's because it sounds eerily similar to that Madison Avenue single back in the 90s. Perhaps I like the thundering second half of the track, badum badum etc it doth go. Or perhaps we will never know. Perhaps is an over-rated word isn't it? [31-28-23-22] 77 Crystal Castles 'Vanished' // Taken from 'Crystal Castles'; Last Gang Records Crystal Castles are a musical collective/duo/person who raise issues as to the identity of music and belonging. Already they've gotten into trouble for their nicking of someone else's art. Some questionable use of samples too have left them looking a bit daft (the same can be said of others using their music too; oi Timba). 'Vanished' is another song that leaves me wondering and philosophizing as to who owns what exactly. Because really this is just a remix of a Van She track 'Kelly'. It is brilliant but it isn't Crystal Castles' really. Niggles aside I judge this for what it is. A pop and go, brilliant interpretation. Loff. [18-17-11-03-05-05-09-11-18-27-38-37] 76 HEALTH '// M \\' // Taken from 'HEALTH'; Love Pump Records Crash. Bang. Pause. Swish. Bang. Noise-pop is so much fun isn't it? There isn't much to say about this track other than it's a pretty good summing up of HEALTH as a band and that's something I do in my album year-end. WOO, you'll have to wait until then. End. [40-19]
December 14, 200816 yr 80 Brandy 'Long Distance' Taken from 'Human'; Epic Records 'Long Distance' is a bit of a sore thumb on 'Human'. It's the only ballad-proper and it's the only track without any notable electronic influences. In a way that's what makes the track the highlight of the entire disc. Not to say the electronic trappings don't work (they most definitely do). 'Long Distance' just allows for Brandy's sound to be stripped backed and her greatest asset; her lovely voice, come to the forefront. 'Long Distance' is aching and yearning. From the beautiful vocal arrangments to the powerhouse ending. The best RnB-ballad since 'We Belong Together' it most definately is. Gorgeous. [n/a] :o :huh: :wacko: 88 Hot Chip 'Ready for the Floor' // Taken from 'Made in the Dark'; DFA 'Ready for the Floor' already sounds so very dated. Perhaps it's because I've had the track for so long (I received the promo from them personally in January; no name dropping will take place :x...oh wait. Ack.) But being quite serious this is a lovely slice of odd-pop and a minor progression from their older (better) more abstract material. "I am ready I am ready for a fall" has to be one of the best pop lyrics of the year and really this is a fantastic pop track. I've just outgrown, over-listened and been left feeling a sense of out-of-dateness by it. The shame. Is this something to do with drugs? :o
December 15, 200816 yr Author 75 Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit 'Get It Up' (feat. M.I.A.) // Taken from 'The Very Best' (Mixtape) 'The Very Best' was an excellent example of how a mixtape should be. Experimental. a partisan D.I.Y. ethic and free of the constraints of a normal full-length album. 'Get It Up' therefore sticks out like a sore thumb. It's the most conventional and pop-savvy tracks by Esau. 'Get It Up' is great example of afro-pop done right. Tribal echoes, thundering drums and a powerhouse chorus from Ms. Arularpragasm. It all works. It's all good fun. [n/a] 74 Kap10kurt 'Dangerseekers' // Taken from 'Dangerseekers' EP; Plant Music Kap10kurt are one of those rare examples of an act I discover live. The gig in question being Yelle one at the Knitting Factory in New York earlier this year. Nearly as good as the woman in question with their unique brand of instrumental space-pop. What I love most about 'Dangerseekers' is the omniscient presence of imagery it creates. As naff as it sounds one can imagine flying through the air, laser gun in hand fending off some ghoulish alien ting. Jake r lame I know. It's backed with some brilliant remixes too. The Shinichi Osawa one particularly stands out. [n/a] 73 Boy Crisis 'Dressed to Digress' // Taken from their Myspace; B-Unique/Atlantic "Fresh to death and dressed to digress" / "I'm just a tiger and I'm looking for a tigress". Yes I can see why the holier-than-thou music critics hate it and well...generally them. But me and the cool kids, we're fans. Boy Crisis are going to be a very divisive band in 2009. Nochalent white boy electro-funk or something more hip and quality? Irrespective of their marmitus, 'Dressed to Digress' has all the trimmings of a summer anthem. It may be from 2007 but it came to the forefront of my Indie-world this summer and will undoubtedly sit there that time next year for the mainstream clientele. [n/a] 72 Goldfrapp 'A&E' // Taken from 'Seventh Tree'; Mute It's really weird. 'Seventh Tree' was a f***ing terrible record. I won't even go into it. Rehashed ground, lax lyrics and a general bore. That said it spawned quite possibly their second best single (nothing will ever top 'Ooh La la'). 'A&E' really took me aback in its beauty. The lush string arrangements. Alison's light vocals over melancholy lyrics. It's proof that they can still have moments of beauty if nothing more. [19-10-05-05-02-02-02-13-24-31-37] 71 High Places 'Vision's the First...' // Taken from 'High Places'; Thrill Jockey 'Vision's the First...' is a track made up of many many layers. Really it is a feature which runs through all of High Places' music. These layers mix in elements of afro-pop, psychedelia and folk to form a distinctive, organic sound. Mary Pearson's vocals wind in and out of tracks. From drones to shrills. It doesn't always go right (their self-titled album is a mixed affair). But when they do get it right, such as with 'Vision's the First...' you're listening to a wonderful sound. When does sound become music? Or is music, sound? High Places are very clever when they want to be. [13-08-16-24-28-35] 70 Solange 'Sandcastle Disco' // Taken from 'Sol-Angel and Hadley St. Dreams'; Geffen What does Solange think of Beyoncé? Well she most probably loves her (you'd hope). But what does she think of her music? One can only assume Solange secretly think her big sister's music is "whack" or words to that effect anyway because both take such a different musical thesis. Solange likes minimal electronica, directing her own music videos, writing her own lyrics. Whereas Beyoncé likes to nick other people's songs and videos. Hmm. 'Sandcastle Disco' summises astutely why I am so fond of Solange. The soulful vocal, the lovely lyrics ("I'm nothing but a sandcastle, please don't blow me awayyy" she coos). It's just so very lovely. A wonderful autumn track. [n/a] 69 Golden Silvers 'Arrows of Eros' // Taken from 'Arrows of Eros' 7"; Young and Lost Club Here's a song that takes me back to our damp squib of a summer. Such a sunshiney song. Mixing afropop, doo wop and a general old school London vibe Golden Silvers could sort of be described as the UK's answer to Vampire Weekend; expect they're not. They're better. 'Arrows of Eros' tells the story of some boy (I think?) "Behold his golden wings"/"and behold his bronze gold". Perhaps it's mythological? I don't know. Whatever it is, it sounds f***ing good. [40-29-27-37-x(2)-07-07-13-17-25-28-27] 68 Kelly Rowland 'Work' (Freemasons Remix) // Original track taken from 'Ms. Kelly'; RCA Never have I come across a remix which improves on the original quite so dramatically. 'Work (Put It In)' is a hideous song. Why any producer would put it in that tempo is perplexing in itself. It's just so naff and dreary. Luckily the Freemasons can turn pretty much any old c**p into a decent song with their remixing talents (they did it to pretty much the entirety of 'B'day after all). Their remix of 'Work' is FAR more interesting than any of the Beyoncé ones. Sculpting a Middle Eastern soundscape, the track utilizes (fantastically) disco, house and pure pop elements. If only Freemasons' original material was quite this good. [02-02-02-06-13-18-31-38] 67 Lil Wayne 'Mr. Carter' (feat. Jay-Z) // Taken from 'Tha Carter III'; Cash Money Lil Wayne is a bizarre mix of hyperbole and cusses. Rap's savior to some and the most rubbish of people to live ever to others. He is neither of these if I'm being honest. Rap's always needed saving. It's just the way rap works. 'Mr. Carter' is somewhere close to reaching the top (in terms of quality at least) in Hip-Hop in 2008; though alas it's it's old school aesthetic which helps it along so niftily. The squeeky helium-like chorus to the very 90s rap on the verses by Jay-Z. It's all so inspired, fresh and forward. Lil Wayne shows his best features too, clever, honest rapping. He shows how human he is and that's something Hip-Hop could do with learning. [n/a] 66 M83 'Kim & Jessie' // 'Taken from 'Saturdays=Youth'; Mute I span the f*** out of this over summer and now have come to something of a wall with it. Another song for the memories. Those few summer days when it was actually capable of existing out of doors. Escaping the smog and running for the hills (quite literally). Those light and airy days really. This light and airy track being that perfect accompaniment. [27-33-22-10-09-06-12-18-26-33-26-34]
December 19, 200816 yr Author 65 VV Brown 'Crying Blood' // Taken from 'Crying Blood' 7"; Island Yeah it's a rehash of 'Monster Mash' but so what? It's darn fun lyk. VV Brown is an intriguing thing. She clearly takes herself very seriously (to the point of turning me off her). She has that unique Island Records overgloss sheen (gross + Frankmusik also suffers from it, worse than she does too). But I still love 'Crying Blood'. I think it's the rather huge emotive push of its bridge. Perhaps this is all a dream. Or perhaps too many questions with too few question marks. [05-03-10-11-18-23-23-37] 64 Ladyhawke 'Paris enflamme' // Taken from 'Paris Is Burning' EP; Modular The original version of this track is Ladyhawke's finest moment to date I'd argue. She escapes the constraints of pastiche and actually does her own idiosyncratic thing and it works. Why she recorded this in French is pretty obvious; gimmicks, fun and no seriousness in it but it somehow ended up being better than the original. Wow. Her pronunciation is fantastic and really well translated. Full markz all round eh? [06-05-04-03-08-14-18-24-30-36] 63 Late of the Pier 'Heartbeat' // Taken from 'Fantasy Black Channel'; Parlophone In reality my favourite track from LOTP during 2008 was (once more) 'Space and the Woods' but that is a 2007 song that made the 2007 YTD. I felt inclined to include something by them though. Not out of neccessity but just due to the fact they've had some pretty brilliant singles in 2008 SATW excluded. 'Heartbeat' is up there with their best. THAT 80s-inclined intro. Synths ahoy and a songwriting craft unique to 'the Pier. They really do view the world through obtuse monochromatic prisms. [26-15-16-07-09-11-13-21-28-35] 62 Fan Death 'Veronica's Veil' // Taken from 'Veronica's Veil' 12"; Phantasy Sounds 'Veronica's Veil' is the definition of grower (and it's gargantuan chart run pays homage to that). Nü disco always takes an age to grow on me, sometimes to the stage where it just, doesn't (Hercules and the Love Affair; "hi!"). But it really did with this. Enough babble. Weird video? Yes. The whole rope thing is just odd. Where do Fan Death go in 2009 with their cosmo-disco-funk-punk-chunk intrigues me. They have the potential to morph into quite an epic bloghouse act. Shimmie. [22-26-25-21-18-14-20-15-12-07-05-07*] 61 Anni Rossi 'Wheelpusher' // Taken from 'Afton' EP; 4AD I discovered Anni at a Ting Tings gig. In December 2008 that is all just very wrong. But it's the truth. 'Wheelpusher' is one of the few folk-writer songs which has actually really worked for me this year. It's a tired genre which could do with dying for a time and metamorphosing in 2011 or something (please no Emmy the Great album ): ): ) But seriously. Anni is like Joanna Newsom (lazy comparisons ahoy). Her voice has that rich, expressive tone akin to Newsom's but she takes her tone and expressiveness a whole different way thanks to different style of lyricism. More mechanical, confused, almost trapped. Oh wait...yeah. Newsom did do that. But wasn't Newsom done? [n/a]
December 19, 200816 yr Author 60 Hercules and Love Affair 'Blind' // Taken from 'Hercules and Love Affair'; DFA Disco has under-gone something of a revolution. No longer a word of cheesey sentiments, nor "that week on X-Factor where they all sound $h!t". No disco has been catalyzed as any good genre of music has in the 00s. 'Blind' is possibly the best track to reflect the re-imaging of the genre. Credibile alternative singer-songwriter vocal? Yup. Thoughtful, clever video? Yup. Vague elements of house and other more modern elements of dance music? Yup. It has all the right ingredients. Hook-tastic too. What is Pop and what is Disco and where do the differences transcend. 'Blind' asks more questions than it answers. [10-11-12-25-33-39-39-38] 59 The Dodos 'Red and Purple' // Taken from 'Visiter'; Witchita There are many many strong tracks on Dodos' fantastic debut record (one of 2008's most cohesive records surely). But 'Red and Purple' is the album's perfect mascot. Brandishing the many intricate components which form Dodos complex sound. That African percussion (more African than anything Vamp Wknd fo'sure). The simple acoustic gutair. Meric swoons: "I know I am yours and you will be mine" / "Come and join us in the trenches, red and purple by our sides". He makes it seem so effortless and for all of its complexities 'Red and Purple' is a pretty simple track really. [24-10-07-10-16-23-28-25-21-18-24-30] 58 Chad VanGaalen 'TMNT Mask' // Taken from 'Soft Airplane'; Sub Pop Chad VanGaalen is an interesting fellow. His songs leave the listener with a lot to question and discover: what lies beneath those frenzied vocals? What do you mean? WHO are you?! He strikes an interesting image through his art. Animated videos and kindergarten album art. This is a man with a lot to say. A man stuck between the gaps. 'TMNT Mask' highlights VanGaalen at his most torn. Over beat driven electronics and occasional harpsichord inversions he caws: "and time, it aligned, is swirling and swimming" / "clouds rolling over themselves" / "twisting and boiling and growing out of nothing". 'TMNT Mask' highlights VanGaalen at his very best. The confused, chemically caustic man who's stuck. Stuck for the better. [n/a] 57 Empire of the Sun 'Walking on a Dream' // Taken from 'Walking on a Dream'; EMI As far as cool songs go 'Walking on a Dream' is up there with the 'Time to Pretend''s of the world: super cool yah. And when trying so hard to be super cool what else are you going to be? Well yeah...try-hard but nonetheless guyz it r cool! The sure-fire Indie-Anthem for 2009, I can't wait to be crushed when they play Reading next Summer. Chanting along to this shallow piece of just-about-indie pop credible fun. I do love this song though, 'coz like I love to chant. I love a good Chinese video too. Trying hard works sometimes and here is a song that proves that, if ever there was one. [18-10-04-12-20-29] 56 T.I. feat. Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Kanye West and M.I.A. 'Swagger Like Us' // Taken from 'The Paper Trail'; Atlantic T.I.'s limp and unfocused 'Paper Trail' left a lot of yearning. An album more intent on throwaway pop hooks and big name collaborations it cut a curt line with me. 'Swagga Like Us' was an exception, admitedly doing all of the aforementioned wrongs and making something very...right. The sample from the now infamous 'Paper Planes' acts as the foundations for some of rap's self-declared names to beat their chests and provide some of their best individual raps since...well for a long time. "I'm Christopher Columbus, y'all just the pilgrims" / "Every time I breathe on a track I asthma attack it" / "Type of $h!t that make 'em call you Carmelo". It's a song of lyrical ingenuity within its guise of aimless self-mindedness. One could call it a cliché to break all the clichés. [n/a]
December 30, 200816 yr Author 55 Sisters of Transistors 'The Don' // Taken from 'The Don' 12"; I Am Sound Sisters of Transistors are masterminded by Graham Massey. Here he has amassed a collection of organ playing postergirls. They love their organ, synthesizers and keys. Playing their own brand of Acid-Prog-House it may all be a touch WTF but i works. Works realllly well. Chanting throughout the song with tinges of Mancunion melancholy it left me thinking back to my younger days in Manchester (surprise?!). Memories and songs are a weird mix but it didn't bring forward memories of times forgotten: aged 4 playing in my sand pit. No, it reminded me of broken south Manchester. Gloomy, small and naïve. [28-12-06-07-13-21-23-30] 54 Cazwell feat. Jonny Makeup 'I Seen Beyoncé at Burger King' // Taken from his Myspace; unsigned Quite possibly one of the dumbest songs ever. The story goes that Cazwell sees Beysus/Beyoyo etc in Burger King. She doesn't have enough money to pay for her tower of food (srsly girl orders a pile). Cazwell, being the gentlemen he is lends her $10. Beyfloyo don't pay man back. And so we have a really dumb/hilariously/insane/catchy track to express all of this. Cleverly constructing a rap of Benojoz's many idiosyncrasies (Freakum Dress and mawr). We get the best novelty record ever ever of 2008. This is $h!t is catchayy. 53 Shearwater 'Rooks' // Taken from 'Rook'; Beggars Banquet For much of their existence Shearwater have stood solemnly in the shadows of Okkervil River. Never quite taken so seriously, be it their "side-project" status or just infected by general ignorance. Their 2008 album 'Rook' changed all of this. Masses of (mostly deserved) hyperbole. 'Rooks', the lead single from the album illustrates why this is so deserved. For a start, Will Sheff's vocals are far more precocious, urgent and ambidextrous in their execution. 'Rooks' charges, swoons and sways with Sheff's vocals leading as Captain throughout. Somehow the track manages to intertwine a myriad of ideas, emotions and thoughts. Like wine smelling/tasting isn't it? I get loneliness, resentment and just a wiff of jealousy. 52 No Age 'Eraser' // Taken from 'Nouns'; Sub Pop No Age are masters of their craft. Creating fuzzy, luscious soundscapes upon which to play out an assortment of thoughts. Though they occasionally misfire ('Nouns' was an album of dicey form), 'Eraser' highlights how they can be really right. 'Eraser' builds itself around a moment two thirds into the track, winding up slowly before just...hitting. Aggression and confusion all at once. No Age are a hard one to work out. 'Eraser' is what eh? Answers on an e-mail. [28-20-17-07-10-19-31-38] 51 Little Boots 'Every Little Earthquake' (Demo) // Taken from forthcoming studio album; 679/Atlantic Victoria Heskworth now has an orbital hyperbole surrounding her. "Pop's cool!", "we all need pop music again", "Pop" etc. It seems difficult to detract Ms. Boots from this über cool aesthetic craving for credibility but then the record sales. Her press team continue to do a good job but like, so do her tunes. 'Every Little Earthquake' is her most out-and-out pop moment yet. A bit Eurovision, a bit 80s but importantly a bit NOW. It has all the necessary components of any hit single: hook-tastic chorus, slinky verses, a soft bridge oh and did I mention the chorus?! Will Little Boots have a #01 single? Of course. Whether it's this or another of her many bright pop stops remains to be seen... [n/a] 50 Van She 'Strangers' // Taken from 'V'; Modular No-one quite sounds like Van She, which is handy seeing as so many bands look like them. Modularly speaking of course. Modular spread their haute-hipster shtick over all of their acts. When does music become more about the art and the music a commodity? The Presets and Cut Copy are two other acts who barely transcend this line too. Van's debut album 'V' is often an album of misfires with the art aesthetic almost gagging it but 'Strangers' was a bright bright moment. The sheer paranoia of the track really gets to me. Nick Routledge's vocals are as ever, subdued. Retelling occasions of daily monotony. Van She also manage to form a clandestine pastiche. Bring the kraut-rock, 80s pop, synthpop etc influences all together. It just works. [06-12-08-04-04-01-04-09-11-22-27-30-34-36-36] 49 Passion Pit 'Sleepyhead' // Taken from 'Chunk of Change' EP Gosh, this track still continues to surprise me. Passion Pit are a canonistic band in-waiting. Left-field pop sensibility and a humdrum of sounds and samples to work with. The hyperbole will strike early in 2009 as they make that forward step into the mainstream conscious. But for 2008 'Sleepyhead' was any proper hipsters Autumn anthem. It's a glorious slice of funky Yank electro-pop. Michael Angelakos' vocals are twisted and perfectly misconstrued. The synthy middle-8 mixes it all up even more. Perfect pitching. Ahhh. Passion Pit prove you can do a lot musically in under three minutes. [19-07-05-18-22-30] 48 El Guincho 'Palmitos Park' // Taken from 'Alegranza!'; XL 'Palmitos Park' manages to capture the essence of El Guincho in a very tight space of time. Whilst the rest of the record breaks out of the gate and just flows it own way by comparison 'Palmitos Park' is restrained and concise. Percussive, effervescently afrobeat and culturally expressive. It's almost hypnotic as Pablo Díaz-Reixa sings niftily over the dense instrumentation in light Castilian Spanish. Beautiful. [40-39-30-08-09-15-20-27-36-38] 47 TV on the Radio 'Dancing Choose' // Taken from 'Dear Science'; 4AD It's hard to select a track/tracks from 'Dear Science' and say "these are the best moments. End." As here TV on the Radio have built an album where it wouldn't work if separated. It's the statement it makes composed all together as opposed to lonesome squawks. 'Dancing Choose' though summarises 'Dear Science' pretty astutely. A strong melody, colourful lyrics and an art-rock aesthetic which doesn't end up a pool of self-concious nothingness. TV on the Radio are one of those frustratingly nice bands. They always do everything right and make everyone happy. How can I knock them? [02-02-06*] 46 Annie 'Songs Remind Me of You' // Taken from 'Don't Stop' (the album that never was); Island It all went rather wrong for Annie. She got signed, got cash behind her before Island realised: "f***, what do we do with her". Robyn was already serving as Universal's Scando-chanteuse. So treading on her toes was ultimately seen as bad move and hence she got dropped. Not before releasing a sedately received or for that matter, recognised single in the form of 'I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me'. That said 'Don't Stop' wasn't without its gems. 'Songs Remind Me of You' was possibly one of Annie's most epic moments yet. Originally recorded years and years ago (okay like 3 or so) it ended up on the end of 'Don't Stop' (R.I.P.). Swirling synth lines and soupy vocals before a charged chorus. 'Songs Remind Me of You' is a celebration of pure pop and could have easily gone top 10. f***tards. [n/a]
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