Bag Of Songs Top 25 Albums of 2008 : 1 to 10

January 4, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
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Wrapping up the BOS top 25 albums of 2008 with the top ten. It’s the end of the countdown but stay tuned for some addtional thoughts on 2008 coming in another post real soon, plus lots of great music on deck for 2009.


10 Birds Fled From Me – Deeper Lurking [BUY]
It was just about a year ago when I named Birds Fled From Me the BOS Artist Of The Day and predicted this to be among the year’s best releases. It stood the test of time. Santa Cruz, California’s Rachel Williams is one extremely talented girl who independently recorded and released this record herself. With a voice most closely reminiscient of Fiona Apple or Bjork, this is a stunningly beautiful record that deserves so much more recognition than it received. You
can buy it directly from Rachel via her Myspace page.

Birds Fled From Me – Resisted
Bonus – Bird Fled From Me – I Love You (Live)


9 My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges [BUY]
Take MMJ’s catalog and throw it into a blender with a big batch of those K-Tel hits of the 70’s records and I imagine this is pretty close to where you’ll end up. Not as thematically consistent as some of their earlier records but the success level in the adventurousness pays off more often than not in what ends up sounding like and indie rock version of AM radio gold. Some of the highlights on the buffet include the weird funk experiment Highly Suspicious,the pure sugary rush of Two Halves, and what is one of the best songs of the year in the beautiful, acoustic, Librarian.

My Morning Jacket – Librarian


8 Blitzen Trapper – Furr [BUY]
More refined and focused than their breakthrough Wild Mountain Nation,Blitzen Trapper have taken the Grateful Dead meets Pavement mix to the next level on this one, solidifying their influences into thier distinct sound. The title track with it’s storytelling of a boy raised by wolves grappling with his human emotions is an instant classic.

Blitzen Trapper – Furr


7 She & Him – Volume One [BUY]
Who’d have thought this would work so well, actress decides to be singer is generally the making of a one off disaster(see Scarlett Jo) but this is an addicting listen steeped in a mix of California harmonies and sixties girl group sounds. Zooey Deschanel and M Ward cooked up a winner here for sure here’s hoping there’s a volume 2.

She & Him – This Is Not A Test


6 Black Mountain – In the Future [BUY]
Expecting more of the immediacy of songs like Modern Music  or No Satisfaction I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the first couple listens to this, thinking it was more Black Sabbath than Black Mountain,not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s so much more. Picking up where songs like Druganaut left off and taking them to the next level, capped off by the epic 16 minutes plus, Bright Lights. The show I saw them do back in February with Bon Iver opening was probably the best show I saw in 2008.

Black Mountain – Tyrants


5 Ting Tings – We Started Nothing [BUY]
Sure this is probably more style than substance, but it is hands down the party record of the year, when was the last time you heard a record where every song had enough hooks to be a single. As they used to say on American Bandstand, “It’s got a great beat, and you can dance to it”. Catchy, fun, danceable, and just try not to sing along.

The Ting Tings – Shut Up And Let Me Go


4 Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping [BUY]
If you’re like me and only really had a passing interest in Of Montreal, now’s the time to change that. This album is a mix of sexual confusion,funk and dance music, and Sergeant Pepper like psychedelia all blended together in a dizzying mashup that makes Girl Talk‘s Greg Gillis seem like an amateur, yet it somehow all holds together as a whole. As a musician it leaves me amazed just wondering how someone can get that far out there for inspiration and then be able to realize it as a finished work.

Of Montreal – For Our Elegant Caste


3 Cheers Elephant – Here We Are(Demo) [BUY]
One Of Philadelphia’s best bands right now, this record best described is psychedelic folk music with and indie prog rock twist. Shimmers of  sixties and seventies folk and psychedelia are as prevalent as eighties and nineties indie rock. Like all great artists these are just touchstones in a clearly unique and individual sound. This was an early 2008 demo, Cheers Elephant releases their first official CD in a couple weeks watch for it to be turning heads early in 2009.

Cheers Elephant – Here We Are


2 The Dutchess and the Duke – She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke [BUY]
Stripped down and folky this album is all about the songs in their purest form. I’m going to quote my own review from July here:
The Dutchess And The Duke’s, debut full length She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke careens along in it’s lo-fi immediate glory like a combination of Bob Dylan, The Mamas & The Papas and early Rolling Stones swagger. With the familiar warmth of a lost 60’s classic and the jagged edge of a modern recording, everything old is new again and sounding better than ever. Kimberly Morrison(aka The Dutchess) and Jesse Lortz(aka The Duke) holed up last fall at Magical Basement Studios in West Seattle with Bryan Standridge behind the board of an 8- track and recorded a modern folk classic. It’s chock full of strummy acoustic guitars and percussion with more than enough pure pop melodies and sing along vocal harmonies to have you hooked after just one listen.

The Dutchess and The Duke – Reservoir Park


1 Mono In VCF – Mono In VCF [BUY]
The album I listenedd to more than any other this year, I was hooked on this from the first play back in June of this year and it’s still in the heavy rotation six months later. The name Mono In VCF is a combination of Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound(Mono) and Moog Synthesizer tones(VCF) and their music has been described as “Drifting in space between psychedelic Beatles and Massive Attack” by Tom Scanlon of The Seattle Times. It is music that is sweeping,cinematic and serenely lush sounding, all woven together by the silky smooth, soaring vocals of Kim Miller. What I previously described as “fearlessly futuristic and reminiscient of the great film soundtrack music of the sixties all at once”. It’s music with the power to take your mind to another place away from all the distrations around you, similar to the the sensation of flying in a dream but converted into sound.

Mono In VCF – Escape City Scrapers

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5.4 On A Friday : Earthquake

April 18, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
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Taking some loose inspiration from the news this morning that a 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook the midwestern US overnight. In the winter of 1811/1812, the New Madrid faultline was hit by three magnitude 8 earthquakes, some of the most powerful quakes in US History.

1: Uncle Tupelo – New Madrid
Buy Anodyne
2: Beck – Earthquake Weather
Buy Guero
3: Black Mountain -Faulty Times
Buy Black Mountain
4: Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes
Buy Little Earthquakes
5.4: John Wesley Harding – It’s All My Fault
Buy Awake

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LIVE : 02.20.08 Black Mountain , Bon Iver @ Johnny Brenda’s

February 21, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
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A few pictures from last nights dazzling, sold out Black Mountain and Bon Iver show at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia. Bon Iver‘s hushed acoustic numbers took on an even greater intensity as they opened with a set that held the audience in silent rapture for the whole thing. It reminded me a lot of the shows Ryan Adams used to do with just himself and a guitar in his early post Whiskeytown days. A powerful quiet intensity. Black Mountain then turned it around 180 degrees with their thundering psychedelic juggernaut of sound. Playing a set consisting of mostly material from their new In The Future disc and closing out with a blistering encore of Don’t Run Our Hearts Around from their first disc. A stunning live band not to be missed if their tour comes near your city. Check out more photos from SinABox Camera along with Carly’s excellent writeup of the show over at Girl About Town.

Bon Iver
Black Mountain


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Thank You Friends !

November 22, 2007 by · 1 Comment
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Thank You !
…to all of you who stop by here everyday to read ,listen and comment, and to all of the artists whose work has been featured here over the past year or so. Enjoy your day wherever you may be and safe travels to all.

MP3: Big Star – Thank You Friends
Buy Third/Sister Lovers

Here’s a few Thanksgiving treats from some of our blogging friends for you today

Aquarium Drunkard keeps the tradition alive with his annual airing of Alice’s Restaurant.

Heather at I Am Fuel,You Are Friends recaps her first two years of blogging and celebrates Thanksgiving with an amazing ode to going home.

Pitchfork and Jagjaguwar records bring the first taste of of the new Black Mountain record In The Future, coming in January.
MP3: Black Mountain – Tyrants
Buy In The Future

Our friend The Duke over at The Late Greats left us with a nice mix of Thanksgiving tunes before heading off for the Holiday.

And what would Thanksgiving be without leftovers. Well, Casey at The College Crowd Digs Me doesn’t exactly have leftovers but does have a nice writeup on the Kansas classic Leftoverture.

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LIVE : Black Mountain at Johnny Brenda’s 10.12.07

October 13, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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Some photos from last night’s show at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia. The Cave Singers took the stage around 10:30 and played an enjoyable set of the quirky indie folk that stayed pretty true to the sound on their new record Invitation Songs. I didn’t manage to get any pictures during their set, sorry guys.
Taking the stage in Philadelphia for the first time in nearly two years, Black Mountain was on next. They played a set heavy on new songs from their upcoming record, In The Future, which if last night is any indication, is going to be excellent. Their set was a rhythmic, ebbing and flowing juggernaut of psychedelic power. A mind altering experience with or without any help from your recreational substance of choice. One of the best shows I’ve seen this year, and if they haven’t been to your town yet , I highly recommend checking them out.








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Black Mountain : New Album Info

October 4, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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Here’s one I’m really looking forward to. I’ll be catching them live next week at Johnny Brenda’s In Philadelphia. If they’re coming your way you should too.
Here’s a great song from their first record to enjoy while you read about the new one.

MP3: Black Mountain – Druganaut

via JAGJAGUWAR:
BLACK MOUNTAIN reveal cover artwork and track-listing for “In The Future”, currently touring North America

It will not only make your heart flutter, but it will cause your temples to pulse and, if you stare long enough, your eyes to bleed. You must check out the new and very psych-and-prog-spiritual Black Mountain album cover at the new Black Mountain website: http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/

And if you already don’t know, the new album is coming out on January 22. And the track-listing is as follows:

1. Stormy High
2. Angels
3. Tyrants
4. Wucan
5. Stay Free
6. Queens Will Play
7. Evil Ways
8. Wild Wind
9. Bright Lights
10. Night Walks

You can check out live previews of the album wherever the band is performing this month and into the next. Go to http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/tour.php for a comprehensive list of tour dates for Black Mountain (or see below). Also, let this be a reminder that the band will be taking along with them a very special tour-only record, which includes a digital download coupon that will provide a preview of the upcoming full-length on November 13.

Tour dates:

10/03/07 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle w/ Cave Singers
10/05/07 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern w/ Cave Singers + Oakley Hall
10/06/07 Montreal, Quebec – Le National w/ Lightning Dust + Oakley Hall + Sunset Rubdown
10/08/07 Allston, MA – Great Scott w/ Cave Singers
10/10/07 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge w/ Cave Singers
10/11/07 Brooklyn, NY – Southpaw w/ Cave Singers
10/12/07 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s w/ Cave Singers
10/13/07 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop w/ Cave Singers
10/14/07 Bloomington, IN – Bluebird w/ Cave Singers
10/15/07 Louisville, KY – Headliners w/ Cave Singers + Wax Fang
10/17/07 Norman, OK – The Opolis w/ Cave Singers
10/18/07 Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf w/ Cave Singers
10/19/07 Austin, TX – Emo’s w/ Cave Singers
10/21/07 Phoenix, AZ – Modified w/ Cave Singers
10/22/07 San Diego, CA – Casbah w/ Cave Singers
10/23/07 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo w/ Cave Singers
10/24/07 San Francisco, CA – The Independent w/ Cave Singers
10/26/07 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge w/ Cave Singers
10/27/07 Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe
11/03/07 Vancouver, BC Canada – Richards on Richards

Black Mountain links:

Black Mountain on Jagjaguwar’s website: http://jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain
Black Mountain on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/blackmountain
Black Mountain’s webpage: http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/

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1-2-3 Another Pop Explosion : Black Mountain US Tour Dates

July 28, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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Some fantastic news I just heard today :
Black Mountain are about to go on their first North American tour in almost two years. Their self-titled disc was one of the best of 2005. And make sure you start saving up your pennies, because they will have a new album coming in early 2008. Oh yeah.

MP3: Black Mountain – Modern Music
MP3: Black Mountain – Druganaut
Buy Black Mountain

Black Mountain Tour Dates
09/28/07 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court w/ Cave Singers
09/29/07 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive w/ Cave Singers
10/01/07 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room w/ Cave Singers
10/02/07 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry w/ Cave Singers
10/03/07 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle w/ Cave Singers
10/05/07 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern w/ Cave Singers + Oakley Hall
10/06/07 Montreal, Quebec – Le National w/ Lightning Dust + Oakley Hall + Sunset Rubdown
10/08/07 Allston, MA – Great Scott w/ Cave Singers
10/10/07 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge w/ Cave Singers
10/11/07 Brooklyn, NY – Southpaw w/ Cave Singers
10/12/07 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s w/ Cave Singers
10/13/07 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop w/ Cave Singers
10/14/07 Bloomington, IN – Bluebird w/ Cave Singers
10/15/07 Louisville, KY – Headliners w/ Cave Singers + Wax Fang
10/17/07 Norman, OK – The Opolis w/ Cave Singers
10/18/07 Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf w/ Cave Singers
10/21/07 Phoenix, AZ – Modified w/ Cave Singers
10/23/07 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo w/ Cave Singers
10/24/07 San Francisco, CA – The Independent w/ Cave Singers
10/26/07 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge w/ Cave Singers
10/27/07 Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe
11/03/07 Vancouver, BC Canada – Richards on Richards

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE] [JAGJAGUWAR]

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5 On A Friday : To Be Free

June 29, 2007 by · 2 Comments
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With the Fourth Of July, Independence Day Holiday upon us shortly, today for 5 on A Friday we put a Bag Of Songs spin on freedom and being free. Something we here in the USA often take for granted, but around the world people are still dying everyday in their struggle to achieve it.

1: Elliott Smith – A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free
Buy From A Basement On The Hill
2: Bright Eyes – Stray Dog Freedom
Buy Four Winds EP
3: Cream – I Feel Free
Buy Gold
4: Son Volt – Live Free
Buy Trace
5: Black Mountain – Stay Free
Buy Spiderman 3 Soundtrack

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