Some More 2008 Odds And Ends

January 6, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
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Putting the best of 2008 to bed with a few more odds and ends. Here’s a couple great albums That I excluded from the Top 25 list.


The Swimmers – Fighting Trees [BUY]
This technically was offically released in 2008, but I had it number one in my best of 2007 so I excluded it from this year’s countdown. Read my take on it from last year’s top 25 here.

The Swimmers – It’s Time They Knew


Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals [BUY]
This actually came out late in 2007 but I didn’t get to hear it until early this year. Had I included it would have been in the top 3 for sure. A hypnotic blend of heavily textured sounds and rhythms with layers of very spiritual sounding vocal harmonies woven throughout. Highly recommended if you like discs like Talking Heads Remain In Light or Paul Simon’s Graceland.

Yeasayer – 2080

Philadelphia area bands put out so many excellent records in 2008, Here’s a bunch all worthy of best of 2008 status:

Adam & Daves Bloodline – New Age Boredom EP
Aderbat – We Belong To The Sea
The Chimeras – Party Of God
Gildon Works – Artful Rifle
Dr. Dog – Fate
Man Man – Rabbit Habits
The Spinto Band – Moonwink
Roomtone – Hits & Mrs
Scary Monster – Makeout At Werewolf Club

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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

Previous 11 to 15 | 16 to 20 | 21 to 25

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Bag Of Songs Top 25 Albums of 2008 : 11 to 15

January 2, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
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Number 11 to 15 of the BOS top 25 albums today, stay tuned for the top ten coming up soon.

15 Duffy – Rockferry [BUY]
Mercy may be the best single of the year, but is not necessarily typical of the rest of this disc which takes a slightly more low key approach and harkens back to 60’s soul singers like Petula Clark, or to a lesser extent Dusty Springfield. Bolstered by solid songs like the the title track and the excellent Warwick Avenue it’s a great kick back and listen record.

Duffy – Mercy
Bonus Duffy – Ready For The Floor (Hot Chip Cover)


14 The Hymns – Travel In Herds [BUY]
The Hymns also had one of the great singles of 2008 with the horn laced I Can’t Be What You Want, and the rest of the disc runs deep with equally great songs from The Velvets Meet CCR rocker Streets Alone, to the country tinged Off My Mind. Another one of the overlooked gems of 2008.

Hymns – I Can’t Be What You Want


13 The Hold Steady – Stay Positive [BUY]
After the pretty much perfect Boys And Girls in America, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at this being a bit of a letdown. I anticpated this ending up in my top three for the year,and with the exception of a clunker or two the songs are all there, but where this really lost points for me is the overly loud muddy production that makes it near unlistenable. I haven’t been able to sit and listen to this all the way through because after two or three songs I get ear fatigue so bad I need to put something else on. Be sure to track toown the version with the three bonus tracks Ask Her for Adderall,Cheyenne Sunrise and Two Handed Handshake.

The Hold Steady – Slapped Actress


12 No Age – Nouns [BUY]
Unlike the Hold Steady record which tried to be loud and faltered, this record sounds better the louder you play it. Sculpting a wall of sound reminiscient of Husker Du or Sonic Youth into catchy melodic songs, this record is filled with the joyful catharsis of playing loud electric guitar.

No Age – Sleeper Hold


11 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Pershing [BUY]
The years best record of pure ear candy, indie influenced power pop at it’s best. It’s a record chock full of hooks and harmonies, finding just the right balance between quirky and super catchy.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Glue Girls

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Bag Of Songs Top 25 Albums of 2008 : 16 to 20

January 1, 2009 by · 1 Comment
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Happy New Year’s 2009 everyone, five more of the Bag Of Songs Top 25 albums of 2008 for you.
Again, feel free to chime in with comments along the way,let me know your picks, what you think I missed, etc.


20 Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago [BUY]
I’m sure by now you ‘ve all heard the story of how Justin Vernon holed up for three months alone in a cabin in the woods of northern Wisconsin in the winter to make this record. If you’ve listened to it you know how he managed to translate the heartbreak of a breakup combined with all of that isolation into a set of stunning, powerful,intimate songs. It’s worthy of all the raves you’ve been hearing. What’s even more amazing is that his live show is even better than the record.

Bon Iver – Skinny Love


19 MGMT – Oracular Spectacular [BUY]
Giving keyboard based electronic pop their own twist, this is one of those albums where your favorite songs change as you listen to it more. Filled with some of the years best singles in Time To Pretend,Kids and Electric Feel, just about every song is a winner.

 MGMT – Time To Pretend


18 The Major Labels – Aquavia [BUY]
Sort of a supergroup of sorts, The Major Labels– Mike Viola, Bleu, and Ducky Carlisle rolled all their influences into what is arguably the best pure power pop record of the year,jangly, fun, and filled with irresistable sugary hooks. They also put on one of the best live shows I saw this past year.

 The Major Labels – Don’t Hear A Single


17 The Rosewood Thieves – Rise And Shine [BUY]
Steeped deep in songs influenced by the likes The Beatles and T Rex, The Rosewood Thieves put out one of the most overlooked records of the year in Rise And Shine.

 The Rosewood Thieves – She Don’t Mind The Rain


16 James Hunter – The Hard Way [BUY]
Another strong contender bringing old school style R&B and soul into the present, where Eli Reed mines the Southern sound of artists like Otis Redding,  James Hunter is more akin to people like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, and even spent some time in the past in Van Morrison‘s backing band.

 James Hunter -Jacqueline

Number 21 to 25

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Bag Of Songs Top 25 Albums of 2008 : 21 to 25

December 31, 2008 by · 1 Comment
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Starting off with the ususal disclaimer when it comes to a list of this sort, this is by no means going to be the all encompassing perfect list from the last year but moreso what I listened to and enjoyed the most. With the overwhelming amount of music that came my way this past year there’s surely still potential greats I haven’t even listened to. Here’s the first five more to come as soon as I can get it ready to post.
Feel free to chime in with comments along the way,let me know your picks, what you think I missed, etc.

 

 

 

 

25 Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend [BUY]
By the time Vamppire Weekend finally got around to releasing a ” real” album very early in this year I had grown tired of listening to them for the most part. But to not include them here seemed to somehow discount the fact that they did in fact release a pretty good album. While not necessarily brand new sound, Their blend of afropop and new wave was unique amongst their peers. So for better or for worse no one else in 2008 sounded like them and they triumphed despite some pretty widespread backlash. It’ll be interesting to see where album number 2 takes them.

Vampire Weekend – A-Punk

 

 

 

 

24 Nada Surf – Lucky [BUY]
After the addicting brilliance of 2005’s The Weight Is A Gift, my expectations for this record were so high that if it met them this would easily be in the top five on this list. While there are some true gems here like Whose Authority, I Like What You Say, and Ice On The Wing, most of the album is relatively good songs mired down in a slow midtempo vibe which drains a lot of the
power out of them. What you end up with is really good record instead of the potential career defining classic it had the promise to be.

Nada Surf – I Like What You Say

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23 Hot Chip – Made In the Dark [BUY]
Hot Chip is the personification of the cell phone,text message,video game,internet generation in sound. Frenetic and danceable and catchy as hell with a top 40 pop melodic sense twisted into it all. They also know how to slow it down too, the title track Made In The Dark could easily pass for a lost Jayhawks song while In The Privacy Of Our Love dabbles in the same atmospherics as Grizzly Bear’s The Knife. Overall, an album with a lot more depth than it got credit for.

Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22 Eli “Paperboy” Reed And The True Loves – Roll With You [BUY]
The sound of Old School Soul and R&B made some significant return in 2008 and Eli Reed’s apprenticeship in Memphis roadhouses served him well. Roll With You is a horn infused flat out party record steeped in the sounds of classic Rhythm and Blues artists like Otis Redding and Jackie Wilson.

Eli “Paperboy” Reed And The True Loves – The Satisfier

 

 

 

 

 

 

21 Jukebox The Ghost – Let Live And Let Ghosts [BUY]
One Philadelphia’s shining stars at the Moment, Jukebox The Ghost released it’s debut full length record this year. It harkens back to the kind of classic piano based pop songs Ben Folds used to write when he still had the fire in his soul. Hold It In easily qualifies as one of the catchiest singles of the year.

Jukebox The Ghost – Hold It In

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