Mr MidFi
12-18-2007, 02:33 PM
Maybe the third week of December is a tad too early to post this, but what the hell.
My 2008 Top Ten list goes something like this…
10. (tie) The Redwalls - self titled
There is nothing particularly original about their sound…it’s pure Brit-vasion power-pop, with a John Lennon sound-alike on vocals. But these shaggy kids from my former hometown of Deerfield, IL, went all the way to Sweden and producer Tore Johansson to find the right sound for their eponymous third album; and while it’s not quite as raw as The Hives or as icy smooth as The Cardigans, it sounds pretty good to me.
Key Track: Modern Diet
10. (tie) Interpol - Our Love to Admire
Not nearly as cool as their first disc, but more consistent than Antics. Took a while for me to embrace these songs, but (as is often the case) seeing them live helped. These guys just have an interesting sound (to me, anyway), and this disc adds a few flourishes to that sound. Coolness.
Key Track: No I in Threesome
9. Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band – Magic
The critics who proclaimed this an ‘instant classic’ were probably jumping the gun a bit. But there are some very interesting tracks here, and an achingly topical lyrical theme throughout. Bruce and the band get their rock on with the opening tracks (“Radio Nowhere” and “You’ll Be Coming Down”), then cruise through the next several numbers before setting phasers to “stunningly wistful” on the Phil Spector-meets-Brian Wilson crooner “Girls in their Summer Clothes”.
As noted in a previous thread, there are some serious issues with the production and arrangements on this disc. It sounds almost like he wanted it to be played on AM radio or something. But sonics aside, this is a decent album. Not quite in the same league as any of his first six albums, but a ****load better than most of his latter-day work.
Key Track: Girls in their Summer Clothes
8. Soundtrack - "I'm Not There"
Indie all-stars Sonic Youth, Jeff Tweedy, Calexico, Iron & Wine, Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Jim James, John Doe, The Hold Steady and The Black Keys team up with legends like Richie Havens, Rambling Jack Elliot, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos and The Band to cover America’s greatest living songwriter. And the result is…mildly disappointing. I mean, how could it NOT be? But it’s still worth your $15, pal. Easily.
Key Track: Dark Eyes, by Iron & Wine with Calexico
7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Gawd, did I hate this the first 5 times I listened to it. And then, of course, it grew on me. And grew some more. It’s still not among their better works, but it’s well worth having. But if you don’t already have Being There, that’s where you should start.
Key Track: Impossible Germany
6. Radiohead - In Rainbows
OK, never mind the distribution strategy. Or the pricing strategy, for that matter. I got more than I paid for, with Radiohead’s most intimate and personal album to date. It’s all moody as hell, of course…but not in a “help...the world is out of control and crushing my head like a grape!” sort of way. It’s an interesting and cohesive album that doesn’t sound as contrived or as noisy as their more recent releases. Me likey.
Key Track: All I Need
5. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Smart, quirky alt-pop from one of the best lyricists working today. I mean, who else could possibly use the ancient Scythian Empire as an allegorical stand-in for 21st Century America, and make you whistle along with it? “Dark Matter” and “Fiery Crash” rank among his best songs, and most of the rest of the album rates very high as well.
Key Track: Dark Matter
4. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
On the first few listens, one can’t help but feel like the whole album is a nest for the epic-length “Anaesthetize” that occupies the middle 18 minutes. But subsequent listens reveal plenty of substance throughout this disc, especially the haunting “Sentimental”. The lyrics are well-intentioned, but trying a little too hard. That said, this is a very solid release. It’s maybe a half-star off the pace of their previous two, IMO, but definitely some quality stuff. And that drummer (Gavin Harrison) keeps blowing my friggin mind.
Key Track: Anaesthetize
3. New Pornographers – Challengers
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Two Canadian bands release breakthrough discs a couple of years ago, then follow up this year with excellent discs that may not have quite the same transcendent high points as their predecessors…but are easily more consistent and very enjoyable throughout.
The Pornos start off with an outstanding song, “My Rights Vs. Yours” and then follow it up with (arguably) an even better song, “All the Old Showstoppers”. And every other song on this disc is a treat…no exceptions. It’s just good music, immediately enjoyable AND with room to grow on you.
Song of the Year goes to the Arcade Fire, with their soul-wrenching story-song of a demented stage father who wants to pimp his precious songbird daughter on TV as some act of quasi-religious devotional fervor in “Antichrist Television Blues”. It’s powerful, artful stuff…and the rest of the album is great stuff, too. “Keep the Car Running” would be the Key Track on any other album this year.
And now, the moment you’ve been wishing would hurry up and get here already…
1. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
This is my #1 pick by a fairly wide margin. It is classic, stripped-down Spoon. It’s just amazing to me how much feel they can pour into a song with so little to work with. But it works beautifully. The only gratuitous embellishments here are the horns that show up (to great effect) on “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” and “Underdog”. At this point, I’m not sure that this won’t end up being my #1 favorite Spoon album. And that is a bold statement.
My 2008 Top Ten list goes something like this…
10. (tie) The Redwalls - self titled
There is nothing particularly original about their sound…it’s pure Brit-vasion power-pop, with a John Lennon sound-alike on vocals. But these shaggy kids from my former hometown of Deerfield, IL, went all the way to Sweden and producer Tore Johansson to find the right sound for their eponymous third album; and while it’s not quite as raw as The Hives or as icy smooth as The Cardigans, it sounds pretty good to me.
Key Track: Modern Diet
10. (tie) Interpol - Our Love to Admire
Not nearly as cool as their first disc, but more consistent than Antics. Took a while for me to embrace these songs, but (as is often the case) seeing them live helped. These guys just have an interesting sound (to me, anyway), and this disc adds a few flourishes to that sound. Coolness.
Key Track: No I in Threesome
9. Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band – Magic
The critics who proclaimed this an ‘instant classic’ were probably jumping the gun a bit. But there are some very interesting tracks here, and an achingly topical lyrical theme throughout. Bruce and the band get their rock on with the opening tracks (“Radio Nowhere” and “You’ll Be Coming Down”), then cruise through the next several numbers before setting phasers to “stunningly wistful” on the Phil Spector-meets-Brian Wilson crooner “Girls in their Summer Clothes”.
As noted in a previous thread, there are some serious issues with the production and arrangements on this disc. It sounds almost like he wanted it to be played on AM radio or something. But sonics aside, this is a decent album. Not quite in the same league as any of his first six albums, but a ****load better than most of his latter-day work.
Key Track: Girls in their Summer Clothes
8. Soundtrack - "I'm Not There"
Indie all-stars Sonic Youth, Jeff Tweedy, Calexico, Iron & Wine, Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Jim James, John Doe, The Hold Steady and The Black Keys team up with legends like Richie Havens, Rambling Jack Elliot, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos and The Band to cover America’s greatest living songwriter. And the result is…mildly disappointing. I mean, how could it NOT be? But it’s still worth your $15, pal. Easily.
Key Track: Dark Eyes, by Iron & Wine with Calexico
7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Gawd, did I hate this the first 5 times I listened to it. And then, of course, it grew on me. And grew some more. It’s still not among their better works, but it’s well worth having. But if you don’t already have Being There, that’s where you should start.
Key Track: Impossible Germany
6. Radiohead - In Rainbows
OK, never mind the distribution strategy. Or the pricing strategy, for that matter. I got more than I paid for, with Radiohead’s most intimate and personal album to date. It’s all moody as hell, of course…but not in a “help...the world is out of control and crushing my head like a grape!” sort of way. It’s an interesting and cohesive album that doesn’t sound as contrived or as noisy as their more recent releases. Me likey.
Key Track: All I Need
5. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Smart, quirky alt-pop from one of the best lyricists working today. I mean, who else could possibly use the ancient Scythian Empire as an allegorical stand-in for 21st Century America, and make you whistle along with it? “Dark Matter” and “Fiery Crash” rank among his best songs, and most of the rest of the album rates very high as well.
Key Track: Dark Matter
4. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
On the first few listens, one can’t help but feel like the whole album is a nest for the epic-length “Anaesthetize” that occupies the middle 18 minutes. But subsequent listens reveal plenty of substance throughout this disc, especially the haunting “Sentimental”. The lyrics are well-intentioned, but trying a little too hard. That said, this is a very solid release. It’s maybe a half-star off the pace of their previous two, IMO, but definitely some quality stuff. And that drummer (Gavin Harrison) keeps blowing my friggin mind.
Key Track: Anaesthetize
3. New Pornographers – Challengers
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Two Canadian bands release breakthrough discs a couple of years ago, then follow up this year with excellent discs that may not have quite the same transcendent high points as their predecessors…but are easily more consistent and very enjoyable throughout.
The Pornos start off with an outstanding song, “My Rights Vs. Yours” and then follow it up with (arguably) an even better song, “All the Old Showstoppers”. And every other song on this disc is a treat…no exceptions. It’s just good music, immediately enjoyable AND with room to grow on you.
Song of the Year goes to the Arcade Fire, with their soul-wrenching story-song of a demented stage father who wants to pimp his precious songbird daughter on TV as some act of quasi-religious devotional fervor in “Antichrist Television Blues”. It’s powerful, artful stuff…and the rest of the album is great stuff, too. “Keep the Car Running” would be the Key Track on any other album this year.
And now, the moment you’ve been wishing would hurry up and get here already…
1. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
This is my #1 pick by a fairly wide margin. It is classic, stripped-down Spoon. It’s just amazing to me how much feel they can pour into a song with so little to work with. But it works beautifully. The only gratuitous embellishments here are the horns that show up (to great effect) on “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” and “Underdog”. At this point, I’m not sure that this won’t end up being my #1 favorite Spoon album. And that is a bold statement.