2008 – The Year in Music

The naysayers have been naysaying that music is dead.  They say that the LP has gone the way of the dinosaur.  That we live in a world of singles, cheaply purchased and quickly forgotten.  They know nothing.  Music remains the beat of life, and 2008 was a whale of a year – one of the best in recent memory.   Without further ado, here’s some insight into what you most likely did not listen to in ‘08

S. Malkmus + Jicks “Real Emotional Trash”
“Of all my stoned digressions….” – Malkmus again plays guitar hero with his unfortunately less magical band than his previous.  Like his other post-pavement efforts, the music is solid, the writing and playing fine+ and the emotion evident; unlike his Pavement output, greatness is not in store.  I will continue to buy everything and anything good lord SM offers for sale, but I’m not bullish that he’ll scale the mountain again.  Saw him support this album live in Willyburg and was disappointed.

My Morning Jacket “Evil Urges”
The most disappointing album of the year.  Jim James and the boys simply missed.  I suspect they smoked themselves stoned silly during the conception, writing and recording of this album.  “Z” foretold a band ready to make its mark, but this mark was a weak squiggly line.

Mudcrutch “Mudcrutch”
Rock and Roll Royalty creates a minor masterpiece and no one notices.  Tom Petty gets together with his old mates and paints a beautiful picture.   “Lover of the Bayou” is a classic Petty anthem except that radio doesn’t play it – probably out of fear that the band name Mudcrutch will be too much for their audience to take since it doesn’t include the words Tom Petty in it.

Jenny Lewis “Acid Tongue”
I checked into the last Rilo Kiley album based on the buzz generated from “Rabbit Fur Coat” and was wildly disappointed.  Downloaded this new one from a friend and was blown away.  “The Next Messiah” is easily the best song of the year – a sprawling multi-part epic that starts strong, gets stronger and finishes like a fucking mule kick.  Highly recommended.

Calexico “Carried to Dust”
 This band inhabits an alternate universe somewhere in the great American southwest.  The music drips with beauty.  Whether they sing in English or Spanish, with vocals or instruments only, the net effect is stunning.  A highly musical affair featuring layers of sound that reveal themselves on multiple listens.  Highly recommended.

The Fireman “Electric Argument”
Macca is backa.  From the opening salvo of “Nothing too much just out of sight” which scared the fuck out of me and must have put Heather Mills in the witness protection program, to the classic beatles beat on “Highway”- the old man is back with a vengeance.  Only complaint is that the record deteriorates in the back 1/3rd – tho I reserve the right to disavow this criticism over time.  Go get this.

William Parker “Petit Oiseau”
The free jazz legend continues to toil and create – all in a cocoon of anonymity.  This record contains some of the best instrumental compositions of the year and no one will hear it – maybe just me and the guy at the downtown music gallery.  But who gives a shit – this guy is awesome and this record puts me in a trance like state.  At 70 minutes I’m eager to say it’s too long – but I won’t, I’m in a trance.

Fleet Foxes “Fleet Foxes”
Some of the best songs of ’08 (“Oliver James”) and some of the worst (“Meadowlarks”) all rolled up in this highly buzzed debut.  Beautiful melodies and some great writing (and some shitty writing as well).  A band to watch.

Femi Kuti “Day by Day”
The son also rises.  Kuti achieves the virtually impossible – a record full of groove infected political statements that stand entirely on their own without mimicking pops.  This is a completely original statement and stands in direct contrast to Antibalas, a group that makes its bones on imitating Fela.  Sprint; don’t run to yer record shop or free file swapper and get the whole damn thing.

Aaron Parks “Invisible Cinema”
The Blue Note debut from this young pianist – lots of great playing and some really good writing (check out an ass-kicker called “Nemesis”) but bloated, like virtually every other jazz release of the modern era, weighing in at a hefty 55 minutes.  There are virtually no producers in the jazz world with the smarts/balls to tell their charges that length kills.

Al Green “Lay it Down”
The old sexster is back, this time w quest love and James Poyser at the helm.  A righteously good idea and a fine execution.  Larry Gold strings, tons of tasteful horns and a voice that hasn’t lost a beat in the decades since his great triumphs.  Get laid to it, buy it for your momma, play it for your kids, play it for yourself – but play it.

Howlin’ Rain “Magnificent Fiend”
Like a blast of fresh air from the Northern California, these fuckers rock their cocks off.  Hippie music meets Christian spiritual in a jammy and fragrant package.  Not sure if the indie douche bags picked up on this one – but they are sheep.  A fine, fine album.

Lil Wayne “Tha Carter III”
Bumping and grinding with not a care in the world – the lil’ guy has clearly got it.  White folk from far and wide are too afraid to spin this – but they shouldn’t be.  Would be artists need only check out “Dr. Carter” to learn that the key to the universe is a gift given and earned – not just given.

Beck “Modern Guilt”
The diminutive scientologist has amassed the best and most consistent catalog in music over the past 15 years.   Subtle to a fault, you don’t realize this album’s greatness until it’s seeped into your veins after numerous listens.  Buy it and fall in love again. 

TV on the Radio “Dear Science”
A flat out classic.  I bought this on the strength of “Cookie Mountain” and am quickly coming to the realization that this is the band to be reckoned with now and tomorrow.  A lot going on here and it’s all good – all great actually.  Check out “Dancing Choose” as the band attempts/succeeds to one up M. Stipe and his REMsters “End of the world as we know it…”).  An infectious and powerful recording.  Buy this and you’ll be listening to it for years.

Brightblack Morning Light “Motion to Rejoin”
Is Matador losing their touch?  This is some serious mood music – great to go to sleep to or drive across the desert to.  Not revelatory music and not ground breaking tho.  Pass unless you’re an indie drone.

Erykah Badu “New Amerykah…”
The queen is back.  Tho not quite as bold a statement as “Mama’s Gun”, this is easily the 2nd best Badu album in her cannon.  Highlighted by a strong cast of supporting players (Poyser, Hargrove,  Bilal), this is a highly recommended listen.   Make it your biz to see her live next time she comes around, she’s a charismatic performer.

Vampire Weekend “Vampire Weekend”
Pop perfection that is slowly working its way to the masses.  The boys from Morningside Heights have set the bar high – it will be interesting to see if they can achieve this level of goodness again in their career.   Be there or be square.

The Black Keys “Attack and Release”
From the primordial ooze of Ohio comes this monster of a record.  Put down your game boy and mapquest one of the 2 or 3 record stores left in your state and buy this gem – you owe it to your poor, fat self.

Jeremy Pelt “November”
Like every other “jazz” entry in this year’s breakdown – too much of a good thing.  It’s like every instrumental Artist wants to give the listener their monies worth with no regard for their time.  If I want to listen to an hours worth of music, I can go see these cats play live 8 days a week.  When I buy a long player I want to be romanced and fucked and don’t care if it’s quick and dirty.  This 50 minute + nonsense needs to be stopped.  Do you really think every album is on par with “Bitches Brew” or “All Things Must Pass”, or “The Basement Tapes”?

James Carter “Present Tense”
Stellar playing – as you would expect, but this is simply a collection of songs – a lot of them, with no center.  JC is a prickly sort – all the talent on earth but who will tell him no?  This is time capsule Jazz – nothing that moves a virtually dead genre forward.

Silver Jews “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea”
Wow – not sure if I hate this record or like it a lot.  Malkmus’ old running mate’s voice is an acquired taste, his writing goofy and profound – the backup vocals on “Suffering Jukebox” are heart wrenching.  I was inches away from writing this one off, but I say bury yer sorrows in a bottle of booze and play it straight thru – all 33 minutes of it.
So there you have it – all the music that’s fit to print as consumed by me, your humble narrator.  Until next year, good bye and good riddance.

king harvest