Stuff We Loved In 2008 (Best of...)

"I Promise/ I'm On It"

By this time, I'm sure you're all sick of top 10 lists. Us too. Therefore, we've resigned to posting a list of stuff that we absolutely adored. There are no rankings, merely praise for everyone, in and of their own right. After all, 'tis the season.

Artist of the Year
Bradford Cox- Microcastle/Weird Era Cont., Let The Blind..., Logos, etc. This dude released more material than anyone this year, and, for once, quantity and quality go hand in hand. Thanks in large part to the Deerhunter blog (best record label of 2008?), you can probably listen to Bradford 24 hours a day, which will really make your brain feel gooey and nice. Like waking up from a Robotussin dream.

Criminally Unreleased Stateside
Micah P. Hinson and the Red Empire Orchestra

Still Not Tired of (Best Albums...)
Fleet Foxes- Sun Giant/Fleet Foxes
Deerhunter- Microcastle/ Weird Era Cont.

Best Pop Album
Lykke Li- Youth Novels

Best Non-Dance Remix
Caribou- Melody Day (Four Tet remix)
The Rosebuds- Silence By The Lakeside (Portastic remix)

Best Dance Remix
Friendly Fires- Paris (Aeroplane remix featuring Au Revoir Simone)

Best Reason to Invest in the Dutch Master Corporation
Flying Lotus

Most Captivating/Riveting Performance
Joanna Newsome @ BAM

Most Insane Performance
Of Montreal @ Roseland

Best Live Act (tie)
Radiohead
Animal Collective

Favorite Foreign Weirdness
Lau Nau

Best Reason to Write a Sci-Fi Space Adventure Screenplay
Lindstrom- Where You Go I Go Too

Most Delightful Album
Little Joy- s/t

Best One-Two Punch
Amadou & Miriam- Sabali-> Ce N'est Pon Bon

Best 7"
Girls- Morning Light/Lust for Life (complete with custom corsage)

Best Reason to Own Black Light/Nag Champ/Smoke Machine
School of Seven Bells

Best Visual Aesthetic
M83- Saturdays=Youth, Kim & Jessie video, Graveyard Girl video

Best Album Title (and Best Garage Act)
harlem- free drugs ;-)

It's Good to be From Jersey..
Titus Andronicus releasing the Albert Camus 7" & The Airing of Grievances LP on TU!

Best Mix
Aeroplane- Resident Advisor (Fleet Foxes->Space Disco= 2008 in a nutshell)

Highly Anticipated for 2k9
Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
Girls- (?)
Marissa Nadler- Little Hells
Alela Diane- To Be Still
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- s/t
Dent May- The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & his Magnificent Ukuele

classix: Cymande

Appropriate for the holidays, Cymande (pronounced sah-mahn-day) is derived from the calypso word for dove, signifying peace and love. The name is fitting since most of their members originally hailed from Caribbean islands like Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Vincent. This seemingly forgotten nonet of 70's self-taught British funk-a-holics released only three albums, all in the span of two years, before calling it quits.

And what happens to nearly all forgotten funk bands? They get sampled 20 years later. You might recognize Cymande from Spike Lee's Crooklyn, the Fugees title track from The Score, or De La Soul's "Change in Speak" from 3-Feet High And Rising.

Cymande - Bra [from their 1972 self-titled debut]

cover: Tallest Man on Earth "These Days"

"I've Stopped My Rambling"

(Photo by Karl Gunnarsson)
We've discussed "These Days" before and probably don't need to go into details about a song that is adored by nearly everyone whose ears are lucky enough to hear it. However, last week, The Tallest Man on Earth helped revive a song that, while still very much adored, has sort of become ubiquitous in the post-Royal Tenenbaums world. The Tallest Man on Earth's version is true to the original. To be honest, I can't really note any real difference between his cover and the many that have been recorded over the past 30+ years. Regardless, his version was quite moving, and a lovely segue into a magical set from Bon Iver. I enjoyed it so much that I picked up The Tallest Man on Earth's Shallow Grave after the show and it's proving to be a great mid-December album, perfect for the looming transition into Winter. Plus, it really compliments the smell of Nova Scotian pine (ie. the Canadian Christmas tree in my living room). Peep Hooves on the Turf's video of his performance below.

Tallest Man on Earth: These Days (cover) from hoovesontheturf.

remix: Love Lockdown Flying Lotus

"I'm Not Loving You The Way I Wanted To"
Flying Lotus gives "Love Lockdown" a bit of a Burial. Ahum. Supa dubbbby. Studio headphones, X-Bass, and a box of Vanilla Dutchee's highly rec'd. FlyLo continues to crush the remixes. (via Mad Dec)

we saw: of Montreal at MHoW

"Escape From Patterns Your Parents Designed"

(photo by Diana Wong)
After the freak-show that was the Roseland, we couldn't wait to catch Elephant 6-turned-neuvo Funk sexpots Of Montreal at the more intimate, and way closer to home, Music Hall of Williamsburg. While theatrics were certainly in toe, as they have been for the entire Skeletal Lampings tour, last nights show was incredibly toned down compared to its October counterpart. Sure, I would've been ecstatic to watch Kevin Barnes hang himself on stage again only to be re-born as a centaur and I sort of missed all the freaky Gold John McCain orgies, but what they left out in terms of theatrics, they multiplied with music. Last night's show was roughly 2+ hours of sweaty FNK, complete with Lampings gems like "Gallery Piece" and Hissing Fauna jams "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger", "She's A Rejector" and, of course, "Gronlandic Edit." Flalling limbs, booty grinding, head banging, singing from the bottom of your heart, all the signs of a band/crowd with soul power. The haters, well, they ain't got no soul power. My only revelation last night, besides deciding that in my next life I'd like to be a gold painted Buddha, is that Kevin Barnes must run the stairs of High School Football stadiums for hours in order to dictate/direct/keep up with the massive Jazzercize on Acid disco carnival he's created. It's truly a beautiful thing.

UPDATE: NYCTAPER has the show up for download, with complete setlist, et all. Continuously crushing it. God bless. Of Montreal 12/16/08 Music Hall of Williamsburg



(photo by Diana Wong)

(photo by Diana Wong)

(photo by Diana Wong)

Of Montreal "Plastic Wafers" 10/10/08

we saw: School of Seven Bells

"Can't Not Seem To Remember My Dreams Lately"
(Photo by redhead canvas)
If you see a show and don't post about it, did you really see it? Well, that was the case with the phenomenal Ghostly showcase, which closed out CMJ at (le) Poisson Rouge roughly 2 months ago. It wasn't long after the Detroit powerhouse released School of Seven Bell's intoxicating Alpinisms, and pairing the synthetic dream-gazers with dapper, micro-popist Matthew Dear couldn't have been a better bill. In fact, it was the best show we saw at CMJ. By far.


School of Seven Bells returned to NYC for a small club show last night at the Mercury Lounge, which was dimly lit and smelled like a Nag Champa factory. The atmosphere was perfect for School of Seven Bells, who appropriately got together during a late-night bonding session on tour. Dreamy, narcotic bangers like "Half Asleep" were shrouded in dense layers of manipulated guitars and pre-programmed drums, while relentless strobe lights forced many to enjoy the show with eyes half open, or entirely shut. This was beneficial, as, for me, the only way to experience School of Seven Bells is to shut your eyes and shake your head, letting blasts of color hypnotize your psyche as waves of sound wash over your entranced body (and mind). The band ran through the majority of Alpinisms, including "My Cabal", "White Elephant Coat", "Chain" and "Iamundernodisguise" during their short, but mesmerizing set. One of our favorite debut's of 2008's, we only wish they'd join Matthew Dear and fellow Ghostly artist (and CMJ show alum) Michna late night for New Years at LPR (2am-8am). Too bad they'll be tearing up Tokyo.

School of Seven Bells "Chain" 11/11/08

we saw: Bon Iver @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

"What Might Have Been Lost"

Bon Iver: Wolves I & II from hoovesontheturf on Vimeo.

Stunning.

Favorite Videos of 2008

"Warning: This Video Contains Flashing Lights"
Bjork "Wanderlust"

It's been a good year for music videos. We like them. They make the work day go by that much faster. And with the exception of "Parisian Goldfish", they probably won't get you fired. Here are some of our favorite videos from 2008. Enjoy.

M83 "Graveyard Girl"


M83 "Kim & Jessie"


Flying Lotus "Parisian Goldfish"


Hercules & Love Affair "Blind"


Evangelicals "Midnight Vignettes"


Efterklang "Illuminant"


My Morning Jacket "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2"


Fleet Foxes "Sun Giant/Blue Ridge Mountains"



Yeasayer "2080"

upcoming: Grouper & Kria Brekkan

"I'd Rather Fall In A Tidal Wave"

Last night I found out at that the Silent Barn will be hosting one helluva show this Sunday. The venerable Ridgewood, Queens DIY performance space will showcase the quiet sounds of Kria Brekkan (mum, kria & avey tare) and Portland's absolutely enchanting Grouper, whose Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill is showing up on a lot of year-end lists, and with good reason. Liz Harris, the brains and body behind Grouper, has truly captured the essence of night on Dragging A Dead Deer..., so much so that I often wake up unable to distinguish my dreams from reality. For this, I thank you Liz Harris. If you are doing anything this Sunday, besides watching the Giants dominate the Cowgirls, I suggest going to this show. Do it for the sake of your dreams. For fans of Julianna Barwick, Eno and Stars of the Lid.

Kria Brekkan "bee xlaura"


Grouper- Heavy Water/ I'd Rather Be Sleeping

video: Bon Iver

"Love is for Fools"

This just made me very excited for Friday night at Music Hall.

new: Dent May

"I Belong Here In This World"

The lore goes a little something like this. Animal Collective went to record MPP in Mississippi and found this ukulele toting, four-eyed crooner playing the sweetest, saddest, most sympathetic songs a young man could sing. His name, Dent May. The visionaries they are, they set Mr. May up with producer Rusty Santos, who recorded May in his double-wide trailer in Taylor, Mississippi. The result is a record full of heartfelt witticisms and all the dumb intellectual and philosophical questions a drunk and stoned college-town boy ponders on weary afternoons on the quad. I only wish I was still a faux-ID toting undergrad listening after a three hour lecture on the Christ-like symbolism in Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard To Find." Oh well, maybe in a next life, when its reissued for the 100th time.

Dent's got a big tour scheduled for 2009, opening for AC Newman nationwide, including a stop at the Bowery Ballroom March 15th. Paw Tracks will release The Good Feeling Music of Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele on February 3rd. Highly recommended for fans of Jens Lekman, The Magnetic Fields, Jonathan Richman and Beirut.

Dent May- Meet Me in the Garden
Dent May- College Town Boy


Dent May "Oh, Paris"

we saw: Beach House

"If Not Now, Not Ever"

Beach House's performance on a humid Tuesday night in December felt like a warm winter's night at the shore. Victoria Legrand's dream inducing vocals were whistful and haunting, playing the romantic counterpart to Alex Scally's sorrowful fret work. To be honest, I was surprised at how much energy the Baltimore duo brought on stage, as songs from both Beach House and Devotion felt more "alive" than on record, managing to transform the ethereal haze that envelopes their studio records into something that felt akin to a leisurely jaunt through Purgatory during a blizzard. Unquestionable highlights were Devotion standout "Heart of Chambers", which show'd off Scally's understated axe work and exquisite tone, as well as "Used To Be", the phenomenal new single the band released a few weeks back. Contemplative, romantic, dreamy and warm, all the things you'd expect to get from Beach House in the middle of December.

Beach House- Holy Dances (Live from Juan's Basement)

Beach House "Gila"

live: Animal Collective

"The Sweet Aroma"

Everyone's getting really "stoked" on the new Animal Collective...even though it hasn't leaked and most people haven't heard it. It's gotten so out of hand that there are over 600,000 page views in the AC-MPP atease thread and even a Twitter account dedicated to the Merriweather Post Pavillion leak. As one of the lucky few able to attend the NYC-MPP listening party, I can attest to the freaky joyous bounce fest that is MPP. If you've heard the "Brother Sport", or the "My Girls" rip, or have seen the band live in the past year, you're probably feeling the same way. That said, it's important to look to the past to remember how far AC have come, and this live set from Other Music in 2004 is a great example. Remember when Animal Collective was a "freak folk" band? Yeah me neither, but some people said they were. Anyway, this in-store performance, recorded a few months after the release of Sung Tongs, is all the drone-y vocal, shuffling acoustic strum and Avey screaming you remember from the pre-sampler AC. Notice the "On A Plain" cover, it's money. These guys sure have a way with Nirvana covers.

Animal Collective Live at Other Music 8/16/04

video: Little Joy

"I Will Be Waiting Here"

A creeper of a delight, Little Joy is like the blankey you were wrapped in at birth that you just don't have the heart to get rid of twenty five years later. It's scant and tattered from years of use and abuse, travels and nightmares, yet still maintains a certain soft and fluffy charm that cannot be understated. An old friend that makes you nostalgic for a much simpler time.

Little Joy- Next Time Around


Little Joy- Unattainable

video: Stars of the Lid

"Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage"

stars of the lid at le poisson rouge (nyc) november 20th, 2008 from acid marshmallow on Vimeo.

Acid Marshmellow's capturing of a night that I'd like to live over a million times. These guys have been crushing the videos lately, with some killer White Rainbow footage (below), and many assorted others. Acid Marshmellow is also throwing a show next Wednesday at Matchless, featuring NJ-bred tropical-loopster Ducktails. Definitely worth a trek to G-Point, or a bike ride down the street. Live videos of White Rainbow and Ducktails below, courtesy of Acid Marshmellow.


white rainbow at knitting factory (nyc) november 23rd, 2008 from acid marshmallow on Vimeo.


ducktails at silent barn (ridgewood) november 8th, 2008 from acid marshmallow on Vimeo.

lost and found: "The King of Goombay"

"Give me what you gave my daddy last night"
The Caribbean saw a significant rise in tourism following WWII. In the Bahamas, as was elsewhere, musicians began melding musical styles to accommodate the tourists. "Calypso was stereotypically represented to tourists as an exotic, sensual music, associated with tropical beaches and lush foliage." Arguably the most adroit of these crossover Calypsians was George Symonette. Symonette helped pioneer the sound of goombay, the Bahamian off-shoot of Calypso. I first heard of George Symonette, known as "The King of Goombay," through my grandfather, a jazz and blues aficionado who saw Symonette play in Nassau in the 50's. His music was tough to track down, but I eventually came across a vinyl rip of his album Bahamian Troubadour. It's sort of an island mix between George Benson, Mississippi John Hurt, and early Kinks.

George Symonette - Mama, Out De Light [from Bahamian Troubadour]

Bahamian internet commercial featuring George Symonette's "Don't Touch Me Tomato"

bobkast: #20: Tangled Wood Vines Twine

"Rosin Smells and Turpentine Smells From Eucalyptus and Pine"

Bitter tastes of twigs we chewed where tangled wood vines twine
Trees held us in on all four sides so thick we could not see
I could not see any wrong in you, and you saw none in me
- Woody Guthrie

Inspired by some of my favorite Woody Guthrie lyrics, and one of my favorite interpretations, "Bobkast #20: Tangled Wood Vines Twine" is a collection of live songs recorded around the world at legendary venues, radio stations, back seats, basements, theaters and beaches. A mellow treat for those adversely affected by day-light savings.

Bobkast #20: Tangled Wood Vines Twine
1. The Arcade Fire- Wake Up (Black Session, Paris, FR 2005)
2. Mazzy Star- Flowers in December (The Metro, Chicago, USA 1994)
3. Jeff Tweedy- Remember the Mountain Bed (Vic Theatre, Chicago, USA 2005)
4. My Morning Jacket- Touch Me I'm Going To Scream pt. 2 (Cab, London, UK 2008)
5. R.E.M.- Gardening At Night (Seattle, USA 1987)
6. Fleet Foxes- Blue Ridge Mountains (Nigel Godrich's Basement, UK 2008)
7. Beirut- The Penalty (Black Session, Paris, FR 2007)
8. Department of Eagles- Herring Bone (Daytrotter, Rock Island, USA 2008)
9. Grizzly Bear- He Hit Me (Daytrotter, Rock Island, USA 2007)
10. Beach House- Used to Be (Beach, Australia 2008)

Direct Download Bobkast #20: Tangled Wood Vines Twine

new music: Deastro

Sky High Anthems
Making a strong case for label of the year, Ghostly International's newest release, Deastro's debut album Keepers, is an overwhelmingly strong collection of singles and basements tapes similar to LCD Soundsystem's debut, only rather than packaging it with a second disc of new material, Deastro plans to release a new album, Moondagger, in January.

Sonically disparate from LCD, Deastro's songs are textured and complex and cover a melange of genres while still maintaining a central aesthetic. They would be perfect touring with fellow Ghostly-mates School of Seven Bells (hint hint) or School of Seven Bells tour-mates M83, or Peter Bjorn & John, who have no relationship with any of them.

Keepers is available only through digital download. It's a shame, because the digital download is well worth the $10--Keepers deserves a proper release.



from Ghostly's description of Keepers:

All of this genre-hopping — shy synth-pop to instrumental robot-rock, whisper-soft ballads to sky-high anthems — would be nothing if not for Chabot’s deliriously fizzy production and soft-focus melodies. Keepers is like that three-eyed space cat: a strange amalgamation of an artist’s various obsessions, disjointed but held together by sheer force of will, coming from humble origins but belying grand ambitions of beauty, positivity, and imagination.

********
ED Note: Speaking of Ghostly, they just posted this incredibly 90's, betamax crushing suburban “Triple Chrome Dipped" banger from label signee Michna, who you may recognize for his work on Bonde Do Role's WIth Lasers.

live: Fleet Foxes

"In The Quivering Forest"

Still not on the Fleet Foxes bandwagon? Try this Nigel Godrich produced, recorded and engineered live version of "Blue Ridge Mountains" on for size. It fits wayyy better than that itchy sweater your great Aunt Ada gave you last Christmas, and the Christmas before that. In fact, it fits so well, you'll never want to take it off. Ever. You can marvel at the video, soon to be shown on IFC, here, but we know your going to want to take this one with you, so grab the mp3 below. Ripped by yours truly. And May the wind always be at your back...

Fleet Foxes- Blue Ridge Mountains (Live in Nigel Godrich's Basement)

we saw: Science in Fiction

"Sound of Science"

Jean Painleve's underwater science films are some of the most surreal, utterly trippy visuals I have ever seen. Definitely not some rhythmic algorithm ala Windows Visualizations, Painleve used microscopes and manipulated lenses to capture the idiosyncrasies of life in the deep blue sea for the better part of the 20th century. Whether it be observing the insemination of an Octopus, roaming Seahorses or zooming in on "Liquid Crystals", Painleve was no doubt way head of his time in both his artistic vision and his vision of Science. Throw in an absolutely trance-inducing score by Yo La Tengo and you've got a force to be reckon with. Unfortunately, Science in Fiction, shown at MonkeyTown, is not available for purchase in the US(!?). If you've got friends studying abroad or hanging out in ex-pat land, tell them to do something productive and pick up a copy of Painleve's Science in Fiction for you. They'll thank you later.

{Ed Note: You can in fact purchase the DVD in the US, from the Yo La Tengo store, however, it will only play in Region 2 or All Region DVD players.}

Yo La Tengo- The Love Life of the Octopus

Jean Painleve "Liquid Crystals" from Science in Fiction

mix: Flying Lotus

"Because We Separate"

When not increasing the syzurpy-ness of "A Milli" by tenfold, tweaking Reefer's "Let It Go" with Gravity Bong ooz, taking a scalpel to the membrane of "Reckoner" and dropping his own outer-wordly LP, Flying Lotus can be found sequencing bad ass mixes for the BBC, which includes Bobka favorites Alice Coltrane, Burial, Ghostly International's Osbourne, Portishead and even a Chocolate Star/Nelly Furtado mash up that features "Promiscuous Girl." Peep the comments for the tracklisting. It's a doozey. (via Mad Dec)

Download Flying Lotus Essential Mix