(Death Vessel's Joel Thibodeau: Not exactly what I imagined.)
Happy new year, Toggle Switch readers. Here at T.S. World Headquarters, our crack team of technicians, ethnomusicologists and barbecue fanatics are still putting the finishing touches on a best-of 2008 Virginia music collection for you to download. In the meantime, allow me to introduce my ten favorite tracks from 2008. Here they are in no particular order and not hemmed in by any geographical limitations what-so-ever:
1. "California Girls" Magnetic Fields, from the album "Distortion." Stephen Merritt's homage to the droning, grungy sound of Jesus and Mary Chain didn't turn out to be my favorite Magnetic Fields album, but it did produce this sweet, sarcastic gem.
2. "Baby Likes a Love Song" Malcolm Holcombe, from the album "Gamblin House" A gravel-throated North Carolinian at his rustic best.
3. "Bruno's Torso" Death Vessel, from the album "Nothing is Precious Enough For Us." I was obsessed with this song after hearing it on a free Sub Pop sampler CD I picked up on Independent Record Store Day. A big part of the attraction was that voice -- which upon closer examination turned out to belong to a man, not a beautiful woman. Hmmm.
4. "Furr" Blitzen Trapper, from the album "Furr." Coincidentally, another song included on that Sub Pop "Happy Birthday to Me" sampler, this track is one of several nice ones on the band's newest disc. Seeing these guys open for Iron and Wine at The NorVa sealed the deal for me. What a great band.
5. "He Doesn't Know Why" Fleet Foxes, from the album "Fleet Foxes." Yes, lots of people have been singing the praises of these guys, so I'm not enlightening anybody, but I've got to be honest. I was infected with Fleet Foxes Fever like everybody and your brother. This track finds them getting more Zombies than CSN, which is always a good thing.
6. "Effington" Ben Folds, from the album "Way To Normal." I always thought the Norfolk street name Effingham sounded like the punch line of a joke. Could never get the setup, though. Then Ben comes along and writes this great song about how "life is effing great in Effington." Jerk.
7. "That's Not My Name" The Ting Tings, from the album "We Started Nothing." I hated Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" a few years ago -- even though a bunch of people thought the tune was a guilty pleasure. I'm embarrassed that I like this track so much. But fuck it. I do.
8. "Time to Pretend" MGMT, from the album "Oracular Spectacular." Another popular favorite in new music circles, and I understand why. Great melody, great lyrics and great production from Flaming Lips pal Dave Fridmann.
9. "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" Vampire Weekend, from the album "Vampire Weekend." The thing that still amazes me about this album is how relaxed and effortless it all sounds. This is my favorite tune from the disc -- and the first one I heard when my man Joe Atkinson sent me a link to a video of the band playing it unplugged.
10. "Broken" Tift Merritt, from the album "Another Country." Looking back over the songs I've picked, I think I'm revealing myself as a incurable fluff-head. Anyway, this is the sweetest track from a possibly too-polished album. Can't give the whole album a recommendation, but I absolutely loved this tune.
2 comments:
It's so tough choosing a favorite Fleet Foxes song -- I'd probably go with "Ragged Wood" or "Mykonos" -- but "He Doesn't Know Why" is definitely a corker. It reminds me of being 10 and at church on Sunday. There's just something very hymn-like about it. But I can hear The Zombies, too.
And yeah, "Furr" is awesome. I love the way the story unfolds:
"So I drove into the woods and wandered aimlessly about, until I hear my mother shouting through the fog. It turned out to be howling of a dog, or a wolf to be exact. The sound sent shivers down my back, but I was drawn into the pack and before long, they allowed me to join in and sing their song."
That's some good stuff right there.
You mean Effingham in P-town, right?
Kudos, though, for the Ben Folds mention. I wish I could have scored tickets for his Bonefish show!
I'll have to check out Fleet Foxes. Twice now I've asked the bartender in one of my favorite local watering holes, "Is this My Morning Jacket?" Each time, it was Fleet Foxes.
Two performances that blew me away in 2008 came on Austin City Limits. First, the Raconteurs -- what a great set! Second, Joe Ely, who was sitting in with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Guy Clark. I keep meaning to buy something from his catalog.
Honorable mention: Rilo Kiley at The Norva. I just got Jenny Lewis' CD but haven't listened to it yet.
Thanks for the list, Sam!
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