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Flogging Molly
Grand Ole Party
Heartless Bastards
Jenny Lewis
Jimmy Eat World
Kings of Leon
The Kooks (3 times)
Minus the Bear
The Morning Benders
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Whigs
Weezer
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Ziggy Marley

A Camp
Alela Diane
Amanda Blank
Andrew Bird
Angels & Airwaves
An Horse
Annuals
Arctic Monkeys
Awesome Color
Band of Annuals
Bedouin Soundclash
Ben Harper and Relentless7
Ben Johnson
Ben Kweller
Bishop Allen x2
BK-One
Blitzen Trapper x2
B.O.B
Bon Iver
Born Ruffians
Bowerbirds
Box Elders
Brian Bonz
Broken Spindles
Brother Ali
Built to Spill
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Collective Soul
Cursive
Dan Deacon
David Bazan
Dawes
Dear and the Headlights
Death Cab for Cutie
Delta Spirit x2
Dirty Projectors
Disco Doom
Drew Danburry x5
Emerson Hart
Everything, Now!
Evidence
Flogging Molly x2
Forest World
Forgive Durden
Franz Ferdinand
Future Islands
Gang Gang Dance
Gentleman Reg
Girl Talk
Git some
Gogol Bordello
Great Lake Swimmers
Guidance Counselor
Headlights x2
Hottub
I Hear Sirens
Iron & Wine
Isis
Jenny Lewis
Jessica Lea Mayfield
John Vanderslice
Jones Street Station
Joshua James
Keelhaul
Kevin Devine
Land of Talk
Lenka
Leslie & The Ly's
Lupe Fiasco
Maps & Atlases
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
Marnie Stern
Matt & Kim
Megafaun
Miniature Tigers x3
Mirah
Modest Mouse
M. Ward
N.A.S.A.
Neon Indian
Norfolk & Western x2
Okkervil River
Other Lives
Pearl Jam
Q-Tip
Ra Ra Riot x2
Royal Bliss
Russian Circles
Samantha Crain
Say Hi x2
Sister Suvi
Sonic Youth
Starfucker x2 (Now Pyramiddd)
Steel Train
Stereo Total
Teeth Mountain
Telekinesis
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
Tigercity
Toki Wright
Tolchock Trio
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Alligators
The Appleseed Cast
The Future of the Ghost x4
The Like
The Love Language
The Morning Benders
The Night Marchers
The Spinto Band
The Ting Tings
Toots and The Maytals
Tune-Yards
Uzi & Ari x3
Walter Meego
we all have hooks for hands
Weezer
What Laura Says
Wye Oak
YACHT
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Young Widows
ZOX

Wed 18 Mar – SXSW Music Conference and Festival
A brief rundown of who I saw at SXSW this March and who my favorites were....

Wednesday (Mar 18):
Cuntwise Mona (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
smoke and feathers (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Black Diamond Heavies (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Prayer For Animals (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
dd/mm/yyyy (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Thomas Function (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Your 33 Black Angels (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Haunting Oboe Music (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Golden Animals (Fastfolks Cyclery party)
Tera Melos (The Music Gym)
AUN (The Music Gym)

Thursday (Mar 19):
Tim Easton (New West Records party, Club Deville)
Corb Lund (New West Records party, Club Deville)
Mark Olson and Gary Louris (New West Records party, Club Deville)
The Morning Benders (Home Slice Pizza)
Dead Confederate (Home Slice Pizza)
Junius (The Ale House)
Hull (The Ale House)
Fuckshovel (Spiro's Amphitheater)
Dead Confederate (Spiro's)
Goes Cube (The Ale House)
Annihilation Time (Room 710)
Earthless (Room 710)

Friday (Mar 20):
Moth!Fight! (Emo's Annex)
Frances (Flamingo Cantina)
Woodgrain (Typewriter Museum)
Butcher Bear and Charlie's Roller Coaster Band (Typewriter Museum)
UME (Typewriter Museum)
THE SLANTS (Typewriter Museum)
Asakusa Jinta (Typewriter Museum)
The Republic Tigers (Home Slice Pizza)
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit (Home Slice Pizza)
Say Hi (Home Slice Pizza)
Hamell on Trial (Soho Lounge)
Eagle Twin (Emo's Annex)
The Felice Brothers (Habana Bar Backyard)
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit (Habana Bar Backyard)
Tim Easton (Habana Bar Backyard)
Pelican (Emo's Annex)

Saturday (Mar 21):
The Victor Mourning (Yard Dog Gallery)
Jad Fair (Yard Dog Gallery)
Tim Easton (Yard Dog Gallery)
Jason Lytle (Hot Freaks Party, Mohawk)
Vetiver (Mess With Texas 3, Waterloo Park)
Jason Lytle (Mess With Texas 3, Waterloo Park)
Dead Confederate (Side Bar)

...and at this point I had had it. Ended up that I had the flu, which kicked my butt for the next week.

So, 46 shows in 4 days...not too bad, but fewer than I had hoped. I ended up seeing more of my favorite bands as opposed to my normal mode of operation of checking out new music during SXSW.

Best day parties were certainly at Fast Folks Cyclery, Home Slice Pizza, and of course at the Typewriter Museum.

Bands seen most times: Dead Confederate, Tim Easton, each three times and excellent for each one of them.

Best new-to-me bands: Felice Brothers (ridiculously entertaining stage show), Junius (excellent post-metal from Boston)

Best showcase: Habana Bar Backyard, which featured the one-two-three punch of Felice Brothers, Jason Isbell, and Tim Easton.

Most welcome return to Austin: Hamell on Trial (the crowd at Soho Lounge was jacked, you could tell there were a lot of ex-Electric Lounge'ers there)

[the following was taken from Voilà! Music with the author's permission]



That's it. The end. 2008 is coming to a close, and what a wonderful/crazy/stupid/[insert adjective] year it has been. As always, there was a ton of music put out in 2008, and Voilà! is here to do that music justice.

Voilà! has been active and seen a whole year of music, officially. And this is the second run through of the best songs in a year for our humble site. Scrummaging around for some of the neatest music you can find may be a little cumbersome and difficult, but was it ever worth it! We found some unbelievably great stuff this year; 2008 was quite a zinger of a music year. From the latest kings of dance and pop trying to take their place on a thrown, some Chicagoan-Hollywood lovers kicking and screaming from the top, to marching bands who have you celebrating happiness, 2008 has left a defined mark on the music world. This is just some of the awesomeness we all collectively experienced through our speakers.

All of the following albums/bands are in no particular order - we're just going with the flow - but all made their mark specifically in the last 365 days. Just like last year, (when possible) I'll provide the link to buy the album from the well respected folks at Insound.com, in my opinion, one of the best music purveyors on the net. But in these tough economic times, you may want to send your money to a more "renowned" business. Never fret, because most of the music that made our list can probably be found on Amazon.com! But, before we begin, let's have a short review over how Voilà! handles our Music Wrap-Up.

Here's how it works:
The Top 10 - The best 10 albums of 2008.
The Bottom 10 - The best 10 albums that didn't make the Top 10. Hence, Bottom 10.
Obscure Recommendations - Some more obscure or interesting albums released in 2008 that were worthy of mention.
Best Bands of 2008 - The best of the best that Voilà! found over the year.
Best Bands For 2009 - The best new bands you should really pay attention to starting January 1st.






Top 10:
[the best of the best]

Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - "I see a mansard roof in the trees," where Blake got a new face, but nobody cares about an Oxford Comma because the kids don't stand a chance. Let's face it folks, Vampire Weekend took the world by storm with their debut self-titled album. With a slew of dorky-collard-shirt indie-pop mixed with an African tinge, these New York cats have Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa'd their way from near obscurity to international notoriety. The album itself is packed with songs that will keep you drawn in and listening again and again the whole way through. This album is borderline perfection, and it would be a tragedy to not hear it.

Moonbeams by Throw Me the Statue - Can a band be filled with such deliciously tasty creativity and music to the point where they are too addicting? Throw Me the Statue certainly tested those waters with their debut Moonbeams. Follow this pop rainbow and you'll find yourself at the big pot of musical gold at the end. With songs like "Lolita," "About To Walk," "Your Girlfriend's Car," and "This Is How We Kiss," there's a song for everyone. With lo-fi aesthetics and teeth rotting sweet melodies, Moonbeams should not be missed.

Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie - Death Cab celebrates a decade of playing wondrous music with a brand new album! Narrow Stairs takes all the bubblegum pop of contemporary Death Cab and mixes it with their old school stylings; a mixture of Something About Airplanes and The Photo Album. Narrow Stairs is a perfect representation of the ever evolving, ever involving, ever intriguing, ever exciting musical spectrum Death Cab for Cutie is known for.

Come Into My House by No Kids - There's a unique something in the air. An unmistakable something that's drifting in from Western Canada. I promise it's not a North American cold front. It's in fact No Kids, and with their bubblegum pop that emulates all forms of music with irresistible intrigue that No Kids display on their debut Come Into My House, you won't be able to turn away. Come Into My House is an album that will draw you in, and one that may never let you free again. Embrace it with open arms, and you'll be bathed in the most pleasant of sounds, I promise.

The Muslims by The Soft Pack [formerly The Muslims] - Good ol' homecookin'. Well, at least in a musical sense. That's what The Soft Pack is great at, and when they were still known as The Muslims, they released their self titled debut LP, filled to the brim with some wild, vibrant, fun, cranky, crazy, cool collection of songs. Recorded very simply, The Soft Pack emulates something like The Strokes if they recorded in a basement. The shocker here is The Soft Pack makes The Strokes look silly. With a crisp, lucid, minimal style, The Soft Pack's debut album is organic rock 'n roll, without all the unnecessary gimmicks and additives.

Bam Bam by Bam Bam - One of the biggest break out bands to land a stage at SXSW 2008, Bam Bam's debut self-titled release is off the chain. With a tremendous presence, a colourful array of intensely dynamic songs, and a unique take on indie rock with a Mexican perspective, Bam Bam is an unprecedented presence on this year's Top 10. Their debut album is on your required listening list, no matter what language you speak or country your from. There is nothing that compares.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust by Sigur Rós - How do you top something so awe inspiring as Sigur Rós' album Takk..., which garnered the Icelandic ensemble international acclaim from literally all over the world? Well, if Heima, now the #1 documentary on IMDB doesn't do it, how about a brand new album? Stripping away the orchestral wildness of Takk..., Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust presents Sigur Rós as they were meant to be seen: poignant, grandiose, and beautiful beyond comprehension.

Ocular Spectacular by MGMT - Last year, people were dancing away to !!!'s Myth Takes. Any good Top 10 will have something great to dance to. But I never imagined putting anything like Ocular Spectacular on this list. MGMT came parading through with a dance-pop hurricane that blew their competition out of the water entirely. This album will make the strongest of dancers need to take a break, the most renowned DJs giddy like schoolgirls, and may even impress the likes of superstars like Daft Punk. Ocular Spectacular made this list without even trying.

Pop-up by Yelle - Les personnes de français a arrive, et ils est prepare à détruire les personnes du États-Unis! Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme. Or maybe that's just crappy French (which it is). But regardless, the French have indeed begun to take the States and the world by storm now that French rapper Yelle has left a trail of adoring fans in her wake across the planet. She released Pop-Up to a wide range of success, and the fast paced, bass thudding beats on Pop-Up, along with the catchy, promiscuous, raunchy French lyrics easily earn her a spot on anyone's best music of 2008.

When The Music Starts by Mount Righteous - I could give a brief summary of Mount Righteous, or about their debut album, When The Music Starts. I really could. I could tell you about how their marching band-esque attitude gives them a personality like no other, or how their eclectic, vibrant songs bring happiness and joy out of your heart, and make it tangible. But that wouldn't do them justice. So, I'll let Mount Righteous explain: "When the music starts, we all get together. And we dance, and sing, and love one another. It's a gorgeous thing, the feeling it brings. Freedom is finally mine."



___________________________________



Bottom 10:
[the albums that almost made it]


Hold On Now, Youngster... by Los Campesinos! - Debut albums from great bands can almost be a shoe-in for best-of-this-year lists, and Los Campesinos!' debut is no exception. The kooky characters from Wales present a truly unique, fast paced, eccentric critique of pop-culture in their debut Hold On Now, Youngster..., which sent these boys on the fast track to success internationally. C'mon, if you aren't addicted to "You! Me! Dancing!" yet, you need to listen to some different music.

Youth Novels by Lykke Li - Her name may be tricky, but her hips and the music will never lie. The entrancing debut from the Swedish indie-pop sweetheart Lykke Li is pure golden with gorgeous melodies orbiting unprecedentedly perfect rhythms boiling down every emotion into a foot tapping, hip wagging dance. Whether you love her for her lively fashion, her many collaborations, or that silky sweet voice that draws you in like a siren, Lykke Li's debut Youth Novels will entrance you with a hypnotic beauty that is unparalleled.

We Brave Bee Stings and All by Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Ms. Thao Nguyen, along with her diligent compadres in The Get Down Stay Down, definitely set a new standard for contemporary folk music. With a strong emphasis on blues and distinctive uniqueness in musical improvisation, We Brave Bee Stings & All raises the bar for all their peers. Thao's raspy voice, along with her conceptual lyrics, and The Get Down Stay Down's interesting instrumentation, We Brave Bee Stings and All is a must hear from 2008.

At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade - To be unique, they say, you have to march to the beat of your own drum. Obviously nobody considered how Wolf Parade would "Beat Your Drum" if they were given the chance. Now on their sophomore LP, the anglophone Montréal quartet Wolf Parade have been tearing their way through the music scene with the release of At Mount Zoomer. Taking all you love from Apologies to the Queen Mary and multiplying it by four, At Mount Zoomer brings a maturing view of a wild band.

Pershing by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - There was a dilemma this year. Two of the biggest pop albums made a release invariably at the same time, Moonbeams by Throw Me the Statue, and Perishing, by Someone Still Loves You... What do you do?! Perishing is a tidal wave of fun-lovin' and jubilance! Perishing may be down here on the Bottom 10, but it is identically synonymous with Moonbeams on the Top. It's all a matter of taste, my dear readers; don't count Perishing out; it's a must hear.

Fate by Dr. Dog - If there was probably a stand-out band that just about everyone could agree on for 2008, in the independent music scene, it might easily be Dr. Dog. The Philladelphia boys struck a chord across the mainstream media with We All Belong, and followed their success up with Fate. Fate presents a significantly matured and diligently crafted sound, progressive and textured, a work that leaves you begging for more.

Folie à Deux by Fall Out Boy - They've got the haters tugged in tow, and pride themselves in the derision. With the debut of Infinity On High, Wentz turned these guys into Hollywood superstars rather than rough 'n tumblin' chicago boys. But if you take out all the MTV drama, when you look at these guys objectively, their latest release with Folie à Deux is actually a pretty grand album. Folie à Deux is an anthemic release, filled to the brim with pop-rock jams that beg to be compared to Take This to Your Grave days, along with quirky influence from Stumps' extensive music taste (listen for Prince or Costello) Fall Out Boy scores a casual goal. At least here, anyway.

Partie Traumatic by Black Kids - An expansive celebration of the keyboard, Black Kids' debut LP launched them into a land of critical acclaim. This album is vibrant and draws back to Hot Hot Heat's Elevator in both music and vocal styling. What sets Black Kids apart is their vibrant uniqueness - a flavour that can't be replicated any other way. If you like dancing, this album is for you.

'The Very Best' Mixtape by Esau Mwamwaya - How in the world did this end up in the Bottom 10?! I'm really at a loss here, friends. Malawi vocalist Esau Mwamwaya, along with Radioclit, have crafted themselves a huge collection of amazing remixes of wonderful artists including Architecture in Helsinki, Vampire Weekend, and M.I.A. They're almost all sung in Chichewa, and I haven't the faintest what Esau might be saying, but isn't it just FABULOUS?! There is no reason this should be in the Bottom 10; this is in fact, one of the best albums of the year.

Broken Social Scene Presents: Something For All Of Us... by Brendan Canning - It can't be a year without Broken Social Scene, right? The Canadian supergroup is still having a blast with their eclectic Broken Social Scene Presents series, which still has last.fm users scratching their heads as who to list the artist as. This year, co-founder Brendan Canning gets his shot at a feature album, with Something For All Of Us..., and pulls out all the stops for his re-introduction. If you haven't heart "Church Under the Stairs" yet, what have you been doing all year?


___________________________________

Obscure Recommendations
[some folks who made enough noise to be heard]


Weepy by Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Even If It Kills Me - EP by Motion City Soundtrack

Cars by Now, Now Every Children

A Good Day by Priscilla Ahn

the bedroom covers by The Morning Benders

The Bake Sale by The Cool Kids

Texas by PlayRadioPlay!

¿Cómo Te Llama? by Albert Hammond Jr.

Seaside Rock by Peter Bjorn and John

Colin Meloy Sings Live! by Colin Meloy

We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed by Los Campesinos!

Sad Robots EP by Stars

UROBOROS by Dir en grey

Jingle Spells 2 by Various Artists

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack by Various Artists

Who Killed Harry Houdini? by I'm From Barcelona

O by Tilly and the Wall

Loyalty to Loyalty by Cold War Kids



____________________________________

Best Bands of 2008
[the ones Voilà! watched closely]


Bam Bam
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/03/week-of-sxsw-2008-bam-bam.html

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/05/band-of-week-thao-with-get-down-stay.html

Priscilla Ahn
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/10/band-of-week-priscilla-ahn.html

The Soft Pack (formerly The Muslims)
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/09/band-of-week-muslims.html

Yelle
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/03/band-of-week-yelle.html

No Kids
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/band-of-week-no-kids.html

Ohbijou
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/band-of-week-ohbijou.html

Peachcake
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/08/band-of-week-peachcake.html

Mom
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/band-of-week-mom.html

Mount Righteous
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/10/band-of-week-mount-righteous.html

____________________________________

Best Bands For 2009
[the ones you should start watching closely]


Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/08/band-of-week-miles-benjamin-anthony.html

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/09/band-of-week-mt-st-helens-vietnam-band.html

The Je Ne Sais Quoi

Dirty Skirts

Now, Now Every Children
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-want-it-now-now.html

Via Audio
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/06/band-of-week-via-audio.html

Wax On Radio
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/06/band-of-week-wax-on-radio.html

LITE

Eisley

Mount Righteous
http://voilamusic.blogspot.com/2008/10/band-of-week-mount-righteous.html

The Scene Aesthetic

Malajube

Today is the last day of 2008. Hooray? 2008 was a pretty decent year for music, although I was let down by a lot of the albums I was looking forward to, namely Keane's Perfect Symmetry. But before I get to my Best and Worst of the year, let's look at my charts. Feel free to check out my entry from last year, as well:

Top Artists of the Year:
1. Keane - 512 plays = Same
2. Beulah - 319 plays = Up 4
3. Weezer - 316 plays = Up 2
4a. Tokyo Police Club - 274 plays = New!
4b. Vampire Weekend - 274 plays = New!
6. Josiah Leming - 253 plays = New!
7. The Beatles - 237 plays = Down 5
8. Rivers Cuomo - 183 plays = Same
9. Lydia - 148 plays = New!
10. Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - 147 plays = New!

Out of the new artists, 4 of them released albums, debut or otherwise, this year.

Top Songs of the Year:
1. Pilgrim by The Long Goodbye = 51plays
2. A-Punk by Vampire Weekend = 36 plays
3. AFK by Pinback = 35 plays
4. Her by Josiah Leming = 34 plays
5. Waltz #2 (XO) by Elliott Smith = 32 plays
6a. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel = 31 plays
6b. River, Sea, Ocean by Badly Drawn Boy = 31 plays
8. Now I'm All Over the Shop by Maxïmo Park = 30 plays
9. Hold Me Down by Motion City Soundtrack = 29 plays
10a. Boxing by Ben Folds Five = 28 plays
10b. Walcott by Vampire Weekend = 28 plays

All of the above tracks are new to the charts this year, except for number 1, which was in the same spot last year.

Top Albums of the Year:

1. Yoko by Beulah - 144 plays = Up 3
2. Elephant Shell by Tokyo Police Club - 131 plays = New!
3. Under the Iron Sea by Keane - 122 plays = Down 2
4. Hopes & Fears by Keane - 121 plays = Down 2
5. 1 by The Beatles - 119 plays = Same
6. The Dust of Retreat by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - 115 plays = New!
7. Everything All the Time by Band of Horses - 114 plays = New!
8. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - 113 plays = New!
9. Pinkerton by Weezer - 109 plays = Down 1
10. The Coast is Never Clear by Beulah - 99 plays = New!

Of the new albums, 2 came out this year.

My charts are quite different from last year's, although Keane, Beulah, and Weezer have stuck around and kept close to their spots from last year.

And now, for my Best and Worst Artists, Songs, and Albums of the Year, which I'm going to make super fancy by putting in pictures and crud:

Best New Artist. (in this case, this is a band/person whose first full-length came out this year):



5. Fleet Foxes

These critical darlings have been raking in the awards this month, being called Best of '08 by many, with Pitchfork even hailing their E.P. as the best of the year. Pitchfork and I don't always agree, but at least we can agree on this one thing: Fleet Foxes are great. They remind me of Band of Horses, another band I loved this year, but maybe a little more interesting and with perhaps fewer unintelligible lyrics. Awesome band who’ll just greater with time.



4. The Morning Benders

The Morning Benders are probably one of the most underrated bands of the year. Their debut, Talking in Tin Cans, was released back in April, and I expected people to start pouring in in packs. Alas, it did not happen. Their simplistic indie pop might have not appealed to those who preferred the complex instrumentation of other bands, but that is not to say this band is not worth the accolades their peers receive. Although they aren't the most inventive band ever, they charmed me with their cute lyrics and catchy beats. Hopefully next year will be a bigger year for them, because they really do deserve a wider audience.



3. Ra Ra Riot

This band reminded me of another favorite, Vampire Weekend, on first listen. But on repeated listenings, I realized that they are so much more that just another indie pop band. They're a chamber pop group who make beautiful use of the violin/cello and pour their hearts into their music. Before they finished recording their first album, their drummer passed away. However, the band did not pack up their instruments. Instead, they powered on, and created one of the best releases of the year. Vampire Weekend might have over-shadowed them sales-wise, but they will only get better and better, separating themselves from their peers by their next album.



2. Tokyo Police Club

This band was the most fun one of the year. All of their music is uptempo and danceable, and they’ll get stuck in your head in two or three listens, not leaving for another…oh, 8 months? Their longest song is 3 minutes long, but these guys know how to make more with less. It’s rare when I feel like I need every single song a band has ever created, but that’s exactly what happened with these guys, and I don’t regret the hours I put into collecting their stuff. They were my most played band of the year (well, next to Keane, but whatever), and they definitely deserve that title.

The best new artist of 2008 is:


1. Vampire Weekend

Let’s go back in time to exactly a year prior: December 31st, 2007. I was reading some stupid teen gossip site, and saw an article that caught my eye: bands to look out for in the New Year. The very first band on the list was a band I had never ever heard of: Vampire Weekend. I thought the lead singer was nothing short of adorable (superficial, I know), and after reading up some more about them, I downloaded a couple of songs that soon became of couple of my favorite songs of all time. In January, I bought their album, which (sorry to admit) is something I do only when I really, really, really like a band. And this band was so, so worth it. Their simple pop music reminds me of easier, care-free times. I don’t think this band has a single depressing song. Every single song by these guys is a gem, and although they might have been overhyped, I personally believe all of the glowing reviews are deserved. This is a band I won’t soon be forgetting, even if everyone else has.

Now, Worst New Artists, in 3 words or less:

5. Flo Rida: Horrible hip-hop!
4. Lady Antebellum: Plain bad country!
3. Katy Perry: Shut up already!
2. Duffy: So annoying!
1. Miley Cyrus: Oh god, no!

Best Songs of the Year (I’m getting increasingly lazy, so no descriptions this time. Just listen to the songs!):

10. Go On, Say It by Blind Pilot (Youtube)
9. Why Can’t I Be You (Why Not Me) by Locksley (Youtube)
8. Ragged Wood by Fleet Foxes (Youtube)
7. Violet Hill by Coldplay (Youtube)
6. The Old Prince Still Lives at Home by Shad (Youtube)
5. Can You Tell by Ra Ra Riot (Youtube)
4. Hospital by Lydia (Youtube)
3. Jodi by the Dodos (Youtube)
2. Nursery, Academy by Tokyo Police Club (Youtube)
The best song of 2008 is…:
1. A-Punk by Vampire Weekend (Youtube)

Honorable Mentions: Gobbledigook by Sigur Rós, Patient Patient by the Morning Benders, The Dynamo of Volition by Jason Mraz, Consoler of the Lonely by the Raconteurs. Oh, and Viva La Vida by Coldplay, which is probably everybody’s favorite song of the year.

The Worst Songs of the Year:

5. Low by Flo Rida – No, no, no.
4. Love Song by Sara Bareilles – I hate this song. So much. It’s not worse than Low, really, but it’s so overplayed and irritating that I’m ranking it higher.
3. Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade – Dear god! MORE awful pop-punk bands?! No!
2. 7 Things by Miley Cyrus – Even a lot of her fangirls hated this song. That’s how bad it is.
1. I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry – I always disliked it, but when it’s played at a Sweet 16 at 5 billion dB and even 8 year old girls are singing “I kissed a girl and I liked it”, you know it’s the worst.

Honorable Mentions: Everything by Taylor Swift, Burnin’ Up by the Super Jonas Bros., When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls, and Damaged by Danity Kane, which actually gives me nightmares because it’s so bad.

And finally…

The Best Albums of the Year (I will describe each one with a brief summary and as many adjectives as possible. Yes, I am THAT lazy.):



5. Alone II: The Home Recordings of RIvers Cuomo by Rivers Cuomo

Okay, this is a compilation of songs not recorded in 2008. However, it’s a really awesome compilation of songs not recorded in 2008. Great album. It’s even better than Alone I. Enjoyable, exciting, energetic, catchy.
Must-Downloads: I Was Scared, Walt Disney, Can’t Stop Partying, The Purification of Water.



4. The Rhumb Line by Ra Ra Riot

Brilliant. Loved it from the first track (“Ghost Under Rocks”). Not a single bad song on it. Beautiful, breath-taking, fulfilling, melancholy, wonderful.
Must-Downloads: Ghost Under Rocks, Can You Tell, Too Too Too Fast, Winter ‘05

The next three are all very close together in terms of amazing-ness, and it was hard to rank them.



3. Elephant Shell by Tokyo Police Club

I wasn’t sure if I should put this 2nd or 3rd, but I guess 3rd’s fine. This is one of those albums that I can listen to straight through without getting bored. Every single song on it is worth listening to. Sure, some I like more than others, but at least I like all of them and have listened to them more than once. Danceable, full of life, uh…indescribable… awesome. Must-Downloads: Nursery, Academy, Tesselate, Juno, Sixties Remake.



2. Illuminate by Lydia

Wow…okay, I said Elephant Shell was indescribable, but this album is more fitting of that label. It’s just strikingly beautiful. Leighton’s (the lead singer) voice is just so pretty, you can’t do anything but succumb to him and listen to his music. The lyrics are brilliant, the music is brilliant…blah. I really have no more to say. Inspired, elegant, luscious, powerful, mind-numbingly beautiful. Must-Downloads: Hospital, One More Day, I Woke Up Near the Sea, A Fine Evening for a Rogue

And the best album of the year is…



1. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend

This album is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. Every song on it is masterful. It’s just perfect, simple pop songs. This might be a bold connection, but it reminds me of the Beatles’ early years, when they made inescapable pop songs that were so brilliant. That’s what this album is full of. The afro-pop influences are abundant and welcomed, and something that’s become more popular this year. Was it because of this album? Maybe. This album hasn’t graced the tops of all the lists like Fleet Foxes has, but it should. The music world just has forgotten about it since it was released 11 months ago. This album is one I will not be forgetting, however, and I am eagerly awaiting new Vampire Weekend. With this album playing, though, the wait won’t be as hard. Must-Downloads: A-Punk, Walcott, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, One (Blake’s Got a New Face), Mansard Roof

Honorable Mentions: Pretty. Odd.: I hate Panic! At the Disco. I like Panic at the Disco. See, after they dropped their “!”, they became a much different, better band, whose album is full of cute pop gems. It’s not the best album of the year, not even close, but it’s one that I enjoyed and am still enjoying today. And the song titles are actually relevant! Sadly, the band’s largely inept fanbase does not share my enthusiasm for this album, and since the songs were no longer indistinguishable from those of Fall Out Boy, they hated it. Hopefully, PATD ignores them and make the kind of music they want to make, which I believe is the music on Pretty. Odd. Must-Downloads: She Had the World, She’s a Handsome Woman, Mad as Rabbits, I Have Friends in Holy Spaces (well, maybe that one isn’t)

You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into: A really fun dance-punk album. Not great, but very good; wakes you up after you’re done listening to Fleet Foxes or Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Not that either of those albums are boring, of course. Must-Downloads: Dawn of the Dead, Epic Last Song, Doomed Now

Not Animal: Pretty good, although not as good as The Dust of Retreat. It was enjoyable, however; just not particulary memorable. Must-Downloads: The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt), Holy Cow!, As Tall as Cliffs

The Worst Albums of the Year:

I try to stay away from bad albums. So instead, here are my disappointments.

Weezer’s Weezer (Red Album): I really liked Pork and Beans (until it became overplayed and I got sick of it). I rode the wave of hype that the song created. I ended up being disappointed, especially after hearing crud like Troublemaker and Cold, Dark World. I originally hated The Greatest Man That Ever Lived, too, but that actually grew on me, and now I like it more than Pork and Beans. Another decent song is the LA Riots Remix of Automatic. The original, however, is not that great.

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Animal!: I overhyped this. I thought it was going to be just as good as The Dust of Retreat, which was amazing. Unfortunately, it's not even close. Not Animal, which the band said was worse than Animal!, ended up being pretty decent, however. Still not as good as the band's debut, though. Oh well, hopefully they can pick themselves up and correct their problems.

Keane’s Perfect Symmetry: I am a HUGE Keane fan. They are my favorite band. So, of course I was looking forward to this album. I was ready for some new Keane. However, the new Keane was nothing at all like the old Keane. Instead, the new album was full of horrible electro-pop that must have been mislabeled with Keane moniker. Jesus, NONE of the songs are great. Love is the End is the only song I’d even call “good”! The album is that BAD. I think this album was their worst critically and commercially, so maybe that will show them that although it’s great that they wanted to experiment, not all experiments turn out well. I eagerly await Keane’s next album, in the hope that they have relearned the definition of “good” and fixed all of their problems.

That took me 5 hours. 5 hours of writing the worst article/entry/whatever the heck this is I’ve ever written. Oh well. It was enjoyable.

Happy New Year, everyone!

-A.

1. Why?- Alopecia
2. The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans
3. Johnny Flynn - A Larum
4. Ane Brun - Changing Of The Seasons
5. Wolf Parade- At Mount Zoomer
6. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Graves
7. Okay - Huggable Dust
8. Ladyhawk- Shots
9. The Dodos - Visiter
10. Chad VanGaalen– Soft Airplane
11.Ghost Bees - Tasseomancy
12. David Karsten Daniels - Fear Of Flying
13. Chauchat- Upon Thousands
14. Miss Autopsy- The Hill
15. Goldmund- Malady of Elegance
16. Adam Green - Sixes And Sevens
17. Mother Mother- Oh My Heart
18. She & Him - Volume 1
19. These United States- A picture of the Three of us at the gates of the garden of Eden/ Crimes
20. Scary Mansion - Every Joke Is Half The Truth
21. Mt Eerie– lost wisdom/Dawn
22. Ratatat - LP3
23. Women - Women
24. Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra - Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra
25. The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
26. Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Inside the human Body
27. Mount Righteous - When The Music Starts
28. Pete Molinari- A Virtual Landslide
29. Cloud Cult- Feel Good Ghosts
30. Final Fantasy– Plays To Please/Spectrum, 14th Century
31. No Age - Nouns
32. James Yorkston- When The HAar Rolls In
33. The Whiskers - The Distorted Historian
34. Dr. Dog- Fate
35. Human Highway- Moody Motorcycle
36. Grampall Jookabox – Rill Bruh (EP)/ Ropechain
37. Castanets– City Of Refuge
38. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
39. O’Death - Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skin
40. Turner Cody – First Light
41. Mr. David Viner - AMong The Rumours & The Rye
42. The Two Man Gentleman Band - Heavy Petting
43. Ray LaMontagne - Gossip In The Grain
44. Stanley Brinks - Dank U
45. The Wave Pictures - Instant Coffee Baby
46. Noah & The Whale - Peacefully, The World Lays Me Down
47. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
48. The Burning Hell- Happy Birthday
49. 31 Knots - Worried Well
50. The Oh Sees- The Masters Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In

I've been taking the bus since my freshman year of high school. I've made some of my best playlists for my bus ride home from school.

Here is my most current playlist:

The Black Keys- I'm Glad

Coconut Records- It's Not You It's Me

Animal Collective- Water Curses

The Coast- Tightrope

Tokyo Police Club-Juno

The Morning Benders- Lovefool [cover]

Matt and Kim- Yea Yeah

Feist- Brandy Alexander

Kevin Drew- Safety Bricks

Sigur Ros- Agaetis Byrjun

Thomas Tantrum- Shake It Shake It

Port O' Brien- I Woke Up Today

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head- Sophisticated Side Ponytail


Obvious my playlists don't flow[ at least theme wise ]. But these are my bus tracks.

This week on Uncensored Interview, we chit chat with L Word sensation, Leisha Hailey, and her amazing partner in crime, Camilla Grey who make up the electro-indie rock duo of
Uh Huh Her

Ra Ra Riot stopped by our studios to discuss the new album, Matt's sugar habits, their dislike of the oboe and their hometown of Syracuse, NY.

The lovely and legendary, Juliana Hatfield gave insight into her teenage years, her literary influences, Henry Rollins, and her pals, Nada Surf.

There's always amazing video interview footage at http://www.uncensoredinterview.com -- more this week with Mike Edison, The Morning Benders, Brendan James, and Artanker Convoy. Come see for yourself.....

xo.
Uncensored Interview

Uh Huh Her, Juliana Hatfield, Ra Ra Riot, The Morning Benders, Brendan James, Artanker Convoy, Mike Edison