Quarta-feira 31 Dez 2008, 17h:34
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):
http://assets1.pitchforkmedia.com/images/original/50872.1FleetFoxes_NMC_IMG_3069.jpg
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.
http://rcrdlbl.com/files/rblog_images/MorningBendersPostDA500.jpg
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.
http://rcrdlbl.com/files/rblog_images/RaRaRiotPostFAY500.jpg
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.
http://www.gitpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/tokyo-police-club.jpg
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:
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/01/28/images/vampireweekend.jpg
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.):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/RiversII.jpg/200px-RiversII.jpg
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.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ed/RaRaRiot-TheRhumbLine.jpg/200px-RaRaRiot-TheRhumbLine.jpg
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.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/90/Elephant_shell.jpg/200px-Elephant_shell.jpg
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.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7b/Illunnm.jpg/200px-Illunnm.jpg
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.