Top Ten Albums of 2008

This list may not be as representative as years past, because I was so busy this year I didn't listen to as much new music as usual. Also, once Fleet Foxes' Sun Giant EP and self-titled album came out, that was pretty much all I listened to for 3 months straight or so. (Did I mention I love them? Oh, I did? Like here, here, and here? Okay then.) But we still managed to visit Sonic Boom on a regular basis and I did eventually listen to more than one band. We also made it to a fair amount of shows and I'm not gonna lie: how much I love their live performance definitely colors how I feel about a band's album (in fact, there may have to be a special top ten list just for awesome shows). But enough chitchat! On with the list:

Top Ten Albums of 2008

1. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
2. Grand Archives, The Grand Archives
3. Volume 1, She & Him
4. Blame It On Gravity, Old 97s
5. We Brave Bee Stings And All, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
6. Keep Your Eyes Ahead, The Helio Sequence
7. Mingle, The Saturday Knights
8. Glistening Pleasure, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
9. This Gift, Sons & Daughters
10. Narrow Stairs, Death Cab for Cutie


Special Award: Just A Little Lovin', Shelby Lynne
Since it only contains one new song, I don't feel right putting this Dusty Springfield tribute album on the top 10 list. That said, I can't recommend this album strongly enough. Lynne's version of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" alone is reason to get your hands on it.

Fleet Foxes signed to Sub Pop!

Oh happy day! Fleet Foxes announced today that they've officially signed with Sub Pop. I can't think of another group that deserves it more - they work hard and sound amazing, and really, what more can you ask for in a band? Take my advice and visit their MySpace page for their upcoming tour schedule...you'll want to catch them this time around. Then when they become hugely popular you'll be able to reminisce about how you saw them back when, and how it was so much better than before they started playing the Paramount (or whatever large theater with terrible sound your city has), et cetera et cetera. Plus you will LOVE them as much as I do. Trust me!

Top Ten (plus a few more) Songs of 2007

Because some of the year's best songs didn't make it onto the year's best albums. (Then again, some did.) In no particular order:

"White Winter Hymnal," Fleet Foxes
TIE: "My Favorite Book" & "Take Me To The Riot," Stars
"A Sunday Smile," Beirut
"45," The Saturday Knights
"I Feel It All," Feist
"Here Comes One," Lavender Diamond
"Pull Shapes," The Pipettes
"Energy," The Apples In Stereo
"Black Wave/Bad Vibrations," The Arcade Fire
"Station Grey," Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter
"Scythian Empires," Andrew Bird
"Be Easy," Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings
"Only Lovers Left Alive," The Long Blondes
"All The Old Showstoppers," The New Pornographers

Top Ten Albums of 2007

Drumroll, please...

1. In Our Bedroom After The War, Stars
2. The Reminder, Feist
3. The Flying Club Cup, Beirut
4. 100 Days, 100 Nights, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
5. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire
6. New Magnetic Wonder, The Apples In Stereo
7. Music From The Motion Picture Once
8. Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird
9. Imagine Our Love, Lavender Diamond
10. Challengers, The New Pornographers

Favorite song that's not on an album yet: "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes (I love these guys!). Visit their MySpace page to hear it, or watch the video below for a live version (it's the second song). Hmm...I may have to include a top ten songs of 2007 just to give them their due.

Weekends away

I finally turned 30 last weekend! I say "finally" because once you're 29, really, you're so close that what's the point? Better to just be 30 and be done with the twenties. Happily my birthday fell on a Saturday this year so I got to celebrate all weekend long, first with a dinner at The Pink Door with our good friends Kristine and Bob, and then on Sunday night with a surprise birthday dinner at Cremant, organized by a very sneaky Larry. It was my first ever surprise party, and a great way to kick off my next year.

We spent Labor Day weekend at Bumbershoot, seeing so many bands I can't remember them all. Fortunately Larry made an Excel spreadsheet to use as our personal schedule - his nerdiness comes in really handy sometimes. So here's who we saw:

Saturday:
Carrie Akre
Crowded House
The Shins
The Saturday Knights
Menomena
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Gogol Bordello

Sunday:
The Watson Twins
Art Brut
Stars of Track and Field
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Kings of Leon
The Apples in Stereo
Zap Mama
Devendra Banhart

Monday:
Smoosh
Fleet Foxes
Andrew Bird
The Damnwells
The Frames
Steve Earle

Larry got us tickets to the KEXP Lounge, so we got to see several of the bands there. It was nice because it was a smaller room, the bands often played acoustic sets, and it was cool inside. I can tell I'm getting older because the first thing I wanted to do whenever we got to a different stage was find a place to sit! But come on, it's 3 days of non-stop shows - I had to pace myself, right? (at least that's the story I'm sticking to...)

My two favorite acts of the weekend would have to be Rodrigo y Gabriela and Fleet Foxes. Rodrigo y Gabriela are an acoustic guitar duo, but the way they use their instruments would make you think they have an entire band up there. Gabriela uses her guitar like a percussion instrument while Rodrigo's amazing fingerwork goes up and down the frets faster than you could imagine. I've never heard two musicians play tighter in rhythm! It was mesmerizing to watch. Fleet Foxes are a Seattle band that's been around for a while, but I hadn't heard them till Bumbershoot. They play 70's inspired/influenced rock with lush 3-part harmonies, and I just love their songs. In fact, I think they might be my new favorite band. Not that anyone could ever supplant the Decemberists, but there's always room for more great music...

Other extra fun shows, in no particular order: The Saturday Knights, Crowded House, The Shins, The Watson Twins, The Apples in Stereo, Art Brut, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Smoosh, Steve Earle, Andrew Bird. All in all, a fabulous weekend.

This coming weekend promises to be equally exciting. We're headed to Boston to watch a Red Sox/Yankees game at Fenway Park!!! Look for me on the highlight reel - I'll be the one getting arrested for rushing the field to hug David Ortiz. We might also go to Concord to visit Walden Pond and Louisa May Alcott's house (Larry's not the only nerd in this relationship), and of course there will be some good eating involved, because when is there not?