In this historic inaugural week, it's difficult to look back at 2008 except in one way - through the lens of the presidential race. Nothing really compared in drama and scale. So the idea of 2008 being a 'good' or 'bad' one for music seems sort of irrelevant - it wasn't a year of music period. Maybe you enjoyed some of the sounds, but more than likely they were a backdrop to the bigger narrative at hand (and it's easy to regard the big 3 Paulies albums - Fleet Foxes, Portishead, and Sigur Ros as background sounds).
But now that the President is finally, formally in office, where does that leave us for music in 2009? Well 'hope' is the key word still, and with the early 2009 announcement of iTunes dropping the dreaded DRM (digital rights management) from all iTunes songs, the hope is now present. Hope that more people will download legally, giving more profits to the artists you love, and keeping musicians working for another few years.
And the music itself in '09? If Animal Collective's any harbinger, we're in good shape.
Put a Bow On It:
The Best of the Best. Your Number One Albums/Concerts/Songs.
Sigur Ros, Live at The Museum of Modern Art, New York . Itty Mathew : " I thought this show was amazing . . . Extra points for getting our picture in BrooklynVegan."
The Teenagers, "Feeling Better" from Reality Check . Niki Papadopoulos: "'Feeling Better' is . . . poppy and anthemic, and while the premise of the song is parody, you still get a taste of that eternal theme: the special bond between distraught youngsters and their rock & roll."
Crystal Castles, "Crystal Castles" . Patrick Rossmann: "I had the most fun with this album this year, so therefore it’s my number one. . . [A] continuation of my enjoyment of Simian Mobile Disco from last year."
Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" . Matt Young: "They come from this strange indie-folk background that I've always liked but never quite loved until now. An altogether outstanding album, and an easy pick for first place."
Walkmen, "You and Me" . Eamonn Aiken: "I saw a quote from their guitarist to the effect of 'We got good when we stopped trying to sound different.' This record absolutely killed everything else this year for me, is far and away their best, and their live show is back on par as well. The record is perfectly paced; 'In the New Year' is still giving me shivers."
Sigur Ros, "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust" . Michael Grandone: "The Martin Scorsese of 2008. Maybe this isn't their best album ever, but it is still great, and it makes you return to their entire catalogue."
Funky16 Corners Blog . Ian Young: "With Voodoo Funk as a starting point, you can find some really great blogs."
Lil Wayne & The Knux . Paul Jackson: "Apparently Lil Wayne and I grew up near each other, in fact here's an exact map of directions from his house to mine (less than 4 miles and one year apart during our whole adolescence)."
Meshugah, "Obzen" . Alex Headrick: "Dammit, it rocks so hard, and I haven't found much this year that makes me as crazy in a good way as this album. For the uninitiated and casual fans, all you need to check out is Bleed off of Obzen. If listened to correctly, it will make you bang your head.*
*If you are a drummer, you should also wear Depends.**
Fortress, "Protest the Hero." Mark Cichra "A group of absurdly talented kids who should be too young to be this talented."
Project Runway Episode "The Art of Fashion" . Marisa Soderberg. "The last episode before the season 4 finale, remaining designers Rami, Chris, Christian, and Jillian accompany Tim Gunn to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to get inspiration for their next challenge. Not only was it a challenge that married the creative aspects of art, history, and fashion, it paid homage to the overall inspiration that lives within New York City and one of its quintessential landmarks."
Santogold, "Santogold." Rudy Adler : " . . . really original . . . "
Jay-Z, " Brooklyn, We Go Hard" . Jeff Moran : "Alas, confirmation that Kanye does still produce dope tracks, even if they aren't his."
Fleet Foxes, "S/T" . Kate Miles : "It’s like, the music version of 'The Wire' - everyone who knows it loves it."
Portishead, "Third" . Kaitlin Mara: "Portishead loses some of the spaced-out dreaminess of Dummy for a more deliberate sound, but retains their darkly erotic and self-reflective quality. The effect is marvelous: the enticing vocals seem intentional this time around, rather than apparitional, and are all the more delicious for it."
Portishead, "Third" . Bartley Harrison : "I never expected this album to be this good."
So what Now?
Well, stop screwing around on the internet and get out there! The great sounds of '09 await you, from Bruce Springsteen to M. Ward, from U2 to Andrew Bird.
Thanks to all who participated. See you all in one year. -Paul J.
