kim & jessie
Skin of the Night
M83 is known for being maximalist. Everything comes at you in so many layers, just listen to “Teen Angst” off of their album, Before the Dawn Heals Us.
This year they released Saturdays = Youth. It’s Anthony Gonzalez’s, the band’s mastermind, tribute to his teenage years in the 1980s. It’s the band’s step from good/interesting to impressive.
The key element in what makes this album great is restraint. Trying to capture the 80s in an album required adding more “form,” “figure,” or “structure” to the songs and toning down the soaring synths. The synths, layered guitars, and vocals in Saturdays create an environment rather than a sonic assault. The album is playable front to back, a considerable feat in a market which focuses more on the single song more than ever.
The two that stand out are “kim & jessie” and “Skin of the Night.”
Anthony Gonzalez has stated that he tries to capture the feeling of John Hughes’s movies. “kim & jessie” does just that and takes off beautifully at about 2:20. “Skin of the Night” is chilling with beautifully interwoven vocals.
One a side note: Boards of Canada’s album Music Has the Right to Children effectively captures the 70s.
Filed under: Music 2008, music | Tags: 2008, gang gang dance, house jam, music
I feel that most of my favorite songs from this past year have an electronic twinge to them.
This one mixes an impressive range of samples, instrumental work, synths, and “eastern-influenced” sounding vocals. The entire album is rather diverse and I’m excited to hear more from them in the future.
Tour to Madison?
Probably not, they’re hanging out in Europe and at festivals like Primavera Sound in Barcelona.
Filed under: Music 2008, Uncategorized | Tags: 2008, leviathan bound, rooks, shearwater
I wish that I had discovered these guys earlier. There is something serene and beautiful in their music … and it is rooted in both the power and softness of Jonathan Meiburg’s voice (originally the keyboard player in Okkervil River). I wouldn’t have guessed that the band was from Austin, TX -it feels like their songs were crafted for a snowy winter.
It’s not Weezer’s best, but it isn’t half bad. I haven’t put that many guitar songs in this “list” and those are usually my favorites. This year was more dance/electronic based it seems. Anyway, the song is still solid for blasting and singing along in the car. Apparently, people don’t do this as much as I do…
The video was the best that I’ve seen in awhile. It seems that most music videos (if you can even see them on TV anymore) are really all the same: the band performing, a loosely related plot-line, or an abstraction. It’s really hard to do much else. This is different. This is good awesome incorporation of contemporary life.
A good example of Ladytron’s poppy, but haunting songs. The new album, Velocifero was much darker than Witching Hour, but nothing managed to match the force of “Destroy Everything You Touch.” Still a solid, sonically rich, electropop album.
Key line:
Now I see you
From the corner
Clock strikes
And I know you will be drinking alone
Really worth checking out:
• Destroy Everything You Touch
• Destroy Everything You Touch (Hot Chip Remix)
• International Dateline
• Burning Up
• High Rise
• Last One standing
Part Atari, part disco, and (in some songs, but not this one) part indistinguishable or abrasive vocals. Their self-titled album is solid start to finish.
Filed under: Music 2008, music | Tags: 2008, everything good is bad, jj grey & mofro
A couple friends from school introduced me to Mofro and invited me along to one of their shows here in Madison. They were pretty good, especially live. This song especially demonstrates the lead singer’s gritty blues voice.
Lights And Music – Cut Copy (Click link to listen on imeem)
This song really taps into the portion of me that wants to get down despite how badly that can look. Listen to that bass line and drum beat…
Filed under: Music 2008, music | Tags: 2008, slapped actress, the hold steady
The Hold Steady – Slapped Actress
(Click the link to listen, you may have to sign up for imeem, but it’s not a hassle and totally worth it).
I fell in love with this song, pretty much today. A simple song that had me strumming along and lightly banging my head at my desk at work. It’s a great feel good song. I feel like most of their music falls into the type where you’re blasting music and having a beer with friends.
If I had listened to this song more and earlier, it would have replaced “Stay Positive.” I don’t like putting multiple songs from the same band on a list, but hell, they’re both really good.
Filed under: Music 2008, music | Tags: 2008, nine inch nails, the slip, trent reznor
Trent Reznor’s been pretty busy lately. He’s managed to make four albums in the last three years. Impressive, considering that he released only 2 albums and 1 EP during the entirety of the 90s. The last couple of these (not including a flat sounding With_Teeth) have been different for the Nine Inch Nails and are taking them in all the correct directions.
The Slip has the Nails delving into concise, energetic, and somewhat self-referential rock. Trent uses much less studio work and embraces the highly skilled musicians with whom he collaborates. “1,000,000″ represents this quite well.
Other good songs from The Slip
• Discipline
• Head Down
• The Four of Us are Dying
