I know I know, I'm a bit behind on this. There were some delays on getting the interwebs set up at the new place, plus just transitioning and all that entails. Since I am no where near ready to give you a rundown of my fave movies of 08 (I live in the Midwest; we're the last ones to get the good movies), I can at least give you my fave albums. In a year dominated by large scale albums that aren't much my style (My Morning Jacket, Guns n Roses, Metallica, etc.), I was able to find some exciting new artists with outstanding material.
You can laugh all you want... I really had some difficulty nailing down my number 10 choice. I was close to selecting Adele's 19 or even Beyonce, but the Jonas Brothers won out. A Little Bit Longer is an immediately listenable album with unabashed pop joy behind every beat. While I found the title track a little schlocky, I loved "Burning Up" and "Lovebug." And yeah, I have been labeled a bit of a dork since proclaiming my love of this album during the summer.
I was surprised to not see more of this one on year end lists. I adore Rilo Kiley, so I knew I had to check out Jenny Lewis' Acid Tongue. She proves to be one of the most innovative women to be working in music today. While working with a whole host of guest vocalists (including Elvis Costello and Zooey Deschanel), she created simple, rousing melodies, such as the title track, and also brings down the house with tracks like "Jack Killed Mom" and "The Next Messiah."
Vampire Weekend unleashed a great debut album that had me running to the lake house in boat shoes and a cardigan. With a New England sensibility, this eponymous album showcased some dancey pop rock tunes with a collegiate wit and wink. "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," "A-Punk," and "Oxford Comma" are just a few of the highlights. This one is perfect for summer vacations, and for feelings of self-entitlement.
A whole host of influences and styles make up the Oregon band Blitzen Trapper's album Furr. At times they are at their Pacific Northwest folksy best like the feel good title track, before heading into territory that reminds the listener of Beck like on "Black River Killer." I also thought I heard some Bob Dylan and Scissor Sisters in there as well. This album does not disappoint in creating a whole gamut of sounds.
Apparently Conor Oberst is the lead singer of Bright Eyes, a band I heard of many times but never really listened to before. He then goes to Mexico to record an album that reeks of Americana and life of the road sensibility. It works wonderfully, and I am intensely jealous. The album feels amazingly organic, and all I wanted to do was be there hanging out with him and his friends while they were recording because it sounded so damn fun. Tracks to check out include "Moab," "Souled Out," "Get-Well-Cards," and, well, the entire album.
Never one too big into rap music, curiosity still got the best of me this summer when heaps of praise were being poured out on Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III. The praise was well deserved, and before Michael Phelps could ruin it for me like he did so much else this past year, I was hooked on the album. The rhymes go beyond typical hip hop drivel into ominous territory, but Wayne still brings the fun on some tracks. I know I partied to "Mrs. Officer" many a time this year.
I first learned of Jay Brannan from the movie Shortbus in which he got quite a bit of attention for his song "Soda Shop." I kind of forgot about him until I saw his video for "Housewife" this summer, and I decided to give the rest of the album a listen. Jay crafts songs that are lyrically brilliant carried by a fitting melody, but in most of his tracks he doesn't let it end there. Somewhere near the end of a track, he throws in a jarring curve ball that takes the song in an entirely different direction that makes the overall picture much stronger. For instances of this, listen to "Home," "Bowlegged and Starving," "On All Fours," and the potent title track.
Though I love Blackout more, Circus is definitely one of Britney's strongest albums ever. The biggest plus this has over her last album is the vocals sound like she was actually there in the studio instead of maybe singing them over her cell phone on the way to a court hearing. "Womanizer" and its video proved Britney was back in a stronger way than "Gimme More." She followed that up with the even stronger "Circus" video which might be my new fave video of hers. Plus "Unusual You became my all time favorite Brit song. Tickets to the Circus this April just sweeten the pot.
I have never really been a Coldplay fan. Sure they have produced some nice singles in the past, but they always reminded me of the ever overrated U2. Viva La Vida changed all of that for me. While the single almost got me molested by a rabid Coldplay fan in bar because someone had to scream out how much I loved the song, the title track is only the start of even greater songs found on the album. "Strawberry Swing" may very well be one of my favorite songs of the year. "Violet Hill" and "Lost!" are both brilliant entries. I only wish I didn't have to look at all those pictures on said fan's camera phone while trying to get my drink on. Coldplay: Bringing the crazy when you least want it.
Like my lover Netflix, Itunes rarely steers me wrong. In May of this year, they recommended I check out Santogold's eponymous album. I did some previewing, saw it was 7.99, and bought it up. This album still gets loads of play time from me, and I am sure will be looked back upon as one of the most important LP's of the year. I find the comparison's to MIA valid but a little annoying. Yes, she does sound quite a bit like the rap star, but Santi White has made an even more cohesive, listenable album than Kala was last year. "L.E.S Artistes" is pop music magic, I danced it out with Mer and Christina to "Creator" as well, and mellowed out to "Light's Out." With every track a standout, I look forward to hearing and maybe seeing more of this musician in the future.
Honorable Mentions: Kings of Leon Only by the Night, John Legend's Evolver, Adele's 19, Beyonce's I am...Sasha Fierce, MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, Janelle Monae's Metropolis, and Racheal Yamagata's Elephants...Teeth Sinking in to Heart.
Tracks I couldn't stop listening to this year:
Beyonce's "Single Ladies"
Estelle's "American Boy"
Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"
Chris Brown's "Forever"
Rihanna's "Disturbia"
Katy Perry's "Hot n Cold"
Leann Womack's "Last Call"
Lily Allen's "The Fear"
Miley Cyrus' "Seven Things"
My biggest disappointment this year was Pink's Funhouse album. Did she call it that to deceive us? It was anything but fun from a singer I am usually so thrilled by.
a guy's heart I don't know what is. We dined at Mama Corolla's in Broad Ripple. I had been past there many times but this was my first visit. It is hard not to have an enjoyable experience there, and it's not just attributed to the service or food though both are excellent. The Italian eatery glows with life and laughter from the chatty regulars to the overall warm tones of the dining area. There were a couple of tables of ladies who were having an absolute ball there. While some may find the excessive merriment distracting, I found it brought out the conviviality of our own conversation.
