Top Albums of 2008, #15-26

Apologies this is coming in so late. Blame the weather.

Last year sucked. Thankfully, the music didn't. Our picks were all over the map for the most part, but are winners are clear. Here's what we liked, graded with a weighted system of points. We're breaking our picks into two posts. This post is the second half of our list. the top half will be posted later.

Album names are buy links. Please support the artists you like by purchasing their music. We do!

Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
By the most casual and freewheeling of the all the Jews’ albums, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea still retains David Berman’s trademark caustic witticisms. He’s just a little more relaxed this time around.
Suffering Jukebox.mp3

Coldplay - Viva La Vida
"This is just simply amazing pop, everything you ever loved about Coldplay, but with the trademark Brian Eno twist. There are dancing strings, powerful vocals and a piano line that keeps building and building." - Cameron Adams
Strawberry Swing.m4a

Rook – Shearwater
A gothic yet baroque tapestry woven together with an eclectic array of horns, woodwinds, and dulcimer, not to mention Jonathon Meiburg’s sexy vocal prowess.

Rooks.mp3

Dr. Dog – Fate
"Strict modernists may chafe at the band's unapologetically backward-glancing aesthetic, but the rest should happily succumb to the shaggy charm of Fate's easy-like-Sunday-morning ramblings." - Leah Grenblatt
The Rabbit, The Bat, and The Reindeer.mp3

Flight of the Conchords (s/t)
Leggy Blonde.m4a

Human Highway - Moody Motorcycle
"Opening with a swatch of lo-fi backwoods guitar, the duo merely jests with the antiquated before smoothing everything over with a sheen of crisp production. A spring in its step, “The Sound” bops along, oblivious to the lack of substance in its lyric." - Josh Constine
The Sound.mp3

Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs
"While Narrow Stairs may scale down the melody-assaults of previous efforts, with their fresh groove and whiff of rebellion, Death Cab announce themselves as genuine rock stars." -The Guardian (UK)
Your New Twin-Sized Bed.m4a

Los Campesinos! -Hold on Now, Youngster...
A cheeky British romp that’s equal parts snark and sincerity, it’s a whirlwind of rocking, glockenspiel, pun-laden fun.
You! Me! Dancing!.mp3

Conor Oberst (s/t)
"It's no surprise that Oberst is able to pull off this style exceptionally well, but what impresses most about the record is how its relaxed vibe--the album was recorded with the specially assembled Mystic Valley Band in just two months at a private house in Mexico--carries over into Oberst's songwriting." --Jonathan Keefe
Cape Canaveral.mp3

Jukebox the Ghost - Let Live & Let Ghosts

"Sounds like a sort of amped-up Ben Folds record, with bouncier piano and more liberal doses of electric jubilation. Serving as an excellent introduction to an incredibly fun new group, this debut rekindles the joy of sing-along pop without sounding dorky or forced." - Jordan Richardson
Under My Skin.m4a

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
I didn’t even know Dan Rossen was in another band besides Grizzly Bear. But apparently he is and apparently his side project is nearly as good. In Ear Park abounds with enough eerie harmonies and codeine-coated melodies to keep you satisfied well until the follow-up to Yellow House is released.
No One Does It Like You.mp3

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
"Stay Positive is a true testament that good music will always prevail. One can only hope that a band like this will continue to make music for years and years to come because we desperately need it." - Adequacy
Sequestered In Memphis.mp3

Nothing to feel guilty about.

True Story: I actually spilled coffee all over my couch upon hearing the news of Guilt By Association Vol. 2. And then once I cleaned up the mess, I actually listened to it and smiled a lot. You will too.

In case you're unfamiliar with the concept, GbA is basically a collection of indie-fied covers of your favorite pop songs. Really there is not a drop of irony, just a lot of talented artists trying their hand at the songs you'd least expect, but in a fun celebratory way, not a mocking, condescending way.

Besides, who wouldn't want to hear Kaki King taking on Justin Timberlake! Or hear Jukebox the Ghost get their Ace of Base on! Also Matt Pond PA actually make My Chemical Romance sound poignant. And best of all, you can stream the ENTIRE album. Give it a guilt-free listen:

And download a track too:

Tainted Love - My Brightest Diamond

Jukebox the Ghost @ Arts Fest, State College, PA 7/12/08

Prior to Saturday, I've only seen Jukebox the Ghost play in teeny dive bars on the Lower East Side (three times no less). So it was rather jarring to see them play outside at a suburban, college town arts fair. Not a hipster in sight; no overpriced $4 cans of PBR to be found in a 200 mile radius. However, the piano power-pop trio quickly won the mixed crowd over, school kids, grandmas and even my friend Deb alike. Playing their catchy-as-all-hell tunes from their full length debut "Live and Let Ghosts", these boys rocked.

And thats to say nothing of the witty banter and endearing stage presence. Lead singer Ben Thornewill was utterly mesmerized by this intricate water play contraption in which buckets of water randomly splashed down into the pool underneath (see the photo below). Imagine trying to focus on playing your instrument with that oddity in your direct line of sight, haha. Yet somehow they managed to pull off a near perfect set full of hand claps, sing-alongs and songs about setting yourself on fire.


Lighting Myself on Fire - Jukebox the Ghost
Under My Skin - Jukebox the Ghost

Sail On

A much-needed vacation was in order, so this weekend my husband (yeah, sorry fellas!) is taking me on a cruise up to Victoria, British Columbia for the weekend. Here's some songs to share that set the mood:

The Beatles - Day Tripper.mp3
Jukebox the Ghost - Victoria.mp3
The National - Squalor Victoria.mp3
Danielson - Cast It the Setting Sail.mp3
Half-handed Cloud - Sailing the Veil-Boat.mp3

Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll AND DEATH!

This is a special mix your resident Volume Knob heathen just made for a friend. It was tentatively titled "Michael in 2008!" but with the record of indulgences that rank unpopularly with the voting circuit, I decided to call a spade a spade and title this mix what it's really about: Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll, and Death.

22 tracks total / 1:19:53 total time

Side A:
1 Placebo - Pure Morning.mp3
I’m fairly certain this song has a little bit of everything.

2 The 6ths - The Dead Only Quickly.mp3
By Stephin Merritt. To know him is to love him.

3 The Moldy Peaches - Anyone Else But You.mp3
“up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start” I heard this cheat code for the first time a few weeks ago. So the theory goes that every male under the age of 30 has the Konami Code embedded in his DNA. True?

4 Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah.mp3
Such an addictive song! And the video is really fun. Also, go onto YouTube and pull up the super cracked-out remix of this. It’s like Sesame Street on 2C-I.

5 Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire.mp3
Another song-like-crack-like-whoa. It sounds totally 80’s but I think it came out in ’06. Those crazy Australians!

6 Jens Lekman - Into Eternity.mp3
My favorite track off the best album of last year. During the last part of the song, with the cowbell and drums and claps, I think all you need to do is add a whistle and it’ll sound like a Brazilian street party. And thus concludes the “super happy dance-y” part of the mix.

7 Jukebox the Ghost - Hold It In.mp3
I saw this band live in NY—the lead singer emotes with his entire face. It’s incredible.

8 Tori Amos - Happy Phantom.mp3
The happiest song about death EVER!

9 Peter Peter Hughes - I Don't Smoke.mp3
A solo-act song by my friend Peter (of the Mountain Goats). I think the lyrics are apt.

10 a-ha - Take on Me.mp3
lolololol. Forever on I will think of that scene in Family Guy when I hear this.

11 Beirut - Scenic World.m4a
I am currently SO obsessed with this song. I will listen to it on repeat and and the swaying, bouncy strings just keep capturing me, especially with the paired-down percussion and that brass.

12 Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu.mp3
I took two years of Spanish in high school. I like this song because I can understand 90% of the lyrics. “I like your kitchen?” Whatever. It’s damn catchy.

13 The Cat Empire - Hotel California.mp3 (Eagles cover)
I’m hoping you don’t have this song. Je ne parle pas Français.

Side B:
14 the Mountain Goats - Two-Headed Boy.mp3 (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
The Mountain Goats! Covering NMH!!! Be still my heart!! (Yes, this is a blatant attempt to butter you up and say “Cooooome to the PDX showwwww!”)

15 Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned.mp3

...The Sincey is what allows us bloggers to tell everyone, “Look, I’m not just some narrow-minded indiephile, I am open to all music,” but the obligatory nature of the annual practice and the nerdiness by which we go about explaining our mainstream affection merely reaffirms our individual hipster personas.

It reminds me of the time one super hipster co-worker of mine played a mix on her iPod, and the songs were, in order, a really obscure Stereolab song, a really obscure Magnetic Fields song, and then “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes, complete with an instant “I don’t care what anyone says, I love this song” disclaimer.

Part of being a hipster is being deliberately mainstream at optimally calculated opportunities, and as long as that remains the case, I’m sure I’ll continue to find myself arguing in favor of the “unadulterated pop greatness” of “Hey Ya” with my T-shirt-clad peers at many a Brooklyn bar in the forseeable future.

16 Flight of the Conchords - Banter.mp3/Robots (live).mp3
This is what you missed when you were, um, busy.

17 Avenue Q - I Wish I Could Go Back to College.mp3
You don’t know how good you have it right now! I secretly suspect this song is the driving force behind my going to grad school.

18 Sufjan Stevens - Size Too Small.mp3
I don’t know if you have the album Seven Swans. It lacks some of the highs of Illinois and A Sun Came! but is by far a more consistent, cohesive opus. It’s my favorite album by Sufjan, and one of my 10 “desert island” albums.

19 Knife/Heartbeats (Grizzly Bear vs The Knife).mp3
One of the most fantastic and masterful mash-ups of recent.

20 The Magnetic Fields - Take Ecstasy With Me.mp3
I’d like this.

21 Tom Waits - Cemetery Polka.mp3
This song sneaks onto a lot of mixes because it’s short. Also, death. Also, I love the line “as independent as a hog on ice.” Also, Tom Waits is who you’ll sound like if you smoke Lucky Strike unfiltereds for 30+ years.

Jukebox the Ghost & Wakey! Wakey!

It's always refreshing to see a new band play live, especially when you have no preconceived notions about them and then end up becoming utterly enamored with their music. Such was the case this weekend when I caught a particularly initmate performance by two bands on the Family Records roster. Wakey! Wakey! and Jukebox the Ghost besides having names that sound awesome, actually sound awesome.

Hold It In - Jukebox the Ghost
This song represents everything that is perfect about piano-based power-pop. Structurally speaking, everything works: the hypnotic keyboard-based melody, the relentless rhythm, the impeccable "oohs". which kind of sound like something out of a more restrained Freddy Mercury. And to top it all off, there are hand-claps! Highly, highly recommended.
Check out their debut EP

You Could Do Better - Wakey! Wakey!
Quiet, yearning and a bit sparser then some of their songs, but I'm totally digging the sentiment right now.