SYP Says

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 7/7-7/14

Beat (Health, Life and Fire) by Thao 

Female singer/songwriter Thao (Nguyen) from Falls Church, VA  has an interesting, lilting voice reminiscent of Cat Power and her songs have a sweet playfulness that's perfect for summer drives and afternoons on the beach. I'm in sand and surf mode this week in San Diego so her new album, We Brave Bee Stings and All (which includes a languid cover of The Beatles's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me") is fitting my sunny mood perfectly. Listen and see if you can't stop smiling.

Thao and The Get Down Stay Down are on tour now--more data at MySpace Thao Music.

Thao live at The Black Cat

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/30-7/7

"Believe" by Famous L. Renfroe 

In celebration of July 4th, I'm posting a few days early and highlighting a slice of down-home gospel/blues Americana from Famous L. Renfroe's 1969 album Children recently re-released on CD by Mississippi-based Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum Records (home of other artists I like, including Andrew Bird and A.A. Bondy).

Renfroe (a.k.a. The Flying Sweet Angel of Joy) is a one-man band who's a bit of a mystery. Even his record company doesn't seem to know anything about him. According to eMusic, his label refers to him as the "J.D. Salinger of soul gospel" and the editor did quite a bit of research and turned up basically nothing.

What can't be denied is that Renfroe is pretty amazing. Not only is he supposedly playing all of the instruments, but on some of the tracks, he recreates all of the parts in quartet style singing. For more about him, visit eMusic. For a while, I think eMusic had an exclusive on the album, but it is now also available on iTunes. This is truly transporting music. Check it out.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/23-6/30

"My Mistakes Were Made for You" by The Last Shadow Puppets 

The Last Shadow Puppets is a "side project" from Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, a band I totally adore, and Miles Kane of The Rascals and it has a suave, late '60s/early '70s Brit sound with lush, sweeping orchestrals. Reminiscent of Scott Walker or Burt Bacharach with a modern twist, this is definitely music that belongs in an old James Bond film (with Sean Connery...natch) and is quite different from the angry, catchy, guitar-driven tunes they normally do.

I'm dedicating this song to my buds at the Center for Creative Leadership who had to put up with one another's faults--sorry, ahem, "weaknesses"--for an entire week. Improving yourself is tough work, let me tell ya. Lyrics to "My Mistakes Were Made for You" are here.

Acoustic version of the song recorded in NYC a few months ago.

Live version of the song with orchestra on Later...with Jools Holland.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/16-6/23

"Killing" by The Apples 

Mazel Tov! We are very fortunate that The Apples's newest album, Buzzin' About, was recently released by Freestyle Records just in time for summer. Last year, this Israeli funk band hit it big with an *amazing* cover version of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" as a single which has been included on their latest CD. Below is a video of the original and the cover, just so you can hear how inventive their version is. The Apples weave together everything from funk, groove, hip-hop, and scratch to Klezmer, big band, and acid jazz. Play these tunes at any party and you will be a hero.

Original Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name":

The Apples's cover version, "Killing":

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/9-6/16

"Skinny Love" by Bon Iver 

Tim Russert's death has been dominating the news this past Father's Day weekend, so I thought a fitting song of the week choice would be from Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. Bon Iver is French for "good winter" (yes, he spelled it wrong on purpose) and this solo acoustic folk debut by Justin Vernon was recorded during several snowy months alone in his father's hunting cabin, deep  in the Wisconsin woods. It's haunting, touching, and melancholy--a beautiful work.

Here's Bon Iver/Justin Vernon playing "Skinny Love" live at Later with Jools Holland last month.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/2-6/9

"This Is My Life" by Firewater   

Three years ago, Tod A had had enough. After his divorce, the re-election of George W., and general disenchantment with NYC, he hit the road on a sabbatical that would take him through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Recording with a single mic and a laptop, he captured performances with a vast array of musicians across the far end of the world and chronicled it all on his blog, Postcards from the Other Side of the World.

Firewater combines punk and rock with an eclectic mix of everything from jazz, ska, klezmer, and classic Bollywood to gypsy, salsa, and Russian folk and this latest effort, The Golden Hour, is a musical journey that fittingly shows off Tod A's recent wanderings to Asia and the Middle East.

With sharp lyrics, innovative instrumentation, syncopated rhythms, growling voice, and pounding drumbeats, it all sounds a bit like the world beat baby of Tom Waits and The Pogues. Definitely on my list of Best of 2008.

Here's a 5-min background video on The Golden Hour album and the travels that inspired it. I'm jealous.
 

 

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 5/26-6/2

"San Pedro" by Wolfkin 

Danish band Wolfkin's debut, Brand New Pants, has several fun, catchy singles. It was released in Europe a year and a half ago, so we Americans are a little late to this noir fantasy party filled with lush instrumentation and rock electronica melodies. They've got a dash of The Smiths--must be why I like them.

No video of "San Pedro," so this vid of them performing "A Vacant Heart" will have to do.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 5/19-5/26

"The Bones of You" by Elbow 

Guy Garvey rocks. He's been the frontman for Elbow, one of the UK's best and most innovative bands, for over 15 years. Plus, he has a very nifty radio show on BBC 6 Music called Guy Garvey's Finest Hour. Feel free to listen to it here.

Elbow's latest, The Seldom Seen Kid, is only their fourth studio album and it was self-produced, mixed and recorded. While Elbow hasn't gotten the commercial success they deserve, their dreamy, atmospheric alt-rock sound has brought them a devoted cult following and reams of critical acclaim.

Here are the obligatory links to their official site and MySpace page.

Elbow live in Hollywood earlier this month--can't believe I missed them. Major bummer.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 5/12-5/19

"Many Shades of Black" by The Raconteurs 

Consolers of the Lonely is the latest from The Raconteurs, a band featuring Jack White of The White Stripes, singer/songwriter Brendan Benson (whose song "Emma J" has been a fave of mine for years), and Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence, the drummer and bassist from The Greenhornes. I've got a soft spot for their debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, because I played it a lot when I first moved to Oregon from NYC. Although it probably had catchier singles, their latest holds together a bit better as an actual album and mixes different genres brilliantly--from blues to rock to garage to piano pop.

Check out their official site which is a throwback to the old days...you'll see what I mean when you get there.

Here's a video of The Raconteurs performing an acoustic version of "Many Shades of Black" for the Jools Holland BBC site.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 5/5-5/12

"You'll Find a Way" by Santogold 

Yes, I'm jumping on the Santogold hype bandwagon. Brooklyn-based Santi White went solo after doing a lead singer stint in the punk band Stiffed and the sound on her first album which I totally love is a cool mash-up of dub, '80s New Wave/Ska and alt-punk. Love her voice too which is reminiscent of Karen O's from Yeah Yeah Yeahs. White has been compared to M.I.A., but I actually like Santogold WAY better. She's also been getting a lot of attention for being one of the few black women in the alt music genre. Here's to her.

Check out her MySpace page for tour dates.

Here's a video of another great song by Santogold, L.E.S. Artistes. For those of you non-New Yorkers, L.E.S. stands for Lower East Side. :)

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 4/28-5/5

"Postcards from Hell" by The Wood Brothers 

Brothers Oliver (of King Johnson) and Chris Wood (of Medeski, Martin & Wood) performed their first public concert in 2005 at one of my favorite NYC venues, Tonic, which sadly closed last year. I know that now, but I didn't know anything about The Wood Brothers until a couple weeks ago when I got an email from bassist Carl Paradis who randomly found my blog by typing in his wife's maiden name "So Young Park." (Great name, I know.) He recommended The Wood Brothers  and I really like their laid-back, rootsy folk/blues/country style. Jeff & I recently got new lounge chairs for our top floor deck and these tunes from The Wood Brothers' latest album, Loaded, have been great for enjoying late at night when we're chilling with a beer under the stars. Thanks, Carl (and the other So Young)!

Couldn't find a video of "Postcards from Hell," so here are The Wood Brothers performing "Luckiest Man" at the Pickathon Roots Music Festival in Portland, OR.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 4/21-4/28

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds 

I have been listening to this tune for about a month and it occurred to me that it would have made a perfect song of the week choice around Easter--lol. You can't enjoy a living poet like Nick Cave without giving some real attention to his lyrics. So here they are. Dig it.

I'm not sure why Nick's new look has him looking like a '70s drug dealer, but check out the video anyway.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 4/14-4/21

"Northwestern Girls" by Say Hi 

Eric Elbogen, the musician formerly known as the band Say Hi to Your Mom is, like me, a former New Yorker who recently transplanted to the great Northwest (SYP to Ashland, OR; Say Hi to Seattle, WA). Say Hi to Your Mom was known for...and this is going to sound weird...an entire fourth album of clever indie pop songs about vampires called Impeccable Blahs. Say Hi has since dropped that theme and the latter half of its name. EE/SH's fifth and most recent album, The Wishes and The Glitch, is not about vampires, but it still has great tunes. To get a sense of what Say Hi is all about, check out their FAQ. It's amusing.

Here's Say Hi last year at that classic NYC music institution, The Knitting Factory, where years ago, I met David Byrne!

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 4/7-4/14

This Time by Baby Charles 

The UK's newest funk sensation from Brighton, Baby Charles, fronted by Dionne Charles, just released their debut album and it's a doozy, perfect for grooving to at your next party. Comparisons to Sharon Jones are inevitable here, but to my ear Baby Charles is a little grittier and a tad more '70s than '60s. Not just a throwback, Baby Charles even had the cheek to cover one of my favorite songs of late, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" by Arctic Monkeys. A live in-studio session including the cover is on Mark Lamarr's BBC Radio 2 Show God's Jukebox from March 29.

They're on tour. Check out Baby Charles on MySpace for more info, tunes, what-have-you.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 3/31-4/7

"So He Won't Break" by The Black Keys 

We all knew The Black Keys from my home state could rock. In Attack & Release, their newest effort (and first in a real recording studio), with producer extraordinaire, Danger Mouse, they show a slightly different side, their bluesy rawness tempered with more complex layering and a more subtle touch. I love every song on it and it's the best album I've heard so far this year. Purists may not like the more polished direction as the duo from Akron, Ohio is known for doing their own stripped down recordings, but I think this new evolution of their sound really works.

No video yet of the song "So He Won't Break," but here's another song I really dig from the album, "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be." They're on tour; find out more at The Black Keys MySpace page.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 3/24-3/31

"Pump" by The B-52s 

It's time for a real new wave blast from the past! The B-52s are back with their first studio album in 16 years (frak, I'm getting old). Granted, there's nothing new here, but then again would I want The B-52s to sound like Ray LaMontagne? They can still rock with abandon, so just put Pretty in Pink on mute, shimmy, shake, and remember the good 'ol days.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 3/17-3/24

"Sober Driver" by Dengue Fever 

What do you get when you mix 1 part indie rock with 2 parts '60s Cambodian pop and a dash of Bollywood film score? Dengue Fever, that's what! Their newest album, Venus on Earth, does have an otherworldly quality. I have some old Sin Sisamouth--this is like a mashup between his music which combined traditional Khmer music with rock and roll and that of a West Coast indie surf band. (Sadly, Sin Sisamouth who was hugely popular and often called "The King of Khmer" is widely believed to have been killed in the Killing Fields in 1975.)

Anyway, on a happier note, these are fun, light-hearted tunes perfect for celebrating the start of Spring and warmer weather, at last.

Dengue Fever's on tour now. Get the dates on their MySpace page.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 3/10-3/17

"Gila" by Beach House 

I'm digging this dreamy, lo-fi tune from Baltimore-based duo Beach House by way of Nico. Makes me feel a bit of faraway regret--exactly how I'm sure I'll really be feeling on this travel day back to Southern Oregon from the Mexican Riviera. Sigh.

No video yet for "Gila," but you can hear the tune on Beach House's MySpace page.

Here's the video of their single "You Came to Me" from the same album, Devotion (just out last month).

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 3/3-3/10

"Charlyn, Angel of Kensington" by Jason Collett 

This song from former Broken Social Scene member and Canadian singer/songwriter Jason Collett's latest, Here's to Being Here, could easily have been on Andrew Bird's wonderful Armchair Apocrypha with its similar quirkiness, detailed storytelling, and syncopated rhythm. Collett also tones down the Bob Dylan-ish vocals which is probably why I like it the most of the songs on the album. (Sorry...I like Bob Dyland, but he's not my favorite.)

He's got a great sense of humor, as shown in this video. Check it out. Plus, here's his MySpace page with tour info, etc etc.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 2/25-3/3

"Lust" by The Raveonettes 

Fab Danish duo, The Raveonettes, have a new album, Lust Lust Lust, that I just love love love with its jangly fuzzy guitars, loads of reverb, and two-part harmonies. Their band sounds a bit like The Jesus and Mary Chain, but their name is a reference to The Ronettes and Buddy Holly's Rave On, just in case you were wondering, and oh, according to Wikipedia, they are faithful Fender players...

The Raveonettes are on tour of the U.S.  right now. Find out more at their MySpace site. Here they are live at Norwich Arts Centre last November.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 2/18-2/25

"I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" by Black Kids

This totally addictive song from Jacksonville, FL band, Black Kids, was apparently all the rage last summer...somehow I missed it on my Best Songs of 2007 list...BUT now they are touring in the UK with Kate Nash and Sons & Daughters, so I thought this would be timely. Their 4-song EP called Wizards of Ahhhs is available for FREE at their site BlackKidsMusic.com.

Pitchfork's review of the self-released EP is here.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 2/11-2/18

"New York" by Cat Power 

Happy Presidents Day! And even more importantly, I've got a personal holiday of sorts to celebrate. Two years ago this week, I left Manhattan for Ashland, Oregon. Believe me, it has been quite an experience. In honor of the big move (and my big city valentine), this week's Best Song is a cover of "New York, New York" off Cat Power's latest album released last month, Jukebox.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 2/4-2/11

"Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend 

I've been looking forward to this debut album by NYC band Vampire Weekend since last year. The sound is sort of like preppy indie Afro-pop ska or what they like to call Upper West Side Soweto. I know this seems a little wacky...but there you go. I saw them perform recently on David Letterman and I actually was a bit disappointed, but the album OTOH I like a lot--catchy tunes with smart lyrics.

Live from MTV Spanking New Sessions...

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 1/28-2/4

"We Get On" by Kate Nash 

A lot of people are comparing pianist/songwriter Kate Nash to Lily Allen, but I think she's got her own style going. Her debut, Made of Bricks, contains several good tunes, but I especially like this one which has an upbeat '50s vibe and a story I think any gal can relate to. Plus, you've just got to admire her potty mouth.

A video of the lyrics and an acoustic version of the song.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 1/21-1/28

"The Gift that Keeps Giving" by Super Furry Animals 

Thanks, Tuck, for introducing me to this band! I was really out of the loop on this one--SFA's latest CD, Hey Venus!, is just now available in the U.S. and it's  their *eighth* album. This song was a free single released on Christmas Day last year.

If you don't like Beatles psychedelic pop, Bowie, '70s Beach Boys or The Flaming Lips, you won't like SFA. This indie Welsh band is very popular in the UK...not so much here, although they've had a lot of critical acclaim. I suspect SFA fans in the States kind of like it that way. :) They're on tour in the U.S.. Go to the Super Furry Animals site for more info.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 1/7-1/21

"Too Drunk to Dream" by The Magnetic Fields 

This song cracks me up. Seriously. If you like the song name, you will love the lyrics. Here they  are. The rest of The Magnetic Fields's latest is pretty good--it's been almost 4 years since their last album and while it's no  69 Love Songs, they're still delivering clever, fuzzy tunes about love in all its pain and glory.

This song amuses me so much, it gets two weeks worth of Best Song accolades. :) Well...that plus with NAMM, I've been too busy to update my blog.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 12/31-1/7

"2080" by Yeasayer   

Very much doubt I'll be around in 2080, but I thought I'd kick the year off with this dreamy polyrhythmic tune from Brooklyn's Yeasayer. Pitchfork puts it somewhere between the ritualistic and the futuristic. Have to concur with that. Yes, it's from last year...but late last year. So shoot me.

Live in Brixton.

2008 Upcoming CD Releases

Happy 2008! Rather than get all sentimental on you, let's look forward to new music in the new year and forget those pesky (and usually pointless) resolutions.

Will these new albums live up to the hype or be another Icky Thump?

January

1. Radiohead: In Rainbows
2. Sia: Some People Have Real Problems
3. Kate Nash: Made Of Bricks
4. Magnetic Fields: Distortion
5. Cat Power: Jukebox
6. Louis XIV: Slick Dogs And Ponies
7. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
8. Girl Talk: TBA
9. Super Furry Animals: Hey,Venus!(U.S. release)

February

1. Morrissey: TBA
2. Lenny Kravitz: It Is Time For A Love Revolution
3. Morcheeba: Dive Deep
4. Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree
5. The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust
6. k.d. lang: Watershed

March

1. Panic! At The Disco: You Don't Have To Worry...
2. The Black Crowes: Warpaint
3. The B-52's: Funplex
4. Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid
5. Moby: Last Night

April

1. Portishead: TBA
2. Pomegranates: Everything Is Alive
3. Sun Kil Moon: April
4. Billy Bragg: Mr. Love & Justice
5. The Breeders: Mountain Battles
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
7. The Roots: Rising Down
8. The Kooks: Konk

Post-May

Am lumping all of the "confirmed" post-May releases together since this early in the year, dates that far in the future seem a bit wonky...

1. Death Cab for Cutie
2. Coldplay
3. The Cure
4. Flight Of The Conchords
5. Franz Ferdinand
6. Gnarls Barkley
7. Madonna
8. Matisyahu
9. John Mellencamp - The Company We Keep
10. Metric
11. Oasis
12. The Offspring
13. The Raconteurs
14. R.E.M.
15. U2
16. The Walkmen

The Rumor Mill

Lastly, here are some rumored 2008 releases to whet your appetite even more... boy, this list looks so retro...

AC/DC
The Avalanches
Blind Melon
Blur
Built To Spill
Isobel Campbell
Cloud Cult
The Dandy Warhols
Def Leppard
Doves
Eminem
Scarlett Johansson - Scarlett Sings Tom Waits
No Doubt
Rancid
Roxy Music
Starsailor
The Verve
Paul Weller

For an even more complete 2008 album forecast, check out Stereogum's list.

And a quick look back: Here are my picks for the best albums and songs of 2007.

Onward and upward.