Jan 18, 2009

Best of 2008 (Listful Edition)

Presenting a list that has been months in the making. It's been edited on no less than 5 different computers and has been painstakingly researched by team of 1. Enjoy, and when you're done reading, I'd love to know what song, artist, or album you have or will check out because of Stoplight Sleep.

Albums

1. Why? Alopecia

2. The Dodos Visiter

3. M83 Saturday = Youth

4. Los Campesinos! Hold On Now, Youngster

5. The Kills Midnight Boom

6. Hot Chip Made in the Dark

7. MGMT Oracular Spectacular

8. Crystal Castles Crystal Castles

9. Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line

10. Adele 19

11. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago

12. TV on the Radio Dear Science

13. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes

14. Cold War Kids Loyalty to Loyalty

15. Frightened Rabbit The Midnight Organ Fight

16. Portishead Third

17. Amanda Palmer Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

18. Sons and Daughters This Gift

19. Sigur Ros Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

20. Saul Williams The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust

21. Mates of State Re-arrange Us

22. Gang Gang Dance Saint Dympha

23. Single Frame S F E P

24. Justin Townes Earle The Good Life

25. Love is All A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night

26. Ladyhawk Ladyhawk

27. The Black Keys Attack & Release

28. Beck Modern Guilt

29. Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer

30. Lil Wayne The Carter III

31. She Keeps Bees Nest

32. Nine Inch Nails Ghosts I-IV

33. The Gutter Twins Saturnalia

34. School of Seven Bells Alpinisms

35. Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak

36. Blitzen Trapper Furr

37. She & Him Volume One

38. The Black Ghosts The Black Ghosts

39. The Walkmen You & Me

40. Islands Arm’s Way

41. Mogwai The Hawk is Howling

42. The Rosebuds Like Like

43. Dr. Dog Fate

44. Bloc Party Intimacy

45. Atmosphere When Life Gives You Lemonade, Paint That Shit Gold

46. Man Man Rabbit Habits

47. The Faint Fasciinatiion

48. Alias Resurgam

49. Xiu Xiu Women as Lovers

50. Scarlett Johansson Anywhere I Lay My Head




Songs

  1. "Fatalist Palmastry” by Why? from Alopecia
  2. “Kim & Jessie” by M83 from Saturdays = Youth
  3. “Get Better” by Mates of State from Re-arrange Us
  4. “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes from Fleet Foxes
  5. “Vanished” by Crystal Castles from Crystal Castles
  6. “Fast Blood” by Frightened Rabbit from The Midnight Organ Fight
  7. “Cold Mining” by Single Frame from S F E P
  8. “U.R.A. Fever” by The Kills from Midnight Boom
  9. “My Year In Lists” by Los Campesinos! from Hold On Now, Youngster
  10. “God” by The Dodos from Visiter
  11. “Hometown Glory” by Adele from 19
  12. “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver from For Emma, Forever Ago
  13. “Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur” by Sigur Rós from Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
  14. “Machine Gun” by Portishead from Third
  15. “Shake a Fist” by Hot Chip from Made in the Dark
  16. “Let The Beat Build” by Lil Wayne from Tha Carter III
  17. “Dancing Choose” by TV on the Radio from Dear Science
  18. “Time to Pretend” by MGMT from Oracular Spectacular
  19. “Connjur” by School of Seven Bells from Alpinisms
  20. “Furr” by Blitzen Trapper from Furr
  21. “Hands In The Air” by Girl Talk from Feed The Animals
  22. “Oxford Comma” by Vampire Weekend from Vampire Weekend
  23. “House Jam” by Gang Gang Dance from Saint Dymnphna
  24. “Robocop” by Kanye West from 808s and Heartbreak
  25. "Some Way Through This" by The Black Ghosts from The Black Ghosts
  26. "Soviet Connection,” The Theme from Grand Theft Auto IV by Michael Hunter
  27. “Oh, La” by Ra Ra Riot from The Rhumb Line
  28. “Tiger Phone Card” by Dengue Fever from Venus on Earth
  29. “This Gift” by Sons and Daughters
  30. “Shoulda Known” by Atmosphere from When Life Gives you Lemonade . . .
  31. “Leeds United” by Amanda Palmer from Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
  32. “Nothing Ever Happens” by Deerhunter from Microcastle
  33. “Creeper” by Islands from Arm's Way
  34. “The Crippled Jazzer” by Marnie Stern from This Is It and I am It . . .
  35. “Geraldine” by Glasvegas
  36. “Raincoat Song” by The Decemberists from Always a Bridesmaid Vol. 3
  37. “Hard Livin'” by Justin Townes Earle from The Good Life
  38. “Every Valley is Not a Lake” by Cold War Kids from Loyalty to Loyalty
  39. “Guessing Game” by Elzhi from The Preface
  40. “Release” by She Keeps Bees from Nest
  41. “Batcat” by Mogwai from The Hawk is Howling and Batcat EP
  42. “Angels” by Black Mountain from In The Future
  43. “DNA” by Saul Williams from The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust
  44. “Kevatrumpu” by Paavoharju from Laulu Laakson Kukista
  45. “Same Old Thing” by The Black Keys from Attack & Release
  46. “Better Than Heaven” by Bloc Party from Intimacy
  47. “I Know I See I Love” by Rainbow Arabia from The Basta
  48. “I’m Amazed” by My Morning Jacket
  49. “Pork and Beans” by Weezer from The Red Album
  50. “Love in this Club” (MSTRKRFT Remix) by Usher


Jan 14, 2009

Best Songs of 2008 (Part 4 - Finally)

After illness, a busy work schedule, and anything else you can imagine, I'm finally back to conclude my countdown of my favorite songs of 2008. So here it is, finally . . .


1. "Fatalist Palmistry" by Why? from Alopecia

Was it worth the wait? Oh, yeah. "Fatalist Palmisty" barely nudges out "The Hollows" and a handful of tracks from Stoplight Sleep's best album of the year, Alopecia. "Yoni" Wolf's lyrical acrobatics are the steel-encased spine of every Why? song. On "Fatalist Palmistry," Wolf layers similes and metaphors that use surrealism to express themes and images most artists couldn't even comprehend. If the opening stanza about "a psychic who reads her own palms" doesn't grab you, just wait till the second stanza's eye "sockets sit like empty catcher's mitts waiting."

Wolf's nasally staccato and dense alliteration punctuate a simple but fleshed-out track. The music is layered enough to compliment Why?'s strengths (Wolf's lyrics) without being so demanding they distract from them.



Later, I'll post my complete lists of songs and albums. They're ready now, I just didn't want to crowd this post. See you soon. Remember to weigh in on your favorites!

Jan 13, 2009

Update

I will be returning to Stoplight Sleep when time allows. Thanks for reading!