The Top 25 CDs of 2008
Mark Trammell, Features Editor
Published On: 01/ 6/2009
1. Feed the Animals- Girl Talk
It’s somehow fitting that, in the midst of a full-on economic crisis, the most consistently engaging, inventive, and just plain fun CD of the year should be a DJ mix of highly illegal samples available for free download on the internet. FTA harkens back to a time when sampling was a Wild Wild West of no rules and no holds barred snatching before the unimaginative likes of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice took over and sampling one song for the entire length of a track was de rigueur. Of course, back then, it was still legal to pile sample upon sample, as evidenced by the most creative minds of the time, DJ crews like the Bomb Squad (Public Enemy) and the Dust Brothers (The Beastie Boys). Once the law took over, it just became too expensive to be that inventive, and rap got lazier and lazier over the years as a result. True, it forced rap producers to start going into more creative directions, such as creating their own music and using live musicians instead of samples, but the rappers themselves have long since gotten by on party raps and raps about how rich they are- sometimes even before it was a reality- and how they abuse women. Girl Talk redeems a lot of these modern rappers by backing up their boasts with beats as inventive as the raps are tired, and only sampling just enough of the raps themselves so that you get the idea. Indeed, his material is so fresh, you even forgive the extreme vulgarity of some of the samples, especially when he combines them with samples that let you know he’s in on the joke. Witness, for example, the mash-up of Three 6 Mafia’s “I’d Rather” with, of all things, Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl.”
Girl Talk is actually one Greg Gillis, who started out with the virtually un-listenable “Secret Diary,” before quickly improving on the aptly-titled “Unstoppable.” It’s hard not to admire the chutzpa of a guy that mashes-up Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” with Richard Marx. Clearly Gillis was onto something, even if there were still kinks to be worked out. His third disc, 2006’s “Night Ripper” was even better, but felt like walking in on a party already in full swing and staying past its expiration date. It was all middle, with no beginning or end. “Feed the Animals” rectifies that nicely, with a sample from UGK/Outkast that also serves as part of the oddly-moving coda, which manages to put “The Sopranos” to shame with the satisfying use of a Journey song as a finishing touch. In between, there’s all sorts of sample-y goodness that I’d be hard pressed to pick favorites from, but here goes: the combinations of, respectively, Eminem and Yael Naim (!), Flo Rida and Velvet Underground (!!), Metallica and Lil Mama (!!!), and, God help us all, Kelly Clarkson and Nine Inch Nails. To some this will be sacrilege, or, at the very least, like listening to several radio stations at once, but if there was a more fun CD this year, I didn’t hear it. And did I mention it’s available for free on the internet? Case closed.
2. Skeletal Lamping- Of Montreal
The most inventive non-sampling CD of the year is also the most love-it-or-hate-it. Of Montreal is one Kevin Barnes (for the most part), who has collaborated with a number of others in past efforts, but has taken to doing things himself as of lately. The result is somewhat akin to the love child of Elton John, Prince, and the Flaming Lips- or perhaps a gay(er) Ween. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, it probably isn’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is some of the most inventive music you’re likely to hear these days. Given that the entire CD plays like one big ongoing song suite, it can be a little overwhelming, and the arch falsetto Barnes favors can be a little pretentious- not to mention the lengthy, obtuse song titles and outré lyrics- but it’s still worth the effort of seeking out. If you love this, then you’ll want to move in to the CD and stay there forever; but even if you hate it, you’ll appreciate the effort that went into it- including the way-cool packaging, which resembles a Bosch painting, only less dark. I don’t understand what Barnes is going on about half the time, but I’m captivated all the same.
3. Widow City- The Fiery Furnaces
Technically, this was released at the end of 2008 (they also put out a double-disc live CD this year), but we’re gonna let that slide because it deserves to be heard. If their past efforts were a little too out-there for you (or too fey), then give this a shot, as TFF got their rock on for the first time on CD with this one. Of course, those familiar with their live shows- which are decidedly different from their output on CD- already know that the two are like: apples and oranges. In the studio, TFF are like modern day Brian Wilsons, composing elaborate song suites with oddball lyrics and titles, but live, the Furnaces rock out. This was the first CD to deliver on that version of the group’s sound, complete with live drums and more pronounced guitar-and-bass in the mix. The lyrics continue to mystify, but singer Eleanor Friedberger could recite the phone book and still be interesting- and practically does at one point! You may not have a clue what she’s going on about, but it’s fun trying to figure it out, and it’s nice to hear her and her brother Matt get their rocks out in the studio, even if they needed a little help from their live backing band to do it. Hey, the more, the merrier- at least in this case.
4. Third- Portishead
This long-awaited- over ten years- and aptly-titled third album was well worth the wait, as the trip-hop pioneers took their sound to a different level with this awe-inspiring disc. Creating a world you could get lost in is nothing new to this lot, but what was were the more pronounced guitars and intriguingly psychedelic bent, which recalled the likes of early Pink Floyd and the Doors at times, only with the narcotic tones of singer Beth Gibbons wafting over the proceedings. The end result is like the soundtrack to the coolest film David Lynch never made, and that is certainly a compliment. That the lone single “Machine Gun” was far from the best track says it all. Bonus points for the Barber Shop Quartet-from hell sounds of “Deep Water.”
5. Oracular Spectacular- MGMT
This was about as close to emo as I came this year, as their undeniable single “Time to Pretend” made a huge impression on me. A closer listen to that and other immaculately-rendered songs on this, MGMT’s debut disc, leads me to proclaim them a little bit more involved than your average emo band. Strains of psychedelic rock, surf music, electronica, classic rock, and even classical music can all be found on this record, and though it’s a hair bit longer than it needs to be, I’d be hard-pressed to eliminate any given song that I can think of. The truth is, it’s just one of those discs that plays better as a whole than as a series of singles with filler as most albums do, which makes it a bit more time-consuming. I know, I know, this is the iPod generation, and they prefer their music in bite- or byte, as the case may be- sized bursts, so as to better listen to as they’re on the move, but this is one disc worth the extra effort. (Ditto the above entries, which bring the full-length back with a vengeance, to the point, you almost have to listen to them all in one setting to get the full effect.)
6. Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
Who gives an “F” about an oxford comma, indeed? The band that had people searching the internet for just what the hell said punctuation was is Vampire Weekend. This oddly-and-not-entirely-appropriately-named band from NYC brought back the sound of the more artsy New Wave of the 80s, bands like the Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel- with a dash of Blondie’s more island-y output (think “Island of the Lost Souls”). There wasn’t much dark about these vamps, and their seemingly-overnight success (including a stint on “SNL”) attests to their more danceable alternative rock sounds, especially in a year in which people could stand a more upbeat outlook, what with all these emo/screamo bands lurking about. Who knows if they’ll be around in ten years or be just another flash in the pan, but it’ll be fun while it lasts!
7. New York City- Brazilian Girls
BG are not Brazilian and only one of them is a girl, but what a girl! Singing in English, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, singer Sabina Sciubba is something to behold, and the NYC-based band- hence the CD title- is something to hear. Incorporating an equally-diverse sound to back up Sabina’s sexy language mash-ups, After their last CD leaned a little too much on the techno rather than the lounge-ier sounds of the debut, the group rethought its sound for this release, which should please fans of both CDs. It’s more evenly divided between the two trademark sounds, while adding a few new wrinkles like the new wave-redux sounds of “Losing Myself” and the cinematic/Broadway-revue style songs like the oddball “Berlin,” which sounds like an outtake from the musical “Cabaret.” The end result could be the house band at Ibiza or some other such exotic locale, but whatever they are, Brazilian Girls are anything but boring. They’re more like a trip to the Tropics minus the expensive price tag, and how can that not be a good thing?
8. Acid Tongue- Jenny Lewis
God love Jenny Lewis. She quit acting to co-found Rilo Kiley, and though that band has struggled to get the respect they deserve- possibly due to the fact that they’ve actually grown as a band and changed their sound radically over the years- she seems to have taken the same tack on her solo stuff. A few country-tinged songs notwithstanding, this couldn’t be more different from her first solo album, though she has clearly gotten some respect from her peers, many of whom crop up here, including everyone from Elvis Costello (who does a full-on duet with her on “Carpetbaggers”) and She & Him (aka M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel), plus kindred spirit Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, among others. If she keeps this up, she may the first actress-turned-singer to get more respect for the latter than the former. Especially with sweet tracks like the epic blues-rock stomper “The New Messiah” (which Robinson is probably smacking himself in the head for not writing), the mini-epic murder pseudo-ballad “Jack Killed Mom,” the girl-group homage “Trying My Best to Love You,” and the new millennium equivalent to the Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road,” the vocal harmony-heavy title track. And rest assured, there’s plenty more where that came from. She’s even better live, so catch her if you can!
9. Velocifero- Ladytron
Ladytron’s album’s have always been chock full of techno-pop goodness, but a bit too much filler as well. Their recording output also pales next to their more bombastic live shows, in which guitars are much more prominent. No more. This CD rectifies all that, what with guitars front and center right off the bat, and even the customary instrumentals worth the price of admission. In fact, the first song is the best instrumental they’ve ever done, and was strong enough to open with when I saw them live last year. All this, plus a song in secret weapon co-lead singer Mira Aroyo’s native tongue, Bulgarian, “Kletva.” Indeed, Aroyo’s material is amongst the best on the CD for a change, which is a nice surprise, given that main singer Helen Marnie’s material usually was far and away the best on past albums. All in all, their best produced, most listenable, and most commercial disc- and that is meant as a compliment.
10. We Started Nothing- The Ting Tings
When I first heard about this band- yet another male-and-female combo consisting of drums and guitar, with keyboard backing in the studio (they use a pre-recorded track live, but don’t hold that against them)- I scoffed. Even more so when I found out their first single “Shut Up and Let Me Go” was being played every five minutes on that ubiquitous iPod commercial. And yet the song was catchy…and damned if the rest isn’t as well. Nor is it all the same song over and over, which is nice. “Great DJ” is another nifty single, and “That’s Not My Name” is near-hypnotic cheerleader-friendly pop in the vein of “Hollaback Girl” and “Girlfriend” only your friends won’t make (as much) fun of you for liking it. There’s also “Fruit Machine,” which is like the new millennium take on “These Boots for Made For Walkin’,” and plenty more potential singles where they come from. Don’t be surprised if they get even huger as time goes by- and guess what, looks like there’s life in that old two-(wo)man band after all- and a way to do it without sounding like the White Stripes, to boot!
11. Chemical Chords- Stereolab
These college rock faves have things down to a science at this point, but the unexpected new twist here was that they managed to compress all the songs down to five minutes or less- mostly less- over the course of a single disc for the first time in their long history (since 1990). Given that previous songs have clocked in as much as eighteen minutes long, that’s progress! Bonus points for weathering the loss of a key band member, Mary Hansen in 2002 without it affecting their sound too much, even though they replaced her with a guy! (I didn’t even realize it was a guy until I saw them live last year- his live vocals are very true to Hansen’s…and very girly! Sorry, dude!)
12. Jukebox- Cat Power
Leave it to Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power to do a cover record featuring a cover of one of her own songs! Whatever the case, Marshall is one of the best roots-rock singers out there, with a wonderful grit to her voice that really does allow her to make any song she tackles, hers’ or otherwise, worth listening to. Be sure and get the iTunes deluxe version, as it has more songs. Also, check out her EP, also released this year, Dark End of the Street for more kitty-cat goodness, and if you’re really obsessed, she has an acting cameo alongside fellow torch ballad star Norah Jones in the movie “My Blueberry Nights.”
13. Evil Urges- My Morning Jacket
This band started to grow on me circa their cameo in Cameron Crowe’s underrated “Elizabethtown,” in which they stole the movie with an off-the-rails performance of, of all things, “Free Bird.” They’ve grown considerably from their classic rock sound to a more modern one, incorporating even the funkier likes of the Prince-style “Highly Suspicious.” Well worth another look, even if you never liked them before.
14. Ladyhawke- Ladyhawke-
Wonderful techno-influenced singer/songwriter debut from Phillipa Brown, a New Zealander who plays all the instruments on her debut herself, despite having Asperger’s Syndrome. Her songs are super-catchy and she’s already made the Top 100 in the UK three times. Can the States be far behind? She’s sort of like a more song-driven, less-trampy Peaches. And yes, her stage name was taken from the movie of the same name, for all you fantasy film fans out there.
15. Crystal Castles- Crystal Castles
Bizarre-but-strangely-compelling industrial/electronica-influenced Canadian band made up of the duo Ethan Kath and Alice Glass that are nothing like all the other boy/girl combos out there. They’re more like a more-subdued Atari Teenage Riot with catchier, less aggressively annoying tunes- at least, for the most part. They sample video games frequently, like that band, however, although their name is actually a “She-Ra” reference, not the video game of the same name.
16. She & Him- Volume One
Charming debut from the side project of singer/songwriter M. Ward with actress Zooey Deschanel (“Elf,” “Yes Man”). These two are engaging enough that they might even want to reconsider their day jobs, although why not have their cake and eat it too?
Especially if these are the results, which is nothing like anything else out there. Sort of like surfing through an AM radio in the Fifties, with girl-group homages and Patsy Cline-esque alt-country among the styles tackled.
17. Neptune- The Duke Spirit
Nifty bluesy-grungy bar band from London with influences that range from the Pixies to the Rolling Stones. They played a thankless gig here the day after Thanksgiving, but hopefully they’ll be back. Singer Liela Moss is a blonde cutie with a tough smoky voice, and the band rocks out live.
18. Chromeo- Fancy Footwork (Deluxe Edition)
This CD has been re-released at least three times at this point, including a super-deluxe version with a DVD for die-hard fans. The deluxe version is worth having for the bonus disc of sweet remixes from both this album and their debut by hip producers like Playgroup and DFA, among others. Sort of like a lost early 80s album found in the bargain bin that proves to be the missing link between rap-influenced dance music of the time and like-minded modern artists like Beck, only without samples. A hidden treasure, in other words. Great sense of humor, too.
19. Made in the Dark- Hot Chip
More 80’s retro-dance antics a la Chromeo, only with a slightly more modern college-rock vibe. Both bands look like former members of the audio-video club- not that there’s anything wrong with that…but it is unexpected when all is said and done, given their music.
20. Love is Dead- Kerli
Estonian techno-goth-pop at it’s finest! Oh, you say you’ve never heard such a thing? Here’s your chance! Despite the title, it’s actually not a total downer at all, with soaring inventive melodies, and a different vibe for most every song, veering from sounding like Bjork to Nelly Furtado to Alanis Morissette at turns, among others. She’s the rare blonde Goth to boot, and cute as a button, even if that button is a little worse for the wear. Check out her fairy-tale from hell video for “Walking on Air” on Youtube.
21. Funhouse- Pink
More angst-ridden power-pop, from everyone’s fave rabble-rouser, who’s at her best when she’s at her most ticked off. Given that she just got a divorce, she’s much more so than even typical. Even cooler: she got her ex to appear in the video devoted to dissing him! Gotta love it.
22. One of the Boys- Katy Perry
You’ve heard the uber-catchy singles, now get the album, and be prepared to be surprised at how catchy it is as a whole, and clever, and sassy and sexy and…well, you get the idea. The poor girl recorded three albums before this for three different record labels before finally getting this one out there, so she’s earned her success. Sometimes I guess the fourth times the charm, too.
23. Robyn- Robyn
You gotta love a performer written off as a one-hit wonder who makes a comeback showing that they’re anything but. There are hits for days on this excellent pop-rock effort, as well as the best club hit of last year that you might not know, the hilariously-titled “Konichiwa Bitches.” All this plus, a sweet grunge-rock version of her own song “Bum like You” on the American edition, among other bonuses.
24. Weezer-Weezer
They may suck at album-titling, but they are aces at writing great pop songs. The forefathers of modern emo (along with the underappreciated Pavement) show that there’s still gold in that guyliner to be mined. The video for the singles thus far are top notch, to boot.
25. The Slip- Nine Inch Nails
Another free download, this one strips the excess dross from “The Fragile” and does it in half the time, with far better, much more satisfying results. And did I mention it was free? Gotta love free music!
Well, that about wraps it up. Be sure and check out my top singles, too, elsewhere on this site. Let me know what you think via email!
