This should be hard.
Looking at my iTunes collection, I'm stunned to see how few new releases I bought in 2008. In alphabetical order:
- Andrew Bird - Soldier On
- Beck - Modern Guilt
- Belle & Sebastian -BBC Sessions
- Black Keys - Attack And Release
- Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
- Cassandra Wilson - Loverly
- Foxboro Hottubs - Stop Drop And Roll
- Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
- Marah - Angels Of Destruction
- MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
- NiN - The Slip
- Robyn Hitchcock - Shadow Cat
- Sea & Cake - Car Alarm
- Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
- Tift Merritt - Another Country
- Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
- The Walkmen - You And Me
And if I take out those I haven't really listened to enough to have a strong opinion about (or haven't listened to at all), that leaves:
- And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Festival Thyme EP
- Andrew Bird - Soldier On
- Beck - Modern Guilt
- Black Keys - Attack And Release
- Cassandra Wilson - Loverly
- Marah - Angels Of Destruction
- Robyn Hitchcock - Shadow Cat
- Sea & Cake - Car Alarm
- Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
- Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
"Buying it and listening to it" isn't much of an endorsement. So if I filter out things that I don't much care for, that leaves:
- Andrew Bird - Soldier On
- Beck - Modern Guilt
- Black Keys - Attack And Release
- Cassandra Wilson - Loverly
- Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
And if I rank them, I get:
- Black Keys - Attack And Release
- Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
- Beck - Modern Guilt
- Cassandra Wilson - Loverly
- Andrew Bird - Soldier On
And that's that. Not hard at all.
I have a Black Keys album ‘thickfreakness’. It’s very lo-fi – just guitar and drums IIRC – but a few years old now. How does ‘Attack And Release’ compare?
Have you heard Portishead’s ‘Third’ yet?
Did Uncut arrive? It’s been weeks! I hope it hasn’t been … misapproriated. :(
Attack And Release is produced slickly enough that you don’t really get a lo-fi vibe from it. i’d never suspect they were just guitar and drums, if i hadn’t seen footage of them playing.
yep, i have Third. now that you mention it, that did come out this year, didn’t it? i’m not sure why iTunes didn’t include that in the 2008’s…
no Uncut yet.
I have just watched some footage of Andrew Bird on ‘From The Basement’ and he blew Mrs. C and I away. The whole sampling thing he’s got going is just amazing.
So, where do I start with this guy?
Bird’s amazing. i heard about that show on his newsletter this AM, but i don’t think we can get it here.
start with Mysterious Production Of Eggs or Armchair Apocrypha (his two most-recent). his really early stuff is essentially 30’s gypsy jazz (interesting, but nothing like what he’s doing today). if you like those, Weather Systems and Soldier On are good. also “Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire’s” The Swimming Hour is great.
if you ever get a chance to see him live, do it.
got the Uncut today, too. thanks!
OK, I went and bought Armchair Apocrypha as it was only £4 on iTunes. Can’t wait to have a listen.
‘From The Basement’ is a great show – it’s recorded in Nigel Godrich’s (Radiohead’s producer) Covent Garden studio. I’m pretty sure you can get it on iTunes. Last night featured Andrew Bird, Fleet Foxes and Radiohead. Fleet Foxes have yet to click with me, despite their glowing reviews. They look like they’ve just stepped off the set of ‘Deliverance’. :)
Glad Uncut made it. Enjoy. I don’t buy as many music mags as I used too (thanks Internet!) but I might wing a few more in your direction.
Happy Christmas Cleek – I hope you have a brilliant day. We got Ellie (my 4 year old) a little pink acoustic guitar for Christmas and she is _over the moon_ with it. Heart warming stuff. :)
Happy Christmas to the Caldecotts! – and to all readers, for that matter!
. We got Ellie (my 4 year old) a little pink acoustic guitar for Christmas and she is _over the moon_ with it.
that’s awesome. :)