January 5, 2009

Old Sh*t/New Sh*t

Just a quick thank you to everyone who stopped by Selective Service in 2008 — December was a record-breaking month in terms of visitors, and we hope to keep the momentum going in 2009 by continually giving you reasons to come back & dig into new tunes. But enough of the looking back now — it’s time to look forward to big things in ‘09.

After a well-deserved break this week, we’ll be back early next with our first themed lists for the year. Be the first to know when the new lists are posted by subscribing to our RSS feed or following us on Twitter. See you soon…

Download: Eels, “Old Shit/New Shit” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

By Uncle Sam @ 6:11 pm / Comments (0) / Labels: Uncle Sam, mp3 /

January 1, 2009

You’ve heard the best, now try the rest!

Happy holidays everyone! As has become an annual tradition here in Uncland, we hereby once again join the great unwashed blogosphere by posting our lists of favorite songs of the year. Sam started this far back in the mists of time, and the rest of us thought it was such a good idea that we Disneyed it immediately. In order to at least appear slightly different from all the endless “best of” lists that will pervade your life (is that a word? checking… okay) this month, we try to take the system of tubes less chosen and present you with some songs we loved this year that you may not have heard. And as always we’re mindful of the very important difference between a subjective (and hopefully respected) “favorite”, and an objective (but endlessly debatable) “best”. We hope you keep that in mind and quite simply enjoy these ready-to-burn-to-CD-length playlists as a gift to you from the Service staff.

Keep checking back — more lists will be added before the sun sets on ‘08!

By U.N.K.L.E. Matt @ 9:35 pm / Comments (0) / Labels: Annual Picks, UNKLE Matt /

Last Call 2008

So why did it take until 2009 for me to post this?

Because, in my mind, you can’t call a “best of 2008″ before the end of 2008!

That, and I was anticipating a rush of new, 2008-vintage music that would fill my stockings on Christmas, so I couldn’t really call 2008 a done-deal until I had a chance to process the new stuff. I’m not on the receiving end of the review copies of things, and my musical horizons are defined by very odd influences, so I take a while longer to get my act in gear for this annual rite.

That said, I only tweaked this list a tiny bit from it’s mid-December initial draft, so here you go: Onkel Rudi’s faves of the year that was 2K8:

  1. “Keep Your Eyes Ahead” - The Helio Sequence (from Keep Your Eyes Ahead)
    Earlier in 2008, I read that George Martin’s entire strategy with albums by The Beatles was to kick things off with a strong rocker. And it certainly was a winning strategy, so I present this rocking track from The Helio Sequence. I’m really impressed with the sound of this band: strong rock chops and great songwriting.
  2. “Sing The Changes” - The Fireman (from Electric Arguments)
    Sure, Paul McCartney and Youth have collaborated before, but their previous work was ambient and most reminiscent of the latter’s solo work. But this album is classic McCartney, and by recording under a pseudonym, he seems energized and vital again. Each song on this album went from initial concept to finished recording in its own, one-daya session at Abbey Road Studios (John would’ve approved), and this one finds Macca channeling the best aspects of his early-1970s songs, with a more modern, edgy production. And the whole album is full of surprising turns - a welcome exposure of Macca’s experimental side.
  3. “Time To Pretend” - MGMT (from Oracular Spectacular)
    My favorite song of 2008. I know that Matt beat me to the punch here, and I wouldn’t normally repeat a track from one of the other uncles, but man, this song is all that. Two alums of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, MGMT really knows how to write really powerful synth rock that’s fresh and lyrically innovative.
  4. “The Bomb and the Gun” - Ten Minute Turns (from Leaving Robot City)
    I really love the songs that “Brooklyn’s best unsigned band” puts out: great instrumantal mixes, fun vocals, playful lyrics and a unique sound that finds repeated plays on the iPod. Get the whole album from these guys - they’re great, and only getting better.
  5. “Birthday” - The Bird & The Bee (from One Too Many Hearts)
    I love Inara George’s voice, and this was their lone released track in 2008. And what a wonderful song it is. I especially like the melodic chorus, where George harmonizes with herself to perfect effect.
  6. “Elm City” - The Broken West (from Now or Heaven)
    What’s not to like about a song that name checks New Haven, home of the best apizza in the world?
  7. “Accelerate” - R.E.M. (from Accelerate)
    A welcome return to form from the Athens, GA, trio. The material on Accelerate shows the benefit of touring the songs before hitting the studio: they sound like a band again, which is a big plus in my book
  8. “Gallery Piece” - Of Montreal (from Skeletal Lamping)
    Speaking of Athens, GA, Of Montreal’s latest isn’t quite as strong as 2007’s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, but it has its moments. And this is one of the better ones: funky dance beats and wacky falsetto backing vocals bring about instant toe tapping and draw you in.
  9. “Better Than This” - Keane (from Perfect Symmetry)
    I think that Keane has recovered from their sophomore slump with a fine album. Sure, it’s not the strongest of the year, but it’s full of fine songs. And “Better Than This” is a sound that is a bit crazy, a bit poppy, and quite effective.
  10. “La Vitesse Superieure” - Carine Erseng (from La Vitesse Superieure)
    A find during my holiday in Paris, France, this album first drew me in with the cover art, featuring the artist riding a bike. But the fun, French dancehall songs are really fun and remind me of riding through the contryside on my two-wheeled velocipede.
  11. “Viva La Vida” - Coldplay (from Viva La Vida)
    My second-favorite song of the year (cringe all you want, Sam), from an album that found Coldplay finally establishing its own sound. For years, the comparisons to U2 have been more-or-less applicable, save for occasional stabs at unique brilliance. On Viva La Vida, Chris Martin and the boys finally make an album-length statement of unique sound. I could’ve easily chosen another song from this album, but the title track is really a perfect summation of the Coldplay sound: lush and of an era that many feel has passed. 2008 was largely a year of more spartan recordings (reflecting the tired resignation of 2007, when most were recorded), but Coldplay bucked the trend to great effect.
  12. “You, Me & The Bourgeoise” - The Submarines (from Honeysuckle Weeks)
    Yup - it’s the iPhone song. But it is a catchy song, right? And it is so intrinsically 2008, it would be a shame not to include it - with lyrics, even!
  13. “Headphones” - I’m from Barcelona (from Who Killed Harry Houdini?)
    I really like this funky ensemble from Sweden: 30 musicians who collectively make fun songs that aren’t as sprawling and chaotic as one would expect. And “Headphones” is simply a catchy pop tune that works on many levels: lyrically, musically and mix-wise. The Swedes are making some great music these days, and I’m From Barcelona is one of the better acts from this movement.
  14. “White Winter Hymnal” - Fleet Foxes (from Fleet Foxes)
    No, Matt, not everybody has heard this song. Trust me: the music market outside of Boston isn’t quite as in-tune with SXSW, and is still discovering this wonderful “beard band” of Americana neo-folk-alt musicians. And while I’m also a big Blitzen Trapper fan, I figure this song is an ideal folk-alt construction: simple, but with soaring harmonies and spartan production that still manages to milk the most out of the sound.
  15. “Blackbird” - Julie Fowlis (from Mojo Presents The White Album Recovered)
    Enjoy this: “Blackbird” in Gaelic. It’s beautiful, haunting, and gives this song a fresh quality - amazing for a song that McCartney wrote 40 years ago. I found this on one of the wonderful mix CDs that come with MOJO magazine, the UK’s best music mag - worth the import sale price for the disc alone.
  16. “Here Comes The Sun” - Yo-Yo Ma & James Taylor (from Songs Of Joy & Peace)
    Yup, another Beatle cover. I choose this because this is JT’s best recording of 2008 - far better than anything that appeared on the tired Covers album. The marriage of Taylor’s guitar and Ma’s cello is ideal backing for the very evocative vocal performance. This is one of my favorite covers of a Harrison song, bar none: simple and beautiful.
  17. “Just The Way You Are” (Live) - Billy Joel (from The Stranger - Legacy Edition)
    Now I set the time machine back, because the reissues and rare releases of 2008 were really great. And the live concert disc included with the Legacy Series reissue of Billy Joel’s The Stranger is really wonderful stuff. This is possibly my favorite performance from that show: the song was new to the audience, and Joel really delivered on the performance.
  18. “Why Don’t You Write Me” - Simon & Garfunkel (from Live 1969)
    Another rarity from 2008, Simon & Garfukel released an album of live performances from their 1969 tour. While it’s not fully representative of a show from that time - they left out quite a few songs from the standard set, and cobbled together the disc from multiple performances - it’s still an amazing disc. Their 1969 tour was the only one of their original tenure where they brought along the backing musicians used in the studio. This song was still fresh out of the studio when they performed this track, and it’s fun to hear the energy in the vocals of Paul and Artie. I should note that this disc was very tough to find, as it was originally a Starbucks exclusive and never made a smooth transition to sales in regular music stores. So if you can find a copy, I’d snap it up.
  19. “Pork And Beans” - Weezer (from The Red Album)
    Yeah, this song is mostly about the video, but it’s also a catchy song.
  20. “Strange Overtones” - David Byrne and Brian Eno (from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)
    They hadn’t worked together in 27 years, but the re-teaming of Eno and Byrne produced a wonderfully quirky, eclectic album. This is my favorite track of the bunch.
  21. “Cath…” - Death Cab For Cutie (from Narrow Stairs)
    DCFC’s strong new album tells great stories in each song. Can I say anything more? Perhaps, but we’re almost at the end.
  22. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” - Ingrid Michaelson (from Be OK)
    A quiet performance to close out this set (another George Martin trick, just to bring this full circle), the haunting vocals of Michaelson lend a fragility to this old Elvis Presley ballad that leaves the listener both hopeful for the song’s protagonist, yet a bit wary that she’s going to fall apart very soon.

Download: “Keep Your Eyes Ahead” - The Helio Sequence (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Sing The Changes” - The Fireman (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Time To Pretend” - MGMT (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Bomb And The Gun” - Ten Minute Turns (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Birthday” - The Bird & The Bee (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Elm City” - The Broken West (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Accelerate” - R.E.M. (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Gallery Piece” - Of Montreal (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Better Than This” - Keane (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “La Vitesse Superieure” - Carine Erseng (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Viva La Vida (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “You, Me & The Bourgeoise (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Headphones” - I’m From Barcelona (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “White Winter Hymnal” - Fleet Foxes (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Blackbird” - Julie Fowlis (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Here Comes The Sun” - Yo-Yo Ma & James Taylor (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Just The Way You Are” - Billy Joel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Why Don’t You Write Me” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Pork And Beans” - Weezer (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Strange Overtones” - David Byrne and Brian Eno (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Cath…” - Death Cab For Cutie (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Can’t Help Falling In Love” - Ingrid Michaelson (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

By Onkel Rudi @ 9:34 pm / Comments (1) / Labels: Annual Picks, Onkel Rudi, mp3 /

10 Years of the Best Songs You Didn’t Hear

Happy New Year, folks!

Before we dive headfirst into 2009, I wanted to look back one more time. This week I realized that this was the 10th year I’ve put together an annual best-of compilation CD. It started out as something to give my musically-curious coworkers, and it’s become an annual tradition that I share with good friends, family, coworkers, and, now, teh intarwebs. And yes, I’m well aware that some of you have actually heard some/most of the songs I include, but when I first titled the collections “The Best Songs You Didn’t Hear,” I guarantee that the recipients really had never heard the songs before, and I don’t feel the need to change.

I thought it would be fun to say hello to ‘09 and to cap a decade of compiling by presenting a best of the best collection: my favorite 2 songs from each annual set. I hope you dig the songs as much as I did and still do!

  1. Supergrass, “Moving”
    from Supergrass
    I don’t think these Brits ever topped their self-titled 1999 album, which was a perfect amalgamation of late-period Beatles and mod Brit-rock jangle.
  2. Matthew Sweet, “Trade Places”
    from In Reverse
    Easily the best song from Sweet’s last great record, 1999’s Pet Sounds-y In Reverse.
  3. Primal Scream, “Exterminator”
    from XTRMNTR
    XTRMNTR is as abrasive as Screamadelica is warm, but it’s impossible to ignore. That bassline will shake your fillings loose, too.
  4. Fatboy Slim, “Demons (feat. Macy Gray)”
    from Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
    Big Beat finally met Proper Song Structure to excellent results here.
  5. Eels, “Fresh Feeling”
    from Souljacker
    E’s quirk meets swooning romance, resulting in this remarkable high point in his expansive canon.
  6. Manic Street Preachers, “Ocean Spray”
    from Know Your Enemy
    It’s a shame press-baiting, lackluster singles like “Baby Elian” knocked Know Your Enemy off the radar, because people missed this gem, written by lead singer James Dean Bradfield about his ailing, aging father.
  7. Bright Eyes, “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”
    from Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
    Dylan meets The Cure on what is still the definitive Bright Eyes album.
  8. Def Leppard, “Torn To Shreds”
    from X
    Latter-day Lep is generally uneven, but when it works, like on this insanely hook-filled midtempo rock ballad, it really works. They haven’t equaled this song since it was released in 2003.
  9. Idlewild, “Live In A Hiding Place”
    from The Remote Part
    Scottish rock meets gentle R.E.M.-like melodies to earworm-inducing effect.
  10. Basement Jaxx, “Lucky Star (feat. Dizzee Rascal)”
    from Kish Kash
    Who knew the future of pop would be so overlooked in 2003? Addicting grime/dance.
  11. Björk, “Who Is It”
    from Medúlla
    Unique as ever, Björk’s last great song is a completely vocal composition.
  12. Jay-Z + DJ Danger Mouse, “December 4th”
    from The Grey Album
    Danger Mouse’s blending of Jay-Z’s Black Album and the Beatles’ “White Album” is still the definitive mashup album, 4 years later.
  13. Spoon, “I Summon You”
    from Gimme Fiction
    I know they’re Austin’s favorite sons, but here they’re channeling Liverpool brilliantly.
  14. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, “Sweet Illusions”
    from Cold Roses
    Adams finally found the perfect complement in The Cardinals, and they make beautiful, Dead-tinged Americana together.
  15. Alabama 3, “Hello… I’m Johnny Cash”
    from Outlaw
    A3 dialed back the acid house and turned up the railroad shuffle of the Man In Black for this fantastic tribute.
  16. Ten Minute Turns, “Wolf In The Water”
    from Sad Animals
    Their melodic, everything-often-including-the-kitchen-sink approach to rock makes Ten Minute Turns Brooklyn’s best unsigned act.
  17. Malcolm Middleton, “Fuck It, I Love You”
    from A Brighter Beat
    Deliciously tuneful and brutally honest songwriting from the former Arab Strap-per. Like Badly Drawn Boy with a hangover.
  18. Amy MacDonald, “Let’s Start A Band”
    from This Is The Life
    Inspiring folk-rock with a dash of mariachi horn from the most promising singer/songwriter in Scotland.
  19. MGMT, “Kids”
    from Oracular Spectacular
    The most kraut-rocking-est song about environmentalism you’ll probably ever hear.
  20. TV On The Radio, “Golden Age”
    from Dear Science
    TVOTR finally found a way to channel their diverse influences (rock, punk, funk, soul, jazz) into something tuneful by simply making into a catchy, fun dance album.

Happy 2009 everyone!

Download: Supergrass, “Moving” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Matthew Sweet, “Trade Places” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Primal Scream, “Exterminator” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Fatboy Slim, “Demons (feat. Macy Gray)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Eels, “Fresh Feeling” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Manic Street Preachers, “Ocean Spray” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Bright Eyes, “Lover I Don’t Have To Love” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Def Leppard, “Torn To Shreds” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Idlewild, “Live In A Hiding Place” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Basement Jaxx, “Lucky Star (feat. Dizzee Rascal)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Björk, “Who Is It” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Jay-Z + DJ Danger Mouse, “December 4th” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Spoon, “I Summon You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, “Sweet Illusions” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Alabama 3, “Hello… I’m Johnny Cash” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ten Minute Turns, “Wolf In The Water” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Malcolm Middleton, “Fuck It, I Love You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Amy MacDonald, “Let’s Start A Band” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: MGMT, “Kids” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: TV On The Radio, “Golden Age” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

By Uncle Sam @ 6:55 pm / Comments (1) / Labels: Annual Picks, Uncle Sam, mp3 /

December 23, 2008

20 in ‘08

This set will probably stand as the poppiest and peppiest on Selective Service all year. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you my 20 favorite songs of 2008!

“NINE IN THE AFTERNOON” by Panic at the Disco
from Pretty. Odd
Panic at the Disco dropped the exclamation mark and the dandy makeup from “A Fever You Can’t Sweat” and gained a little bit of Beatlemania with their 2008 album “Pretty.Odd.” While the album was a noble effort to infuse a 60s sound into their canon, it was a bit uneven. “Nine in the Afternoon” proved to be a great lead single and was the album’s strongest track. A mix of harmonies, Sgt. Pepper-ish brass, and an upbeat chirpy and jerky melody made for one of the year’s catchiest singles…and one I score MAJOR points on in Rock Band 2. :-)

“POPULISM YEAH YEAH” from Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
What best of list from me would be complete without a little bit of musical theater? This is one of the centerpiece songs from “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” a musical that played in Los Angeles in early winter of ‘08. The song was a emo-musical (yes, you read that right) about the seventh president of the United States. It’s probably the only rock anthem for 19th century populism that you’ll ever hear and it ain’t bad either. The actual musical was ok…wonderful set and performances, but weirdly divided between a funny, over-the-top opening two-thirds that devolved into a preachy, depressing almost Dances With Wolves-like dénouement.

“HUMAN” by The Killers
from Day & Age
Faithful “Music Bickering with Sam and Mandel” viewers (all three of you!) know how I felt about The Killer’s disappointing sophomore effort, “Sam’s Town.” Needless to say, when I heard about their third album “Day & Age,” I couldn’t help but feel a little less excited than when I awaited “Sam’s Town.” Then ,came their SNL appearance in which they performed this song, “Human.” It brought back some of the dancier sounds that I loved so much in “Hot Fuss,” while keeping some of the “Sam’s Town” epicness. The soaring chorus hooked me in and I bought “Day & Age.” While not reaching the fantastic heights of “Hot Fuss,” the album does rise above “Sam’s Town.”

“M79″ by Vampire Weekend
from Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend was one of those bands that we couldn’t stop hearing about in the early part of ‘08. Four preppy Columbia students playing indie-rock with a twinge of African beats a la Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Really? I got their debut album and while not all of it worked for me, I could see why there was all the hype about them. “M79″ (named after a Manhattan busline) is one of the most rich and textured songs of the year…filled with African sounds, harpsichord, chamber strings, and rhythm changes that all blend quite organically. I’m not fully convinced about the staying power of Vampire Weekend, but with more songs like this in the future, they’ll make me a convert.

“I KISSED A GIRL” by Max Vernon
from Guilt By Association Vol. 2
Ok…before all of you give me crap about this…first of all, it’s one of the ubiquitous songs of the year…and second, at least it’s not the Katy Perry version. It’s by New York singer-songwriter Max Vernon. I’m not totally sure what the story is with Max, but his cabaret-meets-electroclash take on the song make this story of lesbian awakening all that more palatable. If he is gay, then all the better, as this song gets even more gender-sexuality-bendy!

“AMELIA BRIGHT” by Hotel Lights
from Firecracker People
Back in 2001 when Ben Folds Five broke up, they were in the midst of dabbling with some new material for a follow-up to their underrated “Reinhold Messner” album. The post-”Messner” sessions yielded some songs - many of which have been released in the band’s post-Five efforts (such as “Carrying Cathy” and The Secret Life of Morgan Davis”) - but this Darren Jessee-penned song was one of the most sought-after songs from the sessions. Seven years later, it finally was released as part of the sophomore album of Darren’s band Hotel Lights. What many don’t realize is that Darren was responsible for BF5’s more memorable melodies like “Song for the Dumped,” “Brick,” and the wonderful”Magic.” His knack for a creating strong melodies with an air of yearning and loneliness isn’t lost in this song. While his voice doesn’t carry the confidence or strength of Ben Folds, it does give the song an added sense of weariness that makes it that much more beautiful. The song would have definitely fit in the universe of “Carrying Cathy” of better yet “Annie Waits.”

“COLOGNE (PIANO ORCHESTRA VERSION)” by Ben Folds
from Way To Normal
Ben Folds did an interesting thing this year in anticipation of his new album, “Way to Normal.” He leaked fake tracks using similar titles online before the album was released. Many of these fake tracks were recorded in a one-day recording session Dublin. One that wasn’t was this version of “Cologne,” a song that is hands down the best track from “Way to Normal.” The album version is a more laid-back five-piece effort. This “leaked” version blows things up by having Ben accompanied by a choir and an orchestra of pianos giving it a church-like sound. This ballad (one of Ben’s strongest ever) has him playing the part of a man on a trip that’s marked end of a relationship contemplating about his new ex and Lisa Nowak (that astronaut who drove thousands of miles in a diaper to kill her lover).

“LOVE ME DEAD” by Ludo
from You’re Awful, I Love You
Time to delve into more theatrics with St. Louis’s Ludo. I first heard this song while listening to the Kevin and Bean show on KROQ. I’d never heard of the band before, but the lyrics and over-the-top, emo-meet-Broadwayness of this song drew me in. Deliciously biting lyrics of love/hate fill this song like “Fill my soul with vomit / then ask me for a piece of gum/ Bitter and dumb, you’re my sugarplum / You’re awful, I love you…” making it a winner. This lead single from “You’re Awful, I Love You” is enhanced by a clever, “did-they-really-do-all-that-in-one-take?” music video which you can find on Youtube.

“YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK” by Jon McLaughlin
from OK Now
A huge surprise from the famed PBS political commentator…wait…a different Jon McLaughlin? Oh yeah…this is the hot guy from that sang in the ballroom scene of “Enchanted.”

So, the curse of the cute singer-songwriter. They’re a dime a dozen…often, their albums are filled with one mildly catchy tune rounded out by a bunch of unmemorable attempts at melody with woe-filled-a-twee-bit-too-clever lyrics about lost loves. (I’m looking at you, John Mayer and Jason Mraz!!). Two of these broke that curse this year.

One is Jon..the other I’ll get to later in the list. This song (co-written by one of my long-time favorites, Bleu) is a tasty combination of sensitive singer-songwriter and ELO bombast. Jon’s vocals give the song an vulnerable edge that you don’t normally get from Bleu’s songs. On top of that you’ve got lyrics that name-check Xanadu, Avalon, “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and Beautiful.” It all makes for a lock in my top twenty songs of the year…

“I THOUGHT IT WAS OVER” and “TURN IT UP” by The Feeling
from Join With Us
Power-pop and dance-rock are kept alive by The Feeling with these two tracks off of their sophomore album, “Join with Us.” The album was released in the UK and has yet to make it to this side of the shore, but it’s one worth the import.

“I Thought It Was Over” adds a little disco-dance flair to their repertoire while “Turn It Up” turns up the sugar-coated goodness of their arena pop-rock sound. The production may be too slick for some, but for me, it’s just right…especially in “Turn it Up.” Soaring, layered harmonies, tinkling piano lines, whizzing synths, crunchy melodic guitar solos, and a little sax in the backing (yes…SAXOPHONES!) make these and the album “Join With Us” a MUST-have for any fan of catchy power-rock like Supertramp and Wings.

“10,000 NIGHTS” and “FASCINATION” by Alphabeat
from This is Alphabeat
It’s from “This is Alphabeat,” the UK debut of Alphabeat, a Danish pop band I started to hear rumblings about in 2007. This six-piece group is a little bit ABBA, a little Scissor Sisters, and a little bit Human League. Warning…you may get tooth day from these songs, but I’ll be damned if neither of these stay with you after the initial listen!

The first song “10,000 Nights” features Anders and Stine (the male and female lead singers) in a classic love duet. I’ll go ahead and say it…it’s most fun love duet I’ve heard since “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” This one is destined to be a staple of karaoke bars (at least, gay ones) for years to come.

The second song “Fascination” is the killer single off the album and the one that made me first love this band. It’s the hyperkinetic love child of “Footloose” and David Bowie’s “Modern Love.” Granted the lyrics sometimes don’t make a hell of a lot of sense (Easy living…killed the young dudes…in the high boots??), but it is one of the happiest, most carefree songs I’ve heard in ages. This UK video for this is another to search for on Youtube. It’s a colorful collage of dancing, whooping, and confetti. THIS is what pop should be…They start invading the US in early ‘09 when they tour with Katy Perry…damn you, Katy Perry!

“THE LUCKY ONES” and “GOT A HABIT NOW” by Val Emmich
from Little Daggers
This is the other artist in the category of guys who’ve broken the cute singer-songwriter curse. You might remember Val Emmich from his guest role as Jamie, the coffeeboy everybody went gay for on “30 Rock” or you might have seen him on “Ugly Betty.” Well, he’s more than just a pretty face who can act…he’s also a great singer-songwriter whose album “Little Daggers” is one of the sleepers of the year. When I first heard about the album, I though it was a clear candidate for the mopey singer-songwriter bin. I was WRONG.

The lyrics might be dark, but the melodies are upbeat, catchy and produced with just enough bells and whistles that it doesn’t lose its intimacy. Take for instance the album opener…”The Lucky Ones.” The song breaks out of the gate with a stream of “do do do do’s” that will implant themselves in your end long after the song is over. The handclaps and driving beat are uneasily (in a good way) counterbalanced by lyrics like “Every time i take the leap / I think I’ll end up on my feet / But if history tells me anything / I’ll have bruises on my back.”

However, the highlight of the album is “Got a Habit Now,” a confessional about needing alcohol to be open. The gorgeous melody is accented by some faint “oohs” and “doo wops” that all bring to mind Marshall Crenshaw. One of the best odes to drunken honesty…ever…

“HOLD IT IN” and “VICTORIA (Live)” by Jukebox the Ghost
from Live and Let Ghosts
A couple of playlists ago, I extolled the wonders of Jukebox the Ghost, a three-piece piano/guitar/drums band from Washington D.C. Their debut album “Live and Let Ghosts” stands as one of the best of 2008. The last samplings I shared featured guitarist Tommy Siegel on lead vocals. These two spotlight Ben Thronewill (their pianist) singing.

What’s brilliant about the Jukebox the Ghosts song’s is that they inject humor without being overly cloying. “Hold It In” takes the classic scenario of a crush and turns it into this giddy, clap-along self-debate about whether to own up to liking somebody. The video for the song takes things a step further with Peanuts-like illustrations that evoke the old notion of dealing with one’s schoolyard crush.

The second Jukebox track is a live radio performance of “Victoria,” the most recent single by the band. The song highlights Ben’s masterful piano playing showing off his classical background. It further demonstrates how these guys are wizards at the “bop-along” song, tunes to which you’ll just find yourself bobbing your head along uncontrollably. This recording shows that what you hear is what you get with these guys. They are just as great live as they are on record. DEFINITELY ones to keep an eye out for in 2009…

“GOOD DAY,” “WELCOME TO TALLY HALL,” and “TAKEN FOR A RIDE” by Tally Hall
from Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum
Some may consider this a cheat because earlier versions of these songs were released a couple of years ago, BUT the re-recorded 2008 version of this Michigan-based band’s debut “Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum” is one of the best albums of the past five years. I heard about these guys totally by accident. I was sitting in my friend’s Drew car and was screwing around with his CD player in his car. I stumbled upon this CD after a couple of button preses and it was love at first listen…

It would unfair and hard to pigeonhole Tally Hall with one particular style. They’re powerpop, uncursed sensitive singer-songwriters, theatrical, alternative…honestly…it’s pretty pointless to label them. Like Jukebox the Ghost, their songs are humorous and clever without being all “hey, look at us being clever!” The songwriting and production are complex and textured without being overbearing. In a way, they remind me of Jellyfish (circa “Spilt Milk”) with a little bit of restraint….

“Good Day,” the album opener, encapsulates what to expect from Tally Hall…hooky melodies, time changes galore, layer upon layer of vocals, a kaleidoscope of instrumentation, and quirky lyrics. This song, penned by keyboardist Andrew Horowitz, won the John Lennon songwriting award and rightfully so. It goes from being a Cars song to a little Barenaked Ladies to They Might Be Giants to Queen all in the span of a matter of minutes. While on paper it sounds like it could be a mess, it’s not…it all works together very nicely. The video directed by band member Joe Hawley is nothing short of amazing as well…probably my FAVORITE song of 2008.

“Welcome to Tally Hall” is sort of a theme song for the band introducing listeners to the individual members of the band through the wonders of rock and rap. Mmhmm…rap. Nerd rap can often end up being cheesy and hack, but here…not so much. As with other songs on the album, it’s not content to sit in the square box of one style. As it evolves, the song adds some funk, gospel, and jazz to the mix. Again…it shouldn’t work, but it does.

“Welcome to Tally Hall” segues right into “Taken for a Ride.” This was the first song I heard of theirs where I went…”holy shit, who are these guys??” This one’s another Andrew Horowitz-penned song and features a vocodered Andrew singing the lead vocals. It begins as a lost ELO track before moving into Queen territory then takes a left turn into the Polyphonic Spree and ends up 80s new wave territory…all quite brilliantly.

So that’s it…my 20 in ‘08. With a lot of these (like Jon McLaughlin, The Feeling, Alphabeat, Val Emmich, Jukebox the Ghost, and Tally Hall), they’re just tiny samples of really great albums in a really strong year of music. I highly recommend buying the full albums if you like the tracks from which they come! Have a happy new year and here’s to a strong 20 in ‘09!

Download: Panic at the Disco, “Nine In The Afternoon” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, “Populism Yeah Yeah” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Killers, “Human” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Vampire Weekend, “M79″ (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Max Vernon, “I Kissed A Girl” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Hotel Lights, “Amelia Bright” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ben Folds, “Cologne (Piano Orchestra Version)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ludo, “Love Me Dead” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Jon McLaughlin, “You Can Never Go Back” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Feeling, “I Thought It Was Over” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Feeling, “Turn It Up” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Alphabeat, “10,000 Nights” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Alphabeat, “Fascination” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Val Emmich, “The Lucky Ones” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Val Emmich, “Got A Habit Now” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Jukebox the Ghost, “Hold It In” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Jukebox the Ghost, “Victoria (Live)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tally Hall, “Good Day” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tally Hall, “Welcome To Tally Hall” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tally Hall, “Taken For A Ride” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

By Man(del) from U.N.C.L.E. @ 11:55 am / Comments (2) / Labels: Annual Picks, The Man(del) from U.N.C.L.E., mp3 /

December 22, 2008

Follow Selective Service on Twitter!

How web 2.0 of us. Here’s where we’ll tweet:

http://twitter.com/selectivesrvice

We’ll be posting tweets every time a new list goes live on the site and random musical ephemera, too.

Please note that @selectiveservice was a single character too long (curses!), so be sure to follow @selectivesrvice (no first “e” in service) to be in the know ASAP!

By Uncle Sam @ 5:55 pm / Comments (0) / Labels: Website Stuff /

The Best Songs You Didn’t Hear 2008

Here’s what rocked and rolled me in ‘08:

  1. Ten Minute Turns, “Aluminum Shine”
    from Leaving Robot City
    The best new song from the best unsigned band in Brooklyn. Leaving Robot City adds electronic flourishes to their winning marriage of impeccably-produced indie rock and earworm-inducing hooks, and the results are pretty damn great. This was my #2 most listened-to song of the year, and it only surfaced in November. Really, really good.
  2. MGMT, “Kids”
    from Oracular Spectacular
    The most kraut-rocking-est song about environmentalism you’ll hear all year. Oracular Spectacular is an unexpectedly hypnotic cocktail of spaced-out, electronic, rocking psychedelia (much of the album sounds like if the Stones married the disco attitude of “Emotional Rescue” with the LSD-enhanced aesthetic of Their Satanic Majesties Requestreally odd and interesting), and it’s eminently listenable from beginning to end. Definitely worth all the hype it received throughout ‘08.
  3. Elbow, “Grounds for Divorce”
    from The Seldom Seen Kid
    The Brits loved Kid (it won the ‘08 Mercury Music Prize) more than me (I dug it generally, but often skipped the more meandering numbers), but there’s one thing we can agree on: we lurve the bluesy stomp of “Grounds For Divorce” — it hit #19 across the pond, and was in consistent rotation in iTunes for me. Their best yet.
  4. Gnarls Barkley, “Surprise”
    from The Odd Couple
    Gnarls’ second album landed with a bit of a thud for me (there was no way they were going to top “Crazy,” but I was hoping for something with a little more chutzpah), but I found myself happily drawn to this song over and over. It’s a fantastic blend of soul, hip-hop, and bouncy 60’s AM pop, and I’m hoping it serves as a template (or at least a starting point) for future GB ventures.
  5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Hold On To Yourself”
    from Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
    My biggest personal musical discovery of ‘08 was definitely Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Thanks to the advice of some Selective Service faithful, I dug deep enough into his back catalogue to properly prepare me for this year’s Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Cave and his band of dark merry-makers released the best album of the year by far, and it was really tough to pick just one song to feature here. Do I go with the title track, a funky, twisted sing-along that re-tells the biblical story of Lazarus? The English-lit-degree-holder-pleasing “We Call Upon The Author”? The dark romance of “Jesus of the Moon”? In the end, the choice was made by song length, actually: “Hold On To Yourself” allowed my list to fit under 80 minutes, but it’s also loaded with some of the most haunting imagery on the album (the roadside memorial to his dead lover is especially vivid: “As Jesus makes the flowers grow/All around the scene of her collision”). Hard to pick a bad song from Dig.
  6. Nine Inch Nails, “Discipline”
    from The Slip
    ‘Twas a big year for the newly label-free and reinvigorated NIN: without warning, they dropped a four volume set of moody instrumentals, Ghosts I-IV; about a month after that, they released a proper album, The Slip, online, asking for nothing in return; and then they ended the year with a massively successful world tour. I know the independent online distribution concept has been labeled “the Radiohead model,” but Reznor one-upped them by (1) keeping The Slip available as a free download, (2) embracing Creative Commons licensing for both album releases, and (3) giving away high-quality files (the mp3s for both albums are encoded at very high rates, and you can download free multi-track files for your own remixing fun, unlike the pay-to-play remixing project Radiohead launched). Oh, and the best part? The Slip is really, really good, too. Check it out at the link above — it’s free!
  7. Sons & Daughters, “Chains”
    from This Gift
    The line on these Scots is deliciously retro: This Gift is the soundtrack to a movie Quentin Tarantino hasn’t made yet. Lots to love on the whole album, but this shot of old-fashioned, hip-shakin’ pop got the most headphone love and it has staying power — Gift was released back in January, and it never left the small confines of my 8GB iPhone.
  8. Ra Ra Riot, “Can You Tell”
    from The Rhumb Line
    The anthemic sound recalls Arcade Fire, but the songs have loads more heart. I really dig the liberal (and tasteful, Mandel!) use of cello and other strings. Beautiful stuff.
  9. Ida Maria, “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”
    from Fortress Around My Heart
    If PJ Harvey were happier and Swedish Norwegian, she’d sound a lot like this. Her self-titled debut album will finally hit the U.S. in early ‘09, but remember — you (might have) heard her here first!
  10. Amanda Palmer, “Leeds United”
    from Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
    As a member of the Boston-based Dresden Dolls, Palmer had the dark cabaret-punk schtick down pat, but working with Ben Folds coaxed the pop songstress out of her. Who Killed Amanda Palmer? is easily the best pop album of the year (and the best work Folds did, too — it’s much more consistently satisfying than Way To Normal), and it’s delightfully unusual fun. There are loads of great songs to be found, but this one stands out most to me — word has it that its lyrics were inspired by a couple of soccer hooligans who disrupted a show of hers in Europe.
  11. The Heavy, “Colleen”
    from Great Vengeance and Furious Fire
    What I said this summer is still true: “Great Vengeance is a fantastic, gritty, rocking soul album that’s loaded with more fuzzy guitars, funky horns, and hip-hop beats than a David Holmes soundtrack album. It’s also a nice, taut release: clocking in at just over half an hour, the 10 songs are completely devoid of filler and, in what’s become a sad rarity in modern album-making, really leaves you wanting more. Lead singer Kelvin Swaby’s voice conjures images of a chain-smoking Prince with a hint of falsetto Tom Waits — in fact, opener ‘Brukpocket’s Lament’ had me thinking that Vengeance was an Orphans orphan until the heavy horns kicked in on ‘Colleen.’ Unexpectedly excellent stuff.”
  12. Ben Folds, “You Don’t Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor)”
    from Way To Normal
    I had very low expectations of Folds’ new album thanks to his dreadful last release Songs For Silverman, so I was happily shocked to discover that he’d rediscovered his groove of classic piano-pop. Normal is pretty good, clean fun from start to finish, altho the more pop-culture-y references and the occasional shot of vulgarity feel a bit forced. The album’s highlight is certainly “Cologne,” but Because Mandel is a Folds freak and I am a gentleman, I decided not to repeat his pick on my list (even though I debuted my list first!). This tune is a close second, tho, so don’t feel slighted. The appearance of Ms. Spektor is gravy.
  13. Sharleen Spiteri, “All The Times I Cried”
    from Melody
    Without Spiteri and her band Texas’ hit single “Black Eyed Boy” in 1997, I don’t think there would have been a 60’s soul-pop revival for Amy Winehouse to lead. Spiteri’s always had a pop historian edge to her blue-eyed soulful sound, and on her first solo outing, Melody, she sounds like she’s opened a time capsule of symphonic 60’s pop songs that time forgot.
  14. Tom Jones, “In Style And Rhythm”
    from 24 Hours
    The old man proves that he’s still got it on his new album 24 Hours, and this is by far the coolest song of the bunch: lifestyle advice set to a swinging retro beat.
  15. Primal Scream, “Beautiful Future”
    from Beautiful Future
    The Scream found their swagger again on Beautiful Future, returning to the electric roots of Evil Heat and XTRMNTR, but adding krautrock and pop to their mix. The result is much brighter sounding, but the lyrics have a delightful darkness to them.
  16. The Gutter Twins, “Idle Hands”
    from Saturnalia
    To quote myself: “Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan make beautiful, elegantly sinister music together. Their debut album Saturnalia is a bit of a dark affair, but the songs often soar with energy and rich in imagery. Lanegan also proves that he’s a vocalist without peer: he hits notes that are impossibly low, and on a number of tunes (especially ‘Idle Hands’), his voice becomes a potent instrument, adding a unique texture that’s hard to forget. Great stuff.”
  17. The Kills, “Last Day Of Magic”
    from Midnight Boom
    What I said earlier this year still stands: “the songs [on Midnight Boom] are a winning mix of unpredictable, lo-fi percussion; jumpy, amazingly catchy hooks; and snarling, fuzzy riffs. It’s a sleek, taut album, too: with each song clocking in somewhere between 2 and 3.5 minutes, sometimes cutting off just as a song really gets percolating (I could listen to the chorus of ‘Last Day Of Magic’ for 45 minutes, but they wisely cut it at 3:20), they leave you wanting more — it’s amazingly re-listenable. I’ve yet to find a song worth skipping.” Have fun getting “Last Day Of Magic” out of your head.
  18. TV On The Radio, “Golden Age”
    from Dear Science
    Something about art-rockers TV On The Radio has never sat well with me: their previous albums were sonically adventurous but absolutely tuneless. All that’s changed with Dear Science, their newest album. They finally found a way to channel their diverse influences (rock, punk, funk, soul, jazz) into a catchy, fun dance album while still keeping the sound dense and complex. There’s nobody out there that sounds quite like these guys.
  19. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, “Fix it”
    from Cardinology
    Adams and his insanely talented band hit another home run with Cardinology, their most recent collection of classic-rock-flavored Americana, and “Fix It” is the album’s emotional center. Beautiful, heartbreaking stuff.
  20. Mates of State, “Help Help”
    from Re-Arrange Us
    I usually have a low tolerance for power-pop, but the Mates of State have swayed my ears thanks to killer tunes and thoughtful indie arrangements. Their album is a solid treat from beginning to end.
  21. The Two Man Gentlemen Band, “When Your Lips Are Playing My Kazoo”
    from Heavy Petting
    I can confidently tell you that the 2 Gents are the nation’s finest upright bass/banjo/kazoo duo. Viva la double entendre!

If I had to rank the albums you should add to your collection this year, it would look like this:

  1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
  2. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular
  3. TV On The Radio, Dear Science
  4. Amanda Palmer, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
  5. The Heavy, Great Vengeance And Furious Fire
  6. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Cardinology
  7. The Kills, Midnight Boom
  8. Mates Of State, Re-Arrange Us
  9. Ten Minute Turns, Leaving Robot City
  10. Sharleen Spiteri, Melody

Enjoy the tunes!

Download: Ten Minute Turns, “Aluminum Shine” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: MGMT, “Kids” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elbow, “Grounds for Divorce” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Gnarls Barkley, “Surprise” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Hold On To Yourself” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Nine Inch Nails, “Discipline” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sons & Daughters, “Chains” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ra Ra Riot, “Can You Tell” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ida Maria, “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Amanda Palmer, “Leeds United” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Heavy, “Colleen” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ben Folds, “You Don’t Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sharleen Spiteri, “All The Times I Cried” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tom Jones, “In Style And Rhythm” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Primal Scream, “Beautiful Future” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Gutter Twins, “Idle Hands” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Kills, “Last Day Of Magic” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: TV On The Radio, “Golden Age” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, “Fix it” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Mates of State, “Help Help” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Two Man Gentlemen Band, “When Your Lips Are Playing My Kazoo” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

By Uncle Sam @ 5:29 pm / Comments (3) / Labels: Uncle Sam, mp3 /

December 9, 2008

I Can’t Believe ‘08 (The Whole Thing)

1. MGMT, “Time To Pretend” from Oracular Spectacular
Well I guess most people have probably heard this by now. When I first heard about them towards the beginning of this year, and Sam simultaneously gave me their music, we both jammed on this album incessantly for a while. Luckily his thing was “Kids”, mine was this tune - both are tour de force celebrations of analog glam dance rock, courtesy of Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev producer Dave Fridmann. Sam just had the good sense to pick the tune that didn’t end up in the film “21″, among other oversaturations. But y’know, I just couldn’t sacrifice this one. It is by far the most-listened-to track on my iPod ever (according to my iTunes, since adding “Oracular Spectacular” on March 3rd, I’ve spent a total of 15 hours playing just this one song), and every time I think I’ve grown sick of it and will put it away forever, it comes on some day I’m in the back of the store or something, and I’m blown away all over again. If you’re not already sick of this song, I hope you enjoy it! …And if you don’t know this song, I guess I can probably count on you not knowing the rest of my list, so thank you!

2. james, “Hey Ma” from Hey Ma
Boy am I a dope sometimes. I only discovered the band james through a recommendation this year. And immediately I had a headslapping V-8 moment. I mean this is a band that bridges the gap from new wave and post-punk through 90’s anti-grunge bright jangly pop rock, and are still active and relevant today. They connect the dots nicely between when U2 stopped sounding like this and when U2 started sounding like this again. They’re from Manchester. They’re oft-produced by some guy named Brian Eno. They’ve been around long enough to have their own influencees: The Helio Sequence’s “Lately” is an unapologetic love-letter to the james “sound”, and even (I know this is blasphemy) The Fireman’s “Sing The Changes” seems to feed a bit off james’ exuberant “Laid”. And I’d never even heard of them until a few months ago! Yeah that still happens to me sometimes. Not that I really mind, it just spurs me on through a new door to discover more music, even entire genres or scenes, of which I was previously unaware. So between picking up james’ timely new album, tracking down their backlist, and branching out to contemporaries like The Go-Betweens and The La’s, I’ve added a lot of new music to my soul this year. Here I’m glad to share my favorite song from the new album, a wonderfully pointed derisive attack on our current American president and his foreign policy. Thankfully this sort of thing suddenly seems a bit dated, and I don’t mind a bit.

3. Mates Of State, “Get Better” from Re-Arrange Us
Another gift from Sam, this album became one of my favorites of the year. I love Tegan & Sara, I love Rilo Kiley, but they didn’t have anything new this year (discounting Jenny Lewis’ sleepy solo stuff), so this will do nicely. It works pretty well after the last song too, beginning as it does with the lyric, “Forget all your politics for a while”. It also is the first in a coincidental trilogy of songs on my list whose titles are concerned with being “better”.

4. Pete & The Pirates, “Mr. Understanding” from Little Death
I came across this while sifting through mountains of year-end “best of” lists, recommendations, etc etc - all in a vain (read “narcissistic”, not “fruitless”) attempt to improve my own year-end list. As per my usual process, I checked out a song, then another song, then another… I was reminded of what George Martin said about first meeting The Beatles, that he was trying choose who would be the solo star he could pick out of the band and lift up out of moptopped obscurity, and nothing was inherently obvious - until it hit him like a ton of bricks, that it was the whole package that was working so well. Here I was looking for a good song or two, and found one of my favorite albums of the year. I’ve since given copies to a few friends, with the always evolving description that this kinda sounds like what it might have been like if Ian Curtis’ medication had worked, he’d stayed alive, Bernard Sumner had eschewed synthesizers for singing close harmony, they went out on tour with The Jam and really developed this new exuberant sound, and voila! You’ve got this irrepressably happy album that sounds like it was found on vinyl at the back of a bin labeled “Manchester, 1980″. This song in particular features a melodic riff of the type where you can picture the band jamming one day and someone launches into the tune and they all break off laughing, looking at each other and saying, “yeah we can’t really get away with that, can we?” Then you can picture them later that night, unable to get that melody out of their heads, suddenly calling each other up and getting back in the studio as soon as possible to record what just might be a hit single if they can pass that melodic meme onto the world. With this wonderfully fun and spontaneous image in mind, I was a bit hesitant to actually find out anything about these guys, I guess fearing that their public image would somehow be at offputting odds with what I hear coming through in their music - but then I broke down and watched the video for this song that came free with the download of the album. And what a treat (and relief) it was to see a couple of young guys having a blast putting together the kind of home-made video I used to make with my bandmates ten years ago - just singing into the camera, popping flashlights on and off, rhythmic edits, clever stop-action stuff, lots of self-deprecating humor… It personally made me love these guys all the more, and this song especially, simple as it may be, just good old romping repetitive single note chugging harmonic post-punk madness. A division of actual joy. I dare you not to like this song. I triple dog dare you.

5. Gnarls Barkley, “A Little Better” from The Odd Couple
The second in my “Better” trilogy, this is a wonderful example of Cee-Lo and Dangermouse’s “The Beatles Meet Sly And The Family Stone” style of production. I really don’t have a lot of deep analysis about this one, I just love the thumping sampled beat (something sorely missing from most hip-hop production these days), the “Sun King”-reminiscent bassline and the touches of cavernous reverb that punctuate the vocals here and there. It also ends with the sound of a film projector running down, one of those anachronistic sounds (a telephone bell ringing, a tape rewinding) that has lived on in pop culture meaning long after its source context has gone the way of the 8-track. For a recent example, the second Hellboy film just came out on DVD, and it contains a bit where Abe Sapien is listening to one piece of music and hastily changes it to another as Hellboy enters the room. This action is accompanied by the familiar but incongruous sound of a needle being yanked across vinyl - something that for generations to come will be recognized for its meaning if not for its origin. A similar example happens in modern film when the bad guy walks into the rollicking bar and the jukebox stops playing! As if it’s the pinstriped piano player reacting to the sudden pall of dread in an old Western bar! Really, think about it. I obviously do, too much. And I lied, I apparently did have a lot of analysis about this one…

6. Okkervil River, “Calling And Not Calling My Ex” from The Stand Ins
Probably the best-written song on my list this year, this features recognizably literal yet poetically arranged word imagery, and a clever bouncy rhyme scheme that never becomes pretentious or gets in the way of the story at hand. The story happens to be about wistfully wishing well to your ex, and its final concluding line reminds me of the similarly themed “You Could Be Happy” by Snow Patrol, that appeared on my list last year.

7. Adele, “Cold Shoulder” from 19
It’s come to my attention that I may have potholed this from Sam’s lawn… Sorry man, but you gave me this! ha ha ha. Again, this year had no Amy Winehouse, no Sharon Jones, no Dap-Kings. But it did have Sharleen Spiteri, Nikki Costa, She & Him, and Adele; this wonderful slice of old-fashioned smoky R&B/soul, another of my favorite albums of the year. But I’m sure Sam will have more to gush about this, so I’ll let him (and this song) speak for me.

8. The Magnetic Fields, “California Girls” from Distortion
Another recent historic area of music I’ve been spelunking through has been what some seem to oversimplify as the “Shoegaze” era of music. In general I guess it’s supposed to refer to introspective music played by introspective musicians to introspective crowds, all so “into” the music that nobody acts out in any way that would distract from the pure essence of just playing, or listening to, said music - often (as Alan put it best) swaying back and forth with head down, gazing at one’s shoes. I dunno, having missed out on the scene in the late eighties and early nineties (in favor of following the evolving hip-hop and techno side of things), that seems like a ridiculous over-generalization, but hey they called stuff “grunge” once too. I don’t really know about the scene, but the corresponding music seems to start off with the ear-piercing-fuzz-tone / soaked-in-reverb interpolations of Phil Spector’s girl-group wall of sound that The Jesus And Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine plucked wholly out of thin air. It then continues on with the droning neo-psychedelia of Spaceman 3 and Galaxie 500 being added into the mix, all that pretension stripped away by Sonic Youth and Pixies, and finally tops off with people like The Dandy Warhols and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club tying it all back into good old R&B-riffing rock ‘n’ roll. I found a lot of great music from the recent past, but I’m also pleased to report that people like The Magnetic Fields (and later in this list, The Raveonettes) are still pulling this stuff off without sounding camp or kitsch, reaching all the way back to The Jesus And Mary Chain for that Spector-On-Mars sound. Basically, music that now fits well with Spector’s choice of lifestyle (and hairdo). This is the less popular version of this Left-Coast-lampooning song, featuring the lower male voice of the group, but I far prefer it.

9. Sparks, “Good Morning” from Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
Wow. The spirits of ABBA, Queen and Enya are all still alive and kicking in this song. At first, I was overjoyed to find that some new group I’d never heard of was pulling off this outrageously glam sound. Then I found to my chagrin that it was some very old group I’d never heard of. Sparks have been around in one form or another, doing this kind of music, since back before “glam” was a section at your local record store. HA! Like you have a local record store anymore. On a personal side-note, I do feel I have to apologize to Mandel for “stealing” this one - when I first heard it, my instant reaction was, “Wow, I have to show this to Mandel!” …Then my end-of-the-year-itis kicked in and I selfishly kept it for myself and this list. Sorry! But I look forward to having my mind blown by the songs my esteemed colleague does come up with. One things’s for sure, if his list contains any more music like this track, we’re all going to need a nice big shot of insulin…

10. We Are Scientists, “After Hours” from Brain Thrust Mastery
Modern English’s “Melt With You” is unapologetically one of my favorite songs of all time. And I guess I’m hardly alone there. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Helio Sequence, Film School, Editors, The Killers, The Bravery etc… there seem to be many bands out there that have modeled their entire catalog (whether through evolutional influence or intelligent design) after new-wave post-punk anthems like “Melt With You”, “Just Like Heaven” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. And I’ve got zero problem with that, it’s brought back (or if you look hard enough, sustained throughout) a favorite and formative musical genre in my life. This year this is the song that best delivers on its obvious influences without ever crossing over into parody. It also contains one of a few things I’ll point out in my list this year, what I’ll refer to as “producer moments”, bits I can easily point to as examples of what music producers “do” - something I’ve had to try and explain in ephemeral terms many times in my life. In this song, it comes at the 2:57 point, when the line “no one has the guts to shut us out” is repeated. Setting aside that the repetition itself may have been the producer’s suggestion, we get to the actual moment and we hear the drums cut out and the vocals suddenly awash in reverb, enhancing the plaintive emotion of the singer. But what’s really cool is how the producer has heard that this works best if you leave just the beginning of the first word in the phrase (”no”), then quickly cut off the unprocessed vocals and replace them with nothing but reverb. This enables the listener to immediately identify that the upcoming phrase will be a repetition of what was just said, only this time the words are unimportant. What is important is the sound of the moment, the emotional atmosphere that is suddenly injected, then retracted as the drums build back up into the chorus. A chorus which now strategically has the first lines missing, to better let the emotional shift of that break and return sink in, as well as not let the refrain get too boring. There’s also a backwards reverb, a fading up lead-in to the chorus line of “time means nothing”. This adds to the anticipation of the return of the refrain, what you have become used to hearing over this piece of music. Adding the fade-in backwards reverb enhances what the listener’s brain is already doing at the moment: sitting on the edge of its mental seat, actually hearing the upcoming vocals coming before they happen. As the esteemed Dr. Frank N Furter best put it, it’s all about “antici……………….. pation” Anyway yeah, that’s the kind of thing an attentive producer does. And sure, it may have been someone in the band who suggested these moments, but my point is it doesn’t matter who suggested it, at that moment they were producing! As I’ve oversimply described my job many times, producing is hearing what isn’t there yet. You hear where music should “go”, as if in a specific direction, but you can’t point to it anymore than the 2D character in Edwin A. Abbott’s “Flatland” could point “up”. It’s impossible to convey or communicate, you just have to jump up and seize the moment and tell the girls to say “da doo ron ron ron” over and over for no reason other than you heard it in your head. (Or in the case of this song, for some reason an accordian, a sitar and a fiddle all make fleeting blink-and-you-miss-it appearances in the second verse, as if the ghost of George Harrison was haunting the mixing board) You hear a lot in your head as a producer - which is probably why some end up going ’round the bend, recording silence in the wilderness, calling for more cowbell, or just showing up at their murder trial looking like the Groom Of Frankenstein. Ariel Rechtshaid certainly has a long way to go before facing that particular fork in the road of sanity, but for now I’m glad he’s gone spare enough to give us one of the best- produced rock songs of the year.

11. The Raveonettes, “Dead Sound” from Lust Lust Lust
Speaking of Phil, here’s more of that Spector-broadcasting-from-Mars sound. This has an even stronger visceral connection to the old girl-group sound considering we’ve got ethereal female vocals leading the charge. Behind that there’s a thick bed of earpiercing fuzzy guitar, which breaks off into earpiercing sweet chimes every once in a while. And “earpiercing” pretty much sums it up. This is the aural equivalent of sharpening a candy cane and then jamming it through your eardrum: the sweetest thing that’ll ever make your ears bleed.

12. Why?, “These Few Presidents” from Alopecia
Whoa, who? Why? Well why not. This is from my favorite album of the year. There I was as the Fall approached, comfortable and content in the unshakability of MGMT’s “Oracular Spectacular” as my favorite album, then this came along shaking its head and waving a big sonic bat behind its back to whack some updated sense into me. The album is just all the hell over the place, running the gamut of hip-hop, fuzzy shoegaze, bright pop rock (the last Rickenbacher guitar not owned by Paul McCartney or Roger McGuinn pops up in one song), eerie harmonies, quirky lyrics, it’s kinda like The Flaming Lips are running down the street one way, and MC Paul Barman the other, and they get their chocolate in each other’s peanut butter. That’s not a euphemism, at least for anything but constantly evolving and entertaining music, never settling for repeating something good, always trying to find the next left field to pull something out of. I first fell in love with this song, but the whole album is a trip well worth taking.

13. Death Cab For Cutie, “Your New Twin Sized Bed” from Narrow Stairs
This is pretty standard fare from the most consistantly entertaining pop group to be named after an obscure bit in a Monty Python film. But it does contain another couple of “producer moments”, specifically the fading in backwards echoed words “I guess” during the first verse, and the explosion of vocal reverb at the bridge, reminiscent of the gated effects used on David Bowie’s voice in “Heroes”. It’s also just great to hear a song these days that has a bridge at all. My friend Benn was recently lamenting the lack of fun song structure, especially the bridge, in today’s popular music. I agreed, and postulated that it may be the effect of hip-hop and electronica dumbing down what audiences demand from their music these days. To clarify - I’m a huge fan of both hip-hop and electro, and have faithfully followed their evolution since the mid 1980’s. But it’s true that with a band, a bunch of guys and gals standing around actually playing instruments, interesting musical changes just pop up all the time. The bassist screws up and the rest of the band likes it better, the drummer subtly changes tempo to fit the mood, the xylophonist suggests that sliding in a diminished fifth would really rock, it’s just the way bands have been doing music forever. But when you’re working with drum machines and keyboards and samplers, the temptation to just find a groove that works and leave it that way is hard to resist. Mainly because if you “feel” that a change should happen at a certain point in the song (a lifetime of Lennon/McCartney training kicking in), you can’t just point to the guitarist and say, “now go la-la-LA!” You have to find another sample, or program a different keyboard loop, or a fill on your drum machine. I’m good at drum programming, I’ve been doing it since 1985, and I’ve been sampling drum loops since 1986. None of that is ever as easy or as spontaneous as the random fills and changes a real drummer comes up with, fueled by the emotion of the moment. So while yes, I love hip-hop and electronica, I lament the influence that “find a groove and you’ve got your song” approach to songmaking (and subsequently songwriting) has had on modern popular music. With most songs on the radio these days, once you’ve heard the first 30 seconds, it’s just lather rinse repeat after that. And sure, an easy defense would be to point out that hip-hop, in sampling funk and soul, is continuing the tradition of groove those genres had. Well yes… BUT one must remember that even though they’d find a groove and jam on it incessantly, they always remembered to (as James Brown so famously cried out) “take it to the bridge!!!” Thank you Death Cab For Cutie for remembering to take The Godfather at his word.

14. Lily Allen, “I Don’t Know” from MySpace
I really wish Miss Allen would finally put out an album of these new songs she’s been debuting, in various stages of completion, on her MySpace page. But she’s had a rough year, lots of ups and downs, and if she wants to wait until everything is done to her satisfaction, who am I to complain. Luckily I grabbed this song off her page while it was still available. I’ve tried to clean it up a bit, but it’s from a low-quality MP3 and hell, that’s for the best, we’ll all line up to get the real thing once it becomes available. Oh, and for anybody out there who remembers the children’s science show “3-2-1-Contact!” on PBS in the 80’s: the music for this one is oddly reminiscent of the theme song for that show. It’s the answer! It’s the reason! Why everything happens! Enjoy!

15. Vampire Weekend, “A-Punk” from Vampire Weekend
Okay, at first glance, just more poser hipsters playing at being Hard-Fi or (shudder) The Kaiser Chiefs. But then suddenly you realize that it’s not just ska guitars… What is that, pan-flute? Steam organ? A squeezebox? All set over a barnstormer of a bassline, dipping and diving and finishing off each phrase with a just a sprig of harmony… This one song keeps it pretty simple and enjoyable, but check out the rest of the album as well. It’s finely crafted catchy pop, but done with the experimental edge of Talking Heads or Paul Simon. Yeah that’s it - this is the sound of a world where “Cecilia” and “Mother And Child Reunion” were as epically influential as “Roadrunner” and “Anarchy In The UK”.

16. Doomtree, “Dots & Dashes” from Doomtree
It’s getting close… One of these years, I won’t have any hip-hop on my year-end list, and the world shall weep. Well I guess not really. But hell, hip-hop’s been in my life since 1984, I’ve followed it through some tough times before (it turns out Hammer did hurt, a lot), but this year I had to go looking further than usual for some interesting hip-hop to include on here. Once I (quickly) waded past all of T-Whoever / Li’l Whoever’s thousand or so reggaeton-infused issues of Gigantic Asses, and swam out to find something deeper, I found myself in dire need of water wings. Sure, MURS had a pretty good album, and his song “Can It Be (Half A Million Dollars And 18 Months Later)” has a great hook and politically charged lyrics, but it just didn’t fit musically with anything else on my list. Roots and J-Live had reliable, typical albums, no particular stand-outs. Del, The Mighty Underground, Lyrics Born, they all had disappointing entries this year, albums yielding at the most one or two interesting songs. Then fairly late in the game, it was Doomtree to the rescue! Featuring wonderfully musical and varying production, female and male vocals, and attention to song structure rarely found in hip-hop these days (as previously ranted about), this was the most pleasant of surprises. This song’s also got another of those producer moments: in the last verse, where the guy takes over lead vocals and the loop drops out but the organ chords keep chugging, I was listening and suddenly realized that the high guitar stab that had so wonderfully punctuated the loop earlier in the song should make a re-appearance on its own. And so I pointed to the speaker right at the moment when it was “supposed” to pop up again, and hey presto! Hands raised in triumph, I knew I’d finally found the kind of hip-hop song I’d proudly include on this list. I only hope there’s more of this in the future, and less of… well, turn on MTV. No wait. Don’t. Just don’t.

17. Noah And The Whale, “5 Years Time” from Peaceful, The World Lay Me Down
Damn commercialism! I discovered this song and was just overjoyed something this fun and catchy hadn’t been appropriated for a Prius commercial or something. Unfortunately I don’t watch enough TV, for I found out later that it actually had been used in a car commercial, for Saturn! Dejected but not without hope (I mean it’s only Saturn!), I still intended to proudly show off this “discovery” to all of you. And then I was in Starbucks the other day and it was piping out of their speakers. Bah. Anyway, I’ll still include it here, hope you’re all not sick of it by the time this post is published. The song grabbed me right away, quirky and jumpy, and it struck me as being the best eels song from this eels-less year - albeit with ukelele substituting for guitar, and male and female harmonies subbing for E’s mopey drone. Still, I’d would love to see eels perform this sometime as an encore or something, it seems made to be MOE’d.

18. Earlimart, “Before It Gets Better” from Hymn And Her
And now to the best Aimee Mann song from this year! Which is unfortunate, considering Aimee Mann actually did release an album this year… But I like this hypnotic pulsing track better than anything on Mann’s album, so here you go. As far as producer moments, this has a couple, but they’re things I hear that I would have suggested had I been there, things I hear not happening in the song and I miss them. But since I can’t aptly communicate that to you in words, I won’t even try. Rest assured I still obviously love this song enough to present it to you here.

19. M83, “Graveyard Girl” from Saturdays=Youth
This was another really pleasant surprise, and one that I don’t mind showing up on lots of other “best of” year-end lists. The album can best be described as a soundtrack for some long-lost John Hughes film circa 1987, complete with beds of “shoegazey” guitar, whispery analog synths, ethereal reverbed vocals, mechanically precise “She’s Lost Control” style drums, spoken word bits about how much it sucks to be a teenager, etc… And yet it has a fresh clean “new song smell”, it never just seems like some homage or parody of that long-lost day-glo decade. There’s actually a lot of 1980’s showing up in songs here in 2008, something perhaps worthy of an entire other post. Hmmm…

20. Blitzen Trapper, “Furr” from Furr
This was a last-minute replacement for Fleet Foxes’ CSN-does-Pet-Sounds “White Winter Hymnal”, which you’ve probably heard, and even worse seen for sale next to your morning latte-chino or whatever. It struck me as strangely symmetrical to replace Foxes with Furr, as long as I don’t get splashed with red paint or anything. Anyway as far as this song - hey, who misses Cat Stevens, raise your hand! Here you go, here’s a good old folky fable for you, complete with playful limerick rhyme scheme and rambling melodic arrangement, and oh yes, a feedback echo on a harmonica, something I don’t know if I’ve ever heard before. This was the last discovery 2008 had waiting for me, but it’s last not least, and has proven to be one of those songs I just keep playing over and over. Hope it does the same for you.

21. She & Him, “Sentimental Heart” from Volume One
I remember thinking when I saw “Elf” that Zooey Deschanel actually appeared to have a good singing voice - kinda lazy and charming, a perfect fit for her Margaret Whiting half of the duet she sings with Will Ferrell. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who noticed, as bluesy popsmith M Ward sought her out for an album of old-fashioned Dusty Springfieldian torch songs. It works best in small doses, but this track is my favorite. And capping off the general nostalgic feeling is the old-fashioned way it ends, fading off just as everything is really hitting its stride. In fact, this and the similarly old-fashioned-sounding “California Girls” are the only songs on my list to have a proper fade-out. Leave ‘em wanting more, I guess. Miss Whiting would be proud.

22. Ruckus Roboticus, “A Child’s Introduction To Drums” from Playing With Scratches
I think this guy has been creeping around my vinyl collection while I’m out at work or something. He’s cobbled together a bunch of fun samples from children’s records, set them to thumping hip-hop beats, and given us a wholly entertaining album for fans of DJ Shadow, The Avalanches, Z-Trip, Cut Chemist, Dan The Automator etc. This track is a celebration of drums, or as Napoleon once put it, “Leetle theengs, heeting eech othaire!!!”, and I’ll gladly use it to close out my 2008 with a bang.

Update: Now with MP3 goodness!

Download: MGMT, “Time To Pretend” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: James, “Hey Ma” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Mates Of State, “Get Better” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Pete & The Pirates, “Mr. Understanding” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Gnarls Barkley, “A Little Better” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Okkervil River, “Calling And Not Calling My Ex” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Adele, “Cold Shoulder” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Magnetic Fields, “California Girls” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sparks, “Good Morning” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: We Are Scientists, “After Hours” (mp3)