g-notes

1. She & Him / She & Him Volume 1 ~ I Thought I Saw Your Face Today

The song—I Thought I Saw Your Face Today—is amazingly good. Best song of 2008. It’s hard to believe a cute little actress (Zooey Deschanel) who played an elf girl at a mall could write such stunningly thoughtful and deep lyrics. But that’s not all. The music is smartly and subtly retro, with hints of Karen Carpenter and Nancy Sinatra. Well-placed, lush strings add depth. M. Ward’s arrangement is impeccable (no surprise, he is awesome). “I sometimes find what’s beautiful in things that are ephemeral…” Indeed. I couldn’t help but fall in love again—and again—with this song! There are a healthy handful of other really good songs and well-chosen covers on this album, too, opening very strong with originals, Sentimental Heart, Why Do You Let Me Stay Here, and This Is Not a Test.

2. Erykah Badu / New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) ~ That Hump

I am an Eryhkah Badu fan, since the 90s. She is my girl. She did the natural-childbirth-at-home thing. Rah rah! Now about the album: Every track on this record is strong and I listened to the whole thing over and over. It says Spring 2008 to me. Ms. Badu can set a mood, tell a story, inspire. That Hump is one of my favorite tracks with its rising and falling thumping bass pushing on through a slow funk—a musical metaphor to the lyrics, “If I could get over that hump, baby

then maybe I will feel better.” I also love Master Teacher, but the second part where it breaks more into a song backed by smooth, jazzy music rather than the spare vocal sound of the first part. Me is her song celebrating her strength in who she is as a grown woman, while admitting foibles and vanity. This year she turned 36, she sings (just like me)! She is hot—listen to this: “before I end this crazy dream, before I take one for the team, Yo ass done matched the gasoline!” Honey is sweet, fun and bubbly with maybe the neatest video of the year. I don’t watch many videos, but YouTube it and you’ll see what I mean. There are all kinds of references to the annals of R&B as folks flip through LPs in a record shop.

3. Nada Surf / Lucky ~ I Like What You Say

They’re one of my favorite bands, maybe my number two under Wilco, so they had to be high up on my list. Truth is, I didn’t think this was one of their finest offerings. The album as a whole was good enough, completely listenable, but only one track I sought out again and again—I Like What You Say. Probably for the way it highlights the bands nice harmonizing vocals and Matt Caws’ clear and pleasant voice and thoughtful songwriting. You don’t have to be lonely even if you are alone, I like that. I don’t really go in for songs about planes so much, but Ice on the Wing is a nice little rocker. And See These Bones is insightful, B+ Nada Surf. It’s hard for them to compete with their own past albums, Let Go and The Weight is A Gift, in my mind, though.

4. Cat Power / Juke Box ~ Ramblin’ (Wo)man

This is a cover album. So what? Chan’s voice and expression is probably better than her songwriting so why not? Most importantly, I listened to the track Ramblin’ (Wo)man over and over again during the summer. It transported me to dark and dusty bars in far-flung towns with blue tinged lights. I was skinny and wearing a white wife beater and snug, worn jeans, feeling hawt. I’m not a big blues lover, but the treatment of this Hank Williams song, makes me think Zeppelin is her backing band or something and it just so works! I also like her send up of New York and Silver Stallion very much.

5. Liam Finn / I’ll Be Lightning ~ Lead Balloon

Liam Finn is the Crowded House guy’s (Neil Finn) son. He plays all the instruments himself on the recording. That alone is cool—talent! I heard his live show was no good, but I’m rating recordings here, so I don’t care. This is a record full of tracks that are both interesting and listenable, which doesn’t always happen these days. The songs are well-constructed, channeling the Beatles for sure, and Crowded House a little, too. It takes me back to times past, like before I was born, but has a musical freshness, as well.

6. My Morning Jacket / Evil Urges ~ Sec Walkin’

Gotta love the Jacket! I guess I’ve already established that I love Yacht Rock, based on my number one pick for last year (Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky) and so I like the most Yacht-Rocky track from Evil Urges best. Sec Walkin’ has a sparkly 70s sound, Eagles-ish, but not enough to ruin it, nice steel guitar (?) twinkliness and high vocals. Nice. I want to disqualify this album on account of the dreadful Highly Suspicious and the song about the “sexiest librarian” (gag), but other tracks are enough to rescue it.

7. Death Cab for Cutie / Narrow Stairs ~ Long Division

I used to want to be a DCFC completist, but I gave up on that a few albums ago. Nothing will ever measure up to We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes in my mind, and as their music became more ‘accessible’ I liked it less. Except this record. It’s accessible and good. Long Division is a great little pop rocker with clever lyrics…”I will remain…” I Will Possess Your Heart builds slowly and dramatically in restrained prog fashion. Just a generally solid record.

8. Okkervil River / The Stand Ins ~ On Tour with Zykos

Lead singer Will Sheff has sort of taken up the mantle of what Rhett Miller of the Old 97s once was for me, vocally. He has this charming, languidly excited tone thats captures the listener and take them along where the band’s going with its easy rocking music that serves as the perfect counterpoint to Sheff’s intelligent, poetic lyrics. I do like their last offering The Stage Names better, but The Stand Ins will keep Okkervil fans satisfied. Pitchfork called them “the anti-Hold Steady” which I think is funny, but I get it. I like the Hold Steady a bit, but I like Okkervil River better.

9. Butch Walker / Sycamore Meadows ~ Here Comes the…

Every song is a hit. Not necessarily to me, but I can hear the hits. Why mainstream America can’t hear the hits, I don’t know. Butch Walker produces some very well known mainstream artist. You would think his own songs would be all over the teen TV dramas. Maybe they are too good. He uses classic, tuneful melodies and chord changes with heartfelt lyrics to create (another) perfect pop album. Final analysis: not cheesy enough for the masses; not ironic enough for the hipsters.

10. Mgmt / Oracular Spectacular ~ The Youth

This record opens with a song about marrying models and doing heroine. Not really my speed. But, electric eels—l like. How can you not like a song where the guy sings “Shock me like an electric eel” in falsetto? Oracular Spectacular is cool electronic rock. And The Youth is a fine anthem for our times.

Also of note:

Black Kids ~ I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You

So very catchy, peppy and cool. I love this song. Sounds new-wavy. Not to be disrespectful to them, but sort of New Ordery, but less with gravitas. I never got around to getting the whole record, though, because other tracks I heard online were not so exciting.

Various Artists Box Set ~ Love Train: The Sounds of Philadelphia

Randall got this for me for Christmas. I heard about it on NPR. I didn’t know until that spot that the sound I loved could be defined as “The Sounds of Philadelphia”. This 4-CD set is full of classic faves like: The O’Jays’ Backstabbers; The Delfonics’ Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time; Dee Dee Sharp doing I’m Not in Love; The Spinners’ I’ll Be Around, and MUCH more.

Afterword: 2008’s releases didn’t measure up to 2007’s for me. There was a batch of good albums, but none that can touch last year’s Sky Blue Sky (Wilco), still my favorite record of all time. It must be noted that the music I am exposed to is strongly influenced by the trickle down of my husband who spends lots more time than me seeking out new music. I think that anyone who compares our lists will see, though, that my list is my own this year especially! I feel very strongly about my number 1 and number 2 picks this year, and will likely go back to them again and again. But the rest will easily be supplanted if 2009 offers some interesting new releases. Tips and suggestions from fellow music lovers are welcome, and please post your lists in comments!