"Spiders are singing in the salty breeze ... spinning out webs of deductions and melodies"

Precursor Ramblings To Bobby B's 50 Albums of the Decade...

It's hard to believe that we're already 10 years into this millennial decade. It seems like only yesterday we were all in fear of Y2K and all of the nonsense associated with that. I always assumed that by this time I'd be flying around in my fuel efficient time machine Delorean, paying $400 for a Coke and fighting intergalactic battles with Wilma Deering by my side. It was 100 years ago that Ottawa won its first Stanley Cup as the Ottawa Senators and it was also that same year when the first commercial flight took place. We're just shy of two years away from the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's massive sinking and just four years away from the 100th anniversary of WW1. We're currently also about 51 years away from Halley's Comet's next appearance.

But random wikipedia stalkings aside, at this here blog it's all about the music, and the internet age of this last decade has seen music become more and more accessible to the masses, as the general public is finally in a position where they get to choose for themselves what they're going to listen to. Sadly, the large majority still hasn't taken advantage of this newfound freedom, opting to put money in the pockets of all of the Theory of a Nickelcreeds and Taylor bleedin' Swift's out there, but I don't think that we'll be seeing that for too much longer. The foul stench of the music industry's rapidly decaying corpse is becoming stronger than ever, and the public will soon have no other choice but to look to podcasts, blogs and other independent sources to feed their musical appetite which means gaining recommendations from people who actually enjoy music. What a novel idea! We're inching that much closer to an era where the important thing will no longer be what a singer's midrift looks like or what music some stuffed shirt has slapped into the pretty person's teen drama of the moment, but it will finally depend on the actual sounds coming through your speakers. OK, maybe I'm dreaming, but when has dreaming ever hurt anybody?

Still, in the meantime, for those who actually care, we have access to more music than ever before, which means that, to my ears, music has never sounded better. I'm sure that hundreds would disagree with me, but I feel that the "oughts" have been the best decade for music since the 1960's, and I've found it downright impossible to keep up with every band, genre and artists that appeals to me; a problem I've never encountered before. However, this is a fun problem to have as I've been spending the last couple of months revisiting all of the music that I've been introduced to since the year 2000 in an effort to compile a list of my favorite albums of the decade. And I'm happy to say that, by George, I think I've got it!

Starting tomorrow, I'll be taking you on a two week journey through my top 50 albums of the decade. I don't think that there'll be a huge ton of surprises, especially for those who have been following my blog at all over the last few years. I worked hard to be as objective as I can be though, not allowing myself to be swayed by popular opinion or common thoughts on what is "hip" or "cool" or (ugh) "indie." There are a few choices that are pretty much exclusive to my own personal list, not because these albums are that much better than everyone else's, but more because I've grown a personal attachment to them. Of course, there are other albums that are making all of the "decade end" lists simply because they deserve it, and you're gonna find these ones on my list too. (Yes, of course Arcade Fire made my list because I'm not an idiot, but it's not number one nor is it in the top ten.)

So I hope you enjoy my ten day foray into self indulgence (eleven days if you include this wordy rambling) as I will have album's 50 - 46 posted early tomorrow morning.

The title lyric is from the song 'Spiders (Kidsmoke)' by Wilco (pictured above), an artist that makes a couple of appearances on the list.

2008: The Shows

Last year at this time I said that I would definitely be toning down the concert going in 2008 because my frail old body simply cannot sustain the momentum. 2007's final performance tally weighed in at approximately 132 acts. For 2008, the band count was 145. Yep, as per usual I didn't keep to my word as I intended to, but the fact remains that my personal concert going agenda is still about half of what other music bloggers do, so I still feel that I've remained relatively balanced. So to speak.

This year has easily been my favourite concert year thus far, and although I missed some of the big ones like Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine and V-Fest, I still feel pretty good about the shows that I did see. Before I lunge into my list of the best of the best however, let me take a minute to explain how I compiled things this time.

In years past, I've always compiled the list according to individual performances. This year, I've decided to rank the shows as a whole. In other words, instead of counting Eric's Trip and Quest For Fire as two separate entries, I'm going to keep them together since they performed on the same night. However in cases where the opening band were not a real contributing factor to the show's inclusion on this list, I won't be mentioning them at all. Get it? No? Whatever...here's the list...

1. Neil Young & Wilco @ Air Canada Centre on December 5th. (Review)

From the moment that I knew I was attending this one, I had a feeling it would likely be my year end fave. Both bands performed their greatest hits that night and both bands rank within my top 20 favourite artists of all time.

2. My Morning Jacket & The Besnard Lakes @ Kool Haus on June 16th (Review)

I had just finished an intense few days of NXNE-ing and I was completely fried. Add to that the fact that I haaaaaate the Kool Haus, and the odds of me enjoying this show was reduced greatly. However here it is at number two on my list. Yep, they are THAT good!

3. Cuff The Duke, Bruce Peninsula & The Stables @ Horseshoe on August 22nd (Review)

I was filled with some intense Oshawa pride as this show turned out to be one of the greatest surprises of the year for me.

4. Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes & Fox Jaws @ El Mocambo on April 2nd (Review)

This show was a flawless example of controlled chaos as all three bands displayed their amazing ability to rock out, culminating in the best encore of the year.

5. Deerhunter @ Lee's Palace on November 12th (Review)

I've heard Bradford Cox's performances described as everything from train wreck to religious experience but I have to say that whatever audience alienating techniques he had used before, he clearly got that aspect of his persona out of his system. This was a rock show my friends, plain and simple.

6. The Sadies & The Sunparlour Players @ Horseshoe on October 3rd (Review)

It's a fact that if I plan on making a Sadies show a yearly tradition, then they're going be on the list every year. They're simply too amazing for words.

7. Eric's Trip, Quest For Fire & $100 @ Mod Club on June 3rd (Review)

This was a year of legends for me and Eric's Trip are one of those legends. Seeing two of the most amazing current local bands open for them was not too shabby either.

8. R.E.M., Modest Mouse & The National @ Molson Amphitheatre on June 8th (Review)

Seeing one of my top 5 favourite bands of all time for the first time was an amazing experience and this show would likely have been higher if I hadn't stumbled across some better set lists from other shows on the tour.

9. British Sea Power @ Lee's Palace on May 16th (Review)

The band emphasizes the fact that an encore is not necessary if your last song is an intense 10 minute jam that'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

10. Nicole Atkins & The Sea @ Lee's Palace on February 17th (Review)

This woman needs to be experienced live in order to be fully appreciated. Her vocals are guaranteed to send shivers up the old spine.

Honourable mentions:
Evelyn Room, Golden Hands Before God, Spiral Beach & High Dials @ Horseshoe on November 11th (Review)
Broken Social Scene & The Beauties @ Sound Academy on November 28th (Review)
Amos The Transparent @ Supermarket on June 12th (Review)
Fox Jaws @ The Rivoli on June 13th (Review)
Olenka and the Autumn Lovers @ Rancho Relaxo on August 13th (Review)
Hawksley Workman @ Danforth Music Hall on March 7th (Review)
Born Ruffians @ Opera House on November 1st (Review)
Black Diamond Bay @ The Drake on September 10th (Review)
The Dears & The World Provider @ Music Gallery on October 10th (Review)
The Dodos & Au @ Horseshoe on October 6th (Review)

Also, if you're interested in seeing what my top 5 single performances of the year were, then check out my submission over on the blog London, ON: Burgeoning Metropolis. There are lots of other neat blogger lists on there as well.

2008: The Songs

Coming up with a list of ten great songs is significantly more difficult than coming up with a list of ten great albums for the simple reason that a study of the most basic mathematics suggests that songs usually outnumber albums by about 50 to 1. (OK, I randomly pulled that number out of a hat but I think that I've made my point...) Unlike last year's list however, there was no one song that really stood out above the rest for me. Therefore all eleven songs this year are basically tied for first place and the basic thing that they all have in common is the fact that they consistently forced me to use the repeat button on my mp3 player of choice.

Accountant's Dream by Entire Cities (from Deep River)

There is no other song this year that so perfectly captures the essence of a band's live show than this one. It makes good use of the never ineffective build up process; beginning with a subtle and unassuming acoustic guitar before exploding with screams of joy and celebration. And what's most amazing is that I'm pretty sure that the song is simply about getting money wired, no?

Download: Accountant's Dream mp3

Care For Some Whiskey? by Leerone (from Imaginary Biographies)

This year saw more of the rise of the prolific female singer/ songwriter, some very good, and others very run of the mill. Leerone stood on her own in the sense that she chooses to lace her poetic personal whimsy with experimentation and fantasy. This song emanates a ray of light that leaves me feeling celebratory.

Download: Care For Some Whiskey? mp3
Photo by Alisha Blanchard

Kim And Jessie by M83 (from Saturdays = Youth)

Originally Graveyard Girl was my M83 pick for this list, but upon repeat listens I find it increasingly more difficult not to cringe at the lyrical references to Molly Ringwald in that song, as great a song as it is. K&J does just as good a job at evoking the feeling of a John Hughes movie, without sounding as forced. A lot of bands emulate the 80's, but the beauty of this song is that it sounds like, totally authentic, y'know?

Video: Kim and Jessie on youtube

The Old Prince Still Lives At Home by Shad (from The Old Prince)

For the first time in history, hip hop makes an appearance on one of my year end lists. (The lists themselves predate the blog by several years.) I'll admit that I don't really know what differentiates the good hip hop from the bad hip hop but I do know a good pop song when I hear it, and this is one of the good ones. Besides the fact that the song rings eerily true for many, Shad's rhymes are dope, particularly when he 'spits the verse' accompanied by only hand claps at the end of the song (due to not being able to afford the rest of the beat.) Funny song, and even funnier video.

Video: The Old Prince Still Lives At Home on youtube

Jodi by The Dodos (from Visiter)

I'll admit that having my wife's unique name in the title likely caused me to pay more than the usual attention to this song, but ultimately it was the fact that it was such a sonically pleasing bluegrassy freakfest that I knew I had to add this one to the list. The song's intricate guitar work forcefully attacks you and the build up crescendos in a way that literally leaves you feeling exhausted once the song is over.

Download: Jodi mp3


Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? by She and Him (from Volume One)

There are way more actress-turned-singer failures than successes out there but whoever decided that Zooey Deschanel should team up with M. Ward should be awarded a medal. This song shuffled its way into my saccharine filled sixties lovin' heart, and Zooey's voice is a breath of fresh air.

Download: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? mp3

Don't Haunt This Place by Rural Alberta Advantage (from Hometowns)

This is one of the more subdued songs of the album, but it maintains a steady pace that is accompanied by a cool stuttered drum sound, cello, organ and male / female vocals that keep the song moving along with an affection that is impossible to ignore.

Download: Don't Haunt This Place mp3

Nothing Ever Happened by Deerhunter (from Microcastle)

A unique amalgamation of Velvet Underground haziness coupled with the pop sensibilities of Echo and the Bunnymen, this song is more infectious than the musical tag 'ambient punk' would lead you to believe. A solid jam.

Download: Nothing Ever Happened mp3

Vagabonds by Gary Louris (from Vagabonds)

There are several alt-country releases this year to have garnered more praise then this one by the former Jayhawks frontman, but as far as I'm concerned, this Dylan pastiche has 'instant classic' written all over it. Epic.

Video: Vagabonds (live at Southern Theater) on youtube

Furr by Blitzen Trapper (from Furr)

The trap boys can get pretty intense at times, but the title track from their excellent September release showcases a softer side of their sound. This song is folk music at its finest, with its sublime and intelligent lyrics proving to be a welcome companion to the song's simple, yet beautiful structure.

Download: Furr mp3
Neighbourhood by Ruby Coast (from Projectible Collections)

And this song features my favourite shout along moment of the year. I don't care where I am, if this song is playing on my Zune, I'm shouting "Take it all back! We don't want that!" at the top of my lungs. Seriously.

Download: Neighbourhood mp3
Photo by Kid With Camera

Other honoroable mentions:

123 My Friends by Jon McKiel (from The Nature Of Things)
I've Been Asleep For A Long Long Time by Hey Rosetta! (from Into Your Lungs)
White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes (from Fleet Foxes)
Small by Portishead (from Third)
Stardust by Clouds That Look Like Things (from Hat Factory EP)
Golden Age by TV On The Radio (from Dear Science)
Lights Off by The Dears (from Missiles)
Love Is Impossible by This Is Ivy League (from This Is Ivy League)
Down In The Basement by Sloan (from Parallel Play)
The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room by Flight Of The Conchords (from Flight Of The Conchords)

and Dark Regrets by Schuman The Human (from Showtime For Schuman)
[this one actually came out in 2007 but I didn't hear it until this year and I really wanted to mention it because it's an amazing song that I think most people haven't heard.]
Download: Dark Regrets mp3