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

My Top 10 Hottest Canadian Bands 2008

As I mentioned in my last post, last Friday I (Heart) Music had posted the annual Hottest Bands In Canada list. I gave a few comments about my choices and omissions, etc. but after noticing that Mike at For The Records put up his personal choices, well, copycat that I am, I figured that I'd do the same.

Each of us who contributed to the list were basically given only two rules: the bands had to be Canadian, and they had to have a particularly "hot" year. We were aloud to define both of those terms anyway that we liked. The first one was pretty self explanatory, but determining what would be considered hot, well, that's another story. I basically decided that it meant that my personal views should be set aside (for the most part), and the bands in question had to have received quite a bit of recognition from the public, other artists and the critics and fans. I mostly stuck to that criteria, except now that I think about it, maybe my number one choice was based on more personal opinion that I consciously intended:

1. Cuff The Duke – Cuff the Duke was everywhere in 2008. They’ve opened for Feist and Calexico as well as playing backup for Hayden and holding their own with Blue Rodeo and Basia Bulat. Their live show is amongst the best that I’ve seen all year. They have the youthful vigor of a new band, but the musical abilities and tightness of a band that’s been doing this for decades. (And on a personal note, any band that can make me nostaligic for Oshawa is worthy of some form of recognition.) Myspace

2. Feist – Although last year was a particularly hot year for Feist, she managed to keep that momentum going in 2008. She appeared on SNL at the tail end of ’07, was on Stephen Colbert in April, will be headlining the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Concert with Diana Ross and won 5 Juno awards. However, what really makes 2008 an especially hot year for her is the fact that she got to sing with the monsters of Sesame Street. It took R.E.M. 16 years and 11 albums to get there. Feist did it in 9 years and 4 albums. Myspace

3. Shad - I know a lot of people that felt that Shad should have won the Polaris prize that he was nominated for this year. The fact that it wasn’t necessarily hip hop fans that felt this way really says a lot about how all encompassing his appeal really is. Like Cadence and K-OS before him, Shad has introduced impressive rhymes and beats to those who wouldn’t usually spend a lot of time with hip hop. Myspace

4. The Dears – What makes these guys so hot is the fact that they’ve struggled through a year of difficulty and adversity which included severing ties with both their label and most of their band, yet they still came out on top by releasing an album as inventive and brilliant as Missiles.
Myspace

5. Neil Young – It’s never easy for an artist to remain relevant throughout a career spanning 40+ years, but in many ways Neil is now more relevant than ever. He has the ability to play a large stadium and still make you feel as if his show was prepared just for you. Myspace

6. Caribou – Although I’ve got my personal views on all things Polaris, there is no denying the fact that winning this prize is a sure fire way to get your name on the map. Although Dan Snaith was already there in many ways, being included in every Polaris related conversation certainly adds to your hotness factor, and to do so with a style of music that many people find indefinable is twice as impressive. Myspace

7. Amos The Transparent – There are two kinds of hot: the kind that you notice immediately and the kind that sort of sneaks up on you. I’ve been following these guys closely and I’ve noticed that people will literally stop what they’re doing and become instantly awestruck when they hit the stage. They’re still a relatively small name right now, but they undoubtedly gain new fans with every show that they play. Myspace

8. Ruby Coast - For a bunch of kids fresh out of high school to put out music that is miles ahead of some of their (more popular) contemporaries, one has to wonder if this is just the tip of the iceberg. There may be no limit to what they can accomplish. Myspace

9. Broken Social Scene – Technically they didn’t even release an album this year, but when slapping the tagline “Broken Social Scene Presents…” to the front of your name guarantees that you’ll receive double the exposure, that’s pretty impressive. Myspace

10. Crystal Castles – Unfortunately my personal opinion doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on a band’s overall hotness factor so my list begins with a band that I don’t get, but for some reason a lot of people do. Although I’ve never been one to listen to video game music for enjoyment, a Crystal Castles show seems to have become synonymous with crazy antics and controlled chaos. They’ve successfully used negative publicity to their advantage, and you’ve got to respect that (to a certain extent anyway.) Myspace