Revinylization Project: Port O'Brien and The Monsters of Folk

Man, I haven't done one of these posts in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I still acquire and listen to new records, but it's been a while. Let's see if it's like falling off a horse.

Port O'Brien - Threadbare

Music
Some one's been listening to too much 1970's AM radio. The mood on this record is way less urgent, way more laid back than 2007's All We Could Do Was Sing. It may take a bit for this one to grow on me. There are no songs that grab you right away, but the production is somewhat improved. We'll see. What I do know at this point is that Cambria Goodwin is all over this record and that's a good thing.

Insert
It's a simple lyric sheet, black on white. However, it's the reverse side's minimal liner notes that may provide the most insight into the album's aesthetic. "In Loving Memory" is inscribed with the name Darac Dean Goodwin who tragically died at 17 earlier this year. A quick Google search reveals that Goodwin died in a car accident near rural Cambria, CA. The connection is undeniable as it is easily some relation to Port O'Brien's own female vocalist/songwriter Cambria Goodwin. This piece of information really sets the tone for a sad, sad record. Sorry for your loss, Cambria.

Sleeve
A blurry, faded photo of lavender fields adds to the albums soft, sad aesthetic.

Extras
The CD was included in the packaging. I'm wondering if this is easier/more cost-effective than the whole MP3 download deal. I dunno. I just know that I was able to pop it in the car's player right away without having to load it on the iPod. Also, there was a 7" with "My Will Is Good" and B-side "Lost in a Crowd". The single was an exclusive Insound pre-order extra, I believe.

Record
The vinyl is high-quality. I don't recall if the packaging's sticker proclaimed it to be 180-gram, but it certainly seems that way.

whY?
Although I was expecting a repeat of All We Could Do Was Sing, this album is a nice change of pace, a companion to the group's 2007 effort. It will be interesting to watch Port O'Brien's development from here.

Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk

Music
Conor Oberst, Yim Yames (AKA Jim James), M. Ward, and Mike Mogis come together to create 2009's most creative joint venture. Though the image and feel of this super group screams 1970's CSNY or [enter 70's roots rock band here], the music is certainly more soulful and varied than anything ever played on AM radio. With at least two solid songwriters, two unmistakable voices, and two virtuoso producers on the roster (I'll let you guess which is which), the expectations had to be high for this group. Well, consider expectations delivered upon as this is maybe the most complete-yet-unfocused record of '09. Although I consider it a grower, the variation of songwriting and performances on Monsters of Folk grabbed me right away. Even Lucia was impressed, but she likes anything that remotely fits under the alt.country category. Kids.

Insert
Everything about this album's aesthetic reminds me of my parent's record collection. The insert is this huge version of a CD booklet with the album's psychedelic black and white artwork adorning the borders and each song's lyrics given its own page. This is the kind of insert one pours over for hours while playing records.

Sleeve
I love the audacity of marginally mainstream indie rockers who put out albums with their portraits on the cover as if the average music fan will stop, do a double-take, and comment, "Hey, isn't that Mike Mogis?" Leafy vines frame each band member's artfully sketched visage, fully displaying the perceived non-hierarchical nature of the super group. A cool sketch of the group arm-in-arm covers the backside.

Extras
There is the prerequisite MP3 download card, plus the aforementioned monstrous insert and two discs. I don't know that these are all extras, but it sure feels like extra stuff to me.

Record
As advertised, two discs of 180-gram goodness fell from the sleeve upon shredding the shrink wrap. This is the type of record that should be listened to on vinyl as the warmth of the guys' friendship (perceived or real) and the fun they had recording (also perceived or real) clearly comes through as you drop the needle to the record.

whY?
Because you should always buy a super-group's record. It's either going to be a train-wreck of ego masturbation or a fun jam session put to tape. This one definitely fits the latter. Besides, if you read this blog for the music, you undoubtedly like either Bright Eyes, The Mystic Valley Band, My Morning Jacket, M. Ward, She and Him, or some combination of these bands. With this record, you get all of the above (sans Zooey Deschanel).

The Revynilization Project: Screening Records for Lu

I just received some records recently, realizing that they all represent my preference almost exclusively for mid-90's indie rock. What better opportunity is there to introduce music to Lucia than to play some of the best records and artists from the era? Besides, I've neglected my music fan base and this feature in particular.

Last Splash - The Breeders

















Music
This album still stands out from anything in the 90's or even this decade. Kim Deal put together her best line-up for this classic relic from the grunge era. Maybe they weren't the most talented group (I still don't know how Kelley passed as a guitar player.), but they were tight. This has to be one of the best and most unique albums of the past 20 years. It still holds up today.

Insert
For once, an LP insert doesn't measure up its CD counterpart. The artwork found in the original CD was contained in a booklet. It's as if the design was more geared toward a jewel case than a record sleeve. It's sort of a letdown to say the least as the cool, brightly colored photos of the band found in the original packaging are now relegated to sharing space on the inner sleeve.

Sleeve
Where the insert fails, the sleeve succeeds. The colors on the cover photo just pop. The red, black, and green just scream at you to stare as the record spins. Additionally, the back features the black-and-white photo of the band in a convertible as if waving in a parade. This was certainly the size in which these pieces were intended to be viewed.

Extras
None. Well, unless you consider the months and months I waited for some lawyers to argue how this thing should be re-released. Either way, extras or not, it was worth the wait.

Record
180 gram vinyl is nothing to scoff at. The sound is great. As the cover art was meant for an LP sleeve, Last Splash was destined to be heard this way.

whY?
Rarely is there ever an album recorded in an era of loud, aggressive men that not only challenges the sounds and aesthetics of the time but also the gender politics the way Last Splash did for me. If you have a daughter who wants to rock, buy this record. I do and did.

The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips

















Music
Before the Lips turned silly, they recorded The Soft Bulletin, a difficult-but-brilliant pop record. This album is the only perfect record the boys from OK ever recorded, but who can say that much? It's big in the right parts, touches you where it counts, and fills a set of headphones like few others. This is an essential listen.

Insert
The sleeves for this double LP are proper sleeves for protecting vinyl. You know the kind with paper, clear plastic lining and a hole in the middle to reveal the record's label.

Sleeve
As with the music, one can see the direction of the Flaming Lips' graphic design with silk screened images over bright colors and intricate designs and sharp typography. The inside features a great black and white of the band and lyrics. Record sleeves like this cause people to fall in love with albums.

Extras
Three outtakes are included on CD. Not only does this entice consumers with new music, but it also maintains the integrity of the original release and it's intended sequencing. The songs are throwaways, but a bonus nonetheless.

Record
180-gram vinyl just looks, feels, and sounds better. The only thing that could have made this better would have been some color on the vinyl.

whY?
Because I can only think of a small handful of records I like as much as this one.

No One's First, and You're Next - Modest Mouse

















Music
Honestly, I've heard more of this EP on KCOU than I have had time to listen to it at home. In my experience, EP's either contain songs that are too good to shelve until the next full-length release or throwaways that didn't quite cut it for the last album. In this case, these songs are closer to the latter category. However, "History Sticks to Your Feet" is beginning to stick. What I do like about this EP is that Isaac Brock continues to channel his early recordings in his most recent work. For a couple of albums he seemed to drift away from the warbling psychopath with cheap Japanese guitars I grew to love, but this is the second release that at least connects to his work in the mid-to-late-nineties. Either way, nothing he records sounds like any of the other crap on the radio or not played on MTV these days.

Insert
Nothing special. There's some continuation of the charcoal drawings of flies/insects and lyrics. I like the use of thick, quality paper for the insert with plastic coating on the inside to protect the vinyl.

Sleeve
Charcoal drawings of menacing insects with some handmade pen-and-ink lettering. It reminds me more of something one would have seen in an early Modest Mouse concert poster. It's simple and will stick out among their other releases.

Extras
There's the digital download...or so I thought. The file downloaded but won't decompress. Eventually, I'll get back to it and have my listen in the car, but for now it's vinyl only.

Record
I don't know for sure whether it's 180-gram vinyl, but it certainly is solid. There's no wobble in this record.

whY?
EP's are essential to a band's catalog. They give the listener a peak into the recording process between albums. That, or they're just another way to relieve you of some cheddar. You're pick. I think this is an intriguing part of the Modest Mouse oeuvre and should be given a chance.

God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl

















Music
Stuart Murdoch left Belle and Sebastian behind for this project. Maybe he should have rethought that plan of action. This record just sounds like one of those romantic comedies put out by Working Title Films. You know, the company who makes all those sappy comedies starring Hugh Grant and [enter name of American actress of the moment here]. Sure, those films are cute and involve lots of characters, but their benign for the most part. Even as playful as Belle and Sebastian became in this decade, there was always a hint of cynicism there to make you feel alive. This record is a Hugh Grant movie costarring Scarlett Johansson as a busy American shopkeeper in Glasgow who doesn't have time for love until a mysterious-yet-bumbling land surveyor (Grant) sweeps her off her feet. Do you really need to see how it ends?

Insert
The lyric sheet is white on black on rather heavy card stock, hugging the vinyl.

Sleeve
A simple black-and-white photo features a young woman looking longingly somewhere...very Belle and Sebastian.

Extras
There is the digital download.

Record
The vinyl is of medium quality. It's certainly not 180-gram.

whY?
If you miss Belle and Sebastian, this is worth a listen. The sleeve alone will look pretty cool in your record collection.

Overall Verdict: While the two new releases aren't particularly offensive, they are certainly not essential listening. The two re-releases are essential and will be played ad nauseam for little Lucia.

Mid-Year Top 10

I did this last year and the trolls showed up in full force. Hopefully this year's list won't be so controversial. It's already late, so that takes away some of the impact. Also, this list could change drastically over the next six months or so, but I will garuntee that all of this top ten will be around when '09 is over.

10. Outer South - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Honestly, I wasn't even going to include this on the list until I started giving the record another listen or two in preparation for this past Monday's show at the Note. The performance did the final convincing.

9. The Crying Light - Antony and the Johnsons
This is an absolutely beautiful record that is sequenced masterfully. This is why albums are always better than singles.

8. Grand - Matt & Kim
They're my default ringtone right now. This record is so poppy and upbeat that I had to include it on the list. It may rise by year's end, depending on my mood.

7. Hold Time - M Ward
Ward follows up his great work on She and Him with this gem.

6. Enemy Mine - Swan Lake
Big, weird, Vancouver, super-group, etc.

5. It's Frightening - White Rabbits
This is a great follow up for the one-time COMO-ians. While Britt Daniel's fingerprints are all over it, the album is certainly proof of this band's worth. I look forward to #3.

4. Face Control - Handsome Furs
Here's another great duo who are also a couple on the side. (Matt & Kim being the other.) Few bands have been able to combine synth beats and rock guitar so effectively...at least with only two members.

3. Dark Was the Night - Various
This sprawling collection of songs from the Red Hot Organization is one of the best compilations I've heard. Many of the tracks are among the best for each artist. The biggest and most pleasant surprise was José González's Nick Drake cover. Why don't more people cover Nick Drake?

2. Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
This is on everyone's short list. It will be near the top at the end of the year as well. It's so nice to hear a record that lives up to its hype. This is the next Radiohead/Wilco/TV on the Radio.

1. Post-Nothing - Japandroids
I am a sucker for minimalist anthems. Guided By Voices did it better than anyone, but this band does it with less and rocks more.

Just missed the cut: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Wavvves, Beirut, Iron and Wine, Sunset Rubdown

Need more listens: Clem Snide, Cursive, Sonic Youth, The Thermals, Bill Callahan, Camera Obscura

Still on my list to get: The Eels, Dinosaur Jr, Stuart Murdoch

Things I may have missed: Andrew Bird, Robert Pollard (in my neighborhood, we call him Bob), Ben Kweller, The Decemberists...Let me know if there are more in the comments.

Also, what else is still yet to be released? Leave me some insight in the comments.

Want to see for yourself? Go to Insound and buy some records.

The Revinylization Project: Iron and Wine, White Rabbits, and Cursive

Iron & Wine - Around the Well

Music
There are few bands that one could envision would put out as compelling a rarities album as Iron and Wine. Lost in recent albums is the back porch feel of Sam Beam's whisper and faint slide guitar. Still, to this day, one of the most profound shows I've seen is Beam, his sister, and a guy switching between slide guitar and banjo play as hushed a show as one can imagine. You could hear a pin drop that night. That sound returns on this collection, including Death Cab and Flaming Lips covers. This record is essential Iron & Wine listening as far as I'm concerned.

Insert
The insert is a large fold-out with album artwork on the outside and lyrics on the inside.

Sleeve
The artwork features a painting of nearly as many records as one finds in the sleeve. It's both aesthetically

Extras
The free MP3 was included.

Record
This whopping LP includes three records of music. However, the third disc is one-sided, with the other side featuring a cool etching of more album artwork. I love it when bands do this.

whY?
Because you should know what this "band" sounded like before they embraced calypso or Hotel California.


















White Rabbits - It's Frightening

Music
I liked the White Rabbits first album. Sure, it sounded like every other Brooklyn band not featuring a turntable, but it also featured good, solid songwriting. This album sees the Rabbits developing into their own sound while holding onto quality songcraft.

Insert
The insert is simple. One side is a photo of a solitary drum in front of a dark background. The reverse side has the liner notes with "Britt Daniels" in big letters so that you don't forget that indie's King Midas produced this fine record.

Sleeve
The cover is a fine black-and-white blur of a drummer slamming away in front of an old piano. The black-and-white with simple white and red text remind me so much of a Spoon record.

Extras
There was no download (unless I missed it), but there was a CD with all the songs. That's something for the car. It's sort of odd how now the CD is the novelty. Things are coming full circle.

Also, I'm not sure this was intentional, but a 7" of "Percussion Gun" b/w the non-album track "Foxhunting" was included. I used to love singles. It's sort of cool Insound sends me one every once in a while.

Record
Classic, simple, black vinyl with simple label. I'm not sure if it's 180 gram, but it's solid.

whY?
If you're reading this blog, you're most likely connected to COMO in some way. The White Rabbits are from here and deserve some support. Besides that, they've recorded a really balanced and enjoyable record.


















Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

Music
I honestly haven't listened to Cursive in a long, long time. When I saw them play with Bald Eagle not too long ago, I didn't really listen to them then either. I think it's the fact that their crowds are so young. Hell, they were young eight years ago when I saw them before that.

Anyway, I forget how great this band can be. Sure, one could simplify their sound as "emo" or whatever, but it's way more layered, textured than that. Plus, Tim Kasher strings together themes of pain and loss better than most. The instrumentation is is varied and diverse without losing that rock edge. I think this album is a grower. I'll have to give it time before I give a final verdict, but I bet that it will rank high by year's end.

Insert
This album is loaded with extras and loads of stuff just falling from the sleeve. I'll start with the insert which is a giant book attached to the sleeve. The pages are hand-written (or scribbled) lyrics and liner notes. One can see why the kids love this band.

Sleeve
The cover is a dark and doctored photo of the moon over water. Coffee stains, some red paint, and other alterations give it an eerie feel.


















Extras
This album came with extras galore. I received both the digital download as well as a CD copy. That's the best of all worlds. Again, the CD is the novelty here. The download card is a credit card-like picture of the band on one side and info on the other.

Record
Red. The vinyl is red with some black marbled features. I love colored vinyl and this was a nice surprise.

whY? Well, Kasher is as a good a songsmith as there is in indie circles. A band that's been around, creating quality music as long as Cursive has deserves your dollar. Also, this album is easily the best packaged release that I've come across this year.

_____________________________

Since I ordered the Sunset Rubdown LP, I also received an MP3 of the album. I will reserve my opinion for after I have the entire package in my hands. However, as with most of the Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs/Frog Eyes/Sunset Rubdown material (sans Apologies to the Queen Mary), they're growers not show-ers.

The Revinylization Project: Swan Lake - Enemy Mine

Music
With a trio like Carey Mercer, Daniel Bejar, and Spencer Krug, it's not hard to expect such musical genius that one would never want to listen to another record again. Well, Enemy Mine does not blow my mind like that, but it is a very, very good collection of songs. The first track, "Spanish Gold, 2044", is the fat piece of rock excess I want from a supergroup and is the perfect vehicle for Mercer's thick-throated growl. The next few tracks adequately show off Krug's and Bejar's musical prowess as well. However, it isn't until the fifth track, "Ballad of Swan Lake, Or, Daniel's Song", when the listener is fully engulfed by the potential these three musicians collectively hold. Sadly, the rest of the album is somewhat inconsistent. There are highs and lows, but it mostly consists of hits not misses. I think Pitchfork hit the nail on the head with this one in giving the album a 7.4.

Insert
The insert is a good, old-fashioned lyric sheet. Nothing special. Times New Roman-typed. Just lyrics in black and white.

Sleeve
In keeping with the odd/ugly album covers coming out of Vancouver, BC these days (sans Neko Case's fetching pic on Middle Cyclone), Swan Lake opted for a courtroom illustration like one you'd see on the evening news. Do people still do these? Don't they have iPhones? Take a picture.

The back is a simple photo of a table and two benches in front of a window. Could it possibly be related to the court scene on the cover? We may never know. What we do know is that the album was recorded in two sessions, the pseudonymed Reg Lech/Palachi did the cover illustration, and the back cover is in fact a photo.

Extras
As with most (if not all) Jagjaguwar releases, Enemy... comes complete with the MP3 download so you can cheat the vinyl gods of their glory.

Record
No 180 gram or fancy etchings here, just plain, sweet, old vinyl. There's music on them there discs and that's good enough.

whY?
Because collaboration should be encouraged everywhere: public schools, corporations, basketball teams, and especially music groups. The music coming out of Canada's "other" scene is as inventive as anything out there. They've basically taken anything ugly from the seventies and eighties and made it fresh and interesting. Besides, you have to be a fan of at least one of the bands related to Swan Lake (Frog Eyes, Destroyer, Hello, Blue Roses, The New Pornographers, Wolf Parade, or Sunset Rubdown) making you that much more interested in Enemy Mine.

The Revinylization Project: Handsome Furs - Face Control

Music
I don't know that I would have appreciated this record right after falling for Wolf Parade a few years back. Thanks to Isaac Brock's production, the first WP record really rocked. So much so that it made the band's various side-projects and last year's At Mount Zoomer really hard to accept. However, the overall body of their work demonstrates that they are more of a synth-heavy act as opposed to a guitar band.

Handsome Furs bring the hipster 80's love with Face Control. Besides the synthesizers all over the place, the band even throws in some sweet guitar riffs that scream "hair metal" or at least Guitar Hero. Their sound has really developed and solidified since the weird Plague Park.

Insert
The insert features some cool black and whites of the Handsome Furs couple in their travels and recording sessions.

Sleeve
Bold graphic design present a blown-up and highly cropped photo of a doberman in front of a bright red background and gold lettering. After WP's dud of an album cover, this is a striking contrast and graphic triumph...well, maybe it's just a really enjoyable album cover.

Extras
Nothing other than a digital download, for which I'm thankful.

Record
It's a typical record with the classic Sub Pop label. There just aren't many of those anymore. I'd say Secretly Canadian and Sub Pop stand alone in branding a record label.

whY
Buy this record because everyone should embrace the 80's-inspired hipster in all of us.

CultureBully
Snob's Music

The Revinylization Project: The Muslims - The Muslims

Music
I don't know what it is about punk/garage rock that continually recycles the same approach only to turn out great music time and time again. I guess it proves the idea that emotion is more important than skill or something like that. I think it was Calvin Johnson who said it, but I digress.

I kept seeing the Muslims all over the blogosphere. Finally, I listened to an MP3 somewhere and thought this was a band worth the investment. This record is their self-titled debut, featuring songs from several early seven-inches. The energy and naivete that comes with a debut is all over this record and I love it.

Insert
On what looks like the recycled back of a notepad, the liner notes are printed (to look as if type-written). The Muslims wish you the best as you have acquired their product and the tracks are listed, divided into sides A and B naturally.

Sleeve
Despite the fact that the outside is a plain white sleeve with almost no print, the design is a nice attempt at originality. Much like the Stones featured a working zipper on an album cover, the Muslims nailed three holes through the sleeve, making the impression they had been shot. to further the effect, the sleeve holding the record is bright red and the holes go through an inside picture of the band.

Extras
The design alone is a nice extra for me. Also, the record did come with the always-welcome digital download.

Record
Nothing special here. The label on the record is as simple and nondescript as the rest of the packaging.

whY
You should buy this record b/c you haven't purchased anything interesting in a long time. Plus, a name as currently provocative as the Muslims deserve some space in your record collection.

CultureBulley

The Revinylization Project: Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Music
One listen is not enough for an artist like Will Oldham. I am going to reserve the right to make further judgment at a later date. However, the songcraft and musicianship of this album is as good as any Oldham has put out. In that way, it reminds me a lot of the last Silver Jews record. "I Am Goodbye" is maybe my song of the year to this point...behind Animal Collective's "My Girls" and just ahead of M Ward's "For Beginners".

Insert
No card for a download fell from the sleeve when I shook it, but there was a poster (pictured below). Not enough bands put posters in their packaging. Of course, considering the age of Oldham's core audience and this record's appealing adult contemporary sound, I'm not sure if this was the best choice. I may hang it in my garage.


Lyrics are ingeniously included as photos of hand-scrawled notes pinned to a knotted-pine wall. On the reverse side of this insert is a photo of a life-sized dollar with the phrase "Seek the wolf in thyself" scribbled across the top. Wolves seem to be a regular theme in Oldham records.

Sleeve
The album does not have a ominous tone for the most part, but you'd never guess it from the cover. It's about the creepiest sketch of Oldham I've ever seen. Plus, the title is "Beware". The back side features an amateurish painting of an erupting volcano. Oh, and the serial number for the album is "dc666". I sense a theme.

Extras
I guess I already mentioned the poster. I should have waited to share it here. Oh well.

Record
The record features a colorful label. The watercolors match the volcano painting on the sleeve. Side A features colorful rings of green, blue, and red. Side B features the impression of a skull. Have I mentioned a theme?

whY
Will Oldham is one of our last untouched treasures. The man is incredibly prolific, but everything he puts out is soulful and beautiful. The first listen didn't take. However, I know enough about Oldham to realize that this record will be a grower.

Doubtful Sounds

#1 of 2008: The Walkmen - You and Me

The Walkmen's You and Me is my 2008 number one album. Instead of the usual, I've pasted my original (yet-to-be-published) review below. See you in '09. It's gonna be a good year...

Five Hundred Sixty-Five Words: One's young adult life can accurately be described through the procession of albums released by the Walkmen.

2002's Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone describes the drunken debauchery of the first few of years away from home. It's sloppy and drunk, but it's nice to reminisce about those old college days. You drink too much, stay out too late, and sleep with the wrong people. You regret much of it, but it pulls you back in every time you rest the needle on the record. Then there's Bows + Arrows. You go corporate and move a little faster in your new car and fancy clothes. However, you soon come to realize that you don't go out as often as you used to and you wouldn't know anyone at the bar if you did go out. You like your new adult life, but you still sort of miss the days when you could get drunk without worrying about having a hangover at work the next day.

Eventually, you want to change. You don't want the new, faster version of yourself, but you don't want to go back to your undergraduate years either. So, you make a few aesthetic changes. It also takes people a little longer to get to know you, because you're guarded now. Once they do get to know you, they realize you are a hidden gem. Such is the character of A Hundred Miles Off.

(Let's forget 2006's "Pussy Cats" Starring the Walkmen ever happened. Think of it as that one transgression, that one-night stand that should have never occurred. It was probably fun while it lasted, but as soon as it was over there was nothing but regret and self-doubt.) Now you enter a new place in your life. You've learned from your mistakes. You've also learned that some of that debauchery and fast living was kinda fun and can be enjoyed with some moderation. You're more confident now that you've survived your 20's. You have finally come into your own. This is the same thing that has happened to the Walkmen with their new album You & Me. It's as if the five previous Walkmen albums have culminated in creating this ideal document of the Walkmen genius. There's the sloppiness and whimsy of Everyone. The sonic levels of guitar and organ remain from B+A. A Hundred Miles has left an indelible mark of calypso and night's on the beach vibe with the band that doesn't appear to be leaving any time soon. Even the bar band sing along feel and nod to the classics of Pussy Cats has had a lasting effect.

Thematically, You & Me plays on the conversational tone of the band's lyrics. Each song seems to encapsulate a conversation one of the Walkmen may have had (or is planning to have) with a lover, band mate, or an acquaintance at the bar. This has always been the case with their lyrics, but the songs on this record are tempered and mature. I've had these very conversations at many bars on many a drunken night. And that's why the Walkmen are a great band and this is a great record: They capture those conversations just as they are. There's no pretension or malice. It's not fake or overly dramatic. It's sort of like one's 20's. It just is what it is. And that's fine with me.

The Moment of Truth: About five seconds into "Four Provinces" tells you that are listening to greatness.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 6:1

#2B of 2008: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Before I even begin this review, I should make it clear that I am a liar...or just a flip-flopper. I can't decide. Originally, I had said that I would not include Bon Iver solely based on the fact that this album was originally released last year, but I have changed my mind upon seeing so many year-end lists including this great album. Had I not already committed to my #1 so long ago, this very well could have been in the top spot.


Thirty-Two Words: This album is what you get when you mix equal parts heartbreak, seclusion, and talent while recording in Wisconsin (as opposed to the deep south): a beautifully crafted work of pain and loss. (I lied again. That was thirty-three words, not thirty-two.)

The Moment of Truth: Track 3, "Skinny Love."

Killer to Filler Ratio: 7:2

#2 of 2008: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Thirty-Two Words: Debuts on an indies (yes, Sub Pop is still an indie) doing something that's been done before rarely have the effect on the music landscape that Fleet Foxes did with this record.

The Moment of Truth: When it occurred to me that this is what I wanted My Morning Jacket to sound like, that's when I knew this record would be at or near the top of the list.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 9:2

#3 of 2008: Port O'Brien - All We Could Do Was Sing

Thirty-Two Words: Imagine that you are trapped on a fishing boat somewhere in the northern Pacific circa 1993 with nothing but Flaming Lips, Mudhoney, and Uncle Tupelo to listen to. That is Port O'Brien.

The Moment of Truth: At about 0:38 you should be hooked.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 8:3

#4 of 2008: She and Him - Volume One

Thirty-Two Words: One has to be skeptical when actors step into the recording studio. However, when someone like M Ward is willing to put his name on a project, it has to be good.

The Moment of Truth: The opening lines to "Sentimental Heart" pull you in from the beginning.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 10:3 (I could have done without "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.")

#5 of 2008: Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings and All

Thirty-Two Words: This may have been the best ignored album of 2008. Nguyen is a true wordsmith of the highest order. She doesn't get the credit because she's a woman on Kill Rock Stars.

The Moment of Truth: I was hooked last year ever since I discovered her set at Daytrotter.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 10:1

#6 of 2008: Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Thirty-Two Words: At Mount Zoomer is not the instant rocker that Apologies to the Queen Mary was, but it grows on you. Years of recording and touring with side-projects have benefited Wolf Parade greatly.

The Moment of Truth: At the 2:12 mark of "An Animal in Your Care" the piano comes in and changes the song completely, eventually evolving from a yawner into an epic of a song.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 9:0

#7 of 2008: Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

Thirty-Two Words: Sequels are rarely as good as the original work. However, like The Empire Strikes Back, The Stand Ins is as well-crafted (if not better) an effort as last year's The Stage Names.

The Moment of Truth: Watching my mom dance with Lucia to this album, Lucia stopped her fussing and turned her head slightly toward the stereo.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 8:3

#8 of 2008: Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.

Thirty-Two Words: A dirty shoe-gaze in the same vein as No Age and the Strokes, Deerhunter lives up to the hype that made me avoid them for so, so long with the masterful Microcastle./The bonus disc, Weird Era Cont., on the other hand is loaded with brilliance but it is rough around the edges and feels unfinished. Of course, this disc helped me "get" Deerhunter.

The Moment of Truth: I was still figuring out what I thought about this Deerhunter stuff on my way to the grocery with a crying baby in the back. I turned up the volume and she stopped crying. That's when I started to pay attention to Deerhunter.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 6:6/8:5

#9 of 2008: Kimya Dawson - Alphabutt

Thirty-Two Words: I loved the Moldy Peaches way back in the day, before there even was a Juno. I had a kid and she needed music, so I bought her this Kimya Dawson CD.

The Moment of Truth: The first time I danced with my daughter was to this album.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 5:1

#10 of 2008: Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams

Thirty-Two Words: Dan Bejar, the best songwriter in the New Pornos, released the second-best Merge release of this year and that's saying something. It's strange and magical, everything we shouldn't like but we do.

The Moment of Truth: When I realized that all my favorite songs from The New Pornographers' Challengers were written by Bejar, I knew this would be one of my favorites of the year.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 8:3

#11 of 2008: Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Thirty-Two Words: Ignore the hype. Just trust that this is a great pop record. The songs are danceable and infectious. Vampire Weekend misappropriated the misappropriated better than all the upper-middle-class white kids before them.

The Moment of Truth: Upon the first listen I was air-drumming, nearly veering off the side of the road.

Killer to Filler Ratio: 11:0