Dept. of Forgotten Songs

November 25, 2008

Does it seem like every year the best of lists are out faster?  Blender, Paste, and Amazon have already released their lists for the year, and I’m busy re-listening to ‘08 music and compiling my lists. In the process I’ve found some songs that I’ve enjoyed over the year, and for one reason or another forgot about, and have yet to feature on this site.  Here’s a few of those songs that I recently rediscovered.  Enjoy!

MP3 Frightened Rabbit – Keep Yourself Warm
This song hits me in the same way The Twilight Sad’s “Cold Days from a Birdhouse” did last year, and not just because of the lead singer’s shared Scottish accents.  It’s an incredibly passionate, soaring rock anthem.

MP3 Bodies of Water – Darling, Be Here
This California band made one of my favorite debuts last year. Their sophomore album replaces gospel-folk epics with prog-rock epics and this song is the best of them.  The monster guitar riff, quirky keyboard breakdown, and jubilant vocal climax makes ”Darling, Be Here” a triumph.

MP3 The New Year – The Company I Can Get
This song seems fairly unnasumming at first, but I found myself hooked in by its waltzy piano, ringing guitar, and lingering melody.

MP3 Deerhunter – Agoraphobia
When I first heard this song, I had double check make sure it was actually Deerhunter.  The enthralling jangly synth-pop of “Agoraphobia” sounds nothing like the ambient post-punk Cryptograms, which is probably why I like it so much.

MP3 The Last Shadow Puppets – Standing Next To Me
This song bolts out of the gate from the first seconds, delivering some of the catchiest British dance-punk I’ve heard this year.  But aside from the playful guitar and heavy accents typical of the genre, the grandiose orchestration on the track (which includes everything from strings to tympani) really make it rewarding listen.

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I’ve already gotten a lot of great feedback on the new banner and logo. Big thanks go to Nick Duncan, talented designer/photographer, and all-around good-guy, for creating those for me.

The Anathallo review went up yesterday at Pitchfork, and although I would have given it a higher score and still don’t understand why the constant Sufjan comparisons are necessary, I think it was a solid write-up.  I think signing to anticon forced Pitchfork to start taking the band seriously and I do agree that Canopy Glow is a significant progression and continues to show tremendous potential for the band.

Posted by Taylor in Track Review