Friday, December 26, 2008

20 Best Songs of the Year

In response to Midnight Lumberjack, who has sashayed out on his own, my top 20 songs of the year. The list is not 25 because I'll be honest, 25 is too long. You want a focused list, I won't even describe why I like them because it's obvious if you've read any of my previous posts.

I liked old artists, I liked some new artists, some of these songs required me to go outside my comfort zone, other's just snuggled up right next to my existing tastes. It all worked, 2008 wasn't great for music but it had some bright spots.

Always a Friend - Alejandro Escovedo

Faith - Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts

Strange Overtones - David Byrne & Brian Eno

In My Arms - Teddy Thompson

Gamma Ray - Beck (This is the best song on the album)

Off of Wonderland - Jackson Browne

Quiet Houses - Fleet Foxes

I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab (I dabbled with the idea of going deeper on this album for the best song of the year, but this is the song I will remember).

Aluminum Park - MMJ

Fix It - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

Golden Age - TV on the Radio

Caroline - Old Crow Medicine Show

Andelmans' Yard - Mike Gordon (still making great music, we should all be grateful for a Phish reunion at Hampton)

Make You Crazy - Brett Dennen (feat. Femi Kuti)

It's Not Impossible - Ben Sollee (this guy is sweet).

Manhattan - Kings of Leon (I really like the riff on this one).

Human (or Joy Ride) - The Killers (Midnight, aren't these guys something of a favorite of yours?)

Everybody Pays as They Go - Jakob Dylan (he's back).

Everyday - Bodeans (yes, they're back, making this quote funny again: "Then I met some friends for a beer.. uh.. we went to a BoDeans concert.. and, son of a vondruke, if I didn't leave him at the concert hall! Thank God they had him, the next day at Lost and Found. [ sigh of relief from Tom ] Then, I just flat out lost him!" Will Ferrell

Burn You Up, Burn You Down - Big Blue Ball (this song is probably way older than 2008, but it was released in 2008 so there you go. Peter Gabriel rocks).

Your Christmas bonus (this one makes 21), for the Lumberjack and pop music: Womanizer - Britney Spears (because he too is a womanizer).