There is always some amount of regret that occurs after publishing one’s Favorites of the Year. My last few words about 2008 concern favorite songs from CDs I think I should have spent more time with–they might have wound up on the favorite albums list. It’s just difficult to listen to everything that comes out, so I got hung up on one song instead of going deeper. Oh well.
“Hangman” by Fire On Fire
Imagine mixing together Bob Dylan, Fleet Foxes, and the Pipettes–fry that up in an old iron skillet over an open flame, and you might come out with Fire On Fire. I got busy and missed the release of their first full-length CD the first week of December. I played this song is from their five-song EP, released in February, about a million times. Mr. Folkie likes it too.
Fire On Fire: Hangman from 5-Song EP
MySpace | Label: Young God Records
Buy at iTunes, Amazon.com, and eMusic
Even the Hangman Has Friends
“Get Your Head Around It” by Headlights
One great older song, “Tokyo” (from The Enemies EP) and a handful of nice numbers like “Cherry Tulips,” “Market Girl,” and “So Much For the Afternoon” should have prompted me to go for the Headlights’ current album. I do just adore this song, though.
Headlights: Get Your Head Around It from Some Racing Some Stopping
MySpace | Website | Buy: Amazon, eMusic
“Antarctica” by the Weepies
More terrific, gentle, sweetness in songs from the Weepies’ Hideaway, which is why you see it on so many other best lists.
The Weepies: Antarctica from Hideaway
MySpace | Website | Buy: Amazon, eMusic
“Gila” by Beach House
I like several individual songs by Beach House: “D.A.R.L.I.N.G.” and “Holy Dances,” but I wasn’t sure I would like a whole CD of it. But lots of folks did, and my doubt should not have kept me from trying. The languid heat of “Gila” is intoxicating.
Beach House: Gila from Devotion
MySpace | Website | Buy: Amazon, eMusic
- alt-gramma (370)
- indie.mom (395)
- Uncle T (7)
The Weepies’ album is absolutely amazing. Although, I can’t listen to it all the time because it’ll make me super depressed.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I know what you mean, and I think that’s what I like so much about “Hangman”: you can’t help smiling when you listen to it. Silly me, I didn’t complete the song link. It’s fixed now.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:55 am
i had this very same thought! i think there should be a grace period of sorts wherein you can alter or add to your year-end list after you’ve heard the music that you’d passed by or missed or just couldn’t get to. : )
January 6th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I do wonder about the reasonsing behind December album releases. I didn’t have time to evaluate many of those or gain the perspective to determine if they might become favorites. I notice J. Tillman’s Vacilando Territory Blues has an official release date of 2009, although it’s been available since November. I think that was a smart decision. There must be other considerations involved.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:46 am
it’s also a little fuzzy sometimes when an album comes out in the uk or europe but not in the states (or vice versa), or when a band self-releases an album and then it gets put out by a label, which is what happened with delta spirit and bon iver.
oh well, we’ll just do the best we can. it will all come out in the wash–or something like that!
January 7th, 2009 at 6:18 am
I’ve already missed the boat with British Sea Power. They would’ve made my list for sure had I heard them before the Festive Fifty.
January 7th, 2009 at 6:20 am
i feel the same about elbow.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:45 am
We have our own little rules about what we can name as favorites, the main one being that it has to be released in the States sometime in the year under consideration. Since we are U.S.-based, the music has to be available to U.S. readers, otherwise what’s the point? It doesn’t matter if it’s a self-release or a label release, and that has enabled me to catch up on a CD that I missed when the band was new and unknown. However, it kept Cats On Fire out of consideration in 2007 because their album was never released here.
This just reminded me of a post I need to write on two bands whose older albums I just discovered this year who would have been favorites. More Should Haves!
January 7th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I love The Weepies! They get overlooked by peeps because they give warm fuzzies, which is soooo not cutting edge. I’m too old to care about cutting any edges, so I shout out the love! I’m happy I’m not alone!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:57 am