December 2008 – Jason Preu

What a mess of a film. Sometimes you can throw a bunch of shit to the wall and what sticks turns out to be pretty frakin’ brilliant. This time it’s still shit. Sometimes an ensemble cast provides a great sense of levity. This time it proves a great distraction. Sometimes the worst dialogue is the most memorable. This time it’s just bad dialogue (and terrible delivery – some of the lines could have been saved by just varying the inflection…). Sometimes a scene can be saved by just the right song. This time you ruin a song by using it in your poo movie. Sometimes you can write and direct an amazing film. This time you should have just picked a role. Sometimes the bleakest things are the funniest. Somehow, some way, this film failed to capture that.

Hey there. It’s once again that time where I tell you my favorite songs from the past year and ~~~~put ’em all together for you in a handy little package~~ (Click the “Download This File” button. 118MB .zip file).~~
Click here for the Spotify playlist.
Remember, these aren’t the best – just my favorites.

Track listing and commentary follows:

Artist, Album, Song Title

Bleeding Heart Narrative, All That Was Missing We Never Had In The World, BHN
Turn up your stereo. Loud. Louder. You’ll thank me later. (not on Spotify)

The Kills, Midnight Boom, What New York Used To Be
I dunno what NY used to be. I know when we went there for our honeymoon it sure wasn’t anything like Midnight Cowboy, or even like when I visited in the mid-80s. This album is tight and this track moves me. I like the idea of feeling nostalgic for seediness.

This is It and I am It and You are It and So is That and He is It and She is It and It is It and That is That, Marnie Stern, Transformer
Why, yes, Marnie does rock this hard throughout the entire record. I like the lyrics on this one:
I cannot be all these things to you. It’s true.
My arms hang down, my legs don’t fight,
My fingers believing for you and for me,
But no way I, I cannot be all these things to you.
The future is yours, so fill this part in.
The future is yours, so fill this part in.
The future is yours, so fill this part in.
I turn this moment into something new, It’s true.
Are you ready, to feel alive?
The ancient echoes crawling out from my insides
No way I, I cannot be all these things to you.
Evolve or die complications.
Look at that figure.
It’s bringing back a type of pull you can’t make up.
Continue to raise it up.
I cannot be all these things to you. It’s true.
My arms hang down, my legs don’t fight.

Vast Aire, Dueces Wild, Take Two
Six Million Dollar Man sample and a Beatrix Kiddo simile? Yes, please.

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago, Skinny Love
This record got wide release this year – hence my inclusion. What a record. Buy it now. It’ll make you weep and kiss those you love.

Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Many, many gems on this record – from which I culled this track. I love the delivery and again the lyrics grabbed me:
Wanderers this morning came by
Where did they go
Graceful in the morning light
To banner fair
To follow you softly
In the cold mountain air
Through the forest
Down to your grave
Where the birds wait
And the tall grasses wave
They do not
know you anymore
Dear shadow alive and well
How can the body die
You tell me everything
Anything true
In the town one morning I went
Staggering through premonitions of my death
I don’t see anybody that dear to me
Dear shadow alive and well
How can the body die
You tell me everything
Anything true
Jesse
I don’t know what I have done
I’m turning myself to a demon
I don’t know what I have done
I’m turning myself to a demon

Ladytron, Velocifero, Ghosts
Infectious, driving, repetition.

Lykke Li, Youth Novels, Dance Dance Dance
I fell head over heels for this record after one listen. And this tune will be pleasantly stuck in your head all day. I could say much more about why I heart Lykke Li – but the music speaks for itself.

Nico Muhly, Mothertongue, The Only Tune Pt. 3: The Only Tune
This was tough. I liked this record a lot. But all the songs were pieces of other songs, so to try to pull them apart really does the whole an injustice. Nevertheless, this is a really interesting record. And this track is the only one I found that stands apart from the others without suffering much.

Eliot Lipp, The Outside, Beyond The City
When I close my eyes and listen to this track I feel like I could be living in Blade Runner’s Los Angeles.
And I like that.
Deckard out.

The Presets, Apocalypso, This Boy’s in Love
Fun, mindless, dark, danceable fun. It’s a synthpophead’s wet dream.

Lil’ Wayne, Tha Carter III, Lollipop
Fun. Contagious. Innuendoish.

Plantlife, Time Traveller, Rollerskate Jam
This one’s for my roller girls. But it’s a funky-ass jam (or a funky ass-jam, if you prefer) no matter how you slice it.

Free Blood, Never Hear Surf Music Again [Single], Quick & Painful Original Mix
I love this. I want to watch them play. I want to dance on their stage. I want to do duets like this with my wife.

The Muslims, The Muslims, Bright Side
Strong debut. Tight, effective songs. The Muslims just changed their name to Soft Pack. They still make good music.

MGMT, Oracular Spectacular, Kids
Another one that got wider release this year (though released digitally last year), and a grand record. I never really heard how they well (or not) they played when they came through KC opening for Beck. Most of the tracks on this record could have scored a place on my list. I ultimately went with ‘Kids’ because the lyrics remind me of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree.

The Helio Sequence, Keep Your Eyes Ahead, The Captive Mind
The opening 3 tracks on this record should not be separated. Yet I did so for you. This is the album I listened to the most this year. I think it’s great. My wife wrote that it alludes to The Stone Roses and others of that Madchester ilk. I think that’s very apt.

Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), The Healer
Happy In Bag said it best, “Badu’s glorious mess.” I think this record is brilliant, messy, imperfect, and worth your undivided attention.

TV On the Radio, Dear Science, Family Tree
I highly doubt TVOTR could put out a bad record. I wrote (Jesus, 4 years ago…) that this band is the future of pop music. And though it may seem that their records have grown less experimental – I think the truth is that our ears are finally catching up to the music they continue to make.

Gang Gang Dance, Saint Dymphna, Vacuum
Lots of great tracks on this record. This one invokes a My Bloody Valentine dance hall dub sound, which I find to be quite a treat to the ears.

Bands which almost had a song on my Favorites of 2008:

Of Montreal
Portishead
My Morning Jacket
G’N’R
Q-Tip
The Walkmen
The Raveonettes
Flight of the Conchords
The Mae Shi
Girl Talk

Bands who released a record last year that I heard this year (or late last year) and would have had songs on last year’s Favorites had I heard them then:

Bacon Shoe
Dri
The Ssion
(All 3 of which are KC local artists. Yay!)
Basia Bulat

Most awesomest “comeback” bands:

Guns and Fucking Roses (Well, Axl Rose, anyway.)
Portishead

Bands whose records I wanted to be a WHOLE lot better than they were:

Of Montreal (decent – i expect constant brilliance from this band)
The Faint (tragic)
Bloc Party (dull)

MP3 files are posted for evaluation purposes only. Availability is limited: one week from the day of posting. Through this I’m trying to share my passion for good music, and promote that good music to others, who will also hopefully continue to support these artists. Everyone is encouraged to purchase music and concert tickets for the artists you feel merit your hard earned dollars. If you hold copyright to one of these songs and would like the file removed, please let me know.