Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
This was my favorite release of the year. With their guitar/synthesizer sound, Phoenix’s music definitely has its roots in the 1980s (which is probably why I like it so). At the same time, it has a very fresh and modern sound.

7 Worlds Collide – The Sun Came Out
7 Worlds Collide is a project headed by singer/songwriter Neil Finn (of Crowded House and Split Enz fame). He assembled a stellar group of musicians (members of Wilco, Radiohead, KT Tunstall, Johnny Marr, Lisa Germano to name a few) and created this wonderful double album to benefit Oxfam, an international relief organization. While buying a record to fight poverty and injustice is all well and good, this album isn’t just some knock off filled with second hand songs. It could be the best charitable album ever produced. Here are a couple of tracks to give you the feel of this wide-ranging double CD. The first “Learn to Crawl” is a dreamy tune featuring Neil and his son Liam.

The song “Long Time Gone” is a rocker featuring Don McGlashan.

Amadou & Mariam – Welcome to Mali
The afro-pop this duo from Mali makes is simply wonderful. I defy you to sit still while listening to this album.

Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Anyone who knows my fondness for Neko Case won’t be surprised to find this in the list. I wrote a review of Middle Cyclone back when it first came out.

Son Volt – American Central Dust
Son Volt probably isn’t as well known as Wilco (the other band to come from the ashes of the group Uncle Tupelo), but I think they had the better record this year. A great slice of Americana in their alt-country style.

The Swell Season – Strict Joy
I got this disc as a Christmas gift and I haven’t stopped playing since. It’s haunting, sweet, dreamy, and includes songs that stick with you long after the record has stopped playing.

Tragically Hip – We Are The Same
Tragically Hip’s unique sound is unlike any other band. Is it the lead singers voice? The excellent guitar work? The song writing? It’s probably all of those and more. Yet another strong release from one of my favorite bands.

Best Reissue:
The Beatles – Stereo BoxSet
Listening to these remastered discs was like hearing them fresh for the first time. On every record I hear guitar lines, background vocals, hand claps, and other things I’ve never heard before.

Honerable Mentions

• Cracker – Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey
• The Doves – Kingdom of Rust
• Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
• Wilco – The Album
• The XX – XX

Back in January, Neko and her record label released a free MP3 of “People Got A Lot Of Nerve”, a song which has a deceptively bright sound, but with lyrics that are a bit on the dark side. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait for the album to come out.

So the saying says, “An elephant never forgets.”
Standing in the concrete cave, swaying sad and insane.
They walked over the ocean, in their dreams they dream awake,
Until the lights grew dim, until the cop cars came.
Everybody tells me this is crazy, yes I know it.
I’m a man, man, man, man, man, man eater.
But still you’re surprised-prised-prised when I eat you.

You know, they call them “killer” whales?!
But you seem surprised,
When it pinned you down to the bottom of the tank,
Where you can’t turn around.
It took half your leg, and both your lungs.
“When I craved I ate hearts of sharks, I know you know it.”
I’m a man, man, man, man, man, man eater.
But still you’re surprised-prised-prised when I eat you.

It will end again in bullets friend…

Animal and nature imagery are very present on this record. One of my current favorite tracks, “Magpie To The Morning” is a perfect example.

Neko’s lyrics have often leaned a bit surrealistic. On “This Tornado Loves You” (the album’s opening track) she sings about a cyclone, chasing her down because of its undying love for her. As I heard Neko tell NPR, the track was inspired by a dream she had.

There are so many wonderful layers to her music. Even in the simple “Middle Cyclone” (also available as a free MP3 from Anti- records), you’ve got a solitary guitar, her beautiful voice, ethereal background vocals, interludes from a music box, and those marvelous lyrics.

Baby, why am I worried now?
Did someone make a fool of me,
‘Fore I could show ‘em how it’s done?
I can’t give up acting tough,
It’s all that I’m made of.
Can’t scrape together quite enough,
To ride the bus, to the outskirts,
Of the fact that I need love.

There were times, that I tried.
One for every glass of water that I spilled,
Next to the bed, retching pennies in a boiling well,
In a dream,
That at once becomes a foundry of mute and heavy bells.
They shake me deaf and dumb.
Say, “Someone made a fool of me,
‘Fore I could show ‘em how it’s done.”

It was so clear to me,
that it was almost invisible.
I lie across the path waiting,
Just for a chance to be,
A spiderweb, trapped in your lashes.
For that, I would trade you my empire for ashes.
But I choke it back, how much I need love…

With all those layers, it’s still that gorgeous voice that stands out for me. I could probably be mesemerized by listening to Neko Case sing nursery rhymes. Her voice shines beautifully on “The Pharoahs.”

Toward the end of the album, in the song “Don’t Forget Me,” she reminisces sweetly about a former love. The song’s chorus urges:

Don’t forget me, don’t forget me.
Make it easy, only just for a little while.
You know I think about you,
Let me know you think about me too.

Forget Neko Case? Not a chance.

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
The fresh and unique sound of Vampire Weekend made this my favorite album of the year. It’s also the best debut album of 2008. See my post from last February for a review of Vampire Weekend.

Kathleen Edwards – Asking for Flowers
I really should have written up a full review of this album. For the past five years Kathleen has released three solid records, and I think this one stands at the top. She has a definite talent for songwriting, singing and musicianship. She can go from quiet and introspective, to loud and raucous, and everything in between. Kathleen and her band also performed my favorite concert of 2008.

The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
This band plays straight rock and roll with vivid, storytelling lyrics. They’ve been compared to Springsteen and the E-Street Band, which is spot on.

Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Revisited
See the review of Trinity Revisited I wrote back in August.

2008 was a banner year for neo soul music. I’ve got three outstanding titles in that category:

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – 100 Days 100 Nights
Sharon Jones has a classic soul voice reminiscent of soul singers from days gone by, and the Dap-Kings do an excellent job backing her up. As an aside, this disc was actually released in 2007, but I didn’t discover it until I received it as a surprise Christmas gift. It’s such a good record, it deserves to be highlighted, even if I am a little late.

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
I posted a review of The Odd Couple last summer.

Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It
Raphael Saadiq (formerly of Tony! Toni! Toné!) has a sound that comes straight out of Motown. Hearing his voice makes you wonder if he’s got DNA from Smokey Robinson. This album is very strong, and features guest artists like Stevie Wonder, Josh Stone, and Jay-Z.

Big Blue Ball
A few weeks ago I wrote a review of Big Blue Ball.

The Verve – Fourth
The Verve reunited after ten years and released an excellent album. While I do like Richard Ashcroft’s solo records, when he’s with the other members of The Verve, the music is over the top. I’ll give them the best comeback award of 2008.

Sun Kil Moon – April
See the review of April I posted earlier this year.

Honorable Mentions

• Alejando Escovedo – Real Animal
• Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
• Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Cardinology

Almost eighteen years in the making, Big Blue Ball grew from three extraordinary Recording Weeks at Real World Studios in the summers of 1991, 1992 and 1995. The project’s originators and curators were Real World founder Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger of World Party and The Waterboys.

So very appropriately named, Big Blue Ball is filled with international artists, collaborating together. On “Shadow” Congolese singer Papa Wemba combines his vocal and musical styles with flamenco guitarist Juan Cañizares.

A few songs feature Peter Gabriel (who also produced the album) as the lead singer. “Burn You Up, Burn You Down” is a classic addition to the Peter Gabriel catalog.

“Rivers” featuring Hungarian singer Marta Sebestyen, has a very meditative feel to it. In fact, I almost missed my bus stop the other day because I was so enchanted with the song playing on my iPod. By the way, “Rivers” just begs to be listened to with headphones.

Cross-cultural collaboration is a huge part of Big Blue Ball and “Altus Silva” is an outstanding example. It features American singer Joseph Arthur with Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionáird providing a Gaelic choral counterpoint.

On another multicultural track Joji Hirota (Japanese percussionist and composer), Sinead O’Connor, and Chinese flautist Guo Yue create a musical prayer for peace on “Everything Comes From You.”

The title track (which closes the album) was written and sung by Karl Wallinger, but as on many tracks, you can also hear Peter Gabriel’s production influence.

At first listen, Big Blue Ball almost sounds like a world music sampler, but dig a little deeper and you can hear the all of the cultural influences, mixing together elegantly, to create a unified collection of outstanding music.

Not simply a rerecording, the songs are re-imagined and improved, featuring performances by guest musicians Natalie Merchant, Ryan Adams, Vic Chesnutt and Jeff Bird. The track that really grabbed me on the first listen is the bluesy shuffle, “I Don’t Get It” (which is available as a free download from the Trinity Revisited website).

“Misguided Angel” features the beautiful voice of Natalie Merchant, and is another outstanding track. It’s also a better representative sample of the low-key nature of the music on the disc.

The music however, is only half the beauty of this release. Packaged along with the CD, is a DVD that includes a film of all the musical performances, and a documentary on the making of Trinity Revisited. The concert film was beautifully shot, showcasing the unique setting of the church, as well as the musicianship of the performers. Watching it, you really get a sense of how much the musicians were getting into the music as they played.

Trailer for Trinity Revisited

By providing insight into the creative process the musicians went through, the “making of” documentary adds even more to this excellent package. I particularly enjoyed the scenes when they were experimenting with sounds which wound up being performed in the final version of the songs. The documentary also includes an interesting background of Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity, the building where this music (and the original classic album) was created.

Following up their critically acclaimed debut album, St. Elsewhere, must have been a daunting task. Even though there isn’t a smash hit like that album’s “Crazy,” The Odd Couple is a more consistent, and better record.

Many aspects of the album are worth highlighting, but Cee-Lo’s lyrics seem to shine brightest of all. “Blind Mary” takes smart lyrics and mixes them with a beat that’s straight out of Motown.

[Chorus:]
I love Mary. Blind Mary marry me.
I love Mary. Yeah.

She has never seen the sunshine,
Yet she’s getting along just fine.
She’s not staying, she’s just passing through.
Hey, do you mind if I follow you?

[Chorus]

I heard a voice say catch me if you can.
Before you know it I was holding her hand.
It’s harder to imagine than understand,
How she knows exactly who I am.
Yeah.

[Chorus]

She’s my friend, she doesn’t judge me.
She has no idea I’m ugly.
So I’ve absolutely nothing to hide,
Because I’m so much prettier inside.
Yeah.

[Chorus]

My favorite track on the album is “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul,” a very moving song about heartbreak and self-doubt. It it possible to convey emotion through singing better than Cee-Lo’s vocals on this song? I doubt it.

I mentioned the old-school aspect of this album, and “Surprise” is a prime example. With its background “bah ba bah” vocals, percussion, guitar work, and lead vocals, it sounds like it could have been recorded forty years ago.

Whether you file it under old school or neo soul, The Odd Couple is definitely an outstanding album.

The opening track, “Lost Verses” sets the tone. It begins with a lone acoustic guitar accompanying the voice of singer Mark Kozelek. As it continues, instruments are added until the end of the song (a 90 second instrumental coda) has a wonderfully layered, full structure of sound.

“Unlit Hallway” is an acoustic ballad that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Nick Drake or Neil Young album, with beautiful guitar (and banjo) instrumentation.

Speaking of Mr. Young, my current favorite on the disc is “Tonight The Sky” which uses a Neil Young like riff as a mantra to keep a memory alive.

Her head lay back in blankets soft white down.
Her hair warm Autumn colours, floating.
Our days were classroom poems, true young love.
Some nights we roar like lions, some we coo like doves.

I left her long ago one summer, chasing dreams.
I hummed good sweet explosions, sweet nothings.
I broke her heart not knowing she’d return,
And graven scars deep in me, forever.

I hear my sleeping sister,
In the early morning hours.
I hear her though it’s silent,
Standing over me now.

Tonight the sky, will open for you.
Mountains and big clouds, divide us in two.

As a lyricist, Mark Kozelek fills the listener’s mind with vivid, emotional images. Another standout track is “Tonight In Bilboa,” a song that reminisces about a past love, and also has beautiful instrumental work.

When I was done I met someone,
She came in from the storm so bright and welcome.
Her friends came and swept her away,
Disappeared like coyotes off on dark high plains.

I looked across the river so still,
Trying to remember,
Where it was last night I laid my head to sleep,
Where the empty night hung heavily over.

I left Bilbao, went to Madrid,
To Barcelona, to Pamplona,
Where every ghost runs in me now,
Haunting me.

Mark Kozelek’s talent for songwriting is first rate. These are not short pop songs either. Their length matches the depth of the emotion behind them. Although most songs on the record clock in at over six minutes, I find I am disappointed when they’re over. I still want more, and maybe that’s the point. On April, the underlying theme is one of longing. The songs go on as if the singer doesn’t want to let go of that feeling. When the album has finished playing, the longing has such beauty I don’t want it to stop either.

The music from this New York quartet should probably be filed under Indie Rock, but as is often the case with good music, it transcends labels.

My current favorite on the album is “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” a song with borrows heavily from African sounds and rhythms (more specifically Congolese Soukous music and its Kwassa Kwassa dance rhythm).

Other reviewers often mention Paul Simon’s Graceland when talking about this album. Not an inappropriate reference, although Vampire Weekend adds more of a sense of humor to the mix, and maybe a little youthful rebelliousness.

You’ve got to love a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously. When I’m listening to Vampire Weekend the infectious rhythms, afro-pop guitar work, and smile-inducing lyrics instantly put me in a good mood. Something that’s very welcome through this long winter of record-breaking snowfall totals. As proof of the band’s sense of humor, a fun video of A-Punk by Vampire Weekend is available on YouTube (listen to the whole song there too).

The band members of Vampire Weekend are definitely not afraid of taking some risks for the sake of making good music. Another example is the song “M79″ where they add a harpsichord and strings to their indie-rock/afro-pop sound, without taking it too far.

It’s very early in the year, but Vampire Weekend could possibly be the best debut album of 2008. Yes, sometimes the music really does live up to the hype.

What better daydream to have in the middle of a cold and snowy wait for the bus, than being stranded in a tropical paradise with great music?

So here goes. The only rules I have for myself are no “greatest hits” or “best of” compilations. That would be cheating. Some other people limit the number of albums to 10 or 20, but if I can have 20 along on the deserted island, why not ALL of my favorites?

They’re in alphabetical order by artist, because it would be way too hard to rank them otherwise.

• Ryan Adams, Gold
• The Beatles, Revolver
• The Beatles, Rubber Soul
• Bjork, Vespertine
• Burning Spear, Marcus Garvey
• Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
• The Clash, London Calling
• Johnny Clegg and Savuka, Shadow Man
• Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Deja Vu
• Crowded House, Together Alone
• The Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
• Dave Matthews Band, Busted Stuff
• Dido, Life For Rent
• Nick Drake, Pink Moon
• Bob Dylan, Time Out Of Mind
• Steve Earle, El Corazon
• The Eels, Daisies Of The Galaxy
• Enya, Watermark
• The Fugees, The Score
• Peter Gabriel, So
• The Harder They Come (motion picture soundtrack)
• Emmylou Harris, Wrecking Ball
• George Harrison, All Things Must Pass
• John Hiatt, Perfectly Good Guitar
• James, Laid
• Los Lobos, How Will The Wolf Survive
• Bob Marley and the Wailers, Kaya
• Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Spirit Of Music
• Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
• Midnight Oil, Diesel And Dust
• Robert Mirabal, Music From A Painted Cave
• Van Morrison, Moondance
• Van Morrison, Enlightenment
• Youssou N’Dour, Eyes Open
• New Pornographers, Twin Cinema
• Phish, Billy Breathes
• P.M. Dawn, Jesus Wept
• The Pogues, If I Should Fall From The Grace Of God
• The Police, Reggatta De Blanc
• The Police, Synchronicity
• The Pretenders, Learning To Crawl
• R.E.M., Document
• R.E.M., Automatic For The People
• Robbie Robertson, Music For The Native Americans
• Todd Rundgren, Something, Anything
• The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
• Sting, Nothing Like The Sun
• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Rock Art And the X-Ray Style
• Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend
• Talking Heads, Fear Of Music
• Toots and the Maytals, Funky Kingston
• Tragically Hip, Phantom Power
• U2, Achtung Baby
• U2, The Joshua Tree
• Wilco, Being There
• Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
• Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
• Neil Young, Ragged Glory

There you have it. My deserted island discs for today. Ask me again tomorrow and it might be different. What albums would you want to be stranded with?

Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
I thought this was the best album of 2007. I wrote a full review of Easy Tiger when it was released last summer. And for a bonus, check out the EP, Follow the Lights, which Adams also released this year.

Ian Hunter – Shrunken Heads
With a great mix of fun rockers, and introspective ballads, the 68 year-old, former lead singer of Mott the Hoople, has made some of the best music of his career with this disc. The songwriting (where Hunter can alternate between being serious, and having a wry sense of humor), as well as the performance on this disc vastly outshine the music Ian Hunter’s contemporaries are making.

The National – Boxer
See my post from August 21 for a full review of The National’s unique sound.

New Pornographers – Challengers
Following up an album as good as Twin Cinema (the band’s previous release) is a tall order. With Challengers, they’ve made a record that’s a little more restrained and diverse, yet still a strong album that can stand along side (if not quite as tall) that record. It’s got a lot of what you’d expect: surrealistic lyrics, touches of melancholy, and great harmonies from a super-group that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Have you ever seen such an unlikely paring? One of the fathers of heavy metal with the queen of bluegrass? Thanks in large part to the production efforts of T Bone Burnett, it works beautifully. Raising Sand has a rootsy, laid back, and sometimes dark feel with harmonies that are nothing less than sublime.

Patti Scialfa – Play It As It Lays
Patti Scialfa is probably best known for being the wife and background singer of a big rock star. With this album, she shows that she deserves to be out of the Boss’ shadow and in the spotlight herself. She’s got a great rock and roll voice, surrounds herself with great musicians, and demonstrates masterful songwriting. What more do you need?

They say love, Love has it’s very own light,
That can shine through the darkest night,
That we’ve heard of.
And that light, That you may want so much,
Well maybe you can never touch,
Though you may try.
Now at night I dream I’m all alone,
Big sledge hammer and a cold dark stone.
Man swing the hammer, world begin to shake.
I’m just living in a town called Heartbreak.

The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
Another strong release by one of my favorite bands. I wrote a full review of this album back in February.

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
It might be strange to use a term like Brit Pop when describing an album made by a band from Austin Texas, but that’s what comes to mind when I hear Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Straight rock and roll with hints of blue-eyed soul, punk, motown and pop, with enough hooks, grooves and attitude to keep the music in your brain long after the short (36 minutes) album is over.

The Tragically Hip – World Container
This five piece band from Canada has consistently made good records throughout their 20 year career. The Hip has always had a big, guitar-driven sound. With World Containter (which stands up well alongside their finest albums) the band does continue to grow and move forward, without leaving that sound behind.

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
On Sky Blue Sky, Wilco makes a welcome move beyond the experimental phase of their last album, and comes up with their most straightforward release in years.

Best Reissue:
The Traveling Wilburys Collection
In 2007 Rhino Records released this outstanding collection of music that hasn’t been commercially available for nearly ten years. It features the two remastered CDs with bonus songs, and a DVD which includes the band’s four videos and a film, “The True History of the Traveling Wilburys.” The excellent documentary (detailing how the band came together and created their music) is worth the price of this collection alone.

Handle Me With Care by Traveling Wilburys

Honorable Mentions

• Stephen Marley – Mind Control
• Bruce Springsteen – Magic
• Winterpills – The Light Divides
• Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II