Best of '08, part two!
I guess it goes without saying that all these tracks will stick with me for personal reasons. It's been that kind of year.
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
How much you like Vampire Weekend seems to be inversely proportional to how serious you are about your class hatred - that they're rich upper class kids from upstate New York, or something, and make no attempt to hide it, seems to have become their asthetic. But whatever, they make great tunes, and I'd much rather rich people sang stuff like this than songs of misery, or pretended to be poor to look cool. As Ezra Koenig asks on this track, "Why would you lie about how much coal you have? Why would you lie about something dumb like that?"
This is footage of them playing Oxford Comma at a picnic somewhere - lovely.
Vampire Weekend are basically the Strokes playing Paul Simon's Graceland album, but better, and minus Simon's infamously dodgy handling of aparthied-era South African politics.
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The Hold Steady - Sequestered In Memphis
Rollickin' good road-trip rock'n'roll as only The Hold Steady can really make you believe in. Crain Finn's character is holed up in some small-town cop-shop being interrogated about a night out that went somehow wrong. "Now they want to know exactly which bathroom - dude, does it make any difference? It can't be important... Yes, sir, I'll tell my story again..."
I wrote a 3000 word essay on this band not that long ago and it only made me love them more. If this song doesn't make you want to drive somewhere far away with the windows down, preferably to a party, I will never understand you.
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Charge Group - Lullaby For The Apocalypse
I first heard Charge Group at the Super 8 Diaries launch at Dirty Shirlows in Marrickville. I had no idea who they were. Vidan, BFC and I got really impatient with them because they seemed to be soundchecking forever... and then they started playing. Breathtakingly beautiful, delicate music that makes you forget where you are. Musically they sit somewhere between the Dirty Three, the Drones and Art Of Fighting.
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Snowman - We Are The Plague
Try listening to this song in the dark. To quote this guy who edits this zine I read when he was talking about something else, if there was a scarier song put out this year, I am afraid to hear it.
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Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
Click to viewHow much you like Vampire Weekend seems to be inversely proportional to how serious you are about your class hatred - that they're rich upper class kids from upstate New York, or something, and make no attempt to hide it, seems to have become their asthetic. But whatever, they make great tunes, and I'd much rather rich people sang stuff like this than songs of misery, or pretended to be poor to look cool. As Ezra Koenig asks on this track, "Why would you lie about how much coal you have? Why would you lie about something dumb like that?"
This is footage of them playing Oxford Comma at a picnic somewhere - lovely.
Vampire Weekend are basically the Strokes playing Paul Simon's Graceland album, but better, and minus Simon's infamously dodgy handling of aparthied-era South African politics.
_______________
The Hold Steady - Sequestered In Memphis
Rollickin' good road-trip rock'n'roll as only The Hold Steady can really make you believe in. Crain Finn's character is holed up in some small-town cop-shop being interrogated about a night out that went somehow wrong. "Now they want to know exactly which bathroom - dude, does it make any difference? It can't be important... Yes, sir, I'll tell my story again..."
I wrote a 3000 word essay on this band not that long ago and it only made me love them more. If this song doesn't make you want to drive somewhere far away with the windows down, preferably to a party, I will never understand you.
_______________
Charge Group - Lullaby For The Apocalypse
I first heard Charge Group at the Super 8 Diaries launch at Dirty Shirlows in Marrickville. I had no idea who they were. Vidan, BFC and I got really impatient with them because they seemed to be soundchecking forever... and then they started playing. Breathtakingly beautiful, delicate music that makes you forget where you are. Musically they sit somewhere between the Dirty Three, the Drones and Art Of Fighting.
____________
Snowman - We Are The Plague
Try listening to this song in the dark. To quote this guy who edits this zine I read when he was talking about something else, if there was a scarier song put out this year, I am afraid to hear it.
___________