Tech, music, sports, and other stuff.
#6: Violens -- Violent Sensation Descends
I think I heard this on KEXP's Music That Matters Podcast. Then I went and found it online and listened to it about 1000 times. If you've ever wanted to hear the 2008 version of the purest 60s pop goodness, with organs and harmonies and all that awesomeness, this is your song. Holy shit, this is your song.
Seriously, these guys need to get an album out pronto.
#7: The Decemberists -- "Valerie Plame"
This is an easy one.
If you like The Decemberists, then you'll dig this. It's everything that's good about The Decemberists. The verbose, literary, somewhat historical lyrics. The eclectic instrumentation. Colin Meloy's singing. It's pretty much the essence of the band distilled down to a 4-and-a-half-minute pop song.
If you don't like The Decemberists, then you'll hate this. It's everything that's bad about The Decemberists. The verbose, somewhat self-important, self-indulgent lyrics. The needlessly eclectic instrumentation. Colin Meloy's singing. It's pretty much the essence of the band distilled down to a 4-and-a-half-minute pop song.
Obviously, I fall into column A. The Decemberists might have been one of the top three live shows I saw this year.
#8: Ra Ra Riot -- "Ghost Under Rocks"
Everything about Ra Ra Riot is tinged by the tragedy that hit the band in mid-2007. That tragedy and the band's perseverance are everywhere on Ra Ra Riot's first full-length album The Rhumb Line. The best track off the album, one that represents the best parts of Ra Ra Riot's sound (the strings, the pushing drums, the unconventional vocals), is also one that is so the most obviously influenced by the loss of their bandmate.
It's good.
#9: Girls Guns and Glory -- "667"
Now the only "countryish" stuff on my list. After Lyrics Born's Coup-esque "I Like It, I Love It", we get Boston's own Girls Guns and Glory doing their best Johnny Cash.
Off of Inverted Valentine, this first caught my ear on the Band in Boston Podcast (you should listen, if you don't already), and I kept it on my list of things to maybe buy if I found them at Newbury Comics.
I found them, and I dug this song. I hope you do too.
#10: Lyrics Born -- "I Like It, I Love It"
Probably the only hip-hop that caught my ear this year was Lyrics Born's track from his album Everywhere at Once. That's not to say it was a bad year for hip-hop (M.I.A., Santogold, the new Kanye album), but for whatever reason, none of them really resonated with me. Plus, I think "Paper Planes" is technically a 2007 song. So eat it.
This struck a cord because it sounds a lot like something Boots Riley would do. And if Boots Riley pseudo-approves it, I'm on board.
Honorable Mention
Rivers Cuomo -- Don't Worry Baby
From Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo comes Rivers' cover of The Beach Boys' fantastic pop song "Don't Worry Baby."
This one gets an honorable mention since it didn't really come out in 2008, but was recorded back in the mid 90s. But, it mixes two things I enjoy way too much: that distinctive Weezer sound with Brian Wilson's magical pop harmonies. I solidified to myself this year that Brian Wilson's pop songs might be the most perfect music ever created, and I've done what I can to seek out bands who build on those foundations.
In 2008, Rivers Cuomo stood on Brian Wilson's shoulders a couple of times to reach pop nirvana. One of them will occur later in the top 10, but here's the first one, my honorable mention for 2008.
Over the rest of the year, I'll be rolling out my top 10 songs of 2008. Here's my general rules (though I don't always follow them):
I made a couple of exceptions on my 2007 list for songs that leaked in 2007 that are really 2008 songs (Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend). There's a good chance that I'll repeat a couple from 2007 on my 2008 list because they were *that* good.
This year's list will lean heavily (again) towards the pop and indie rock. I didn't hear nearly as much hip hop this year as I normally do, so my top ten will lack some of the normal variety it has. But, they're still all good tunes that you should listen to.
And as always, your tastes probably vary from mine, so feel free to tell me what I'm missing and tell me why I'm dumb.
HTTP Client - Mac Developer Tool for HTTP Debugging
If you do any web development, this tool is awesome.
"Now I had to write something on the bat. At Memorial Stadium, the bat room was not too close to the clubhouse, so I wanted to write something that I could find immediately if I looked up and it was 4:44 and I had to get out there on the field a minute later and not be late. There were five big grocery carts full of bats in there and if I wrote my number 3, it could be too confusing. So I wrote 'F--k' Face on it."
So great. When my friends and I first found this card, we thought it was quite possibly the greatest thing ever. I think it was one of our most sought after baseball cards (along with the Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck rookie card and the "Bo's Back" Bo Jackson card).
Of course, as with anything fun, Billy Ripken tries to ruin it:
"I can't believe the people at Fleer couldn't catch that. I mean, they certainly have to have enough proofreaders to see it. I think not only did they see it, they enhanced it. That writing on that bat is way too clear. I don't write that neat. I think they knew that once they saw it, they could use the card to create an awful lot of stir."
Whatever. Take credit for one of the defining moments of the late 80s.
Here it is, in all its glory ...
(Via Baseball Musings.)
Just a random story from my morning.
I'm leaving my house this morning, packing up all my things, ready to face another Monday at the workplace. I've got my laptop packed. My gym bag packed. I throw on my winter coat and hat. I do the pocket check ...
Left pocket ... wallet ... CHECK
Right pocked ... iPhone ... CHECK
Note: I'm an habitual (a habitual?) pocket checker. I freak out when I'm driving when I notice that my keys aren't in my pocked. You know, because they're in the ignition so the car will go Vroom Vroom.
All good. I lumber out the door, pull it shut behind me, and make it down two stairs when I reach for my keys.
They're not in my pocket.
Nope. They're on the table. Where I left them. Because I'm a huge dumbass.
Now this is a predicament. My landlord isn't around. I don't have a spare key. (Note to self: get spare key). My girlfriend is downtown, at a conference, phone-less.
Also, it's about 10 degrees out.
This is what is affectionately referred to as being boned.
So, I did what any normal male in this situation would do. I started looking for how to break into my own house.
First trip around the house: none of the easily reachable windows are unlocked (good job by me!). All doors are locked.
Second trip around the house: hey! That window might be unlocked! Except I can't reach it.
Third trip around the house: I'll stand on this wobbly trash can. I can reach it! Except the screen is locked in tight. Wait! Is that a screw I see on the ground. I can use this to pry open the screen .... MacGyver-style! Screen is off, windows is open .... hurdle through .... I'm in!
30 minutes, a rip in my jeans, and a bruised ego and I'm in my apartment.
Just in time to see someone walking by looking scared of the guy who just went through the window.
Fantastic.
I try to tell him I live there, but he feigns not being able to hear me and walks off. I call the police to explain what happened. They laugh and understand and wish me a better day. So kudos to the dispatcher. He was nice.
I grab my stuff. Again. Triple checking that I have my keys this time. Off to work ... except there goes a police van ... down my street ... oh poo. I circle around, but thankfully he was just driving by off to somewhere else, not coming to arrest me for breaking into my own apartment.
And that, my friends, is why you always make sure that you practice breaking into houses. You never know when it'll come in handy.