Well it’s late, and the new year has already arrived for half the world so I’ll keep this final post of the year short. Hope you enjoyed the countdown, and Happy New Year to everyone!

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it, and it was only by chance that I ever discovered it in the first place so I feel lucky to have it at all. It’s bouncy and happy and spirit uplifting. In short, it’s just what we all need! This song is from the album ‘Exit’.
3- Parachute- Shugo Tokumaru


The lyrics in this song are beautiful, as is Judy Tzuke’s singing. The message is excellent, and the feeling of it is full of shades and sweetness. It's a good song to take to heart. It comes from the album ‘Dive Deep.’
2- Enjoy the Ride- Morcheeba


Drum Rolllllll….
And here it is. The number one song of 2008 you probably haven’t heard! It might be repetitive to say keep saying ‘I love this song’ but… I love this song. I just do. Those ‘a la la’s are as infectious as heck, and there’s passion, there’s great lyrics, total uniqueness, and that special little (big actually, this song is so grand in scope and sound) something that just makes a song outstanding. From the album ‘The Stand Ins’, in the number one spot and finishing up this year in music, it’s:
1- Lost Coastlines- Okkervil River


(My favorite song of the whole year was still ‘Head Rolls Off’ by Frightened rabbits, but I already featured it once. Heh heh. Happy new year again!)

Both laid back and energetic in turn, this song is only one of the really awesome songs that this band has produced. What Made Milwaukee Famous might have a bit of a mouthful for a band name, but their album ‘What Doesn't Kill Us’ is sweet simplicity bundled with crunchy, satisfying rock. For this spot I had to choose between ‘For The Birds’ and ‘Sultan’, and it was an extremely difficult choice. They're both great songs, but in the end this song is lesser known, and isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s got snappy lyrics, and plenty of regret, melancholy, defiance, and exasperation. There’s power and projection, but also quiet and introspection, and I really admire the singer’s voice quality. Here’s six on the list:
6- For The Birds- What Made Milwaukee Famous

Number five on this list is a true epic, but it’s about the most unexpected of subjects; the pinky toe. It’s the longest song on this list, and also the hardest to find. It may well be the most obscure song on the list. It has everything; whispered vocals that tickle over the skin, waves of quiet, vaguely organ-like keyboard, swells of gentle guitars. It’s stirring and expansive while staying hushed and musing, and it’s a sweeping tribute to that most underappreciated of digits. And never once does it come off as mocking or corny. This unique duet really does pull off the metaphor with grace and dignity, even if our poor pinky toes don’t get any of that.

Listen to it here:
5- Pinky Toe- A Weather


I waited five months to get this song. After hearing it in a summer preview ages ago I checked every week on iTunes, breath baited, and cursed vociferously every week it was absent, especially by the time the album had been out for a month. This song has so much power. I’m a bird lover, so this chilling lament was particularly appreciated, as was the band’s name. It’s a eulogy, but it’s also so captivatingly beautiful. Like John James Audubon’s painting of the extinct Carolina Parakeet. Jonathan Meiburg has such passion, and perhaps even more so, such a fantastic vocal range, which struck me as odd the first time I heard it because it was just too surprising to be appreciated. Every successive listen of this song just oozes into my soul and makes me love it more and more. The anticipation was not better than finally getting hold of it!
4- Rooks- Shearwater

This is a recently discovered song. Maybe that’s why it managed to creep up this far on the list, because it’s really fresh and exciting still. I had downloaded Katie Herzig’s album Apple Tree on NoiseTrade and I was pretty impressed by it overall, especially for an album given away free and legal. The sing ‘Forevermore’ was really cute and bouncy, and ‘Shovel’ was another favorite. But this song was my favorite and right now it’s popping up a lot on my playlists. Only time will tell how much staying power it will have, but for now I love it! The lyrics aren’t anything special, but the song is catchy and hooky. Number nine is from ‘Apple Tree’, which is probably still available for free download.
9- Hologram- Katie Herzig


If you’ve heard any amount of Japanese pop music, you know that it tends to sound very much the same. From song to song, from artist to artist, there isn’t a great deal of variation in the style and themes of the songs, or in the sound of the vocals. I don’t mean it to disparage it, because some of it is quite beautiful, it simply isn’t very unique sounding to those who aren’t well-versed in it. That’s why I was so surprised and impressed by the band Love Psychedelico. Not only is their sound completely unique, but their style is pretty unique to the world at large. The lead singer sounds almost bored as she sings, and the guitars are almost lazy, but it all comes off as melodic and punky nonetheless. I o love songs that are sung in different languages, and this song is great because it has Japanese lyrics as well as English that I can understand, so it’s the best of both worlds. The lyrics are cryptic and fascinating, and drop me down on a lonely Japanese beach. From ‘This is Love Psychedelico’ its:
8- Standing Bird- Love Psychedelico


I just adore the lyrics in this song. They’re simple and lovely, and they’re sung in such a plain unassuming way…. Complexity can be impressive, but keeping it simple has it value too. The subtle harmonies are just enough, and the instrumentation never takes attention away from the real point of the song, which is its message. The song has an innocence to it, and it carries the listener through a range of subtle emotions without ever becoming whiny or cheesy, twee or overly sentimental. This song is the personification of a beautiful summer evening stroll as the stars begin to appear. The seventh place goes to this song from the album ‘Hideaway’.
7- Hideaway- The Weepies

The Raveonettes have released Christmas songs this year, and it's called “Wishing You A Rave Christmas”. The ep includes great songs for this holiday. A must have for any lover of Christmas, garage ...rock, or Danish duos. The band applies close harmonies and fuzzy guitars to Phil Spector's 1963 holiday pop classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", plus 3 originals.

The Raveonettes - Christmas (baby please come home)
The Raveonettes - Come on santa

Deerhoof is a weird and prolific band. I can’t claim to have heard even close to a tenth of all their songs. But of what I have heard, this is far and away my favorite. Yes, it’s weird too. But it’s just so catchy. I find myself humming it all the time, which is unusual for song that is so oddball; that la-la-la chorus is infectious good fun to sing along with. The singer, Satomi Matuzaki, gives the whole thing a child-like innocence, and though some people might find it off-putting I really love how her slightly broken English adds to the charming and somewhat bewildering mysteriousness of the song. Off of Deerhoof’s ‘Offend Maggie’, its:
12- Chandelier Searchlight- Deerhoof


Sometimes a song is all about fun. Sometimes it’s all about substance. I think this song manages to cram both into a four minute package. The jerky, bouncy vocals and beat are unique, the tinkling piano is wonderful accompaniment, and the chorus is easy to sing along with. The overall effect just commands attention because it’s ambitious and unexpected, grandiose and gallant, and best of all it makes me feel good when I hear it. It borders on the ridiculous at times, but it’s all so perfectly pulled together that I never go away feeling like it was silly. It’s also nice that there’s a chunk of song to bite into; it’s not a wimpy two minutes but a nice full piece with plenty of interesting lyrics crammed in. My number eleven song comes from the album ‘Let Live and Let Ghosts’
11- Good Day- Jukebox the Ghost


For a piece of work named after a lowly household item, this song really rocks. I love the rollicking piano woven all through, and steady rumbling train like beat. The lyrics are bright and charismatic, and Matt Vasquez sings with the delicious passion that I look for in a great song. He sings like his heart is about to burst with excitement as he shouts his love to the world. The first time I heard this song I listened to it ten times in a row, and its feel-good power has not diminished in the dozens of subsequent plays. I love a good foot stomping beat! The number ten spot goes to ‘Trashcan’ from the album ‘Ode to Sunshine’ by Delta Spirit.
10- Trashcan- Delta Spirit

I was wary of writing any kind of top anything list. I haven’t been able to listen to a lot of albums in full, and I’ve mostly been subsisting on singles with an occasional album stick in here or there. For example (and this might be considered appalling to anyone following this year’s music) I have not actually listened to the whole Fleet Foxes album. Yes, it’s true. With so few full albums under my belt, I couldn’t possibly think my opinions are well-formed enough to create any kind of top album list. So I decided that I would create a year end list of songs that you probably haven’t heard but should. If you have heard them you may already love or hate them. If you haven’t give them a listen! These are songs that flew under the radar for the most part and songs I think deserve a little more attention. But remember, this is only a drop in the bucket of great songs from this year, and these are gleaned from my personal library and not the massive collective of songs that are out there. I don’t claim that this definitive, these are just the top songs I wanted to share! So, if you know a good song that I missed, feel free to share it with me too.

I’ll be counting down to the New Year with three of these songs each day, with the final three on the last day of the year. Enjoy.

First off we have a runner-up. This song didn’t quite make it on the list, but it’s worthy of notice nonetheless. The band Department of Eagles didn’t make it on very many of the end-of-the-year lists, but their haunted new album ‘In Ear Park’ attracted a lot of attention in the indie circles. I’m not entirely sold by them just yet. As far as experimental/freak-folk music goes they’re on the less-listenable end of my scale, but of course experimental stuff always pushes the boundaries of acceptance. So I’d say, don’t write them off, give them a listen yourself and decide. Anyway, this a good song that’s just a few inches closer to typical, though it didn’t creep up quite far enough to make the list.
Runner-up- No One Does It Like You- Department of Eagles

For me a great song needs to have excellent lyrics as well as a unique sound, some aspect that sticks in your head, and a passion that comes through in the singing and the instrumentals. I loved this song the first time I heard it because it’s dreamy, and magical, and I adore the way and it soars through the upper stratosphere, skimming over snowy mountain ranges and the deep blue sea. It ended up at the tail end of my list just because it’s not as hummable or catchy as some of the other songs, and it’s not one that gets me as excited when it pops up on shuffle, even if that doesn’t diminish the delight of listening to it when it does. I give you number fifteen from the album ‘Alpinisms’.
15- Connjur- School of Seven Bells

This song alternates between raucous and quiet, and it manages to be quite catchy along the way. The guitars are upbeat (and in fact whirring), the cymbals are clashing, the tambourines are dancing all the way through, and the lyrics are hopeful without compromising the autumn-approaching-winter feeling of the song. From ‘Kids Aflame’ it’s number fourteen, ‘Whirring’.
14- Whirring- Arms

This song is gorgeous and elusive. It would probably have placed higher on the list but the list was already full when I remembered. That’s it’s only problem; it’s a little forgettable. It’s not a song I think of very often, but when I do listen to it the gentle, bittersweetness of it all ensnares me and makes everything melt away. It’s a feather on the air and while you can see you can appreciate its silken, softly glowing beauty, but all too quickly it slips away. From ‘The Sparrow and The Crow’, it’s ‘I Don't Feel It Anymore’, also known as number thirteen.

Listen to it here:
13- I Don't Feel It Anymore (Song of the Sparrow)- William Fitzsimmons

Some great suffle songs for holiday!

Sufjan Stevens - Good King Wenceslas 2008

Joan As Police Woman - Holiday (To Survive 2008)

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes 2008)

Amy Winehouse - He Can Only Hold Her (Back To Black 2006)

The Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes The Summer (Ep 2005)

The Beach Boys - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town ( Merry Christmas 1992)

Seattle's Fleet Foxes shook the year, their songs were posted on every single indie blog, zine. I loved their first Sun Giant EP, then deput album became everybody's favorite cause it was such a smooth listening experience. It already took attention including in most of end of year lists.

White Winter Hymnal was voted the best song of the year by Pitchfork readers. Plus, every song is great in self-titled Fleet Foxes. This is their first album borrowing from ageless folk and classic rock, reminding legend Beach Boys, maybe we can call them as indie rock version of the Beach Boys. We've listened many great bands, however this is sure the band of the year.

listen:
Fleet Foxes - Quiet Houses
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

1. Sam Sparro - Sam Sparro
2. Katy Perry - One of The Boys
3. Adele - 19
4. Duffy - Rockferry
5. Lady Gaga - The Fame
6. Dido - Safe Trip Hom
7. Robyn - Robyn
8. Britney Spears - Circus
9. Estelle - Shine
10. Leona Lewis - Spirit

No information no babbling, here comes my best songs of 2008.

1. Sam Sparro – Black & Gold
2. Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
3. Portishead - Machine Gun
4. The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You
5. TV on the Radio - Golden Age
6. Nada Surf - Weightless
7. Metallica - The Day That Never Comes
8. My Brightest Diamond - Inside a Boy
9. Boris - Buzz-In
10. Vampire Weekend - M7911
12. Duffy - Warwick Avenue
13. Bloc Party - Mercury
14. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
15. Adele - Chasing Pavements
16. Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone
17. M83 - Kim & Jessie
18. Coldplay - Viva la Vida
19. Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl
20. Estelle Feat Kanye West - American Boy

Hey Andrew Bird fans, you sure read Stereogum and check out the mention beautiful artwork of the new album. Previous album featured a Bird, now it turns to a old tree.

Andrew Bird concerned about his own record, as Pitchfork mentioned before.

For me, Noble Beast sounds extremely slow. I liked the Radiohead feeling on the opening song "Oh No". Rest of songs sound like sad folk ballads. Consider that i'm fan of Andrew Bird. It's so early to tell, however i'm not very satisfied with the whole record.

Andrew Bird - Oh No (Album version from Noble Beast)

The Wedding Present wish you a Merry Christmas with their new song Holly Jolly Hollywood. Simone White and David Gedge sing together, and the song has became very sweet!

The Wedding Present & Simone White - Holly Jolly Hollywood

Glasvegas' limited Christmas EP has a lot to offer, even to someone like me who is exceptionally jaded about the annual flood of Christmas albums that is unleashed every year. Frankly, Christmas album releases drive me crazy. They're just too seasonal to be worth listening to any other time of the year. However, that said, I did enjoy this addition to Glasvegas' self-titled album. The gentle piano and the soft jingle of sleigh bells ties all of the songs together with holiday melancholy.

These are not happy, upbeat Christmas tunes (more like wintertime depression tunes), but they are realistic. After all... this is the season when lonely people are at their bluest. You only need to listen to their rendition of Silent Night to understand just how downbeat this album is. The song enough to break your heart, and no exaggeration there. It's like a choir of angels singing over a suicide. Ouch. What an ending.

These songs have a seasonality to them, but they also have play value beyond the holidays which always nice. I really enjoyed 'Cruel Moon', 'A Snowflake Fell (And It felt Like A Kiss)', and "Please Come Back Home". And I just love those Scottish accents. Interestingly enough, most of the EP was recorded in a Transylvanian church, with the Concentus Choir singing in Romanian and English on the last track.

The EP will only be available on iTunes for two weeks starting December 16, or as a preorder bonus with the upcoming US release of 'Glasvegas' .

Track List:
Careful What You Wish For
Fuck You, It's Over
Cruel Moon
Please Come Back Home
A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)
Silent Night/Noapte De Vis


Glasvegas- Please Come Back Home.m4a

Every end of years, i share songs more different than classic Christmas songs!

The Flaming Lips - Once Beyond Hopelessness (Christmas on Mars 2008)

Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas ( Disco Romance 2006)
Not always slow tunes match to Christmas best, Anorak Christmas makes you jump and sing in a beautiful, hopeful way.

Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman (Snow 1993)
One of my all time favorite Christmas tune!

John Cale - Child's Christmas In Wales alternate version (Paris 1919 1973)

Joni Mitchell - River ( Blue 1971)
She provides such amazing moments, River is from her classic album, and the song is just magical and glorious.

Previous years:
Christmas Hits
Christmas Vol 3.
Christmas Vol 2.
Christmas Vol 1.

It's been three long years since i first posted about music on this blog. I always loved sharing my music taste, it's good to share! I can't think a life without music or beats. Like your heartbeats, if it stops you won't breathe! There are great albums,records and artists as well this year. However, these are the most listened records on my 2008.

1. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
2. Cranes - Cranes
3. Portishead - Third
4. Beach House - Devotion
5. Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw
6. Boris - Smile
7. Sigur Rós - Inn Í Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
8. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair
9. Nada Surf - Lucky
10. Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married

songs:
Boris - Flower Sun Rain
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
Martha Wainwright - So Many Friends

A gem from Sweden, and her amazing voice continues to hold your ears three minutes with her newest song Stumble To Fall. After big success of Come Along (2002), she's just a little more Hidden. There are also collaborations with the likes of Kleerup, Moto Boy and Goran Kajfes of Oddjob. On Hidden, songs have quite blue feeling, like Stumble To Fall, this is nice slow pop music.

Titiyo - Stumble to Fall

Bon Iver's (a.k.a. Justin Vernon) Blood Bank (EP) includes amazing four songs. The songs have quite down beats, like in the cover, the ep has some snow feeling inside. I don't like to be in that car. Anyway, here comes the opener, a slow and impressive one:

mp3: Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Sweet and lovely french pop singer Jane Birkin releases her new album Enfants D'hiver. I've heard all the new songs just today. Next year, she will start her new tour, going at Paris' Palace from March 10 to 15, 2009. All the lyrics are written by Jane Birkin.

Jane Birkin - Période bleue

They're so underrated and this is really a great indie rock album. I loved the whole record,
title-track "The Great Escape" has every great indie rock hooks like any famous band in the world. The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, now here they come The Rifles. 8.5/10
Highlights: The Great Escape, Fool To Sorrow, History, The General

The Rifles - The Great Escape
The Rifles - The Great Escape Music Video

This EP is weighted with melancholy, desperation, and God. Each song throbs and pulses with angels and buzzing guitars. The live tracks are unplugged and restive, but no less tingling with dark and light. ‘Badges and Badges’ feels like a private concert on an autumn porch, ‘I Can Feel A Hot One’ was born a gorgeous hit and I feel the EP is worth it just for this song. It combines the best of beauty, sadness and spirit in a very memorable package. ‘Sleeper 1972’ is a song to lull one into numbness or to rest. Later in the song Andy Hull bellows out his passion, all stirring softness and quiet rebellion. ‘I Was A Lid’ was my second favorite, with rolling guitar thunder and ripping, roaring vocals. The acoustic version of ‘Wolves at Night’ is just a great listen, and it impresses me more and more with each play through.

The DVD is an interesting peek into the band’s life on the road. It’s fun to see what good friends they are, and I was impressed that they move all of their own gear and really put blood, tears and sweat (literally, a lot of sweat!) into their music. They also give their all at each and every live show they play. It includes Many live performances as well as music videos as special features.

There’s not a line in any of these songs that isn’t worth listening to. I rarely bother to look up lyrics to music. Either I can hear them or I can’t, and they tend to get shrugged off if they don’t feel insistent enough to make me need to know. But with tracks as epic as these, tracks obviously loaded with story, tracks sung with such passion…. I had to go looking. Fully understanding the words only made me sink deeper into their meaning. This band’s music is contemplative as well as rocking, a worthy mix of fuel and flame that I know will only make them shine brighter and brighter in years to come.

The limited EP/DVD Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind is out through independent stores only. See thinkindie.com for a list of places to get your hands on it.

Spring 2009 will see the release of Manchester Orchestra’s sophomore album, Mean Everything To Nothing.

Listen to some of these songs here at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra