So, the editors at Cat Fancy got in touch with me last week and wanted a summation of the year in music according to Billy. I was more than happy to oblige. Thus we have the 2008 Top Ten with brief editorials added for extra so-what-ness.
It’s Casual – The New Los Angeles
My youth & my middle-age embroiled in a 18 minute knife-fight for my soul
Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight
The 1st record in eight years that almost got me drinking again
Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull
How far they’ve (he’s) come, beautiful and mesmerizing
The Bronx – III
I sat this album down next to the new Guns N’ Roses and the GnR dried up and withered away like a maggot under a magnifying glass in Death Valley
Ancestors – Neptune With Fire
I don’t smoke the chronic, but this beast will suffice
Woven Hand – Ten Stones
The banjo is the creepiest instrument in music; get right w/ god suckers or don’t.
Torche – Meanderthal
2% in a different direction of any kind and this would have completely sucked in a bad "Warped Tour" kinda’ way. It navigated that minefield with precision.
Nada Surf – Lucky
Proof positive that bands can actually get better as they go, once in a great while
Black Angels – Directions To See A Ghost
I’m lost as to why I like this completely unoriginal band so much, must be the screams?
The Jim Jones Revue – S/T
Snuck in at the last second. U.K. only right now, but the former Thee Hypnotics leader goes all killer, no filler on this Little Richard/Marshall Stack atom bomb made quick & on the cheap. Nail the speakers to the floor.
The “I Just Don’t Get It ” Meddles of 2008
[Albums/artist admired by people I respect and trust]
The Gold: Jay Retard – What the hell is all the fuss about? An object lesson in “I want it because they want it”. A feeding frenzy for the musically starved.
The Silver: Flight Of The Concords – Keep your comedy out of my music. The Grad. School junk to the Tenacious D. High School junk.
The Bronze: REM – “Accelerate” – This? This was the big comeback/return to form? Hardly. Not a turd per say, but it ain’t no “Reckoning” or even “AFTP”.
Compare this to Cheap Trick’s “Rockford” from a couple years back. See, that’s how it’s done fellas.
Honorable mentions: Henry H. Owings’ Top Ten!
As a bonus here’s It’s Casual doing “Insane Terrain” off their special promo 7”!
You may now commence with the call-outs or hell-yeahs in the comment section.
It’s Casual – “Insane Terrain”