one faint deluded smile

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Top Listens 2008

Most of my music listening this year has been via digital means - IPod, Itunes or WinAmp. I still play CDs and Vinyl sometimes but not enough to count. And, notwithstanding some issues with IPod scrobbling, all of these plays should have been collected by Last.FM. So here's my top listens in 2008:

Artists:

Steely Dan - i went though a very, very extensive re-appraisal of all this for some reason
A Slow Rip - hey, we released a record and i needed to hear everything again
Wire - incomprehensible to me that this is 3rd place
TV on the Radio - almost solely their latest album
Sufjan Stevens - saw him live and played them ad-infinitum
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - a favourite for the morning commuter sleep inducing properties
Flight of the Conchords - very funny, even now
Family - one of my all time favourite hard rock bands
Boards of Canada - another good one for the train
The Chap - 2nd favourite album of the year
Al Green - a mix of the new album (really good) and a great comp
Ladyhawke - 3rd favourite album fo the year
Walter Becker - 4th favourite album of the year

Albums

Apart from the new ones here, i also listened to these a lot:

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Oceean Blue: not that good really but i played it 86 times
Laura Marling - Alas I cannot Swim: as above but 83 plays
Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather: one of those bands i love but whose albums i tire of very quickly
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tounge: pretty great overall
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark: quite dull, really
The Shangri-Las - Myrmidons of Melodrama: a fab comp
Barabara Morgenstern - BM: one great track (with R Wyatt) and the rest is dull
Juana Molina - Un Dia: i like it a lot but extended plays were not forthcoming

Fav tracks:

TV on the Radio - Golden Age, Dancing Choose, Red Dress, Half Way Home, etc
Walter Becker - God's Eye View
Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me: great Aussie pop
Flight of the Conchords - Foux De Fafa: irresistible
The Ting Tings - That's Not My name
Can - Vitamin C: an old one got in there.