33Forever Top 33
Constructive Summer - The Hold Steady. This summer, we're going to be constructive...nope, we're just going to drinking.
Electric Feel - Mgmt. These Brooklynites singing about electric eels. Eh..probably a drug reference.
Close the Lid - Port Obrien. I've never been to Alaska, but it sure sounds depressing.
Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2 - MMJ. This is classic MMJ, with beauty and urgency in Jim James voice.
Aly Walk with Me - The Raveonettes. Play this one loud, with headphones, at 2 am with a thunderstorm - the sound just consumes you.
Skinny Love - Bon Iver. Justin Vernon and Jim James have to be related. Such beauty and urgency - especially when he says, "I told you to be patient."
Buriedfed - Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson. 2nd most depressing song of 2008.
Cath - Death Cab for Cutie. There are lots of songs about growing old and making regretful decisions on narrow stairs. Perfectly captured here about a woman marrying a perfectly nice gentleman she doesn't love.
Things Ain't Like They Used To Be - The Black Keys. This is the Blues. "the yard is kinda overgrown/and all those happy times are gone."
Smokin from Shootin - MMJ. The frustration builds and overflows and its tracked throughout the song by those drums.
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes. Favorite part of the song: 2:00.
On Tour With Zykos - Okkervil River. So lonely. "what a sad way to be/what a girl who got tired"
Cindy - Ola Podrida. I love when the drums kick in and build and build and build and build. "she burned almost everything/except for her wedding ring/she threw that in the sea"
Microcastle - Deerhunter. Slow/Fast.
Oxford Commma - Vampire Weekend. Not great live, great poppy album...on the outside. On the inside, a witty subversive, song about the role of class in education. "why would you lie 'bout how much coal you have/why would you lie about anything at all?"
Kids - Mgmt. This song makes me want to dance.
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit. And, now we've hit the dance portion of the mix. No thinking, just dancing.
Play Your Part (pt 1) - Girl Talk. Temple of the Dog, Roy Orbison, outkast, spencer davis group, twisted sister, sinead oconner...all in one song - how can you not love this. rapping about popping champaign over a quintessential grunge song called hunger strike? genius.
Dance, Dance, Dance - Lykke Li. Having trouble telling how i feel/but i can dance, dance, dance
Where do you run to - Vivian Girls. Teenage girls doing lo-fi.
L.E.S. Artistes - Santogold. This is a surprisingly good work out song. An anthem for introverts/depressives/loners everywhere: Fit in so good the hope is that you cannot see me later
Shout Me Out - TV on the Radio. If you've got loss/shout me out!
Acid Tongue - Jenny Lewis. To be lonely is habit/like smokin/or takin drugs/and i've quit them both/but man was it rough/and now I'm tired
Sometime around midnight - the Airborne Toxic Event. I love when song writers discuss something so specific and personal that it is universal. There are so many great, specific emotional cues. They set the stage perfectly... the band plays something about forgetting about life for a while...and the white dress/you haven't seen her for a while...the room suddenly spinnning/she walks up and asks how you are...you feel hopeless and homeless and lost in the haze of the wine
Thats not my name - The Ting Tings. I know its poppy, its fun, its sorta mindless. But its fun and catchy!
Mirrortalk - Ambassadors. A discovery from the The Next Big Sound. Don't wanna go to the party no more/wanna dance alone in the mirror
For Emma - Bon Iver (from the myspace transmissions). Love the drums and the emotion behind go find another lover/to bring/and string along
I Got Mine - The Black Keys. Pure Rock and Roll.
Why do you let me stay here - She and Him. Zoey sounds like a 50/60s girl group all by herself.
White Winter Hymnal - The Fleet Foxes. Sonic enjoyment.
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend. Borrowing a cue from the hold steady, a chorus of "A! A! A!"
Get Better - Mates of State. Everythings gonna get lighter/even if it never gets better. Lots said in such a simple statement. Even if things dont stop sucking, it will get easier. Its important to remember this sentiment as we head into the 2008 closer.
Lord I'm Discouraged - The Hold Steady. While this might be the most depressing song of 2008, I am hopeful that we'll see more double neck guitars in 2009. There is so much soul in this song, so much emotion and so much hurt. Craig Finn, you sir, are my hero.
Please enjoy the list.