Hello,
We thought it would be fun to share with you all, our recently compiled lists of favorite albums from 2008. We’d also love to know what albums you guys loved best, so feel free to post your own lists too!
-mint
breathmint - Top 25
01) Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
02) Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
03) Beck - Modern Guilt
04) Get Well Soon - Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon
05) Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
06) Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
07) Tilly & The Wall - O
08) Somone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pershing
09) of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
10) Dresden Dolls - No, Virginia
11) Best Friends Forever - Best Friends Forever
12) Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
13) Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant / Ragged Wood
14) A Perfect Little Angel - Florida
15) Silje Nes - Ames Room
16) Deerhunter - Microcastle
17) CSS - Donkey
18) Rachel Goodrich - Tinker Toys
19) Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
20) Ida - Lovers Prayers
21) Megapuss - Surfing
22) Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
23) Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
24) Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
25) The Watson Twins - Fire Songs
almostaghost - Top 25
01. TV On The Radio: Dear Science
02. Portishead: Third
03. Beck: Modern Guilt
04. Laura Marling: Alas, I Cannot Swim
05. Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs
06. Cat Power: Jukebox
07. Q-Tip: The Renaissance
08. Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree
09. Spiritualized: Songs In A&E
10. Lykke Li: Youth Novels
11. Beach House: Devotion
12. The Raconteurs: Consolers Of The Lonely
13. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
14. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Eleventh Hour
15. Brian Eno & David Byrne: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
16. R.E.M.: Accelerate
17. Langhorne Slim: Langhorne Slim
18. Aimee Mann: @#%&*! Smilers
19. Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
20. The Black Keys: Attack & Release
21. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
22. Frightened Rabbit: The Midnight Organ Fight
23. Martha Wainwright: I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too
24. The Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride
25. Eugene McGuinness: Eugene McGuinness
Just in case you haven’t seen this yet, there was a video for “Modern Guilt”:
I assume many may have already known this video, but wanted to share it as a lead in to these great looking Modern Guilt-inspired holiday chocolates. They were made by the lovely Yukari, and I wanted to share them with everyone! :)
I just wanted to pass along some info on the yet to be released deluxe The Information vinyl package from A+R. Apparently there has been a delay due to remastering. Copy of email below.
- breathmint
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your purchase of the Deluxe Edition Vinyl Package of Beck’s The Information. We are writing to inform you that there is a slight delay in the shipment of your order due to the remastering of this album for vinyl, which has been done exclusively for this release. As of now, we expect the new shipping date of your order to be January 15, 2009, although it is possible that your order may ship before the end of December. We sincerely apologize for this delay, and hope you will understand that it is a result of our intention to provide you with the highest quality product.
If you would like to cancel your order and receive a full refund of the purchase price, please reply to this email and we will cancel your order. If you would still like your order, there is no need to respond and we will send your order as quickly as possible, along with a tracking number to monitor the shipment progress.
“Arabian Nights”! Classic Beck Vultures weirdness. I wanted to point everyone to the interview Beck did with Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast, where he said this song was inspired by them. I couldn’t find it on the web though: here’s the relevant part which I’d quoted over on Ghost:
“I’m gonna send you a B-side that I did a couple years ago that was very influenced by ATLiens. It’s called “Arabian Nights”.” He then said it was his tribute to them.
I’m still waiting for Beck and Outkast to collaborate!
Newtron
[15:50:58] arabian nights: i always wish this was the song from aladdin
[15:51:03] Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where it’s flat and immense
And the heat is intense
It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home
[15:51:16] Arabian nights
Like Arabian days
More often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of good ways
[15:54:34] actually this song’s pretty badass as it is. just not as badass as aladdin
[15:55:14] it taught us all about lazer vizaginal rejuvination
“Aphid Manure Heist” is that goofy karaoke thing in the middle of <i>Stereopathetic Soulmanure</i>. I don’t know who sings it–I don’t think that’s Beck. The music sounds canned. Anyone have any idea where the phrase “aphid manure heist” might come from? The lyrics are all wrong too, it’s a cover of a Waylon Jennings song called “Amanda.” Enjoy that!
Beck, who has been appearing on KCRW since 1993 with just about every album release, will be stopping by Morning Becomes Eclectic on Tuesday at 11:15am. The note says he will be playing “solo and acoustic” as well as DJing some tracks. Pull some mid-90s trickery on us, Beck, and drop some brand new unheard songs!
OK, sorry for the break–I was out of town for six weeks. Thought I could maybe continue to manage this at nights, but turns out, working for a Presidential campaign takes up all your time. :) Anyway, we’re back. Sort of… “American Wasteland” did not really inspire the BeckFreaks.
Vitamin.Deb:
I don’t remember which one it was, but after one of the L.A. shows earlier this year Groove asked Ghost how it was and he said “Beck played Devil’s Haircut.” I had to laugh, because although I’m sure it wasn’t his intention, in my mind his joke validated my opinion. WHICH IS. That I am sick sick sick of “Devil’s Haircut.” Yeah, I said it. I never tire of hearing Loser or Where It’s At, but for some reason I can just barely stand to listen to DH anymore, recorded or live. It’s the only song I skip on Odelay. ALL THAT SAID - I love this remix. It infuses the song with a megaboost of energy and then when it’s over - as the DJ notes - we’re ready to move on to the next song. Ohhh, yeah.
AlmostAGhost
Ha! Well I guess I have to respond to that. I do have a love/hate relationship with “Devils Haircut.” It is my favorite Beck video! It is the lead-off track on my favorite album of all-time! It is so cool. But I also like to mock it, for Beck playing it at every single show he does, and it always sounds exactly the same. And sometimes I just skip it when I listen to Odelay, just like Deb. It is always there. (”Where It’s At” doesn’t bother me at all; I look forward to it at all the shows I go to.) So I am sometimes unfair with “Devils Haircut.” And then at those Nokia shows I just went to, I’m not exaggerating… “Devils Haircut” was one of my 2-3 favorite songs of the 2nd night! Sounded amazing! Rocked so hard. The riff was so perfect, and all those little bass turnarounds. So I make no sense with the song, I’m inconsistent and a hypocrite. I hate it. I love it. Anyway I should save more of this rant for “Devils Haircut” when it comes up.
“American Wasteland”–I find this remix so mysterious. I don’t know who that is sampled at the beginning. I don’t know whose idea it was to make this song a pure punk rock blast of energy. I don’t know if a band played the song, or if it was remixed somehow on a computer to get that way. I could probably look this stuff up in the liner notes, but I like the mystery.
I would say the second night at Club Nokia was pretty similar in quality, but different enough in setlist to make it worthwhile. If I had to choose, I liked the second night better, even though the opening act (Jay Reatard) was completely off the mark (i.e., lame). Regardless, Beck came out and opened up with “Where It’s At” — a unique choice to open with, I don’t recall that happening before. It’s great for a show to start with those chords! “Pay No Mind” was tonight’s “Hollow Log,” a short acoustic thing Beck tossed out that was not on the official setlist. Surprisingly, “Devils Haircut” may have been my favorite song of the night. Beck introduced “Star Power” as “we’re going to cover a Sonic Youth song,” and they pretty much nailed it. He also said this was his last show of the year.
1. Where It’s At
2. Girl
3. Devils Haircut
4. Que Onda Guero
5. Mixed Bizness
6. Nicotine & Gravy
7. Hell Yes
8. Black Tambourine / Clap Hands
9. Modern Guilt
10. Orphans
11. Soul Of A Man
12. Think I’m In Love
13. Star Power
14. Missing
15. The Golden Age
16. Lost Cause
17. Pay No Mind (Snoozer)
18. Chemtrails
19. Loser
20. Nausea
21. Gamma Ray (with Jay Reatard)
22. Timebomb
23. Minus
24. Indefatiguable
25. E-Pro
Beck has scheduled two shows at the grand opening of Club Nokia, a new club in downtown Los Angeles. Last night was the first. It was a loud, rocking show, almost ferocious in its attack. It felt like to me that a lot of people were there for the grand opening of LA’s new club, and not Beck, which was a mixed blessing. The crowd was stoked most of the time and really into it, but at the same time it seemed to lack something normal LA club shows have. Anyway, it was fun.
Jenny Lewis opened–I was never a big fan, but her band was amazing, and I’m definitely more interested in her now. I actually would love to hear Beck with a band like that sometime.
The sound quality of the show was maybe a little bass heavy, but I like that myself, and overall thought it sounded amazing. Some of Tron’s keyboard effects sounded brilliant, in a 3D way, they were like circling my head. Because of that, and the crowd response, the Gameboy tracks (”Hell Yes”/”Black Tamborine”/”Clap Hands”) were a total blast. (I generally hate all those songs!)
During “Nausea,” Beck’s son came and stood on stage next to Beck for a bit. Beck didn’t notice at first, but when he did, he laughed and smiled and pointed at him. Then his son was taken back, and given a maraca to shake.
“Orphans” was done full electric, faster… last time I saw Beck, they did it with a mix of electric and acoustic, sounding like the album. “Sunday Sun” was a surprise. “Hollow Log” wasn’t on the setlist–Beck just said “you guys want to hear some fingerpickin’?” and busted it out.
And finally Beck introduced “a very special guest,” and everyone’s favorite dancer, Ryan5000, came out to dance for the 3 encore songs. Welcome back Ryan!
1. Loser
2. Nausea
3. Girl
4. Soul Of A Man
5. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
6. Novacane
7. Think I’m In Love
8. Modern Guilt
9. Youthless
10. Que Onda Guero
11. Hell Yes
12. Black Tambourine / Clap Hands
13. Devils Haircut
14. Orphans (all electric!)
15. Sunday Sun
16. The Golden Age
17. Lost Cause
18. Hollow Log
19. Chemtrails
20. Where It’s At (inc. High 5)
21. Gamma Ray
22. Timebomb
23. E-Pro
