hooves on the turf

Favorite Music Videos of 2008

I generally find it difficult to wholeheartedly love music videos: in the given format, the number of things you can do is ultimately quite limited, and there is an overwhelming tendency to do the same things over and over again, out of which some that I’m wary of are: linear stories, a literal interpretation of the lyrics, a typical ending where something explosive happens and we revel in the band’s performance, dream-like fluidity where random otherworldly things happen, and an overemphasis on tricks and effects. These tendencies aren’t always bad by nature, but they do seem to make awesomeness especially hard in music videos.

This Year’s 20 Favorite Songs

Where I indulge in the overrated phenomenon of a year-end list and discover my bias for sullen songs over happy ones; 20 most-loved songs of the year, with a self-imposed rule of one song per artist so as to not make it entirely pointless.

My Own Gummy Winners

Stereogum released its list of this year’s Gummy Award winners yesterday, as voted for by the website’s readers. Though this is not my ultimate “Best of 2008″ list, here’re my votes.

Dark Dark Dark’s The Snow Magic

Download “New York Song“ | Dark Dark Dark’s The Snow Magic is one of the most refreshing albums I’ve heard this year. In stark contrast to the increasing number of bands who deploy a large ensemble to play on their record (which I have nothing against), this Minneapolis quartet finds a distinct, wholesome voice, full of haunting tales and eruptive movements, within the realm of what each member plays: an accordion that rises, falls and ripples, and a marriage of cello, bass and banjo that steadily chugs on. Add to that the longing voice of singer Nona Marie Invie, whose urgency Marshall LaCount grounds with his soothing, storytelling voice, and you understand why drummer extraordinaire Martin Dosh’s contribution to the record is decidedly on the minimal side—Dosh simply wraps his rhythms along the contours of the band’s beast of a sound. Continue to listen to one more song from the album.

Talkdemonic’s Eyes at Half Mast

Label: Arena Rock
Release: September 16, 2008

Download “March Movement” | When talking about a beautiful, wordless album like Talkdemonic’s Eyes at Half Mast, I’m sure the temptation to decode the narrative will come as irresistible to many. You could start with the album’s mysterious title, though any dimwit will realize quickly that the story here is not of weariness. If anything, the music exuberantly spins and spins from pretty much a single thematic source of inspiration without ever running thin. That leaves us with at least three other interpretations of the half-open eyes that adorn the title and the album artwork: the rushing of the mind and the awakening of the better part of it right before falling asleep; the blurriness of one’s vision and the unseeing of contours in favor of shapes; and the eyes that have yet to close before death.