Favorite Songs of 2008

Wow, 2008 is over and it is time to share my list of songs that found their ways into my head and heart! Unlike other, more traditional best-of lists, where songs have to come out the year of the list, the only rule I follow in compiling my list is that I "discovered" the song sometime during the year. Basically, this music-list is the soundtrack of my last year. It's a bit larger than past years- somehow I had to choose from the over 2500 songs that made it onto my laptop this year- enjoy!
Oh, by the way, the songs aren't rated nor in any particular order, except that they are listed alphabetically by artist!

#9 Dream----a-Ha
[A cover of John Lennon's ethereal song done for an Amnesty International charity album with proceeds going to help save people in Darfur. a-Ha, the group who sang the eighties' hit "Take On Me" do well here.]

Eastern Glow----The Album Leaf
[A song off of one of the cd collections from a show I've never seen: the OC. A reflective, misty-eyed memory-catcher from some hip, alternative band I'v never heard of.]

Wherever You Are----Andy Gibb
[Reminds me of driving through the green green forests of the Olympic National Park in Washington. Jeremy and I stopped in Port Angeles and got Gibb's "After Dark" tape on sale for a buck from Goodwill. A classic Gibb song!]

Fluorescent Adolescent----Arctic Monkeys
[A catchy little song about regret---oh, where did you go, where did you go?]

And Then He Kissed Me----Asobi Seksu
[An excellent Japanese shoe-glazey cover-version of the Crystals' classic teen-song. Beautiful!]

Sad Song
Stars----Au Revoir Simone
[I'm in love with nerd-girls playing synthesizers! Simple and brilliant!]

Love In The Year 3000----The B-52's
[An electric, love-fest, ROCKIN' song that should be played at every party!!! The B-52's came back again this year in true form, yay!]

Is There a Ghost----Band Of Horses
[Haunting anthem that asks "When I lived alone, is there a ghost in my house?" Who knew being sensitive would bring out the riff in rock?]

Photo Jenny----Belle & Sebastian
[A jubilant pop-song asking how in the world to get Photo Jenny to pose for a photograph! A perfect encapsualtion of teen-style fascination!]

Cuanto Le Gusta----Carmen Miranda
[Will. Never. Leave. Your. Head. Oy!]

I Have A Boyfriend----The Chiffons
[This is the first of sixties' girl-group songs on my list. Classic Pop with Real Soul.]

Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)----The Cinderellas
[Another girl-group lost relic- "I think I'm gonna cry..."- a soaring, toe-tapping post- break-up song...]

Laugh/Love/Fuck----The Coup
[I think God wrote this song!!!! Thanks, Shelli for bringing this song to my attention!]

Dress U Up----Darren Hayes
[In a year of crappy Madonna songs, it was a pleasure to include this one on my list. Ex Savage-Garden lead Darren Hayes posted his tribute to the Material Girl on his Myspace page. Somehow, I heard about it; and somehow, I actually got Myspace to load up the page. I have Myspace problems. Anyway, this gets your head bobbin' and your toes tappin'!]

Crush----David Archuleta
[I can't explain how a song by an American Idol contestant appeared here on my list, but it got stuck in my head...the chorus kind of gets me...sigh! "Goin away-ayay-ayay-away-yaaa!"]

San Francisco----DJ Shadow
["Listen." These are the sounds of San Francisco as compiled by the awesome DJ Shadow for the contest sponsored by Nokia called "What does your city sound like?"]

Don't Drop Out----Dolly Parton
[Early, early pop-rockin' Dolly making a fine, fine Brenda Lee clone. A driving anthem aimed at keeping you in school and not dropping out of her life! An uncovered treasure!]

Last Stop This Town----Eels
[My friend Matt made an awesome, touching video of him and Franky taking Joan Harper out for one their walks. Joan was an incredible lady, and though I can't see the video very often, I can always play this song and think of their enduring friendship.]

Walking On A Dream----Empire of the Sun
[A thrilling return of smooth eighties pop! This Australian band should be played on the radio instead of all the crass chest-beating ego-driven, diva-dangling chutzpah that's being pooped out now!]

All Through the Night----Escort
[A youtube sensation! A modern disco band out of Brooklyn, yay! I'm about to Pop!]


American Boy (Radio Edit w/ Kanye)
1980----Estelle
[I was soo surprised to hear that Estelle is being played on the radio here in the US. I first heard these songs in the very beginning of 2008 and I had the hardest time tracking them down for my own collection...now she's all-over. Hmph! Somehow, I still enjoy "American Boy" even with Kanye's dumb rap over it. I still think of rap-overs as being some dominant-monkey mother-fucker trying to out-do the singer.]

Inside And Out----Feist
[A smooth disco-jazzy version the Bee-Gee's "Love You Inside and Out" by Feisty, as I call her. I love the little synth chirping that appears throughout the song!]

Pop Music is Not a Crime----Freezepop
[A statement that I agree to each and every word with!]

Glower----The Globes
[A hushed melody lifting itself out of your night-light like a dazzling lullaby. A nice song posted to Jeremy's Myspace page for awhile.]

Oompa Radar
Happiness
Caravan Girl----Goldfrapp
[Oompa Radar is off of Goldfrapp's classic album "Felt Mountain," a song that neglected to load the first time I added the album to my laptop. I corrected it later this year. It's like a spy love song heading to a parade on a rainy day!
The other two songs are off the newest album "Seventh Tree," the easier-going follow-up to their glam-rockin, electro dance fest. Melodic and a bit more subdued, Alison Goldfrapp looks like a pirate on the cover of the album. Arrrr!]

Lovertits----Gonzales Feat. Feist
[Feist and her song-writing partner Gonzales offer up this new rendition of the classic Peaches electroclash anthem for Feist's remix album. A bit French-lounge Bossa Nova!]

Keep Your Eyes Ahead----The Helio Sequence
[This Oregon duo, brought to me by the attention of my old roommate Monica, have made the perfect indie-pop song for driving. It reverberates into a nightly haze.]

Blind----Hercules and Love Affair
[Gripping contemporary disco music, and- wow, non-ironic music out of NYC!]

Ready For The Floor----Hot Chip
[Bendable power indie-dance pop! Hot Chip put out a pure classic album with "Made in the Dark." Go and get it!]

Keep Breathing----Ingrid Michaelson
[Ingrid puts on a good live show. I admit I was a little worried going when Pam asked me to come along, I've never heard Michaelson's music before and I heard that her music was used as background on show I've never seen like Grey's Anatomy and stuff. Anyway, the show was personable and fun, and the music, especially this song are lasting.]

Luv
Rock With U----Janet Jackson
[Even though Janet looks like a tranny on the cover her latest album "Discipline," she includes some real gems like "LUV"(luv the spelling!) and "Rock With U" which I think was the greatest video of 2008 (Ms. Jackson time travels back to the 1980's to do Jazzercise in some old barn with some New-Wave misfits and briefly swaps spit with some JT look-alike --- Rad!)! Her record label really dropped the bomb by not promoting it more...boo!]

Wish I----Jem
[A catchy song whose chorus sounds like a buried 1950's relic which seems long-forgotten but whose essence is brimming from every pore. Probably used in lots of tee-vee shows and commercials, for all I know.]

A Postcard To Nina
Your Arms Around Me
You Are the Light (by which I travel into this and that)----Jens Lekman
[Swedish sensation, Jens Lekman produces some amazingly orchestrated, lush pop gems here. I'm in love with every lyric and melody here. I want to go back in time so I can attend the show of his at Music Hall on campus that I missed last February!]

Lemon Tree
Michigan (Live on KCRW)
These Long Summer Days----Josh Rouse
[Josh Rouse on my annual list? Jeez, what a surprise!!! This year he was touring touting some songs he compiled for his Bedroom Classics label, including "Lemon Tree." I've seen him live so often that I included his classic "Michigan" on the list. Plus, I finally got my hands on his duet album with his Spanish girlfriend called, "She's Spanish, I'm American." Brilliant!!!]

Know-How
I'd Rather Dance With You----Kings Of Convenience
[Long a fan of Norwegian pop, I finally got my hands on the Kings of Convenience album "Riot on an Empty Street." A good night-time folksy-pop album, I've included a track here that features a duet with one of my favorite Canadian singers Feist!]

Pumpin' and Blowin'----Kristy McNichol
[My sister Cari hired me to find her the soundtrack to one of our favorite horrible 80's movies, "The Pirate Movie" starring Kristy McNichol (Krispy McPickle, as I luv to call her) and Christopher Atkins (Brooke Shields' costar in the "Blue Lagoon)!!! This song is an over-the-top totally sexual song that (maybe, probably) went over our little heads when we watched this on one of those free-trial Showtime specials back in the day. Truly outrageous.]

The One (Freemasons Edit)
In My Arms
All I See
Wow----Kylie Minogue
[Kylie is the queen of pop this year. Lots of goodies, here!!! Check out her album, "X!"]

DNA / Love to Me----The Lady Tigra
[Electroclash meets 1980's Deniece Williams style pop!]

Open Your Heart----Lavender Diamond
[Sweet, sentimental piano pop with a great video with lead singer Becky roller-skating and taking care of an egg in her hands! Blissful and catchy!]

The Difference Between Us----Leonard Nimoy
[The library houses stashes of weird and exotic collections of cds gathering dust, just waiting to be found by me! Nimoy is a god!]

Skiss av träd----Library Tapes
[Speaking of libraries, the Library tapes out of Sweden can be classified as classical, experimental, and ambient. Kind of like Philip Glass and an old record-player. Piano and feedback. Good music to do homework and to just think to.]

Lip Gloss----Lil Mama
[haha, lip gloss! luv the beat!]

Smile----Lily Allen
[Lily Allen shows how to smile at the tears of an ex....she sounds kind of mean, but the song is catchy pop done right! Innocent and sing-songy, but it has claws, meow!]

Kim & Jessie----M83
[Style embodies My Bloody Valentine as produced for a John Hughes flick! Eighties-Emo and cinematic shoeglaze!]

You Don't Love Me No More----Madeline Bell
[A heart-ripping plea asking, "What am I going to do?" after a break-up. A girl-group great lost and found!]

Miles Away----Madonna
[Madonna's latest album "Hard Candy" disappointed me a bit, but this one song grabbed me. Miles away, so far away, so far away.]

Three-Way
California Girls----The Magnetic Fields
[The Magnetic Fields like to do themes for each of their albums. "69 Love Songs" and "I" were literary..."Distortion" is sonic! "Three-way" is a sonic instrumental bubble that makes me want to march around the room like a goon. "California Girls" is an ode to how beautiful people make us all mad!]

Pobre Estupida----Maria Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser
[High-energy electropop-insanity from Mexico!]

Valerie----Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse
[My favorite song of the year! Every time I hear it I get up and boogey! The neighbors have got to hate me!!! See, I just got up again!! Woot! Mark Ronson and classic Winehouse did a great cover of the Zodiacs here. Awe-inspiring groove-shaking, and soulful!]

Beechwood 4-5789----The Marvelettes
[A forgotten Motown favorite of mine from when I was a little kid listening to my parents' records. America's most famous phone number until 867-5309! I'm so glad this song came back to me this last year!]

Boyz
Paper Planes----MIA
[Infectious jumping and hip-swinging will occur while playing "Boyz." You will get a cardiac workout! Wow, I didn't know "Paper Planes" got as popular as it did. I'm doing my research here!]

Tonight, Before You Were Sleeping----Modern Skirts
[This song is so sweet, I almost cry every time I sing along. Things better said, and things better unsaid...alright, okay.]

blah blah blah (give up)----Monster Bobby
[Described as engagingly spare this British pop is wonderful!]

In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle----NYS Department Of Safety
[As I've said the before, the library has hordes of old cd's collecting weird little gems like this! A good lesson learning-tool!]

Snow Tip Cap Mountain----The Octopus Project
[A haunting duet between a theremin and marimba on this song. Synthesizer music that is full of joy and pulled heart-strings.

Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse----Of Montreal
[Fun indie-pop pleading the chemicals to not cloud the joy and hope of life!]

Disappear
Hold Me
Sunset Blvd----Pacific!
[One of my favorite new bands this year. This Swedish band's (surprise, surpise, the Nords have been doing it for me lately!) sound falls in between the 70's AM dial, the modern French acts of Air and Daft Punk, and cold-cool 80's synth pop. Dreamy!]

Good Girl/Carrots----Panda Bear
[A twelve minute ode takes you on an echo-y trip through space and time. A little bit Beach Boys, a little psychedelic jam, a little shoeglaze-session, and big noises mixed in a sonic foundry.]

It's Gonna Be Special----Patti Austin
[Another sister request find. This song is one of the non-Olivia Newton-John songs from the soundtrack to the tanked "Two of a Kind" motion picture from the early 80's. It's one of those lame R&B power-pop songs that grows on you like a cancer- think el Debarge meets early early Whitney Houston...sorry!]

People Have The Power----Patti Smith
[This song embiggens the spirit and uplifts you into taking action! I want to meet Patti Smith again!]

Thinking of You----Paul Weller
[I found a recent cd collection of cover songs, and one of the best was Paul Weller (of the bands, the Jam and the Style Council) doing his version of (I think) Sister Sledge's "Thinking of You." It makes me think of someone sitting in an old armchair outside on the deck overlooking Laurel Canyon and the Pacific Ocean.

Young Folks----Peter Bjorn & John Feat. Victoria Bergsman
[I think this was a song that came my way early on in the year, which amazes me, because it seems like it's been with me my whole life. It's like a Swedish indie powerpop lament with a bit of a punky Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra duet. Victoria Bergsman was, until recently, the lead singer of the Concretes. And, oh yes, the whistling is key to this song!]

Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)----Peter Sarstedt
[Played on Jason Schwartzman's iPod in the beginning of Wes Anderson's movie "Darjeeling Limited."]

Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)----Pink
[Pink is today's Pat Benatar. And this song is sooo me, so full of contradictions. So shoot me.]


You Drift Away----The Postmarks
[Dreamy. Misty. Beautiful. Despairing. Breathy chamber pop.]

Le Groove et Moi (Madonna vs Air)----The Reborn Identity
[An excellent, delicious mash-up of Madonna's classic "Into the Groove" and Air's "Le Soleil Est Près de Moi." Definitely cool, so cool.]

Smell Yo Dick----Riskay
[This is just plain filth. Soo stupid that I love it---"What the fuck is you doing?!?"]

Konichiwa Bitches
Cobrastyle
With Every Heartbeat----Robyn
[Robyn, another singer from Sweden!) is going to be super famous. She is kind of weird-looking, but has the star-power that goes with looking the way she does. I saw her on David Letterman and it was like watching a star with a 1980's presence. Her videos are weird too. The songs are good and catchy- pop dance and powerpop dance ballads!]

I'll Be By Your Side
Find My Soul
He Keeps Me Alive
Hold Me So Tight
Jackie Jackie (Spend This Winter With Me)----Sally Shapiro
[ohmygod...Sally Shapiro is amazing- like snowflakes gently falling onto your face, like the smell of an old favorite sweater. There is something so elemental, yet homey about her sound. Sally Shapiro comes from Sweden and presents with unabashedly romanticism, the sound of Italian synth disco.

L.E.S. Artistes----Santogold
[This is what rock music of today should sound like! Smart and raw.]

Chove Chuva----Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
[Brazilian powerhouse of the late sixties- vocal harmonies and Bossa Nova beats- I'm glad to add Sergio to my musical lexicon!]

Give Him A Great Big Kiss
The Train From Kansas----The Shangri-Las
["When I say in luv, you best better believe I'm in luv, L-U-V!" "Mm, he's good bad, but he's not evil!" Well, this last year my musical palette discovered the Shangri-Las, the sixties girl-group who sang the teenager-death song "Leader of the Pack." Music like their's ended up inspiring almost every other rock band later on, like the Ramones and Blondie. These girls (two sets of sisters from Queens, one set of twins) are pure rock and roll. Their music was filled with pent-up emotions of joy and despair.

Sentimental Heart----She & Him
[The teacher from "The Bridge to Terebithia" movie lends her voice to the indie-vibes of some guy. Touching and sincere music. Shelli and I went to their concert at the Barrymore and found out that Becky from Lavender Diamond was special back-vocalist, yay!]

Star Guitar (Original Mix)----Shinichi Osawa
[An infectious remake of the Chemical Brothers song by an Japanese electro-artist with female chorus assist by the nerdily-beautiful members of NYC girl-band Au Revoir Simone!!!! The song (and video) are digital cotton-candy. It holds up well, and may surpass the original in my mind!

Sleeping Lessons
Australia
Phantom Limb----The Shins
[Each of these songs is manna, a gift from heaven, to every indie darling out there! "Phantom Limb" was my Myspace profile song for awhile!]

Fireworks----Siouxsie & the Banshees
[My friend Steven (hello Steven!) was on huge Siouxsie binge when I came to visit him in La Crosse. "Fireworks" is one of my favorites and I thought I should include it on this year's list! Quite dramatic- like a New Wave Opera!]

Sandcastle Disco----Solange Knowles
[I have the feeling the Beyonce's sister got into her time-machine so she could sell her album to people in the past. She seems like Beyonce's less-corporate and kinda weird sister, and that's why I like her!]

You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
The Underdog----Spoon
[I can't stop jumping around to the Cherry Bomb song and I can't stop raising my fist to the Underdog song!

Long Hot Summer
My Ever Changing Moods----The Style Council
[Every once in a while I find out about bands like several decades after they came out! How does that happen? Well, this pair of songs are like pure dee-licous honey to me- yum!!! Paul Weller put an end to his loved band the Jam in order to form a new band that incorporated more elements of soul, R&B, and jazz--the Style Council. How did I never know this??? Well, I say bring on more discoveries like this!!! I've must have listened to these songs over a hundred times this last half a year!]

Only Yesterday----Taken By Trees
[Ex lead singer of the Concretes, Victoria Bergsman has come out with a beautiful, despairing album of all her own. I love the way she says, "Oh, honey..."]

Femme Fatale
Raise The Roof
It's All True (Escort Extended Remix)----Tracey Thorn
[Yay- Tracey Thorn! Well, first on the list is an early cover of the Velvet Underground and Nico classic. Thorn's voice is rich and expressive even early on. Twenty-five years later, the other two songs are from Tracey's new solo album. Melodic and sometimes bouncy and sometimes moody---it's as if she hasn't been gone for years.]

Gotta Move (Club Mix)----Turbofunk
[From the same Thrivemix collection that I first heard Shinici Osawa on. An electro-dance hit!]

Mansard Roof
One (Blake's Got A New Face)----Vampire Weekend
[Two very fine songs that appeal very much to me and deserve to be on my list.]

Be My Baby----Vanessa Paradis
[I thought this song was new, but was surprised it came out in the early 1990's (what???). Anyway, it doesn't matter that she's now married to Johnny Depp, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. It is classic girl-group!]

Little Eyes----Yo La Tengo
[A soft and fuzzy little trip!]