5 favourite albums of 2008

Okkervil River – The Stand Ins
Favourite Self-Referential ennui: Bruce Wayne Campbell Interview – “Sick with singing. Singing the same song.”

The Lucksmiths – First Frost
Favourite Ridiculous Song Title: The National Mitten Registry

Gin Club – Junk
Favourite member: Conor McDonald. You can’t go wrong with this shambolic, gravel voiced man child.

You Am I – Dilletantes
Favourite Promotional Interview: Tim Rogers – “Rather than the meat and potatoes kneetrembler up against the school lockers, this one is more, gee, ah something involving a jus”.

Silver Jews – American Water (actually from 1998 but I only listened to it recently)
Favourite line: Random Rules – “Before we go I’ve got to ask you about that tan line on your ring finger”.

Lessons learnt from seeing the Mountain Goats at Club Congress last night:

- Arguably, adding a drummer/extra singer to the mountain goats dilutes the greatness of John Darnielle.
- The day that you skip one of your classes (for semi-valid reasons) the teacher of said class will be standing behind you at a gig.
- If you are over 18 but under 21 you get locked into some weird area fenced off with volleyball nets.
- People who stand in front of me should learn to dance without swaying their hair into my face.

I recently downloaded a song which has tickled my fancy. The lyrics follow.

I waited here all by myself
the room was dark and it smelled like sulfur
I heard the screams from way down in the darkness
felt pretty sure my life was over

I kept my hat on just for luck
sang simple tunes the whole night through
I wondered if I’d wake to find myself in flames
as I waited here for you

yeah when you came in
I could breathe again

I saw some guys dressed up like sorcerers
blue robes that flowed above the ground
they came and went and I was frightened for my life
I tried not to make a sound

just when my solitude was closing in
I heard a howl like screeching tires
and I told you the one thing I know how to say
through the bright ringing drone of eight-bit choirs

yeah when you came in
I could breathe again

The riddle is to guess the identity of the narrator and the “one thing” he knows how to say. Answer can be found in the name of the song here.

For all you Jens Lekman freaks out there I very much recommend his latest album: “Night Falls Over Kortedala”. It’s already hit number 1 in Sweden!

My favourite song so far is probably “A postcard to Nina” which includes the classic line

Your father’s mailing me all the time,
he says he just wants to say hi,
I send back ‘out of office’ auto replies.