charlottesville/free union, va

january

andrew bird "noble beast"

*animal collective "merriweather post pavilion"

antony & the johnsons "the crying light"

ac newman "get guilty"

blackout beach "skin of evil"

bon iver "blood bank" ep

jolie holland "the living and the dead"

loney, dear "dear john"

matthew robert cooper "miniatures"

murcof "the versailles sessions" (2008)

monowi, ne

note: colors digitally enhanced

too cold to go outside these days; here's the view from my office window.

favorites of 2008

1. sigur ros "med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust"

2. son lux "at war with walls & mazes"

3. fleet foxes "sun giant" ep/self titled album

4. miles benjamin anthony robinson, self titled

5. hauschka "ferndorf"

6. pete & the pirates "little death"

7. bonnie "prince" billy "lie down the light"

8. beck "modern guilt"

9. tv on the radio "dear science"

10. air france "no way down" ep

11. giant sand "provisions"

12. the mountain goats "heretic pride"

13. shearwater "rook"

14. passion pit "chunk of change" ep

15. calexico "carried to dust"

16. hercules and love affair, self titled

17. cut copy "in ghost colours"

18. vampire weekend, self titled

19. alaska in winter "holiday" ep

20. the rosebuds "life like"

most overrated

the gaslight anthem "the '59 sound"

she & him "volume one"

most underrated

son lux "at war with walls & mazes"

best compilation

belle & sebastian "the bbc sessions"

most disappointing

four tet "ringer" ep

most confusing nonsense

man man "rabbit habits"

most awesome nonsense

the flaming lips "christmas on mars" (with backyard sci-fi film, of course)

noteworthy songs (no particular order)

hercules & love affair "blind"

fleet foxes "mykonos"

liam finn "second chance"

miles benjamin anthony robinson "buriedfed"

school of seven bells "Iamundernodisguise"

pete and the pirates "she doesn't belong to me"

alaska in winter "we are blind and riding the merry-go-round"

tv on the radio "stork & owl"

tilly and the wall "pot kettle black"

karl blau "before telling dragons"

son lux "wither"

PS I didn't put bon iver in my 2008 list because that album actually came out in 2007.

december (abridged and early)

alaska in winter "holiday" ep

burning star core "challenger"

hush arbors, self titled

the decemberists "always a bridesmaid"

the flaming lips "christmas on mars"

wintersleep "welcome to the night sky"

november

karl blau "nature's got away"

kieran hebden and steve reid "nyc" 

jessica lea mayfield "with blasphemy so heartfelt"

johann johannsson "fordlandia"

*passion pit "chunk of change" ep

pit er pat "high time"

school of seven bells "alpinisms"

the lucksmiths "first frost"

wilderness "(k)no(w)here"

don't understand why people like this:

the gaslight anthem "the '59 sound"

great compilation:

belle & sebastian "the bbc sessions"