The Top 31 Albums of 2008 (Pt. 2)

#20: Ladytron: Velocifiero – For all the praise poured on Ladytron over the years, it wasn’t until Velocifero that I really think I figured out what the band was all about. Does that mean I absolutely adore it and listen to it a few times a week? Hardly. But for once, I can say that Ladytron is enjoyable if you’re in the right mood. That mood doesn’t come around too often, but every now and then you just want some thick, wet….synths. What? What did you think I would say?

#19: Headlights: Some Racing, Some Stopping – Headlights’ debut album was a masterpiece of indie rock with some really catchy and meaningful songs. In 2006, it easily made it into my Top 10. This year, the band tried something different, which is always appreciated. They took off a bit of the polish, focused in more on a particular sound, and took Erin Fein off of lead vocals quite often. The result is a satisfying album that is just barely outdone by its predecessor.

#18: Dieter Schoon: Lablaza – If there’s one album in the Top 20 that absolutely no one has ever heard, it’s probably this one. Do yourself a favor and download “The Harbour’s Cold” or “Jethead” and find out what you’re missing. Lablaza is a inventive vision of electronic music that deserves to be heard outside of the artist’s native Sweden.

#17: Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles – I should make myself absolutely clear when I say that Alice Glass is an absolutely worthless piece of garbage. Well, her vocals at least. For as brilliant as Crystal Castles’ debut is, there are just moments when she comes in and ruins everything with her whiny screams. Fortunately, tracks are more than skippable, and if you do yourself the favor of not loading those songs on your iPod you’ll find that the rest of this album is absolutely amazing. This coming from a guy who up until about a year ago swore off of most types of electronic music.

#16: Sia: Some People Have Real Problems – Sia’s third LP is easily her best, and fortunately, her most commercially successful. Throwing away much of the melancholy from her past albums, Sia returned with a triumphant, exuberant record that displays the full talent of her voice and, in my book, clears her a spot right up towards the top of the greatest vocalists of all time. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, if only on the inside, and you’ll keep listening to it for months. Just an awesome album.

#15: My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges – Note to Jim James: lose the falsetto, it doesn’t work. Honestly, MMJ’s frontman’ s vocals were sketchy enough as it was, but the Prince impression is severely lacking. The best moment’s from Evil Urges were reserved for when the band was doing what they always do; play great, southern-tinged rock music.

#14: The Notwist: The Devil, You + Me – In my review for this album I stated that it doesn’t necessarily succeed expectations as much as it does defy them. I’ll stick to my guns on that one, for as much as The Devil falls short of the band’s 2002 masterpiece Neon Golden, it is still an amazing album that I think most were not expecting. The band’s addition of strings and prominent guitars make for an interesting if not entrancing listen.

#13: Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes – If there were one reason why you should read this list, it’s for this: Fleet Foxes is not #1. Take a deep breath. Get it all in there because you won’t see that often in 2008. Now I loves me some Fleet Foxes, that’s why they beat out some of my favorite bands to make it this far on the list, but their debut is not the perfect album that many are making it out to be. It is focused, moody, it makes you feel like taking a trip to Appalachia, but as far as bringing out emotion, action, thoughts out of the listener, there are others that just did it better this year. They are as follows….

#12: The Streets: Everything is Borrowed – Sometimes music critics just sort of blow my mind. For they most part, they had nothing but praise for Mike Skinner’s first two LPs and nothing but disdain for his last two. I’ll go ahead and advocate the opposite, because to me, the artist has finally come into his own. He’s finally making songs that are more universal, more catchy, could actually be considered hip hop. Everything is Borrowed is far from perfect, and it may not be as emotionally gripping as his past albums, but to call it a dud would just be an injustice.

#11: Portishead: Third – The only album I rated with a 9 this year that fell out of the top 10, Portishead’s comeback album still deserves a hell of a lot of credit. Were I a depressed college kid, this album would have easily been closer to the top of my list. But 2008 was a good year for me, and I found myself happier than I’ve been in quite a few years. As such, it doesn’t seem right for me to move this album higher when I just couldn’t devote myself to the doom and gloom that it bleeds. Still, if you find yourself with black hair, black clothes, and a razor blade fantasy, check it out. At least you won’t be 100% stereotypical.

Weekend Recommendations (5/2/08)

Cale’s Recommendations

Plants and Animals: Park Avenue

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I just started jamming to this CD this past week, and I’m loving every single minute of it! This CD manages to take the best features of indie rock and blend it flawlessly with classic psychadelic rock. The end result is something that, to me, sounds truly unique and endearing. With clever lyrics and amazing performances from everyone in the band, this CD won’t disappoint.

Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans

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Tilly and the Wall: Bottoms of Barrels

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Erin’s Recommendations

Various Artists: Garden State, Music From the Motion Picture

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I know that there are those out there who say, “It’s a soundtrack, so it won’t be that good”, but this is not just a soundtrack… It is an eclectic mix of songs that are pieced together so nicely, to create a true work of art. This is mostly an indie soundtrack, though Simon and Garfunkel make an appearance. You can definitely expect a retro review of this one…

Sia: Some People have Real Problems
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Queen: Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2
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3/12/2008: Sia – Houston, TX

The picture above is how Sia and her band entered the stage. She’s the one with the blue hands. They kept it up for the length of the first song, “Buttons.” I really had no idea what I was getting into last night. While I had a suspicion that Sia was going to be great live, I had no idea how great she was going to be…or entertaining.

But the evening didn’t start with Sia. It started with Har Mar Superstar. The first time I saw this guy perform was over 6 years ago. It was him, a drum machine, and a really hilarious act that involved him repeatedly stating how “f***ing awesome” he was, and gradually stripping down to nothing but his underwear. Sound sexy? Ha! You have no idea!
Yeah, that’s what this guy looks like. But believe it or not, he’s actually a very talented musician. His vocals are right up there with the likes of Justin Timberlake, and his music are straight up funk disco jams that have a lot more in common with The Jackson 5 than with any modern act. He’s added a bassist and a drummer over the course of the last six years, and I have to say that the change was for the better. The guy’s an absolute blast to watch, and a consummate performer. At one point, he hopped off the stage, walked through the crowd, and made his way to the bar on the opposite side of the room to order some drinks for he and his band mates. Oh yeah…and he did this all during a song, still singing. It was really a great performance, even if I didn’t hop into his proposed line of people who wanted to “suck his ****.”

After a 30 minute break, Sia and her bandmates (which included a guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and a “real”string bassist) hit the stage in the above noted getup. Sia has this habit of talking a lot in between songs which is kind of cool, but also sort of unnecessary. It gives you an opportunity to get to know her, but then again, that’s not really why you came.

Sia spent most of the evening playing songs from her most recent album, Some People Have Real Problems, but did manage to squeeze in a few from Color the Small One, one from an upcoming album, and even a Zero 7 song. Highlights included “Lentil,” which is actually about a dog, “Academia,” “Breathe Me,” “Soon We’ll Be Found,” and “Death By Chocolate.” When she first started “Death By Chocolate” she flubbed the lines a bit and had to restart, noting that “I do actually write these songs, I just always forget them.” By the end, though, when she’s singing “It’s but a falling leaf…” at the top of her lungs, I got goosebumps. For realsies.

Overall, it was a really great show and a wonderful evening. Though there were a few distractions, like a group of 60-year-olds who were waaaaaaaay too into it directly in front of me, I really enjoyed myself and will definitely consider seeing either of these artists the next time they stroll through town. That is all.

Sia: "Some People Have Real Problems"

It doesn’t seem like too long ago that I was raving about Sia’s most recent album, Colour the Small One, when in reality it was almost 2 years ago that I first heard the album. It was released overseas 2 years prior to that. So for all those Sia fans out there who have been clamoring for some new solo material since 2004, rejoice! Your day has arrived! Some People Have Real Problems is a very different album than Sia’s last. Where Colour the Small One, made it’s mark with somber, inventive pop songs, this album is much more upfront, energetic, and vocally driven. Sia has seemingly transformed herself from a niche vocalist into someone that the mainstream can’t possibly turn away from.

The album’s first track is “Little Black Sandals,” a song that is extremely reminiscent of the music found on Colour the Small One (one of only two songs that can make such a claim). It tells the story of Sia escaping a troublesome, if not unhealthy relationship. In the chorus, she sings “These little black sandals are walking me away. These little black sandals saved my life today,” in a very understated manner. In the last verse she gives us a hint of what is to come on the album by soulfully, and earnestly crying, “He was the line between pleasure and pain, but me and the feet have some years to reclaim!”

The soulful Sia takes over from here, and she rarely lets up through the remainder of the album. “Lentil,” which many will remember from her Lady Croissant live album, is an absolutely beautiful track. The lyrics here are touching to say the least. In the chorus she belts, “I never meant to let you down. I’m trying not to fall apart” with such passion that goosebumps are almost assured. In the final, triumphant chorus, she’s singing with enough gusto to make Christina Aguilera hide in a closet and assume the fetal position. “Day Too Soon” is a bit jazzier than its predecessor, and is about finally finding the right man (“I’ve been waiting all my life. You’re not a day too soon.”), which I assume is a great joy.

“You Have Been Loved” is yet another great song, but at times it seems as if Sia is injecting a bit too much soul into her voice. Her voice cracks and whimpers several times in the song, and while it adds to the song, it can also be a bit distracting. Which brings me to my first complaint about Some People Have Real Problems. Sia is taking a more soulful approach to singing this time around, and after a while it starts to wear on me. After 4 or 5 songs you start to wonder if she’ll ever start singing in an understated manner again. It’s not bad by any means, but a little more vocal variety would be appreciated.

And sure enough, she delivers. “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine” is an absolute blast to listen and sing along to. Sia songs have always been very “ballad-y.” But this songs is reminiscent of “Where I Belong” in that it is a fun, upbeat track. Again she discusses walking away from a stale relationship, singing, “I can’t survive with you by my side. See, I’ll never get laid while I’m running your life.” Ha! “Academia” is another peculiar song. The lyrics are quirky, to be sure, and Sia smartly sings them like a little girl. It works mostly due to it’s quirkiness (though I was distracted at first because it’s the exact same chord progression to the bridge of St. Vincent’s “Jesus Saves, I Spend”). Speaking of exactness, “I Go to Sleep” is a cover of a song by The Pretenders. So if you’re a fan of them, I recommend it. Sia puts a nice spin on it.

“Playground” once again pumps up the quirkiness, along with some truly cool production (it sounds kind of like a Psapp song). Sia calmly states, “I don’t wanna grow old, bring me all the toys you can find. You don’t want to grow up, you can be my partner in crime.” Cute. “Death by Chocolate” is a brilliantly written song where Sia returns to a more soulful, gospel style of singing. When she sings, “Death my chocolate is a myth, this I know because I lived,” I can’t help but think of “The Church of What’s Happening Now” when she says, “I’m going to eat one hundred sweets.” I guess she did. And this brings me to my favorite song on the album, “Soon We’ll Be Found,” in which Sia describes the scene of a couple fighting, and losing sleep. Her voice is perfectly suited to this song, and every time she sings “Let’s not fight. I’m sorry, can’t we just sleep tonight?” my heart breaks. As emo as that sounds, it’s true. It is an absolutely gorgeous song!

And now for my second complaint about Some People Have Real Problems: it is far too long of an album. At nearly an hour in length, even the good songs start to wear on you. The next three songs(“Electric Bird,” “Beautiful Calm Driving” (which is very reminiscent of Colour the Small One), ” and “Lullaby”) are all beautiful songs and worth of being heard, but by the time you get to them you’ve probably lost interest. Granted, if you’re one of those people who listen to an album a few songs at a time, it probably won’t bother you. But if you’re like me, and you like listening to albums as a whole, this can be a little disheartening. In my opinion, “Soon We’ll Be Found” would have been an excellent closer. Oh well. Because in the end, I can’t be too disappointed by something that is as beautiful and refreshing as Some People Have Real Problems. Sia has blown me away! Just when I thought I’d heard everything she had to offer, she completely transforms herself into a soulful pop diva, a force to be reckoned with. It may throw off some longtime fans, but sometimes grandiose greatness does that.

Recommended for fans of Sia, and for anyone who ever thought Christina Aguilera’s songs were good.

Key Tracks:
1. “Lentil”
2. “Day Too Soon”
3. “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine”
4. “Academia”
5. “Soon We’ll Be Found”

8 out of 10 Stars