Douglas Witmer
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
the music of my year
I've been looking back at all the music I've been into this year. I thought it would be fun to get specific.
The "Album of my Year" (not necessarily a 2008 release) is a tie:
Efterklang Tripper
Colleen Les Ondes Silencieuses
...seriously, check these records out.
The "Song of my Year" is a three-way tie:
Kaki King "Pull Me Out Alive" from Dreaming of Revenge
...got pretty fixated on her there for a while after seeing her live.
My Brightest Diamond "Dragonfly" from Bring Me the Workhorse
...stopped me in my tracks when it came out of my speakers streaming on Last FM.
Efterklang "Step Aside" from Tripper
...probably the most musically rigorous and compelling hit of musical sugar I've heard in years.
(this is someone's homemade video to the music...there are other interesting live versions on YouTube)
Here are the albums I bought in 2008, loosely categorized.
Pop/Rock
American Music Club The Golden Age
Cat Power The Greatest and Jukebox
The Church Hologram of Baal and Forget Yourself
Denison Witmer Carry the Weight
Dr. Dog Fate
Efterklang Tripper and Parades
Ida Tales of Brave Ida
Kaki King Dreaming of Revenge, Everybody Loves You, and When We Felt Red
My Brightest Diamond Bring Me the Workhorse
Radiohead In Rainbows
Soltero You're no Dream
Various artists (Guineé) Discotheque 72
Ambient/Electronica
Colleen The Golden Morning Breaks, Les Ondes Silencieuses, and Et Les Boîtes á Musique
Taylor Deupree Northern
Fennesz Black Sea
Tim Hecker Mirages
Philip Jeck Surf
Mountains Sewn
Murcof Martes and The Versailles Sessions
Talkdemonic Eyes at Half Mast and Beat Romantic
Sickoakes Seawards
Seefeel Pure, Impure
Willits + Sakamoto Ocean Fire
Jazz
Jack DeJohnette Golden Beams Collected Vol. 1
Chamber Music (my substitute term for “classical”)
Nico Muhly Mothertongue
Johannes Ockeghem Requiem
Steve Riech Piano Phase, String Quartets
Labels: music, my favorite things
31.12.08 
2 Comments:
thanks for this, Douglas. Another interesting question, if you care to take it up: any albums you were excited about, or that were hyped up, but ended up being disappointing?
By 
gierschickwork, at
1/06/2009
I'm still mystified by the Kaki King thing (a hamhanded Michael Hedges clone who can't sing?....oooops...IMHO...), but I do have you to thank for the Ockeghem, Mountains, Colleen, and Efterklang recommendations, each of whom got major airplay in my year.
Otherwise, 2009 was all about John Zorn, Fela, Isis, Imogen Heap, Mastodon, John Butcher (the sax player - his solo stuff especially), and IRON MAIDEN. I've been missing out on the true metal all these years!
By 
daryl shawn, at
1/16/2009