Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas from Carry You Away



No matter what you celebrate, Carry You Away would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season! Thanks for a good year, we'll see you in 2009 with our best songs from 2008.

The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
O Holy Night - Troy Andrews
River - Rosie Thomas
Silent Night - Skye
Let It Snow - A Fine Frenzy
When I Get Home For Christmas - Snow Patrol
2000 Miles - Coldplay
White Christmas - Frank Sinatra
Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio
(There's No Place Like) Home For the Holidays - Perry Como
Silver Bells - Kate Smith


Merry Christmas!

The Best Albums of the Year



This year has been an incredible one for music. I don’t know if it was the full year of blogging about it, but I have learned and heard so much during the past year, making it incredibly difficult at times to really narrow down what was the best of the good. Looking back over the year, there were some clear choices, some not so clear, and a couple that surprised me. Already, 2009 is shaping up to look like a good year already.


Runners up: Always the Bridesmaid: Decemberists, Human: Civil Twilight, A Hundred Million Suns: Snow Patrol, Let It Go: Jon Regen, View from the Root: Adam Ezra Group, A Good Day: Priscilla Ahn.

10 - The Fairline Parkway, Memory of Open Spaces / The Weepies, Hideaway

Memory of Open Spaces is a light affair, and carries a quiet grace from its opening song, Westward Bound, that is sustained throughout the album with a soft and balanced sound. I like it because it's soft, reflective and interesting throughout with a great sound and good lyrics.

Tied with this album is Hideaway by the Weepies. Like the Fairline Parkway, this album is soft, rythmic and interesting. The sound is evenly balanced between the two vocalists with a sweet and relaxing sound to it.

9 - Bombadil, A Buzz, A Buzz

From the first bars of Bombadil's debut album A Buzz A Buzz, you'll know that there's something very different about their sound. Trip Out West starts out soft but strong, before launching into a series of incredibly diverse, lyrically unique and tight songs. There's a wide range of sounds here, and seeing these guys life is an experience in and of itself, as they move around the stage, often switching instruments.

8 - Oren Lavie, The Opposite Side of the Sea

Oren Lavie's first CD Opposite Side of the Sea is a labor of love, and has been getting a wider audience from the use of several songs in a commercial. While overall, this album is on the softer side, there's a rich variety of themes throughout the album, helped along by his rich voice and lyrics.

7 - Tina Dico, Count To Ten / Sia, Some People Have Real Problems

Ironically, these two singers have a common link: the Electronic/Pop outfits Zero 7, whom both have collaborated with for several songs over their three albums.

Tina Dico's album Count To Ten is the good sort of pop music. She starts off with an incredible voice and beat and sustains it throughout the course of the album with a number of absolutely fantastic songs that continue to impress me numerous listens later.

Sia's latest album, Some People Have Real Problems is easily her finest album to date, with an electro-popish sound with an urgent, yet at the same time relaxed feel to it. The tracks slow down and speed up but each one is just fantastic.

6 - Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs

This album got lot of nay Sayers when released - a lot of this "The band has turned their backs on their fans/roots/style" crap. Bullshit. This album is easily their strongest, with the same strong lyrical style that we've come to expect from these guys, with a richer and far more refined sound throughout. This new album is emotional, intense and rich with sound.

5 - Goodtimes Goodtimes, Glue

Technically, this came out in 2008, but I really got their album in January, so this makes the list. Goodtimes Goodtimes blew me away when I first heard their first track, Kids, with it's bright and optimistic beat that still gets me moving fifty listens later. The rest of the album is just as good too. Each song here sounds fantastic, with some excellent guitar work and lyrics. Every time I pop this into my car's CD player, I sing along, and feel good afterwards.

4 - Coldplay, Viva La Vida/Prospekt's March

I'm counting both of these albums together, along with Lhuna, as one package. Coldplay, after the commercially friendly A Rush of Blood To the Head and disappointing X&Y, proved to be an extremely fresh breath from these guys, proving that they still have the talent to not only produce a good record, but to produce one that drastically refines, changes and exceeds expectations. Viva La Vida is a tight and cohesive affair, with some of their best works to date. Prospekt's March is likewise as good, with several tracks that didn't make it on the album, but carry much of the same feel or talent along with it. Already, there's talk of a follow-up - let's hope that it's a good one.

3 - Amos Lee, Last Days at the Lodge

Amos Lee has come a very, very long way since his first, self titled debut. His second album exceeded that one, and Last Days at the Lodge likewise exceeded that one. Where Supply and Demand really changed around his sound, Last Days brings Lee back to some of his root sounds, revisits some familiar ground and breaks anew, infusing a distinct blend of soul, R&B and folk-rock into the eleven fantastic tracks. The album is intimate and emotional at times, while blatant and fresh at others.

2 - Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain

Like Amos Lee, Ray LaMontagne has improved upon his sound over his past two albums, really redefining his sound each time. Gossip in the Grain has done much of the same, giving us a new look at this singer as he's refined and honed his skills. His voice isn't as raspy as it was in Trouble, and the backing band here absolutely blows each song away. This album is emotional, touching, personal, romantic and somber all at the same time. It is easily his strongest and best work to date.

1 - Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver's For Emma Forever Ago is my favorite album of the year, and I knew it from the moment I heard the first track, Flume. Recorded in a cabin in the woods during a troubling time for Justin Vernon, what we get is an album that is a mix of raw emotions that is honest, thrilling and simply beautiful to listen to. Each time that I listen to this album, I get chills throughout at the intensity and reflection presented here in the songwriting. Bon Iver has done with this album something that I thought was impossible - show me that there are still huge surprises waiting out there in the music world, and even after listening to it literally hundreds of times, it still shakes and invokes the same emotion and thrill that is present in the notes.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Best New Artists of 2008



Like last year, I came across a huge number of new songs and new artists. There were some that were very good, and some that were well worth forgetting. Here's my favorite new discoveries of 2008:

Bombadil
These guys out of North Carolina play a mean live act. There's energy, lots of hand-eye coordination and some very good songs. While not quite out there as an indie group such as the Decemberists, these guys have a quirky nature to their songwriting that really makes them stand out.




Bon Iver

Excuse my gushing about Bon Iver. He's easily one of the best new artists of this year, and has a fantastic indie-folk sound. More later.



Civil Twilight
I first came across Civil Twilight when their song Human was featured on House, MD. These guys have a good alt-indie-rock sound with plenty of energy and beat behind the lyrics.



The Fairline Parkway
These guys have a light touch when it comes to lyrics and sound. Their first album, A Memory of Open Spaces was catchy and didn't fall into most of the normal sounds that I tend to listen to. It's not quite folk, not quite rock, but something inbetween. Perfect for driving with the top down.



Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers
Findlay Napier recently formed the Bar Room Mountaineers with a neo-scottish folk sound that explodes with subtle energy throughout their songs with a distinct modern flavor. I'd love to see them live sometime.

Goodtimes Goodtimes
Franc aka Goodtimes Goodtimes has a strong hand at the guitar. From the opening notes of his first album, Glue, there's a strong rhythm and a set of brilliant lyrics.



Helen Lawson
Helen Lawson's sound seems to be strongly rooted in her home country of England, with a rich history of folk, which she really draws upon here. Her debut EP, Crossing the Bridge is light, soft on the ears and lyrical.

Jon Regen
Regan has released latest album, Let It Go, which is strongly reminiscent of the sound of Marc Cohn. He wouldn't sound out of place in a jazz lounge, and according to the frequent updates I get from him, he's touring strongly.

Let It Go - Jon Regen

Joseph Arthur
Arthur isn't new to the music scene, but he is new to me. His recent album Could We Survive caught my ears, and he carries a strong alt-country/folk sound with him.



Kat Flint
Flint has a new album coming out, Dirty Birds, and she has been on my radar all year as a strong female vocalist. Her voice is solid, guitarwork firm and her lyrics gold.



Matthew Ryan
Ryan is another new artist to me, but he's been around for a little while now. He sings with a gravelly tone that really reminds me at times of Tom Waits (not quite as harsh). His new album Matthew Ryan Vs. the Silver State is a subdued, somber album that sounds fantastic.



Natalia Clavier
Natalia Clavier's album Nectar is a downtempo affair that has a fantastic, smooth sound to it out of South America. There's energy and emotion here, all wrapped up in a fantastic sound.



Oren Lavie
Lavie has released a wonderful album that he recorded himself. Hailing from Israel, his song Her Morning Elegance caught my ears off of a commercial, and the rest of the album has the same unique sound and lyrics that set that one apart.



Sarah Siskind
Sarah Siskind came to my ears via Bon Iver, when he covered one of her songs, and later sang with her. She's gotten another album on the way in 2009 that is something to keep an ear out for. She reminded me a lot of a favorite of mine, Sara Wheeler, but with more depth and drive to her songs.



Tina Dico

Tina Dico is another girl who's worked with Zero 7 before (Sia is also well know for her work here) Her latest album, Count to Ten is a fantastic listen in alt-pop music with some real talent with lyrics and melody here.


Friday, December 5, 2008

Coming Up: The Albums of 2009




As 2008 comes to a close, everyone is starting to think about the upcoming year and what will be coming out. There's never a shortage of artists who we always want to be releasing new materials, and already, I've started looking for what will be coming out in 2009. Here's what I'm really looking forwards to:

Untitled - Carbon Leaf
Carbon Leaf is my all-time favorite band. I've seen them numerous times in concert, and for the past year and a half, there's been talk of first two albums, then a new album and a remake of an old one, and now another one. Their concerts have featured several new songs, such as I'm In Love (With Another Man's Woman) and Meltdown, two fantastic songs. The album was finished earlier this fall, but we haven't seen a title or track listing yet. The band has said that the album should drop around February sometime.

Untitled - Dave Matthews Band
All this year, I've come across rumors that Dave Matthews and his band will be returning for another studio album. I always look forwards to these, because they can really shape up and change their sound from album to album. Compare Stand Up to Under the Table and Dreaming, and you'll see what I mean. Considering that their last studio album was released in 2005, we're long overdue for another one. No title, release date or track list yet. I don't know if the death of bandmate Leroy Moore will affect this or not.

Untitled - Coldplay
With the highly sucessful release of Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends and Prospekts March this year, Coldplay has been unstoppable, it seems. Their songs are ever more popular, and for good reason - this has been their strongest year yet. With all the press, they've said that they'll be releasing a followup album next year, most likely in the fall/winter. Hopefully it'll be just as good.

Untitled - Cary Brothers
I've been seeing little bits here and there, so this is mostly speculation on my part, but Cary Brothers is back in the studio, recording a followup album. I was a big fan of Who You Are, and it was one of my favorite albums of last year.

Bloodbank EP - Bon Iver
This easily has to be the most anticipated album. For Emma, Forever Ago was brilliant, heartwrenching and emotional, and easily one of the best albums of the year. (You'll see it on my best albums list coming soon). There's an EP being released in January, entitled Bloodbank, and it can't come soon enough.

A Sucker's Dream - The Alternate Routes
The Alternate Routes released their first album last year, Good and Reckless and True, which I really enjoyed, and it likewise made it onto my best albums list last December. After the release of an EP this year, they'll be back with a new album with some of their new songs. From the first single, The Future Is Nothing New, this one will be another good listen.

Hazards of Love - The Decemberists
2006's The Crane Wife is a wonderful album, and it's fully turned me to the Decemberists (whom I really didn't like at first). It was a fantastic album, and while they've been releasing new materials this year via 3 EPs, Always the Bridesmaid, a new LP from these guys will be a welcome thing for sure. Should be due out May of 2009.

Battler - Gregory Douglass
Battler is the latest album from Gregory Douglass, and one of the tracks will be featuring Grace Potter. The first track, Broken Through is fantastic, building on some of the sounds from his last album, Up and Away, which I loved. Battler is coming in February of 2009.

Stay tuned for the Best Albums, New Artists and Songs lists, coming soon!

Cover & Original : I Can See Clearly Now


It's been a while since I've done one of these features. Here's a wildly optimistic song from a while ago that I haven't heard in a very long time.

I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)
- Ray Charles
I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash) - Otis Redding
I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash) - Bob Marley
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash