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, AMemory 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.
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.
My, that month went by quickly. September had some very good music here - a couple new artists, but a lot of old favorites, such as Bon Iver, The Decemberists and Snow Patrol releasing some fantastic new material.
With the fall about to blow past just as fast as September, I'm starting to think about what the best songs of 2008 were, and most certainly, will be looking over these lists and doing a recap at some point, as well as looking back over last year's favorites.
Bon Iver released a free EP via myspace, which featured four re-worked songs from his first wondeful album, For Emma, Forever Ago. These songs have a more expanded and richer sound behind them and sound beautiful. If only they had also recorded Re: Stacks...
Brett Dennen is back after a short hiatus with his new album Hope for the Hopeless, being released on October 21st. I'm not the biggest fan of Dennen, even after seeing him in concert last year, but this song is catchy, and really seems to fit with the current state of American politics, with a lot of awareness to outside issues to a level that we haven't seen until recently. What's going on in the world can certainly make me go crazy and mad.
I came across Chris Blake randomly earlier this month with the track Blow Away, which really captured my attention with a good beat and energy. Waveis his first album, and while I haven't gotten a chance to listen to the entire thing, it's gone onto my to-get list, because this sounds like a promising new musician.
The first track off of the Always the Bridesmaidseries, Valarie Plame follows with Decemberists tradition of singing about some really random things - this time, about the CIA agent who was outed by the Bush Administration that's caused them a lot of problems. You can read the initial article that started it all here. Grounds for Divorce - Elbow
This song was featured on the trailer for a movie called Burn After Reading, the latest from the Coen Brothers. I have yet to see the movie, but this song really got my attention with its heavy beat and interesting, haunting sound. It sounds like a cool song that just begs for things to happen in slow motion.
I was very impressed with Helen Lawson earlier when I reviewed her initial EP, Crossing the Bridge. Her music is lyrical, smooth and very beautiful. Her lyrics and voice here match really well, and I'll be awaiting her first LP whenever that is released.
I love Sia's voice and alt-pop sound. Mixed with an electronic/techno type song, it really fits well, and this song works very well with Sia's voice and style. It's interesting to see her in a different electronica song than her other work, with Zero 7.
I've enjoyed listening to O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) since college. They're not a favorite, but I've loved That was a Crazy Game of Poker, Hey Girland Mr. Moon. They're a good band for the Adult Alternative listeners, with a nice blend of rock/alt-country/folk-rock and a little reggae thrown in for good measure. Shattered is a very typical sounding song from them, but it's a solid one, with a good beat and feel. Take Back the City - Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol is back with a follow up for Eyes Open. This song sounds like it could have made the album, but for a bit more energy attached to it. This song, along with Shattered, feel comfortable, and have a good alternative/rock sound to it that makes me think that this will be a popular radio hit when their upcoming album, A Hundred Million Suns is released. I like this sound - it's solid and sounds pretty good.
Vampire Weekend is back with a new song that's sure to be very popular with the indie-hipsters. It's a pretty typical song from the group, with a quirky sound and interesting guitar work, these guys are sure to be somewhat popular until they release their next album. While I enjoy this song, I'm not sure how much longer I'll enjoy listening to it. Time will tell.
That's all for this month - October is sure to bring some very good music.
Helen Lawson's debut EP Crossing the Bridge is a pleasant and charming listen, with a fantastic, easygoing sound that sounds somewhat like a cross between Enya and Kat Flint and something of the down-tempo genre, and to me, very English. There is a certain richness to the sound between the vocals and supporting instrumentation of the cello, bass and piano. The four tracks here are all really good - Silver Purse and Something in the Wine being particular favorites of mine.
While I've come across and reviewed a number of female artists over the past year, Lawson really stands out here. Her voice is a bit lower, more tempered and calming. There is a bit of energy to the tracks here, which makes this a really refreshing listen. This is a fairly short listen, which is the primary shortcoming of any good EP, but this one here is particularly hampered here with a 15 minute listen - it's far too short, and is really deserving of a longer release. Hopefully, a regular LP will be coming soon as promised on the publicity sheet that I got, because this is a real gem and someone to keep an eye on.
