Songs of the Year, 2008

Music means a ton to me.

To clarify that statement, I've listened to (at the very minimum) 16,058 songs over the past calendar on my laptop. That figures to around three hours of straight listening each day.

I listen to all sorts of music.

On that one, I regularly listen to opera, rap (from mainstream to underground), classic rock, "adult alt," regular old rock, folk, reggae, and christian/gospel. I've yet to tackle jazz, though I presume I'll begin listening to it at some point.

I'm usually not up to date on what's popular.

I am frequently passionate about the music I stumble across, but I don't go to college (a big music-sharing network), listen to the radio, or watch television.

If you're still interested in my top songs of 2008, here goes:


1) Catcher in the Rye (listen HERE)
         — Guns N' Roses

Before I begin, I was never a Guns N' Roses fan before I heard their new album, Chinese Democracy. Somewhere along the line I had been exposed to "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," and the other greatest hit staples, but it would be my repetitive (near constant) exposure to Chinese Democracy during last year's travels in South Africa that brought 'Catcher' to my attention. 

Most notable in the nearly 6-minute rocker are two guitar solos (performed by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Robin Finck) that forcefully jolt the track into different gears; as much as the solos stand out, however, it is their unique ability to gel smoothly into the tempo and tune of 'Catcher' that provide the song with an immediacy unmatched on the album. Where Axl Rose has amped up his songs across all registers, resulting in a largely overblown mishmash of so-called rock masterpieces, it is the evenly distributed fervor of Axl and his guitarists here that sustains the thrill through the whole track. Put simply, "Catcher in the Rye" benefits beautifully from Rose's flare for the dramatic and doesn't fall victim to the over-orchestration that plagued the majority of Chinese Democracy. 

2) Champions of Nothing (listen HERE)

         — Matthew Good

Unlike Axl, Good's idea of orchestral decadence is felt deeply through a two-minute loop introduction featuring moaning guitars and the droning of a female voiceover "try again"—appropriate for the concept of Good's album: Hospital Music—one that permeates the entire track with ominous, raw, undertones. It is not until a full 6:30 has transpired that Matthew and band kick the song up a level and build upon the earlier tune. If Good's lengthy recovery from severe bipolar disorder and a resulting hospitalization forms the backbone of this song, he's been on an extreme ride. Like the breathing musician at the end of the song, I find myself having experienced a great deal from a listen of "Champions."

3) Hey Ma (listen HERE)

         — James

It's hard to distinguish the comically-radiant Riverdancesque tone here from James' haunting images of September 11th and fallen soldiers in an expansive yet unfocused tirade on the notion of war: (please don't preach me forgiveness/you're hardwired for revenge) Tucked within a pop-rhythm and rock progression is a fierce vocal performance that delivers a heavy blow of lyrical gravity (we were choking on the smoke and the dust/and the lives that were lost). The sarcasm that bleeds out of James' anti-war boast stirs an uneasy feeling. 

4) Can It Be (Half a Million Dollars and 18 Months Later) (watch HERE)

         — Murs

Building upon a well-handled Jackson 5 sample Murs (the LA underground mc) lays down a strict track that tumbles through his thoughts on the current political landscape/economic struggles and his difficult career and quest for recognition. 

5) Flesh Colored Canvas

         — Dead Confederate

Imagine Kings of Leon rewriting and recording their earlier hits—with longer jams, more delicate vocals, and a more upfront presence...you're starting to understand Dead Confederate's recent album, Wrecking Ball. Buried at the ninth spot on the album is the twelve-mind journey that is "Flesh Colored Canvas." Roaring up in fits of drum and strum-laden fervor, the twelve minutes is bundled into smaller sonic experiences, each one laced with disaster but somehow holding onto a core melodic progression. A hybrid of the dynamic progression of 03's Explosions in the Sky (listen here at  ) and the resilience of Young's "Cortez the Killer," what surges ahead here is a sound to be reckoned with.