2008 Year in Review

Here are my favorite records of 2008

Railroad Earth Amen Corner
Railroad Earth released Amen Corner in June, just in time for the summer festival season. And to be completely clear, Railroad Earth is a festival band. Railroad Earth is a jamband. More than anything else, Railroad carries the torch of the Grateful Dead. And that is a positive thing, considering that the Grateful Dead are one of the most successful live bands of all time. In 2008, Railroad Earth stood among the premier live bands in America. With Amen Corner, they added another classic recording to their studio library. Buy this record and feel the joy. Summer

Radiohead In Rainbows
In Rainbows was released in physical form on New Years Day 2008. Following several records full of equal parts weird, cool and frustrating experimentation, Radiohead crafted a beautiful record that blooms with repeated listening. Enlightening music for the dark nights of winter.

Dr. Dog Fate
I am grateful that Relix magazine chose Dr. Dog for their cover during the summer of 2008. Fate is a triumphant record. If you like the Beatles, The Beach Boys and My Morning Jacket, I believe you'll like Fate. The most enjoyable and interesting new music that I heard in 2008. Autumn

Mudcrutch Mudcrutch
Mudcrutch was Tom Petty's band before The Heartbreakers. The band was successful down South in the early 70's before striking west to California. Record company execs were interested in Tom, not so much the band. Tom kept Mike Cambell and Benmont Tench and the other two hit the road. Over thirty years later, Tom reassembles the band for a record and brief tour of California. Man, are these guys good. Petty follows the beautiful, acoustic Highway Companion with this smoking country-Dead-rock. Ever wonder what Petty would sound like with Gram Parsons, check out "Orphan of the Storm". Ever wonder if Petty can jam, check out "Crystal River". Wonder if Petty can still rock, check out "Scare Easy" and "Bootleg Flyer". With Mudcrutch, Tom Petty continues to stand among the most prolific, relevant and important figures in rock n roll. And the guy is just plain cool for bringing his old tour-mates back out on the road. This record gets better with every listen. Summer

My Morning Jacket Evil Urges
Evil Urges is my favorite MMJ recording. A summer record bursting with electric guitar, bass, keys, drum and vocal groove.

Drive by Truckers Brighter Than Creations Dark
I'm glad that this record introduced me to the Drive by Truckers. Featuring three talented songwriters, the record is long, but well worth the time needed to get it. Mike Cooley writes irresistible country/rock nuggets that recall the best of Bob Seger. Patterson hood pens honest tales of ordinary folks that will touch you to the core. And Shonna Tucker just makes it sweeter. Great rock n roll for a spring road trip to your cabin in the mountains.

Tift Merritt Another Country
This record is as soothing and comforting as a warm, spring rain in the backyard on Saturday afternoon. Tift Merritt must be considered one of our finest singer-songwriters. A beautiful record brimming with fresh, country folk. Recommended for fans of fans of Dar Williams and Lucinda Williams quieter work.

Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs
Narrow Stairs is one of the most impressive records of 2008. It certainly has the best A side of the year. However, I would not recommend it to everyone as the lyrical matter can be a bit depressing to say the least. Though the album is great, Ben Gibbard's dark tales leave me feeling a tad exhausted and empty by record's end. The strange thing, and that which makes this album supurb, is that outside the lyrics, Ben's voice and the band create stirring rock n roll. Dark and light. Summer

Cabinet Cabinet
Cabinet, hailing from Pennsyvlania, are a young, Railroad Earth family band. I refer to them as a family band because they have been supported by Railroad Earth and they are clearly influenced by them. I discovered Cabinet when they opened for Railroad at Penns Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsyvlania. At first, I was a bit taken aback by their similarity to RRE. However, the music is so good, and original in its own right, that I got over that first impression rather quickly. Besides, it is actually a huge compliment to even compare these gentlemen to their older and more established East Coast neighbors. I would also add that Cabinet are a bit more traditional than Railroad Earth in that I do not hear a Grateful Dead influence or electric rock n roll in their sound. The most original part of their musical palette would be the incorporation of traditional bluegrass strings with drums and upright bass. Cabinet features excellent, bluegrass instrumentation, drums and fine multi-part harmonies. Highly recommended for fans of bluegrass and jam. Autumn

She and Him Volume I
She and Him Volume One is a good record. For this album, Zooey Deschanel penned nine fantastic tracks. And producer M. Ward made these songs truely unique through his distinctive prduction style. This music is a welcome, yet original, throwback to all that was great about the early Beatles sound. There are two things that I do not like about this record and they are both a testement to Deschanel's excellance as a writer and performer. One, Zooey's songs are so satisfying that two of the covers are disappointing. They just do not stand up too the power of her original material. Second, Zooey's voice is so pleasurable that it makes M. Ward's contributions to lead vocals a bit of a nuisance. I just want to hear Zooey (but good job on the production, M.)! Summer

Hold Steady Stay Positive
With 2006's Boys and Girls in America, The Hold Steady crafted a perfect rock n roll record. Stay Positive features several songs as compelling as anything from the previous record ("Constructive Summer", "Joke About Jamaica") and three, shuffle-proof, bonus tracks. Though all of the songs are fine in isolation, the record just doesn't stand as a cohesive whole. It starts strong, plods in the middle and pulls together nicely in the end (thanks to the bonus tracks). Recommended, just make sure that you get to know Boys and Girls first.