The Best of 2008

Part 2



So here's part 2. Click on the picture of the tape to go to the mix.

Below are details of the tracks.

 

 

One night late in 2007 me and the wife were heading back from somewhere listening to Colin Murray on Radio 1. He played this ace song. Both of us were bowled over by it. It was Johnny Flynn and the song was 'the Box'. On the strength of that single listen we went to see him in January 2008 in Leeds. We weren't disappointed.

The music seems to combine the energy of Americana with a very British folk music. Anyway see what you think.

 

  

Elbow - Mercury prize winners; great live shows; good album and all round good guys. Make you sick don't they!

 

  

In a way Rosie Doonan bookended 2008 for me. My first gig in January was a trip to the Escobar to see her headline an acoustic night. That night she played a polished set with a full band. The track on this compilation is representative of this show.

My last gig of the year was at Holy Trinity Church and she played with a violinist and cellist and we got a very different set. Very soulful and more folky.

 

  

I probably wouldn't have had My Morning Jacket on this compilation on the strength of their album alone. But they played a great gig in Sheffield with this song, 'I'm Amazed' been a particular highlight.

 

  

Another achingly trendy band make it onto my compilation. Check out 'Dear Science' by TV on the Radio. It takes a few listens but its quality. Quite funky but also a bit off kilter. Maybe a modern day Talking Heads?

 

  

One of the most intense live performances I saw in 2008 was the National at Leeds Met. This song 'Cherry Tree' was probably the highlight of the set. They claimed to have not rehearsed this particular song for some time.

 

  

Certainly one of the more memorable gigs of the year was our trip to see Glasvegas at a place called the Loft in the Xscape complex at Castleford.

The place was full of underage kids and the first support act were a bunch of teenagers murdering indie standards (Kings of Leon, the Kooks and the Arctic Monkeys).

Still Glasvegas rose above it all with a good performance. Not great but you could see the potential. There were already lads down the front punching the air and singing along to 'Daddy's Gone'.

I love the fact that 'Geraldine' is a positive song about social workers given the current popular sentiment. Perhaps next year they could do a song in praise of bankers? I'll get my coat!

 

One of the highlights of Summer Sundae 2008 for me was Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.

The music is deceptively simple but effective. Proper folk music sang with unaffected natural voices (geordie accents and all).

No offence to Elbow, who I love dearly, but these girls should have had the Mercury Prize.