Hey, look at that. We finally made it here. I also voted for my top 20 albums. 5 of them had to be write in’s. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.

10. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns. I’ve been listening to this in my car continuously for the past two weeks, which means it’s a legit top-10 album and not just something I like this month and will get sick of. The lead singer is your classic untrained singer and his voice sounds incredibly close to Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum. Between that and the music, I think it’s valid to compare this band to NMH with more emphasis on the drumming. Easily my favorite Emusic Selects album of the year.

9. Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line. This one is harder for me to justify. It seems like every month, I become enamored with the next peppy dance band that gets thrown my way, only to throw them back a month later when I get sick of them. At first glance, Ra Ra Riot falls into thie category, only I’m still listening to them. Comparing them to their colleagues, they’re an amazingly mature band for their age and I can see what all the hype was about.

8. Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer. The main dig on this album is that every song is about a minute too long. Well, sometimes you just find yourself in a groove that you can’t get yourself out of. It’s like when my dog peeked her head through the cat door. That big head of hers didn’t want to come out, but eventually she (and the cat door) were removed from the wall. Where am I going with this? Sometimes it’s fun to sit back and let the music keep going. When it’s as good as Wolf Parade, I’m willing to sit back and listen.

7. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago. I heard somebody make the joke that this is the third year in a row that they’ve seen this album end up on somebody’s end of year list. True, but I’m ignoring this. To me, this album came out in 2008 and should earn top honors. Even though I already know the back story, there’s moments in this album that are so totally deep forest sounding that I can’t picture it coming from anywhere other than northern Wisconsin.

6. TV On the Radio – Dear Science. For a long time, I was convinced that this would end up at the top of my list. So what happened? The same thing that happened with Return To Cookie Mountain happened. These guys are so freakin’ cool about everything that they hang out in a beats per minute range that in my opinion tends to drag. That’s the only thing wrong with this album. It deserves to be at the top of most lists this year.

5. Delta Spirit – Ode to Sunshine. This album has the best one-two punch of any this year. Growing up an emo fan, I’ve always thought that emo musicians could do some good things if they wanted to switch genres. Some people could say that the album drags towards the middle, but I find that it keeps up a good pace. What really puts this album over the top is the performance of lead singer Matt Vasquez. While not a distinctive voice, he does a great job of understanding when to belt it out and when to hold it back.

4. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes. I’ve said that I never thought that I would enjoy an album with so many nature references this much. There’s been too many bands who have put out an excellent EP only to not show up for the party when it comes time to make a big-boy album. Luckily, Fleet Foxes is not one of those bands. Even though they play a genre that I’ve never been too excited about, they play it so well that I can’t help but sing their praises.

3. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs. This is the album that I was expecting Death Cab to put out as their major label debut. Instead, they went with Plans. One could say that you can’t fault them for playing it safe on their first album for a major label, but I think that they could have gotten away with releasing this one right out of the gates. Yeah, you’re right. No major record exec is going to let you put an eight minute song on your debut album. Although they’re not the best band live, they really know how to kick it up a notch in the studio, which is why I’ve put this album here.

2. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue. This is the type of album I expected from Jenny Lewis. It’s also why I think that you’ve seen the last of Rilo Kiley. She’s just too good not to continue to go solo. There aren’t really any surprises on this album. Other than the opening track, Black Sand, each track plays into her strengths as a singer. She can sing the slow ballads like Acid Tongue and the peppy hoe-downs like Jack Killed Mom. Recorded in only three weeks, the focus of this album was getting a live sound with less structure than her previous album, Rabbit Fur Coat.

1. Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight. You’re not going to see this album at the top of many lists this year, but something about Frightened Rabbit hit me hard and stuck with me. I can’t get the songs out of my head. When I can’t pick an album to play on my iPod, I instinctively go to this album. With the style of music they play, Frightened Rabbit could very easily sing more simple lyrics and be grouped in with bands like Coldplay or Snow Patrol. Do they sing about troubled love and whether it’s time to stay or go? Sure, but the complexity of their lyrics tell stories in a way that allows you to feel the greyness of a situation, or what it’s like to be stuck in a moment where you realize that you’ve hit the tipping point and it’s time to choose. Add to that their excellent live show (so I’ve heard) and you’ve got the makings of a band with a very bright future.

Look at that, we’ve made it! It’s been a long year, full of great music. Personally, I don’t think that the musical highs of 2008  reached the musical highs of 2007, but that doesn’t mean that it was a bad year for music. It’s never a bad year for music. See everybody next year.

The top 20! For those of you wondering… no, next year I will not be making a longer list. 50 has just about killed me this year. Let’s get moving.

20. What Made Milwaukee Famous – What Doesn’t Kill Us. While I’ve mentioned that I think that this album is overly compressed, it does make my head bob uncontrollably, which is a positive. Leading the way is my 5th favorite song of the year, Sultan, but other good tracks include The Right Place and And The Grief Goes On…

19. The Weepies – Hideaway. The Weepies could very well rename themselves to The Sappies and still get away with the music they put out.  Just pick up the album and look at the cover to see what you’re getting. I’m sure a lot of you are thinking that I’m being negative, but I’m not. This isn’t music that you necessarily want to listen to with a car full of dudes unless it’s your birthday and you can get away with something like that, but I enjoy it enough to possibly try it one day.

18. Bloc Party – Intimacy. I’m not sure that I really agree with this album cover. Something about it bugs me. I also learned a lesson about expectations for albums. I came into this album thinking that it would be horrible, based on other people’s reviews. I’ve found that I enjoy it more than I expected. It’s not the most focused effort, but I do appreciate that they haven’t necessarily decided to find a sound and stick with it.

17. Marching Band – Spark Large. If I told you that there was a Swedish band that sounds exactly like Guster, you’d be like, “I don’t care. Guster fans are big weirdos.” To that, I would say, “You should care, and I know. What’s up with Guster fans anyway?” Perhaps if I hold my Marching Band secret to myself, we can enjoy music that is similar to Guster without the Guster fans. Whaddya think about that?

16. Pete and the Pirates – Little Death. This is one of those albums that I’m not sure I would have appreciated in prior years due to the somewhat poor recording quality. The only really standout song on the album is Moving. But it’s also one of those albums that I end up on when I don’t know what to listen to. Subconsciously, I know I want to listen to this album, which has to count for something.

15. Destroyer – Trouble In Dreams. I don’t necessarily share Destroyer with my friends very often. He’s an acquired taste. Whereas I used to really question his vocal stylings, I now relish in them. This album could hold up on their own with a different lead singer because the backing music is entertaining enough, but his delivery really adds to the enjoyment.

14. Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons. Walmart must hate this album. Not due to lyrical content, but we’ll just say I only printed half of the title here. I feel like Atmosphere is a rapper (excuse me, rap duo) that you have to listen to for a little while before you can appreciate some of his music. There’s a complexity here that you don’t find in a lot of music, let alone hip hop today. Slug is a storyteller in the truest form and it’s great to see Ant throw in a lot more live music on this album.

13. Los Campesinos! – Hold On Now, Youngster. I liked Pitchfork’s review of We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. To paraphrase, it said that Los Campesinos! break a couple of rules. 1. Don’t put punctuation in your Name and 2. Don’t put out more than one album in a year. I gotta say, I’m glad that they broke rule #2. What? Talk about this album? It’s easily the more solid of the two albums put out this year, and an impressive debut that would have stood on its own even without We Are Beautiful.

12. School Of Seven Bells – Alipinisms. I first heard this album when bored on Spinner. Nothing about it told me that it was my kind of album, but luckily, I stumbled onto it. There is no introductory time period where you have to learn to appreciate it. To add to that, dream pop is a genre where it’s very easy to fall into boring, and I think that SIVB does a great job to avoid that. Their live show was fun, too.

11. Mates of State – Re-Arrange Us. This is another album that got hit a little hard by the critics when it came out. I enjoy male/female combo groups that are peppy and use a lot of harmony. Mates of State really fit that bill for me. Sure, there are a few less than stellar songs on this album, but the high points are high enough that they don’t let them bog it down. My favorite songs from the album include Now and The Re-arranger.

One more list to go! See you Friday.

I’ve had Gorgeous Behavior by Marching Band stuck in my head most mornings this week, so that’s what song you’re going to get today.

Long list ahead of us. Let’s get moving.

35. Okkervil River – The Stand Ins. There’s a lot of reasons to like this album. The music is solid, the lyrics are intelligent, and the lead singer knows how to sing. For some reason, though, it didn’t hit me as well as I expected that it would. I’d expect this to be higher on other people’s lists.

34. The Broken West – Now Or Heaven. I could say the exact same things about The Broken West that I just said about Okkervil River. Leading up the album was my number 8 song of the year – Auctioneer. The rest of the album is surprisingly solid.

33. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles.  I think that the best word to describe this album is harsh. So what’s it doing in my end of year list, especially this high? Well, indie electronica is supposed to be harsh, but on top of that, it needs to be good enough to overcome the harshness, which Crystal Castles easily does.

32. Colin Meloy – Colin Meloy Sings Live. Another, “What?!?” flies in from the peanut gallery. “How can a live album make it on your end of year list?” Good question. I was hesitant to add this to the list, but then realized that I listened to this for about a month straight, which qualifies it for consideration. The could have probably left out some of the talking to the audience tracks, but this is a good collaboration of old Decemberists stuff.

31. The Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride. This was the first album for The Mountain Goats after three albums in a row of semi-autobiographical material. I think that this caused the album to fall a little short of what I expect from The Mountain Goats. That said, The Mountain Goats are good enough that I would have a hard time keeping them off of any list that I make.

30. Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts. I can’t listen to this album without thinking about riding the NYC subways listening to this album while standing next to some high school kids wearing some really impressive punk gear. This album is a good example of a large band understanding how to play good music, but there’s also a cheesiness factor that prevented it from being higher.

29. Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. I’ve already unofficially called Los Campesinos! my band of the year. This is their first album of theirs on my list, the second album that the put out this year. The sound here doesn’t venture far from Hold On Now, Youngster, which is a good thing.

28. Cool Kids – The Bake Sale. “Just an f-y-i, I’m f-l-y.” Smart lyrics and fun, retro beats lead this album from The Cool Kids up the ladder. If this came out even five years ago, I would have probably hated it, but now is just the right time to put out this sort of thing. Reminds me of a slower, bass-thumping Jurassic 5.

27. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s - Not Animal. It’s been an interesting year for Margot. After finding themselves on a major label with a highly anticipated album, they also found themselves in an “epic” battle with their label, Epic Records. This resulted in two albums, Animal! and Not Animal being released, with Animal! only being released on vinyl. A lot of fuss for a pretty good album.

26. The Hold Steady – Stay Positive. Sorry Hold Steady fans. It’s hard to “stay positive” about Stay Positive. This album feels lost compared to previous Hold Steady albums. I think that I enjoyed the references to characters like Charlemagne and Holly and places in the greater Minneapolis area more than I realized. This album is good enough to deserve to be where it is. I just wish it could have been higher.

25. Shearwater – Rook. Shearwater began as a collaboration between two Okkervil River members until both bands became popular and took up too much time. This is a mellow album, but tiptoes the line between mellow and boring pretty well. I particularly like the title track.

24. Santogold – Santogold. I’m starting to sound like a broken record with all of this, “This album could have been higher” stuff. I’m not sure if this is the case for Santogold or not. While I’m not happy that I was bombarded with her songs in commercials, I also think that her music falls into a category that typically wears on me over time anyway.

23. The Heavy – Great Vengeance and Furious Fire. Ah, the band whose wikipedia page was my creation. I like The Heavy’s retro feel and think that they’ve got the potential to really move up in my rankings with future offerings. Since they’re such a new band, there’s always the question of survival, but here’s a guy crossing his fingers that they will.

22. Girl Talk – Feed The Animals. I’m really amused by the transformation of Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk. If you’re not sure what I mean, check out the two pictures on Girl Talk’s wikipedia page. The maturation of his sound is evident on this album. Transitions are smoother and allows clips to last longer if he’s really feeling the mix.

21. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend. This album will most definitely be higher on other people’s lists. If you had asked me in January/February where I thought this album should end up, I would have agreed with them. The further and further I get away from this album, the less I like it. Apparently I like it 10-15 spots less.

Whew. I’m exhausted. Check out Broadripple Is Burning from Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s.

Welcome to the end of 2008! If I’ve learned anything from the past three years it’s that the big names come out to play on odd numbered years, but the even numbered years tend to have more depth. Nah, that’s not really true, although this year wasn’t necessarily the year of the big hitter, either.

I should probably mention that I’m a little negative with the first part of my end of year lists. I tend to give reasons why these bands aren’t higher, but to even make it on the list is doing pretty well – I did start out with a little over 80 albums.

50. Black Kids – Partie Traumatic. Wow, was this band ever over-hyped. That being said, it’s not their fault that expectations were raised well above what should be expected for a debut album. If they’re lucky, they’ll get another chance to show what they can do.

49. The Dodos – Visiter. This album pulled me close and pushed me away at the same time. I really enjoy the natural beats of the songs and the sounds of the acoustic guitars, but I think that because the lead singer doesn’t reach his higher ranges, it didn’t grow on me.

48. Say Hi – The Wishes and the Glitch. Say Hi, or Say Hi To Your Mom? I’m really glad they shortened their name. I probably wouldn’t have picked up the CD otherwise. This band follows by theory that all bands should have a keyboardist who’s willing to rock the synthesizer.

47. The Notwist – The Devil You + Me. I’m disappointed that this album didn’t make it higher on my list. It’s definitely The Notwist, but I think that they may have over-thought some things. They gravitate a little too much towards noise and not enough to melody. I’m still entertained by the album.

46. Foals – Antidotes. There were times this year when I thought this was a top twenty album. The problem is that dance rock doesn’t have the durability of their more mellow bretheren. I think this is a good spot for them.

45. The Rosebuds – Life Like. Much like The Notwist, The Rosebuds didn’t seem to make serious strides forward with their 2008 album. In Life Like, they continue their full, dark sound very well. I was just hoping for something more.

44. The Streets – Everything is Borrowed. The week this album came out, it was on spinner. I pointed a couple of friends to it who really didn’t like the instrumentation. The funny thing is that I think it’s probably the best instrumentation he’s ever done. Yes, he’s gotten a little preachy, but I like it.

43. Switches – Lay Down the Law. Similar to what I said about the single, this is a fun, mindless album. It’s nice to be able to listen to a band that just wants to rock and have a good time.

42. PlusMinus - Xs On Your Eyes. It seems like PlusMinus always comes out with an album at the end of the year, messing up my end of year list plans. PlusMinus is the king of major minor chord shifts. They’re good at putting a smile on my face.

41. Parts & Labor – Receivers. Parts & Labor is a prog rock band that has found a good balance between “prog” and “rock.” My favorite single from the album, Nowhere’s Nigh, is a great example of this. I wish I had found time this year to enjoy this album more.

40. Deerhoof – Offend Maggie. This is what constitutes a “weird” album. Not because it’s necessarily weird, but to anyone listening to them the first time, there’s a real question of, “What is this?” That being said, I like the music and if I can’t understand the lead singer, well, her voice is just another instrument then. I can still “la la” along to the music.

39. LK – Vs. the Snow. This album feels like something I would have listened to in the past, especially 5 years ago or so. It’s got some good songs on it, but it definitely feels a bit dated to me.

38. Fleet Foxes – Sun Giant EP. This was the EP where you knew that Fleet Foxes were going somewhere. For an EP to make an end of year list – well, it’s gotta be a pretty good EP, and this one is.

37. The Kooks – Konk. If you’re a band that plays straightforward rock, it means you have to play it to near perfection, and I think The Kooks do that. Simplicity is incredibly difficult to pull off. I think you’ll see this album higher on other lists than on mine.

36. Why? - Alopecia. This is a strange album. The lead singer kind of rap/sings about some really messed up stuff. The music isn’t conventional. It’s amazing how accessible the album is despite that.

I think because they weren’t tardy to the party, I’m going to give Black Kids another chance with today’s song. Check out I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You. Yes, that’s the title of the song.

Same song, second verse.
A little bit faster and a little bit worse.

Here we go again. Top 10. Let’s get down to business.

10. Crystal Castles - Crimewave.  This is one of those songs that hits you and you either love it or hate it. As you can see, I love it. Any song that makes me mouth, “Hey hey hey hey” when I’m listening to it can make my end of year list.

9. TV on the Radio – DLZ. This may be personal preference for me. Dancing Choose is their big single from this album, but I find myself gravitating to this song. A song about an epic fail. I think it’s because the first line of a verse is repeated at least three times making it easier for me to sing that part and then mumble the second half, which I typically forget.

8. The Broken West – Auctioneer. This is another one of those songs that might have made it into the pop scene in a different era. The Broken West’s previous album had died on my saved for later list on emusic (where albums go to die) but this song caused me to pick up their new one.

7. Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood. I think I’ve said this before – never did I think I would enjoy an album with so many animal references. It’s happy, harmonized, hippie fun!

6. Atmosphere – Dreamer. This is a song that probably wouldn’t have made the list a month ago. A song about a single mother trying to make it on her own dreaming for a better life, finally taking control so that those dreams can come to fruition.

5. What Made Milwaukee Famous - Sultan. This song could be considered a bit generic, but I think that its greatness is in its simplicity. It follows the rules of what makes a good song – peppy verse, catchy refrain, short bridge. Good stuff.

4. Jenny Lewis – Jack Killed Mom. The evolution of my listening habits. Years ago, I might have enjoyed this song up until the hoe-down ending. Then I would have probably switched to the next track. Now, I instead play it at parties and go nuts during the hoe-down, as was intended.

3. Bon Iver – Skinny Love. But Nick, I thought you preferred The Wolves (Act I and II) to this song. That may be, but Skinny Love is definitely the best single on the album. A solf falsetto in the verses leads to a more forceful refrain.

2. The Delta Spirit – People, Cmon. I really enjoy how the Delta Spirit album starts out. The first two songs could have made this list had I not given myself a rule that this can’t happen. Some good piano power pop and a lead singer reaches the edges of his range moves this song up my list quickly.

1. Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart. What’s an eight-minute song doing at the top of this list? Well, because the length adds to the obsessiveness of the lyrics. Everybody knows that you need at least eight minutes to possess somebody’s heart. It just can’t be done in four or even five minutes.

So there you have it. My top 25 singles of the year. The albums come tomorrow!

I should have played a song on Monday. Maybe I’ll fix that later. Check out my #1 song this year.

It’s that time of year again, folks. A time to sit back and review. A time to say, “Wait, that album came out in January, I thought that came out in 2007?” Today we begin our countdown of the top 25 singles of 2008.

Noeviltwin… and the yearly top 25! Yeah!

The 90’s channel on XM plays old recordings of Rick Dees’ top 40 show on Sunday mornings. I caught a little bit on Sunday morning. I’m hoping at least one person will catch the reference.

Let the reverse-ordered listing of songs begin!

25. Shearwater – Rooks. Shearwater’s album is very mellow and easy to listen to. I highly doubt you’ll hear this in a dentist office, but I’d be amused if you did. Maybe I’ll open up a dentist office that only plays indie rock.

24. The Ting Tings – Great DJ. The Ting Tings have taken me on quite the journey this year. I loved this song but disliked the album, which affected my view of the song. I’m now on step 5: acceptance. It’s a fun song.

23. Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes. I wish that Ford and Budweiser hadn’t picked up on Santogold. Being constantly bombarded with clips doesn’t help me appreciate a song more. This is really a better song and album than I’m probably giving it credit for.

22. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – Around the Bend. You know me. I’m enamored by Junior Senior. I’ll gladly hand in my man card to drive around town blasting The Pipettes. So, it’s kind of obvious that I would love this song.

21. Mates of State – The Re-arranger.  When choosing between Now and this song, I had to nod my head The Re-arranger because there’s more depth to it. That and the refrain isn’t just two words repeated over and over. That’s gotta count for something.

20. The Heavy – Set Me Free. I think less people know about this band than I realize. They’ve been touted by The Current that I just assume people know about them. This is a mellow song (for The Heavy) with a nice acoustic backing.

19. Switches - Lay Down the Law. You may want to listen to this song and call it mindless. I’d probably agree with you somewhat, but where is it written that a good song has to make a point? Funkytown anyone?

18. The Mountain Goats – Autoclave. From mindless to intriguing. In this song, The Mountain Goats compare their to an autoclave: “A pressurized device designed to heat aqueous solutions above their boiling point at normal atmospheric pressure to achieve sterilization.” Thanks, wikipedia!

17. Frightened Rabbit – I Feel Better. Frightened Rabbit provides us with a different view of a breakup song. In it, they sing about hiding songs in a “padlocked case in a padlocked room… this is the last song I’ll write about you.”

16. Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing! Listening to the first two minutes of this almost seven minute epic, you question whether or not they actually want you to dance. Then they hit the break and get down to business. That’s usually when I start to dance. It’s you! It’s me! And we’re dancing!

15. The Rural Alberta Advantage – The Deathbridge in Lethbridge. How’s that for a title? If this were a street performer singing this song and not an actual band, I’d either be frightened or extremely entertained.

14. Wolf Parade – California Dreamer.  For an album that wasn’t supposed to contain any singles, this is quite the song. Taking a different point of view on California Dreamin by The Mamas and the Papas it tells a story of the boyfriend left behind in the cold by a girl with dreams of fame.

13. School of Seven Bells – Half Asleep. Another band being played a lot on The Current lately.  This is some great dream pop – excellent for listening at work. I enjoy the syncopation in the singing and the slight record scratch during the refrain.

12. The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be – This song is a great example of straightforward rock. Great for playing at parties, it has a fun vibe and a danceable beat. This song could easily make it on pop radio.

11. Dying is Fine – Ra Ra Riot. This song has an added depth to it once you learn that this is the band’s first album since their drummer wandered off after a show and was found dead of an apparent drowning. I’m curious if they increased the role of the drums in this song as an unspoken tribute.

So there you have it! Check back Wednesday for the top 10. You’ll be amazed or at least slightly excited. Friday starts the album countdown!

But this is beginning to feel,
Like the dog wants her bones.
TV on the Radio

I have been jamming to that song the past couple of days. Will it make my top singles of the year list? Maybe. You should come back on Monday to find out.

Speaking of singles, Pitchfork has written a book called The Pitchfork 500 which attempts to list the top 500 songs from 1977 to present. This one didn’t make my Christmas list, so I might have to pick it up myself. I highly doubt that I’ll read it cover to cover (that sounds painful) but there are supposedly some good stories behind songs that I may not have realized.

Because I’m preparing for next week, I don’t have much to say today. I’m making up for this by bringing you a fun song that you might recognize from an Apple commercial. Check out Around the Bend by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour.

A green plastic watering can,
For a fake chinese rubber plant,
In the fake plastic earth.
- Radiohead

The above lyrics are from the song Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead. Speaking of which, has anybody put up their Christmas tree yet? Not I said the fly. Maybe this weekend, although I’ll be good and busy getting my end of year lists in order, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be helping. (Erin’s going to love that last sentence)

Along the lines of end of year lists, apparently PlusMinus (a.k.a. +/-) have once again put out an album at the end of the year which forces me to consider adding them to the list and where to put them.

Honestly, I should have seen this coming. I mean, I associate PlusMinus with The Notwist and The Notwist put out an album this year, so I should have expected one from PlusMinus. I was going to say that the math doesn’t work out on that one, but The Notwist’s album, Neon Golden, came out in the same year at PlusMinus’s self-titled debut (called +/-, not PlusMinus).

Today’s song comes from the new PlusMinus album. Check out The Queen of Nothing.

You come from parents wanton,
A childhood rough and rotten.
I come from wealth and beauty,
Untouched by work or duty.
- The Decemberists

It’s December again, meaning end of year lists. I’ll try and keep an updated list of lists here when they get posted. Personally, I’ve taken 81 albums and pared that list down to my top 50. I’m still deciding whether or not I want to do a top 50 or stick with 40 like last year. I think the bottom 10 of the top 50 (whatever that ends up being) will determine whether or not that happens.

Speaking of end of year lists, voting for The Current’s Top 89 of 2008 opens today. I’ll work on getting a direct link to that once they have one. Instead, I’ll give you a spattering of in-studio performances.

August appears to be the first appearance of an in-browser player for 89.3’s in studio performances, so here’s one a month from August through November.

• Bitter:Sweet – August 5th.
• Mates of State – September 24th.
• Jamie Lidell – October 9th.
• Calexico – November 25th.

Today’s song is an advance copy of a new Architecture In Helsinki track that comes out on December 23rd, I think. There’s not much information out on it currently, but it’s definitely Architecture In Helsinki or a very good cover band. Check out That Beep.

Did I mention that there’s a music video for That Beep if you click on the album cover below? No? Well, there is. It might keep freezing on me, but that’s fodder for another post.