(the) feelgooddrag

I’m bad at this…

 

listen to Manchester Orchestra 

in no particular order, here are my favorite albums from 2008:

M83 - Saturdays = Youth [favorite track: We Own The Sky]

Lydia - Illuminate [favorite track: This Is Twice Now]

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Millions Suns [favorite track: If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It]

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology [favorite track: Cobwebs]

Coldplay - Viva La Vida… [favorite track: Lost!]

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [favorite track: Time To Pretend]

The Kooks - KONK (2 disc edition) [favorite track: Sway]

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into [favorite track: Dawn of the Dead]

School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms [favorite track: Half Asleep]

Sigur Rós - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust [favorite track: Inní mér syngur vitleysingur]

Looking forward to this year’s releases:

New Eisley

New Tegan and Sara

Debut EP from The Honey Trees

-matt

I bowled a 199 and a 220 tonight. feeling good.

I bowled a 189 and a 203 tonight.

I’m back…

it’s hot. This is how I sum up the weekend. 2 days of 100+ weather. I am not a fan. I just killed a spider and I feel quite victorious. It jumped at me the first time I went in for the kill. This did not bode well with me. Eventually it jumped back out from the shadows and I introduced it to the bottom of my tigers. My sister graduated from high school yesterday and her graduation party was tonight. I am officially getting old and I don’t know how to feel. I’m having a rough time… just being home. I feel that I am missing out on a lot lately. I should be out enjoying the company of friends, but I come home from work and spend most of the night on the computer. This is not an everyday occasion, but it is a common occurrence. This has given me a lot of time to listen to Ryan Adams and M83(both worthy of spending some quality time with). I’m not sure where I’m trying to go with this, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. I will continue to think, but mostly pray now. Here’s a hug:  

 

so. this is my blog. good to know it still works. I feel compelled to pick things back up again. I think a few people actually read this back when it was going strong. I feel like this will be a good way to keep writing… or just stop after a few months. I’ll probably still write about music… I’ve been so out of the loop for a while now. I feel like I’ve missed out on some good new music. I also want to write about other things… whatever is on my mind. I’ll probably post pictures I’ve taken and whatever tickles my fancy. So here’s to more blogging and here’s a new picture:

A number of great albums came out over the past year and to be honest… I kind of lost track after a while. Going into 2007 I felt we were in for a tremendous year for music. In retrospect that is certainly debatable. Maybe I haven’t had enough time to reflect on all of the albums I had the chance to listen to… I don’t know really. But I do know that I was more than satisfied with what I did hear. I have attempted to put together a concise list of the music that I feel was the best overall. There are some good albums that I had to leave off of the list… i.e. Sigur Ros - Heim/Hvarf, Sherwood - A Different Light, Paramore - RIOT!, & Matt Pond PA - Last Light. I hope you give each artist/band a chance and whatever you do listen to… keep listening. 2008 will be here soon!

Best Album

Tegan and Sara - The Con | Hands down album of the year. It is so good. Their most ambitious and most rewarding album to date. Favorite track “Back In Your Head/Soil, Soil/Burn Your Life Down”

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away | Near perfection. Every song is good. Bottom line. Favorite track: “Black Wave”

Eisley – Combinations | A mature step in the right direction. I feel like it could have been better, but still a great CD. Favorite track: “Invasion”

Band of Horses – Cease to Begin | incredible. Great vocals and instrumentation. Favorite track: “Is There A Ghost”

Melee – Devils and Angels | Pop-rock album of the year. This is a fun one. Favorite track “Drive Away”

Anberlin – Cities | They just keep getting better. Favorite track: “Alexithymia”

Lovedrug – Everything Starts Where it Ends | Lovedrug takes a big step forward. Favorite track: “Thieving”

A Fine Frenzy – One Cell in the Sea | Possibly the most beautiful album of the year. Favorite track: “Rangers”

Neverending White Lights – Act II: Blood and the Life Eternal | Another epic disc from Daniel Victor. Favorite track: “Always”

Bright Eyes – Cassadaga | Surprise of the year. I’ve never been able to stomach and entire Bright Eyes album, but this one is different. Favorite track: “Four Winds”

Honorable Mention

Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light | Not their best, but still Jimmy Eat World. Favorite track: “Let It Happen”

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible | Solid album overall. Favorite track: “Keep The Car Running”

Best EP

Matt Pond PA – If You Want Blood

Tegan and Sara – I’ll Take The Blame

Best Single

The Reason feat. Sara Quin – We’re So Beyond This

Tegan and Sara – Back in Your Head

Band of Horses – Is There a Ghost

A Fine Frenzy – Rangers

Eisley – Invasion

Best B-Side

Brand New – Fork and Knife

Best Video

Tegan and Sara – Back in Your Head

 

matt pond PA’s new EP, If You Want Blood, will be released on June 5th through Altitude Records. It is available for preorder now. If You Want Blood is the precursor the mpPA’s much anticipated full-length record, Last Light, which will hit shelves later this year. It is also one of the coolest album covers I have ever seen.

Tracklisting:

1. Reading
2. Magic Boyfriend
3. Everything Until the East Coast Ends
4. If You Live
5. If You Want Blood

Check matt pond PA out on myspace to preview new tracks.