Pitchfork Media has recently posted their Top 40 Music Videos of 2008. Scott Plagenhoef and Mark Richardson explain how the music video has evolved alongside the internet:
The web was also there to capture musical moments that stoked the computer age equivalent of water cooler conversation (Jay-Z’s skewering of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” at Glastonbury) as well as loose, charming goofs that turned out to be hugely entertaining (Bon Iver backing Lykke Li on “Dance Dance Dance”). And big budget extravaganzas like Björk’s “Wanderlust” still have their place.
I guess the internet makes it okay for them to post ridiculous live videos and fan videos. Looking through most of these videos, I don’t think any of them would be on TRL (you know, if it still existed). As a whole, they are just very odd. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Flying Lotus’s “Parisian Goldfish” and Sigur Ros’s “Gobbledigook” contain too much nudity. Even the adorable She & Him video is really strange. Meanwhile, Hot Chip and M83 actually have relatively normal music videos. Girl Talk’s “Still Here” has a music video in the form of a mash-up of former videos (I wonder if that’s illegal art). Wiley’s “Wearing My Rolex” has similarly produced fan video. But my pick for most bland video of the top 40 selected by Pitchfork … of the year … goes to Radiohead’s “House of Cards.” I’d rather watch Justin Timberlake’s flashing head.
Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste at 2008's Lollapalooza. Courtesy brooklyn vegan
10. Girl Talk. “Play Your Part (Part 1).” Any track off Feed the Animals—the unquestionable album of the summer—could have made this list. Dr. Gillis gets by with a little help from his friends Lil’ Wayne and Sinead O’Connor, a combination that makes for one of the best Girl Talk moments since Biggie rapped about the Twin Towers over “Tiny Dancer.”
9. Grizzly Bear. “Two Weeks.” It’s hard to judge a track solely on a live recording, but I have evidence beyond recording of a performance on Letterman that leaked in July: When Grizzly Bear broke out “Two Weeks” (sure to be a highlight of their upcoming ‘09 release) during their show at a synagogue in D.C.’s Chinatown, the infectious piano stomp and soaring harmonies stood up against the rest of their remarkable set. The studio version has a lot to live up to. (more…)
Album reviewed: Best of the Rest
We cover some of the better discs that we missed over the year, including Frightened Rabbit’s Midnight Organ Fight, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, Noah and the Whale’s Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, Marnie Stern’s This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That and Why?’s Alopecia. Also, our most eminent critics endorse The Fashion’s Self Titled and Ryan Adams’s Cardinology.
How can Paste Magazine’s top two albums – the best two records produced in the last year – not even merit mention in Blender’s top thirty-three? (Sidenote: the explanation for this is that Paste is crazy)
He even includes a list he calls “The Thinking Man’s Commandments for Making Best-Of Music Lists” where he states how Year-End Music lists should work. Here is number three:
Your list isn’t comprehensive, I promise. There will always be someone asking “where is ____?” Cut to the chase and admit that you didn’t listen to the whole Bon Iver album because you were too busy spinning “Skinny Love”. That you couldn’t get to the Brian Eno/David Byrne collaboration because it was your girlfriend’s birthday and you were slaving over a romantic mixtape. That you don’t like Beck, so you have no idea how his new album is. All Year-End lists should be titled “My/Our/Readers’ Year-End Favorites” or something of that nature.
After reading this post, I thought it was a good time, since we are halfway through our series, to see how our own lists stack up thus far to the rules he proposed (including the ones in the picture at the top).
Here is the fifth installment in our nine-part series about the best tracks of 2008. For the first four, click here.
10. Black Kids. “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You.” The ultimate dance song. The bass line is unparalleled by any other upbeat song of late that I can think of.
9. Beach House. “Gila.” Victoria Legrand’s voice is hypnotic. Devotion is a great album, but “Gila” takes the cake when it comes to subtle, beautiful music.
8. Okkervil River. “Lost Coastlines.” When the bass line kicks in, all I can think about is Diana Ross’ “Can’t Hurry Love,” and that’s enough for me, but Will Sheff’s voice over acoustic guitar and banjo is just too pure for this song to be overlooked.
7. TV on the Radio. “Crying.” “Crying” is TV on the Radio taking on a melody that wasn’t at all visible on their past albums. The catchy guitar riff is quite a toe-tapper. (more…)
