2008 Favs: Part 1

I hope everyone enjoyed the mixtape. I was initally going to post a more in depth tracklisting, breaking down all the various artists/songs and whatnot but honestly, just the thought of that seemed rather daunting (especially after I wrote the first 1/3 and totally wore myself out). It's something that I may still end up doing down the line, but I'd rather branch out first and talk about some other things, more specifically some of my favourite records (as a whole) that got released this past year, as well some of my favourite shows that I went to this past year. We're going to start with just a few heres and theres: 7"s, Splits, and whatever else doesn't really fit into the category of "favourite full length albums of 2008". So here we go...
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Billy the Fridge - "Fridge Mix-Classics" (self released)

One of the highlights of this past year was being able to watch a good of my friend work towards achieving one of his career aspirations. This was the year that not only did Billy the Fridge start playing live gigs (his first of which being in August, on which I made a cameo appearance), he also released a mix-tape and began to put the finishing touches on his full length (due out in late Feb). The mix tape consisted of everything he had appeared on up until that point, collaborations with other artists, diss tracks (where the subject of his venom ranged from a former colleague to his father's 15 year old step son), tracks that epitomize Billy and yet are still varied and fresh. It was the smallest release of 2008 that crossed my path but it was one of the most important ones in my mind.

Speaking of 2008, When we all look back on this year, the thing that will first come to a lot of people’s minds will be the US election that dominated the media and the attention of everyone in the western world. Most will recall the battle before the battle that took place between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. Or perhaps Sarah Palin being announced as John McCain’s running mate and the hilarity/controversy that ensued. Or certainly the eventual victory and history “Yes We Can” speech of one, president Barack Obama. What I’ll remember most is how a 500lb MC from Seattle, WA managed to sum up all of that as well the actions of some other notorious political figures, put his own humorous (downright ridiculous) twist on it and manage to be hilarious, crass and (perhaps unintentionally) right on the nose. The song is called "Political Party" and if you haven't heard it, you really should seek it out just for the absurdity of it. American politics have become a three ring circus, and Billy the Fridge is the ringleader in this, his opus that should’ve garnered him attention from a mass audience, but instead went relatively un-noticed. Big things are in the works for the Fridge, and I’m proud that not only will he be one of my fondest memories of this year, but that I can call him a friend.













New Found Glory - "Tip of the Iceberg" 7" (Bridge 9)

I have to tell you, when I heard that NFG were intending on putting out a 7" on Bridge 9 records, a straight up hardcore record label, I was a tad surprised. But my surprise soon turned to joy because this *is* New Found Glory, a band I’ve always loved but whom have lost some of their edge in recent years, returning to original form. A punk band, showing their hardcore roots but with a real sense of melody and poppy-hooks, making for 3 songs (2 originals and 1 cover) of catchy glory. It makes sense that it’d be put out by hardcore record label Bridge 9 as all your hardcore staples are featured here: gang vocals, breakdowns, an underlying sense of youth and urgency. The CD/mp3 release also features on some additional covers of bands that helped shape NFG’s style, those being Shelter and Lifetime ( which is in addition to the stellar Gorilla Biscuits cover featured on the vinyl release). Any fan of those bands should be a fan of what they hear here, a nice change from what I felt was a fairly weak album put out by these guys in 2006. All and all, this adds up to a sign of good things to come with a new full length due from these guys in the spring of 2009 on Epitaph.














Metallica - "Master of Puppets" 2xLP vinyl reissue (Warner Bros)

2008 will also be remembered as a year that vinyl became "sexy" again to a more broad audience. All of a sudden, everyone and their mother was dusting off their record player, with the decline in the sale of CDs, a medium which focused more on the living, breathing physical incarnation of music was back in vogue and it wasn't just the independent retailers/labels who were aware of it. Major music stores all over started carrying records again and major labels starting reissuing old classics on what they had seen as a "dead format" for the last 20 years or so. In coralation with their new album, Death Magnetic, Metallica joined in on the fun and re-issued the majority of their back catalog from "Kill 'Em All" all the way to the Untitled "Black Album" in a million different editions/formats. Not only was this a treat for someone like me who is a fan of those early Metallica albums, but doesn't have a physical copy of them (and is no longer purchasing CDs), but it led to one of the most ingenious things I heard all year.

One of the previously spoken of format released was a 2xLP version of "Master of Puppets" recorded 45 RPM (to ensure top quality). People will spin a record at the wrong speed from time to time, forgetting to change the setting before dropping their needle but usually quick to remedy such a thing. This was not the case when someone, not only played, but ripped mp3s of the entire Master of Puppets 2xLP 45 RPM release, at 33 1/3 RPM, morphing what's known as a thrash masterpiece into the heaviest fucking doom record I've ever heard. The riffs are epic, slow and crushing. James Hetfield sounds like the song of satan, bellowing from the bottom of his guts so all within the furthest depths of hell can hear him. Oh and the solos actually sound playable (well, *more* playable). If anyone's interested in hearing this, give me a shout, it's ridiculous, heavy... ridiculously heavy.













Thursday/Envy - "Split" (Temporary Residence)

I read a tidbit of info late in '07 from Thursday lead singer Geoff Rickley, outlining him and his band's wishes to release a split 12" with Japan's leaders in post-hardcore/rock, Envy and immediately got excited. Thursday's latest hadn't done much for me, but their albums past are some of my favourite in my collection of emo/post-hardcore (specifically "Waiting" and "Full Collapse"). Envy on the other hand have been busy dudes as of late, re-issuing old albums, a rarities collection, putting out an EP of their own earlier this year as well as a split with Jesu (came out in Japan last year, released on vinyl only in the states earlier this year). So when this came out on Temporary Residence in two beautiful variants, I couldn't have been more ecstatic with the finished product. This is some of Thursday's best work in years, with a few songs sounding in a similar vein to their earlier work as well as some of the songs having a different twist on their sound, introducing more instrumental, electronic and atmospheric elements (sounding very similar to the output of the band they were sharing space with in fact). The Envy side of the split, is their best output all year (saying a lot) including maybe my favourite Envy song ever titled "An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction", which is probably as upbeat and hopeful as an Envy song can possibly sound. This release was super limited and only released a LP/CD package, but copies are still floating about, so pick it up while you still can.













Animal Collective - "Water Curses EP" (Domino)

I didn't feel right putting this in the top albums category becuase it's a 4 song EP, but it featured some of my favourite songs put out this year. Recorded the same time as their '07 work of art "Strawberry Jam", this EP features songs that are very similar to that record's material. Still distinctively Animal Collective in its weirdness and amalgamation of different sounds and styles, but utilizing pop hooks to create a wave of sound that's a sensory overload. The 'A' side is wicked from start to finish, "Water Curses" just being a bouncy fun pop track, grouped with "Street Flash" which is one of the weirder pop tracks from this year but its infectious, frightening, fun, a real treat from start to finish. These guys are putting out a full length that's already leaked (amazing stuff) and will get a physical release this coming month and I for one can't wait to pick up a copy for myself.













Narrows - "Narrows" 7" (Deathwish Inc)

In March of this year, Deathwish Inc, a hardcore label that I pay close attention, put up an mp3 entitled "Life Vests Float, Kids Don't" from a new hardcore supergroup featuring members with a variety of former accolades. I don't know if I've been more excited for a release in recent memory as I was by the propsed 7" that was due out later that year (it eventually came out in early August). Not only did it feature the impressive musical talents of members of These Arms Are Snakes, Unbroken, and a host of others but it featured the return of one Dave Verellen, lead singer of the mighty Botch (probably the greatest and most influential hardcore/metal group ever), singing in his patented growl on steroids for the first time since his former bands' demise (their last show was June of 2002). The music is varied, using weird and repetitive guitar lines layered with super chunky bass, the breakdowns are huge, earth shattering kind of stuff (shades of Botch) and the vocals are just what I thought they would be, powerful, heavy stuff. Maybe my favourite release of the year, a lot of which is because it's a sign of what's to come, a full length of similar sounding material due out in April of '09, hopefully these guys stick around for more than just a 7" and a Full Length as they have the chops and pedigree to put out amazing records for years to come.

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Part 2 to follow in the next few days: My favourite concerts of 2008!