year in music 2008, 11-17

11 Mountains – Mountains Mountains Mountains

One of my favorite groups from recent years, and not just because this assemblage of outtakes sounds better than most everything else this year. ‘Mountains Mountains Mountains’ displays a shade of their more aggressive side, often with a higher ratio of noise to signal, while still adhering to the duo’s flawless use of dynamics and control of tone. This release could have been a mere precursor to their debut on Thrill Jockey due early this year, but Mountains have instead amassed yet another album perfecting their blend of acoustic-induced experimentalism.

12 Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill

13 Benoit Pioulard – Temper

One thing I have pondered numerous times over the past few years (to no avail): how is it possible that Benoit Pioulard is not more visible? ‘Temper’ is an exquisite record that veers from straight-laced acoustic to washed-out atmospherics to oblique instrumentals all in the shape and contour of lilting pop songs. The material varies greatly in many ways – form, content, clarity, and structure – but, oddly, this fact only makes ‘Temper’ more impressively whole and cohesive as a unit of songs. Another grand record under the Benoit Pioulard moniker, even if not enough people heard it.

14 Deerhunter – Microcastle

This was not quite the ‘50s and ‘60s pop-referencing album that it was billed to be, but instead it was a collection of tracks that were taut, crisp, and rife with proper rock songs – none of which you would have found describing ‘Cryptograms.’ Which basically means is that it wasn’t as good as the one before and hopefully just a necessary step to the next. But ‘Mircocastle,’ in its own right, contains startlingly good moments, namely the chiming psych-pop of ‘Agoraphobia,’ the title track’s amorphous blur, and the anthemic stop of the album closing cut.

15 Sun Circle – Parhelion (split 12”)

This duo of Greg Davis and Zach Wallace has only produced a modest amount of recordings, but they have yet to take even the slightest misstep. ‘Parhelion’ occupies one side of vinyl with a monolithic drone elicited from bow stringed instruments, retaining its indelible acoustic texture and impossibly deep range. And it never changes because it doesn’t have to.

16 Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes/ Sun Giant EP

Many words were spilt in favor of this band in the past twelve months. And it doesn’t surprise me, most of all because my first reaction to their music was ‘this makes sense’ – meaning it strikes an elemental chord with me and, apparently, a few hundred thousand other people as well. These baroque-pop songs hold indelible tunes that rise up from the ground itself, carrying both a timeless quality and a distinct presence.

17 David Daniell – I-IV-V-I

Table of the Elements resurrected their solo guitar series of one-sided twelve inches in ’08, so naturally most of them found their way onto my shelf. David Daniell’s submission was the project’s crowning achievement with his unparalleled mix of Takoma-inclined fingerpicking and distortion-clouded drone.