I didn’t actually see that many concerts in 2008, but the ones I did were incredible. So incredible that I’ve decided to spend an entire post reliving my favorite ones. This will effectively end my coverage of the best music of 2008. ‘Twas a great year, but I have a feeling 2009 will be even better!

MY MORNING JACKET
Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA :: September 19, 2008

From the very start, I wasn’t feeling this show. A heavy mist blanketed the Greek as My Morning Jacket took stage. They quickly launched into newer songs like “Evil Urges,” “Off the Record,” and “Aluminum Park” — definitely not my favorites. I worried the rest of the show would be similar. I thought about leaving early: the risk of catching pneumonia outweighed any enjoyment I might get from staying for the entire concert.

Or so I thought. After 30 minutes, the mist began to lift and MMJ started playing some older stuff. Before I knew it, I was rocking out on my air guitar (like an idiot) to songs like “Phone Went West” and “Dondante.”

Never before has this happened to me at a concert. Not the air guitar. I do that more than I care to admit. No, what I’m talking about is the complete turn around in my attitude. Usually once I lose interest, I’m not coming back. Yet somehow MMJ brought me back. Not an easy task. Well done, boys, well done.

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
HSBG 8, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA :: October 5, 2008

This is the story about how Justin Townes Earle singlehandedly saved my first experience at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (or HSBG for short).

Getting to Golden Gate Park was quite the adventure, involving a Muni train packed to the gills, a cab ride cut short by insufficient funds, and a 15-block walk. When we finally arrived, we navigated through a sea of people to the stage where Iron & Wine was scheduled to play. We grabbed some overpriced (but delicious!) food and eventually found a spot to sit.

Despite a huge tree blocking my view of the stage, I was excited to see Iron & Wine play again. I became even more excited when Sam Beam took the stage for an entirely acoustic show. Sadly, my excitement didn’t last long. Sam listlessly stumbled through a set of music that should’ve been amazing.

After the disappointing first act, we again cut through a sea of people to the stage where Justin Townes Earle was playing. Thankfully, he was on a smaller stage. The sparse crowd made it much easier to find great seats. By the time Justin took stage, I felt a little better.

Over the course of the next hour my mood would only improve. Justin put on a remarkable show. Every song he played was a journey, transporting us to a simpler time and place. We were no longer in Golden Gate Park; we were somewhere in the south. Perhaps Tennessee or Georgia.

Throughout this journey, Justin effortlessly jumped between genres — from folk to rock to swing to blues. His bandmate Cory (aka “Swiss Army knife”) helped make it all possible. He played nearly every instrument under the sun. But he absolutely killed it on the harmonica. It was quite the sight.

But the true highlight of the show came at the end. Justin closed his set with an incredible version of “A Desolate Angels Blues.” The studio version of this song sends chills down my spine, especially the part near the end when everything cuts out except Justin’s vocals. But the live version was even better. The concert couldn’t have ended on a better note.

And that’s how Justin Townes Earle single-handedly saved HSBG 8.

GRAND ARCHIVES w/ SERA CAHOONE
Slim’s, San Francisco, CA :: June 28, 2008

I already wrote about this concert here. Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything new to add to my review except for the following thoughts.

The timing of this show was perfect. My obsession with Sera Cahoone was beginning to fade and I hadn’t really given Grand Archives the attention they deserved. But witnessing both bands put on an amazing show rejuvenated my interest in their music.

I’m seeing Sera again at the end of this month (unfortunately, Grand Archives have been replaced by Fruit Bats). If it’s even half as good as the first time, we are all in for a real treat!

According to iTunes, my 10 most played songs of 2008 come from only two albums: Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight and Sera Cahoone’s Only As the Day Is Long. Which probably explains how these two albums found themselves at the top of my Top 10 Albums of 2008 list. But my most played tracks in iTunes are not my Top 10 Songs of 2008 for a couple reasons. First, it would be a little boring. Second, I would probably run into legal issues if I posted half the songs from those two albums.

With that said, I present my actual list below. The songs are ordered in a way that I think flows best. A zip file containing all 10 tracks is provided below for your convenience. Enjoy!

I begin my coverage of the best music of 2008 by resurrecting an idea from two years ago. It’s called the “New to Me” list and it has nothing to do with music released in 2008. Instead, it gathers a few excellent bands that I discovered this year, even though they have been around much, much longer. You might also call it the “I’m Embarrassed to Admit It Took Me So Long to Discover These Bands” list.

JOSH RITTER

Last time I talked about Josh Ritter, I got a little carried away. I went on a mini rant about how Ritter, as a singer-songwriter, gets very little love from certain critics. Since writing that post, I’ve come to terms with the fact that not everyone will like the same music as me.

Despite a few lukewarm critical reviews, I really like Josh Ritter. Over the course of 5 albums, he’s changed his sound quite a bit. On Golden Age of Radio, my favorite Ritter album, he sounds like a twangy Dylan. On Hello Starling, he sounds like a folk troubadour. And on Animal Years, he sounds like an apocalyptic indie rocker.

Regardless of his sound, Ritter has maintained his knack for writing simple, affecting songs. To understand what I’m talking about, just listen to “Here At the Right Time,” the closing track on The Animal Years. It doesn’t get much better.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

It’s crazy to think about how a simple action or decision can have huge consequences. At the trivial end of the spectrum, there’s the decision about which song to first listen to when you discover a new band. If you choose the wrong one, you might never listen to that band again.

That’s almost what happened to the Drive-By Truckers. A few year ago, after reading some glowing reviews, I decided to give the Truckers a try. I think I listened to “Puttin’ People On the Moon.” The song’s odd pacing and hostile tone turned me off big time. I probably stopped the track halfway through, shelving the band after hearing only two minutes of their music.

Earlier this year, the Truckers released Brighter Than Creation’s Dark and again I read some pretty good reviews. I decided to give the band one last shot. This time, however, I listened to “Goddamn Lonely Love.” What a difference a song makes: it’s way more mellow than “Puttin’ People On the Moon.” If you’re a fan of sad bastard music like I am, you will absolutely love it. After a while, you might even warm up to “Puttin’ People On the Moon” (as I have).

CARISSA’S WIERD

Why is it nearly impossible to track down anything released by Carissa’s Wierd? I’d really appreciate it if someone could answer this question for me. I’ve only been able to track down Songs About Leaving, which isn’t even their best album. The rest I had to download “illegally.”

I put the word illegally in quotes because I seriously doubt I’m breaking any laws by downloading an album that is out of print (and therefore can’t be purchased legally). Please correct me if I’m wrong. Anyways, after a little searching, I found a blog where you can download the band’s entire catalog (here).

And while I love free music, I wish I at least had the option to purchase their albums. Carissa’s Wierd wrote some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard (though sometimes their song titles can get a little out of hand — see below for proof). Unfortunately, the band split up in 2003 after releasing only 3 albums. I guess they wanted to end on a high note.

Update (11/30/2011): the band has recorded two new songs “Tucson” and “Meredith & Iris.” In addition, their entire catalog is now available for purchase here or through your favorite digital retailer. Please consider legally purchasing their music if you like what you hear!