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.

• Josh Ritter – Here At the Right Time

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).

• Drive-By Truckers – Goddamn Lonely Love

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!

• Carissa’s Wierd – Ignorant Piece of Shit