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.

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,” which can be downloaded for free at the band’s website here. 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).

[mp3] Drive-By Truckers :: Goddamn Lonely Love

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.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Here At the Right Time

CARISSA’S WEIRD

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.

[mp3] Carissa’s Wierd :: Ignorant Piece of Shit

I’m a total sucker for epic (7+ minute) album closers. Actually, you might even say I’m a sucker for epic songs in general. Not, however, extended “stoner” jam sessions where every instrument under the sun gets its own two-minute solo. You know what I’m talking about.

There’s definitely a fine line: some songs need more time to evolve and expand while others just sound bloated and self-indulgent. Songs that fall into the former category include “Cortez the Killer” by Neil Young, “The Trapeze Swinger” by Iron & Wine, “Duk Koo Kim” by Sun Kil Moon, “Mogwai Fear Satan” by Mogwai (obviously), “Oh Comely” by Neutral Milk Hotel, “Desolation Row” by Bob Dylan, and, why not, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. Just to name a few.

So how do you make an epic song even better? Put it at the end of an album. For example: My Morning Jacket’s “Strangulation!” and “Dondante,” Built to Spill’s “Broken Chairs,” and Gillian Welch’s “I Dream a Highway.”

You can add “All of My Trains” by Robert Francis to this list. Like Deer Tick, Francis is an insanely-talented young singer-songwriter (albeit with slightly less buzz). Hailing from Los Angeles, he sounds nothing like his surroundings. Actually, he doesn’t even sound like he’s from this century.

His music exudes both innocence and angst, hope and despair. His debut One By One is an earnest, introspective, timeless folk record that will undoubtedly be cherished by those lucky enough to stumble upon it.

[mp3] Robert Francis :: All of My Trains

Are we in the midst of a singer-songwriter revival? Knee-jerk reaction tells me it’s not possible: a pervasive hatred of the genre has always existed among certain circles of critics. Never mind the fact that both singing and songwriting are inextricably connected to performing and recording, well, music.

So then why all the hatred? I think it has something to do with the format of the genre itself. To be considered a singer-songwriter you need: (1) a guitar and (2) a decent voice. Unfortunately, simplicity often (and erroneously) equates to stagnation. In circles of critics obsessed with finding the next genre-bending flavor of the month, genuinely good yet straight-forward music gets kicked to the curb. Honestly, when was the last time you listened to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah?

It’s interesting to note the large number of popular indie artists that could be labeled singer-songwriter but aren’t. Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, The Mountain Goats, Cat Power. There’s almost a stigma associated with the genre.

Which brings me to my true problem. Because of this critical marginalization, I am only now starting to appreciate the music of Josh Ritter, the quintessential “singer-songwriter.” Hailing from Idaho, Ritter’s style reflects his mountainous surroundings. From hushed acoustic ballads to rollicking barnstormers, he embodies both dark, secluded ravines and vast, wind-swept praires.

The four tracks posted below sample several albums. “Wings” is a haunting lament; “Idaho” a gorgeous a capella hymn; “The Temptation of Adam” an apocalyptic love story; and “Still Beating” a bittersweet tribute to rejection (Happy VD everybody!).

If we are in the midst of a singer-songwriter revival, Josh Ritter is without a doubt the standard-bearer.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Wings
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Idaho
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: The Temptation of Adam
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Still Beating

Not included in the list above are the incredible “Girl In the War,” the epic “Thin Blue Flame,” and the gorgeous “Baby That’s Not All.” The reason for this is simple: I’ve already posted these songs on my site here and here.

Some of you may have noticed that the top banner of my site changed a few days ago. I figured it was time for something new and exciting. Let me know your thoughts!

As I mentioned on my previous post, I’ve been inundated lately with tons of good music. So much so that I’m quickly falling behind. I can take one of two corrective actions: either post everything I’ve been listening to, OR, be a little more selective. I’ve chosen the latter (mainly because I don’t have the time to post more than once a week).

Which hopefully means you get the cream of the crop. And this week’s crop features a couple of songs from two artists that haven’t gotten much coverage on my blog.

The first is a track by The Wrens called “Thirteen Grand.” A sad lament set to a catchy guitar riff, the song features the band at its softest, and coincidentally, its best. Check out The Meadowlands if you like what you hear.

The second song is “Baby That’s Not All” off Hello Starling by Josh Ritter. It’s a pretty little lullaby from an equally gorgeous album. Many thanks to my brother Andy who recommended this excellent track to me. Hey hermano!

[mp3] The Wrens :: Thirteen Grand
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Baby That’s Not All

One of the reasons I love eMusic is that I can always count on them having those rare compilation discs put out by my favorite indie labels. Which is great for two reasons: (1) I don’t have to track them down in the stores and (2) I don’t have to spend big bucks on the one or two tracks I actually want.

With that said, there’s not much more I can say about the tracks posted below. Recorded by two of my favorite artists, both songs can only be found on the Kill Rock Stars compilation The Sound the Hare Heard.

Keep your eye on Devin Davis and Jeff Hanson as they are both looking to release new albums sometime soon (I cannot be more specific because they refuse to be more specific). Hopefully the songs below will make the wait more tolerable, or if you’ve never heard of these artists, will serve as a proper introduction.

[mp3] Devin Davis :: When the Angels Lift Our Eyelids In the Morning
[mp3] Jeff Hanson :: Daylight

If anyone out there still actually reads my blog, I’d be amazed. Thank you for your support through these dire times.

In an incredibly misguided attempt to make up for the lack of activity, I’ve decided to post a slew of mp3’s that’ve been in heavy rotation as of late.

Here’s an catchy little song from a band that reminds me a lot of The Strokes when they were actually good. Check out their EP A Lesson In Crime if you like what you hear.

[mp3] Tokyo Police Club :: Be Good

The following track closes out Of Montreal’s most recent LP Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, which even in the age of iTunes and digital downloads, is a remarkably cohesive and engrossing album.

[mp3] Of Montreal :: We Were Born the Mutants Again With Leafing

Fans of Menomena will enjoy this radically different version of “Wet and Rusting.” It may even convert those of you who have yet to recognize the brilliance of this band.

[mp3] Menomena :: Wet and Rusting [live]

I was looking forward to Andrew Bird’s new album Armchair Apocrypha ever since the beginning of 2007. Despite being slightly disappointed thus far (which is only because The Mysterious Production of Eggs was so damn good), I absolutely love the gorgeous track posted below.

[mp3] Andrew Bird :: Cataracts

“You’ve got your reasons / And me I’ve got mine / But all the reasons I gave / Were just lies to buy myself some time.” Enough said.

[mp3] Arcade Fire :: Ocean of Noise

The closing track on Dr. Dog’s We All Belong sounds unlike anything else on the album. Make sure to also check out the two mp3’s posted on their site here before buying.

[mp3] Dr. Dog :: I Hope There’s Love

This one isn’t so new as it is amazing. If you have yet to discover Jeff Hanson, use the following track as a starting point. Then check out previous posts (here and here) for more of his tunes (and yes, that’s a guy singing).

[mp3] Jeff Hanson :: Somedays and Sundays

Happy President’s Day everybody! This week I’ve decided to round up a few excellent tracks that can be found free on the web. America is, after all, the Land of the Free.

Swan Lake

Swan Lake is yet another side project of Spencer Krug, lead singer of Wolf Parade. The band also features Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes. On paper, this sounds like an excellent combination, and for the most part it is, but I find the tracks featuring Carey Mercer’s vocals almost unlistenable. The same cannot be said for the song “All Fires,” which came dangerously close to making my Top 10 Songs of 2006 podcast (and in all reality probably should’ve). With lyrical gems like “… five hundred pieces means five hundred float, one thousand people means five hundred don’t …” it’s easy to see why this is such an incredible song.

[mp3] Swan Lake :: All Fires

Josh Ritter

Towards the end of 2006, I began focusing less on the rating cokemachine or pitchfork gave an album and more on the actual music. While those sites provide excellent guidance, I will undoubtedly enjoy music they hate and despise music they like. Before coming to this realization, I thought there was something wrong with me for not liking a critically-acclaimed album/group (like Deerhoof for instance). With age comes wisdom, and after moving one step closer to “old man” status this weekend, I’ve learned to just listen to the music. In spite of what the critics write, I like Josh Ritter and think you may too.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Girl In the War
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Thin Blue Flame

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Apparently when it rains it pours, and recently I’ve been inundated by tons of quality music. After a year or so of wondering, I finally started listening to (and falling in love with) The Walkmen. Then I’m hit hard by Menomena. And as if all that wasn’t enough, I stumble upon Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, a sunny little pop band from Portland, Oregon Springfield, Missouri (thanks for the correction Josh, I was way off!). Their debut album Broom is the kind of record that can be played when or wherever. I find myself listening to them whenever I want a break from all things complicated, whatever that means.

[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin :: House Fire
[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin :: Gwyneth

As the end of yet another year approaches, every music blog and magazine on the planet will rank the best albums and songs of the past year. Will Mike Went West, a blog that prides itself on being different, join the masses?

Hell yes I will. Who would pass up the opportunity to distill all of the year’s music into an intensely-biased list of 10 or so top albums? Clearly not me. But seeing as how the year hasn’t come to a close yet, my list of the top 10 albums of 2006 and my podcast of the top 10 songs of 2006 probably won’t be out until mid-January.

So then why am I even mentioning all of this? Simple: I’ve got some other lists I want to post first. So sit back and enjoy the best albums of 2005 that I didn’t listen to or fully appreciate until 2006.

Jeff Hanson – Jeff Hanson

Yes I know, Jeff Hanson sounds like a girl. If you’ve listened to my second mix tape, you know what I’m taking about. Once you get past that, however, you’ll soon realize he writes some beautiful, catchy songs. He draws lots of comparisons to Elliott Smith for good reason: his melodies and arrangements are immediately catchy, while the lyrics are full of heartache and longing. The track posted below is one of the most upbeat songs on the album.

[mp3] Jeff Hanson :: This Time It Will

Devin Davis – Lonely People of the World, Unite!

I’ve been listening to Devin Davis a lot recently. I downloaded his album a long time ago but never really listened to it. Thanks to my recent laptop upgrade with a harddrive large enough to hold all my mp3’s, I can listen to any song I want with the push of a button. All those artists that got buried in my iPod have been unearthed. Devin Davis is one of them. His music spans many genres, as the two excellent songs posted below demostrate.

[mp3] Devin Davis :: Iron Woman
[mp3] Devin Davis :: Deserted Eyeland

Magnolia Electric Co – What Comes After the Blues

Talk about a grower. I purchased this album in 2005, gave it a few listens, and quickly cast it aside when I didn’t take to it immediately. The problem with What Comes After the Blues is that it is very much an album; tracks distinguish themselves only after you’ve listened to them many times. Now that I’ve given it the proper attention, I love it. I think bleak perfectly describes the mood.

[mp3] Magnolia Electric Co :: Hard to Love a Man

The Joe Beat Experiment – Indie Rock Blues

I initially thought of indie rock as the anti-hip hop: the two genres had nothing in common. Lyrically, that may be true, but recently several indie rock bands have incorporated hip hop elements into their music (listen to “Where There’s a Will There’s a Whalebone” by Islands). And then there’s people who turn indie rock into hip hop. Joe Beats is one of those guys. Indie Rock Blues takes tracks from bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and Songs: Ohia and transforms them into one long indie-rock wet-dream remix.

[mp3] The Joe Beats Experiment :: I (Andrew Bird cover)

Tapes ‘n Tapes – The Loon

I thought it kinda funny that Tapes ‘n Tapes made so many best of lists in 2005 given that The Loon was released so close to the end of the year. I didn’t pick up my copy until April 2006, but thanks to the blogs I’d already heard most of the songs. Despite this, I was still surprised by the quality of the album. It may be typical indie rock, but like Wolf Parade, it is extremely powerful and catchy (see Mix Tape 3 for evidence). The track posted below is the mellow song on the album.

[mp3] Tapes ‘n Tapes :: Omaha

Do you have any albums from 2005 that you’ve only discovered in 2006? Leave a comment and let me know. It may be new to me as well!