I haven’t kept up with current music.
Yet, there are times when I get dragged along. Sometimes the hype is just too big, too many hip kids ranting, blog posts everywhere and I find myself sneaking around the Internet.
Often times the bands are entertaining, nothing special. Yet there are those odd moments where I just can’t understand why. And from that comes this list.
7) M83
Comparing M83 with My Bloody Valentine would be a stretch. Admittedly, there’s a certain charm to each of M83’s songs. Yet it’s too structured for it’s own good. They seem to be on the verge of something big, but as of now, are more concerned with hip music videos.
6) Los Campesinos!
Xylophones. Sigh.
5) Foals
Calculated riffs and dance-y drums sound like a great combination. But when you only have three predictable melodies in every song, it’s not cool. Foals sound as bad as Minus the Bear, plus even more hype. Why indie kids constantly need to mix dance drums with everything, I may never grasp.
4) Fuck Buttons
The build-up is always good for songs. It keeps listeners on their toes, waiting for that peak. With Fuck Buttons, it’s all about the build-up: simple beat pulsing plus chord changes on synth every few measures. Wow. The climax? Distorted vocals. Extreme.
3) Lil Wayne
Same fast-cymbal-steady-kick beat, rappin’ about them gangsta streets. When he posture he look wack. When he rap he sound wack. When he sing he sound T-Pain. But yo, when someone from your crew can do this (2:44 to 2:48), then you know Lil Wayne’s fo real, fo sho. Word.
2) Vampire Weekend
There’s nothing wrong with a blunt pop song. In the time of music being weird for weirdness sake, this sounds refreshing. High-pitch vocals? Sure, why not? High-pitch guitar? Okay, that’s fine. High-pitch keyboards? Alright, is this going anywhere?
1) Kanye West
Kanye is the illest ever cause he loops my favorite songs into his beats. They are what make the tracks phat. He’s got a new album too, check it out dawgz, its all fresh tracks, none of that Akon chitlins. I like him cause he’s a diverse rapper: rappin’ about “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” and the “Good Life.” Also, he has good fashion sense, such as the Kanye shades
Honorable Mention:
Radiohead — In Rainbows
Yes, this was released in 2007, not 2008. But damn was everyone talking about this. Thom thinks he’s weirder than he really is. My ears have given all I can, it’s not enough. All the songs still sound the same, literally. If someone knows what I’m talking about, please reach out.
Stuff Heard In 2008 That I Enjoyed:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Yes, release the bats.
Portishead
Expected, yet still so good.
Bon Iver
Painful and emotional, with flannel.
TV On The Radio
Great Pop.