albums and things

(Joshua Masayoshi Huff)

2008 is nearly 1/3 over, and there are a few albums that immediately stick out in my mind as my favorites

---

Quiet Village "Silent Movie"



Quiet Village is a British duo who mix calypso and jazz beats with samples from movies. My favorite song on the "Silent Movie" is "Can't Be Beat", followed closely by "Pillow Talk"

an mp3 of "Circus of Horror" can also be found here

-----
Cut Copy "In Ghost Colours"



Cut Copy follow-up their seminal album "Bright Like Neon Love" with the clubbier, housier "In Ghost Colours"

-----
Vampire Weekend "Vampire Weekend"

Yeah, I know everyone and their mom (and everyone who loves Paul Simon's "Graceland") already love this album. That doesn't mean that it isn't worthy of a mention here.

I really enjoy Walcott (and pretend it's about Arsenal's Theo Walcott), and you can't go wrong with their huge single from last year, "Mansard Roof" (loving the "Weekend Update" montage at the beginning of the video, by the way)

-----
M83 " Saturdays=Youth"



Yeah, they're never going to top "Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts" (and probably no electronic post-rock album ever will), but "Saturdays=Youth" is leaps and bounds better than "Before the Dawn Heals Us"

----
The Helio Sequence "Keep Your Eyes Ahead"



Much moodier than their last effort, "Love and Distance", the band finally expands their sonic palette--"Keep Your Eyes Ahead" is a full realization of the duo's talent.

-----

Radiohead "In Rainbows"

I know it was released online for whatever price you chose last October, but it was released in brick-and-mortar shops on New Years Day this year. And, looking at this beautiful live video of "Bangers and Mash" while also recalling the greatness of songs like "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and "Bodysnatchers" (live video here), it'd be criminal to not put "In Rainbows" here.


----

My favorite two singles this year are quite obvious:

Janet Jackson's "Rock With You"


as well as Estelle (ft. Kanye West) "American Boy"



(which is also a big favorite of bsto's)


----

my best old find this year?

Al B. Sure!'s "Nite and Day"






----
The Cool Kids' record "The Bake Sale" promises to be a real banger as well.


Cheers!