tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586569304138508107.post2107591226734412256..comments2013-05-17T01:19:59.254-04:00Comments on Tuesday's On The Phone: Luke's Best of 2008Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252846394382255998noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586569304138508107.post-71846618272093807032009-07-02T18:44:09.878-04:002009-07-02T18:44:09.878-04:00Guy Garvey does sound like Peter Gabriel... spot o...Guy Garvey does sound like Peter Gabriel... spot on there!<br /><br />Very glad to hear you're enjoying what I've given you thus far. I look forward to many more music swaps in the future and I'll give you my results after a few more listens to your cd, though I've heard much of it at your house already and most of it is excellent (gotta love the japandroids).Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14252846394382255998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586569304138508107.post-58571425320624303932009-07-01T10:55:49.408-04:002009-07-01T10:55:49.408-04:00Luke - I am happy to see a little convergence in o...Luke - I am happy to see a little convergence in our lists this year, but I also think its great that we don't have the exact same lists. Allows us to still pick up stuff from one another.<br /><br />That being said, I have been doing some listening to a number of the items on your list, and the early results are in...<br /><br />Elbow: As you note, it is apparent that this album is meticulously put together. In my mind, a little less natural, and a little more calculated. Now this is not necessarily a negative. In fact, some bands have built historic careers on being painstakingly calculated in everything they release (see: Radiohead, Talking Heads, the Beach Boys). I think the extra effort pays dividends here, as well. I am currently quite fond of "Grounds for Divorce" - which is actually quite ruckus compared to much of the rest of the album. Garvey's voice is great too...but am I wrong to think he sounds like a mix between Peter Gabriel and Damon Albarn? Once again, that's not a criticism. Overall, seems like a night time album to me.<br /><br />Helio Sequence: I have been enjoying this album a fair amount, as well. Pretty straight-forward indie (pop) rock stuff here (which is what we've come to expect from Sub-Pop). It is really interesting to me how much this one moves about. Sonically speaking, some of this is folk (in the vein of Dylan or Springsteen - see: "Broken Afternoon"), some of this is almost arena rock (U2 wishes they could still write songs like "Hallelujah"), and some of it is much more "indie" ("Can't Say No" and the title track sound like Rogue Wave songs to me). Luckily, I am cool with all of that. This is really great stuff.<br /><br />Field Music: Now, I still have not checked out the side projects listed on your 2008 list, but I have checked out the second Field Music album (Tones of Town). If you had told me that these guys basically sound like the Kinks on steroids with CSN vocals, I would have jumped on board a long time ago. The production on this record is really quite impressive, as well. It is clear that these guys are pretty heavily influenced by the Beatles, as well. Which probably explains your undying love for them (and everything else they do). I also think some of this reminds me of the Shins.<br /><br />I am still going through this stuff, as well as some of the other items on your list, but I am glad to have checked some of this out. I think for some reason, I always think any band you like is going to sound really spacey/ambient, but that really is not what I have gotten from these albums (albeit, most of your list is pretty focused on the other side of the pond). Overall, good stuff.Jamesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08945012752863713932noreply@blogger.com