Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008 sounded like ...

Your guide to retro 2008. The unoriginality matrix. The rip-off ledger. “It happened last year ... and a few years before that, and a bunch of times in the 10 years prior, and then probably it happened for the first time about 12 years before that.”

All these titles will work just fine. None are truly fair, and indeed there’s a good deal of this music that I like. But the first rule of snobby criticism is that if there’s enough to like then there’s enough to not like. So ...


That 2008 “best of” band ...... basically sounds like ...... circa:
Crystal CastlesKraftwerk1981
Crystal StiltsVelvet Underground1968-69 (“quiet” period)
Jay ReatardBilly Childish 1991
Beach HouseMazzy Star1993
Lykke LiBjörk? (does she have a
less talented sister?)
1995
School of Seven BellsLush1990
TV on the RadioTV on the Radio2006
MetallicaMetallica1988
Guns N’ RosesGuns N’ Roses1991 + 25 TB of tinkering
Fleet FoxesMy Morning Jacket2003
Department of EaglesGrizzly Bear2004
SantogoldM.I.A.2005
The Ting TingsToni Basil with Devo1981
Vivian GirlsBeat Happening covering
My Bloody Valentine
1989
AC/DCAC/DC1980
Hercules and Love AffairPet Shop Boys1988-ish
The Hold SteadyShane MacGowan with
the E Street Band
1984
Girl TalkSoulwax2001
PortisheadPortishead1997


Contributions? Challenges?

Coming soon: My best-of list(s) for 2008.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

OK, I know you put the Portishead comment in there just to piss me off. They don't sound like "Portishead circa 1997." They sound like "Goth kids from 'South Park' abusing Pro Tools circa 2008."

Other than that, you have broken new ground with this post. It makes every year-end top-10 list look totally pointless.

Librarian Russ said...

Vampire Weekend = Paul Simon circa 1986

Librarian Russ said...

Well, a yelpier Paul Simon.

B. said...

Actually I've always found the "Vampire Weekend = Graceland" thing completely off. A little Afropop does not a Paul Simon rip-off make.

Librarian Russ said...

But listen to those bass lines! It's Graceland all over.

Librarian Russ said...

If I listen to Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and I Know What I Know back to back (which I just did), the only thing really that different between the two are some vocal mannerisms and production (Vampire Weekend's is much flatter and the arrangements are more minimal, Mr. Simon has hella loud reverby 80s drums, etc.)

Librarian Russ said...

Well, and the African backup singers.

Anonymous said...

Funny, I just heard that Vampire Weekend is flying in Ladysmith Black Mambazo next month to sing on their new record.




(Before everyone's heads explode, please note that I'm joking.)

Unknown said...

The first "Creator" single from the Santogold record, does, indeed sound like MIA. Beyond that, it's a pretty lazy comparison.

Erik Carter said...

MGMT = Bee Gees 1977