Joaquin Phoenix is stealing my look!

I've never been mistaken for Joquin Phoenix before, but now I foresee a lot of unfortunate run-ins with confused paparazzi and superfans. Also could've titled this post, "The Day I Took a lot of Drugs and Was a Guest on Letterman".

My Double Mix CD for 08 (overdue)

A friend posted his mix cd for 08. Here's mine. It's two discs and is separated by the age of the artists. Read the liner notes to figure out why. Let me know if you want a copy.

SONGS I LIKED IN 2008

Disc 1 “Young Folks”

This is just stuff I got in 08. Songs that were actually released in 08 are marked with a *

1. Mates Of State “Get Better” Re-Arrange Us *

The best song on this record.

2. Battles “Race: In” Mirrored

This seems to fit, since this year Jill and I went through the whole X-Files catalog.

This should’ve been the theme song for the X-Files movie that came out this year.

3. Sun Kil Moon “Somewhere (ver.2)” Ghosts o/t Great Hwy bonus disc

I had to sight-sing the original show-tunes version of this song for a voice class I took at the JC. I liked getting the deluxe edition

of Ghosts of the Great Highway way more than getting there new record this year. Nothing from the new one made this list.

4. Fleet Foxes “Ragged Wood” Fleet Foxes *

Chrissy bugged me about this enough to buy it and I was glad I did. This song shows how every song on this record is like three

songs in one. The electric guitar work on this sounds like KC Wescott’s work on his old band Unwed Sailor.

5. The Elected “Did me Good” Sun, Sun, Sun

I hate this guy. And I hate his other band Rilo Kiley. And I hate both of The Elected’s albums, but there is one song on each of

them that have become favorites for Jill and me.

6. Vampire Weekend “Campus” Vampire Weekend *

Matt convinced me to get this record. He knew about them before anyone! This song makes me think of my college experience and the chorus sounds like a Smiths song to me.

7. New Pornographers “Go Places (Lite Mix)” Deluxe Edition B-sides *

This record came out last year, but they made the bonus material downloadable to superfans like me who bought the “Executive Edition” this year. I like this alternate mix better than the original.

8. The National “Santaclara” The Virginia EP *

The movie that came with this sucked. And they made the packaging too big to fit in my CD wall.

Good thing the too-big-to-be-called-an-EP suffices as a new album.

9. Damien Jurado “As You Wish” Gathered in Song EP bonus track

This Re-issue came out in 06 but I got it this year. This might be the only record that would show up in many of my friends’ top ten lists collectively. The bonus songs are well worth repurchasing the album for, as this demo from the Waters Ave S. era proves.

10. Birds&Batteries “I’ll Never Sleep Again” I’ll Never Sleep Again *

This is a local band we’ve done stuff with. I like this song. I also reviewed this album for thebaybridged.com.

11. Mates of State “The Re-Arranger” Re-Arrange Us *

This song seems to come back around too many times. That’s my gripe.

12. Rivers Cuomo “Can’t Stop Partying” Alone Vol. 2 *

This is the only track on both discs where I don’t have the physical album. Just iTunesed it. It’s a re-working of some rap song and I love the sad tone mixed with the bling bling lyrics. I’m personally embarrassed and ashamed of the Weezer record from 08. This song is a small consolation.

13. Damien Jurado “Sheets” Caught in the Trees *

Maybe my vote for best record of 08. This song is supposed to be autobiographical and is super sad to me.

14. The National “About Today (live)” The Virginia EP *

Love the dialogue, “Hey, are you awake? / Yeah I'm right here. / Well can I ask you about today?” seems ultra real.

15. My Morning Jacket “Off The Record” Z

Heard this on tour this summer. Hate this band, but love the songs on this record.

16. Kathleen Edwards “Goodnight, California” Asking for Flowers *

Her record came out this year, so I had to put a song from it on here.

17. Battles “SZ2” Ep C / B Ep import[Disc 1]

This is a repressing of both their EPs on one release. This might be their best song period.

Disc 2 “Old Folks”

This is just stuff I got in 08. Nothing on this disc was released in 08. I ran out of room and needed to make a second disc, so I separated the artists by age.

1. James Taylor “She Thinks I Still Care” Live

I love the humor and the story in this George Jones song. My parents loved to play this record at home.

2. Talking Heads “Heaven” Best of

Both of these next two songs were showed to me by Peter. Both changed my paradigm considerably. This one a little musically, but it has implications into my theological growth this yea. The next song changed me in terms of recognizing my identity as a guitarist.

3. Tom Waits “Clap Hands” Rain Dogs

4. Robert Plant and Alison Kraus “Killing the Blues” Raising Sand

Bought the record because this song was on a Marshall’s or Ross add or something. Good trip music.

5. Jimi Hendrix “Hey Joe” Experience Hendrix

You gotta have a Jimi Best Of CD I guess.

6. Cream “Politician” Best of

Bought this for my guitar class for the obvious hits, but fell in love with the mathy time signatures of this song.

7. U2 “Things to Make and Do” Boy Deluxe Edition Disc 2

Ur is often overlooked as being part of the “Original Punk” movement, but they really were. Boy and this song prove it.

8. Elvis Costello “(I Don’t Want to go to) Chelsea” Best of

I love how the verse and chorus are basically the same melody except for like one note, but I can’t figure it.

9. Talking Heads “This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)” Best of

Fell in love with this / was entranced by this when Bob Boilen used only the intro to illustrate what he loved about the 80s and how this sort of thing used synths and guitar and slick production, but was still smart and creative..

10. U2 “Race Against Time” Joshua Tree Deluxe Edition Disc 2

Maybe U2 should’ve been an instrumental band.