We’re kicking the holiday week off with a charming secondhand Sunday with Sufjan Stevens! One of my favorite Christmas albums is Songs for Christmas, as it captures the holiday spirit without being cheesy or too off beat. Sufjan can make anything sound good, can’t he? Today’s video is for “Put the Lights on the Tree,” with a little cartoon band and Sufjan in tow. You got to love it. Also check out our Mixmas mix below! There’s more Sufjan there for you!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Its been a big 2008 for Modern Mystery. We’ve meet some really amazing bands, seen some incredible shows, and made a lot of great friends. We know 2009 will bring even more and we’re very excited!
We have compiled our list of our Top 50 Albums of 2008. Though this was by no means easy, we think we’ve included our all of certain favorites of the year. Below our list you’ll see a few more Top Lists of 2008, so check that out as well. Hope you like our Top 50 Albums as much as we do!
1. of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
2. Morning Benders- Talking Through Tin Cans
3. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin-Pershing
4. Miniature Tigers- Tell it to the Volcano
5. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- Cardinalogy
6. Sloan- Parallel Play
7. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
8. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band- Self Titled
9. The Spinto Band- Moonwink
10. Okkervil River- The Stand Ins
11. Chairlift- Does You Inspire You?
12. We Are Scientists- Brain Thrust Mastery
13. Tokyo Police Club- Elephant Shell
14. Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
15. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s- Animal and Not Animal
16. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Real Emotional Trash
17. The French Kicks- Swimming
18. The Stills- Oceans Will Rise
19. The Walkmen- You and Me
20. Vampire Weekend- Self Titled
21. Wyldlife- Self Titled
22. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
23. Annuals- Such Fun
24. Ratatat- Lp3
25. The Headlights- Some Racing, Some Stopping
26. Department of Eagles- In Ear Park
27. Dr. Dog- Fate
28. Born Ruffians- Red Yellow and Blue
29. Los Campesinos- Hold On Now, Youngster
30. The Little Ones- Morning Tide
31. Mason Proper- Olly Oxen Free
32. She & Him- Volume 1
33. Albert Hammond Jr.- Como te Llama?
34. Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs
35. Joan of Arc- Boo Human
36. Deerhoof- Offend Maggie
37. Sam Roberts Band- Love at the End of the World
38. Fleet Foxes- Self Titled
39. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
40. Atlas Sound- Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
41. Kings of Leon- Only By the Night
42. M83- Saturdays= Youth
43. Helio Sequence- Keep Your Eyes Ahead
44. Man Man- Rabbit Habits
45. Flight of the Conchords- Self Titled
46. Cold War Kids- Loyalty to Loyalty
47. The Mae Shi- Hlllyh
48. Secret Machines- Selt Titled
49. Santogold- Self Titled
50. Tim Fite- Fair Ain’t Fair
BEST EP OF 2008:
Matt Pond PA- The Freeep
BEST REISSUE OF 2008-
Pavement- Brighten The Corners- Nicence Creedence Edition
BEST LIVE SHOW OF 2008:
Of Montreal at Roseland, NYC. Kevin Barnes on a live white horse? Try to beat that!
TOP 5 NEW BANDS OF 2008:
1. The Morning Benders
2. Miniature Tigers
3. Chairlift
4. MGMT
5. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Finally here it is. Modern Mystery’s Top 25 Songs of the Year! Yes this was super hard to compile, and yes we left some stuff out, but here is what we consider our personal Top 25. Our Number 1 Spot truly deserves it.
Tomorrow we reveal our Top Records. Oh what fun!
1. Miniature Tigers- Last Night’s Fake Blood
2. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin- Heers
3. Morning Benders- Damnit Anna
4. Chairlift-Bruises
5. MGMT- Kids
6. Matt Pond PA- First Light
7. Of Montreal- For Our Elegant Caste
8. Casper and the Cookies- Little King
9. Sloan- Cheap Champagne
10. Ryan Adams-Fix It
11. Conor Oberst- Souled Out!!!
12. Sam Roberts Band- Them Kids
13. Okkervil River- Lost Coastlines
14. Vampire Weekend- Oxford Comma
15. Spinto Band-Summer Grof
16. Franz Ferdinand- Ulysees
17. We Are Scientists- Impatience
18. Mason Proper-Lock and Key
19. Ra Ra Riot- Dying is Fine20. Toyko Police Club- Graves
21. She & Him- Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
22. Hollerado-Americanarama
23. Annuals- Confessor
24. Santogold/NERD/Julian Casablancas- My Drivethru
25. Mae Shi- Run to Your Grave
Another edition of a Modern Mystery Holiday Party you say? Why yes! Today we have with us, and this is certainly an honor, Brad Pemberton, drummer for Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. Brad has been a busy guy this year with The Cardinals. The band released ‘Cardinology’ this fall with a tour immediately following. We can’t wait to see more of Brad and the Cardinals in 2009! Its going to be a huge year for them. I can feel it.
Brad Pemberton’s Top 10 Albums of 2008
1. Bob Mould-District Line
2. The Pretenders-Break Up The Concrete
3. The Clash-Live At Shea Stadium
4. Metallica-Death Magnetic
5 . The Cardinals-Cardinology (self-serving, I know, don’t care!)
6. Kings Of Leon-Only By The Night
7. Oasis-Dig Out Your Soul
8. Santogold-Santogold
9. The Raconteurs -Consolers of The Lonely
10. REM- Accelerate
11. Jesse Baylin-Firesight (Honorable Mention)
12. She and Him -Vol.1 (Honorable Mention)
Best Thing That Happened To Me This Year
My family is safe and healthy, as is my band, and we have a new president…what more could you ask for?
Welcome to another round of a Modern Mystery Holiday Party! Today we have Jay Ferguson, guitarist and vocalist of indie pop Gods, Sloan.
Okay, I personally was super excited when Jay agreed to do this for us. Sloan is one of my all time favorite bands. I have seen them so many times, I’ve actually lost count. Their harmonies are to die for and their melodies are always extremely catchy.
I could lilterally go on for days talking about Sloan’s greatness. This year Sloan released Parallel Play which of course, was jam packed with their signature sound. They will sure be one of our Top 10 Records of the year on here (which will be up next week).
Jay was kind enough to share with us his Top 10 Songs of 2008 and more. Here’s to more Sloan in 2009!
My Top 10 Songs of 2008
1. Jay Arner (of International Falls) – Undiscovered Sun
2. Solange – I Decided (Part 1)
3. Phoenix – Twenty-One One Zero
4. Will Currie & The Country French – Honest People
5. The Bicycles – Once Was Not Enough
6. MGMT – Electric Feel
7. Brent Randall & His Pinecones – Snowdrops
8. Jay Reatard – Always Wanting More
9. Pony Da Look – Wishstick
10. Last Shadow Puppets – Standing Next To Me
Best Thing and Strangest Thing that happened to me this year are probably one and the same:
A dinner with Johnny Marr discussing a wide range of topics including Family Guy and Keith Richards’ moves. A toppermost gentleman.
Fave Holiday Memory:
Any snowball fight circa 1976-78.
Happy Holidays from Modern Mystery! Today we are starting what we like to call, ‘The Modern Mystery Holiday Party.’ We have questioned a few of our favorite indie bands about their Top Albums and Songs of 2008.
We also have them sharing with us their favorite Holiday memories and anything else they wanted to add. Who will appear on here in the next couple of weeks or so? Well, you’ll have to wait to find out, and we’re not even done with getting all of the results back.
We are honored to start off with Jon Eaton, guitarist of The Spinto Band. The band released their new record ‘Moonwink’ this year, and if you haven’t picked it up yet…well we think there is something wrong with you.
Jon Eaton’s Top 10 Records of the Year, (in no particular order.)
Q-Tip The Renaissance
And The Moneynotes- New Cornucopia
Dr. Dog- Fate
Silver Jews- Lookout Mountain Lookout Sea
Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line
The Breeders- Mountain Battles
Thao and The Get Down Stay Down- We Brave Bee Stings and All
Nick Freitas- Sun Down
Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
Man Man- Rabbit Habits
The Best Thing That Happened to Me This Year:
Meeting Jamie from Myth Busters . (You can watch the VIDEO of this hillarious event here)
Strangest Thing That Happened to Me This Year:
I actually was fortunate enough to celebrate the dawn of the new year in North Queensland Australia listening to a guy named Potsy talk about the best way to kill a wild pig. This was actually a great holiday memory as well… Everyone should spend at least one holiday in the tropics.
Stay Tuned Next Time to See Who Joins Us for Our ‘Holiday Party’….
Modern Mystery 