Best Songs of 2008

I realize that yesterday I went to the trouble to explain the arduously long process of putting together the end of year “best of…” music without actually sharing my picks for 2008.  It wasn’t simply an oversight.  No, instead I saw the opportunity to turn one post into two!  So, yesterday was devoted to the background – the context – without which one wouldn’t have been able to actually appreciate the list for what it is…  brilliant.

For the sake of full disclosure, this list may not actually be best.  I shared that one of the things that made this year different was that Bobby and I collaborated on a disc.  We listen to quite a bit of music together and we felt that it wouldn’t quite be fair to each other to vie for the same songs.  The CD that we put together was by all accounts an elaborate process.  Venn diagrams were necessary.  Lots of give and take.  Some of my very favorites of the year went to our best instead of my best.  But in the end, it was the right thing to do.

Anyway, what you see below is my best.  Our best will more than likely be the subject of some future post.

You may want to check back here occasionally, as I will try to include the actual music and not just the track listing.

Bon Iver / Lump Sum – When I first heard a song by Bon Iver (re: stacks), I appreciated their unique sound. Who knew they would become the musical sensation of 2008? The whole album is great. They are great. This song is really great.

Greg Laswell / I’d Be Lying – Loved it from the very first listen. It had a certain quality about it though that I couldn’t explain, and Bobby suggested that it was something that would be a soundtrack to a tv show. And then we discovered that it was indeed used on some tv show that I still can’t remember the name of despite the fact that Bobby has told me fifteen times.  Won’t you let me match your stride, I can slow down if you want to, we can handle it side by side.

Wild Sweet Orange / Ten Dead Dogs – More like Wild Sweet Awesome.

Fredrik / Alina’s Place – Sigur Ros? No. Influenced by the same mysterious northern Arctic environment? Likely.

Motel Motel / Coffee – I like coffee. Holding on to things I cannot change.

Ray LaMontagne / I Still Care for You – I might have a man crush on Mr. LaMontagne.

Fields / Skulls and Flesh and More – This one is just filling some space.

The Avett Brothers / St. Joseph’s – These guys were on heavy rotation at the house. Thanks to Sam and Afton (their biggest fans) for turning me on to them. It’s not where I am, it’s who I’m with.

Josh Garrels / Don’t Wait for Me – I don’t really like most Christian music. Either too shallow or too predictable… usually both. Josh is neither.

Sigur Ros / Flotavik – I don’t understand a thing they are saying…  still incredible.

Mates of State / You Are Free – A little 80’s synth goes a long way with me.

The Rosebuds / Life Like – This song with its driving beat and heavy reverb makes the mix so that I can maintain the facade that I’m a manly man.

Annuals / Down the Mountain – Best I can tell this song’s about skiing. Fun, huh? My mouth filled with blood. My collar bone caved in. Sounds like fun.

Two Hours Traffic / Stuck for the SummerI will let you sing my song, if you can relate. Let you get the lyrics wrong. They are not that great.

The Bell / On and On – I probably heard this song one hundred times last summer after our iPod was stolen and it was one of the songs on the TWO cd’s we had in the brown van. Affiliated with a soda drink. Sell out. Sell out. No time to think.

Anathallo / Cafetorium – This band made a bunch of “best of’s,” I think. They make good music. Their name is derived from the Greek and can be loosely translated “resurrection.” They are also from Chicago, but first from Michigan.

TV on the Radio / Family TreeWe’re hanging on the shadow of your family tree.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin / Some Constellation – I think some bands would find their time well spent thinking up a better name for themselves.

Rod Thomas / Debris – This is a pretty song. Depressing, but pretty.

William Fitzsimmons / I Don’t Feel It Anymore – I’ve tried really hard not to like his music. I heard it first about a year ago and thought, “whispery vocals? Sufjan has that covered. Big beard? Sam Beam’s is bigger. Lilting female vocalist duet? Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, check.” And yet… we’ll fall just like stars being hung by only string. This may be the best track on the entire mix.

Priscilla Ahn / Dream – She’s the woman singing on the previous song.

one disc to rule them all

Several years ago, Alison’s family proposed a Christmas CD exchange.  You remember CD’s.  They are those silver discs (shaped like DVD’s) that music was put on before the advent of the iPod and other portable media devices.  The Christmas CD idea was fairly simple.  Put together some music you like, make enough copies for the people in the family (typically just those possessing the Y chromosome participate), distribute, and enjoy.

As you can imagine, what had a humble enough beginning has taken on a life of its own.

Over the years, unspoken rules began to be codified.

Here’s an example…
No limits on how many songs from a particular artist.
It is frowned upon to use too many songs from one artist or band.
Your CD submission will be roundly mocked and subject to public scorn if there is more than one song per artist.

Here’s another…
Just use what you like regardless of when it was released.
Just use music that you came to appreciate in the previous year.
All songs must have been released during the calendar year or it becomes subject to immediate disqualification.

While on the subject of disqualification… every year, we make the disclaimer that it isn’t a competition.  And yet, given that the participants are all male… well, you understand.  Apparently, the goal has become to produce the coolest (and we all have an innate sense of what constitutes “cool”) music of the previous year. The more obscure the better. In fact, if it is possible that you are the only other person in the whole world who has heard of this artist, your score goes way up.

(Wait! This isn’t a competition!)

Add to all this a host of other issues:  There must be at least one rap song to give the disc any street cred.  The permissibility of cover songs is something of a gray area.  Careful consideration must be given to track arrangement.  And so on.

Also, the exchange has grown.  It started as an intramural affair with a mere four or so discs at first that needed to be produced.  Now, I easily make about twenty per year, which requires the use of the disc duplicator at my place of employment.  Special cases are purchased instead of paper sleeves.  An annotated track listing displaying depth and wit accompanies the CD.  I’m sure you get the idea.  I would like to be able to point the finger at someone else in the family that over-stepped their boundaries, but I fear that I bear a sizable portion of the blame for the monstrosity that this thing has become.

I think 2008 will officially be the year that broke the camel’s back.  Not only was all the above true, but the end result on my part was not one but three different CD’s. Technically, 2 and 1/2, because one CD was a joint venture with my comrade-in-arms.

I’m of the opinion that the whole idea needs to be re-thought.  Drastic measures need to be taken to return to a more innocent and pure expression of our appreciation of music.  No more multi-volume compilations.  No more combing the internet for that undiscovered band.  No more mass production of hundreds of CD’s that are eventually going to go the way of the landfill.  No more sizing up each others’ compilations by the familiarity or lack of familiarity with the music.

Who wants to join the revolution?

Yeah, me neither.

i should be ashamed

and i feel fine…

I am sorry to do this, but I am pretty much re-posting from yesterday.  The series on Jesus’ eschatology wrapped up today, and it is just that good.  One of the closing lines from part 5 made the whole series worth reading.

Before Jesus’ message is brought into our world, and he needs to be, Jesus has to be understood in his world.

I can’t tell you how strongly I feel about that statement.  The bottom line is that unless we are willing to do the hard work of understanding Jesus in his historical context, then all we end up doing is depicting Jesus according to the categories of our own cultural leanings – social-activist Jesus, fundy Jesus, academic Jesus, pietistic Jesus – whatever.  We can must do better than that.

So here are those links…  AGAIN!

The Future of Christian Eschatology:      1, 2, 3, 4, 5

It may be a bit dense, but it’s worth it.

conversations

Mia Riddle – Hurricane:

One of the things I most appreciate about blog reading is the various conversations that I get to listen in on.  Actually, there isn’t much of a conversation really.  Conversations tend to go both ways, while blogging by nature is a bit more one sided.  Unless of course one counts the commenting.  I should probably spend more time reading the comments, but sometimes I get put off by them.  I’ve seen comments that were longer than the original post, and if I hadn’t come dangerously close to being that guy, then my preference would be that those commenters be automatically banned.

I think what I am trying to say is that the blogs I read tend to contribute to the much larger conversations concerning various issues that either pertain directly or are tangentially related to theology.  Actually, all of life is connected more or less to one’s theology (another post for another time).  Two conversations taking place lately within my little brand of Christianity called ‘evangelicalism’ have centered on homosexuality and the nature of Scripture.  I’m sharing a bit of what I’ve been listening in on the past couple days.

For reasons that I don’t completely understand, homosexuality seems to be the defining issue for the church today.  Here’s one man’s very personal take on what’s at stake.  And here are some well thought out comments concerning that article and the issues it raises.

With respect to how one handles Scripture, there is so much that could be shared.  However, for the past couple days, I’ve been enjoying an outstanding treatment of apocalyptic material in the New Testament.

The Future of Christian Eschatology:      1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Speaking of “the end,” there has been a article written recently predicting the end of evangelicalism as we know it.  Here’s a measured response.

finding the goods

play…

Yesterday, I shared what must be the definitive word to date on how to “layer-up” for a day in the outdoors. However, I realized that I didn’t provide much guidance on where one might actually pick up said layers. So, here’s a look behind the curtain to see how Minimal Gear stays not so minimal.

Steepandcheap.com – Until recently, this “one-deal-at-time” site was my go to for picking up all things gear. They didn’t appreciate that I was buying their deeply discounted items by the tens of thousands of dollars and sharing it with my very broad network of friends through the magic of the world wide web. At any rate, still a great place to pick up stuff. They have an alert that you can download to let you know when a new “deal” is up. It was so popular that they have spun off several sister sites. Tramdock.com is devoted to ski gear. Chainlove.com is for mountain biking. Bonktown.com is for roadies. Brociety.com for snowboarders. And WhiskeyMilitia.com is for I don’t know what.

All these “one-deal-at-a-time” sites are owned by Backcountry.com, which is a fine e-tailer in its own right.  Backcountryoutlet.com is the place to pick up better deals.

However, my longtime favorite has been REI.com and their outlet site REI-outlet.com. While the online shopping experience is fine, nothing beats walking into the massive Denver store or the equally impressive flagship store in Seattle and seeing rack upon rack of over-priced merchandise.

Happy shopping!

layers

In a few days, I’ll be heading out west to enjoy Spring Break in the magical winter wonderland that is the Colorado Rockies. I’ve been spending some portion of time in the mountains nearly every winter for going on three decades. It is funny to see how the ski-scene has changed over time. Resorts have gradually (d)evolved from quaint mountain towns to something more akin to Disneyland. The change has also meant that all things skiing are more expensive… lift tickets, lodging, food, and most importantly… clothing.

I don’t actually remember having worn scotch-guarded jeans, but I’m certain that some point in my years of skiing that I did, and did so unashamedly. These days, it would be beyond unfathomable that I would don denim to spend a day on the slopes.  I know full well that the problem is with me, not the jeans. Nevertheless, over the years, gear-snobbery has gotten the best of me, and so now my clothing must have a water-proof breathable membrane in order to spend a sunny afternoon at my ski resort of choice.  Never you mind that the mountain is largely a manicured playground with scores of lodges, restaurants, and warming huts to find shelter.  That doesn’t keep me from wearing clothing that is more suited for Everest than Winter Park.

Ok, having recognized the ridiculousness of the outerwear obsession, I think there is a simple clothing guideline that can help to insure a comfortable day in the mountains.  It is called layers.  I live by a pretty strict “three layer rule.”  Rarely more or less.  I know that other people do it differently.  Alison is more like four layers.  Her mother is more like six.  But I’m convinced that any temperature and conditions can be met with the right three layers.

Layer 1 – THE BASELAYER – Fitted, but not restricting.  Comes in a variety of thicknesses.  Either in synthetic materials (every company has a different name for their polyester top, but in the end it is all polyester) or wool.  Synthetics move moisture quicker and dry out faster than wool.  Wool retains warmth even when wet and is less likely to hold stink.  I prefer wool.

Layer 2 – THE MIDLAYER – The bulk of your warmth comes from this layer.  In cool conditions, it might be a light fleece or sweater.  In bitter cold, a thicker fleece or even down jacket.

Layer 3 – THE SHELL – This is the one that typically blocks wind and water.  While Gore-tex remains the reigning champ, other materials are becoming more popular.  eVent is similar to Gore-tex (some say better) and is for the moment, slightly cheaper.  But it is softshells that are all the rage.  Less stiff and noisy.  More breathable.  And stretchy.  I wouldn’t take a softshell for a three month trek on the notoriously wet Appalachian trail, but honestly there is no danger of that happening anytime soon.  For the typical snow conditions found in the Rockies, most any jacket will do.

So that’s it…  the “three-layer-rule.”  N.B. The bottom half doesn’t need as much.  Two layers will typically do here.

But to answer the question, “does cotton really kill?”  Of course, the answer is “no.”  Not really.  However, cotton absorbs moisture easily (read “soaked with sweat and snow”) and wet translates into cold.  In Park City, not that big a deal.  On Denali, not a good idea.  For the average skiier, the only thing cotton kills is our sense of fashion.  While you may think blue jeans and a hoody from your alma mater is cool out on the slopes…  it’s not.

taxes

cue reading music…

This evening, I’ll be spending some time working on my taxes which will mean that this post will have to be brief.  I’m so very fortunate to have a CPA in the family who graciously handles all the forms, the figuring, and even the filing.  So for me, the whole process is relatively pain free.

That being said, I’m always a bit bewildered by the overwhelmingly complex nature of our tax code.  I don’t pretend to know anything about how it all works or even that it works.  I’ve heard of flat-rate proposals and they sound moderately appealing.  However, my plea for greater simplicity reminds me of a post I read recently.  I guess it is necessarily complex.

delight

A couple months ago, I gave a message on God as our Everlasting Father. I don’t think that I walk around trying to please a parent who could never be pleased with my best, and I think I shared something to that effect in the message.  I like to think that I have a relatively secure sense of my worth as a human being.  In fact, one of Alison’s long standing observations concerning me is that I don’t long for or seemingly need the approval of others to feel ok about myself.

Naturally, there are drawbacks to this sort of approach to life.  Because I don’t perceive approval of others as a need of my own, I’m often perplexed by others (pretty much the rest of humanity) who do.  Leading to a general sense of superiority that has resulted in the often mocked self-designation – the most well-adjusted person I know.  There are numerous other drawbacks, but we are starting to drift from the point of the post.  Leave it to say, I tend to see myself as having been minimally scarred by my family’s dysfunction.

And yet, I still can’t explain why it is that movies depicting relational dynamics between men (young or old) and their fathers (or father figures) have the effect they do on me.  In the service a couple months ago, a clip from In Good Company was used to underscore my point.  It could have just as easily been Lars and the Real Girl.  Or even the movie I saw for the first time tonight – August Rush. There isn’t even that much interaction between “August” and his father, but the little there was was enough.

There is a scene towards the end of the movie where unbeknownst to either of them, father and son meet for the very first time.  And when they do, it is to have an impromptu jam session playing guitars together in a park.  And what you notice in both of their faces is the sheer delight to share in each other’s love for and talent in music.  So much from the movie was powerful and moving, and yet what I’ll likely remember five years from now is that scene.

Which I think is bringing me closer to understanding (maybe) what it is I missed out on from my own father.  In the end, I don’t think what I’m looking for – or for that matter what anyone else is looking for – is approval in the sense of “you’ll do, you’re ok, you’re adequate.”  Rather it is that thing that August and his father experienced in the park…  delight.  And specifically delight in each other.  I have good memories of time with my father, but some of the best were when we would ski together.  It was something we both enjoyed immensely and were relatively good at.  Perhaps we even delighted in each other’s skill and appreciation for the sport’s athleticism and grace.

And all that I’ve written so far is one long introduction to Wright’s thoughts for today that prompted this convoluted post:

Many young people in the modern Western world find it, or at least believe it to be, very difficult to please their parents.  Whatever we do just doesn’t seem to reach the high standard expected.  Many continue through their whole adult life, even after their parents have died, still trying somehow to please them or at least appease them.  Such people find the idea of pleasing God almost laughable.  It seems quite impossible that God, being all-knowing and all-wise, could actually be pleased with them…  Clearly Paul does not look at the matter like that at all.  For Paul, God is pleased when he sees his image being reproduced in his human creatures by the Spirit.  The slightest steps they take towards him, the slightest movements of faith and hope, and particularly of love, give God enormous delight…  God delights in us, and, like a parent, he is thrilled when, we, his children, taken even the first small steps towards the full Christian adulthood he has in store for us.

To this, I would want to add Piper’s small, but all-important, caveat – what God delights in about us is that we delight in him.  So really, it is a doubly incredible truth…  that God delights in us, but also that we can delight in Him.

Now, if we could only get Wright and Piper to delight in each other.


yesterday

In attempt to address yesterday’s blog shortcomings, here’s a glimpse into the day.

Actually, not that bad. In fact, quite the opposite.

dang

Due to unforseen lack of Internet access, there will be no posts for a couple days. I’m in no mood to tap out a proper post on my phone. Expect a few on Saturday.