2008 Music and Book Favorites

Favorite Records 2008

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (reissue) - This is by far my favorite record this year. It's incredibly infectious and wounded, and I've recently grown a soft spot in my heart for the coked-up morning-after glories of 70's Los Angeles sound. And this is its soundtrack, I imagine. And totally, TOTALLY over the top production, some may say "sappy" but I love it.

Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners (reissue) - A lot of reissues on my list this year; goes a long way in revealing my current opinion of new music. I had not discovered this album until this year and it's reissue. A beautiful, beautiful record. I always under estimated Graham Nash, and I always thought Stephen Stills would be my favorite non-Neil Young member of C.S.N.Y. But no more. This record is short in that way that records aren't short anymore (something around 35 minutes) and incredibly sentimental with jaw-dropping hooks and harmonies. A Sunday evening record if there ever was one.

Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon (Rhino expanded reissue) - Really got into Zevon this year, as my exceedingly tolerant girlfriend/fiancée can begrudgingly attest. Neil Young will always be my favorite songwriter, but Zevon's writing just amazes me. "Desperados Under The Eaves" just completely floors me.

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes - I don't know why bands got away from singing intricate three and four part harmonies. Oh, that's right -they don't know how. I'm glad Fleet Foxes is bringing it back. A really beautiful record.

Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel - Dual Hawks - Another winner from Will Johnson and co. And we get the added bonus of a double albums from his main band and side-project. Centro-Matic has got to be thee most underrated band in America.

Sun Kil Moon - April - Mark Kozelek gets better and better and although if pressed I would say this is a slight letdown from his previous, "Ghosts of the Great Highway" this is still one of my most played records this year.

Cat Power - Jukebox - An awesome set from Chan Marshall and like "The Greatest" sees her working with some top notch soul and rock musicians. Some may say she's getting away from her "indie" roots but making a sultry soul album like this nowadays will always prove a good move in my book.

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul - I know, I know, a favorite/best of list of mine would never be complete in an Oasis release year without an Oasis release. It's a different record for them, a kind of psychedelic turn, but I think it really works because it allows Noel to not have to produce the kind of bloated stadium ballad, that when it fails, really drag down an album. Surprisingly, Liam writes the best song on this record ("I'm Outta Time").




Favorite Books 2008


Lush Life by Richard Price - My favorite book this year. I came to it because Price was one of the writers on The Wire. At first I thought this book was going to be a "cop drama", or a "crime-drama", but it's really a victim drama, and the best character sketch of the Lower East Side in NYC that I have ever read. Thankfully, I've been lucky to haunt that neighborhood on a few occasions and his descriptions of its inhabitants and storefronts really came to alive.


Wolf by Jim Harrison - My first Harrison book. A mighty enjoyable tale of camping, drying out, and bitter remembrance of women done him wrong. I look forward to reading a lot more Jim Harrison books.

Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - I was drawn to this book after seeing the author and director of the subsequent film adaptation on Charlie Rose. A remarkable story, and as good as it is, the film adaptation may even exceed it. Highly recommend both, but have some tissues nearby.




The Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami
After Dark - Haruki Murakami
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami - 2008 was thee Murakami year for me. He fast became one of my favorite authors a couple of years ago and this year I devoured him. Mix the wonderful Japanese storytelling tradition with a kind of Garcia-Marquez metaphysicism. You really get lost in each book, wrapped up in the journey of the characters and it's an enjoyable trip. The "Running" book was a memoir of sorts, drawing parallels between marathon running and writing in the author's life. A great non-fiction read.

The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Richard Wright - A fascinating read on the history of Islamic fundamentalism and how we got to where we are now in that part of the world.

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon by Crystal Zevon - I usually hate narrative biographies because they lack any kind of real flow, but Crystal does a good job of seamlessly patching together Zevon's peers accounts. Boy, what a son of a bitch he was, too! Always making for a good read.