Since there were so many incredible local releases this year, it would’ve been negligent to not have a solely local Best Songs of 2008 list. I expanded the idea of ‘local’ to go beyond Seattle and include our musical neighbors to the south, Portland. Hope you enjoy my first Best of list of 2008, more lists coming soon!

1. The Moondoggies - Changin’

2. Wild Orchid Children - Birth of a Cabin

3. The Dutchess and The Duke - Resevoir Park

4. Kay Kay and His Weathered Undergound - Night of The Star Child’s Funk

5. The Whore Moans - Nerve Tonic!

6. J. Tillman - Steel on Steel

7. The Fleet Foxes- Mykonos

8. Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long

9. See Me River - Don’t Pray For Blood

10. The Hands - Praying Hands Make Fist (Or Be Chopped Off)

11. Blue Scholars - Butter & Guns

12. Bark Hide and Horn - Trumpeter Swan

13. Thee Emergency - Hopped Up For The Git Down 

14. The Builders & The Butchers - Bringin’ Home The Rain

15. A Gun That Shoots Knives - Stay in School

16. Shy In Sunshine - Recognition

17. We Wrote The Book on Connectors - Mimosas

18. Starfucker - Pop Song

19. The New Faces - Impulse

20. Hey Marseilles - Rio

(p.s.) According to my Itunes, my most listened to local track of 2008 is Kay Kay’s: Night of The Star Child’s Funk.

As you can see by the bizarre mix of music below, March was a weird month for me. Luckily there were lots of great new releases to get lost with… 

Black Eyes & Neckties - Apparition!
Land of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss
Dead Confederate - Dead Confederate EP
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
The Whigs -  Mission Control
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP
Thee Emergency - SOLID
Wild Orchid Children
The Racounters - Consolers of the Lonely
The Kinks
Built to Spill - Keep it like a Secret
Black Sabbath - War Pigs
The Antiques - Nicknames & Natives
Shy in Sunshine - “Storms” and “Rawk”
Eric Howk’s Latest Mi-Fi Myspace Song, currently “The Move”

Shy in Sunshine, what was once a side project for Hopscotch Boys guitarist Sneezy Waters Jr., made their live debut at The Blue Moon on Thursday night. It’s apparent that Shy in Sunshine is a labor of love for Sneezy, who admits to spending over five years on the songs which make up the debut recorded release, Patriot Music.

I was especially excited to see how the songs off of the lush Patriot Music, which includes cello and piano, would sound re-imagined for a very rock’n'roll three piece. Currently made up of a few fellows from Sneezy’s musical past, Dave (Fred X) on bass from Hopscotch Boys and Tommy on drums from Chuck Yeager, Shy in Sunshine started with a beautiful rendition of “Father Time” (the first song off the album) and erased any worries that the delicacy of the songs would be harmed by the abbreviated arrangements. Despite lacking the weepy cellos, Shy in Sunshine’s three piece renditions seemed to somehow highlight the song’s heartache even more.

The band treated the audience to the complete track list from Patriot Music, as well as a song “God’s Green Earth,” which didn’t make the cut. True to the perfectionist nature of the album, Sneezy told me even with five years of work, he just couldn’t get the production right on “God’s Green Earth” for its inclusion. The new tune, as well as my favorites from the album, sounded as if they had been served well by Sneezy’s high standards. Each sounded more beautiful and heart felt than the last.

Starting tomorrow Sound on the Sound has a solid few days of one great show after another!

Tomorrow, we wouldn’t dream of missing our friends from San Diego, The Antiques, perform at The Comet. We’ll be relaxing with beers watching all you guys packed over at the Vampire Weekend show. If you didn’t catch the last Antiques show in Seattle, and we promise, you didn’t–because we were just about the only folks there–you’d be a fool to miss them tomorrow night. Last year I stumped the guys by requesting a song they had never played live, save the time they’d recorded it. They were total champs and played it anyways, making my night.

Thursday we’ll be at The Blue Moon to enjoy Shy in Sunshine’s first live performance. Shy in Sunshine, is 2/5ths of the Hopscotch Boys, led by Sneezy Waters Jr. If we weren’t long promised to attend the Shy in Sunshine show, we’d be over at the Sunset celebrating with H is for Hellgate and enjoying a few new Hellgate tunes.

On Friday we’ll be celebrating the wonder that is The Wig Fits All Heads pr and it’s phenomenal leader, Ashley. Another Wig Bash–another excellent line up. Friday’s Seattle show will be at The High Dive featuring Das Llamas, Shim, Hockey, and Bird Monster. Sound on the Sound is a proud sponsor of the event, and you should be seeing a little love this week for a couple of the bands who are playing.

And lastly, on Saturday, hell could open up and devour Earth, and I would STILL find my way to see Iceage Cobra’s Official Return to Seattle show at the King Cobra. I am hoping the King Cobra stage, which I haven’t see yet, will have a few design elements to make the following shenanigans possible.

February was a great month for local music, but an awful month for my music. The external hard drive I stored all of my music on crashed beyond repair or recovery, at the same time the lone working cd player in my house went kaput. It was eerily quiet at my house for some time, unpleasantly so. I still got some quality listening time in February - this is what I was loving.

* Thee Emergency - SOLID (oh god guys, the new Emergency record is amazing)
* The Hands - Wade in the Water/Lords Gonna Trouble/Knife (this seamless trio of songs ends the new album flawlessly)
* Dead Confederate - Dead Confederate EP(prepping for SXSW, I am so excited these guys are head-lining our day party!! …. and opening for REM’s official SXSW Showcase Show.)
* The Kinks - A Well Respected Man (just like every one else who saw Juno, I bought the soundtrack…this Kinks tune has been on repeat ever since.)
* Shy in Sunshine - Patriot Music (Sneezy of Hopscotch Boys surprising side project, a perfect companion for grey Seattle days and minds)
* The Swell Season - Falling Slowly (the song that won the Oscar)
* Hole- Miss World and Doll Parts (oh god shoot me. During the crashing of my computer I went through Itunes and searched a bunch of their playlists and bought old, teenage favorites of mine…. the following few selections can be chalked up to that.)
* Candlebox - You (can you see me blushing through your screen?)
* Temple of The Dog - Hunger Strike (I grew up in Seattle in the late80’s-90’s, I have a “get out of jail free card” for grunge music I once loved)
* Black Sabbath- War Pigs (I don’t feel embarrassed about Sabbath at all.)
* Black Eyes & Neckties - Apparition (channeling the best of old school Cursive, these guys are at the top of my list of local bands to see live.)
* Cursive - Domestica (after listening to Black Eyes & Neckties I had to listen to my old Cursive albums, I think Domestica is my favorite)
* The Black Keys - anything and everything (of all things right now, I can’t get enough of the fuzzy perfection of the Black Keys blues)

I claimed that 2006 was the year of the EP, and I’m thinking my broad generalization of 2007 will be “the year of the succesful side-project.” 2007 featured critically acclaimed albums from side project/bands - “The Good, The Bad, The Queen,” “Handsome Furs,” “Sunset Rubdown,” and ”Stars.” Unsurprisingly, since I prefer my music local, my favorite current side projects are from right here in Seattle. “Palmer, AK“, a band led by Eric Howk, guitarist of The Lashes and ”Shy in Sunshine“, a side project of Sneezy Waters Jr - guitarist of Hopscotch Boys.

When Palmer AK’s singer-songwriter Eric Howk was a member of Dolour, he asked band-leader Shane Tutmarc if he could write a Dolour song. When Shane obliged, Eric asked what type of song he should write. “Write a song about longing,” answered Shane. While I’m not certain Eric ever did write that Dolour song, his incarnation as Palmer AK, has the songs about longing down pat. It seems each of Eric’s songs is lovelier than the last; the best of Palmer AK combines a 60’s pop sensibility and audible heartache.

mp3: Palmer, AK - “Same Rain/Noelly” Palmer, AK - Noelly

mp3: Palmer, AK - “Revelry” Palmer, AK - Revelry 

The most pleasantly surprising side project of 2007, was Shy in Sunshine a vessel of Sneezy Waters Jr. of Hopscotch Boys. Shy in Sunshine features Sneezy singing songs where the lyrics matter, rather than screaming along with the insane spectacle that is the Hopscotch Boys. Featuring brooding strings and a few truly heart wrenching tunes, Shy in Sunshine is the most promising side project you may never see on stage, as there are no plans to play the material live at this time. When the album is available for release in 2008, pick it up and add it to your sad bastard rotation, it has some perfect songs for grey Seattle days.

mp3: Shy in Sunshine - “Day of Sunshine” Shy in Sunshine - Day of Sunshine

mp3: Shy in Sunshine - “Recognition” Shy in Sunshine - Recognition

Needless to say Palmer AK and Shy in Sunshine aren’t the only great side projects happening in Seattle right now. “Lavender Lunchbox and The Psychedelic Lightbulb,” a side project of Matt/Sonic Smith of Thee Emergency, joined on stage by six more of my favorite Seattle musicians - is making some of the sweetest rock’n'roll out there today. Just wait for 2008, when they’re releasing their new album and playing a bunch of local shows, it’s going to be epic. Last but certainly not least, Ron Lewis of the Fruit Bats’ and Jonathan Rotham of The Long Winter’s side project, “Ghost Stories,” released one of my favorite songs of 2007 - the dreamy ballad “Catacombs.”

I’ve seen lots of familiar faces on stage under lots of different band names this year, and I hope the trend continues next year. It’s thrilling to see all the facets of my favorite musicians. The talent of the folks who surround us, truly astonishes me and it’s a pleasure to listen in on it all.