Let’s face it: You could use some cheering up!
The holiday season is wonderful and all, but now, northeastern Pennsylvania has a few things that are less than inspiring. The landscape is dotted by piles of filthy snow and discarded trees resplendent with stringy tinsel. Your relatives gave you a cough so bad you could barely smoke this morning when you woke up.
So, here’s wishing you a Happy News Year. I hope you follow the advice of Harvey Dent in “The Dark Knight” and go out there and make your own luck. Or, follow the advice of Alfred and endure.
I also hope if life has kicked you in the shins and given you the cinder block parachute that you realize my dad was right: “Things happen for a reason.” We can’t always control the world, but we can be good neighbors and practice random acts of kindness for those who are down in the dumps over more than the dirty snow and lack of good end of year sales.
And now, it’s my top 10 list of favorite CDs for 2008! This was a fairly lousy year for music, but these CDs gave me a glimmer of hope for this year! I’m a musical weirdo and can’t promise you will like them.
10. Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid _ A CD as soothing as a delicious honey lemon cough drop. Beautifully written, produced and performed. If you like Coldplay, this is right up your alley, Bucko. “Mirrorball” is gorgeous.
9. Little Jackie: The Stoop _ Little Jackie is actually Imani Coppola and Adam Pallin and they have made a CD you can’t refuse. It has that hat tip to 60s soul that has been quite prevalent lately. Imani is a saucy lyricist, so beware if you are under the age of 23. “I Believe the World Should Revolve Around Me” is a statement and a groovy CD track.
8. Beck: Modern Guilt _ Beck is a musical chameleon and does a great job of crafting cohesive little projects. Standout track: “Gamma Ray,” which sounds great when you are driving around with the top down on a sultry summer day. Summer is about six months away, so chins up.
7. Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs _ This CD’s overwhelming attraction is the hypnotic eight-plus minute opus, “I Will Possess Your Heart.” This song would be creepy if it weren’t song the nerdy and cuddly Benjamin Gibbard. Trust me.
6. Glen Campbell: Meet Glen Campbell _ This is a wonderful CD if you suffer from melancholy and love modern pop. Glen does songs by Green Day, Tom Petty and Travis. His voice is as haunting as when he sang “Witchita Lineman.”
5. Benji Hughes: A Love Extreme _ He looks like Gregg Allman but sings like Beck. He writes a double CD of songs like “I Went With Some Friends to See the Flaming Lips.” Not for everyone, but quirky.
4. R.E.M.: Accelerate _ They. Are. Back. I used to refer to R.E.M. as “Really Exotic Mumbling,” but you can understand the words, even if you don’t know what they mean. “Living Well is the Best Revenge” is a great suggestion and a song that rocks.
3. Duffy: Rockferry _ Another nod to the soul movement of the 60s. An Amy Winehouse without all the yuck. “Warwick Avenue” will touch your heart unless you’re an unfeeling robot with a heart made out of crinkled tin foil.
2. Kings of Leon: Only By the Night _ If you like southern rock performed by the wayward sons of a preacher, THROW AWAY those Lynyrd Skynyrd albums and get with the program. “Crawl” is a kickin’ track and I dare you to disagree.
1. The Hold Steady: Stay Positive _ Craig Finn is the most unlikely rock star, but I adore him and I love this band with all my heart. They write incredibly strong narratives and have a following of weirdos including my brother Joey and his strange friends. It’s really beautiful. “Constructive Summer” is the anthem of 2008 and includes the best line of the year in any song: “Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer. I think he might have been our only decent teacher.” Word.
Have favorite CDs and want to rumble? Send me an email and we’ll discuss. Suehenry@wilknewsradio.com.
Corbett
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