2008 was a crappy year for lots of people. Here are eight musical reasons from Memphis that helped me weather the shitstorm:
“Stinky Man” by The Original Cyndi – What starts out like some mutant sister of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” quickly turns into an ode to bad hygiene. As is rote with Cyndi, the song is a little different every time they do it. I have video of it that I’ll be posting very soon. Currently unreleased.
“Pointless Drinking” by Amy LaVere – Yeah, everybody and their mama loves Amy and after having heard Anchors & Anvils I can see why. This is my favorite song off of it.
“Holly Would” by Angel Sluts – You know, one day someone’s gonna find this song and do a mash-up of it with the Talking Heads classic “Psycho Killer”. I’m just sayin’. From Designer Heat on Wrecked-Um Records.
“Make Up Your Mind” by Holly Cole – As much as I liked Fearless And Free, this song is massive. A total barn-burner. From the Makeshift 5 compilation, obviously on Makeshift.
“Carbon Dioxide” by Antique Curtains – More surf-freakout-thrash punk, delivered in the usual unhinged way. The metal bit at the end is price of admission alone. From Dressed In Vertigo on OK Stars/Makeshift (also on the Makeshift 5 comp)
“Panic” by J.D. Reager – It’s not simply because it’s a waltz, or because J.D. is at the top of his form…it’s that melody line that firmly entrenches itself in my skull. From The Repechage on Makeshift/Migrant.
“Insisting” by The Family Ghost – I’ve heard it twice now. “A Series of False Starts” aside, this might be their best tune yet. My favorite part? The interlocking clean guitar lines which create a beautiful crystalline structure. Currently unreleased.
“Sins” by Tiffany Harmon – A delicately moody track: soft guitar, Tiffany’s haunting voice, and even a little bit of whistling at the end. Currently unreleased.
Honorable mention, even though he’s no longer a Memphian, is Clouded Son for his “…And the Stereo Says” from the self-released Unfinished Business.
