Nominate The Best CDs For 2008

We're no longer accepting new nominations for the year's best CDs. Check back Tuesday the 18th to vote in the final poll.

It's hard to believe, but we're entering the final stretch of 2008, and it's time to pick your favorite CDs of the year.

In mid-November, we'll post a ballot, here on the blog, asking you to vote for the best albums of 2008. But for now, we'd like some nominations. There are some obvious ones: TV on the Radio's Dear Science, Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago and Vampire Weekend's self-titled disc are a few of them. But what are some that aren't as obvious?

Tell us your nominations for the year's best CDs. We'll use your picks to compile a master list, which we'll then post here for voting. (Note: You'll need to register with npr.org to comment here on the blog and to vote in the poll we'll post in mid-November.)

Can't remember what albums came out this year? Browse the All Songs Considered archives to see what we've reviewed this year.

12:33 PM ET | 10-29-2008 | permalink

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A Magical and Historic Night

by Robin Hilton

I'm thrilled to be able to share a very special concert with you: It's the Elephant 6 Orchestra, recorded live at Chicago's Bottom Lounge, on Oct. 21.

You've likely heard us talk about Elephant 6 before on All Songs Considered (I also mentioned the group a couple of weeks ago on this blog). This is a large, sprawling family of bands (Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, Elf Power, and The Apples in Stereo are some of them) that formed in the early '90s. After releasing a number of acclaimed and influential albums, E6 eventually dissolved, as members moved on to other projects or went on indefinite hiatus.

When E6 reunited for this special October tour, it marked the first time in more than a decade that many of the group's members had performed together. I was particularly giddy over the news because it meant I'd finally be able to see some of my favorite artists live. I was living out of the country during the collective's most prolific and exciting period back in the '90s and never got to see any of the E6 bands in concert (with the exception of Elf Power and Of Montreal, two of the group's bands that have continued releasing records).

I was totally geeking out at the Chicago show. I'll let you listen to the performance and read more at our concert page. But it was a very special and memorable night for everyone in E6 and everyone in the audience.

So what's a favorite band you've never gotten to see?

3:52 PM ET | 10-27-2008 | permalink

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I've Fallen In Love With An Application

by Bob Boilen

The name of my new love is Bloom, and it's the best iPhone/iPod application ever. Bloom is the creation of Brian Eno (my musical hero) and musician Peter Chilvers; it makes ambient music that's lovely, relaxing and not tacky with the touch of your fingertips.

The best way to experience Bloom is to find someone with an iPod or iPod Touch, give them $4 and download it from the iTunes Store. Then have fun together.

But, for the curious, I made a video. I've been making music with machines for nearly 30 years and this is the most elegant way I've ever seen. Do you know any other programs out there that do anything like this?

5:25 PM ET | 10-21-2008 | permalink

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Calexico Video: Part Three

by Robin Hilton

Calexico is marking the release of its new album, Carried to Dust, with a series of videos that include some nice, live performances of their new songs. We began last month with the first and second installments of the videos. We've just gotten the third part:

Part Two:

Part One:

I've been spending time with Carried to Dust, and think it may be the band's best album. It's an elegantly produced collection of songs, with some wonderfully haunting moments. Joey Burns and John Convertino, the duo behind Calexico's music, draw heavily on their favorite sounds: Portuguese fado, spaghetti westerns, Mexican mariachi, folk and rock. It all comes together on Carried to Dust as a richly seasoned and mature mix.

Burns and Convertino have long been taken by what they see as the majesty and mystery of the American Southwest, particularly their hometown of Tucson, Ariz. (They talk a lot about this in the videos). The sprawling city, where they've lived since the mid-'90s, has been the subject and inspiration for much of their music over the years, and Carried to Dust continues to drink from that well with ghostly narratives about the "strange people" they've encountered. Calexico colors the scorched landscapes with enough romance and strange curiosities to make you want to linger.

3:49 PM ET | 10-14-2008 | permalink

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Five Recordings To Hear Before You Die

by Robin Hilton

Let's say you've got 24 hours to live. Forget all your unfulfilled dreams, the countries you haven't visited, the people you haven't seen. We're going to use these precious few hours left to listen to some music. So close the bedroom door, put on your headphones and grab the five CDs you simply must hear. What will you choose?

Music reviewer and author Tom Moon took on this challenge (though he gave himself a lot more wiggle room) for his new book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List. After four years of writing and researching and digging through countless albums, Tom produced an impressive tome -- nearly 900 pages of artists, LPs and songs, as well as a detailed explanation of how each of them wound up on the list.

The book showcases a lot of the albums you'd expect to see: Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde or Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, for example. But unless you're a music scholar, you probably haven't listened to -- or even heard of -- the vast majority of them.

On our latest episode of All Songs Considered, we talk with Tom about his book and listen to some of the amazing music he selected. You can also tell us your must-hear albums. You're more than welcome to give us a thousand, but I thought we'd keep it simple and ask for five. Be sure to tell us a little bit about why you picked them and include a recommended track.

A few things to keep in mind while making your picks: These aren't necessarily your all-time favorite albums. And they don't have to represent a broad range of genres or eras. These are just five albums you love and think people need to hear.

Here's one take on it (alphabetically):

Vic Chesnutt: West of Rome
Yeah, yeah, I mention Vic all the time. But, really, this is a rare album, and if you don't have it, you should get it. West of Rome is everything music should be: surprising, artful, beautiful, ugly, joyful, sad and entirely original. Listen to the title track.

Five Eight: The Good Nurse
This band struggled for many years to have a hit record. When its members finally gave up trying and decided to just do what they wanted, they came up with this little masterpiece. The Good Nurse is a concept album. Its songs take on many unpredictable forms; they're inspired and, at times, heartwrenching. If you're not teary-eyed by the end of the last song, singer Mike Mantione's elegy to a dying grandmother, check to make sure you have a pulse. "Off Season" or "Florence" are both good starting points.

Tim Hecker: Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do It Again
I can imagine spending my last hour on earth listening to this one. Tim Hecker makes instrumental music that's incredibly three-dimensional, with the strangest, richest textures you can imagine. Put on your headphones and get lost in the opening track, "Music For Tundra Pt. 1."

Billie Holiday: The Complete Decca Recordings
I've told friends that I think this compilation represents the pinnacle of Western civilization. It's an exaggeration, of course. But then again... Holiday recorded for Decca from the mid-'40s until about 1950, which was when she was at the height of both her popularity and her gifts as a singer; this collection contains her finest recordings. Holiday often recorded her songs in a single take, and this collection includes a few incredible and rare moments in which she stops the performance, chats with the band about what went wrong, and starts again. My favorite track is "Sweet Hunk of Trash," with Louis Armstrong.

Jay-Z and DJ Danger Mouse: The Grey Album
I was going through my iTunes library, and it seemed criminal not to include a Beatles record, and there were a number of amazing hip-hop albums that popped up as candidates. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Besides, this really is a mind-blowing, brilliant mashup of two incredible albums. I still can't believe how well they work together. Listen to "99 Problems" mixed with "Helter Skelter." (You'll have to search for a copy online somewhere, since it was never released because of obvious legal conflicts.)

Yours?

4:36 PM ET | 10- 8-2008 | permalink

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Important Blog Changes

by Bob Boilen

Starting today you will have to register to post to the blog. Don't worry. This will ultimately let you do a lot more with the site:

- Comments will now be posted instantly, instead of waiting for us to approve them.
- Commenting will now be possible on both NPR blogs and stories.
- We can feature your comments on the NPR home page and in the inset column of story pages.
- You can "recommend" stories.
- You can connect directly with NPR.org staff and other users through your public profile and the community home page.
- You can also help moderate the site with "report abuse" links.

Here's a bit more about it.

Your voice has made this music blog fun for us and everyone else who reads it. We've also learned a lot! So please take a minute to sign up.

If you care to complain or have constructive criticism, post it below. If you don't want to register (and I hope that won't be the case), then write to us at allsongs@npr.org.

One downside is that you won't be able to comment on older posts or any post made before October 1st. However, past comments made to those posts will still be visible.

10:30 AM ET | 10- 7-2008 | permalink

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