WTSS Top 44 Songs Of 2008

I went through my music library and came up with my top tunes of 2008. It's random that the list is 44 songs, it just happened to end up like that. I encourage you to check out these bands and songs if you are unfamiliar with them. It was tough to make my choices and I left many songs off the list that I enjoy. I have also made little notes with each song.

Walking The Side Streets Top 44 Of 2008
(song / band / album)

1. Furr - Blitzen Trapper (Furr)
I love this song. It's about a guy who turns into a dog. Portland band.

2. Gamma Ray - Beck w/ Jay Reatard (Gamma Ray 7'' Jay Reatard Version)
I dig remixes. This one rocks.

3. Skinny Love - Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago)
A massive song, enough said.

4. The Mightiest of Guns - A. A. Bondy (Daytrotter Session)
Send the troops home, please.

5. Tobacco Road - Common Market (Tobacco Road)
Hip-Hop, cool groove with some nice piano and rhyme.

6. Angels - Black Mountain (In The Future)
Good rock song.

7. Rockist Part 1 - School of Language (Sea From Shore)
Several versions of this tune but this one is my choice.

8. Sight Of All Light - The Safes (Sight Of All Light)
Such a great positive punk rock song!

9. Poor Old Ra - The Pica Beats (Beating Back the Claws of the Cold)
Cool sound with some interesting poetic lyric.

10. Car Alarm - The Sea And Cake (Car Alarm)
Good song to crank on the car stereo.

11. Black Fur - Fredrik (Na Na Ni)
Powerful because of the things going on in this song with the vocals and instruments.

12. Oh, Mojave - The Ruby Suns (Sea Lion)
I'm a Mac user but this is a nice track anyway even if it was used in a Windows Ad.

13. Beat, Health, Life And Fire - Thao (We Brave Bee Stings And All)
Nice tune for sure.

14. Drama - RZA as Bobby Digital Feat. Thea & Monk (Spoolwork)
Think this is a remix? Bobby Digital rocks.

15. Connection - Hawnay Troof (Islands Of Ayle)
Crazy beats and vocals. Ya, Ya, Ya, Ya.

16. Blame It On The Mountains - Hymns (Travel In Herds)
Sounds like Tom Petty.

17. Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend)
A band with lots of hype. I like this tune but it kept getting lower and lower on my top 44 list as I went along.

18. Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson (Be OK)
An easy song to sing to.

19. By Your Side - Alex & Sam (Sounds Like This: Part One)
Mellow.

20. Waste - Norma (Book of Norma)
Dig it.

21. The Believers - Clifford Lidell Remix - Fol Chen (Fol Chen Remixes)
Another remix that I dug this year.

22. Blackfly Rag - Carl Spidla (Live at the Mission)
A guy and a guitar playing live, classic. Fans of Vic Chesnutt would like this one.

23. Sparks Fade Out - We Swim You Jump (We Swim You Jump EP)
Sort of sounds like Elliot Smith, so I like it.

24. New Dawn - Withered Hand (Religious Songs)
From Scotland, catchy tune.

25. The River -Iowa Super Soccer (Lullabies To Keep Your Eyes Closed)
Dig the male - female vocals. Good song, dumb band name.

26. Music - Reed Thomas Lawrence (Near/Far 2008: Near)
From Bend, OR. Think Sublime. Great tune.

27. Reckonerz - Charli2na (Rainydayz Remixes)
From the Rainydayz album, one of the many remixes that was done to Radioheads music this year.

28. Hangman - Fire On Fire (5 Song EP)
A little country-folk band from the East Coast Portland.

29. With Handclaps - Y'all is Fantasy Island (With Handclaps Single)
I dig hand claps, this ones got 'em.

30. Trap Door - Jake One (White Van Music)
Seattle rapper that has some nice rhyme skill.

31. Houston We Have A Problem - Queers (Munki Brain)
Oh yes we do have a problem.

32. Home - Whatfor (Sooner Late Than Never)
Is that a banjo I hear?

33. Home In The Woods - Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons (Cabin Ghosts)
In the same vain as Bon Iver.

34. Reservoir Park - Dutchess And The Duke (She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke)
Hand Claps and dual vocals.

35. Goodbye - P.O.S (Never Better)
Hip Hop to get the party rolling. "We all toast the same PBR"

36. Ahh What A Cruel Change - Bowery Boy Blue (Stalk That Myth)
Sort of Neil Young-ish.

37. Cassandra - Paper Rival (Dialog)
A song I find myself singing in the shower.

38. Record Store - The Dirty Hearts (Pigs)
Turn this punk rock & roll song up loud!

39. Don't Haunt This Place - The Rural Alberta Advantage (Hometowns)
A very sad song that is oh so very good. Great drum work.

40. Death Cab - Miss Kenichi (Fox)
Creepy cool.

41. All My Trials - Bottle Up And Go -
This song has a nice Americana sound.

42. Veins To The Sky - Alexander Tucker (Portal)
Has a little psychedelic thing going on.

43. I Leave Stones Unturned - Unbunny (Snow Tires)
A nice chill song with a cool guitar sound.

44. The Rebel - Zion I (The Search and The Seizure Mix)
This one is all about Obama. Great Hip-Hop song for the history that was made in November.

So what do you think? Any songs that I overlooked? What would your list look like?

Have A Great Christmas Everyone

Robbie, originally uploaded by pdxnevets.
Above photo is Robbie, a local snowboarder on Hood

Hope everyone is having a great day. Due to the weather I'm staying up here in Government Camp today and will be celebrating "Christmas" next week with my family. I have been up here at Collins Lake for three weeks now and it has been snowing almost non-stop since. I have been keeping busy by doing some Ski Tech work over at Ski Bowl and doing photography in the garage studio I have set up.

I will be up here until January so if you will be up on Mt. Hood send me a message and we can meet up for a drink over at the Ratskeller.

Enjoy the day!

When I Come Around

So many people are wondering what I have been up to lately, well quite alot actually. The term is just about over at school and that is a good thing. Check over at my other blog Fill Card: SDLenharts' Photo Journal for some of the projects that I have been working on this term. Some of my new work is also posted on my Flickr account.

Also I found out some great news today.

The Integrated Media Department at my school selected me as the Integrated Media Award winner in honor of my dedication to my studies in IM: Digital Photography program. I now get a full tuition waiver for the Winter term!

I'm super happy about winning this award, it's a great honor to be recognized in this way by the Integrated Media Department.