Best Songs of 2008 - March Releases
Part three of our 100 best songs of the year covers the month of March 2008. This month's bounty of new releases included Counting Crows, Elbow, Does It Offend You Yeah?, Foals, Gnarls Barkley, Kathleen Edwards, R.E.M., Steven Malkmus, The Black Crowes, The Dodos, The Matches, The Kills, The Raconteurs, Virginia Coalition, We Are Scientists, and a digital release by Nine Inch Nails, among others.
In March music news:
- Ireland's sperm banks are so low, they are offering donors free tickets to any music festival in exchange for contributions, but apparently the promotion has ended prematurely. Seems they were getting a load of requests.
- All is forgiven by the UK town of Blackpool as they officially lifted a ban against the Rolling Stones playing a concert there. The ban was inacted in 1964 after a near riot broke out. Gee, wonder how they made out the past 44 years without Blackpool gigs.
- Paul McCartney was ordered to pay his estranged wife Heather Mills $52 million dollars ending their two year divorce battle. That comes to $36,000 a day for their four year marriage. Paul should listened to his own advice when he said "Can't buy me love".
March Worst Album Covers (click title for bigger picture)
Meshuggah obZen
Bloody half man, half woman with an extra arm and hands spelling out "666". Swedish metal bands roccckkk, dude.
Esham The Butcher Shop
Esham, you mixtape maniac, you slaughter me.
March Best Album Covers (click title for bigger picture)
Dream Theater Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)
Nice beach scene and color schemes. Note the S,H,I, and T in "Greatest Hits" are colored maroon.
The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely
Neat old-timey western photo. Note the signs below the guys indicate their home state (Jack White and Brendan Benson are both from Michigan).
Best Songs of 2008 - March Releases:
The first Crows album in six years plays in two parts starting with the weekend party and nursing the hangover the next morning, which makes it diverse enough for any mood and a spot in my top 10 CD's of the year. This song seems about loving someone who you are afraid of losing, but I might think that because it's a common theme for the Crows. Honorable mention: "Los Angeles", "Anyone But You", "Come Around"
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn of the Dead from You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into
Debut album from the UK electronica outfit blending synths with real rock guitars is drawing comparisons to The Faint, Klaxxons, or Justice and that's quite a compliment. This tune has an 80's feel to it and I'm guessing it's about relationship commitment issues.
Elbow - Grounds For Divorce from The Seldom Seen Kid
Uncompromising musical textures against a backdrop of prog rock like this song helped win these guys the Mercury Prize Award (UK's Grammy) for best CD in 2008. Several themes run through this song: "the seldom seen kid" is a dead friend, alcoholism, and consequently spending too much time at the local bar is causing friction on the home front.
Kathleen Edwards - The Cheapest Key from Asking For Flowers
Canadian songstress has the pipes and now the help of a top notch band she assembled for this CD, featuring Benmont Tench on loan from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This rocker is a straight forward ode to being in a one sided relationship. Honorable mention: "I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory"
The Black Crowes - Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution from Warpaint
These Crowes also went six years between takes, but with Chris Robinson back again, the band sounds as good as ever with their Stones / Faces boogie woogie rockers like this one. Robinson says this song is basically about standing up to fight for your rights. Honorable mention: "Oh Josephine", "Locust Street"
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? from Volume One
Actress Zooey Deschanel and alt-country singer/songwriter M Ward find musical ground putting a spin on some old covers and sounding even better when creating their own folksy tunes like this one mainly about getting a guy to pay attention to her. Honorable mention: "This Is Not A Test"
The Dodos - Fools from Visiter
Sounding like a reved up folk acoustical ballad on West African steriods. This song illustrates how you can mix up song structure and still incorporate enough pop sensibility to keep it catchy. The lyrics seem to suggest a theme aimed at either society or politicians (George W?) not doing enough to fix human problems.
The Matches - Wake The Sun from A Band In Hope
Oakland based band puts enough energy into this bouncy infectious tune to make you want to get out of the bed in the morning and sing along.
Jack White and Brendan Benson add some interesting lyrical twists on their second CD along with solid rock and blues tunes, also making my top 10 CD's of the year. Some great violin highlight this tune about a immature acting girl. Honorable mention: "Consolers of the Lonely", "Salute Your Solution", "Top Yourself"
Virginia band whose known for their exhilarating performances as evidenced on their last live CD, creates some wonderful uplighting harmonies on this studio track.
Second release by this Brooklyn band finds the preppy cousins of the Strokes experimenting with a bigger sound this time and coming up with this inspired rocker about finding a late night drinking hole.
More of the top 100 songs of 2008 in the next edition covering April releases coming soon.
Enjoy, GB
Posted by Wake Up and Smell The Music at 11/22/2008 12:25 PM 
Categories: Counting Crows,Kathleen Edwards,We Are Scientists,The Dodos,The Raconteurs,Virginia Coalition,Does It Offend You Yeah,The Black Crowes,The Matches,Elbow
Tags: Best Songs of 2008
Categories: Counting Crows,Kathleen Edwards,We Are Scientists,The Dodos,The Raconteurs,Virginia Coalition,Does It Offend You Yeah,The Black Crowes,The Matches,Elbow
Tags: Best Songs of 2008
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