My 2008 playlist

This year's list didn't receive as much deliberation as last year's. Nonetheless, here are 15 songs I found myself listening to over and over this year (and as with last time, the songs weren't all released this year):

1. "The Wolves (Act I & 2)
Bon Iver; For Emma, Forever Ago
Dan and I caught them live at one of the few shows I made it to this year. This song has a sing-along that hooks me every time. It's better still in person.

2. "All the Wine"
The National, Alligator
How can you not love a song with lines like, "I'm a perfect piece of ass" and "I'm a festival" in the first verse?

3. "Fade"
Calexico, Hot Rail
Q and I finally caught this band (one of my favorites) live -- the night before Jasper was born. Although they didn't play this song that evening, it is the one I find myself returning to as I listen to their material. The jazzy undercurrent to it all entrances me.

4. "Golden"
Red House Painters, Old Ramon
Another one linked to Q, who introduced me to this band just in the past month. The whole album has a feel, to me, like another of my all-time favorites, Big Head Todd and the Monsters' Midnight Radio.

5. "Cath..."
Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs
Just because.

6. "Random Rules"
Silver Jews, American Water
Had me from the opening line.

7. "Say It to Me Now"
Glen Hansard, Once (Music from the Motion Picture)
Loved the movie and the album, but this is the one song I can go back to time and time again without feeling too sugary sweet. A little yelling never hurts.

8. "Hasir"
Modeselektor, Hello Mom!
Found this in one of my Radiohead benders. Thom Yorke recommended the band in a podcast he participated in. Good for the gym, among other places.

9. "Your Hand in Mine"
Explosions in the Sky, The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Came across this -- and loved it -- this spring. Then a co-worker died and his children, who are about my age, had this as one of the songs playing as people filed into his funeral. Completely changed how I think about the song, but still a favorite.

10. "Hold On, Hold On"
Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Casey introduced me to Neko by saying something along these lines, "If God had a voice, she'd sound like this..."

11. "Come Pick Me Up"
Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker
Hard to go wrong with this guy. Really need to get to one of his shows sometime.

12. "Go First"
Damien Jurado, Caught in the Trees
Another of Q's tips.

13. "Outfit"
Drive-By Truckers, Austin City Limits Music Festival (2003)
Reminds me of where I grew up. I liked it before Jasper's birth. I like it more now that he's here.

14. "Love and Some Verses"
Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days
Makes me think of Amy.

15. "A Change is Gonna Come"
Sam Cooke, 30 Greatest Hits - Sam Cooke Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 (Remastered)
Thought about this song a lot in the run up to Election Day. Then the day this summer that about 75,000 people gathered in Portland to hear Obama speak (as documented by my colleague Bruce Ely below), I began to wonder if he and the future first lady might dance to it months later at the inaugural ball. I hope they will. Amy, Jasper and I will, I suspect, that night in our basement.



That's it from me. What'd you listen to this year?