Best Albums of December 2008

Typically, there is not a wide list of strong new releases in the month of December. Luckily, there are a handful of good ones this year. With a handful of EPs, here is The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s list of the best new releases of this month.

1. The Decemberists – Always The Bridesmaid [EP] | Vinyl, Volumes I-III Vinyl, or at indie record stores

   The third and final volume of The Decemberists’ singles series is released this month, and thus the EP is also complete. This is a diverse collection of Decemberists songs. There are minimalist acoustic arrangements, layered chamber pop, and descriptive specific lyrics with songs “Valerie Plame,” “I’m Sticking With You,” and “Raincoat Song.”



2. Jump Back Jake – Brooklyn Hustle / Memphis Muscle | Amazon CD or MP3
   Stream the entire album at jumpbackjake.com

   Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the December 16th New Release post, I had to check this album out. It has a great Memphis soul sound to it. Building on the history of Booker T. & The MG’s, The Memphis Horns, and the Bar-Keys, the band has a tight groove. Jake Rabinbach, with his vocal chords, could fill the shoes of Sam or Dave.



3. Spinnerette – Ghetto Love [EP] | Amazon MP3

   Formed from the remains of the punk band The Distillers, Spinnerette is primarily the project of lead singer Brody Dalle. The band is expected to release their debut full length album in early 2009 and released a digital EP as their first release this month. The music is upbeat, rhythmic indie pop. At the end of this post is the Liam Lynch directed video for the lead single, “Ghetto Love.”



4. The Welcome Wagon – Welcome To The Welcome Wagon | Amazon CD or MP3 | Insound CD, Vinyl, or MP3
   Download “Sold! To The Nice Rich Man” (mp3)

   Welcome to the Welcome Wagon was produced by Sufjan Stevens and, unsurprisingly, sounds very similar to the producer’s albums. The band consists of the husband and wife duo Reverend Thomas Vito and Monique Aiuto. Within the Stevens’ style of folk-based chamber pop, The Welcome Wagon perform religious songs.



5. DM Stith – Curtain Speech [EP] | Amazon CD or MP3 | Insound CD or MP3
   Download “Just Once” (mp3)

   This is relaxing album that aurally falls somewhere between Antony & The Johnsons and Will Oldham. It doesn’t quite capture the intimacy of those references, but the album is very captivating and a strong release for an EP.

6. Neil Young – Sugar Mountain: Live At Canterbury House 1968 | Amazon CD/DVD or MP3 | Insound CD/DVD

   This is a good representation of a set Young solo shows that were recorded right before his first solo album was released. He talks a lot about his days in Buffalo Springfield and his life in general. The album tries to meld two days of shows into one cohesive album, but the edits are somewhat apparent. But it is still a decent aural artifact.



7. Soy Un Caballo – Les Heures De Raison | Amazon CD or Vinyl | Insound CD or Vinyl
   Download “Robin” (mp3)

   Even though I do not understand the lyrics on this album by a Belgian couple, the music is moving and tactful. The folk based music is elusive and strengthened by the subtle layers of gentle instrumentation from supporting musicians such as Will Oldham and Sean O’Hagan.



8. The Damned – So, Who’s Paranoid? | Amazon CD or MP3 | Insound CD or MP3

   The Damned were one of the first bands of the late ‘70s English punk scene. The band has broken up and reunited a few times in their career. On this album the band switches between garage punk, gothic rock, psychedelic pop, and varying forms of music that come across as an energized form of classic rock.



9. Common – Universal Mind Control | CD, Vinyl, or MP3 | Insound CD or Vinyl

   On the first track, Common declares, “This is that new shit,” but that is not the case. It may be his newest album, but it does not have new production style. With that said, it’s a good album, but it doesn’t push anything to a new level.



10. One Small Step For Landmines – If You Could Get Over Me [EP]
    FREE download of entire EP

    This free EP has acoustic songs. The arrangements are minimal with very little accompanying the acoustic guitar and vocals. They are personal and endearing, with references to various cities on both coasts. There’s a hint of post-punk in the vocal delivery and it creates a nice, emotive response.

Spinnerette – “Ghetto Love”:

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Comments

[Jody Stephens]

Thanks for the great Jump Back Jake review! #2 - Best albums of December 2008/The Wheels Still In Spin.

Jody

[Ian Milotte]

nice !!! i am glad a lot of people are getting to hear Jump Back Jake !!
there are plenty of great records that go unnoticed, but if you miss this one, you are missing out.