Music Under Fire

As unorthodox, yet sophisticated Subpop's Fleet Foxes music may strike you, their videos are as of the same caliber, if not exceeding that of their music. Possible? It just may be, given their latest video 'Mykonos' (from their Sun Giant EP), which has been tuned to the silhouettes of dancing paper triangles, swimming comet-like tadpoles and everyone's favorite: Rhombuses.

MP3: Fleet Foxes - Mykonos (live) (buy)

The video itself features an adventure of the Fantasia type, as a few lonely obtuse triangles wander off, then form together with other triangles and fly like seagulls. Much of what has been animated here is reminiscent of childhood drawings come to life - with protruding spikes and flying nonsense. As exhilarating as Fleet Foxes' music has been, their videos have proven to provide the same level of musing. Basing this video purely off of artistic creativity, this may be the best one we've watched thus far in 2009.

The completion of MusicUnderFire's Best Songs of 2008. As before, if you missed our other parts of the top 100 list, hit up the links below:
Part 1: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (81-100)
Part 2: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (61-80)
Part 3: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (41-60)
Part 4: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (21-40)

20. Low Vs Diamond - Actions Are Actions (buy)
Why: From the harmonizing in the opening all the way down the the refrain and verses, this not only an excellent job of songwriting, but an exhillarating effort by one onf our favorite new finds this year. It really doesn't get much better than the breakdown 1:47 into the song.

19. American Princes - Auditorium (buy)
Why: The first 5 seconds sounds like something The Eagles may have put together years ago, but the song takes an upbeat turn with the drums, which is one of many factors that pulled this song together to make it work so well at the quick pace that it pulls. Fantastic job by American Princes for sneaking into our top 20.

18. Earlimart - Face Down In The Right Town (buy)
Why: Each time this song is played, its hard to get the 'Da do-do, Da do-do' out of your head. Earlimart's sublties are what makes them so great. Additional background vocals and piano add-ons make this a fantastic song. Personally, I would love to hear an acoustic version of this song done in all piano. This is our favorite Earlimart song to date.

17. Daniel Martin Moore - That'll Be The Plan (buy)
Why: As one of our readers put so well, it feels as though Moore is channelling Nick Drake. The songs are written so well, and the guitar-work is the driving factor in most of his album, but this song's happy nature and pleasant tattered rhythms made this our personal favorite that cannot be missed!

16. Dr. Dog - The Breeze (buy)
Why: As far as quick-hitters go, songs you immediately are drawn to, Philadelphia's own Dr. Dog stunned us with "The Breeze". The sullen vocals of Scott McMicken created a retro sound and blissful experience every time we listened to this song. Truly, this song will live on for years due to the songs tactful nature and composition of classic sounds we've all known to love.

15. Your Vegas - Troubled Times (buy)
Why: One of our favorite electro-rockers Your Vegas came out with a stunning, polished self-titled album this year and premiered this song off of their A Town and Two Cities EP. It remains our favorite song from the group.

14. Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate (buy)
Why: Months ago, I recall trying to figure out which song I really liked best off of this album, and with all of the peppy songs to pick from, 'Tessellate' was our hands-down, favorite pick. Maybe its the piano breakdowns, or maybe its the clapping/drumming combination, but whatever the case, we have added tessellate into our favorite songs of the year as well as our ever-expanding vocabulary.

13. Cut Copy - Lights and Music (buy)
Why: Its amazing that iTunes offered this song as a free download the week this came out, and we've been enjoying it ever since. Cut Copy's album was hard not to be recognized this year and the dance scene benefitted from this techno driven song, laced with some guitars -something these guys have blended so well.

12. Elbow - Mirrorball (buy)
Why: Another beautiful song from an extremely talented band. We can't stress enough how great it was to have Elbow return with another gem this year. If you don't know much about these guys and have quite the eclectic rock tastes, you might want to go back and listen to the rest of their catalogue.

11. The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight (buy)
Why: This song has found its way into everyone's music libraries in 2008 and this song alone has made a name for the band. We felt it was such an anomaly, we had to include it in our top 20. The guitar pedals and singing are right up our alley.

10. Delta Spirit - Trashcan (buy)
Why: DS was pieced together of mainly percussionists and this song is already a classic, as far as we're concerned. The piano is refreshing as well as the soulful singing by Matt Vasquez. A perfect fit for our top 10.

9. MGMT - Time To Pretend (buy)
Why: You may have played it out by now, but MGMT's song "Time To Pretend" was all over the place this year in commercials, movie previews and everyone's iPods. We particularly can get enough of the synth melodie during the refrain. Match the song up with this year's most ridiculous video and you've got yourself our #9.

8. Coldplay Lovers In Japan / Reign Of Love (buy)
Why: Everything great about Coldplay is included in this song including some new touches added by Brian Eno. The pickup around 1:11 into the song makes this one of our favorites and an easy song to continuously return to.

7. French Kicks - Said So What (buy)
Why: Everything about this song is perfect, from the pool ball-breaking rhythm to the vocal chemistry. If there is one band to go see that we haven't, French Kicks are at the top of the list. Everything these guys create seems to melt in our ears.

6. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Modern Mystery (buy)
Why: One of our most returned songs of 08' is "Modern Mystery" due to its soft-rock appeal and some clever lyrics - "You can really put me in my place, on a map in outer space." Not enough has been said of this talented group in 2008!

5. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (buy)
Why: The harmony and picture just listening to this song with your eyes closed is enough to make us drop this one right into our #4 spot. Fleet Foxes stunned us this past year and will undoubtedly continue to do so, given our soft-spot for folksy bands.

4. Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell (buy)
Why: A sucker for violins and some great heartfelt lyrics made Ra Ra Riot's "Can You Tell" a shoo-in for one of our favorite songs. Its really hard to ignore Ra Ra Riot, especially with a song like this.

3. Death Cab For Cutie - Cath... (buy)
Why: The one redeeming moment for DCFC was their best song from the album, "Cath...". The redeeming factor for this album was the lyrics pieced into every song by Gibbard, and although "Cath.." may be a bit depressing, its done perfectly so in a classic Death Cab style.

2. The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead (buy)
Why: Our music libraries would fall completely apart in 2008 had it not been for The Helio Sequence's stunning album and title-track that we listed here. What more could you possibly want from a band? We had trouble choosing our favorite song from this album, but looking back at their show in May of this past year, this really was their best song performed live and comes across so well on the album as well.

1. Blitzen Trapper - God & Suicide (buy)
Why: The notion behind our #1 track is nothing pleasant to really put too much time into thinking about, but everything comes together in this song. Every time this track is played, CCR comes to mind, along with every other classic rock song that managed to stick around for decades. The same will happen to this song and Blitzen Trapper will continue to live on long after they band is finished playing. Excellent song by all accounts. Our only gripe may be that its only two minues long!

It only gets better from here. Once again, if you missed our previous lists or want to see the top 20, hit up the links below:
Part 1: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (81-100)
Part 2: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (61-80)
Part 3: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (41-60)
Part 5: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (1-20)

40. The Gaslight Anthem - The 59' Sound (buy)
Why: A common theme for popular indie music is that while the songs themselves may be new, they carry a nostalgic, retro sound that makes their songs even more likable. This goes for TGA's "59' Sound" which made heads turn this past year.

39. The Rosebuds - Life Like (buy)
Why: Multiple vocals and the downtoned theme from the Raleigh group sinks and dims with every beat. Even better, it doesn't come across as dark, but rather more mystical and foreign composed than anything.

38. CSS - Jager Yoga (buy)
Why: A delightful piano capade makes for one of this years best jammable songs. The best part of this song is really how synced up the band is and how rhythmic and movable each instrument is. All of that accompanied with at least three solos made this a sure-fire pick for us.

37. The Helio Sequence - Lately (buy)
Why: The message of this song fits perfectly to the regretful tone of Summers' vocals. There's not enough that can be said of this band. Computers, drums and guitar are all you need to make a classic album for us.

36. The Lodger - The Good Old Days (buy)
Why: These Brits rarely leave a beat or a breath to be determined and when they compiled this song, nothing was left for interpretation. Much like "Morning Tide" from The Little Ones, this song shakes with an amicable personality sure to make you feel like you got out on the right side of the bed.

35. Glasvegas - Geraldine (buy)
Why: Perhaps running even with "Daddy's Gone" on the self-titled debut from the Scottish group, "Geraldine" provides heart through uplifting dream guitar wailing and the intriguing vocals of James Allan.

34. Cut Copy - Feel The Love (buy)
Why: The vanguard for many electronica albums generally gets the "Intro" title. Not Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours. "Feel the Love" not only was playable but could be considered a staple to the buzz that surrounded the Aussie's rise to many #1 album rankings.

33. Weezer - Pork and Beans (buy)
Why: As much as we loved their video for this song, there were more reasons to add this to our top songs list of the year besides Weezer just being Weezer. "Pork and Beans" is a defiant song created for the record companies themselves. They wanted a pop hit, they got one. Turns out Weezer can apparently light it up in their classic style whenever they want, despite their efforts to go in a different direction on this album.

32. Anthem In - Down (buy)
Why: The resemblance of this song to DCFC struck first, and the more I listened to it and their album, I realized there really was not too many similarities at all. As the band's best song on their latest album, Anthem In fits right here in a perfect spot from many of our favs of this year.

31. French Kicks - Abandon (buy)
Why: One of the first songs this year that we fell head over heels for. That was, until we heard the rest of the album. French Kicks seem to be inspired by something from the past, although we can't put our finger on it, but this song combines all of the bands best attributes as one.

30. Bloc Party - Talons (Phones R.I.P. mix) (buy)
Why: What more do you need to know? This was out favorite remix of the year and involves Bloc Party.

29. The Academy Is... - About A Girl (buy)
Why: The Academy Is... continues to define themselves from album to album and Fast Times at Barrington High by no means mimicked any of their previous work. "About a Girl" hit a pop switch with many radio listeners while also serving as the gateway to this album which is part of an ever-expansive genre laden with relationship cursing lyrics and memorable refrains.

28. Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood (buy)
Why: Many of the songs from FF were astounding through vocal harmonizing and the overall timing involved. If the individual efforts of the group shone through anywhere on the album, it was here. From Skye Skjelset's acoustic play to Robin Pecknold's yearning lyrics, this track manifested yesterday's folk with today's talent.

27. Blitzen Trapper - Furr (buy)
Why: Yet another preview song we heard before the album was actually in our hands. "Furr" tells a folk story just as much the band themselves sound folk in this song. Given the combination and our love for those quiet, yet deadly bands, this track settled quite well to say the least.

26. Kings of Leon - Manhattan (buy)
Why: KOL have been doing their thing for some time now, and although their past success has drawn many to them in terms of popularity and radio play, this was the first time we really noticed them. In fact, "Manhattan" still holds true to be our favorite song by these young lads.

25. Bloc Party - Better Than Heaven (buy)
Why: Drop the beat and throw in some synths and breakdowns and you've got Kele singing Bloc Party's best track of the year. As driven as their album was to be louder and more raw, this song reminded us of their great past works.

24. m83 - Graveyard Girl (buy)
Why: Edgy and electrically charged "Graveyard Girl" embodies a forgotten effervescence that soundtracks from the 80's once spawned.

23. Coldplay - Strawberry Swing (buy)
Why: Unlike the rest of Viva La Vida, this song progressed while still maintaining its individuality as just one song and not two grouped together. Coldplay displayed a folk-inspired joy in this song through light banjo vibes and storytelling, which ultimately developed into the diamond in the rough from VLV.

22. The Shore - When Tomorrow Comes (buy)
Why: Our favorite song from the obscure band from CA. We know them to deliver a sound so laid back, yet calibrated to perfection. Whatever these guys do seems to fit our fancy for some rockable, likable psychadelic rock. Throw this one back to the 60s and they would be legends in our time.

21. Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma (buy)
Why: The Ivy League boys snapped together a clever song "dripping with disdain" and a melodic chemistry that charms any listener. Imagine a convoluted rock anthem strung together by preppy musicians in a study hall and you have "Oxford Comma".

The first releases of May 2008 caught our eyes . Perhaps The Barenaked Ladies can rebound from their last album? Does anyone care about 3 Doors Down anymore? And why did we include Ja Rule? There are no real straightforward answers to each of these, but I'll try and sum them up in one short answer. We've given up hope, no and "Livin It Up".

On to the rest of the pack. You may be intrigued to hear the "baroque harmonic pop jams" that Fleet Foxes boast. Their latest Sun Giant released on Subpop is making some noise this week. A few weeks after we were able to see them live, Kansas City's The Republic Tigers just released their debut album, Keep Color. With the experimental folk of Tim Fite, listeners should find comfort with Fair Ain't Far. The Last Shadow Puppets' managed to sound like an instant classic with The Age Of The Understatement.