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FAVORITE SONGS OF 2008: SOLANGE — “SANDCASTLE DISCO”

Beyonce’s little sister Solange is proving to be one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. “Sandcastle Disco” is another one of those songs that should’ve been released the moment it was clear that there’d be nothing fun on the radio between May and August. I mean, how could a song this fun be kept from a mass audience in times like these? It’s the sort of song you’ll be singing in front of the mirror into your hairbrush. For a few minutes, Solange’s “Sandcastle Disco” makes you forget about how bad it is out there. Shred the unpaid bills! We need more confetti!

(Please forgive the spotty video quality. I tried to use FNMTV’s proprietary player, but it wouldn’t load properly when embedded.)

FAVORITE SONGS OF 2008: TORCHE — “ACROSS THE SHIELDS”

Some people are disappointed in Torche for recording an album that has crossover potential. That might bother me, too, if it were still possible for metal bands to crossover. To me, “Across the Shields” exemplifies what makes Torche’s Meanderthal such an exciting album: not only are they making catchy, hooky music, they’re still going for the jugular. Every moment exults in triumph. With Meanderthal, Torche blend intensity and pop sensibility that one rarely sees in metal, and it’s more than a little refreshing after a few solid years of black metal fetishism.

FAVORITE SONGS OF 2008: SANTOGOLD — “LIGHTS OUT”

It’s easy to understand why Santi White aka Santogold would be upset with critics for calling her music hip-hop or R&B, as anyone who’s listened to her latest single, “Lights Out,” would know. It’s a great new wave track that could’ve, nay, should’ve been one of the summer’s undersung hits. Then again, with a new season of “Gossip Girl” just around the corner, it might have the makings of a campus classic.

FAVORITE SONGS OF 2008: PORTISHEAD — “THE RIP”

Portishead’s “The Rip” is hands down one of my favorite songs of 2008. The video is equally beautiful. It’s on my current mix and I’m guessing it’ll stay there for the rest of the year. I didn’t think that Portishead’s Third could match their earlier work; Dummy had a major impact on me as a teenager trying to wean himself off of crunching guitars, and the melancholy expressed in their music floored me.

Third is the sort of album that shows a band capable of regaining their former glory. The emotional heft of “The Rip” really demonstrates that Portishead still have a grasp on what made them so great to begin with. R.E.M. and Metallica could learn a thing or two from them.

I’m also fond of Radiohead’s backstage version, featured above, with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood both on acoustic guitars. It’s so referential and lovely; Yorke’s voice is a thing of wonder with material like this.