Well folks, the year is winding down once again. I feel like just a few months ago we were ringing in 2008, but the truth is that another year has passed us by. This will be my first post in a series of posts celebrating “The Best of 2008″. To start off the series, I’d like to talk about my favourite EPs of the year. There have been quite a few EPs released this year to keep us going while we await new full lengths from our favourite artists. Artists such as Andrew Bird, Final Fantasy, The Decemberists, Antony & the Johnsons, Animal Collective and Coldplay have all released EPs this year. Some have been better than others, but they have mostly been solid. So here is my list of the Best EPs of 2008:

5. Animal Collective - Water Curses EP

Starting out the list is Animal Collective’s Water Curses EP. The first two songs on the 4 song EP are amazing and the last two are just so so, but what makes this EP so special is the title track of the EP, “Water Curses”. This song is among my favourite all-time Animal Collective songs. They could have just put out the EP with this being the only song on it and I would still consider it a great success. I may be building this song up too much. You’re probably going to listen to it and be like…”Ok it’s not that good”. So forget what I just said. This EP is terrible. “Water Curses”? Awful, Awful song….

Animal Collective - Water Curses

Animal Collective Myspace

4. Andrew Bird - Soldier On EP

Next we have the brilliant multi-instrumentalist/whistler extraordinaire, who is back with this excellent little EP to tide us over until his next full length album, which will be entitled Noble Beasts and is slated for a January 27th, 2009 release. I have this feeling that nothing Andrew Bird puts his hands on can turn out bad. I have loved pretty much everything I have ever heard from him and this EP is no exception. “The Water Jet Cilice” is pure beauty in song. Check it out.

Andrew Bird - The Water Jet Cilice

Andrew Bird Myspace

3. Stars - Sad Robots EP

I absolutely love this EP. Stars have always brought the drama and this EP is no different. It is comprised of 5 new songs and a new live version of the Stars classic, “Going Going Gone”. I was also lucky enough to be able to see Stars perform some of the songs from this EP live in New York City a few months ago. I am really eager to hear what the next Stars album will sound like. I really hope it goes in the same direction as this excellent EP.

Stars - Undertow

Stars’ Myspace

2. The Decemberists - Always the Bridesmaid (A Singles Series) EPs

This is a series of 3 EP’s of odds and ends that obviously wouldn’t fit on the new album that the Decemberists are working on entitled Hazards of Love, which will be released in March 2009. Colin Meloy has always been a fan of the EP, releasing a number of them before this one, including his Colin Meloy SIngs series, in which he covered songs of Morrissey, Shirley Collins and Sam Cooke on three EPs. This series of EPs is quite spectacular if you ask me. I really like every song on them. My favourites would have to be “A Record Year” off of Volume 3, and the cover of the Velvet Underground’s “I’m Sticking With You” off of Volume 2. Valerie Plame is also a pretty awesome song. You can find that one of the first volume.

The Decemberists - Record Year

The Decemberists Myspace

1. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP

And the winner is….of course! This one’s a shoo-in. Just an amazing EP from start to finish. “Mykonos” is still arguably my favourite Fleet Foxes song period. It looks like Fleet Foxes are going to clean up this year in most of the “Best of 2008″ lists. Check in soon to see if they top the list of best song of the year, or best album of the year.

Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant

Fleet Foxes Myspace

Honorable mention goes to the Another World EP by Antony & the Johnsons, the Plays to Please EP by Final Fantasy, and the No Way Down EP by Air France.

So Fleet Foxes take best EP of the year…what a surprise. These guys are just amazing. I really hope they keep it up on whatever they decide to release next. The next thing I’m working on is my list of the top songs of the year. After that I will reveal my list of the top 20 albums of the year. It’s actually quite fun to look back and see what you really listened to a lot of during the year. You should do it too.

What are your favourite EPs of the year?

Until next week…

-The Middle Distance Runner

I don’t know about you but there’s nothing I look forward to more than when the artists I love put out new albums. Often though, the intense excitement and high expectations that I have lead to disappointment when I actually do get to hear the new releases and they aren’t exactly what I was hoping for. Once I get over that initial disappointment however, I usually come to love the albums. The fact remains, new albums are exciting! Some great new releases that I have been listening to lately are Man Man’s Rabbits Habbits, Aimee Mann’s @#%&*! Smilers, Fleet Foxes’ self titled LP and Wolf Parade’s At Mount Zoomer. Now let’s take a look at what is on the horizon…try not to drool.

Ratatat: LP3 - July 8, 2008

I absolutely cannot wait to hear this new album by New York City duo Ratatat. Since first hearing about them two summers ago, I have been incessantly listening to their first two LPs, Ratatat and Classics. I only hope that their third LP, which is aptly entitled LP3, will have the same magic that made the first two as good as they are. I’m expecting something a little different this time around. While the first two albums were great, they were pretty similar sounding, so I think we can expect a little bit of variation.

Here’s a little taste of the new album: Shiller

CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy): Donkey - July 21, 2008

Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere, you have definitely heard of CSS. I remember a time when nobody knew who they were. Until a certain Apple ad changed everything. Now, CSS is everywhere… and good for them! But the pressure is on for them to follow up their debut self titled album with something worth listening to. Here’s a sample from the new album called Rat is Dead (Rage). Sounds pretty good to me!

The Stills: Oceans Will Rise - August 19, 2008

Here’s a band that i haven’t thought of for awhile. Recently signed to Arts & Crafts Records, The Stills, who hail from my Montreal hometown, will release their third studio album on August 19th. I am very eager to hear how they have changed in the last 2 years. Their second album, Without Feathers, was much different from their first, Logic WIll Break Your Heart. Is this a sign that their new album will be much different from their second? We will have to wait and see. But for now, here are some samples from the new record:

Rooiboos/Palm Wine Drinkard

Being Here

Imogen Heap: Untitled Third Album - September, 2008

I have been waiting for a new album from Imogen for a long time now. It’s been three years since her last solo album Speak For Yourself and I think it’s about time we hear some new stuff from her. Being the awesome person that she is, she has been recording video blogs for some time now documenting the creation of her new album. You can check out her latest vblog (the 24th) below. Look for her new album to drop this September!

Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping - October 7, 2008

I have been following them for many years and I consider them one of my all time favourite bands. While their last release Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? was probably one of my least favourite Of Montreal albums, I am still reaaaally excited to hear what they have in store for us this time around. The new album, which is to be entitled Skeletal Lamping, and will hit stores on October 7th, might just be the strangest thing we have heard from Kevin Barnes and his crew yet.

Here’s what Barnes had to say about it on Of Montreal’s Myspace Blog: “I wanted to make an album that was unpredictable and, at times,startling, yet always hummable and catchy. some of the transitions are intentionally awkward. I did this to keep the listener off guard and to dismantle people’s perception of how an album is supposed to be constructed. I am so bored with art that makes sense and ‘works’. I wanted to do somethings that didn’t ‘work’.”

Metric: Unknown Title - Summer 2008

According to this article a new Metric album should be hitting stores at some point this summer. I wouldn’t expect it before the fall but this is still exciting news! I don’t think Emily Haines has ever put out anything that wasn’t great. Whether it be with her band Metric or on her own with the Soft Skeleton, her music has always been amazing and I expect no less from their new LP, whenever it does come out. Here are two new songs that we can expect to hear on the album:

Give Me Sympathy (Acoustic):

Twilight:

Here are some more albums to look out for:

Holly Throsby: A Loud Call - July 12, 2008

Midlake: The Courage of Others (Tentative Title) - 2008

Final Fantasy: Heartland - Unknown Date

Well that’s all for now. It looks like it is going to be a pretty exciting summer and fall. Lots of new music for us to live our lives to. If you have any more information about future albums from these or other artists, please let me know!

Until next week…

-The Middle Distance Runner

Who doesn’t love a soft female vocalist singing along with the sweet sounds of an acoustic guitar, piano, or in some cases, a harp. If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing sweeter than the sound of a talented female artist doing her thing. Artists that we know and love, like Joanna Newsom, My Brightest Diamond, Feist and Regina Spektor (to name a few) and artists that aren’t so well known like the one’s I’m about to name. This is a tribute to some up and coming female artists that I think we will be hearing a lot more from in the coming years.

Laura Marling

At the mere age of 18, Marling has created quite a stir not only in her Eversley, England hometown, but across the pond, here in North America. I was lucky enough to see her open for Adam Green last month in New York City, and even though many people didn’t know who she was, the performance was great, and I’m sure it got whoever was at the show talking about her. She has a whole bunch of shows coming up this summer, mostly in the UK with 2 more stops in New York City next week.

Check out all of her dates here.

And here is her video for the song “Ghosts” which is off of her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim:

Birdie Busch

This is a new discovery of mine, recommended to me by my friend Jeremy of good musical taste. There isn’t a lot about her out there on the internet (just yet) but I think she has a nice sound, and could be big one day. She has already released 2 full length albums, and I think she may have a third in the works.

Here is a sample track and the best quality video I could find for you, the song is called “Mystical” and the video is called “Go Go Gadget Heart”, both songs off of her latest release, Penny Arcade :

Birdie Busch - Mystical

Basia Bulat

The first I heard of Basia Bulat was at the inaugural Osheaga Festival in 2006 in Montreal. Unfortunately, I just stopped for a few minutes on my way to see Final Fantasy play so i didn’t really get to enjoy her set. If I knew that I would like her as much as I do today I would have definitely made a point of watching her entire set. Along with acoustic guitar Basia also plays the autoharp regularly at all of her shows. And best of all, she is Canadian!

This is a video of her performing “Snakes and Ladders” from her latest release Oh, My Darling, live in Brussels

Holly Throsby

My last up and coming solo female artist is the amazingly talented Holly Throsby, who has gained significant popularity in her hometown of Sydney, Australia and is continuing to gain popularity around the world. She has toured with the likes of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Joanna Newsom and YBP’s first official artist, Devendra Banhart. She has already given us two amazing albums and the third will hit shelves on July 12 entitled “A Loud Call”

Here is Holly performing the song “Spare-Ohs” along with violin/whistler extraordinaire Andrew Bird:

And finally, here is a little taste of Holly’s new album A Loud Call. The song is called “A Heart Divided”:

So, readers, you have some homework to do…check out these artists and then go to their shows!

Until next week…

-The Middle Distance Runner