'08's Music to Love More Than Music: Love More, Pt. 6

Love More (<3)
Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs
A dancing dream. Fujiya & Miyagi have always mysteriously floated under the radar, which is just not right. Sure in 2003 there was a remix album, but I just don't think enough people have noticed the pulsating electro awkwardness that is F&M. Their sound pulls heavily from Krautrock and the analog sounding electronics of the mid 1900's, and there are fewer electronic artists that sound as warm and inviting.
Fujiya & Miyagi - Knickerbocker
Fujiya & Miyagi - Pterodactyls

Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
I have trouble placing an mash-up album very high on a best of list, because, like my buddy Tom alluded to during a conversation not to long ago, the artist didn't really make the music. But I cannot deny the power of this album. It is the most concise and intelligent and obscure of all the Girl Talk records. He is the master of the mash up. All. Hail.
Girl Talk - (You can get the whole thing right here)

Girls In Hawaii - Plan Your Escape
I find it hard to describe this album because I find myself not wanting to say the same tired things that I always say about soft spoken lyricists and guitar parts that amble about but certainly still have direction. Last time I rated this album I basically said the same thing, but said it with a lack of many words. the fact that there are too many good songs on this album to pick fine one or two to host here for you fine people should say volumes.
Girls in Hawaii - Fields of Gold
Girls in Hawaii - Couples on TV

Richard Swift - Richard Swift As Onasis
Bluesy and hella distorted in a way that can only point to a certain man by the name of Tom Waits. Okay, there are probably 1000 influences, and I know I frequently say that people sound like Tom Waits, but, come on, Tom Waits is a good reference point, because at some point if you're going to make music, you're bound to have at least one song that sounds like him, because he's done it all. Richard Swift, I imagine, has no ambition to try to become Tom Waits, probably because he's too good at being himself. This double EP (one of like 10 in existence ... I think the Beatles did the first one) has a few instrumentals and a few more traditional songs, but all in all Richard Swift is going to do whatever he wants, and that means he'll be distorting his drums and his vocals, but not his guitar, or just go off on some sort of jingly-jangly organ rhythm for a few minutes. Either way, I just adore it. Dirty it up Rich, dirty it up.
Richard Swift - Knee-High Boogie Blues
Richard Swift - The German (Something Came Up)

The Sleeping Years - We're Becoming Islands One by One
One of my favorite album titles of the year. This album starts off on a creepy note, and really doesn't move much from that feeling. I mean, starting off an album by telling people that you're setting fire to sleepy towns is a bold way to begin an album. You're certainly not going to win the normals out there. I was instantly engrossed. Dale Grundle's voice is matched in unimposing intensity only by the instrumentals which accompany them. This album is like a low lying fog that drifts into town and slowly begins to rot people's minds, encouraging them to get into fights with each other and cheat on their loved one or intentionally "forget" to feed their dog.
The Sleeping Years - Setting Fire to Sleepy Towns
The Sleeping Years - You and Me Against the World