Tag Archives: dark was the night

Best of 2009 by Jay of Stranger Dance

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Who: Jay, Editor in Chief
Blog: Stranger Dance
Location: San Francisco
Twitter: @strangerdance

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: Dark was the Night compilation – tough to beat out this much fire power
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms – I just can’t stop listening to this album.
  3. Best Song: Yikes. This one’s to close to call. Last.fm tells me I’ve listened to “So Far Around the Bend” by The National the most this year, so I guess that’s as good an indicator as any.  Elvis Perkins’ “Shampoo”, Phoenix’s “1901” and “What I Mean To You” by Justin Townes Earle are all right up there.
  4. Best Live Show: Josh Ritter’s NoisePop gig at Great American Music Hall last February just edged out J. Tillman’s surprisingly epic show at Cafe du Nord. Both shows outmatched a lot of the bigger ticket shows I caught this year.
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Patrick Watson
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: St. Vincent
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Animal Collective
  8. Favorite SF Band: Maus Haus. You’d probably get a different answer tomorrow, but that’s my pick today.
  9. One to Watch in 2010: Girls / Maus Haus

Best of 2009 by Anna of Stranger Dance

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Who: Anna, Local Music Editor
Blog: Stranger Dance
Location: San Francisco
Twitter: @strangerdance

The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire

  1. Best Album: Tie – Various Artists – Dark Was the Night / The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns. Not sure if some will count Dark Was the Night as year-end worthy because it’s a compilation, but I just can’t leave it out.
  2. Most Overlooked Album: Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend. Maybe some won’t consider this album as overlooked, but I felt like I should have seen more coverage of it across the blogosphere.
  3. Best Song: Tie – The Books ft. Jose Gonzalez – “‘Cello Song” (Nick Drake cover)/Fanfarlo – “I’m a Pilot”
  4. Best Live Show: Tie – The Tallest Man on Earth, the Independent, 7/2/09 / Bon Iver, Fox Theater, 9/24/09
  5. Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Fanfarlo
  6. Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: J. Tillman, both at Cafe du Nord in August and the Great American on December 4th. D’oh!
  7. Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Dirty Projectors. And Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (except for that “Home” song, that song warms my lil’ heart).
  8. Favorite SF Band: There are so many, but I always come back to Or, the Whale. Grand Lake is probably my latest local favorite.
  9. One to Watch in 2010: Sleepy Sun – local and fabulous.

Videos: Dark Was the Night – Yeasayer, Dirty Projectors, The National

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The official videos for Yeasayer’s “Tight Rope”, Dirty Projectors – “Knotty Pine” and The National – “So Far Around The Bend”, off of the Dark Was the Night, a charity compilation for AIDS released by 4AD Records and Red Hot.  The Red Hot Organization is the leading international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.