I was thinking of deserting.
the army has its high points,
but the lulls, where my mind clouds over with confessional thoughts
of do they really require refrigerators
or couches stuffed solid with synthetics,
bring me no clarity.

Where we look out at the wasted electricity
that brings us temporary, fleeting, dwindling joys
in technicolour bright.
in the pages that line the streets, surely fuel for a fire
that could be ignited with collective intelligence
instead of a street creation of recycled mush under the
footprints we carelessly leave behind.
in our food, so fantastically over-served that the
burning-with-hope hippies invented freeganism to recoup
some sense of recognition of waste not, want not.

I was thinking of taking that green bag,
camouflaged under the excessive fashions and their wrinkles
at the bottom of my closet,
filling it with the fragmented fortitude I had built for me in
years of rhetorical education,
dashing out to the nearest transit centre
and abandoning this experiment or whatyoumacallit,
you know, the free world.

Instead,
I shall regale in quiet,
hope in spite of the darkened shadows on my theoretical tinge,
and savour the moments of sanctity preserved remarkably for me.

Callings come and go,
as would have I.
and for now, comfort rests in these phlegmatic eyes.

2007 was such a music discovery year. 2008, I relied on old fave artists and while I ventured occasionally into new territory (see: Junkie XL’s prominent location) I generally found all the expert advice to be generating piles of crappy mp3s in my itunes.

Hands down, Erykah Badu ruled this year. But Sarah Slean, even after putting out a marginal album that to me does not showcase her abilities, still managed two tracks in my top 10, for completely separate emotional connections.

1. Erykah Badu - Soldier
While she didn’t perform it live in Vancouver when I saw her from the front row (and grabbed her hand and had her take my photo, unsuccessfully, from my cell) Soldier is my hands-down fave tune of 2008. I must have listened to it more than 100 times. If I tracked that kind of data, I would know. Soldier is her political beast coming alive, and if anyone knows me, they know that political beasts are my friends.

2. Sarah Slean - Shadowland
Her confessional tune is also philosophical. Didn’t see it performed either of the nights I saw her in Vancouver, but Shadowland, with its message of the reason for our existence, is a lifetime fave. already.

3. Sigur Rós - Ara Batur
Gratingly slow and climbing, Ara Batur could be about anything. But when those violins pick up and the song starts whooping your ass after 6 minutes of meandering and slowness, it’s breathtaking. I imagine this would be the song played the day after the world ends, and a new society comes out this one.

4. Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger / Around the World (live)
The “single” taken from the Alive 2007 album, this remix is a zillion times better than what Kanye West could pull off. An incredible, rapid, wonderful take on DP’s older work.

5. Junkie XL - 1967 Poem
This builds in a way I haven’t heard executed very well in dance before. Perhaps comparable emotional tracks are Bjork’s “Pluto” and Armand Van Helden’s “I can smell u”. Found it in December and it is wonderful.. on repeat…

6. M.I.A. - Hussel
I listened to the MIA album a lot this year. I found it somewhat poppy and accessible and thus played it for people while driving. Hussel was the song that I liked the most… especially the African rap in the middle.

7. Beirut - Cliquot
Beirut is silly and this was the silliest song. I really dig the well done accordion and the “what melody” parts. I thought it was more than one performer!

8. Sarah Slean - Looking for Someone
A favourite since I first heard it in August 2007 (potentially August 13, 2007, to be exact), this track is apparently winning over a lot of sarah converts. with good reason. It’s a perfectly acceptable pop song with complete accessibility.

9. Darren Hayes - Step into the Light
While this album version isn’t necessarily the version I prefer, the release of this song as a semi-single meant to me Darren hadn’t completely forgot how important delivering the goods is. His double album has a lot of duds, yet Step into the Light is probably the best track of his solo career. Guilty pleasure / gym track.

10. Vampire Weekend - One (Blake’s Got a New Face)
I started 2008 with an attempt at listening to lots of new artists. Vampire Weekend made it into constant rotation, and this track, if nothing else, makes it here because I liked the freshness of their tunes. Even if they stopped getting played at my house by June.

Bonus:
11. Bjork featuring Anthony - Dull Flame of Desire
This song challenges me and my tolerance for difference. Anthony’s voice is incredible, and while I first listened to this on repeat in 2007, in 2008 it took on special meaning to push me to emotional grounding in a way that I will only ever know. It’s a really incredible tune.