Eclectic Grooves

While I was compiling this Best Albums of 2008 list, it became painfully obvious to me that I wasn't fully prepared for the task at hand. Since the majority of music I listened to this year was culled from the massive archives of the sharity blogs, I haven't paid much attention to current trends in music. After sifting through an ocean of new records released in 2008, I had so many melodies and chord progressions floating through my brain matter that the notes were spilling out of my ears. The method to my madness was simple, or so it would seem. I proceeded to gather every "Best Albums of 2008" list that I could find to make myself aware of releases that had slipped through the cracks of my listening repertoire. Then, I compiled a comprehensive list that represents the diversity of the music released throughout the year. Today I am posting the first part of this list starting with #11-20. I hope you enjoy this list and discover some new music. 11) Juana Molina- Un D...

Thanks to those of you who left comments on the Eclectic Grooves 2nd year anniversary! Most of you have probably noticed that I have been a lot more active on here lately. I realize that I have been neglecting the blog, but I am back in full force again with a lot of great ideas for future posts. Recently, I have noticed a spike in the popularity of the Chubby Checker- New Revelation/Chequered post from Jan 2008. So, I made sure that the link is still active for this post, and the last two year's Halloween posts . I have a Halloween podcast coming up next week sometime, and a couple Halloween rarities that will hopefully add something to your ghoulish gatherings this year. In other news, Capillary Action are playing tonight at the Someday Lounge in Portland, OR at 9:00 PM. I believe that the cover is only $5, so there aren't many excuses not to go. For those of you who say, "Who the hell is Capillary Action, Kev" I say to you, "Please check this link for a rev...

Capillary Action- So Embarrassing A couple months ago, I received an e-mail from the lead singer of Seattle's Capillary Action requesting that I post a review of his band's latest record So Embarrassing. Since my inbox was already flooded with requests from various musicians and marketing interns urging me to plug the next best thing, my intial reaction was to decline. But I had a strong feeling that this was something special that I couldn't dismiss without at least giving it a listen. I replied to Jonathan's e-mail by requesting a CD of the band's music along with a lyric sheet for further examination. A few weeks had passed before the package arrived in my mailbox, but the music that was concealed in this package was well worth the wait. Good things come to those who wait, and I hope that Jonathan feels the same about this review. As I listened to So Embarrassing, I couldn't help feeling that I was on a rapidly descending elevator ride through hell, stoppi...