The Year That Was September- December Part Two

I already waxed lyrical aboutWHY? back in September and its quite fitting they are the final piece of my ‘Best of 2008’ puzzle. 

Their album Alopecia was loaded with brilliantly crafted melodies and wise-ass lyrics which meant not only did I listen to them more than any other artists but it seems I played their track ‘The Hollows‘ more than any other in a long time (thanks again Last.fm for that handy statistics). 

I managed to catch them live at the Scala in early November and fortunately they did not disappoint. In a live setting the tracks took on a more intimate feel and the subtle nuances that appear on record came to life allowing each member to showcase their unique talents. 

If they show up anywhere near you I would drop anything you have planned, it would be well worth it.
—————
My first exposure to Santogold was an appearance on Channel 4’s late night show The Green Room and I remember thinking she was as crazy as a cat with a string; my type of girl! 

When a colleague featured her on one of his weekly playlists I knew I had to dig deeper. When I finally got round to playing her entire album I realised I had already been exposed to many of the tracks. This is a contentious issue for some as she has come in for criticism for featuring her tracks in TV adverts but I feel without that added exposure I might not have taken to the album so much. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be heard by any means possible and Santi has proven she has the ability to inject a melody deep into your brain and never let go.