Editor's Note: Over the next 10 days, I'll be presenting my favorite
local records of the year, counting down from No. 10 to No. 1, one
album a day. Keep checking back to see how the list pans out, and, in
the meantime, click after the jump to see albums No. 20-11 in the Top
20 list that will update as the it grows...
How? Well, because When The Music Starts isn't trying to be anything that it isn't, for one. It isn't music for kids--it's music for adults who miss what it was like to be a kid. And, with this highly, highly enjoyable debut, Joey Kendall and friends have proven themselves quite capable of bottling up and repackaging all of the fleeting senses of childhood nostalgia.
Is it gimmicky? Maybe a little. But it's also a niche, and, unlike in the attempts of so many other locally-produced efforts this year, Mount Righteous has been able to find itself a fairly untapped niche. What, you know of another 11-piece act out there that can get a whole room smiling and dancing without any special effects and without anyone ever having heard of the band before? I highly doubt that.
Bonus mp3:
Mount Righteous -- "Licorice Nights"
Mount Righteous -- "Licorice Nights"
Disagree? OK, that's fine. I just feel bad that you had such a crappy childhood. --Pete Freedman
The Top 20 Local Releases Of 2008
20. Collin Herring - Past Life Crashing
19. Stumptone - Gravity Suddenly Released
18. Dove Hunter - The Southern Unknown
17. Febrifuge - A Short Instance Of Separation
16. Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights - Hot Trottin'
15. Toadies - No Deliverance
14. Record Hop - Record Hop
13. The New Frontiers - Mending
12. Fight Bite - Emerald Eyes
11. Lil Wil - Dolla$, TX
10. Dem Southernfolkz - The Message
9. True Widow - True Widow
8. The Theater Fire - Matter and Light
7. Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Dual Hawks
6. Sarah Jaffe - Even Born Again EP
5. Mount Righteous - When The Music Starts
4. ??????
3. ??????
2. ??????
1. ??????
...and keep checking back, as this list will update daily.
