LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
Photo by Koga for LAist
December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. But this year, just like the last, we took this opportunity to flip that tradition upside down, asking the artists that influenced us what influenced them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008.
1. AA Bondy- American Hearts
2. Le Switch- And Now..Le Switch
3. The Mae Shi- HLLLLYH
4. Blitzen Trapper- Furr
5. The Parson Red Heads- Owl & Timber
6. The Replacements Twin-Tone reissues
7. TV on the Radio- Dear Science
8. Gram Parsons Archives Vol. 1: The Flying Burrito Brothers "Live" at the Avalon 1969' (technically came out in 2007 though)
9. The Walkmen - You and Me
10. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
The Henry Clay People - "Something In The Water"
--
This last year the Henry Clay People played shows all over town and LAist's Koga caught what seemed to be every last one of them.