it's what i hoped for

no more runnin
i've got to breathe
on back porches
with the torch of a firely
and trees

it's what i hoped for
whoa

—animal collective, "no more runnin," merriweather post pavilion

all will whisper

helfenbein danke disco
fredo contessa
faustino helps
blackjack mountain oklahoma
misfeldt argenbright

"feels like" minus twenty-seven

ninety-seven seconds
from the corner of foster and kenmore
to a snowed-in sedan

shoes too cold to be wet
eyes too stung to tear
wind too frozen to howl
but the bony trees are shrieking

tangible breaths rise
like clouds of powdered sugar; no
like puffs of european cigarettes; no—
like bank-robber dynamite in silent movies

three hundred thirty seconds
for my ice-caked glasses to finally
melt.

favorite records of 2008

26. the magnetic fields: distortion
25. wolf parade: at mount zoomer
24. fennesz: black sea
23. hauschka: ferndorf
22. deerhunter: microcastle
21. dj /rupture: uproot
20. marnie stern: this is it and i am it and you are it and so is that and he is it and she is it and it is it and that is that
19. ellen allien: sool
18. alva noto: unitxt
17. sic alps: u.s. ez
16. mau mau starter: waterless sky
15. nick cave & the bad seeds: dig, lazarus, dig!!!
14. the dø: a mouthful
13. of montreal: skeletal lamping
12. karl hector & the malcouns: sahara swing
11. arthur russell: love is overtaking me
10. plants and animals: parc avenue
9. belong: colorloss record e.p.
8. ponytail: ice cream spiritual
7. deerhoof: offend maggie
6. fuck buttons: street horrrsing
5. 2562: aerial
4. the garlands: the garlands e.p.
3. byetone: death of a typographer
2. department of eagles: in ear park
1. portishead: third

numb

my glassy red eyes
can't see a thing; but it is kind of dark out
so.

today i heard church bells echoing
behind creaking buses exhaling deep breaths,
relieved of something, tired,
and i think a turning car whispered
a secret; i know it was a secret
but i know nothing more

it is kind of dark out; i can feel the moon already
and all i can do
is laugh,
looking up.