My relationship to music changed pretty significantly after I took over editing duties at the Deli SF in March 2008. What opened up before me with this new concentration on the local scene was a warm, rich, nurturing community full of talented musicians, writers and enthusiasts. And I’ve been fortunate enough to hear a myriad of great bands, many of which I may not have discovered otherwise.
My favorite local record of 2008, and one of my overall favorites, was The Heavenly States‘ Delayer. It’s a solid record from start to finish, at times reminding the listener of the Replacements circa All Shook Down, Spoon circa A Series of Sneaks, The Pixies circa Doolittle, etc. etc. All the while, of course, maintaining a unique sound with every garage-tinged hook and pull on the violin. “Lost in the Light,” in particular, became one of my personal anthems of 2008 – the song’s pure energy and heart simply explodes with every listen, and there were times when I just couldn’t turn it off.
Spoon loves them. The blogosphere loves them. Delayer is really good. Here’s to even more success for the Heavenly States in 2009.
This contribution was written by guest blogger Anna Gazdowicz, the Associate Editor of The Deli SF. You can vote in The Deli’s year-end music poll here.
