2007 Year End Survey | Tanner McCuin

Usually, when we post someone's response, we spend the opening paragraph or two chronicling what the person has been up to for the last year. Well, this time it's going to be a bit different.

Tanner McCuin is the keyboardist for the Burlington purveyors of free-range soundscapes, Nest Material and writer of one of the most open, honest, naked and humorous blogs in Vermont, Highgate. However, here's the big news. Tanner was just laid off from his job as a web designer on Friday. His work has been outsourced to a firm in Montreal.

Who the hell lays someone off during the Christmas holiday season? Who the hell outsources work to Canada? Whatever. It sucks all around.

So, if you know of a web design position available in the Burlington area, be sure to contact Tanner via his blog or myspace page.

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

Favorite song of 2007.... woof. That's a toughy. I'm not altogher a "song" person - most albums i buy and listen to have to be "albums". But if i'm pressed, i'd have to say "My Moon, My Man" by Feist - she really nails it down on this one, and to me it sounds like it could be a cover of some unreleased "Ga Ga (etc)" track.

2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

Burial - Untrue -= This album takes the promise of his debut and delivers in ways i wasn't expecting. While on the self-title, the vocals often floated in and out and left me feeling that their presence was at best arbitrary, and at worst, unnecessary. I've never been a fan of vocals in dance floor oriented electronic music, to me, the synths fill this gap nicely without the need of cooing Hi-NrG mantras. Untrue brings the vocals to the forefront, and while on first blush i was skeptical, i quickly fell under their spell. Composed of samples of voice mail messages and melodic fragments, untrue introduces a layer of gauzy euphoria that floats like London fog over the razorblade hi-hats and meat packed bass hits. Ultimately, it's a powerful and mesmerizing listening experience that keeps me going back.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

This is a no brainer, Beach House, highgerground. Me and the other 7 people there got treated. She wrapped us all up in a warm little blanket of fuzzy melancholy and then let us down nice and easy. 2nd place is a tie between every Snake in the Garden show, and watching Greg and Akron Family melt faces at metronome.

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

Getting some things in my personal life straightened out, priorities, all that - getting a great and comfy place with my sweet girlfriend, and getting to bring my new dog into it all and play with him. You know you're happy when you get woken up almost daily before dawn and dragged outside in the cold so you can pick up piles of hot steaming shit, and it doesn't phase you one bit.

But this year was also a sad one; I've had to say goodbye to more friends than i can count, all off to new adventures which I'm happy for, but they'll all be missed.

5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

All my friends here and there find some of what they're looking for. That Oldham (my pup) grows up big and strong and stops eating rubber bands and tinsel. That Jenny doesn't realize she's dating beneath her. And that hopefully the new year will see me playing music again, preferably heavy, droney and hazey.

Feist | My Man My Moon | Buy

Nest Material | Rice Krispies | Buy


Tanner's 2006 Year End Survey