the fyrehaus

For the Guardian’s first celebrity playlist of 2008, they bring you Paul Smith of Maximo Park’s favorites of 2008. Includes The National, Feist, Lucky Cloud, Nick Lowe, and others

I’ve been on Maximo Park’s mailing list since, well, I think since shortly after they started a mailing list. Backwhen they only had the “Apply Some Pressure” single (or so I thought) and throwing that into my order would get me discounted shipping on a passel of vinyl from the UK.

I don’t feel I need to say much on the brilliance of their music, it really stands on its own. If you haven’t given it a shot, just take a browse around their website. I’d recommend registering for the site for the behind-the-scenes video and the mailing list, since it’s one that manages to balance being true to the band while still clearly managed by the label. I never expect band members to have time to code or handle distribution lists, even though sometimes they do!

What brings my fingers here today is Paul’s earnest, heartfelt, handwritten end-of-year message.  It’s endearing, written on Best Western stationary after he’d finished a dj set, and definitely conveys the ups and downs of the past year as Maximo have grown after releasing their sophomore album.

Maximo Park played a homecoming show in Newcastle on December 15th. There’s something about England that inspires hardcore hometown devotion. Newcastle Ale for the second time ever asked an outside entity to design a special label, prompting Maximo Brown Ale. 

It’s always a pleasure to discover that a band is not only good at, y’know, making music, but also at both giving invigorating live shows and communicating with fans. Maximo Park do all incredibly well. I actually own the Live in Tokyo cd set, ok? Even though I already had the album in digital format.