Q1 Report: We Pick the Best of 2008 So Far
April 3rd, 2008 | 12:57 pm est |
New Releases
American Music Club - The Golden Age
Autechre - Quaristice
Autistic Daughters - Uneasy Flowers
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
Beach House - Devotion
The Black Crowes - Warpaint
Black Milk - Caltroit
Black Mountain - In the Future
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies
Los Campesinos - Hold on Now, Youngster…
Chessie - Manifest
Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Sheryl Crow - Detours
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Ray Davies - Working Man’s Cafe
Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams
Raheem DeVaughn - Love Behind the Melody
DeVotchKa - A Mad and Faithful Telling
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
Liam Finn - I’ll Be Lightning
The Five Blind Boys of Alabama - Down in New Orleans
The Fleshtones - Take a Good Look
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Howlin Rain - Magnificent Fiend
Alan Jackson - Good Time
Junior Boys - Body Language, Vol. 6
Kelley Polar - I Need You to Hold on While the Sky Is Falling
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Justus Köhncke - Safe and Sound
Charles Lloyd - Rabo de Nube
Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin’
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Bob Mould - District Line
Nada Surf - Lucky
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
David “Fathead” Newman - Diamondhead
Panic at the Disco - Pretty. Odd
Connie Price & the Keystones - Tell Me Something
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust (US Bonus Tracks)
The Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
School of Language - Sea from Shore
Sons & Daughters - This Gift
Kelley Stoltz - Circular Sounds
Otis Taylor - Recapturing the Banjo
These New Puritans - Beat Pyramid
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Larry Willis - The Offering
Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
Yip-Yip - Two Kings of the Same Kingdom (CD/DVD)
Reissues
Ashford & Simpson - The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities
Association P.C. - Mama Kuku
Beck - Odelay (Deluxe Edition)
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode: His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings
Big Dipper - Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology
The Coasters - There’s a Riot Goin’ On: The Coasters on Atco
Commander Cody - The Early Years 1967-1970
Carl Craig - Sessions
Jim Ford - Point of No Return
Dallas Frazier - The R&B Sessions: Elvira/Tell It Like It Is
Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear (Expanded Edition)
Merle Haggard - Hag: Concepts, Live & the Strangers — The Capitol Recordings 1968-1976
Jason & the Scorchers - Fervor/Lost & Found
Ernie K-Doe - Here Come the Girls!
The Lemonheads - It’s a Shame About Ray (Collector’s Edition) (CD/DVD)
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool (Bonus Tracks)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors (Deluxe Edition)
Frankie Miller - Blackland Farmer: The Complete Starday Recordings
Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches: Definitive Edition
Mission of Burma - Vs.: Definitive Edition
Rick Nelson - For You: The Decca Years
The Dave Pike Set - Live at the Philharmonie
Elvis Presley - His Hand in Mine (2008 Bonus Tracks)
Squeeze - Argybargy (Deluxe Edition)
Charles Tolliver - Mosaic Select: Charles Tolliver
Various Artists - Disco Not Disco (2008)
Various Artists - Don’t Stop: Recording Tap
Various Artists - Droppin’ Science: Greatest Samples from the Blue Note Lab
Various Artists - Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986
Various Artists - New York City Salsa, Vol. 2
Various Artists - Rembetika 2: More of the Secret History of Greece’s Underground Music
You’re kidding about not including Cat Power, right?
Brad, dude, don’t start this indignant hipster routine again…
Yeah Brad. Geez.
Brad! C’mon! Just listen to this old man and buy the Mission of Burma and Nick Lowe! That Cat Power is OK, but you’ve got bigger things to worry about…
UMMM, where’s the new Nick Cave you dickless whorebags?
Waylon, dude, don’t start this indignant hipster routine again…
Ummm, where’s the new whatever record isn’t on that list?
I can’t believe you guys for being so behind the times. You missed all the good albums and stuff. Where the hell are…
1) Tina & the Turnpikes: All Weapons Are 4 Keepz…The Shakedown (Volume 1.)
2) The Snaggletones: Just Wishin for Christmas
3) The Coupons: Seriously Paved Boulevards
4) Randy: Randy’s Album (live)
No cat power and no donkey punch. WHATAREYOUTHINKIN!!!
well seeing as how AMG hasn’t even reviewed the new nick cave record, which hasn’t hit american markets yet, it makes sense that it isn’t on here.
the new cat power was ok but come on, it’s a covers record. it’s good, and nice to listen to especially if you’re a fan of her voice, but there’s not a whole lot to it. certainly not as striking as the first covers record, either.
yeah i am glad cat power didnt make the list. it was a wild disappointment. where is hercules and love affair though? released too late maybe, thats the only thing i can think of because that is one of the best things i have head in years (and years and years)
feelies-crazy rhythms
17 years out of print, you gave it 5 stars.
some of those were 2007 also but i know the “released in america in 2008″ rule.
Are you guys gonna review the new Supergrass? I don’t know if you’d consider it one of the best of the year, but it’s certainly really good. (As usual)
best albums of the year so far is:
The Kills “midnight boom”
Stellar Kart “expect the impossible”
Bob Mould “district line”
justus_kohncke “safe and sound”
great list!!!!!
i will add:
MARAH - angels of destruction
DAEDALUS - live at low theory
THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN - we brave bees stings and all
CRYSTAL CASTLES - crystal castles
DESTROYER - trouble in dreams
MORCHEEBA - dive deep
HEADLIGHTS- some racing some stopping
The absence of jazz
Gary Louris - Vagabonds Mark Olson - Salvation Blues
These are 2 of the best albums, no question.
THE LACKLOVES, Sendra!
Aren’t you forgetting something…or rather someone?
The Dodos - Visiter is THE album of the year so far. Can’t believe you have left it out of your list. Last year you left out The National; now this. Are you deaf? :-))
Where’s the new Sun Kil Moon?
And the new Witch album? And the new Sword album?
2 of my favorites that were left off are Evangelicals “The Evening Descends” and Marah “Angels of Destruction.”
The new Black Keys could have made it just under the wire.
Tim is right. I noticed a disturbing absence of jazz. I could care less about all this hipster “I’m cool, look at how weird I am” shit. Give me some real creativity.
No Grand Archives?
Did I just see THE Mark Kozelek ask why his own album didn’t make the list up there?
What about the stellar Whiskeytown reissue of Strangers Almanac, possibly the best album ever, stop eating retard sandwiches.
ya ya ya, here are mine…
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Portishead - Three
The Woodsmen - Rubbish
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
OK THE LIST IS:
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
BLACK KIDS
BLACK KIDS
BLACK KIDS
BLACK KIDS
BLACK KIDS
Even with the omission of Ladyhawk’s Shots album, that’s not a bad list. This has been an exceptional year for new music. The Big Dipper and Whiskeytown reissues are great, and The Replacements reissues are on their way. Wait until the end of the year when people pare these lists to ten picks. No two will be the same.
El Guincho!
i thought this list was pretty good. i like 95% of those albums, although i don’t really “get” xiu xiu and i never will.
gotta recommend everyone check out that new thomas function album, celebration. I don’t agree with a lot of the review here on AMG (as far as what it sounds like) but it was given 4.5 stars, just has a lack of promo behind it.
Where’s the new Doo Doo Volcano album?
What do you mean, you’ve never heard of them. What is wrong with you people? And you only THOUGHT you were all one-up on everyone else when it comes to obscure music. Ha!
Doo Doo Volcano rules!
Foxy Shazam and Toasty Tuesdays…
to my opinion the best album in 2008 is FOALS
will you stupid indie trend followers stop complaining. this is not 2007 anymore. your dumb trend is over. we are going to start dawning on a new meaningful age of music real soon.
Ah, Spring, when flowers bloom, birds sing, and trolls fail to leave their basements. Truly lovely weather.
Pretty good list. I, too, would have liked to have seen more jazz, as my collection is pretty slim and biased toward the sixties, so I’d like to have an idea of where to start with the contemporary stuff.
once again, no John Zorn… Film Works 19: The Rain Horse is one of his best film works, if not the best… where’s Steven Bernstein’s brilliant Diaspora Suite… or Cyro Baptista… it seems that Tzadik records don’t count for anything even though they’re having an amazing run of records… it seems AMG is lower their standards… teheh…
lowering their standards :P
Would you believe that all those Tzadik releases just missed the cut?
Snooooooore. 60 records were great? Really? Keep fluffing the record industry. Why not provide a true service and boil it down to ten and then list the releases best left skipped?
Like:
American Music Club - The Golden Age
Anyone who owns any of their records made before “Mercury” has no reason to listen to this. Lifetime award, yes, but retirement: please.
The Black Crowes - Warpaint
No way.
Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
The dude still sounds like an off-key homeless drunk. Dismissable even if they did earn $$ for a former Camper Van B member.
Sheryl Crow - Detours
You gotta be *#@&ing kidding me.
Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams
Like hearing a pig strangling.
I’ll stop here. The effort to consider how anyone could like Panic at the Disco would tax me too much.
Can’t you pare down the list a little? You’re standards seem to be a little lax, kind of like the NBA Hall of Fame.
“My Bloody Underground” opens today by BMG … hooo-raaaah
BJM … duh
Where is MAN MAN???!?!?!?!
Never mind that, where’s Fried Monkey’s amazing new album ‘Jangle In The Jungle’? Huh? I’ll tell you where: NOWHERE. Because I just made them up.
This list is way too long, as others have pointed out. And Sheryl Crow is on the list, which means that somewhere along the way someone had a TOTAL CRITICAL FACULTY MELTDOWN.
Drive-By Truckers’ newest album is magnifique.
Not a bad list. Obviously it’s not going to satisfy everyone as opinions, especially on musical tastes, vary widely.
My favorites of 2008 so far (that didn’t make your list):
Steven Bernstein - Diaspora Suite
Easy Star All-Stars - Until that Day [EP]
Morgan Heritage - Mission in Progress
PS. Not the same “brad” as above. I dislike Cat Power. I don’t see what all the hype is about. To each his or her own though.
I’ve heard very good things about the new REM album accelerate. Out of 30 records, and the other ones you have listed, this should have made it, even if it was at the bottom. If you are going to tend toward the mainstream artists on major record labels, even.
Did you consider Cryptacize’s “Dig That Treasure”? I know the record’s quiet and brief, but the songwriting is excellent and the trio’s execution is magical.
No adam green?
Woo, nice to see New Zealand being represented in The Ruby Suns and Liam Finn…
Jim Ford! All the way.
Amen.
What about Hercules and Love Affair and the reissue of “The Glow Pt. 2″ by The Microphones??
why do all the amazing christian albums get skipped in these lists?
the afters, after edmund, sanctus real, leeland, inhabited, cadia, p.o.d, braille, fireflight, pillar, stellar kart, avalon, edison glass, number one gun, many more
and how about the best one, Newworldson? you gottta give at least some of these bands some credit!!
Mmmm, P.O.D. Chase? Really? Some of those bands are indeed pretty good but the usual rule of thumb is that if they market themselves as a Christian band, then they’re probably doing so due defeciencies musically. There are a ton of amazing bands that have Christian values but don’t come out and market themselves as such because it’s about the music, not about a niche to carve a career out of.
I’d make sure to add The Heavy - Great Vengeance. If you haven’t heard it yet check out the next evolution of neo-soul (with a lot indie rock mixed in!)
This list is just for fun, and it is fun, a pretty descent group for 16 tuesdays and zero test of time. Also fun is reading everyone’s exclusions. Stop sounding mad that your favorite was not included. Hipsters complaining about hipsters being hipsters. Perhaps the real big exclusion is the average person, who may never hear any of these bands (besides sheryl crow) because of the way “cool” scensters act. This is the purpose of lists, to give an entry point.
I’d certainly add “Funplex” by the B-52s–my fave of 2008.
Hey
Check out www.myspace.com/stickyantlers for some damn great underground rock. I love this band.
What about the new Silver Mount Zion, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Earth albums? Also heartily agree with the ‘need more jazz’ argument.
I think you’re nuts on the Counting Crows album. It was noisy, bland music that alternated between weakly propping up Adam Duritz’ repetitive, conceited vocals and mercifully drowning them out. Junk, just like most of their stuff after “August and Everything After,” the greatness of which was in large part due to T-Bone Burnett’s production.
@ chase tremaine,
There’s no such thing as an amazing Christian band. There are good bands, period. I agree with Jon Tueller that if you have to market yourself as “Christian” to capitalize find your demographic, you’re probably not that good to begin with. You need a good dose of Brian Jonestown Massacre to fill your musical void. Think about it.
Half the new releases listed had so-so reviews.
What’s up with that?
And no Marco Benevento? Really? Puh-lease
To paraphrase: Why bother with new releases? Everyone knows indie music reached perfection in 1994.
It seems to me a “best of so far” list, this early in the year, shouldn’t really excede 10 titles. Or else you’re just listing everything half decent that’s been released. I’m sure someone in this thread mentioned that already…
why do you people feel the need to sit around and judge music. Music is a form of expression or art or entertainment or whatever the listener wants it to be. all you people feel the need to critisize but honestly who are you. Judge the own music you make. Until then dont sabotage someone else’s taste. honestly music is for listening not sitting around and talking about. Stop wasting your time. Who cares what these critics think. They are just people like you and me with their own stupid opinions. I dont really care what these people have to say they are no better than any of us honestly. I love music as much as anybody but honestly the whole “lets sit around and critisize music” thing is kind of pathetic. Maybe some people should get lives. Maybe me included for even taking my time to write on this wall.
The Black Keys need to be in here. This is a strange list. Seems more like a “noteworthy releases” list rather than the Best of. Someone mentioned it shouldn’t exceed 10 items. Maybe cap it at 25 and repost.
And Bob Mould shouldn’t even be mentioned here. District Line was a big disappointment.
Hi. I love this site. You guys are way better than stupid Pitchfork. Stupid. Poop. Nice vibes.
where are the black keys?
i might just be blind but i didnt see them mentioned. and if their going to list fucking alan jackson the black keys better get a nod
Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
i really feel like the black keys got snubbed as well, they really made huge strides in this new album, thanks to danger mouse, there song writing is getting better and using multiple instruments and effects really makes the album ground breaking for this group
furthermore, im surprised that nobody mentioned the reissue of Marvin Gaye’s Here My Dear, it is a dream come true to hear instrumental versions of Anger and Funky Space, this is truly an underrated album of marvin gaye and if you havent checked it out, do so immediately!
> And Bob Mould shouldn’t even be mentioned here. District Line was a big disappointment.
Time to get off the crack.
Pretty much agree, plus: Mia Doi Todd-Gea; She And Him-Volume One; Was (Not Was)-Boo!; Barry Adamson-Back To The Cat.
Oh yeah, and two more newbies: Tickley Feather - Tickley Feather; Fol Chen - Fol Chen Make the Orange Sound. Can’t make up my mind about Portishead - Three.
Henry G, I’ll judge the own music I make when coherently write you sentences readable.
errr, how about the Thao record? Now that’s the best record of the year.
I liked the Guillemots Red, MGMT’s Oracular & Elbows Seldom Seen Kid :^)
My fav.
Yeasayer - All Hours Cymbals
The Mars Volta - Bedlam In Goliath
Black Keys - Attack and Release
Erykah Badu - 4th World War
Gnarls Barkley - Odd Couple
But the new Roots and Al Green records should be the shit, for real.
where the eff is nin’s ghosts I-IV, you dickwad?! and the new bad seeds should also be a shoo-in there, dammit! sheryl crow, counting crows, panic at the disco?! what the hell! oh ya, the new cat power also deserves a place on that list… i mean, if you’re gonna include those losers i just mentioned, then you might as well add her, she’s far better than any of them. right there with you on autechre, destroyer and xiu xiu… good stuff, man.
No love for the Magnetic Fields? Am I alone out here?
Certainly Boris’s SMILE was exluded; has that record even come out yet?
To each his own guys, come on. Obviously everyone is going to agree and disagree no matter how truly great a band is! No need to be rude
Dodos!
Yea, what one person thinks is the greatest thing ever will be a steaming piece of shit to someone else.
i.e. Flobots
The Black Keys record wasn’t released in Q1 so it doesn’t fit this list’s criteria. Prior to internet leaks we had things like release dates.
that´s ok with Erykah Badu, but you gotta be kidding with Los Campesinos and Gutter Twins. What about Nick Cave, Portishead…?
And London Calling, best of all years past and all years to come, right?
Cheers!
Is there a separate list of the 6 albums that have come out this year that you didn’t put on this one?
Elvis Perkins? Come on! Such a perfectly writen album. Get on it!
You also left out:
Snagglepuss Death Ray Icons - These Are the Times
Bitch - Bitch (Live)
and
The New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra - The New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra plays Nickelback
On the Reissues front:
I thought the 2CD “Best of Joy Division” was a bold release -
For listeners that can make it through both discs without taking their own life, it can be quite a rewarding double album.
Sandrine’s Dark Fades into Light, which was released here in the States this year, deserves mention. And what of archival releases? Where do they fit in? Simon & Garfunkel’s Live 1969 is worth it for the version of “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Also, Maria McKee’s Live at the BBC …
hey how’s it goin.