The AllMusic Pop Editors’ Favorites of 2008
December 16th, 2008 | 11:45 am est |
John Bush
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior
Santogold - Santogold
Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
Portishead - Third
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Joseph Arthur - Temporary People/Could We Survive/Crazy Rain/Vagabond Skies/Foreign Girls
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
The Verve - Forth
Animal Collective - “Water Curses” 
Kanye West - “Welcome to Heartbreak”
Weezer - “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)
Ryan Adams - “Magick”
Q-Tip - “Gettin’ Up”
Gonzales - “Let’s Ride”
Duffy - “Rockferry”
MGMT - “Time to Pretend”
The Ting Tings - “Great DJ”
Ne-Yo - “Closer”
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Portishead - Third
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Juliana Hatfield - How to Walk Away
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
Weezer - “Troublemaker”
Christina Aguilera - “Keeps Getting Better” (MySpace)
Oasis - “Waiting for the Rapture”
Oasis - “The Shock of the Lightning”
Katy Perry - “Hot N Cold”
Scott Weiland - “Blind Confusion”
The Raconteurs - “Hold Up”
AC/DC - “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”
Britney Spears - “Womanizer”
Portishead - “Machine Gun”
Heather Phares
Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued
Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Leila - Blood, Looms and Blooms
M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Benoît Pioulard - Temper
Portishead - Third
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
The Walkmen - You & Me
Beach House - “You Came to Me”
Crystal Castles - “Alice Practice”
Hot Chip - “Ready for the Floor”
Department of Eagles - “No One Does It Like You”
Deerhunter - “Nothing Ever Happened”
Kerli - “Walking on Air”
The Kills - “Cheap and Cheerful”
Pop Levi - “Never Never Love”
Metronomy - “Radio Ladio” (YouTube)
Vampire Weekend - “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”
Tim Sendra
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
The Ettes - Look at Life Again Soon
Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Koushik - Out My Window
Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster…
Love Is All - A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night
Minisnap - Bounce Around
No Age - Nouns
Serpentina - Planeando en Tu Azotea
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
Absentee - “Bitchstealer”
Alphabeat - “Fascination”
Los Campesinos! - “Death to Los Campesinos!”
Headlights - “Cherry Tulips”
The Lodger - “The Good Old Days”
Love Is All - “Wishing Well”
Pacific! - “Sunset Blvd.”
The School - “Let It Slip”
Sexy Kids - “Sisters Are Forever” (MySpace)
Speedmarket Avenue - “Way Better Now”
Matt Collar
Drew Andrews - Only Mirrors
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Drew Gess - The Irrational Numbers
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Jason Palmer - Songbook
Pia Fraus - After Summer
The Primary 5 - High Five
St Deluxe - St Deluxe
Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That…
Drew Andrews - “I Could Write a Book”
Attic Lights - “Never Get Sick of the Sea” (YouTube)
Hot Club of Detroit - “Seven Steps to Heaven”
The Primary 5 - “Lost and Confused”
St Deluxe - “New Wave Stars” (YouTube)
Marnie Stern - “Transformer”
Robin Thicke - “Magic”
David Jeffries
88 Keys - The Death of Adam
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior
Bizzy Bone - A Song for You
Black Milk - Tronic
The Bug - London Zoo
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Heavy D - Vibes
Khold - Hundre Ar Gammal
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Scarface - Emeritus
Andy Kellman
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
The-Dream - Love/Hate
Newworldaquarium - The Dead Bears
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
Wighnomy Brothers - Metawuffmischfelge
The Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
Black Milk - Tronic
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
Robert Hood - Fabric 39
School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
Portishead - “Machine Gun”
Erykah Badu - “Honey”
TRG - “Broken Heart (Martyn DCM Remix)”
Omar-S - “Psychotic Photosynthesis” (Omar-S)
Matias Aguayo - “Minimal (DJ Koze Mix)” (YouTube audio)
Dances with White Girls - “Took My Love Away” (MySpace)
Lil Wayne - “A Milli”
Ryan Leslie - “Diamond Girl” (YouTube)
Geiom - “Reminissin’” (YouTube audio)
Tobias - “I Can’t Fight the Feeling” (MySpace)
Andrew Leahey
Priscilla Ahn - A Good Day
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers - Turbo Ocho
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Old 97’s - Blame It on Gravity
Prabir & the Substitutes - Five Little Pieces
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
Birdlips - “Some Kind of Death” (MySpace)
The Botticellis - “Up Against the Glass”
Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s - “As Tall as Cliffs”
MGMT - “Time to Pretend”
M.I.A. - “Paper Planes”
Oasis - “The Shock of the Lightning”
Paramore - “That’s What You Get”
Prabir & the Substitutes - “The Kiss”
Tilly & the Wall - “Falling Without Knowing”
The Weepies - “Antarctica”
Jason Lymangrover
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
The Walkmen - You & Me
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
Kap Bambino - Zero Life, Night Vision
Jay Reatard - Matador Singles ‘08
The Breeders - Mountain Battles
Santogold - Santogold
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That…
Torche - “Grenades”
Crystal Castles - “Crimewave”
31 Knots - “Worried But Not Well”
Benji Hughes - “Baby, It’s Your Life!”
XX Teens - “Sun Comes Up”
Oxford Collapse - “The Birthday Wars”
Beck - “Chemtrails”
Zach Hill - “Dark Art”
Yo Majesty - “Club Action”
No Age - “Sleeper Hold”
J. Scott McClintock
Pop Levi - Never Never Love
Original Broadway Cast - Passing Strange
Quiet Village - Silent Movie
Shugo Tokumaru - Exit
The Week That Was - The Week That Was
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
The Kills - Midnight Boom
The Duke Spirit - Neptune
Chris Connelly - Forgiveness and Exile
Eric Matthews - Imagination Stage
The Roots - “Criminal”
Zuco 103 - “Beija a Mim (Saudade)”
Wild Beasts - “Devil’s Crayon”
Ratatat - “Falcon Jab”
MGMT - “Time to Pretend”
My Brightest Diamond - “From the Top of the World”
Daedelus - “Make It So”
Heloise & the Savoir Faire - “Po’T”
French Kicks - “Said So What”
Dirty Pretty Things - “Buzzards and Crows”
James Christopher Monger
Shearwater - Rook
Johnny Flynn - A Larum
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Protest the Hero - Fortress
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Original Broadway Cast - Passing Strange
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Tyr - Land
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
The Horse Flies - Until the Ocean
Wild Beasts - “Devil’s Crayon”
Andy Prieboy - “Bands” (Andy Prieboy)
The Duke Spirit - “The Step and the Walk”
Nick Cave - “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”
Mates of State - “Get Better”
Hot Leg - “Trojan Guitar” (MySpace)
The Futureheads - “Radio Heart”
Baby Dee - “The Earlie King”
Cloud Cult - “When Water Comes to Life”
The Kills - “Black Balloon”
Sean Westergaard
Curlew - Curlew 1st Album + Live at CBGB 1980
Danny! - And I Love Her: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Bo Diddley - Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-1960
Endless Boogie - Focus Level
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Kinsmen
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Apocalypse Inside of an Orange
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog - Party Intellectuals
Steinski - What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective
Toby Summerfield/Never Enough Hope - The Gift Economy
Various Artists - Miles from India
This year wasn’t too bad for music, especially for those who love reunions. My favourites or the year were:
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Portishead - Third
Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
A few of the albums I thoroughly enjoyed in 2008:
Alejandro Escovedo–Real Animal
The Pretenders–Break Up the Concrete
Eliza Gilkyson–Beautiful World
Randy Newman–Harps & Angels
Otis Taylor–Recapturing the Banjo
Vampire Weekend
Maria Muldaur–Yes We Can!
Michael Franti & Spearhead–All Rebel Rockers
Joe Ely & Joel Guzman–Live Cactus
Marah–Angels of Destruction
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster…
Bloc Party - Intimacy
Martina Topley-Bird - The Blue God
Tricky - Knowle West Boy
The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
The Kooks - Konk
The Teenagers - Reality check
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Beck - Modern Guilt
FINALLY The Week That Was and Brit Sea Power make it onto something’s list. And glad to see so many championing NEon Neon, though not surprising as that purchase was made based on the recommendation of this website alone.
I love you, Allmusic. If I knew your address, you’d be on my Christmas card list.
Dungen - 4
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Portishead - Third
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
The Roots - Rising Down
Santogold - Santogold
Mongol OST
TV On The Radio - Dear Science
Honorable mention to Beck & Neon Neon
And some reissues:
David Axelrod - Seriously Deep
Jean-Claude Vannier - L’Enfant Assasin des Mouches
Rodriguez - Cold Fact
Terry Callier - Occasional Rain
Terry Callier - What Color Is Love
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog - Party Intellectuals
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Lars Hollmer - Viandra
Portishead - Third
Pia Fraus - After Summer
my 10 faves:
Los Campesinos - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
Santogold - Santogold
the Breeders - Mountain Battles
Women - Women
Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes
School of Language - Sea From Shore
am i the only one who thought santogold was awful?
@tim
It’s easy to criticize. Taste is subjective. Tell us what you LIKE instead of what you DON’T.
Glasvegas?
Liam Finn?
Super Furry Animals?
I have enjoyed:
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
Marah - Angels Of Destruction
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Black Keys - Attack and Release
Elvis Costello & the Imposters - Momofuku
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep
Greetings from Croatia
I’d really like to see a list of all the new releases that got 4,5 or 5 stars this year (not available through advanced search, unless you search per genre - which is a tiresome undertaking). Would you please provide this? Thanks a lot!
This is one reason why I love this site—I haven’t heard so many of these bands! Lots of new music to look for, thanks!
This year I’ve been really happy with:
Okkervil River-The Stand Ins
Kings of Leon-Only by the Night
Damien Jurado-Caught in Trees
Eagles of Death Metal-Heart On
The Black Keys-Attack and Release
Death Cab for Cutie-Narrow Stairs
Elbow-The Seldom Seen Kid
AC/DC- Black Ice
Guns N’ Roses- Chinese Democracy
Oasis- Dig Out Your Soul
Black Keys- Attack and Release
Beck- Modern Guilt
Raconteurs- Consolers of the Lonely
Gnarls Barkley- The Odd Couple
Black Crowes- Warpaint
David Gilmour- Live In Gdansk
Lindsey Buckingham- Gift of Screws
Pretenders- Breaking Up the Concrete
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds- Dig Lazarus Dig
Rush- Snakes & Arrows Live
Black Mountain- In the Future
Mudcrutch- Mudcrutch
Dillinger Four- Civil War
Whitesnake- Good To Be Bad
Jack Bruce & Robin Trower- Seven Moons
Metallica- Death Magnetic
Uriah Heep- Wake the Sleeper
Kings of Leon- Only By the Night
Buddy Guy- Skin Deep
George Carlin- It’s Bad For Ya
REM- Accelerate
Rolling Stones- Shine a Light
Alice Cooper- Along Came a Spider
The Hellacopters- Head Off
Grace Jones- Hurricane
My favourites from 2008
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Howlin’ Rain - Magnificient Fiend
Black Mountain - In the future
Why ? - Alopecia
Joan as policewoman - To Survive
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Lambchop - Oh (Ohio)
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
Jape - Ritual
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Black Mountain - In the Future
Vampire Weekend - Wampire Weekend
There seems to be no love for The Hold Steady in all the Best Ofs I’ve read so far (and not only on this site). I think it’s the one real masterpiece of 2008. Top 10 follows:
THE HOLD STEADY – Stay Positive
JOHANN JOHANNSSON – Fordlandia
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM – The ’59 Sound
MATES OF STATE – Re-Arrange Us
KINGS OF LEON – Only By The Night
BON IVER – For Emma, Forever Ago
SUN KIL MOON – April
THE BLACK KEYS – Attack & Release
JOLIE HOLLAND – The Living And The Dead
SHELBY LYNNE – Just A Little Lovin’
1. Sparks -Exotic Creatures of the Deep
2. Grace Jones - Hurricane
3. TV On The Radio - Dear Science,
4. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
5. Lambchop OH(Ohio)
6. Randy Newman - Harps & Angels
7. Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams
8. Marianne Faithfull - Easy Come, Easy Go
The last 3 Sparks albums have been the towering musical wonders of this century, if you ask me.
No love for either the Jicks or the Mars Volta despite your glowing 4.5 star reviews for both!?! I guess bringing an album out at the beginning of the year really hampers your chances of getting noticed at the end of it! Either that or bands with more a more classic sound just don’t cut it next to something more contemporarilly-inspired these days.
stop calling everything as “indie electronic”
Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords
where’s nas?
I’m happy to see Shugo Tokumaru’s “Exit” on JSM’s list. It’s a delightful little album.
These are the ones I spun most this year:
M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Portishead - Third
Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Cryptacize - Dig That Treasure
Stereolab - Chemical Chords
Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead…
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
SYR 8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth
Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
No Age - Nouns
El Guincho - Alegranza! (new to me in U.S.)
Beck - Modern Guilt
The Fiery Furnaces - Remember
P.S. - Heather Phares, would you like to hang out and listen to records? I think we’d be good friends.
these year had some bloody good release!
Crystal Stilts - Alright of night
The Postmarks - By the Numbers
Bubblegum lemonade - ten year younger EP
No Age - Nouns
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - By Bloody Valentine
Caribou - Andorra
Koushik - Out My Window
and
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Drippers
:-)
Truly, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks’ Real Emotional Trash is the year’s highlight. Much as the case is with The New Pornographers’ latest superb release, veteran artists are punished on these lists for the consistency and longevity of their brilliance.
juana molina-un dia
chris knight-heart of stone
the fall-imperial wax solvent
bob dylan-telltale signs-vol 8 bootleg seris
t bone burnett-tooth of crime
no age-nouns
the notwist-the devil you and me
overrated
times new viking-the bad sound on purpose think hides what might be some good songs.
kids these days what are they thinking?
Anthony Braxton-Nine Compositions 2003
Trio Viriditas-Live At Vision Festival VI
The Kills-Midnight Boom
AMG Staff-The Basement Tapes
I’m wondering why the Raveonettes’ Lust Lust Lust keeps getting neglected?
big respect to Joey for the only mention thus far of Howlin’ Rain’s Magnificent Fiend, an album in a class of it’s own from the class of ‘08 with an honourable mention to Fleet Foxes.
Did everyone forget about Robert Forster’s new album (The Evangelist)?
Hold on Eric-I AM IN LOVE with Heather Phares!
Greetings from Belgrade, Serbia!
Beste van 2008
1. Bon Iver - For Emma, forever ago
2. Rachael Yamagata - Elephants… teeth sinking…
3. Woven Hand - Ten Stones
4. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
5. Ferraby Lioheart - Catch the brass ring
6. Seasick Steve - I started out with nothing…
7. Ray Lamontagne - Gossip in the grain
8. Black Mountain - In the future
9. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
10. Ane Brun - Changing of the seasons
fleet foxes was boring, devotion by beach house was halfway decent, but nouns by no age was the best. portishead’s third was disappointing…the only good songs on the record were machine gun and we carry on.
all in all, 2008 was a bad year for music.
Berkestir Best Of 2008 List
Antenne-#3(Helmet Room)
Natacha Atlas & The Mazeeka Ensemble-Ana Hina (World Village)
A.A. Bondy- American Hearts (Superphonic)
T Bone Burnett- Tooth Of Crime ( Nonesuch)
Foals- Antidotes (Transgressive)
Emmylou Harris- All I Intended To Be ( Nonesuch)
M 83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
Mexican Institute Of Sound - Pinata (Nacional)
Juana Molina- Un Dia (Domino)
The Notwist- The Devil, You + Me ( Domino)
Portishead- Third ( Mercury)
Danny Schmidt- Little Grey Sheep (Waterbug)
Sparks- Exotic Creatures Of The Deep ( Lil’ Beethoven)
Strawbs- The Broken Hearted Bride (Witchwood Media)
Wire- Object 47 ( Pinkflag)
Bon Iver - For emma
kings of leon -only by the night
palor mob - you were a crow
coldplay - viva la vida
death cab for cutie - narrow stairs
blitzen trapper - furr
the cure 4:13 dream
tiziano ferro - alla mia eta
oasis - dig it your soul
baustelle - amen
Special thanks to the police for their wonderful certifiable.
Although 30 years has passed they still maintain an unreacheable tracklist
top 5 of 2008, so far….(still will buy albums of 2008 way past dec. 31st):
1 Portishead. third
2 Motorpsycho. little lucid moments
3 Daniel Lohues. allennig II
4 Van Morrison. keep it simple
5 The Heads. irrepressible heads
I’m very surprised not to see Elzhi’s The Preface in anyone’s list. Here’s mine anyway (in no particular order):
Anthony Hamilton - The Point of It All
Black Milk - Tronic
Elzhi - The Preface
The Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
Guilty Simpson - Ode to the Ghetto
Nicolay & Kay - Time:Line
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
Scarface - Emeritus
The ‘Best Music’ of 2008 (Part 1)
(1.) TODD RUNDGREN - ARENA
(2.) JEFF BECK - LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ CLUB
(3.) STEVE WINWOOD - NINE LIVES
(4.) WALTER BECKER - CIRCUS MONEY
(5.) GUNS N’ ROSES - CHINESE DEMOCRACY
(6.) NADA SURF – LUCKY
(7.) NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - DIG!!! LAZARUS DIG!!!
(8.) DIDO - SAFE TRIP HOME
(9.) PORTISHEAD - THIRD
(10.)BUDDY GUY - SKIN DEEP
* (BONUS) DAVID BOWIE - LIVE IN SANTA MONICA 72
** BONUS (BEST CHRISTMAS CD 08) KARL MORASKI - WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? – This exceptional Christmas cd can be purchased at
http://www.karlssongs.net
I can’t believe that no one mentioned Firewater “The Golden Hour” or Gnarls Barkley “The Odd Couple”
Here are a few fine LP’s from an OK 2008, in no particular order.
Willie Nile - Live from the Streets of New York
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep
The Estranged - Static Thoughts
Wire - Object 47
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!
Sonny Rollins - Road Shows Volume 1
Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
King Khan and the Shrines - The Supreme Genius of…
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Sloan - Parallel Play
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Femi Kuti - Day By Day
Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts - Temporary People
The Love Me Nots - Detroit
Darker My Love - 2
Gary Louris - Vagabonds
R.E.M. - Accelerate
Rodney Crowell - Sex and Gasoline
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
Steve Wynn - Crossing Dragon Bridge
Pretenders - Break Up The Concrete
The ‘Best Music’ of 2008 (Part 2)
(11.) THE BLACK CROWES – WARPAINT
(12.) KINGS OF LEON – ONLY BY THE NIGHT
(13.) THE RACONTEURS – CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY
(14.) THE PRETENDERS – BREAK UP THE CONCRETE
(15.) AC DC - BLACK ICE
(16.) KAISER CHIEFS - OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
(17.) R.E.M – ACCELERATE
(18.) RACHEL YAMAGATA – ELEPHANTS… TEETH SINKING INTO HEART(19.) TAJ MAHAL – MAESTRO
(20.) BILL FRISELL - HISTORY MYSTERY
* (BONUS) SARA BAREILLES – BETWEEN THE LINES: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE
My top 25 in alphabetical order by artist:
Adele - 19
Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter than Creation’s Dark
Elzhi - The Preface/Europass
eMC - The Show
Estelle - Shine
Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux
The Fireman - Electric Arguments
Firewater - The Golden Hour
The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Jazmine Sullivan - Fearless
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Old 97’s - Blame It on Gravity
Portishead - Third
Q-Tip - The Rennaisance
Quiet Village - Silent Movie
The Silver Jews - Look Out Mountain, Look Out Sea
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
Weezer - Weezer
Oh crap, I forgot to list Santogold and Bon Iver… Um… yeah.
Top 10
Jonatha Brooke The Works
Sonny Landreth From the Reach
Amy Ray Didn’t It Feel Kinder*
Pretenders Break Up The Concrete*
McCoy Tyner Guitars
Steve Winwood Nine Lives*
Elvis Costello&Imposters Momofuku*
John Mellencamp Life Death Love and Freedom
Van Morrison Keep it Simple*
Alejandro Escovedo Real Animal*
*= I own vinyl!
blitzen trapper - furr
David Gilmour - Live In Gdansk
REM - Accelerate
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Alanis Morissette - Flavors of Entanglement
Metallica - Death Magnetic
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep
kd lang - Watershed
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll
AC/ DC - Black Ice
Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch
Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
vampire weekend
replacements reissues
erykah badu-part one
coldplay-viva la vida
deerhunter-microcastle
the verve-forth
nick cave-dig lazarus dig
tv on the radio-dear science
my morning jacket-evil urges
the pretenders-break up the concrete
Coldplay, Laura Marling, Radiohead and Elbow all had good albums this year. Have not heard Portishead’s yet though and definitely one that is on my list!
2008 albums I have enjoyed:
Y’all Is Fantasy Island - No Ceremony
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Malcolm Middleton - Sleight of Heart
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
De Rosa - Appendices
Y’all Is Fantasy Island - Rescue Weekend
Check out Y’all Is Fantasy Island (http://www.myspace.com/yifimusic) and De Rosa (http://www.myspace.com/wearederosa); both bands produce incredible music and are currently receiving less attention than they deserve from AllMusic (among others).
I wasn’t a big fan of the previous releases from The Killers (a few good songs and a lot of filler), but I was blown away by their 2008 album “Day & Age” (Deluxe Edition). I am absolutely stunned that not one of the critics at AllMusic had this CD on their list.
Liked seeing Tilly and the Wall up there, even if it is only on a track list.
1. Mudcrutch
2. Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson - Rattlin Bones
3. Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop, Drop and Roll
4. The Fireman - Electric Arguments
5. Burning Spear - Jah is Real
6. Calexico - Carried to Dust
7. Hays Carll - Trouble in Mind
8. Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
9. The Steps
10. Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation
**The Uglysuit-S/T- My favorite album of the year. Amazing!**
Blitzen Trapper- Furr
Dr. Dog- Fate
The Walkmen- You and Me
T.V. on the Radio- Dear Science
Fleet Foxes- S/T
Deerhunter- Microcastle
Ratatat- LP3
The Sea and Cake- Car Alarm
Vampire Weekend-S/T
There were lots of other great releases this year, but these are my top ten.
I figure that if you actually spent $$ on the CD, in this day and age, it had to be good
Fleet Foxes
REM
Death Cab
Beck
Okkervil River
The Hold Steady
Jenny Lewis
MGMT
Liam Finn
The Black Kids (fun in an “I love the 80s” way)
Coldplay
Vampire Weekend
Albums:
Brad Paisley - ‘Play’
Chris Difford ‘The Last Temptation of Chris’
The Morning Light - ‘The Morning Light’
Juliana Hatfield - ‘How To Walk Away’
George Strait - ‘Troubadour’
Song:
Oasis - ‘I’m Outta Time’
I liked….
Meshuggah - obZen
Opeth - Watershed
Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Cog - Sharing Space
Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!
Best Songs…
Foals - Cassius
MGMT - Electric Feel
Hot Chip - One Pure Thought
Presets - My People
Eagles of Death Metal - Wannabe In L.A
Meshuggah - Bleed
can’t claim i heard anything revolutionary, but these albums made my ears quite happy :-)
Blue Sky Black Death - Late Night Cinema (Babygrande)
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (DFA)
Black Milk - Tronic (Fat Beats)
Passion Pit - Chunk of Change (Frenchkiss)
Balmorhea - Rivers Arms (Western Vinyl)
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (Modular)
Metaform - Standing On the Shoulders of Giants (Just)
Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)
Q-Tip - The Renaissance (Universal Motown)
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
NOMO - Ghost Rock (Ubiquity)
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those… Kranky)
Tussle - Cream Cuts (Smalltown Supersound)
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (Warp)
Windsurf - Coastlines (Internasjonal)
TV On the Radio - Dear Science (Interscope)
Man Plus - The Hungarian Suicide Songbook (Self-released)
Sam Amidon - All Is Well (Bedroom Community)
Osborne - Osborne (Spectral Sound)
Subtle - ExitingARM (Lex)
Jazzanova - Of All the Things (Verve)
Ruckus Roboticus - Playing With Scratches (Self-released)
M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
Sin Fang Bous - Clangour (Morr)
and props to heather and andy for covering a ton of killer music…
you guys are dope.
Beck - Modern Guilt
The Drift - Memory Drawings
T.V On The Radio - Dear Science
Anthony Braxton - Beyond Quantum
Portishead - Third
Jim Noir-Jim Noir
Supergrass-diamond hoo ha
Ladytron-Velocifero
Cut Copy-In Ghost Colours
Keane-Perfect Symmetry
Foals-Antidotes
Crystal Castles.
The Killers - Day and age
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Deluxe - Reconstrucción
Raphael Saadiq - The way I see it
REM - Accelerate
Paul Collins Beat - Ribbon of gold
Tom Jones - 24 hours
Delta Spirit - Ode to sunshine
Kings Of Leon - Only by the night
Gnarls Barkley - The odd couple
Vetusta Morla - Un día en el mundo
Tricky - Knowle west boy
Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku
Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed & The True Loves - Roll with you
I know you have other lists and I know these are your Pop editors, but these lists seem awfully narrow. You didn’t get any pleasure from any other form of music than your little pet bands? With a possible exception or two, like Earlywine and Westergaard, these lists could be called “The Usual Suspects”. Or maybe “The “Pretentious List of Music frpm Critical Posers Who Want to Kiss Up to ‘Alternative’ Snobs”. I don’t want to be THAT harsh, but maybe it would have been better if each of you had shown you were not narrow minded by, say, naming your favorite non-pop album of the year. And, though it wouldn’t be fair to say these lists are mostly white, some of them are pretty pale.
Not especially a good year for unforgettable albums….: I managed to squeeze out 10 of them, here they are:
1. Vampire Weekend
2. José James
3. Zita Swoon
4. The Ting Tings
5. We Are Scientists
6. Sigur Rós
7. Pete & The Pirates
8. Friendly Fires
9. Santogold
10. Kings of Leon
If you didn’t have Bon Iver on your list, it should be on the 2007 one, or you’ve made a mistake.
am i getting old? maybe i just spent most of my money on classics this year, but there wasn’t a whole lotta new stuff that really grabbed me.
Weezer’s red albaum was a triumphant return!
“Paper Planes” still can’t get unstuck in my head.
the new Beck is good.
I love the Kills–always have.
“Sex on Fire” is one of the best rock singles to come out of this half of the decade.
Los Campesinos is an exciting band! And Coldplay put out a few good singles.
other than that…
“Womanizer”… ARE YOU SERIOUS?! how did this song ever get on the radio?
“Heartless?” Kanye–you are not Luther Vandros–please stop crying and continue to rap about how awesome you are.
Rap Music in general:
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP USING AUTO-TUNE AND VOCODER EFFECTS ON YOUR VOCALS! PLEEEEEEEEASE!
thats it… everything else is just trendy hipster trash or re-hashed 90’s acts trying to crawl out of the grave.
peace, love, and suck my balls,
CHOPPERR XXOO
Me thinks the beast album of thee year 2008 wuz Nada Surf’s Lucky. Bar none. ‘Twas mighty mighty good stuff. Makes me cry a lot.
Aw, no mention of thenewno2’s ‘You Are Here’? They’ve even got it out on slotMusic and everything, it’s a good one and needs reviewing here at the AMG. Nice to see the Kills and Paul Weller listed, though.
Wire: “Object 47″
Raveonettes: “Lust, Lust, Lust”
Eyeless in Gaza: “Subway Sun”
James McMurtry: “Just Us Kids”
Can I still include B-52’s “Funplex”?
Robyn Hitchcock: “Shadow Cat”
Portishead: “Third”
Bauhaus: “Go Away White”
James: “Hey Ma”
I notice the shared community of music is evaporating quickly, reflected on this page…
Portishead - Third
TV On the Radio - Dear Science
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
Metallica - Death Magnetic
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver - For emma
No TMV? Shame. It owns half of what’s up there.
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog - Party Intellectuals
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
The Woodsmen - Frisco Frisco
Portishead - Third
Beck - Modern Guilt
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
…and definitely NOT Chinese Democracy
1. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
2. Beach House - Devotion
3. Chromatics - Night Drive
4. Glass Candy - B/E/A/T/B/O/X
5. Magnetic Fields - Distorsion
6. El Perro Del Mar - From the valley to the stars
7. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
8. Metronomy - Nights Out
9. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
10. High Places - 03 07-09 07
My top ten…
1 - TV on the Radio - Dear Science
2 - Opeth - Watershed
3 - The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
4 - My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
5 - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
6 - Islands - Arm’s Way
7 - Black Mountain - In the Future
8 - Dungen - 4
9 - Portishead - Third
10 - The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
Honorable Mention : Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling
This album was released in September last year, but it is only since the start of 2009 that I have had a copy. Having listened to it for a week, I feel it is fantastic. Tracks like “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead”, “Batcat” and “I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School” are among the finest pieces of music I have heard from 2008.