Q3 Report: We Pick the Best of July, August and September 2008
September 26th, 2008 | 11:00 am est |
New Releases
Alias – Resurgam
All Girl Summer Fun Band – Looking into It
The Baseball Project – The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
Beck – Modern Guilt
Blitzen Trapper – Furr
Anthony Braxton – Beyond Quantum
Lindsey Buckingham – Gift of Screws
Calexico – Carried to Dust
Glen Campbell – Meet Glen Campbell
Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson – Rattlin’ Bones
Rodney Crowell – Sex and Gasoline
Lila Downs – Shake Away
Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown
Dungen – 4
The Ettes – Look at Life Again Soon (Bonus Track)
The Fiery Furnaces – Remember
Eddie Floyd – Eddie Loves You So
Morgan Geist – Double Night Time
GZA/Genius – Pro Tools
Juliana Hatfield – How to Walk Away
High Places – High Places
Kellarissa – Flamingo
B.B. King – One Kind Favor
Solange Knowles – Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
Leila – Blood, Looms and Blooms
Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
Lindstrøm – Where You Go I Go Too
Mogwai – The Hawk Is Howling
Janelle Monáe – Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)
Nas – Nas
Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis – Two Men with the Blues
The New Year – The New Year
Randy Newman – Harps and Angels
Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
Aaron Parks – Invisible Cinema
Polysics – We Ate the Machine
Populous/Short Stories – Drawn in Basic
Max Richter – 24 Postcards in Full Colour
Sugarland – Love on the Inside
Jazmine Sullivan – Fearless
Robin Thicke – Something Else
Tindersticks – The Hungry Saw
Tricky – Knowle West Boy
Tussle – Cream Cuts
TV on the Radio – Dear Science,
The Walkmen – You & Me
The Week That Was – The Week That Was
Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
Steve Wynn – Crossing Dragon Bridge
Original Broadway Cast – Passing Strange (Original Broadway Cast)
Reissues
Arabian Prince – Innovative Life: The Anthology 1984-1989
David Bowie – Live in Santa Monica ‘72
Paul Clayton – Sings Homemade Songs and Ballads/Folk Singer!
Bo Diddley – Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-1960
Robyn Hitchcock – Luminous Groove
Individuals – Fields/Aqua Marine
Jan & Dean – The Complete Liberty Singles
The Jesus and Mary Chain – The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities
Billy Joel – The Stranger (30th Anniversary Legacy Edition)
Darlene Love – So Much Love: A Darlene Love Anthology 1958-1998
Mott the Hoople – Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology
Roy Orbison – The Soul of Rock & Roll
Buck Owens – Act Naturally: The Buck Owens Recordings 1953-1964
Portastatic – Some Small History
Elvis Presley – The Complete ‘68 Comeback Special: 40th Anniversary Edition
Tito Puente – The Complete 78’s, Vol. 1
Otis Redding – Live in London and Paris
The Replacements – All Shook Down (Expanded Edition)
The Replacements – Tim (Expanded Edition)
The Replacements – Pleased to Meet Me (Expanded Edition)
Shades of Brown – S.O.B.
Squeeze – The Complete BBC Sessions
Ike Turner – Classic Early Sides 1952-1957
U2 – Boy (Deluxe Edition)
Gary Usher – Barefoot Adventure: The 4 Star Sessions 1962-66
Victor Uwaifo – Guitar Boy Superstar 1970-1976
Reuben Wilson and the Cost of Living – Got to Get Your Own
ZZ Top – Eliminator (CD/DVD)
Various Artists – The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 10: 1970
Various Artists – Don Letts Presents: Dread Meets Greensleeves
Click here to view our picks from the Q2 Report.
Click here to view our picks from the Q1 Report
Apollo Sunshine – Shall Noise Upon – Psychedelic Masterpiece!
Very good list. Happy to see the new mogwai is up there. Not to mention the new T.V On The Radio might be the best record of the year so far. but don’t forget about the drive by truckers ” Brighter Than Creations Dark” as far as southern rock or country goes it is top of the line and deserves the high praise it recieves. The Aaron Parks is a great call, truly beautiful record. keep up the good work AMG your site has been a great source finding great music and your reviews usually steer me in the right direction. Thank you, all be well
Brighter Than Creation’s Dark came out in January which was Q1. And it’s nowhere near as good as their other stuff.
I was wondering how I missed out on the Jesus and Mary Chain comp that you listed above…until I saw that it doesn’t come out until mid-November. What’s the point in putting together a list like this if you can’t follow your own guidelines?
Where’s Metallica’s “Death Magnetic?” It’s only one of the year’s best metal releases, and I would dare say better than the new Dragonforce and their by-the-books power metal shred.
Add “Danseparc” by Martha&The Muffins to the reissues list.
The Stills’ Oceans Will Rise is mysteriously absent I’m feeling. It’s a beautiful album.
the TELEPATHIC BUTTERFLIES y’all!
“Breakfast in Suburbia”
My bad on the JAMC box set. I’m guessing it came out in ‘07 internationally but is new today in the States.
Juliana Hatfield’s How to Walk Away … great album. My pick for best of the year (thus far)!
lists like these always leave people speaking up for what has been left out; and i’m no different. to me Opeth’s incredible “Watershed” is hands-down one of the best albums of the year. A “death metal” album that bears repeated (including on “repeat”) listening is remarkable in it’s own right. Also, Atmosphere’s “When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Sh*t Gold” is a brilliant example of how hip-hop can still say something relevant to everyone…and jam at the same time.
The ‘59 Sound by the Gaslight Anthem!!
Come all you Madmen by The Briggs!!
Bristle Ridge by Chuck Ragan and Austin Lucas!!
What about Bloc Party’s “Intimacy”? I guess it’s not bad.
Death Magnetic! Typical of you allmusic snobs to not include their best album in 20 years.
Death Magnetic! Are you crazy? It’s only their best album in the last 20 years. Typical allmusic sn(u)obbery.
Thanks for the list. I’ll be on the lookout for the new albums by Anthony Braxton, Rodney Crowell, Eddie Floyd (wow, a new album by Eddie Floyd!) and Wynton Marsalis/Willie Nelson. Many of the reissues also seem interesting, including the ones of Roy Orbison, Buck Owens and Bo Diddley. Wish I had the time and money for everything on your list.
By the way, the Hold Steady’s “Stay Positive” didn’t seem to generate as much interest as their last album, “Boys and Girls in America”. I have both albums, and I’ve listened to “Stay Positive” a couple of times, but “Boys and Girls in America” is the album that really grabbed me. I should probably listen to “Stay Positive” again (which isn’t on your list), so I can get a better feel for my opinion of it.
“Brighter Than Creation’s Dark came out in January which was Q1. And it’s nowhere near as good as their other stuff.”
= You are correct that “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” came out in January. You are incorrect that is is “nowhere near as good as their other stuff.” It’s the best album of the year, period, and quite possibly their best album as well.
***
“By the way, the Hold Steady’s “Stay Positive” didn’t seem to generate as much interest as their last album, “Boys and Girls in America”. I have both albums, and I’ve listened to “Stay Positive” a couple of times, but “Boys and Girls in America” is the album that really grabbed me. I should probably listen to “Stay Positive” again (which isn’t on your list), so I can get a better feel for my opinion of it.”
–You should listen to “Stay Positive” again. It’s excellent, though not as good as “Boys and Girls in America.”
***
“The ‘59 Sound by the Gaslight Anthem!!”
Definitely. Perfect record. Why is there still no AMG review of this album???
isn’t on your list), so I can get a better feel for my opinion of it.”
–You should listen to “Stay Positive” again. It’s excellent, though not as good as “Boys and Girls in America.”
The ‘59 Sound by the Gaslight Anthem!!”
Definitely. Perfect record. Why is there still no AMG review of this album???
Music sucks….TV on the Radio? THey would be a opening band for an average 80’s band…and that is not saying much. May the Death Cab for Cutie Regime fail soon!
Where’s Todd Rundgren new album, ARENA ?
Slipknot, All Hope Is Gone. First Billboard #1 for this band
You forgot ‘Arena’ by Todd Rundgren.