Top Albums of 2008

[Moe_Syzlak]

On a much lesser scale ( than Solace anyway who's exposure to new material is prolly "Gi-Normous ) I just get overwhelmed by new releases.

I downloaded the new Deerhunter when it leaked also. Upon it's actual release and subsequent press I got around to re-visiting it. Nice surprise.

For those hyping the new Deerhunter, how does it compare -- both stylistically and in quality -- to Cryptograms. That one never grabbed me, so would I be wasting my time with the new one?

[jimmyjimmy]

For those hyping the new Deerhunter, how does it compare -- both stylistically and in quality -- to Cryptograms. That one never grabbed me, so would I be wasting my time with the new one?

Cryptograms struck me as interesting but chaotic and often too dissonant. Unfocused and maybe trying to hard to wow the listener with texture.

The songs on Microcastle are of a more cohesive conventional structure that are still colored with the sonic embellishments of the previous record only to, my ears, better effect.

 

Sorry that sounds so damn pretentious.

[trevor]

yeah, Cryptograms was one of those albums that I always wanted to like but could never really get into. Oddly enough, my favourite track off of it is "White Ink," one of the more ambient soundscape tracks. The more 'proper' songs never really grabbed me.

 

I'm not having that problem with Microcastle so far. Granted, I've only given it about five listens so far, but it's much more immediate and it stays with you longer afterwards. And yeah, it doesn't really feel like the band has sacrificed too much of their signature sound to get to this point, only tweaked it somewhat. I still have yet to hear the Fluorescent Grey EP, but my understanding is that it's kind of the halfway-point between the two albums. (Don't quote me on that, though...)

 

All I know is that there are two or three songs on Microcastle that are distinct contenders for song of the year, and I definitely couldn't say the same for Cryptograms. This disc will probably finish in the year's top 5 for me.

[LittleSavage]

Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson - Rattlin' Bones

is pretty good. I'd say it's the best album that she ever did and is worthy of Top 5 consideration for the year.

 

I agree. I've been playing that one a lot the past couple of weeks. Definitely one of the year's best.

 

My other favorites of the year so far are:

 

Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku

Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal

Teddy Thompson - A Piece Of What You Need

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

Will Quinlan and the Diviners - Navasota

Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology

Lucinda Williams - Little Honey

Ron Sexsmith - Exit Strategy of the Soul

[Killer Whales]

Alright, after much revision, this is where my top 10 albums of the year stand:

 

1. Bon Iver

[mybenito]

I just got and listened to Lucinda Williams's new cd Little Honey and it is some of her best work. She is so lyrically rich and such a beautiful voice. Plus throw in an AC/DC cover and she can't go wrong. Great album.

 

Also this year I like Malkmus, Tim Bluhm-House of Bluhm, Black Crowes, and Black Keys.

 

Not a bad year so far.

[Littlebear]

I absolutely HAVE TO add Lonely Drifter Karen's Grass Is Singing to my top favorites of the year (Sam Phillips, Laura Marling, Jolie Holland, El Perro del Mar, Dar Williams, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby, etc). Actually, it may be a serious contender for my number one of the year (it's a tie with Sam Phillips).

 

Here's the best english review I found of the record so far: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/lonely...rass-is-singing

 

All the songs of this record are gems, not a weak one, and it's delightfully enchanting from start to finish.

[you ever seen a ghost?]

All those that weren't initially pleased with the new My Morning Jacket please spend one week with it. Listen to it all the way through, every day. Let's come back and discuss. You can't use the excuse that you already gave it a fair shot. This is my plea to those that sound like my former self with respect to this record. Enjoy.

 

trust me, i have listened to it plenty. not only was i listening to .mp3s of the live songs months before the album came out, i even saw them in concert in September (for the second time...first time was in '05). i just don't like the album. i've been an MMJ fan for years and prefer pretty much everything else they've done to EU. massive, crushing disappointment with the exception of the final two tracks.

 

-justin

[PopTodd]

I absolutely HAVE TO add Lonely Drifter Karen's Grass Is Singing to my top favorites of the year (Sam Phillips, Laura Marling, Jolie Holland, El Perro del Mar, Dar Williams, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby, etc). Actually, it may be a serious contender for my number one of the year (it's a tie with Sam Phillips).

 

Here's the best english review I found of the record so far: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/lonely...rass-is-singing

 

All the songs of this record are gems, not a weak one, and it's delightfully enchanting from start to finish.

 

 

Tell me more about that Wreckless Eric/Amy Rigby record.

Please.

I'm thinking that I'm gonna need to make that a part of my collection sometime real soon.

[Winston Legthigh]

The latest Eagles of Death Metal album has been added to my best of 2008 list.

[you ever seen a ghost?]

yeah, i'm finally getting around to Dear Science, and digging on it.

 

-justin

[rareair]

yeah, i'm finally getting around to Dear Science, and digging on it.

 

-justin

 

me too.

[lizish]

I guess for a list of top whatever, I would have to go with something like:

 

Elliott Brood - Mountain Meadows

All acoustic instruments with a wall of pedals/feedback and effects. Like some alternate universe Husker Du where the electric guitar was never invented but the Fender amp was.

 

Jolie Holland - Living and the Dead

Has really caught me off-guard and is cracking my top 5. Of the 11 tracks on it, only one, a filler version of 'Enjoy Yourself' is not absolutely excellent. Mexico City is a biography of Joan Vollmer, she of the ill-fated game of William Tell with William S. Burroughs.

 

Of course, having a song about the Beat Poets has been done to death by every frigging Rock band in existence, but none of them are as good as Mexico City.

 

http://mog.com/mogtv/jolie_holland4

 

M. Ward and Marc Ribot are all over it, as is Rachel Blumberg, Ward's drummer. Similar songs in terms of what she's written before, but produced much more, in a good way. It's also neat that that she's grabbed Marc Ribot because it reinforces the whole 'Female Tom Waits' thing.

 

 

Constantines - Kensington Heights

Continues to amaze.

 

Colour Revolt - Plender, Beg and Curse

From Oxford Mississippi. New to me band but they remind me of the Constantines.

 

This is the song that GOT me:

http://switchburn.com/colourrevolt/mosesofthesouth

 

Dirtbombs - We Have You Surrounded

 

Liz Durrett - Outside our Gates

 

13 Ghosts - Strangest Colored Lights

Also from the deep south. Two singers - one that sounds like George Harrison and the other that has a Drive By Truckers thing going on. ie:

 

http://www.13ghostsmusic.com/WhipPoorWill(med).html

 

They remind me of Sparklehorse.

 

Crooked Fingers - Forfeit/Fortune

This seems like the perfect mix of old Archers of Loaf stuff and more poppy 'Dignity and Shame' songs.

 

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

I didn't like their last album, at all. They now seem to be on their ADHD medication.

 

Ladyhawk - Shots. Seeing them tonight,

 

I like a theme and perhaps a narrative to almost all the music I listen to. Urban paranoia, bad credit, an 1870's massacre, werewolves and William S. Burroughs killing his wife provide all that in spades this year.

 

Still have to listen to El May, Bonnie Prince Billy, Otis Gibbs and TV on the Radio some more.

[Littlebear]

Tell me more about that Wreckless Eric/Amy Rigby record.

Please.

I'm thinking that I'm gonna need to make that a part of my collection sometime real soon.

 

I'm basically a fan of Amy Rigby's records (she released 5 ones before in solo), and she always deliver some fine tunes, with her usual humor/wit/irony and deep humanity. Not to speak of her personal charm.

 

Wreckless Eric is an English guy who started to rock back in the late 70's, he was on the Stiff label, along with Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, etc. I have a good compilation of his songs, the most famous number being "Whole Wide World".

 

Amy Rigby is a fan of the man, and they started to tour together a few years ago. This is their first record as a duet. They belong quite well. Eric produced the songs with his cheap instruments, the whole thing has a rock mood, in a loose fashion, but always tasty. Upon several listenings, the songs sound better than what one may think at first. The absolute gem being "A Taste of the Keys", written by Amy.

 

As for Amy in solo, start with Diary of a Mod Housewife, it's a masterpiece of its own. And all her other albums are almost as good.

[oatmealblizzard]

13 Ghosts - Strangest Colored Lights

Also from the deep south. Two singers - one that sounds like George Harrison and the other that has a Drive By Truckers thing going on. ie:

 

http://www.13ghostsmusic.com/WhipPoorWill(med).html

 

They remind me of Sparklehorse.

I agree. This album's pretty darn great.

[Moss]

Band of Horses? Or was that 2007.

 

Black Keys

[brianjeremy]

Band of Horses? Or was that 2007.

 

Yep, it was released in the fall of last year.

[futureman]

Top 20 so far...

Real Emotional Trash - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

*Love At The End Of The World - Sam Roberts

Cardinology - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

Working Man's Cafe - Ray Davies

Consolers Of The Lonley - The Raconteurs

*PARC AVENUE - Plants & Animals

*The Stage Names - Okkervil River

Nouns - No Age

Rabit Habits - Man Man

Little Joy - Little Joy

*Stay Positive - The Hold Steady

Flight Of The Concords - Flight Of The Concords

*Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Visiter - The Dodos

*Ode To Sunshine - Delta Spirit

Lucky Old Sun - Brian Wilson

*Furr - Blitzen Trapper

In The Future - Black Mountain

Attack & Release - The Black Keys

Real Animal - Alejandro Escovedo

[kathyp]

Likes

 

Paul Westerberg - 49:00

Though I'll admit, the novelty has worn off. Despite the weird one-track format, there are some really strong songs here, particularly "Sweet Prince," probably the rawest thing Paul's committed to record.

 

Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need

His voice is so gorgeous, I don't care what he sings. I'm in love with this record. One caveat: it's slick, slick, slick, but I think he's become a better songwriter over the years. He does "seething" very well. (Check out his contributions to the Leonard Cohen tribute album from a couple years back, and you'll see what I mean.)

 

Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too

Just got this, so I don't really have much to say yet. Her voice is probably an acquired taste -- sort of Tori Amos by way of Patti Smith (or something like that).

 

On the fence

 

Lucinda Williams - Little Honey

Far, far better than West, though it doesn't come close to Car Wheels or Essence (or any of her "older" albums.)

 

Tift Merritt - Another Country

It's fine, but nothing really stands out for me.

[nodep5]

These are only the albums that I couldn't stop spinning this year. I think I will like Blitzen Trapper from what I've heard so far, but am waiting till XMAS to ask for a vinyl copy (if subpop has put it out). Anyway,

 

1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes ( I saw them play two sets at Sasquatch this year and I'm not a huge live music, esp big venue guy, but this was incredible in that setting) I just put this record on again last week after a few months of taking a break from it, and it sounded even better.

 

2. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology ( nothing amazing here, but easily the record i've played the most this past year, for whatever reason I can't get enough, it is positive and uplifting and I dig it)

 

3. Avett Brothers - The Gleam II (Sweet sad songs, so beautiful, I love these guys and I really hope the big boys don't screw them up)

 

4. Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State - (This was my sleeper/out of nowhere album. I've always been ambivalent and thought just another decent singer songwriter, but this album has it)

 

5. The Explorer's Club - Freedom Wind (Ok, shameless Beach Boys rip off, but the songs are so sweet and it is like the mid/late 60's Beach Boys just released another record. I love every bit of it)

 

Honorable Mentions: DBT - BTCD, Hayden - In Field & Town

 

Favorite Song Not On An Album I Cared Too Much For: Asking For Flowers - Kathleen Edwards

 

Those are my favorites and I'm sure I forgot someone

[wheelco]

Fleet Foxes is good in my book, Cardinology is fine too (not Ryan's best in my opinion, though ...)

 

haven't heard the other ones on your list; out of bands I listen to more I'll add REM "Accelerate" as biggest/best surprise and Stereolab "Chemical Chords" as biggest disappointment

[jff]

5. The Explorer's Club - Freedom Wind (Ok, shameless Beach Boys rip off, but the songs are so sweet and it is like the mid/late 60's Beach Boys just released another record. I love every bit of it)

 

I saw them live a couple years ago. Yeah, totally shameless rip-off, but they're REALLY good at it, and at least they admit they're ripping off the Beach Boys. I haven't heard any of their recordings yet.

 

The only things that come to mind from this year that I've bought are:

 

Dungen - 4. These guys seem to have been forgotten after the hype of Ta Det Lundt (or whatever) wore off, but I think everything they've put out since then has been excellent, even most of the Life on Earth spin-off band.

 

McCoy Tyner - Guitars. This one is still new to me, but so far I'm really enjoying it.

 

Kings of Leon - I can't remember the title. This is probably their best work since their first album. I was afraid they had lost it with the last album, but now I'm back to feeling that these guys have the potential to mature into one of the best american rock bands (of the present), if given the chance to keep putting out albums and touring.

[Guest Jules]

These people might care...

[nodep5]

oh yeah, Kings Of Leon should get an honorable mention (They are who i turn to when I need some stupid fist pumping rock)

[jff]

oh yeah, Kings Of Leon should get an honorable mention (They are who i turn to when I need some stupid fist pumping rock)

 

 

I never thought of it that way, but that is a totally fair and accurate description of their music.