Top Albums of 2008

[lost highway]

Deerhoof-Offend Maggie

Stereolab-Chemical Chords

[tangara]

I'm loving all the love for Parc Avenue. It's such a great record.

[solace]

as final as it'll ever be i suppose:

 

1. Blitzen Trapper - Furr

2. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

3. Sun Kil Moon - April

4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

5. The Black Keys - Attack & Release

6. Sigur Ros - Me

[Killer Whales]

as final as it'll ever be i suppose:

 

....

 

This list is absurd. How can anyone listen to this many albums in a year? I listened to around 50 and I think that's pushing it

[Guest Hollinger.]

You listened to less than one new album a week. How is that too much?

[solace]

You listened to less than one new album a week. How is that too much?

 

yep. exactly...

 

i listen to music anywhere on average from 4-8 hours a day (helps that I can all day at work)

so that's anywhere between 60-120 FULL 24 hour days of music listening out of the year...

 

let's say the average album is 60 minutes long... well that's between 1380-2760 albums a year if you were to listen to only one album once in that period of time...

 

not all that unfathomable when you consider that. i'd estimate i heard about 120-150 records this year, which seemed like a bit less than previous years to me (was a lot busier this summer w/ a new house, etc.)

[Killer Whales]

You listened to less than one new album a week. How is that too much?

 

Because it usually takes me a good 5 or 6 listens to really get an album, not to mention all the time i spend listening to older records. I probably listen to music for 6+ hours a day. I just find the prospect of listening to anywhere around 100 new albums in a year, well, intimidating.

[solace]

Because it usually takes me a good 5 or 6 listens to really get an album, not to mention all the time i spend listening to older records. I probably listen to music for 6+ hours a day. I just find the prospect of listening to anywhere around 100 new albums in a year, well, intimidating.

 

fair enough.

 

but as i posted some nerdy math above... 6 hours a day would be over 1000 albums listened one after the other, so if you divide that by 10, you still get 100 albums listened to 10 times in that timeframe

[cooperissup3r]

1. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver

2. '59 Sound - Gaslight Anthem

3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

4. MGMT - MGMT

5. The Stand-Ins - Okkervil River

[hardwood floor]

30) Robert Pollard - Robert Pollard is Off to Business

39) Boston Spaceships - Boston Spaceships

 

nice to see somebody is still listening to uncle bob

 

i think you have these both ranked about right -- i thought both were a bit better than most of his post-GBV stuff (not counting From a Compound Eye, which i thought was fantastic), but still uneven

 

off to business really did have some good tracks - the blondes, gratification to concrete and wealth and hell being i liked the most

 

the spaceships ... you satisfy me and winston's atomic bird were the tracks that stood out for me

 

i still think pollard has a great record in him -- he puts out like 20 really vintage pollard tracks a year. unfortunately, he releases like 120 songs a year

 

i'm told the next solo record, crawling distance, is very good

[MrRain422]

I didn't like the Boston Spaceships album at all at first. The whole thing just sounded awful. But then a couple tracks on ...Of to Business really grabbed me, and so I went back and gave Boston Spaceships another shot. Still not great but yeah, there are a couple songs on there that redeem it.

[myboyblue]

Here is Greg Kot's list. I know Explodo will be pleased.

 

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds,

[tangara]

Well, it's better than DeRo's...

[PigSooie]

Here is Greg Kot's list. I know Explodo will be pleased.

 

This asshole doesn't even have Blitzen Trapper on his list.

[Killer Whales]

I didn't like the Boston Spaceships album at all at first. The whole thing just sounded awful. But then a couple tracks on ...Of to Business really grabbed me, and so I went back and gave Boston Spaceships another shot. Still not great but yeah, there are a couple songs on there that redeem it.

 

"Go For the Exit" is the track that stood out for me. Classic Pollard and the band has enough spark and energy to make it happen. If he can write a really consistently good album for this band, I think Boston Spaceships could make it great

[MrRain422]

I can't believe I'm talking to Michael Bolton about Robert Pollard. The internet is a strange place.

[CortezTheKiller]

"Go For the Exit" is the track that stood out for me.

"Zero Fix"

[Killer Whales]

I can't believe I'm talking to Michael Bolton about Robert Pollard. The internet is a strange place.

 

Hmm, I thought the GBV influence was fairly obvious in my work

[brianjeremy]

nice to see somebody is still listening to uncle bob

 

i think you have these both ranked about right -- i thought both were a bit better than most of his post-GBV stuff (not counting From a Compound Eye, which i thought was fantastic), but still uneven

 

off to business really did have some good tracks - the blondes, gratification to concrete and wealth and hell being i liked the most

 

the spaceships ... you satisfy me and winston's atomic bird were the tracks that stood out for me

 

i still think pollard has a great record in him -- he puts out like 20 really vintage pollard tracks a year. unfortunately, he releases like 120 songs a year

 

i'm told the next solo record, crawling distance, is very good

 

I like the Spaceship's album more than Off to Business. It's sounds more like the Pollard we used to know. I agree with the P-Fork review of the album where they say that he's moved on from his Earthquake Glue prog fascination/hold-up. Sounds like he's having fun.

 

The first track that's available from his new records sounds really good and different to my ears and that is a good thing.

[imsjry]

Does Dylan's "Tell Tale Signs"count because if it does. I have no idea why it isn't on any of these lists. Everything else pales by comparison.

 

And why no love for Jackson Browne, Bob Mould, or Lindsey Buckingham this year? I know they aren't cool with the Pitchfork indie-hipster croud but they all made fantastic discs this year. Why do all these end-of-the-year lists always have bands no one will listen to in a year? It's like an exercise in "coolness" or something.

[Calexico]

fair enough.

 

but as i posted some nerdy math above... 6 hours a day would be over 1000 albums listened one after the other, so if you divide that by 10, you still get 100 albums listened to 10 times in that timeframe

 

 

Oh my Jeebus, I am having a stroke...

[bobbob1313]

And why no love for Jackson Browne, Bob Mould, or Lindsey Buckingham this year? I know they aren't cool with the Pitchfork indie-hipster croud but they all made fantastic discs this year. Why do all these end-of-the-year lists always have bands no one will listen to in a year? It's like an exercise in "coolness" or something.

 

Posts like this are so fucking boring. Why do you care what other people listen to?

[MrRain422]

Also, is anyone really going to be listening to the most recent Jackson Browne disc in a year? I bet there will be more people still listening to the Fleet Foxes.

 

Not that that's even a good measure of quality anyway. If I'm not listening to something anymore in a year, does that mean I don't actually like it now?

[Calexico]

Posts like this are so fucking boring.

 

 

[tinnitus photography]

Hmm, I thought the GBV influence was fairly obvious in my work

 

haha!