Top Albums of 2008

[Synthesizer Patel]

well, i would say that the statment "the phrase 'card sharp' prefigures the variant 'card shark'" equates to the 2007 release prefiguring the 2008 one. :-)

 

-justin

 

 

 

brilliant!

 

-justin

 

it doesn't only say that. it says that one is used as a positive and one as a negative - not which came first. meaning that the words are not the same by definition. it also says that not everyone agrees with this.

 

I only wish that I liked the Bon Iver album enough to include it on my 2008 list.

 

if this argument were the bon iver album, it'd be on my list this year, and last year too!

[Winston Legthigh]

i mean, it's worth noting that americans generally aren't too hot at pronouncing english words in the first place - they say them how they wish, meaning they evolve them. otherwise we'd all be speaking greek now, wouldn't we.

I received no worth from that notation.

[Synthesizer Patel]

I received no worth from that notation.

 

well the word "card shark" and "card sharp" came from developing european words. meaning that like lots of other words - america took the word and changed it slightly. this is easier to see in the modern world, with modern terms because, whilst this happened, for example with english words which we bastardised from french or german etc..., we did it a long time ago, and so it is not as easy to spot.

 

still nothing?

[Winston Legthigh]

well the word "card shark" and "card sharp" came from developing european words. meaning that like lots of other words - america took the word and changed it slightly. this is easier to see in the modern world, with modern terms because, whilst this happened, for example with english words which we bastardised from french or german etc..., we did it a long time ago, and so it is not as easy to spot.

 

still nothing?

the debatable worth stems from your assertion that Americans are not good at pronouncing English words. You are aware that England has more regional dialects, and hence, more variety of pronunciation in English words than America?

[solace]

Now excuse me while I go enjoy my "expresso."

 

i'm more of a tea man myself.

[Synthesizer Patel]

the debatable worth stems from your assertion that Americans are not good at pronouncing English words. You are aware that England has more regional dialects, and hence, more variety of pronunciation in English words than America?

 

well ok. but, obviously SOME of us can pronounce words in standard english. whereas NONE of you can. really though, most dialects in england still pronounce standard words correctly, it's more that they have their own terms for the same word which they use instead sometimes. if someone from yorkshire wants to ask "how are you today?" it's not like they say "Hoe Ary You Todd Day?" they'd say actual words from yorkshire to say the same thing - which is not quite the same as pronouncing it differently. and if they want to write "how are you today?" they write it the same way as that - they don't lose or gain letters.

 

obviously, also, when i say English words i'm talking about The English Dictionary - otherwise i might as well be saying that you can't pronounce Unwinese either.

 

anyway, how do you pronounce Bon Iver?

[mfwahl]

I speak American English and most oftener then knot am rite

[Moe_Syzlak]

 

Bob Eubanks for the win!

[mfwahl]

Snap! Tv's never wrong.

[jakobnicholas]

Johhny-come-lately here.

 

Just got Kanye West's 808 & HEARTBREAKS.

 

 

It's very good, imo.

[Beltmann]

what if it isn't your thing exactly, but you just like to be correct. and not "technically correct" either. like correct correct.

Sometimes these things are black-and-white, sometimes there's wiggle room. If there's any gray area--and there certainly is in the case of Bon Iver--then there's no such thing as "correct correct." For you, his record was part of your 2007 listening experience. For most people, his record was part of their 2008 listening experience, and there's no reason why that reality shouldn't be reflected in their year-end choices.

 

Of course, this is not the same as arguing that I should get to include, say, Abbey Road because I first heard it this year. There were legitimate, extenuating reasons for why Bon Iver was not widely heard until 2008, and it is, indeed, an act of pedantry to pretend those vagaries of distribution don't matter. It's not much different than catching a movie at a film festival a year before it finds wide distribution; surely no one would argue that festival screenings--which can be seen by anyone interested enough--should disqualify the movie from any future considerations?

[Killer Whales]

It's not much different than catching a movie at a film festival a year before it finds wide distribution; surely no one would argue that festival screenings--which can be seen by anyone interested enough--should disqualify the movie from any future considerations?

 

Despite this whole Bon Iver discussion being very tired, this is probably the best argument for it being part of 2008 lists. Sure, if you were really on top of things in 2007, you probably could've gotten the album online or at Bon Iver shows, but until the Jagjaguwar release (correct me if I'm wrong on this), it was difficult to impossible to get the record at actual stores.

 

With that in mind, here's my (once again) revised top 25 list:

 

1. Bon Iver

[solace]

hey... you're not gonna find this Bon Iver fan (fan club member #37, j/k ) complaining about anyone who wants to give the record more props, regardless of year

 

Sometimes these things are black-and-white, sometimes there's wiggle room. If there's any gray area--and there certainly is in the case of Bon Iver--then there's no such thing as "correct correct." For you, his record was part of your 2007 listening experience. For most people, his record was part of their 2008 listening experience, and there's no reason why that reality shouldn't be reflected in their year-end choices.

 

Of course, this is not the same as arguing that I should get to include, say, Abbey Road because I first heard it this year. There were legitimate, extenuating reasons for why Bon Iver was not widely heard until 2008, and it is, indeed, an act of pedantry to pretend those vagaries of distribution don't matter. It's not much different than catching a movie at a film festival a year before it finds wide distribution; surely no one would argue that festival screenings--which can be seen by anyone interested enough--should disqualify the movie from any future considerations?

you just proved that I failed Via in 2007 by not posting about For Emma/Bon Iver quite enough

 

[Spawn's dad]

Despite this whole Bon Iver discussion being very tired, this is probably the best argument for it being part of 2008 lists. Sure, if you were really on top of things in 2007, you probably could've gotten the album online or at Bon Iver shows, but until the Jagjaguwar release (correct me if I'm wrong on this), it was difficult to impossible to get the record at actual stores.

 

With that in mind, here's my (once again) revised top 25 list:

 

1. Bon Iver

[Leo]

1. Stephen Malkmus & Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

2. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.

3. Sun Kil Moon - April

4. Calexico - Carried To Dust

5. Portishead - Third

6. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazerus Dig!!!

7. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue

8. The Sea And Cake - Car Alarm

9. No Age - Nouns

10. Bonnie "Prince" Billie - Lie Down In The Light

11. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

12. TV On The Radio - Dear Science

13. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

14. Horse Feathers - House With No Home

15. She & Him - Volume One

16. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

17. Plants And Animals - Parc Avenue

18. Beck - Modern Guilt

19. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

20. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

 

(Bon Iver = 2007)

[m_thomp]

Spent the whole morning staring at other people's 2008 top 10 lists (none of yours) so it's time to chip in with mine:

 

1. Koushik - Out My Window

2. TV On The Radio - Dear Science

3. Portishead - Third

4. Clark - Turning Dragon

5. Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park

6. El Guincho - Alegranza

7. Sigur R

[Jay]

anyway, how do you pronounce Bon Iver?

 

Didn't see this answered but wikipedia says it's pronounced "bohn eevair" which is how I've heard it.

[Sir Stewart]

Nothing came out in 2008, people. All these lists are moot.

[mfwahl]

Nothing came out in 2008, people. All these lists are moot.

What about Clay Aiken?

[lizish]

Fave stuff from 2008

 

 

First attempt to collect my thoughts. The list is not too much different than what I've been pimping before:

 

Elliott Brood - Mountain Meadows

 

'That's right, give it to my people' - Corb Lund. A hard to categorize concept cd about Mormons, the west and massacres. What's really weird is that it's sooo catchy. The boppy-melodic sound reminds me of Windsor's pop radio stations. They had to be excellent to outshine the surrounding din from across the Detroit river and this cd could anchor their playlist and catch your attention when wandering a crowded radio dial.

 

Andre Ethier - Born on Blue Fog

 

This sounds like a lush billion dollar solo album from the 70s. The type Harry Nilson or Pete Townsend used to do. Cop Killer is one amazing song and could easily be recreated as a Britney Spears/Avril Lavigne/Nelly Furtado top 40 single. I don't mean this ironically. It's just a fantastic song.

 

Dirtbombs - We Have You Surrounded

 

Not as good as Ultraglide In Black or Dangerous Magical Noise. But turns my garag crank

 

Jolie Holland - The Living and the Dead.

 

Multi-tonal singing - Check

M. Ward on Guitar - Check

Songs about Joan Vollmer - Check

 

Yup, this is a great album. If the 'Enjoy Yourself' hootenanny at the end could have been left off, this would rank even higher.

 

I was almost going to skip this, but then Ward and Marc Ribot fleshed things out, lending to the idea that she really is a female Tom Waits. That track about the ill fated Joan Volmer is simply amazing, and easily the best song, among far too many bad songs, about the beat poets.

 

 

Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight

 

Dour Scots songs about body parts and desperation. What is not to love?

 

My kids are playing nothing but Frightened Rabbit and supposedly have all their dorm floor mates and friends also playing nothing but

Frightened Rabbit. I awake to my youngest grabbing the Ipod dock and blasting it from the bathroom. I drive to pick up the oldest and have

the CDs in the car. Four hours of Frightened Rabbit in bad weather driving. It has been like this since the Fall.

 

I'm a bit burned out, but this is still good.

 

Wooden Sky - When Lost at Sea

 

EXTREMELY Canadian. In fact you'd have to dip them in Maple Syrup to make them any more so What sealed the deal was the song 'The Lonesome Death of Helen Betty Osborne'. It opens this national gaping wound and documents the murder of a native woman 30 years ago who's killers were only convicted 25 years after the fact.

 

Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave

 

I usually can't stand Swedish folk singing. The emphasis and intonation is all gratingly wrong. Except for this guy.

 

Otis Gibbs - Grandpa Walked a Picket Line

 

Strong strong record - just edges the Hayes Carll for the country dude category.

 

Liz Durrett - Outside Our Gates

 

Still more consisten and better than Cat Power for the same type of sound.

Constantines - Kensington Heights

Veda Hille - This Riot Life

Kelley Stoltz - Circular Sounds

13ghosts- Strangely Colored Lights

From Oxford Mississippi. I don't usually like new southern boogie bands, but this one has 2 vocalists, one that sounds like George Harrison and the other Mark Linkhous. Lots of Sparkley-horsey goodness.

 

Hayden - In Field and Town

Jenny Omnichord - Charlotte or Otis - Duets for Children, Their Parents and Other People Too. This is SOOO much fun. Tons of Cancon idie guests and it was almost the great Canadian lost cd of 2008.

 

Colour Revolt - Plunder Beg and Curse

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Ladyhawk - Shots

Ron Sexsmith - Exit Strategy for the Soul

Jill Barber - Chances

Hold Steady - Stay Postive

Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs

 

Best songs:

 

Andre Ethier - Cop Killer

 

Blitzen Traper - Furr These guys must now be on their ADHD meds. Excellent Song

 

Jolie Holland - Mexico City A snapshot of life before the famously tragic game of William Tell.

Dirtbombs - Leopard Man at T+A. Alan Moore Lyrics. Whitesnake guitar progressions. Cool.

Frighten Rabbit - The Twist.

 

Tallest Man on Earth

[Killer Whales]

What about Clay Aiken?

 

zing!

[Kalle]

Wooden Sky - When Lost at Sea

 

EXTREMELY Canadian. In fact you'd have to dip them in Maple Syrup to make them any more so What sealed the deal was the song 'The Lonesome Death of Helen Betty Osborne'. It opens this national gaping wound and documents the murder of a native woman 30 years ago who's killers were only convicted 25 years after the fact.

 

Hey lizish, Bon Iver has nothing on the Wooden Sky this was self released in 2006! It was on my best of list then too!

[Synthesizer Patel]

Didn't see this answered but wikipedia says it's pronounced "bohn eevair" which is how I've heard it.

 

crickey! i've been pronouncing it BON (like bon jovi) EYE (like the thing you see stuff with) and VUR (like an chinaman saying fur).

[lizish]

Hey lizish, Bon Iver has nothing on the Wooden Sky this was self released in 2006! It was on my best of list then too!

 

Zing! But doesn't the God of Internet lists give special dispensation if a band changes their name? It's in Article 4, subsection 7, paragraph 5.

[Moe_Syzlak]

crickey! i've been pronouncing it BON (like bon jovi) EYE (like the thing you see stuff with) and VUR (like an chinaman saying fur).

Me too. And I took four years of French! So is it BONE eee-vair?