Flex wrote:Good selections matey. I think I rate the Beck and Deerhunter a bit more highly than you do, but that's about it in terms of disagreement - and pretty weak disagreement there as well.
I still really need to get Tha Carter III.
PS - I finally downloaded the Bowie Santa Monica link you sent me during the internet blackout days of my move. Will listen soon.
*edit* I just wish I could listen to more music than "critics hot picks of the year".
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.
Coldplay - Viva La Vida - C could have done better (and pissed m off with re release)
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul - B Average
The Checks - Hunting Whales - B- Disappointing
Tiki - Past Present, Future - B+ Could have been better
Duffy - Rockferry - A When I get to Warwick Avenue............................
I bought a lot less then I usually do, but here's my top 5 albums for the year:
1. Day & Age - The Killers
2. Working Man's Cafe - Ray Davies
3. Volume One - She & Him*
4. Harps & Angels - Randy Newman
5. Electronic Arguments - The Fireman
*Zooey Deschanel is not only hot but is a good singer and songwriter. In your face Scarlet Boobhanssen.
singles:
1. Girls In Their Summer Clothes - Bruce Springsteen
2. The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen
3. Spaceman - The Killers
4. All You Need Is Me - Morrissey
5. Dreamin' Of You - Bob Dylan
also worthy of mention: the Rapid Response EP from Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
Superman is dead - the hangover decade
Gaslight anthem - the '59 sound
Polar bear club - Sometimes things just disappear
paddingtons - no mundane options
Cock Sparrer - Here we stand
sloppy seconds - endless bummer
Not one of which is outstanding...but if i had to pick 5 or 6 from this year it would be them
The only '08 albums that made any real impression on me were Billy Bragg's "Mr. Love and Justice," Wire's "Object 47" / "Read & Burn 3," Now, Now Every Children's "Cars," Marnie Stern's "This Is It …," These New Puritans' "Beat Pyramid" / "Navigate, Navigate," and The Weepies' "Hideaway" (fuck you, they're my Simon & Garfunkel fix). Of those, I'd rank TNP and NNEC the highest.
"Grab some wood, bub.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Dr. Medulla wrote:The only '08 albums that made any real impression on me were Billy Bragg's "Mr. Love and Justice," Wire's "Object 47" / "Read & Burn 3," Now, Now Every Children's "Cars," Marnie Stern's "This Is It …," These New Puritans' "Beat Pyramid" / "Navigate, Navigate," and The Weepies' "Hideaway" (fuck you, they're my Simon & Garfunkel fix). Of those, I'd rank TNP and NNEC the highest.
i forgot about Bragg... it was a good effort...
i enjoy Mould's new LP
If you don't hate the Clash, you don't love them enough - Olaf
Nice effort Flex, gonna check out some of those Van Cleef-rich albums.
My list is something like this.
1. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
1. Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue
3. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
4. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster... / We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
5. M83 - Saturdays = Youth
6. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
7. The Notwist - The Devil, You+Me
8. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
9. No Age - Nouns
10. John Zorn - The Dreamers
Honorable mentions:
Final Fantasy - Spectrum 14th Century EP
Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
Los Campesinos! - Sticking Fingers Into Sockets EP
I've been downloading stuff, so I can't really remember what albums I *ahem* acquired this year that ACTUALLY CAME OUT this year.
BUT...
I did see some awesome shows.
The RUMBLE STRIPS played a fantastic set at a bar not four blocks from my place. Their album actually came out last year, but they were fucking awesome, and are really nice guys...I drank with them all night, which makes the show that much better. If you didn't get the album 'Girls and Weather' yet, do it. You'll be glad you did.
COLA FREAKS...from Denmark, played a set opening for JAY REATARD (He plays Philly all the time, evidently). Their lead singer is a complete confrontational madman, and it makes for an energetic and enjoyable show. This guy scared the piss out of people, jumping off the stage, getting in people's faces, etc...which made it great when you met him after the set and he was just the nicest guy ever. (JAY REATARD, well, whatever.)
GLASVEGAS...Were a nice surprise, and really awesome people to drink with. The whole 'Jesus and Mary Chain' thing may not be for everyone, but I quite dig them. And they are nice as hell. Really.
MANDO DIAO...No, haven't seen 'em yet, but CHRIST, I want to. I can't get enough of these crazy swedes...Their last album is from last year, but all their albums prove solid as hell and rock 'n' roll as SHIT. New album in '09 evidently...no doubt will be great.
I concur on the kind words for VAMPIRE WEEKEND... I've heard lots of grumbling about them as people, but that album is catchy as hell. They played a great show in Philly, to boot. Like Duke Ellington said, "If it sounds good, it IS good."
WHITE RABBITS...Yeah...another 2007 release, but I saw them earlier this year, opening for The Walkmen. After I saw the Rabbits, though, the Walkmen just couldn't hold my interest. Bonus points for being a TWO DRUMMER BAND, which is rock and roll as all hell.
Honorable mention goes to DIRTY PRETTY THINGS 'ROMANCE AT SHORT NOTICE'...Yeah, I know, a lot of people were underwhelmed, but I thought it was a great follow-up to 'Waterloo to Anywhere', but there are start-to-finish solid tracks here. And Carl is still a top bloke. RIP, DPT.
Just my 2 cents... hijack of this thread is now over.
You gotta give the people something good to read...
MANDO DIAO...No, haven't seen 'em yet, but CHRIST, I want to. I can't get enough of these crazy swedes...Their last album is from last year, but all their albums prove solid as hell and rock 'n' roll as SHIT. New album in '09 evidently...no doubt will be great.
I concur - better than the Hives (and I like the Hives), even better than Randy (and I really like Randy - the band, not a guy - not that there's anything wrong with that).
I got the Santogold album off Itunes. She'd better hope Siouxsie doesn't hear My Superman, since it's a flat out knockoff of Red Light.
My top album of 2008? Geordie Walker's "February 2007 Demos" released January 2008 and on his MySpace. Jeff Beck meets Eddie Van Halen meets Keith Levene meets, um, Geordie Walker.
