Top 10 Music Releases, 2008
(Includes music released between Nov 31, 2007 and Nov 31, 2008)
| Dana Anderson Washington, IL 
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[10] Jason Colett – Here's to Being Here [9] Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust [8] Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes [7] Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends [6] Hot Chip – Made in the Dark [5] My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges [4] Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs [3] MGMT – Oracular Spectacular [2] The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead [1] Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight Best Show: *We don't go to shows anymore cuz we're lame and live in f'n central Illinois! |
| Brett Burkhardt Madison, WI 
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[10] Clash- Live at Shea (Ok, I haven't actually heard this album. But the Clash is just as good as anyone else to round out a top ten list.)
[9] Fleet Foxes- s/t [8] Mt. Eerie- Black Wooden Ceiling Opening [7] Feist- The Reminder DELUXE EDITION (Also a holdover from last year's list; didn't buy the deluxe version but how could it be worse the the standard version?) [6] Vampire Weekend- s/t (This was on my list last year, but apparently it was released Jan 2008. I'll count it again.) [5] Mt. Eerie, Julie Doiron, and Freq Squire- Lost Wisdom [4] Bonnie Prince Billy- Lie Down in the Light [3] Dodos- Visiter [2] Wolf Parade- At Mt. Zoomer [1] Of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping (Back-to-back best albums of the year. Unprecedented?) Best Show: The Dodos (followed by Wolf Parade [followed by Mt. Eerie]) |
| Adam Bunker Washington, IL 
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[10] Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs [9] The Cool Kids – Bake Sale [8] Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling [7] Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust [6] The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead [5] My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges [4] MGMT – Oracular Spectacular [3] TV on the Radio – Dear Science [2] Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes [1] Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight Best Show: Lost |
| Ryan Dougherty Springfield, IL 
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[10] Foals - Antidotes [9] MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [8] Why? - Alopecia [7] Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III [6] Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna [5] The Black Keys - Attack & Release [4] White Denim - Workout Holiday [3] Lykke Li - Youth Novels [2] TV on the Radio - Dear Science [1] The Kills - Midnight Boom Song of the Year: David Byrne and Brian Eno - One Fine Day Best Show: Monotonix @ The Empty Bottle |
| Mark Ewing Crusty Butt, CO 
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[10] Portishead - Third [9] My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges [8] Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes [7] Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago [6] Kings of Leon – Only by the Night [5] Beck – Modern Guilt [4] Man Man – Rabbit Hands [3] Devotchka – A Mad and Faithful Telling [2] MGMT – Oracular Spectacular [1] TV On the Radio – Dear Science |
| Adam Grosch Madison, WI 
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[10] Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight [9] Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend [8] Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping [7] Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab [6] Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane [5] The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave [4] Why? - Alopecia [3] Department of Eagles - In Ear Park [2] The Dodos - Visiter [1] The Walkmen - You & Me Best Show: The Dodos, Madison, WI |
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Tim Krings Chicago, IL 
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[10] French Kicks - Swimming [9] Lord Bird Dog - Lord Bird Dog [8] Deerhunter - Microcastle [7] Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom [6] Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams [5] Fleet Foxes - s/t [4] Vampire Weekend - s/t [3] The Walkmen - You and Me [2] Chad Vangaalen - Soft Airplane [1] Forest Fire - Survival Best Shows: french kicks @ double door i ching quartet &bowerbirds @ schubas vampire weekend @ turner hall fleet foxes & blitzen trapper @ schubas fleet foxes @ pabst theatre |
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Meghan Mayer Portland, OR 
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[10] Seun Kuti - Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 [9] Santogold - s/t [8] Cat Power - Jukebox [7] TV on The Radio - Dear Science [6] The Black Keys - Attack and Release [5] Hercules and Love Affair - s/t [4] MGMT – Oracular Spectacular [3] Portishead - Third [2] Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago [1] The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely Best Show: Bon Iver at the Aladdin Theater |
| Shawn Mayer Portland, OR 
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[10] Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing [9] David Byrne/Brian Eno - Everything that Happens Will Happen Today [8] Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life [7] Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely [6] Hercules and Love Affair - s/t [5] Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! [4] MGMT – Oracular Spectacular [3] TV on the Radio - Dear Science [2] The Black Keys - Attack and Release [1] Portishead - Third* Notes: *My favorite record of 2008 was Yeasayer's "All Hour Symbols." Far and Away. Unfortunately, I recently learned that it was released in October 2007 and I was just behind the curve. It's fucking awesome; so as much as I love Portishead's masterpiece, it will sit at numero uno with an asterisk. - Best Show: Yeasayer at the Aladdin Theater - In addition: Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago" was on many lists this year, and I do love it. However, many of this list's participating reviewers placed it on last year's list (Self-released last year, major label release this year), so I excluded it. -Most overhyped: Santogold, Vampire weekend. I would not call these "worst" records of the year. They appear on many "best of" lists. For whatever reason though, I don't care for either of them... AT ALL. -Two of my top 10 contain the word 'fuck.' What is the world coming to? |
| Carly Modica Seattle, WA 
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[10] Girl Talk - Feed The Animals [9] Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave [8] Horse Feathers - House With No Home [7] MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [6] Thao - We Brave Bee Stings and All [5] Shearwater - Rook [4] Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park [3] The Moondoggies - Don't Be A Stranger [2] Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant, EP / Fleet Foxes LP (If Pitchfork can do it, so can I) [1] Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long - Best Show: Sera Cahoone at Neumos, Seattle ***Bon Iver's album, For Emma, Forever Ago, released by Jagjaguwar, probably would have been on this list had I not included the self-released version in my Top Ten last year.*** |
| Mike Modica Seattle, WA 
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[10] Horse Feathers - House with No Home [9] Beach House - Devotion [8] No Age - nouns [7] Moondoggies - Don't Be a Stranger [6] Fleet Foxes - s/t [5] Sera Cahoone - Only as the day is long [4] Department of Eagles - In Ear Park [3] Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing [2] Walkmen - You & Me [1] Portishead - Third Best Show: Fuck Buttons/Caribou, Empty Bottle. This show was totally off the chain. Fuck Buttons were incredible, but Caribou totally blew them away. Honorable Mention: Fleet Foxes/Blitzen Trapper @Schubas. Sera Cahoone @Neumos. Man Man @Division St. Chicago. Yes, that Beirut shot went in. |
| Rick Spooner Chicago? Seattle? Not sure yet... Welcome Rick! 
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Not in order: Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer Fleet Foxes - s/t The Dodos - Visiter The Black Keys - Attack and Release Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely Blitzen Trapper - Furr The Dutchess & The Duke - She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke The Walkmen - You & Me The Hold Steady - Stay Positive |
| Joe Whetstone Portland, OR 
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[10] Bonnie Prince Billy - Is It the Sea [9] Dungen - 4 [8] Vampire Weekend - s/t [7] Deerhunter - Microcastle [6] She and Him - Volume 1 [5] My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges [4] Fleet Foxes - s/t [3] Black Angels - Directions to See a Ghost [2] Walkmen - You & Me [1] The Black Keys - Attack and Release |
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*Thanks to Dana for assistance with the Peacock design at top. Thanks to Adam for introducing us to Dana. ** If you are reading this and your picture is an ass, it means that you failed to provide an appropriate photo and I don't have one to substitute. If you send one, I will change your photo. The rule is that photos for this page may not be "normal pictures" where you look nice. They must be silly, embarassing, costumed, or otherwise ridiculous in some way. Thanks for participating - here's to a great year of music in 2009. In my opinion, '09 is also ripe for a "Best of the Decade" Top 10 covering 2000-2009 releases. Any takers? Keep your headphones on... |