top albums - 2008

[sans culottes]

What're your favorite albums from the year that just ended?

1) The Black Crowes - Warpaint
-This is the best album the Crowes have done. In the early 90's they had some good albums but those were good as in 60% great songs and 40% boring filler. They gave the album a raw bluesy feel that suits them best, with some of the tracks being live recordings done in a studio.
2) Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
-Axl Rose gave the world fifteen years of bullshit in this Chinese Democracy era but at least it ended well. Sure, Chinese Democracy won't ever compare to their classic material, but I got tired of hearing it too much. Almost every song on this album is damn good. Axl Rose showed that he could be a good musician without Slash and Stradlin at his side. He's still an asshole, though.
3) Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch
-Everything Tom Petty did after Wildflowers was mostly mediocre. As his new big idea, he got back together with his small old band. This album is very chill and an enjoyable listen. It's got a good blend of the straightfoward rock n' roll Petty of the 70's and the folk/country influenced Petty of the 90's.
4) Murder by Death - Red of Tooth and Claw
-Murder by Death fans tend to dislike this album and prefer Who Will Survive over it. I can't really pick favorites of their albums, but this could be it for me. At first I hated the vocals but it grew on me. It's a short album, so there's not really any filler. Gritty as ever and keeping the western theme, I'd call this a damn fine record.
5) Airbourne - Runnin' Wild
-I'll put this as 2008 because that's when it reached America. This wasn't any sort of brilliant album and a few of the songs are stupid. But what I like about this album is the effect. Airbourne's AC/DC-esque sound is like someone running into an a room full of experimental artists calmly discussing said art and yelling "FUCK YEAH! ROCK N' ROLL PARTY TIME!". That's a good idea to me.

[Hiro]

List eats shit. Hot Chip's "Made In The Dark" fo sho

[Selkie]

1. The Bedlam in Goliath - The Mars Volta.
2. Dear Science - TV on the Radio
3. Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
4. Fearless - Taylor Swift
5. Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp

[Meyer Lansky]

BB King - One Kind Favor
TV On the Radio - Dear Science,
Solange Knowles - Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
Nas - Untitled
Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It

[Daddy]

Untitled by Nas
Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
L.A.X. by The Game
Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp
Killer by Tech N9ne


The Cool was released so late in 2007 I almost accidentally included it in there lol.

[Andrew1911]

tv on the radio - dear science
hilotrons - happymatic
the hold steady - stay positive
los campesinos! - hold on now, youngster
q-tip - the renaissance

[Skylark]

Only God Can Judge Me! - Andrew Jackson Jihad
Oh the Places We Will Go  - Lake
Skeletal Lamping - Of Montreal

my favorite album of the year was easily Love It Love It by Nana Grizol and it was probably also one of my favorite albums of all time. It's amazing.

[Placebo Headwound]

nil recurring (EP) - porcupine tree

That came out in '08?

I got my copy in '07. But maybe that's just because they had it on sale at the show.

[Daphnia]

Beck - Modern Guilt,
Opeth - Watershed,
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping,
and Sleep Station - The Pride of Chester James
were all very good, but my favorite by far is Experimental Aircraft - Third Transmission Meet Me On Echo Echo Terrace. First two songs are on their website. Direct links here and here if you're interested.

[Meyer Lansky]

q-tip - the renaissance

That would have been included in my list if not for getting bored as hell throughout random parts of the album.

[Selkie]

I may have to put Dear Science as number 1 simply for the song Lovers Day. That song blows my mind every time I hear it. It's so beautiful.

[Andrew1911]

That would have been included in my list if not for getting bored as hell throughout random parts of the album.

maybe if you weren't a nigger you wouldn't get bored >:|

[Meyer Lansky]

maybe if you weren't a you wouldn't get bored >

It was exactly the type of music I expected from him which makes the album not as enjoyable as it could be.