Music 2008

[Franz Ferdinand]

The album of 2009 was released six days into the year - so far Animal Collective are riding a wave of critical acclaim I could say is nearly unprecedented.

[Bog]

No, both times in San Francisco. My friend went to that festival in Chicago; he said that people there didn't seem to know who they were. They seem to have a solid following in SF; their shows sell out right away.

Pitchfork Music Festival is wonderful for so much great music and so so little time...all weekend 3 bands play at once so the quantity is enormous but you cannot fully digest a live show from every act

We went basically as huge indie music fans but mostly to see Animal Collective and Fleet Foxes, so we were not among those who felt their obscurity at that time. However, as they've been described, they appear as hobos with voices like angels.

Other shows to note:

RADIOHEAD
Blitzen Trapper
Horse Feathers
Cold War Kids
NERD
The New Pornographers
Dodos
The Hold Steady
Bon Iver
King Khan
Spoon
Arcade Fire- tiny concert in rural Ohio ("Obama rally")
Bell X1
Cut Copy
Death Cab for Cutie
Tegan and Sara
Grizzly Bear
Okkervil River
Vampire Weekend
The Raconteurs
The Black Lips
Zox
The Clarks
Dave Matthews Band- very surprisingly excellent concert

Other than Radiohead, Arcade Fire, and Bell X1, which I can barely even be objective about, Animal Collective was the best live show, though all were much to my liking, only really Spoon was poor and maybe not worth the coin.



Edited By Bog on 1230464990

[Franz Ferdinand]

What did you think of M.I.A.? I've heard she's not all that great live, but Arular and Kala are two of the strongest albums of the decade.

I've heard very little, but I loved the Sigur Ros and TV on the Radio albums this year.

M.I.A. is perhaps aesthetically not great live - a DJ spinning her songs is not the most original thing - but she has unbelievable energy. She was late getting on stage (and her second opener was a DJ duo who overstayed their welcome by a good half an hour), but when she did, the impatient crowd went bananas. She played with two backup dancers, and she got incredible energy from the crowd, it was a very lively show and the entire audience was into it the whole way through. Perhaps the best thing - and something not a little dangerous - was when she pulled a few dozen girls on stage for "10 Dollar", and then proceeded to pull a few dozen boys on stage for (what else) "Boyz". I don't need to brag, but I was one of the guys pulled on stage - and thank God, because it was so hot in the front I was getting ready to black out. It was such a rush being on stage not even three feet away from her, just rocking out, it was very exciting. So for a music purist, not too creative, but in terms of energy it was one of the finest I've seen.

[danfrank]

Did you see them at Pitchfork's Music Festival in the Windy City by chance?

No, both times in San Francisco. My friend went to that festival in Chicago; he said that people there didn't seem to know who they were. They seem to have a solid following in SF; their shows sell out right away.

[Zahveed]

Crystal Castles

I forgot about Crystal Castles, another great album to add to my list. I knew I was missing something.

I haven't heard M.I.A.'s Arular yet, but Kala is amazing. I'm looking forward to see what she puts out next.

[Okri]

What did you think of M.I.A.? I've heard she's not all that great live, but Arular and Kala are two of the strongest albums of the decade.

I've heard very little, but I loved the Sigur Ros and TV on the Radio albums this year.

[Franz Ferdinand]

I had the great fortune to see TVOTR this past September, right in the front where the band enthusiastically went to high-five the audience. They are amazing live, but they are a band that could not stay secret too long. Their fanbase is too fervent, and they occasionally put out a seemingly-simple song like "Golden Age" that catches others with its hook.

Album of the year from Rolling Stone is another pathetic attempt by the rag to stay relevant, a bit of playing catch-up; I love the album, but it wasn't my number 1 - it always takes a long time to fully digest a TVOTR album.

Which concerts have you guys seen this year? I've seen live:
- Dream Theater
- Opeth
- Battles
- M.I.A.
- Nine Inch Nails w/ Crystal Castles
- TV On the Radio
- The Bicycles
- Metallica w/ Lamb of God and The Sword

An okay list but I definitely wish I lived in a bigger city with access to better bands. Most bands play only Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in Canada: three cities in a gigantic country does not work well for a lot of music fans!

[Bog]

Did you see them at Pitchfork's Music Festival in the Windy City by chance?

Fleet Foxes are great live...TV on the Radio are PHENOMENAL live, of course like you've said, I've only seen them with no more than a few hundred folks. I now see Rolling Stone has named it album of the year- goodbye already waning obscurity

[barrybrooks8]

Notable albums for me:

Nada Surf-Lucky
Robyn-Robyn
Keane-Perfect Symmetry

[danfrank]

I'm gonna say I thought it was quite a good year for music, but I suppose one could argue the In Rainbows and Neon Bibles were better than anything this year...even M.I.A. maybe...

not sure how'd I'd order these off the top of my head

TV on the Radio- Dear Science
Blitzen Trapper- Furr
Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
Of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
Passion Pit- Chunk of Change
Girl Talk- Feed the Animals
Shearwater- Rook
Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III
Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
Kanye- 808s & Heartbreak- this seems to be the most polarizing of the year...count me in on the incredibly enthusiastic side of the debate

I love Fleet Foxes. I've seen them perform twice this year. They are definitely a band to watch out for. TV on the Radio are also great live; unfortunately they are starting to play in larger venues.

[Zahveed]

There are still a lot of albums I want to check out, but these are my picks.

1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
2. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
3. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
4. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
5. Mindless Self Indulgence - If
6. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
7. Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright
8. Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
9. Shiny Toy Guns - Season of Poison
10. Beck - Modern Guilt
11. Metallica - Death Magnetic
12. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
13. Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone
14. The Killers - Day & Age


I bought/downloaded a few other albums but they're either not worth mentioning or from years past.

[Bog]

I'm gonna say I thought it was quite a good year for music, but I suppose one could argue the In Rainbows and Neon Bibles were better than anything this year...even M.I.A. maybe...

not sure how'd I'd order these off the top of my head

TV on the Radio- Dear Science
Blitzen Trapper- Furr
Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
Of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
Passion Pit- Chunk of Change
Girl Talk- Feed the Animals
Shearwater- Rook
Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III
Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
Kanye- 808s & Heartbreak- this seems to be the most polarizing of the year...count me in on the incredibly enthusiastic side of the debate



Edited By Bog on 1230107545

[Franz Ferdinand]

This hasn't been a too great year for music, though I have not felt so strongly about the top albums as these ones for quite a few years. A strong top crop, but I have become either lazy or apathetic recently. For what its worth:

Albums:
1. Hercules and Love Affair, Hercules and Love Affair
2. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours
3. Portishead, Third
4. Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid
5. The Bug, London Zoo
6. Q-Tip, The Renaissance
7. TV on the Radio, Dear Science,
8. Flying Lotus, Los Angeles
9. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
10. Opeth, Watershed

[Eric]

Album of the Year:
Erykah Badu, Nu AmErykah, Vol. 1: The 4th World War

Runners up:
- Kid Creole, Going Places (compilation)
- Trus'me, Working Nights
- Grace Jones, Hurricane
- Kanye West, 808's and Heartbreaks



Edited By Eric on 1229567661

[abcinyvr]

In case I am too busy watching movies at the end of the year...

Top Ten Albums: (2008, and 2007 releases which I didn't get around to)

1. Better Late Than Never - Lange
2. Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust - Sigur Ros
3. Forever - Gus Gus
4. Life With You - The Proclaimers
5. 4:13 Dream - The Cure
6. Randon Album Title - Deadmau5
7. Synchronized Vol. 2 - Global Underground (various artists)
8. Tech-Trance-Electro Madness - Deadmau5
9. Accelerate - REM
10.Hvarf/Heim - Sigur Ros

Best album I heard this year, which I had never heard before:
The Sunrise EP (1994) - Cause And Effect

Single/Remix 2008

1. Kings Cross (Hot Chip Remix) - Tracey Thorn
2. Mars - Fake Blood
3. Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur - Sigur Ros
4. Songless (Boy Hageman Remix) - Lange
5. Grace (Black Labelles Minimal Grace Mix) - Miss Kittin
6. Supernatural Superserious - REM
7. L.E.S. Artistes - Santogold
8. I Remember - Deadmau5
9. Sunrise At Ibiza (Drive Mix Edit) - Rex Mundi
10. Chain - School Of Seven Bells
11. Carbine - Max Graham
12. Chime - The Shapeshifters
13. Clockwork (Jonas Steur Ultra Violence Remix) - Deadmau5
14. Fragile (Daniel Kandi's Emotional Remix) - Kiholm
15. Under The Stars (Original edit) - Tydi
16. Angel - Sinead O'Connor
17. I'm In Love With A German Film Star - Sam Taylor-Wood & The Pet Shop Boys
18. Miracle Cure (Radio Mix) - Blank & Jones f. Bernard Sumner
19. Feel (Original Mix) - Sundriver
20. Geko - Guy J