Year-End Critics' Polls '08

so it has begun:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/11/signs-of-life-2008-best-music.html

50 TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Interscope)
49 Sandra McCracken - Red Balloon (Towhee)
48 REM - Accelerate (Warner Bros.)
47 Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim (Astralwerks)
46 Lykke Li - Youth Novels (LL)
45 M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
44 Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers (Zoë)
43 Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner)
42 Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings & All (KRS)
41 The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave (Gravitation)
40 Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)
39 The Dodos - Visiter (Frenchkiss)
38 Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp)
37 Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - A Larum (Lost Highway)
36 The Bridges - Limits of the Sky (Verve)
35 Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg and Curse (Fat Possum)
34 Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
33 Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
32 Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
31 The Walkmen - You & Me (Gigantic)
30 I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini? (Mute)
29 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)
28 MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
27 Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
26 Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy (MCA Nashville)
25 Mugison - Mugiboogie (Ipecac)
24 Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking
 (Mad Decent)
23 Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
22 No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)
21 The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
20 Hot Chip - Made In The Dark (Astralwerks)
19 Gentleman Jesse and His Men - Introducing Gentleman Jesse and His Men (Douchemaster)
18 Death Cab
 for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
 (Atlantic)
17 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down In The Light (Drag City)
16 My Morning Jacket
 - Evil Urges (ATO)
15 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Mute)
14 Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim (Kemado)
13 Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart (Waterfall/RCA)
12 of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
11 The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (Vagrant)
10 Deerhunter - Microcastle (Kranky)
09 Lucinda Williams - Little Honey (Lost Highway)
08 Sun Kil Moon - April (Caldo Verde)
07 Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
06 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
05 Okkervil River - The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar)
04 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
03 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)
02 Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (XL)
01 She & Him - Volume One (Merge)

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That top ten is just vile.

Blender:

33 Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
32 Taylor Swift - Fearless
31 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
30 Young Jeezy - The Recession
29 Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
28 Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
27 Mariah Carey - E=MC²
26 Usher - Here I Stand
25 Santogold - Santogold
24 The Roots - Rising Down
23 The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale
22 Coldplay - Viva La Vida
21 Erykah Badu - New Amerykah: Pt. One (4th World War)
20 Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
19 Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
18 Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
17 Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
16 Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
15 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
14 Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
13 Al Green - Lay It Down
12 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
11 Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10 Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux
09 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
08 Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
07 of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
06 Robyn - Robyn
05 Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
04 Metallica - Death Magnetic
03 TV On The Radio - Dear Science
02 Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
01 Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III

Decibel's Top 40 metal albums
40. Coffins, Buried Death (20 Buck Spin)
39. Withered, Folie Circulaire (Prosthetic)
38. Graveyard (Tee Pee)
37. North, What You Were (Cavity)
36. Decrepit Birth, Diminishing Between Worlds (Unique Leader)
35. Witch, Paralyzed (Tee Pee)
34. Aura Noir, Hades Rise (Tyrant Syndicate)
33. Cynic, Traced in Air (Season of Mist)
32. Meshuggah, obZen (Nuclear Blast)
31. This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 1 (Relapse)
30. Samothrace, Life's Trade (20 Buck Spin)
29. Blacklisted, Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God (Deathwish, Inc.)
28. Bloodbath, The Fathomless Mastery (Peaceville)
27. Testament, The Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast)
26. 5ive, Hesperus (Tortuga)
25. Hennes Siste Host, Host (Init)
24. Gridlink, Amber Gray (Hydra Head)
23. Trap Them, Seizures in Barren Praise (Deathwish, Inc.)
22. Hour of 13 (Shadow Kingdom)
21. Hail of Bullets, Of Frost and War (Metal Blade)
20. Intronaut, Prehistoricisms (Century Media)
19. Gods and Queens (Robotic Empire)
18. Toxic Holocaust, An Overdose of Death (Relapse)
17. Esoteric, The Maniacal Vale (Season of Mist)
16. Enslaved, Vertebrae (Nuclear Blast)
15. Gojira, The Way of All Flesh (Prosthetic)
14. Pyramids (Hydra Head)
13. Amon Amarth, Twilight of the Thunder God (Metal Blade)
12. Krallice (Profound Lore)
11. Harvey Milk, Life . . . the Best Game in Town (Hydra Head)
10. Disfear, Live the Storm (Relapse)
9. Made Out of Babies, The Ruiner (The End)
8. Wetnurse, Invisible City (Seventh Rule)
7. Origin, Antithesis (Relapse)
6. Rotten Sound, Cycles (Spinefarm)
5. The Gates of Slumber, Conqueror (Profound Lore)
4. Opeth, Watershed (Roadrunner)
3. Genghis Tron, Board Up the House (Relapse)
2. Nachmystium, Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1 (Century Media)
1. Torche, Meanderthal (Hydra Head)

So much wrong with that Decibel list, starting with the album at #1. Hell, their whole Top 10 is all wrong.

I'll post Metal Edge's list tomorrow, when I'm at the office.

0 for 3

Okay, I should say "0 for 2".. since I'm not hip to metal.. but yeah, those first 2 lists are bullshit.

The Kathleen Edwards + Laura Marling on Paste is good to see.

hooray for real emotional trash!
not sure how that was received around these parts - something tells me it was very hated, although i think you should all love it.

I liked it a lot.

WTF is with this Girl Talk top-tenning?

i recently bought Real Emotional Trash on a whim without downloading it first. very surprised in how good it actually is. also bought Studio's West Coast on that Amoeba trip...

i think it's kind of steely dan-y! which of course would certainly be very up this place's alley. i think steely dan/malkmus have a lot in common in general

It's a good thing is Girl Talk charts really well being that I'm writing about him at the moment.

nothing i like ever seems to make it onto these lameass polls

seriously, these lists are a joke. does ILM do its own poll?

We do, and we probably will again.

01 Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III

― xhuxk, Sunday, November 23, 2008 7:28 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/onionmagazine_archive_143a.jpg

No mention of The Veronicas = Zero credibility.

To say nothing of the Pink omission.

You're not really surprised at the Veronicas being left off the lists, right?

This is ridiculous! Where is Of Montreux on these lists?

blender had them at 7, which i was v. happy about. they should be top 2, of course

Mojo have their Best Of 2008 in the new Oasis-covered issue, but I can't spot it online at the moment. They have Fleet Foxes at #1. I pass the buck to someone else to type up the rest.

i'm not ever going to look if they have that snoozefest at #1

blender had them at 7, which i was v. happy about. they should be top 2, of course

Suggest Ban Permalink
― k3vin k., Monday, November 24, 2008 12:50 AM Bookmark

step your reading comprehension game up, son

Decibel good
blender predictable and uncontroversial as I imagine most will be
paste has something I've never heard of @ #1 which is something at least. Is it any good?

love the fact that in the mojo list, oasis are at number 50, obviously "justifying" their cover status.

I like the She & Him album. Assuming it's the same album I heard a few months ago (I think it's the same one). I thought at the time that it was very Cat Powers'esque.

No mention of The Veronicas = Zero credibility.

To say nothing of the Pink omission.

― i, grey, Monday, November 24, 2008 3:12 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

man I like the Pink album and it's still impossible for me to not wanna clown this post

That kind of post used to be de rigueur in Rolling Teenpop. Memory... All alone in the moonlight...

So wait, Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus are different people?

The Metal Edge Top 50 of 2008:

49. TIE: Motörhead, Motörizer/Prostitute Disfigurement, Descendants Of Depravity
48. Belphegor, Bondage Goat Zombie
47. In Flames, A Sense Of Purpose
46. Hate Eternal, Fury And Flames
45. Moonspell, Night Eternal
43. TIE: Iced Earth, The Crucible Of Man/Staind, The Illusion Of Progress
41. TIE: Eluveitie, Slania/Saviours, Into Abaddon
40. DragonForce, Ultra Beatdown
38. TIE: Blessed By A Broken Heart, Pedal To The Metal/Boris, Smile
37. Ayreon, 01011001
36. Into Eternity, The Incurable Tragedy
35. Cynic, Traced In Air
34. Intronaut, Prehistoricisms
33. Disfear, Live The Storm
32. Coffins, Buried Death
31. Gates Of Slumber, Conqueror
28. TIE: Annihilation Time, Annihilation Time III/Melvins, Nude With Boots/Trivium, Shogun
27. Equilibrium, Sagas
26. All That Remains, Overcome
25. Lair Of The Minotaur, War Metal Battle Master
23. TIE: Bleeding Through, Declaration/Mötley Crüe, Saints Of Los Angeles
22. Children Of Bodom, Blooddrunk
21. Made Out Of Babies, The Ruiner
20. GridLink, Amber Gray
19. Disturbed, Indestructible
17. TIE: Genghis Tron, Board Up The House/Wetnurse, Invisible City
16. The Sword, Gods Of The Earth
15. Judas Priest, Nostradamus
14. Neuraxis, The Thin Line Between
13. Krallice, Krallice
11. TIE: Cavalera Conspiracy, Inflikted/Torche, Meanderthal
10. Testament, The Formation Of Damnation
9. Enslaved, Vertebrae
8. Nachtmystium, Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1
7. Harvey Milk, Life…The Best Game In Town
6. Amon Amarth, Twilight Of The Thunder God
5. Gojira, The Way Of All Flesh
4. Slipknot, All Hope Is Gone
3. Meshuggah, obZen
2. Metallica, Death Magnetic
1. Opeth, Watershed

Mojo Magazine: The 50 Best Albums of 2008
http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/923684

1 - Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
2 - The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
3 - Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
4 - Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago [2007]
5 - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
6 - The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
7 - Glasvegas - Glasvegas
8 - The Week That Was - The Week That Was
9 - The Bug - London Zoo
10 - Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark
11 - Portishead - Third
12 - Don Cavalli - Cryland
13 - Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
14 - British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
15 - Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves - Roll With You
16 - Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
17 - Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
18 - Pete Molinari - A Virtual Landslide
19 - Beck - Modern Guilt
20 - TV on the Radio - Dear Science
21 - Amadou & Mariam - Welcome to Mali
22 - Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
23 - Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
24 - Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
25 - Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
26 - Peter Broderick - Home
27 - M83 - Saturdays=Youth
28 - Neon Neon - Stainless Style
29 - Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals [2007]
30 - The Night Marchers - See You in Magic
31 - Duffy - Rockferry
32 - Seasick Steve - I Started Out With Nothin' and I Still Got Most of It Left
33 - Kasai Allstars - In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic
34 - Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
35 - Our Broken Garden - When Your Blackening Shows
36 - MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
37 - Gavin Bryars & Philip Jeck & Alter Ego - The Sinking of the Titanic [2007]
38 - Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
39 - Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
40 - The Black Keys - Attack & Release
41 - The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
42 - Juana Molina - Un Día
43 - Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers
44 - Goldmund - The Malady Of Elegance
45 - Metallica - Death Magnetic
46 - James Hunter - The Hard Way
47 - Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
48 - AC/DC - Black Ice
49 - The Neil Cowley Trio - Loud... Louder... Stop
50 - Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

paste has something I've never heard of @ #1 which is something at least. Is it any good?

― BIG HOOS enjoys a cold mindbeer (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, November 24, 2008 9:11 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

(no, it's not good)

literally the only thing on that Mojo list that I don't hate is Fuck Buttons

You must be worn out.

I still haven't listened to Fleet Foxes or the new TV on the Radio tho, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I might like them.

also the one track I've heard off London Zoo wasn't bad

Loooove seeing Torche at #1 on a metal list.

these annual reminders of how terrible most critics' taste is are kind of simultaneously depressing and reassuring

I quite liked that Late of the Pier album.

No medals though...

Loooove seeing Torche at #1 on a metal list.

― vampire baseball (call all destroyer), Monday, November 24, 2008 3:53 PM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

It's blowing my mind that Portishead has only made one list so far.

exactly how I feel about Deerhunter

http://www.insidetennis.com/it_img/0805_tantrums_mcenroe_500.jpg http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_01/victormeldrew0410_468x493.jpg

go torche!

I still haven't listened to Fleet Foxes or the new TV on the Radio tho, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I might like them.

― With a little bit of gold and a Peja (bernard snowy), Monday, November 24, 2008 10:40 AM (1 hour ago)

TVOTR = v. good
FF = exalted background music

Yeah, FF definitely SOUND good, but there's not a lot of substance there.

The Blender list is like a list of albums.

Still no Cut Copy, no Wolf Parade, no Blitzen Trapper, no Jay Reatard.. we have 1 mention of No Age, and 1 mention of The Sword..

These lists can suck a D.

Man, people really do get worked up over lists that were compiled back before the year was even three-quarters finished. I've already turned in a couple lists for polls that were two months early, roughly speaking, and am putting some together before the year is up as well; the way "the year in" has dialed back further and further makes me uneasy. I kind of read them with a grain of salt that way.

there is no excuse for putting that astonishingly bad My Morning Jacket anywhere near a top albums list, even if it's "top albums that came out that week"

Hey, I've complained about the She & Him win elsewhere! I'm not making fun at all. I just find it kind of oddly encouraging that people actually care about this stuff.

(I'm almost certain I've said that before on a previous year-end poll thread, but I've been up all night and am spacey. Onward.)

I don't really understand why people ever get outraged about their favorite albums not showing up on a particular year-end list (a need to confirm one's subjective opinion, maybe?), but especially when there are zillions of lists these days: no publication really has the authority anymore to single-handedly canonize albums, so why sweat it?

be happy you have better taste than these schlubs!

I really like that Cut Copy disc, and I'm glad to see it not turning up on these lists...

you're right, but I like to see my favorite artists do well, so that's one reason. when p4k (for an obv example) puts you in their top ten, sales and concert tickets are gonna swell, no?

xp jay

xxp:

I am happy! it's just weird I guess -- I haven't really listened to that much new music this year, but most of the stuff from these lists that I've heard is so dull that I wouldn't have even remembered it came out this year.

when p4k (for an obv example) puts you in their top ten, sales and concert tickets are gonna swell, no?

Yeah, I guess I've never really understood why people are invested in their favorite bands getting popular, either. As long as they're doing well enough to keep putting out albums and touring on a semi-regular basis, I don't care how many units they shift.

anyone else shocked to see this on the mojo list?...

37 - Gavin Bryars & Philip Jeck & Alter Ego - The Sinking of the Titanic [2007]

was considering this for my list, but who turned those guys on to something like this???

no Blitzen Trapper

they're #1 on my list of bands who, from reading reviews, i think will be awesome, but are completely disappointing to listen to.

i think it's entirely depressing that anyone would pick a fifth-wave freak folk act as their #1 album of the year. surely something original happened in 2008?

i think it's entirely depressing that anyone would keep count of how many waves of freak folk there have been now

whats the Don Cavalli album like?

yes yes, i clearly have a tally on my wall. apparently it's the most relevant form of music in 2008 though, so...

8 - The Week That Was - The Week That Was

glad this is getting props somewhere, i'm really into it at the moment

Do you mean Fleet Foxes psychgawsple?

I don't think they really sound like a freak folk group or even the descendants of freak folk (though they probably listened to the last Grizzly Bear album). Which is not to say they're doing anything new.

I like the album, but I'd be depressed if was number one on my list. Having said that, I think it's far more likely that it'll do well this year not because some people think it's the best thing of the year, but because heaps and heaps of people are ranking it about ten.

I kinda ruined my singles poll list for Pitchfork (in terms of expecting to have any effect on the outcome) by stuffing it with UK funky house tunes.

indeed, it is not very 'freaky', but it is folksy psych-pop in that lineage (imo). and it seems to have a weird appeal to the more dance-music oriented set, which i simply don't understand (it looks like this'll be the #1 album over at djhistory!?!?!). it's easy to like but there's nothing exciting going on by any means.

and god bless you sir for bringing more funky UK house to the Pitchfork list

I doubt any will make it into the final list though! This is the problem with these sorts of consensus lists, and exactly why something like Fleet Foxes tends to get overrated. In fact I think I'd say what Fleet Foxes have going for them is that they are a point where people with bad taste and people with good taste converge.

yeah but you guys do show individual lists too, right?

that's where you find the real gold

The inclusion of Staind, Trivium, and Slipknot all make me cringe, but still, Metal Edge's EOY list is better than Decibel's, I think.

Without my vote I'm pretty sure Belphegor's Bondage Goat Zombie wouldn't have even made the Metal Edge top 50!!! (Also, my #1 vote for Equilibrium must have helped its placing.)

Tremendous variety in that Metal Edge list. I didn't vote for Equilibrium, but I sure as hell admire it. That album is nuts.

21 Erykah Badu - New Amerykah: Pt. One (4th World War)
19 Katy Perry - One Of The Boys

the motherfuckers

yall didnt know matt armstrong was the editor of blender?

was considering this for my list, but who turned (MOJO) on to something like this???

For all the Boomer Rock worship and Beatles covers the MOJO writers have actually been right there in terms of championing great bands early on.

"One Of The Boys" is an abortion

No Gym Class Heroes, no dice

yes but MOJO have never really been into experimental electronic or minimal composition in the past have they?

the bryars/jeck/alter ego project is not a band, it's actually jeck and alter ego re-working the classic bryars piece into something almost akin to 'the disintegration loops'

this is starting to be like in high school when jocks would ask, "Wait, you like rap? I thought you were into alternative."

it's just that that album, and maybe Peter Broderick as well, are far more experimental/esoteric than the rest of that list. no need to call names matos, just wondering if this type of dabbling was something MOJO did more often

the previous lists had a predictable aesthetic (at least with Paste and Blender), i thought this was part of why writers contributed different lists to different magazines?

I have to recuse myself from commenting on the metal lists, but otherwise, Blender's is by far the best of these so far.

yes but MOJO have never really been into experimental electronic or minimal composition in the past have they?

I don't know what the staff's iPod's look like but they seem to have an in-house expert on everything. (And if they don't have one for something they usually know where to find a good one)

Their canonizations and monthly covers can obscure that finer point though.

It's probably a bit like Pitchfork's 2000 list where Gas' Pop stood out like a sore thumb amidst all the indie-rock (obv. Pitchfork's end of year lists are a bit different now). I queried this at the time and Mark Richardson (who obv likes a lot of electronic music) explained that he'd loved that album and converted several other writers. Pitchfork weren't trying to say this was the only good electronic album of that year, it's just that several writers happened to vote for it. I'm sure that Mojo has its equivalent or equivalents to Mark.

Which is totally fair enough. But it still points to the problem with tabulated lists generally: one reads meaning where in fact there is only statistical randomness.

Having said this, the "nine similar things plus one different thing" approach to individual end-of-year listmaking is always (to my mind) a sign that one should not take said list too seriously. The presence of the one different thing can only be seen as perplexing, ultimately meaningless - remember all those indie rock + Outkast album lists of 2003.

ultimately meaningless

No, not at all. All those indie rockers came to the album for that one song. I think it was "Ghetto Musick."

i mean, "hey ya" was no pushover either

I queried this at the time and Mark Richardson (who obv likes a lot of electronic music) explained that he'd loved that album and converted several other writers.

I think the exact same thing happened the next year with Fennesz's "Endless Summer" at #2!

I agree with Tim for the most part, but statistical randomness in poll results is somewhat dependent on the point tallying system for the poll (yeah, I harp on this every year) ... so for example, one person might convert a bunch of colleagues to something completely new (to them), but chances are they'll toss that album in at #8 or #9 on their list, not #1 or #2, so if pollmakers choose an unweighted (50, 49, 48, ... 3, 2, 1) point scheme or even a mildly weighted scheme, then they're opening themselves up to having a poll that's inexplicably dominated by a bunch of #9 throw-in votes.

The statistical-randomness bit is much closer to what I was referring to w/my high-school crack: it would be more unusual to not see those kinds of deviations on long lists like these ones.

OTOH the very fact that a single record stands out as a "deviation" on a list tends to suggest that the reigning ideology at that publication is a little too well entrenched.

(metal mags tend to be more honest about this - no non-metal whatsoever)

Surely Lil Wayne will be the main beneficiary of the 9th/10th votes this year. People who like hip hop but don't listen to it all the time tend to feel odd about not including at least one example in their top 10, even in a weak year, but what they intend to say - "I like hip hop even though I haven't heard much good stuff this year" - reads more as "I don't really like hip hop but feel obliged to include one album in order to seem eclectic", ie a sincere motive (at least in some cases) reads as a bogus one. Hence an album which even most Lil Wayne fans admit is patchy ends up, once the votes are tallied, looking like a masterpiece for want of any serious competition. Like Tim says, the same thing happened with OutKast in 2003, although I unfashionably still think that was genuinely deserving.

Anyway, the lists so far prove that my theory about Portishead placing highly in P&J obviously derives from hanging out with an unrepresentative number of Portishead fans.

Q Magazine

1 Kings of Leon - Because of The Times
2 Fleet Foxes - s/t
3 Coldplay - Viva La Vida...
4 Vampire Weekend - s/t
5 Glasvegas - s/t
6 Duffy - Rockferry
7 TV On The Radio - Dear, Science
8 Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
9 The Racontuers - Consoluers of The Lonely
10 Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
11. Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
12 Keane - Perfect Symmetry
13 MGMT - Orcular Spectacular
14 Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
15 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
16 Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
17 Adele - 19
18 British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
19 Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
20 The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
21 Razorlight - Slipaway Fires
22 The Killers - Day and Age
23 Beck - Modern Guilt
24 The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of The Understatement
25 Metallica - Death Magnetic
26 Conor Oberst - s/t
27 Neil Diamond - Before Home
28 Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
29 AC/DC - Black Ice
30 Portishead - Third
31 Black Mountain - In The Future
32 Oasis - Dig Out Your Souk
33 Hercules & Love Affair - s/t
34 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
35 The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
36 R.E.M. - Accelerate
37 Lykke Li - Youth Novels
38 John Mellencamp - LifeDeathLoveAndFreeedom
39 Santogold - s/t
40 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
41 Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
42 Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning
43 Joan As Police Women - To Survive
44 Black Kids - Partie Traumatic
45 Jack Johnson - Sleep Through Stattic
46 Jenny Lewis - Acid Tounge
47 The Verve - Forth
48 Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
49 Emmylou Harris - All I Indented To Be
50 Dido - Safe Trip Home

How can all these mags release their best-of-2008 lists now, when there's still more than a month left of 2008?

Tradition

wish these mags would show some balls for once and just do a Top 50 Albums We Feel Deserve More Love ignoring anything that went top 40 or sold over a certain amount. what is the point of a list like Q's? they could do something a lot more interesting and useful to their readers but no.

32 Oasis - Dig Out Your Souk

http://sail-world.com/photos/Med_Marrakech%20souk.jpg

what is the point of a list like Q's?

So that people who buy five albums a year and Q once or twice in a year can feel like they're catching up?

Including The Killers (this week no doubt) 28 of those albums made the UK top ten.

So that people who buy five albums a year and Q once or twice in a year can feel like they're catching up?

why cater an EOY list for people who only buy your magazine once or twice a year? why fill it with best-selling albums when those same people could just go into Tesco and see the same albums there in the actual chart?

On further analysis if The Killers make #1 this weekend the list will have 15 chart toppers. You can see 13 of those records in this weeks Top 75. I also don't see why have a top 50 like that, has they gone down to 100 and put something you might not see in Tesco it might have been worthwhile.

I hear Uncut went with Portishead, haven't seen it myself but that's good to hear.

why cater an EOY list for people who only buy your magazine once or twice a year?

"Cater" might be too strong a word, but there's def. a market for people who won't follow music all year-round but will pay closer attention at the end of the year because they know they everything they want to know will be condensed into convenient summaries. It's kind of the music equivalent of people who don't watch much sports, but stay glued to the TV during the Olympics, or even people who don't watch too many movies, but will watch the Academy Awards to check out the winners and make sure they haven't missed out on anything big.

Perhaps the Q list will convince them that they don't need to bother anymore.

Those annual Q lists are the only ones which seriously raise my suspicions re. authenticity.

mass outrage at middle aged music lists in magazines aimed at middle aged readers, News at Ten

Before Paper Thin Walls shut down, we picked Portishead as our Album Of The Year...

So

Paper Thin Walls
1. Portishead - Third

I like your approach.

Ned's ballot:

1. Portishead - Third
2. The Cure - Disintegration Pt IV

The Voyage Home

Sad thing is that's not too removed from the truth, which is another reason I'm not drawing up a list this year.

These lists need more Matmos, methinks.

Don Cavalli album's pretty good tho it's like a parody on old blues albums done with electric gtrs

The only list I really get excited for anymore is probably THE WIRE list

Surprised to see Bon Iver and Okkervil pop up but not Shearwater.

w/r/t to what Dorian said above, I just realized that I haven't voted for a single rap record this year, in all the various year-end lists I've submitted (they're different for diff publications for criteria reasons and the fact that I actually vote for "national" and "local" CDs for one outlet).

nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year, you know? and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

simon otm

Q's list is really just depressing and is surely some cruel joke

nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year, you know? and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 12:16 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I mean, it wasn't the best year for hip-hop sure...

But The Roots, ABN, TI, Jeezy, Webbie and Guilty Simpson are all pretty awesome in my eyes.

Whiney, I'm going to go ahead and fess up that I haven't heard ANY of those!

Wait, who are ABN?

I spend waaaay too much time and energy listing to avant-garde and noise...

ABN are Assholes By Nature, Houston diehards Z-Ro and Trae together. I think all those records I mentioned are better than the Lil Wayne record.

If you like avant-garde and noise, i suggest starting with the Roots record, which is pretty apocalyptic and unforgiving and moving on to Guilty Simpson, which is Madlibby stuff that The Wire readers could prolly fuck with.

Also, since you're here, can we talk about the best NOISE noise records (ie, harsh noise, not Fuck Buttons) of the year?

The only ones I've really loved are (in order)

1. Carlos Giffoni - Eternal Noise
2. Emeralds – Solar Bridge
3. Prurient - And Still Waiting
4. Burning Star Core - Challenger
5. The Goslings – Occasion
6. Robedoor - Rancor Keeper
7. Wold - Stratification
8. Skull Defekts - The Drone Drug

But I'm sure there's some I haven't copped. Supposedly Jason Crumer on Hospital is supposed to be ill.

But I'm sure there's a bunch

scratch that last line

also feeling nappy roots and bun b, in terms of hip-hop

Oh yeah, add Nappy Roots to that list, definitely!

nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year, you know? and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:16 AM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark

yah maybe try listening to rap before saying stuff like this??

ooooooohboy I sure do love these conversations

and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:16 AM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark

jay-z? common? timbaland?

50 and Alchemist too (I don't think Common got pushed back to next year, though)

whiney you HAVE to cop crumer, that disc is amazing

also i'll second prurient, giffoni (that album and his other releases), bxc

That Lil Wayne record should be finishing high in critics polls, probably higher than it has on these listed. I mean it's really good and really popular, which tends to be what rises to the top when consensus is measured.

I don't think it's the best record of the year or anything, but it's one of the best albums that also sold a lot and MIGHT be the best hip-hop album in a relatively weak year for hip-hop albums.

It's the preponderance of Fleet Foxes/My Morning Jacket/Kings of Leon/etc. indie-roots mediocrities that's more depressing.

deej, i'll amend what i said to

"nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year for me"

that i heard

carter iii was great for what it was but couldn't be top ten for me given that there was so much better stuff out in other genres

robedoor and pocahaunted kinda leave me a bit cold, to be honest

Pocahaunted is Pocahorrible

Like if you're going to have a name that stupid, you better be awesome.

Surprised Fennesz' Black Sea hasn't appeared in any list so far as I thought it was pretty much the mainstream ambient album and artist of choice. I suppose the late release is to blame.

Its not that good and it's no longer fashionable for indie fuXXors to rally around Funnesz

Tape's Luminarium is much better in that vein, but it didn't get too much by means of press

haha i'll second that whiney

other great 08 noise: controlled dissonance, fuck buttons, growing, thurston moore, Istituzioni Ambienti Naturalismo / Lolita Vibrator Torture, whistletips, cash slave clique

more discussion of atlas sound plz

HOTOTOGISU people

also great: the north sea, satellite clouds, starving weirdos

In what issue will The Wire publish their list?

traditionally, it's the december issue, i think

The old Stylus staff should compile one for old time's sake and put it on the site. When ILM does one, we should expand entries to 20 albums to keep it interesting.

The best lists usually turn me on to albums I missed. Cokemachineglow, Brainwashed, Silent Ballet and The Wire are good for that.

Looks like Kanye West and Killers will be underrepresented when they normally would likely rule the mainstream lists.

Some favorite noise and avant records of 2008:

zdzislaw pierik / piotr zabrodzki - namanga
william parker - double sunrise over neptune
li jianhong - san sheng shi
sean mccann - flutter oasis
astro echo the echo from the purple dawn
datashock & shivers - vol IV
nasa - bummer daze
natural snow buildings - laurie bird

is that Tape, as in the Häpna artist? i didn't know they even had anything new out.

can you tell me about natural snow buildings?

forgot: neptune, "gong lake" (though it took me a while to "get" that one)

Whoah, didn't know about a new Tape record either! (and by the looks of it, it has been out for what, eight months? crazy!)

I think the problem everyone is having this year is that there hasnt been a definitive album which both mainstream and critics may agree on like say 'In Rainbows' or 'Person Pitch' last year. It hasn't been a very good year for pop or mainstream.

I still haven't ranked them as I don't have a favorite one but this are the records I listened to the most this year:

Jacaszek - Treny
Bruno Pronsato - Why Cant We Be Like Us
Clark - Turning Dragon
Shed - Shedding the past
Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Zdzislaw Piernik & Piotr Zabrodzki - Namanga
Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista
Scott Tuma - Not for Nobody
Tape - Luminarium
Death Vessel - Nothing is good enough for us
Air France - No Way Down Ep
Four Tet - Ringer Ep

Also amidst a love/hate season with Lykke Li and Fleet Foxes. There's many things on both I like but I just cant seem to listen to the full album straight... they're very homogenic.

@Beatrix: Natural Snow Buildings released seven (!) albums this year. It seems the most popular is 'Laurie Bird' wouldnt know about the rest since I've only listened 'Sung to the North' and it's decent. The opening track on Laurie Bird (46 minutes long) is a hell of a trip, the other two tracks are ok.

For some reason people keep namedropping Vampire Weekend on Natural Snow Buildings reviews, when I can't hear any musical connection between them, anybody knows if they share a member or come from the same place or something?

no, natural snow buildings are french, and are really just two people. As far as I can tell there is absolutely not connection, musically or otherwise. people are crazy.

Actually all I've read over and over is 'Better than Vampire Weekend'... I suppose it's some sort of joke then.

I think the problem everyone is having this year is that there hasnt been a definitive album which both mainstream and critics may agree on like say 'In Rainbows' or 'Person Pitch' last year. It hasn't been a very good year for pop or mainstream.

Only someone with Paavoharju on their list would say that Person Pitch had mainstream resonance.

^ Wasn't it a global lovefest after pitchfork named it album of the year? I suppose I'm more forlorn than I thought I was :(

Are you dissing on Paavoharju?

Whiney's just does a victory dance anytime he finds someone indier than him.

Wasn't it a global lovefest after pitchfork named it album of the year?

Maybe on some indie-leaning message boards, but I don't think Rolling Stone readers know Panda Bear from Grizzly Bear because of that. Also, Paavoharju's all right.

Whiney's just does a victory dance anytime he finds someone indier than him.

some dude and the art of feigned ignorance.

I wasn't making fun of his choices, I was just saying his thinking that blog-hyped indie rock bands having some sort of mainstream push may be because he dwells so intensely in deep cuts.

Only someone with Paavoharju on their list would say that Person Pitch had mainstream resonance.

Yeah, I thought the same thing. I thought maybe he meant to say Sound of Silver.

(Or, for that matter, Graduation.)

Is there still such thing as "blog-hyped indie rock?" What blogs are still considered taste-makers?

I know someone says this every year on these threads, but: it's impossible to keep up with every frickin' album that comes out in a given year. In addition to the gazillion albums that came out in 2008 that I didn't buy, download illegally, or receive as promos, there are a lot that I did get as promos but never had a free moment to play because I was too busy listening to other stuff for reviews or just living life generally. All of which is to say that there's no such thing as a totally wide-open top 10 list and there never will be, until, perhaps, Multivac is invented. And even then probably not.

Is there still such thing as "blog-hyped indie rock?" What blogs are still considered taste-makers?

My point exactly

Oh yes, 'Sound of Silver' is a better example I guess, but anyways you got the point. Everyone already knew by November what album was ranking on the first place for them and this year it's been very harsh pleasing everyone by the choices, critics seem confused. The best records this year are too offbeat or strange for mainstream audience yet the pop releases have been very bland.

PS: I'm a girl.

As for music blogs which could be considered 'taste-makers' I'd nominate gorillavsbear.

gotta second these noms for avant albums of the year...

paavoharju - laulu laakson kukista
natural snow buildings - laurie bird
emeralds – solar bridge
burning star core - challenger
the goslings – occasion

a few suggestions...

demons/hatred - split lp
liquid metal - alternative soundtrack to digital overdrive
u.s. girls - introducing...
teotihuacan - live smokeshows from inside the ciguri cave hazed diamonds with windswept hair
bulbs - light ships

no more... fuck buttons, please.

i kinda like pocahaunted, even though i'd choose mi ami over them any day of the week. speaking of which, add mi ami - african rhythms 12" to that suggestions list.

i would really hope gvb doesn't influence anyone's taste
sorry if anyone on that site is here but i really dislike that blog

xp

The best records this year are too offbeat or strange for mainstream audience yet the pop releases have been very bland.

let's just talk about those offbeat ones then?!

I usually compile a top list and stick it on Last Fm but i dont think I can be bothered this year as There's just too much to choose from for me.
Of course maybe in january I'll end up making one like last year.

I think gorillavsbear is only run by Chris and I doubt he visits this board. Personally I think it he tries to cover too much ground without really exploring anything but to his favor I'll say he has a strong personal taste, not that I agree with all of it but he seems to me more like an influence-maker than your average blogger. Also he receives Pitchfork's love and support every now and then so I assume half of pitchfork's readership is on to him.

xp

let's just talk about those offbeat ones then?!

― psychgawsple, martes 25 de noviembre de 2008 20:58 (6 minutes ago)

I don't know if this is the right thread for it :P

xpost to psychgawsple: that Mi Ami 12" was pretty great, although I listened to it a lot more at 33 than 45 (don't ask). I remember hearing Burning Star Core and liking it, but not as much as I had hoped I would. how is the Demons/Hatred split? vinyl-only? I liked Evocation a lot, didn't know they had anything new out.

and I just now noticed Genghis Tron at number 3 on Decibel's list. I mean, I like that album, but... seriously?

gotta second these noms for avant albums of the year...

paavoharju - laulu laakson kukista
natural snow buildings - laurie bird
emeralds – solar bridge
burning star core - challenger
the goslings – occasion

a few suggestions...

demons/hatred - split lp
liquid metal - alternative soundtrack to digital overdrive
u.s. girls - introducing...
teotihuacan - live smokeshows from inside the ciguri cave hazed diamonds with windswept hair
bulbs - light ships

no more... fuck buttons, please.

i kinda like pocahaunted, even though i'd choose mi ami over them any day of the week. speaking of which, add mi ami - african rhythms 12" to that suggestions list.

I couldn't get into the Burning Star Core there's a trio of tracks I really enjoyed (Challenger, Mezzo Forte and Mysteries of the organ) but the rest is not as good. Same goes with Fuck Buttons, a couple of good tracks but that's it. Lot of those seem like they'll wind up on TinyMixtapes list.

I like the staff pick lists on Dusted Magazine. Every year they turn me on to some great record that went under my radar.

Screw magazines, where can I see some ilx people's lists?

i can post a tentative top 100 if anyone cares, or should that be another thread?

Answered my own question:

So we're halfway through 2008; what are your top 10 albums of this year, so far?

it sounds great at 33 rpm! i did this on accident a couple times, and the room full of people i was with was fooled into liking the 33 rpm as well. makes the normal version seem so hyper, but obv they're both good.

i realllllly like that demons/hatred split, esp if you dug evocation.

also, it's funny when metal turns electronic. genghis tron and zombi are good examples of bands where metal kids hear something a little different and flip their shit for it, probably because they get so bogged down with technicality/musicianship/doooooom. i think this crosspollination is great though, although i'll admit to liking zombi much more than genghis tron

^ See I could never play something like Burning Star Core to anyone I know without them asking me to play something else. I need new friends.

moka- tinymixtapes' eureka list and the dusted ones usually have some good picks, but i'd peruse the picks that volcanic tongue and aquarius have been making this year to maybe even predict what those will turn out like

^ links please?

here's my "indie rock" best of. totally boring! what can i say? i likes what i likes.
1. Robert Forster – The Evangelist
2. Pas/Cal – I Was Raised On Matthew Mark, Luke & Laura
3. James Blackshaw – Litany of Echoes
4. Stephen Malkmus – Real Emotional Trash
5. Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull
6. Destroyer – Trouble In Dreams
7. Lambchop – OH (Ohio)
8. Stereolab – Chemical Chords
9. Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain Lookout Sea
10. Lindstrom – Where You Go I Go Too

tylerw: How's that Lindstrom album? I loved the collaborative album with Prins Thomas released two years ago but for no real reason I haven't given this one a chance and I've been seeing it pop up on several lists.

any rap lists?

it's great! the lindstrom i mean. as perhaps the rest of my list suggests, it's not entirely my area of expertise, but it might be the new album i've listened to the most in the latter half of this year.

been looking for that Pas/Cal thing for months now, was beginning to wonder if ti had even been released...

it's funny, i like the burning star core album more in an eno/tangerine dream kind of way more than anything else. even though arp's 'in light' is better in that respect (and way smooother)

oh, here are the links-
http://www.volcanictongue.com/?cat=1
http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

they're record stores that take the time to pick their favorite albums and write about them and every other release they choose to add to their shop. great resource

loved the lindstrom as well. just realized that the vinyl version is 3/4 prins thomas edits, as someone pointed out in the thread for that album.

Thanks for the links. Will check that lindstrom album then.

Also released this year is this great Nigerian Highlife Compilation on soundway:

http://kinosport.tv/notebook/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/nigerian-special.jpg

Great song selection and beautiful artwork.

we should make a reissues of the year thread

I don't even know if I could make a top 10 out of things I heard this year, but...

people need to quit sleeping on the bug CD

I couldn't get into a mountain of one until the other day when I had a massive hangover and it was the only thing in the pile that made any sense. how is it not on any of these lists? also liked:

landed - how little will it take?
naked on the vague - blood pressure sessions
teeth mountain
some of that destroyer album

things I need to spend more time with: endless boogie, prurient

things I still haven't heard: the ex & getatchew mekurya, indian jewelry, made in mexico, usaisamonster, growing, no age, cut copy

things I tried to listen to but stopped because it felt like homework: marnie stern, ponytail, portishead, times new viking, guns n roses, vampire weekend

oh shit I meant to put that on the other thread

Uncut magazine

Top 20

1. Third - Portishead
2. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
3. Dear Science - TV On The Radio
4. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver
5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
6. The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow
7. Stainless Style – Neon Neon
8. Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!! Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
9. Only By The Night - Kings Of Leon
10 22 Dreams - Paul Weller
11. Brighter Than Creation's Dark - Drive-by Truckers
12. Stay Positive - The Hold Steady
13. Litany of Echoes - James Blackshaw
14. Harps and Angels - Randy Newman
15. Made In The Dark - Hot Chip
16. Limbo, Panto - Wild Beasts
17. Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp
18. Real Emotional Trash - Stephen Malkmus
19. Rook - Shearwater
20. Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket

Very pleased to see James Blackshaw at number 13 on the Uncut list.

I didn't buy too much new suff this year, but the Nothing People LP stands out as something that would be in any lists I made.

i understand it's totally cliche to be like "omg yall lists suxxorz" but what is up with these? i'm glad RET is getting love though.

Fleet Foxes failing to get #1 in Uncut must be regarded as some sort of catastrophe for their PR people.

Seriously, what is up with My Morning Jacket making so many of these lists? That album had two or three good tracks and twelve average-to-total-shit songs. Any album that contains "The Librarian" and "Highly Suspicious" belongs nowhere near a best-of-year list.

Fleet Foxes payback innit.

They did get the inaugural Uncut Music Award however!

http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/index.php?blog=13&p=1026&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Since Dave Stelfox left Pitchfork I don't think they've gotten a new dancehall/reggae columnist so that means even less year-end critic coverage of reggae/dancehall

Pitchfork year-end reggae/dancehall coverage went up today here.

best 'noise' thing I heard this year was 'gongs of violence' by andrew coltrane. i think he has loads of discs and tapes out, they're probably all good. and pale fatal sister by hototogisu hit the spot w/ me

i loved solar bridge by emeralds, but don't see anything v. noise abt it

I'm conscious that I've almost entirely missed out on the noise/Wire-oriented side of things this year (a situation admittedly not helped by the delibidinising effect of Wire writers, some of the most turgid and joyless writers the music press has to offer). So their EOY list might be of practical use to me for catch up purposes.

The only other EOY list I find of active use is the OMM one, which, though generally crap and predictable, is good on World Music and I do tend to blue pencil those entries.

The Hot Chip album seemed to get a mixed reaction on its release but it sure ain't doing badly in the year end lists.

it's terrible except for "Shake a Fist"

best Hot Chip track of the year, by a mile: Supermayer's remix of "One Pure Thought"

I really like the first two-thirds of the Hot Chip album but then it totally falls apart. That Supermayer remix is great though.

i don't dislike hot chip by any means but calling that album the best of anything is a bit weird. though depressingly it does seem to be among the best of all the lists it's on :/

Supermayer's remix of "One Pure Thought"

does it sound anything like M83's 'Couleurs' (part of which reminds me of 'One Pure Thought' itself)?

It sounds like the DFA.

which also means it has great singles but the album is a little hard to make it through all the way

We're talking about a remix, not an album.

i thought we were talking about Hot Chip

There has only been one mention of Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill by Grouper, and it wasn't even by a publication...That album is so amazing. Might be #1 this year for me.

That's the retro shoegazing, dreamy, 4AD, slurred vocals, ambient, Yo La Tengoish group from Portland, right.

It's Liz Harris

Pfunkboy wins.

All her records are great.

Uncut cont.

50 Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
49 Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun
48 Byrne/Eno - Everything That Happens..
47 Sic Alps - USEZ
46 Pete Greenwood - Sirens
45 The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
44 REM - Accelerate
43 Joan as Police Woman - To Survive
42 Metallica - Death Magnetic
41 James Yorkston - When The Haar Rolls In
40 That Was The Week - s/t
39 Beck - Modern Guilt
38 Endless Boogie - Focus Level
37 Lambchop - OH(Ohio)
36 Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull
35 Toumani Diabate - The Mande Variations
34 Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
33 Sigur Ros - Bollocks to typing this out on a BlackBerry
32 Flight of The Conchords - s/t
31 White Denim - Workout Holiday
30 Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
29 Robert Foster - The Evangelist
28 The Felice Brothers - s/t
27 MGMT - Orcular Spectacular
26 Lucinda Williams - s/t
25 Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
24 Glasvegas - s/t
23 Black Mountain - In The Future
22 The Raconteurs - Consolers of The Lonely
21 Howlin Rain - Magnificent Fiend

(note: at least two of these are made up)

...the Nothing People LP stands out as something that would be in any lists I made

absolutely. a lot of good stuff on s-s this year.

26 Lucinda Williams - s/t

This one came out 20 years ago.

Sorry yeah, should be Little Honey.

thanks for 21-50 Mitchell!

Everyone's a critic--

RYM's Current Top Rated of 2008

1. David Gilmour- Live in Gdańsk
2. Portishead- Third
3. Opeth- Watershed
4. Esoteric- The Maniacal Vale
5. TV on the Radio- Dear Science
6. Fleet Foxes
7. Amon Amarth- Twilight of the Thunder God
8. Deerhunter- Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
9. Muse- HAARP
10. Coldworld- Melancholie²
11. Nomo- Ghost Rock
12. Suspyre- When Time Fades...
13. Cult of Luna- Eternal Kingdom
14. Gojira- The Way of All Flesh
15. Thrice- The Alchemy Index: Volume III + IV - Air & Earth
16. Septic Flesh- Communion
17. Flight of the Conchords
18. Testament- The Formation of Damnation
19. Elbow- The Seldom Seen Kid
20. Sun Kil Moon- April
21. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
22. Bar Kokhba- Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10
23. Cut Copy- In Ghost Colours
24. Have a Nice Life- Deathconsciousness
25. Darkspace- Dark Space III

That RYM list will probably change/update in a few days.

It changes often but those positions have been steady for awhile now. There does seem to be an effort to knock that Gilmour album down though.

Presumably an effort of some sort put it there in the first place?

I really love that Have A Nice Life album. One of the finds of the year. And Esoteric is probably my joint fave of the year along with the Portishead.

it's already down to #8 ha. that list is way different even now, 4 hours later.

i don't think that list should even count since it'll continually change and morph for, you know, ever

i was referring to the david gilmour, btw

Thanks for posting these everyone. The next ones to usually come are:

Clash Magazine
Drowned In Sound
Muzzle Of Bees
Gorilla Vs. Bear
Fact Magazine
NME

Kerrang will be
1) Metallica - Boringly overrated album
2-24) Some emo shite of pretty boys with girly hair.
25) Token metal album.

RYM updates about once a month.. weird coincidence.

XLR8R magazine

Top 25 Albums of 2008
http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2008/11/top-25-portishead-daedelus-foals

Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who See But Cannon Feel kranky

Beach House Devotion Carpark

Brenda Ray Walatta EM

Bun-B Il Trill Rap-a-lot

Daedelus Love to Make Music To Ninja Tune

Dizzee Rascal Maths + English Def Jux

Flying Lotus Los Angeles Warp

Foals Antidotes Sub Pop

Glass Candy Beatbox Italians Do It Better

Jeremy Jay A Place Where We Could Go K

Kelley Polar I need to Hold on While the Sky is Falling Environ

Lindstrøm Where You Go I Go Too Smalltown Supersound

Lone Lemurian Dealmaker

M83 Saturdays = Youth Mute

MGMT Oracular Spectacular Sony

The Notwist The Devil, You + Me Domino

Portishead Third Mercury

Syclops I've Got My Eye on You DFA

Spiritualized Songs in A & E Universal

The Mole High as the Sky Wagon Repair

Throw Me the Statue Moonbeams Secretly Canadian

Tobacco Fucked Up Friends anticon.

Xiu Xiu Women as Lovers Kill Rock Stars

Yelle Pop-Up Carolina

Zomes Zomes Holy Mountain

good list - jeremy jay is really good

UK jazz music monthly magazine - Jazzwise

Jazzwise Magazine - Albums of the Year 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5vweps

1 Dave Holland Sextet Pass It on Dare2
2 EST Leucocyte ACT
3 Django Bates and Stormchaser Spring Is Here (Shall We Dance) Lost Marble
4 Ambrose Akinmusire Prelude To Cora FSNT
5 Bobo Stenson Cantando ECM
6 Dave Douglas and Keystone Moonshine Greenleaf
7 Jazz Warriors Afropeans Destin-e
8 Joe Zawinul And The Zawinul Syndicate 75th BHM/Birdjam
9 Bill Frisell History Mystery Nonesuch
10 JD Allen I Am I Am Sunnyside

monthly update for...

UPDATE : 01/12/08 : MEGA-CRITIC : Best Reviewed Albums Of 2008 So Far
http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/926600

THE MEGA-CRITIC CHART :

The current position is followed by last month´s position in brackets, then the adjusted score, followed by the average rating and the number of reviews in brackets.

The scores after the title are the individual positions/adjusted scores for Europe, the UK and the US, followed by the current Metacritic score.
http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/926600

50. (47 ) 65,00 - 72,43 (21 ) Joan As Police Woman ´To Survive´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 14. 71,43 - US : 00000000 - MC : 76

50. (47 ) 65,00 - 74,75 (16 ) Neon Neon ´Stainless Style´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 23. 70,41 - US : 00000000 - MC : 79

49. (46 ) 65,04 - 75,47 (15 ) Al Green ´Lay It Down´
EU : 47. 65,29 - UK : 00000000 - US : 43. 67,44 - MC : 81

48. (44 ) 65,20 - 71,52 (25 ) Beck ´Modern Guilt´
EU : 55. 64,65 - UK : 00000000 - US : 69. 65,80 - MC : 77

47. (43 ) 65,24 - 73,58 (19 ) Spiritualized ´Songs In A & E´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 65. 67,05 - US : 46. 67,28 - MC : 76

46. (42 ) 65,24 - 71,58 (25 ) Cat Power ´Jukebox´
EU : 30. 66,72 - UK : 00000000 - US : 91. 64,90 - MC : 72

45. (41 ) 65,31 - 71,68 (25 ) Magnetic Fields ´Distortion´
EU : 25. 67,78 - UK : 00000000 - US : 40. 67,50 - MC : 79

44. (40 ) 65,33 - 74,36 (11 ) Opeth ´Watershed´
EU : 14. 69,56 - UK : 00000000 - US : 00000000 - MC : 82

43. (39 ) 65,33 - 74,71 (17 ) Why? ´Alopecia´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 00000000 - US : 11. 70,10 - MC : 76

42. (38 ) 65,33 - 71,98 (24 ) The Breeders ´Mountain Battles´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 39. 68,37 - US : 19. 68,93 - MC : 75

41. (36 ) 65,42 - 75,44 (16 ) Lindström ´Wherever You Go I Go Too´
EU : 100.62,60 - UK : 89. 66,18 - US : 31. 68,04 - MC : 82

40. (00 ) 65,42 - 80,00 (11 ) Q-Tip ´The Renaissance´
EU : 45. 65,48 - UK : 00000000 - US : 55. 66,67 - MC : 84

39. (35 ) 65,46 - 72,77 (22 ) Lykke Li ´Youth Novels´
EU : 37. 65,90 - UK : 83. 66,33 - US : 00000000 - MC : 76

38. (34 ) 65,47 - 77,85 (13 ) Robert Forster ´The Evangelist´
EU : 23. 67,89 - UK : 00000000 - US : 00000000 - MC : 81

37. (00 ) 65,51 - 80,18 (11 ) Amadou & Mariam ´Welcome To Mali´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 10. 73,08 - US : 00000000 - MC : 93

36. (37 ) 65,55 - 77,11 (14 ) Gang Gang Dance ´Saint Dymphna´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 00000000 - US : 09. 70,45 - MC : 77

35. (33 ) 65,67 - 73,43 (21 ) The Black Keys ´Attack & Release´
EU : 31. 66,69 - UK : 83. 66,33 - US : 00000000 - MC : 76

34. (32 ) 65,70 - 77,36 (14 ) Bonnie ´Prince´ Billy ´Lie Down In The Light´
EU : 48. 65,18 - UK : 46. 67,65 - US : 100.64,52 - MC : 81

33. (00 ) 65,77 - 75,41 (17 ) El Guincho ´Alegranza´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 56. 67,35 - US : 49. 67,17 - MC : 78

32. (30 ) 65,83 - 73,32 (22 ) Wolf Parade ´At Mount Zoomer´
EU : 24. 67,84 - UK : 00000000 - US : 29. 68,21 - MC : 78

31. (29 ) 66,10 - 73,71 (22 ) Santogold ´Santogold´
EU : 26. 67,58 - UK : 00000000 - US : 18. 69,13 - MC : 77

30. (28 ) 66,18 - 79,16 (13 ) Late Of The Pier ´Fantasy Black Channel´
EU : 60. 64,28 - UK : 09. 73,47 - US : 00000000 - MC : 00

29. (27 ) 66,20 - 75,56 (18 ) Los Campesinos! ´Hold On Now, Youngster´
EU : 72. 63,68 - UK : 39. 68,37 - US : 48. 67,22 - MC : 81

28. (26 ) 66,37 - 74,48 (21 ) Okkervil River ´The Stand Ins´
EU : 46. 65,30 - UK : 74. 66,67 - US : 39. 67,55 - MC : 79

27. (25 ) 66,41 - 75,89 (18 ) Drive-By Truckers ´Brighter Than Creation´s Dark´
EU : 08. 70,70 - UK : 00000000 - US : 99. 64,71 - MC : 83

26. (24 ) 66,43 - 73,26 (25 ) R.E.M. ´Accelerate´
EU : 67. 63,93 - UK : 25. 69,39 - US : 44. 67,35 - MC : 79

25. (22 ) 66,51 - 74,69 (21 ) The Gutter Twins ´Saturnalia´
EU : 16. 68,85 - UK : 42. 67,95 - US : 00000000 - MC : 80

24. (21 ) 66,86 - 73,88 (25 ) Hot Chip ´Made In The Dark´
EU : 39. 65,87 - UK : 00000000 - US : 13. 69,51 - MC : 78

23. (20 ) 66,90 - 74,54 (23 ) MGMT ´Oracular Spectacular´
EU : 10. 70,24 - UK : 23. 70,41 - US : 00000000 - MC : 76

22. (19 ) 67,12 - 75,60 (21 ) Black Mountain ´In The Future´
EU : 21. 68,19 - UK : 65. 67,05 - US : 68. 65,88 - MC : 79

21. (45 ) 67,32 - 79,33 (15 ) Fucked Up ´The Chemistry Of Modern Life´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 34. 69,23 - US : 05. 72,35 - MC : 84

20. (18 ) 67,38 - 76,90 (19 ) The Dodos ´Visiter´
EU : 51. 64,91 - UK : 20. 70,46 - US : 40. 67,50 - MC : 83

19. (17 ) 67,61 - 75,93 (22 ) Sigur Ros ´Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust´
EU : 13. 69,89 - UK : 25. 69,39 - US : 00000000 - MC : 81

18. (16 ) 67,66 - 78,47 (17 ) No Age ´Nouns´
EU : 18. 68,56 - UK : 00000000 - US : 21. 68,73 - MC : 79

17. (15 ) 67,87 - 75,96 (23 ) The Last Shadow Puppets ´The Age Of Understatement´
EU : 05. 71,53 - UK : 83. 66,33 - US : 00000000 - MC : 77

16. (31 ) 67,90 - 77,20 (20 ) Deerhunter ´Microcastles´
EU : 69. 63,86 - UK : 74. 66,67 - US : 04. 72,86 - MC : 81

15. (14 ) 67,92 - 79,56 (16 ) The Bug ´London Zoo´
EU : 43. 65,53 - UK : 13. 71,59 - US : 51. 67,10 - MC : 90

14. (13 ) 67,94 - 78,91 (17 ) Elbow ´The Seldom Seen Kid´
EU : 58. 64,42 - UK : 06. 74,49 - US : 00000000 - MC : 82

13. (23 ) 68,50 - 83,31 (13 ) Glasvegas ´Glasvegas´
EU : 03. 72,66 - UK : 25. 69,39 - US : 00000000 - MC : 82

12. (12 ) 68,86 - 79,18 (19 ) Silver Jews ´Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea´
EU : 22. 68,03 - UK : 17. 70,51 - US : 25. 68,53 - MC : 78

11. (11 ) 69,26 - 80,39 (18 ) Erykah Badu ´New Amerykah : Part One (4th World War)´
EU : 17. 68,60 - UK : 34. 69,23 - US : 10. 70,11 - MC : 82

10. (10 ) 69,53 - 81,47 (17 ) Lil Wayne ´Tha Carter III´
EU : 06. 71,06 - UK : 46. 67,65 - US : 16. 69,22 - MC : 82

09. (09 ) 69,77 - 81,19 (18 ) Randy Newman ´Harps & Angels´
EU : 04. 72,12 - UK : 46. 67,65 - US : 52. 67,08 - MC : 85

08. (08 ) 70,63 - 78,89 (26 ) Vampire Weekend ´Vampire Weekend´
EU : 07. 70,97 - UK : 14. 71,43 - US : 14. 69,46 - MC : 82

07. (07 ) 70,89 - 79,94 (24 ) Hercules And Love Affair ´Hercules And Love Affair´
EU : 20. 68,23 - UK : 06. 74,49 - US : 71,18 - MC : 86

06. (06 ) 71,84 - 80,92 (25 ) The Hold Steady ´Stay Positive´
EU : 12. 70,14 - UK : 05. 75,51 - US : 08. 70,80 - MC : 85

05. (05 ) 71,87 - 81,76 (23 ) Bon Iver ´For Emma, Forever Ago´
EU : 11. 70,19 - UK : 01. 77,55 - US : 23. 68,63 - MC : 89

04. (04 ) 73,15 - 82,40 (26 ) Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds ´Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!´
EU : 09. 70,29 - UK : 02. 76,53 - US : 02. 74,11 - MC : 87

03. (03 ) 73,30 - 82,62 (26 ) TV On The Radio ´Dear Science´
EU : 15. 69,16 - UK : 02. 76,53 - US : 01. 76,16 - MC : 88

02. (02 ) 74,07 - 83,69 (26 ) Portishead ´Third´
EU : 02. 74,48 - UK : 06. 74,49 - US : 03. 73,13 - MC : 85

01. (01 ) 76,56 - 88,06 (24 ) Fleet Foxes ´Fleet Foxes´
EU : 01. 79,83 - UK : 02. 76,53 - US : 06. 71,96 - MC : 87

THE BUBBLERS :

99. (00 ) 63,16 - 73,69 (13 ) Metronomy ´Nights Out´
EU : 63. 64,04 - UK : 83. 66,33 - US : 00000000 - MC : 70

96. (00 ) 63,20 - 73,00 (14 ) Friendly Fires´Friendly Fires´
EU : 99. 62,69 - UK : 65. 67,05 - US : 00000000 - MC : 74

92. (00 ) 63,45 - 71,22 (18 ) Wild Beasts ´Limbo Panto´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 30. 69,32 - US : 88. 65,00 - MC : 78

89. (00 ) 63,57 - 75,33 (12 ) High Places ´High Places´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 00000000 - US : 25. 68,53 - MC : 75

86. (00 ) 63,59 - 74,46 (13 ) Juana Molina ´Un Dia´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 00000000 - US : 12. 69,57 - MC : 77

84. (86 ) 63,71 - 75,58 (12 ) The Week That Was ´The Week That Was´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 65. 67,05 - US : 00000000 - MC : 82

76. (00 ) 64,09 - 72,71 (17 ) White Denim ´Workout Holiday / Exposion´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 20. 70,46 - US : 00000000 - MC : 76/73

74. (00 ) 64,11 - 73,28 (16 ) Los Campesinos! ´We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 74. 66,67 - US : 22. 68,66 - MC : 81

71. (92 ) 64,33 - 76,75 (12 ) Dungen ´4´
EU : 82. 63,38 - UK : 00000000 - US : 93. 64,88 - MC : 79

65. (67 ) 64,56 - 72,53 (19 ) Deerhoof ´Offend Maggie´
EU : 00000000 - UK : 42. 67,95 - US : 45. 67,32 - MC : 81

56. (73 ) 64,79 - 74,41 (16 ) The Acorn ´Glory Hope Mountain´
EU : 77. 63,46 - UK : 65. 67,05 - US : 00000000 - MC : 00

55. (00 ) 64,91 - 79,00 (11 ) The Gaslight Anthem ´The ´59 Sound´
EU : 32. 66,64 - UK : 00000000 - US : 00000000 - MC : 00

54. (00 ) 64,95 - 82,22 (09 ) Johann Johannsson ´Fordlandia´
EU : 28. 67,02 - UK : 00000000 - US : 00000000 - MC : 81

FURTHER EU-POSITIONS :

19. (19 ) 68,51 Ry Cooder ´I, Flathead´
27. (27 ) 67,50 Madrugada ´Madrugada´
29. (28 ) 67,02 The Notwist ´The Devil, You And Me´
33. (00 ) 66,62 Rachel Unthank & The Winterset ´The Bairns´
34. (31 ) 66,42 Brian Wilson ´That Lucky Old Sun´
35. (32 ) 66,17 Elvis Costello & Imosters ´Momofuku´
36. (33 ) 66,10 Conor Oberst ´Conor Oberst´
38. (35 ) 65,89 Death Cab For Cutie ´Narrow Stairs´
40. (37 ) 65,77 Willard Grant Conspiracy ´Pilgrim Road´
41. (38 ) 65,70 Tindersticks ´The Hungry Saw´
42. (39 ) 65,61 Ron Sexsmith ´Exit Strategy Of The Soul´
44. (41 ) 65,49 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan ´Sunday At Devil Dirt´
49. (45 ) 65,00 Sascha Funke ´Mango´
49, (45 ) 65,00 Emmylou Harris ´All I Intend To Be´

FURTHER UK-POSITIONS :

11. (10 ) 72,45 British Sea Power ´Do You Like Rock Music?´
12. (11 ) 72,41 Plush ´Fed´
16. (15 ) 70,59 Eliza Carthy ´Dreams Of Breathing Underwater´
17. (16 ) 70,51 Johnny Flynn ´A Larum´
17. (16 ) 70,51 Paul Weller ´22 Dreams´
20. (19 ) 70,46 Metallica ´Death Magnetic´
25. (24 ) 69,39 These New Puritans ´Beat Pyramid´
25. (24 ) 69,39 Mystery Jets ´Twenty One´
30. (29 ) 69,32 Cass Mccombs ´Dropping The Writ´
30. (29 ) 69,32 Roots Manuva ´Slime & Reason´
30. (29 ) 69,32 David Holmes ´The Holy Pictures´
34. (33 ) 69,23 DeVotchKa ´A Mad And Faithful Telling´
34. (33 ) 69,23 Teddy Thompson ´A Piece Of What You Need´
38. (36 ) 69,12 Thea Gilmore ´Liejacker´
39. (38 ) 68,37 The Raconteurs ´Consolers Of The Lonely
42. (41 ) 67,95 Cadence Weapon ´Afterparty Babies´
42. (41 ) 67,95 Sparks ´Exotic Creatures Of The Deep´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Toumani Diabaté ´The Mandé variations´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Benga ´Diary Of An Afro Warrior´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Fuck Buttons ´Street Horrrsing´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Flight Of The Conchords ´Flight Of The Conchords´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Kasai All Stars ´In The 7th Moon ...´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Lyindsey Buckingham ´Gift Of Screws´
46. (44 ) 67,65 Bellowhead ´Matachin´

FURTHER US-POSITIONS :

15. (14 ) 69,24 Robyn ´Robyn´(2005)
16. (15 ) 69,22 The Mountain Goats ´Heretic Pride´
20. (19 ) 68,78 Times New Viking ´Rip It Off´
24. (RE ) 68,54 The Music Tapes ´Music Tapes For Clouds And Tornadoes´
27. (23 ) 68,48 Wire ´Object 47´
28. (24 ) 68,33 Torche ´Meanderthal´
30. (27 ) 68,06 Shugo Tokumaru ´Exit´
31. (00 ) 68,04 Marnie Stern ´This Is It & I Am It ...´
33. (29 ) 67,93 Leila ´Blood, Looms & Blooms´
34. (30 ) 67,72 Ellen Allien ´Sool´
35. (31 ) 67,68 Matmos ´Supreme Balloon´
36. (32 ) 67,65 Destroyer ´Trouble In Dreams´
37. (33 ) 67,56 Kelley Polar ´I Need You To hold On ...´
37. (33 ) 67,56 Harvey Milk ´Life ... The Best Game In Town´
40. (36 ) 67,50 Women ´Women´
47. (00 ) 67,26 David Byrne/Brian Eno ´Everything That Happens ...´
49. (44 ) 67,17 Calexico ´Carried To Dust´

NEXT UPDATES :

31/12/08 : THE 2008 EU-MEGA-CRITIC TOP 150
01/01/09 : THE 2008 UK-MEGA-CRITIC TOP 150
02/01/09 : THE 2008 US-MEGA-CRITIC TOP 150
03/01/09 : THE 2008 COMBINED MEGA-CRITIC TOP 150

Textura
http://www.textura.org/reviews/2008top10s.htm

TOP 20 ALBUMS • 30 HONOURABLE MENTIONS • 20 COMPILATIONS AND MIXES • 20 EPS / SINGLES / 12-INCH DISCS • ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • THANK YOUS

including: Top 20 Albums

01. Rudi Arapahoe: Echoes From One To Another (Symbolic Interaction)
02. Cyne: Starship Utopia (Project Mooncircle) / Pretty Dark Things (Hometapes)
03. The Foreign Exchange: Leave It All Behind (Hard Boiled)
04. Mathieu Ruhlmann + Celer: Mesoscaphe (Spekk)
05. Deepchord: Vantage Isle Sessions (Echospace [ Detroit ])
06. Rick Wade: The Good, The Bad, And The Deep (Yore)
07. Gregor Samsa: Rest (Own Records)
08. orchestramaxfieldparrish: The Silent Breath Of Emptiness (Faith Strange)
09. Mlle Caro & Franck Garcia: Pain Disappears (Buzzin' Fly)
10. Twine: Violets (Ghostly)
11. Willits + Sakamoto: Ocean Fire (12k)
12. Osborne: Osborne (Spectral Sound)
13. Michna: Magic Monday (Ghostly)
14. Nicolay & Kay: Time:Line (Nicolay Music)
15. School Of Seven Bells: Alpinisms (Ghostly)
16. Deadbeat: Roots And Wire (Wagon Repair)
17. Beneva Vs Clark Nova: Sombunall (Fenetre)
18. Jacaszek: Treny (Miasmah)
19. Flying Lotus: Los Angeles (Warp)
20. Dday One: Heavy Migration (Content)

30 HONOURABLE MENTIONS

21. Celer: The Everything And The Nothing / Discourse Of The Withered (Infraction)
22. Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree (Mute)
23. Benga: Diary Of An Afro Warrior (Tempa)
24. Susanna: Flower Of Evil (Rune Grammofon)
25. 2tall: The Softer Diagram (Content)
26. Masaoka: For Birds, Planes, And Cello; While I Was Walking, I Heard A Sound (Solitary B)
27. Aloof Proof: Piano Text (Infraction)
28. Kiln: Thermals (Infraction)
29. Dreamsploitation: Soft Focus Sound Of Today (From Here To There)
30. Peter Broderick: Docile (Kning Disk)
31. Autistici: Volume Objects (12k)
32. Mico Nonet: The Marmalade Balloon (Mico Nonet)
33. Yair Etziony: Flawed (Spekk)
34. Stephan Mathieu: Radioland (Die Schachtel)
35. Library Tapes: A Summer Beneath The Trees (Make Mine Music)
36. The Retail Sectors: Starlight Silent Night (Symbolic Interaction)
37. Sawako: Bitter Sweet (12k)
38. Motorcitysoul: Technique (Simple Records)
39. Rae Davis: Positive Thinking (Exponential)
40. Hatchback: Color Of The Sun (Backspin)
41. Windy & Carl: Songs For The Broken Hearted (kranky)
42. Slow Dancing Society: Priest Lake Circa ‘88 (Hidden Shoal)
43. Lisa Nordström: 7 States Of Passion (Kning Disk)
44. Ezekiel Honig: Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band (Anticipate)
45. Sleepingdog: Polar Life (Gizeh)
46. Harold Budd-Clive Wright: A Song For Lost Blossoms (Darla)
47. Stray Ghost: Losthilde (Highpoint Lowlife)
48. Sans Serif: Tones For Lamonte (Hypnos)
49. Spectral Lore-Underjordiska: Split (Stellar Auditorium)
50. Derek Carr: Digital Space Race (Psychonavigation)

48. Sans Serif: Tones For Lamonte (Hypnos)

The Stereo Image dude?

no

2008. Sans Serif is an alter ego of Forrest Fang, the talented multi-instrumentalist and composer whose most recent solo album Gongland was released on Projekt in 2000. He has also collaborated with Carl Weingarten on the album Invisibility released on The Foundry, as well as contributing instrumentally to the works of other artists such as Robert Rich.

Unlike the more traditionally structured and "musical" work Fang releases under his own name, the Sans Serif project is focused on minimalism. This project in particular is a tribute to the influential minimalist composer LaMonte Young, whose work was known for the use of long, sustained tones and alternate tunings. Of this project, Forrest Fang says:

http://hypnos.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/newsletter/20080717155015/

i've heard of maybe ten of those fifty

That list is full of OK semi-experimental music that gets lost in the pile

from Vice London

Number 35: Bonkers novelty rap collective. Shows staff have sense of humour.
Number 34: Reserved for Britpop 'survivors' who’ve made 'their best album in years'.
Number 33: Wacky side-project of big-name band singer, which is a wacky electro-pop concept album about magic animals.
Number 32: Something from Iceland.
Number 31: The name that keeps turning up on every electro/house compilation CD released that year. eg. Simian Mobile Disco in 07.
Number 30: Real authentic alt.country dude who made the album in a cave in the Appalachians/once dated Joanna Newsom.
Number 29: Return of once-derided old-timer who used to symboise naffness, but has subverted expectations by making an album of honest, brooding ballads with a hip young producer.
Number 28: This space is reserved for Bruce Springsteen if he makes an album in the year of the list. If not, The Gaslight Anthem or Hold Steady should sub-in.
Number 27: Nick Cave.
Number 26: Disappointing third album from previously much-touted act, so bad editorial embarrassment means its been crowbarred in here as a Pravda-style exercise in shrinking them slowly rather than dropping them like a hot brick as would be most appropriate.
Number 25: The band that everyone was tipping as the year's biggest act in January.
Number 24: You've never even heard of this one. You never will. Even as your read the blurb, you find your mind simultaneously erasing the entry.
Number 23: Glitchy & worthy & difficult record you've listened to once. Squarepusher, basically.
Number 21: British Sea Power.
Number 20: Token world muso.
Number 19: The band who've got a reputation for being 'influential', and have a geographically specific 'scene' organised around them that they put on semi-mythical 'parties' for at a semi-mythical 'venue'. eg: No Age & The Smell, Chairlift & Concert Hall Of Williamsburg.
Number 18: Band who wrote album of songs inspired by the tragic accidental/drug death of their bass player last year. Somewhere, the blurb says 'courageous'.
Number 17: Laura Marling.
Number 16: Cheesy pop band masquerading as 'wonky-pop'/'nu-pop'/'underground pop', which only barely disguises the fact that they're Roxette with alt. dress sense.
Number 16: Put in a 'stunning' performance on Jools Holland.
Number 15: DJ who made “the year's party-starting mash-up compilation” that you've never actually heard at a party that wasn't put on by media-insiders. And never made any of those partygoers do more than pout extra aggressively.
Number 14: Elbow.
Number 13: Hyper-obscure album everyone was bamboozled into voting for cos Pitchfork gave it a 9.9, despite sounding like every other folk album ever.
Number 12: Rapper facing child sex charges.
Number 11: Dizzee/Bizzle (pop grime slot shared on a rotational basis)
Number 10: Album described as a 'groundbreaking fusion of dance and rock'.
Number 9: Tape of Bob Dylan coughing up some phlegm in June 1972, found in someone's attic, dusted off, reissued, and hagiographised in the Sunday papers as a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.
Numbers 8 – 2: Records that were OK: no one was mad about them, but no one disliked them much either, so they swum through the middle course, whereas intense records that some people were truly passionate about but others really hated all ultimately failed to make the cut.
Number 1: Coldplay (Q), Arctic Monkeys (NME), Sven Vath (Mixmag), Neil Young (Uncut), Neil Young (Mojo), Neil Young (Classic Rock), Neil Young (Home & Garden), people humming transcendentally over distorted tape loops of concrete being laid (The Wire).

that's not very funny

It's (not very) funny cos it's true

from Vice London

Concert Hall Of Williamsburg

CHOW

I always kind of liked Yancey Strickler's taxonomy of top 10 lists:

01 The Consensus Pick
The first choice sets the tone for the entire list. A critic can either go for the consensus top pick, which earn the trust of a reader, or could make a grand statement by choosing an unlikely number one. 95% of the time a critic will opt for the cultural product he likes that most other people like as well.

02 The Real Number One
I generally assume that the number two item on a Top Ten list is a writer's real number one, especially if it's something that's not especially familiar to the reader. It takes courage to put one's idiosyncratic tastes front and center; it's safer to tuck it in just a bit.

03 The One They Will No Longer Like Next Year
If any spot lends itself to listing something that a critic wants to like rather than actually likes, it's the third place. Maybe the critic likes the idea of the product more than the product itself. Maybe the critic thinks that the item gives him a certain amount of cultural capital to wield. In the movie world, this is known as The Foreign Film Slot.

04 The Disappointment
This is something that early on seemed like a potential number one, but that has not stood up well to repeated viewings/readings/listenings. Always avoid number four.

05 The Sentimental Favorite
Placed any higher and this would stick out as either pedestrian or foolhardy. Put here in the middle, it can instead be merely a curiosity. Number five is a good personality slot — you can tell a lot about a critic by what goes here.

06 Wish They Liked It More Than They Do
This is a retread of number four, only there were lower expectations going into it. There are good moments, but more than likely the critic is the only one who hears them.

07 The Popular Kid
The blockbuster/bestseller that the critic didn't completely dislike goes here, simply because it will give the reader a sense of comfort that will be needed through the final three.

08 The Token
Somewhere between number seven and number nine you'll get the token selection from a genre that a critic clearly has no business trafficking in. The token pick implies a much broader knowledge than actually exists. The token pick will almost always be laughed at by specialists in whatever genre, even if they too enjoy the product.

09 The Anonymous
It's here that the critic really shoves around his "heard it all" weight. Seemingly at random, a critic will pluck something from the abyss and declare it overlooked, then smugly sit back and admire his handiwork.

10 The Catch-All
Undoubtedly the preceding nine choices will omit some movement that the critic would be embarrassed to completely ignore, even if he did so during the previous year. To counteract that, the critic then arbitrarily chooses something that suggests that there could be 20 more items on the list that would be equally impressive and well-considered.

from the land of dad-rock (it's ok, i'm a certified dad), and as a longtime eye-roller at fanboys making a case for whatever boring album paul westerberg releases in a given year, lemme just say that i think the album paul westerberg released this year (49:00) is actually his most fun thing since forever -- in a way that all the grandpaboy stuff i think was supposed to be but never really hit for me. yes i like the gimmick, but i also like listening to it.

(and i don't expect to see it on any of these polls, so i probably should have posted that on the other year-end thread, but whatever. i'm easily confused.)

i really wanted to hear that Westerberg album but by the time I got around to getting it off Amazon it'd already been taken down.

Go listen to it on Rhapsody like i did

And shut it off after five songs like I did.

Then google pictures of Katy Perry until lunchtime like I did.

well it's not great or anything. it just has a lot of nice tunes, and i like the shaggy wtf-ness of it all. i got several times my 49 cents' worth out of it.

done and done, at least on the last part (xpost)

you all find katy perry attractive?!

it's a guilty would blap, but a would blap nonetheless.

she has goggly eyes and in every photo contorts her face into a try-hard pout like the most attention-seeking 8-year-old only child you've ever met.

i like the complete absence of Chinese Democracy on these lists.

katy perry is basically kendley from project runway.

also at the top of my guilty would blap list

katy perry is the toyota to zooey deschanel's mercedes

BUT KATY PERRY IS BI-CURIOUS SO YOU COULD PROBABLY GET HER IN A THREESOME RIGHT

nah, Zooey's less hot and her music's even worse.

I was going to make a "poor woman's Zooey Deschanel" comment, actually.

it's encouraging to see a mention of Andrew Coltrane here!

also, new Prurient on Cold Spring is very very good. Might surpass And, Still Wanting. Cocaine Death is extremely good too...so good..man..but it's a compilation really

both very boinkable xp

not so much about polls, but back on the avant- digression, i'm surprised not to see lucky dragons anywhere.

Thanks for posting these everyone. The next ones to usually come are:

Clash Magazine
Drowned In Sound
Muzzle Of Bees
Gorilla Vs. Bear
Fact Magazine
NME

― Fastnbulbous, Sunday, November 30, 2008 4:49 PM (2 days ago)

GvB's list is up. can't tell if he's going for "20 best albums" or "20 best debut records by up-and-coming indie artists BONUS POINTS IF YR LOCAL."
predictably, it's terrible.

Any modern classical lists out there?

both very boinkable xp

― k3vin k., Monday, December 1, 2008 8:36 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

dont say this fyi

Keep it to the Katy Perry "blap or no blap" thread, guyz.

i hope you're not suggesting we invite Kevin Keller to 77

Like the guy who's sockpuppeting as him isn't already a 77 regular?

will plucky The Verve triumph in the Rocktimists poll?

http://bp3.blogger.com/_yRdvdP7_05I/R8Q5UyW-STI/AAAAAAAAAH4/J_Zl5DxLb2k/s400/Sock_Puppet_3_small.jpg

Talking about whether or not we want to have sex with Katy Perry is frankly much more interesting than talking about where the Black Kids are going to place in the Top 50 of some minor style magazine that nobody reads.

i think ilxor is a better sock btw

You talkin' to me?

Talking about whether or not we want to have sex with Katy Perry is frankly much more interesting than talking about where the Black Kids are going to place in the Top 50 of some minor style magazine that nobody reads.

I mainly use the lists to find music I may have overlooked. The good ones don't start coming for another week or two, so until then:

Favorite Albums You Haven't Seen In The Critics' Polls 08

Fact Magazine - Top 20
http://tinyurl.com/69ffhp

State Magazine - State’s 25 best albums of 2008
http://www.state.ie/blog/states-25-best-albums-of-2008/
Ireland's answer to Pitchfork magazine

Last.fm lists their db top 10 listened to artists, albums and songs from 2008:

http://www.last.fm/bestof/2008

Their top 10 songs feature is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Should have added a rule not to repeat song from same artists.(Just so you don't waste your time there's 6 coldplay songs, 3 MGMT and Kate Perry)

Seems like the Last.fm lists would favor albums and songs that were released early in the year, thus having had longer to rack up plays.

One unusual entry in Fact's list:

03. ZOMBY – WHERE WERE U IN 92? (WERK DISCS)

Anyone heard it?

Haven't heard it but I noticed the eMusic bloggers were talking about it yesterday too.

Heard it. Needs less airhorn.

when do we usually do our polls around here?

usually late at night, when there's noone else in the apartment.

It's nice to see Opeth placing so high on the metal lists, but I'm curious - do people really rate it higher than "Ghost Reveries" - because I don't remember that one doing as well on the year-end lists, even though to me, it's a much stronger album? Is it that the rest of the field is weaker this year, or is it maybe a case of atoning for overlooking a sleeper by overrating the follow-up?

musicOMH Top 50
http://www.musicomh.com/music/features/2008_best-albums-of-intro_1208.htm

Some interesting entries:
48 Thomas Tantrum (Sindy Stroker)
40 Blood Red Shoes - Box Of Secrets (V2)
31 Mystery Jets - Twenty One (sixsevennine)
23 Ladyhawke (Island)
18 Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (Roadrunner)
15 Johnny Flynn - A Larum (Vertigo)

Elbow topped musicOMH's poll. It's easy to admire that album but hard to get excited about it enough to crack my top 20. And this album also mad an appearance in State's top 20. I'll have to check it out:

08 Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim (Virgin)

http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/855/STOCKING%20STUFFERS:%20Afropop%20Worldwides%20Top%20Ten%20Releases%20for%202008

afropop.org (Banning Eyre & others)

Chiwoniso, "Rebel Woman" (Cumbancha) (Zimbabwe)
Aterciopelados “Rio” (Nacional) (Columbia)
Toumani Diabaté “The Mandé Variations” (Nonesuch) (Mali)
Seprewa Kasa “Seprewa Kasa” (Riverboat) (Ghana)
Seun Kuti “Seun Kuti & Egypt 80” (Disorient) (Nigeria)
Emmanuel Jal “WARchild” (Sonic360) (Sudan)
Orchestra Baobab “Made in Dakar” (Nonesuch) (Senegal)
Mayra Andrade “Navega” (Nacional/Sterns Arc Ltd) (Cape Verde)
Buena Vista Social Club "Buena Vista Social Club At Carnegie Hall(2 CD) [LIVE] " (Nonesuch) (Cuba)
Kasai Allstars "Congotronics 3" (Crammed Discs) (Congo

Theres a Congotronics 3? I must be on that right na na na

Predictably terrible EoY list from OMM now in.

Why do I keep thinking of Stan Freberg's "Old Payola Roll Blues"?

Might as well plug the one I put together: http://idolator.com/5103876/80-08-and-heartbreak-announcing-idolators-year+end-extravaganza

link does not work matos...can't access from idolators front page either :(

works for me.

Time mag's 50 Top 10s: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10
Albums: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/article/0,30583,1855948_1864324,00.html
Songs: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/article/0,30583,1855948_1863440,00.html

Resident Advisor's Top 20 labels: http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature-read.aspx?id=994

dear Time, please research concept of 'at a glance'

re: Time's Vampire Weekend paragraph

Peter Gabriel would be proud.

No he wouldn't.

Paul Simon would be prouder.

Yes he would. That's what's known as "damning with faint praise."

PopMatters Top 50 singles (kind of dire).

Time's list is quite ILXy.

no point ILM doing a list then

how did Trentemøller become the go-to token techno act?

Jim DeRogatis

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!" (Anti-)
2. David Byrne and Brian Eno, "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today"
3. Vivian Girls, "The Vivian Girls" (In the Red)
4. The Knux, "Remind Me in 3 Days" (Interscope)
5. Brazilian Girls, "New York City" (Verve)
6. Local H, "12 Angry Months" (Shout Factory)
7. Saul Williams, "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!" (niggytardust.com/Fader)
8. Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop)
9. Kanye West, "808s & Heartbreak" (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam)
10. Erykah Badu, "New AmErykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War" (Motown)

http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/12/the_best_albums_of_2008.html

Derogatis's next 40:

11. TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" (DGC/Interscope)

12. Parts & Labor, "Receivers" (Jagjaguwar)

13. Jenny Lewis, "Acid Tongue" (Warner Bros.)

14. Spiritualized "Songs in A&E" (Fontana)

15. Sigur Ros, "Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust" (XL)

16. The Black Angels, "Directions to See a Ghost" (Light in the Attic)

17. Girl Talk, "Feed the Animals" (Illegal Art)

18. Gnarls Barkley, "The Odd Couple" (Atlantic)

19. Weezer, "Weezer" (Geffen)

20. Lou Reed, "Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse" (Matador)

21. Portishead, "Third" (Mercury)

22. Q-Tip, "The Renaissance" (Universal/Motown)

23. Rise Against, "Appeal to Reason" (DGC/Interscope)

24. Flight of the Conchords, "Flight of the Conchords" (Sub Pop)

25. Ladytron, "Velocifero" (Nettwerk)

26. Bob Dylan, "Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased, 1989-2006" (Columbia)

27. Moby, "Last Night" (Mute/EMI)

28. Lykke Li, "Youth Novels" (Atlantic)

29. The Gutter Twins, "Saturnalia" (Sub Pop)

30. Wire, "Object 47" (Pink Flag)

31. Randy Newman, "Harps and Angels" (Nonesuch)

32. Sons and Daughters, "This Gift" (Domino)

33. Death Cab for Cutie, "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic)

34. Beck, "Modern Guilt" (Interscope)

35. Tim Fite, "Fair Ain't Fair" (Anti-)

36. Deerhunter, "Microcastle" (Kranky)

37. Shot Baker, "Take Control" (Riot Fest)

38. Tokyo Police Club, "Elephant Shell" (Saddle Creek)

39. Nine Inch Nails, "The Slip" (nin.com)

40. Alejandro Escovedo, "Real Animal" (Back Porch)

41. Sia, "Some People Have Real Problems" (Hear Music)

42. Joan as Police Woman, "To Survive" (Cheap Lullaby)

43. Darker My Love, "2" (Dangerbird)

44. AC/DC, "Black Ice" (Columbia)

45. King Khan and the Shrines, "The Supreme Genius of King Khan" (Vice)

46. Disfear, "Live the Storm" (Relapse)

47. Super Furry Animals, "Hey Venus!" (Rough Trade)

48. Black Mountain, "In the Future" (Jagjaguwar)

49. Amy Ray, "Didn't It Feel Kinder" (Daemon)

50. Madonna, "Hard Candy" (Warner Bros.)

how did Trentemøller become the go-to token techno act?

Not sure what this comment is in reference to, but Trentemøller is one of the few artists that made Cologne/Berlin minimal sounds accessable to listeners not steeped in a decade of house/progressive trance. I think well selected compilation drawn from his 2003-2006 remix work would be my album of the decade.

I'm surprised his Top 10 isn't alphabetical--it usually is.

xpost; I was referring to DeRo

That said (kindly forgive the missing article above), "Miss You", which I think is the track in question in the PopMatters poll, came out in 2006.

ugh shut up dero

^

the VG blurb on his blog made me want to vomit.

offering the perfect antidote to the Miley Cyrus/"Juno" bizarro world of young femininity so often seen in the media

lolz

Time's list is quite ILXy.

ILM <3's Jonas Bros

AU Magazine (www.iheartau.com - Belfast, Northern Ireland)

50. Eine Kleine Nacht Musik - Eine Kleine Nacht Musik (Modular)
49. No Age – Nouns (Sub Pop)
48. Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia (Charisma)
47. Ladytron – Velocifero (Nettwerk)
46. Fucked Up – The Chemistry Of Modern Life (Matador)
45. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
44. Late Of The Pier – Fantasy Black Channel (Zarcorp)
43. Adebisi Shank – This Is The Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank (The Richter Collective)
42. British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade)
41. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing (Atp)
40. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (Lies)
39. Portishead – Third (Mercury)
38. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend (XL)
37. Santogold – Santogold (Atlantic)
36. Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion (Model Citizen)
35. Lightspeed Champion – Falling Off The Lavender Bridge (Domino)
34. Oppenheimer – Take The Whole Midrange And Boost It (Fantastic Plastic)
33. Born Ruffians – Red, Yellow And Blue (Warp)
32. Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop)
31. Cadence Weapon – Afterparty Babies (Big Dada)
30. V/A - Carling Supports: The Oh Yeah Sessions ‘08
29. Beck – Modern Guilt (XL)
28. 2562 – Aerial (Tectonic)
27. Pacific! – Reveries (Half Machine)
26. Los Campesinos! – Hold On, Now Youngster (Wichita)
25. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
24. Jamie Lidell – Jim (Warp)
23. Jape – Ritual (Cooperative)
22. The Presets – Apocalypso (Universal)
21. Neon Neon – Stainless Style (Lex)
20. Hot Chip – Made In The Dark (EMI)
19. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges (Rough Trade)
18. Deerhunter – Microcastle (4AD)
17. Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
16. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Lie Down In The Light (Domino)
15. Spiritualized – Songs In A&E (Universal)
14. Foals – Antidotes (Transgressive)
13. Nick Cave – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Mute)
12. Hercules And Love Affair – Hercules And Love Affair (DFA)
11. David Holmes – The Holy Pictures (Canderblinks/Mercury/UMC)
10. Glasvegas – Glasvegas (Columbia)
9. Why? – Alopecia (Tomlab)
8. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid (Polydor)
7. The Dodos – Visiter (Wichita)
6. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours (Modular)
5. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires (XL)
4. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (Bella Union)
3. Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight (Fatcat)
2. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (4AD)
1. TV On The Radio – Dear Science (4AD)

http://blog.allmusic.com/2008/12/8/allmusics-favorite-jazz-albums-of-2008-2/

AMG's Jazz List

http://blog.allmusic.com/2008/12/8/allmusics-favorite-folk-albums-of-2008/

Folk list

http://blog.allmusic.com/2008/12/9/allmusics-favorite-rb-albums-of-2008/

And R&B List

listened to half of the Bon Iver yesterday - big. fucking. whoop. how can anyone be excited enough by this sort of thing to put it at the top of lists?

Yeah I am really blown away at the acclaim that album is getting. I couldn't really get through half of it.

Well Number 50 - 2008 NME album of the year - Heartbreak - Lies

http://www.nme.com/images/218_albumsofyear.jpg

1 down, 49 to go

are they doing one a week?

From The Sunday Times, Stewart Lee's "left-field" top ten:

1 One More Grain: Isle of Grain (White Heat) Daniel Patrick Quinn’s bored northern bingo-caller vocals drizzle bird’s-eye views of broken Britain over krautrock rhythms, incongruous jazz-fusion trumpet and post-punk guitar scree.

2 Matana Roberts: The Chicago Project (Central Control International) Matana Roberts blows ecstatic saxophone as hard as Albert Ayler, but carries tunes soulful enough to sell experimental jazz noise to sceptics.

3 Helena Espvall and Masaki Batoh: Helena Espvall and Masaki Batoh (Drag City) Espvall’s droning cello meets Batoh’s acid-blues guitar in a pervasive fog of Swedish folk and Japanese psychedelia.

4 John Edwards: Volume (PSI) John Edwards traverses the neck of his double bass in fearless free-jazz improvisations, using silence, space, sudden motions and sustained undulations.

5 Dick Gaughan: Gaughan Live! at the Trades Club (Greentrax) The Scottish folk singer and guitarist distils four decades of passion into a timeless selection, alternating a lightness of touch with smouldering, righteous fury.

6 Robert Forster: The Evangelist (Tag) The fearsomely fey former Go-Between’s first release since the death of his long-term songwriting partner, Grant McLennan, typifies his apparently effortless talent, with drawled poetry and low-slung guitars.

7 Martin Hayes/Dennis Cahill: Welcome Here Again (Green Linnet) Hayes rescues the fiddle tunes of his native Co Clare from clichéd arrangements and off-the-peg sentimentality, imbuing them with vast emotional depths and moments of considered stillness.

8 The Advisory Circle: Other Channels (Ghost Box) The electronica of 1970s public-information films and weird children’s TV conjures a forgotten suburban nightmare of prescription tranquillisers, coffee mornings, treacherous ponds and imminent nuclear war.

9 NICK PYNN Afterplanesman (Roundhill) Pynn gave his micro-suite of miniature art-folk curios a push this year. Sampled vocals and self-made instruments range across cultural, geographical and temporal boundaries to delightful effect.

10 WILD BILLY CHILDISH AND THE MUSICIANS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE Thatcher’s Children (Damaged Goods) Chatham’s venerable garage-rock fundamentalists cock a 1976-style snook at Noughties values and continue to summon instant punk classics from the Thames estuary at will.

Other Sunday Times lists, featuring all the same albums as on everyone elses lists, here.

Adebisi Shank - This Is The Album (Richter Collective)

Funny how Battles did so well in lists last year, whereas Adebisi Shank is barely a blip. Adebisi Shank reminds me a bit of Battles, but I like AS better.

quietus do their thing :

30: Beach House - Devotion
29: Neon Neon - Stainless Style
28: Times New Viking - Rip It Off
27: No Age - Nouns
26: Grace Jones - Hurricane
25: Squarepusher - Just A Souvenir
24: Burial Hex - Initiations
23: Aidan John Moffat - I Can Hear Your Heart
22: Lindstrom - Where You Go I Go Too
21: Wire - Object 47
20: Amadou and Miriam - Welcome To Mali
19: Rolo Tomassi - Hysterics
18: Simon Bookish - Everything/Everything
17: Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
16: Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
15: These New Puritans - Beat Pyramid
14. Fuck Buttons - Street Horsssing
13. UFOmammut - Idolum
12. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
11. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
10. Nadja - Skin Turns To Glass
9. One More Grain - Isle Of Grain
8. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
7. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
6. Wild Beasts - Limbo Panto
5. SunnO))) - Domkirke
4. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
3. The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
2. Portishead - Third
1. The Bug - London Zoo

hey these lists are getting better! esp that stewart lee one

i don't know what quietus is but i should obviously find out

k so now i have to hear this one more grain business

Unless I've missed it, I'm surprised to not see El Guincho on any of these lists considering how much buzz that album was gathering earlier this year.

Ah, apparently it was originally out last year.

http://thequietus.com -- which I very very sporadically write for (because I'm often swamped with other stuff!)

waitwaitwait -- DeRo liked a Madonna album enough to place it on a year-end list??

get that denim jacket out, the most retro-trad-rockist best albums of 2008 list from classic rock magazine, have a laugh at some of these picks

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/929916

Classic Rock magazine EOY albums

50. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
49. Todd Rundgren - Arena
48. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Dig Lazarus, Dig!!"
47. Thunder - Bang!
46. Tesla - Forever More
45. Viking Skull - Doom, Gloom, Heartache & Whiskey
44. The Jim Jones Revue - s/t
43. Girlschool - Legacy
42. Stonerider - Three Legs Of Trouble
41. Black Tide - Light From Above
40. Diagonal - s/t
39. Dirty Penny - Take It Sleezy
38. Glenn Hughes - First Underground Nuclear Kitchen
37. Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs
36. Graveyard - s/t
35. Lethargy - Purification
34. Testament - The Formation Of Damnation
33. Blood Ceremony - s/t
32. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
31. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
30. Kings Of Leon - 0nly By The Night
29. Rose Kemp - Unholy Majesty
28. The Clash - Live At Shea Stadium
27. Joe Bonamassa - Live From Nowhere In Particular
26. Endeverafter - Kiss Or Kill
25. Uriah Heep - Wake The Sleeper
24. Rose Hill Drive - Moon Is The New Earth
23. Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
22. Queen & Paul Rogers - The Cosmos Rocks
21. Thin Lizzy - UK Tour 1975
20. Judas Priest - Nostradamus
19. Marillion - Happiness Is The Road
18. Pride Tiger - The Lucky Ones
17. Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider
16. Motorhead - Motorizer
15. Black Crowes - Warpaint
14. Stone Gods - Silver Spoons & Broken Bones
13. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
12. The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
11. Opeth - Watershed
10. Motley Crue - Saints Of Los Angeles
9. Journey - Revelation
8. Big Linda - I Loved You
7. Whitesnake - Good To Be Bad
6. Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
5. Airbourne - Runnin' Wild
4. Black Stone Cherry - Folklore & Superstition
3. Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
2. Metallica - Death Magnetic
1. AC/DC - Black Ice

lololololol @ the top 10

well done airbourne

lol@ the whole list

Are these lot really still going: Whitesnake, Uriah Heep, Journey.

Girlschool - the last time i heard from these lot I was still in primary school circa 1981.

too bad you're not a girl

Stuff I like from that list: Viking Skull, Graveyard, Testament, Blood Ceremony, Motorhead, Opeth, Airbourne, Metallica. GnR and AC/DC are okay. Honestly kind of surprised to see that Graveyard caught their attention. Great record.

blueski, you were still munching on farley's rusks in 1981

Motorhead & Girlschool - Please don't touch

Girlschool album this year was really good! But I can't believe they missed Rose Tattoo, Rick Springfield, Hirax, Night Ranger, Ted Nugent's live album, lots of other things (all better than their top 5, as far as I'm concerned. I never heard the Def Leppard!)

xpost

J3FF that graveyard band is fucking AWESOME! good stuff. at least some good came out of this thread.

btw i find the classic rock list like 8 zillion times more interesting and charming than most of the lists on this thread, i'd rather read kooky and eccentric lists like that than all the other year end garbage.

Yeah, me too; only complained about that list because I basically *like* it. (Agree about Graveyard, too -- I was actually loving that album way back in '07, as an import on Transubstans.)

xp Also, meant they missed the boat on HELIX, not Hirax. (Though Hirax got a good review in Decibel, I think.)

Classic Rock list is pretty much "Hell, you boys could have a pretty good weekend in Vergas with that stuff!"

Any sign of NME's 08 rundown?

I can make out that it says "No Kooks, Kaiser Chiefs or Razorlight" and 7 of the top 10 are debuts. Which would suggest Santogold, Glasvegas, MGMT, Foals, Late of The Pier, Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend joining Kings of Leon, TV on The Radio and Elbow in the top 10.

NME going for what a great year for new bands angle then?

That Classic Rock list is kind of beautiful. They know what they like, and do not sheepishly shoehorn in token albums from other genres to feign diversity.

^very very otm, even if i disagree with what's good and what's bad

Opeth is the only real head scratcher, in terms of consistency.

They know what they like, and do not sheepishly shoehorn in token albums from other genres to feign diversity.

That's true. You can't really win either way. Too honest and a lot of mags would appear to be typical corny indie but, at the same time, it's very easy to know - especially at this point - when a magazine or person is trying to pretend they also spent a separate but equal amount of time listening to rap, country, meta, etc.

What's funny is that atypical genres will usually make someone's list eventually, but it's more likely authentic when you're years removed when it all came out and the person's had time to discover and let time filter out the pretenders.

NME Albums

1 MGMT Oracular Spectacular
2 TV on the Radio Dear Science
3 Glasvegas Glasvegas
4 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
5 Foals Antidotes
6 Metronomy Nights Out
7 Santogold Santogold
8 Mystery Jets Twenty One
9 Kings of Leon Only by the Night
10 Friendly Fires Friendly Fires
11 Neon Neon Stainless Style
12 Crystal Castles Crystal Castles
13 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
14 Marling, Laura Alas, I Cannot Swim
15 Last Shadow Puppets The Age of Understatement
16 Ladyhawke Ladyhawke
17 Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid
18 Late Of The Pier Fantasy Black Channel
19 Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life
20 Spiritualized Songs in A and E
21 Lightspeed Champion Falling Off The Lavender Bridge
22 Oasis Dig Out Your Soul
23 Johansson, Scarlett Anywhere I Lay My Head
24 Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
25 Portishead Third
26 Verve, The Forth
27 Hercules and Love Affair Hercules and Love Affair
28 British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?
29 Cave & the Bad Seeds, Nick Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
30 Hot Chip Made in the Dark
31 Coldplay Viva La Vida
32 Mogwai The Hawk Is howling
33 Deerhunter Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
34 Los Campesinos! We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
35 Mccombs, Cass Dropping The Writ
36 Frightened Rabbit The Midnight Organ Fight
37 Primal Scream Beautiful Future
38 Beck Modern Guilt
39 Chairlift Does You Inspire You
40 Kills, The Midnight Boom
41 These New Puritans Beat Pyramis
42 Alpinisms School of Seven Bells
43 Black Kids Partie Traumatic
44 Li, Lykke Youth Novels
45 Black Keys, The Attack & Release
46 Blood Red Shoes Box Of Secrets
47 Gaslight Anthem, The The '59 Sound
48 Maria, Ida Fortress Round My Heart
49 Bloc Party Intimacy
50 Heartbreak Lies

Tracks on the way

In the 34 years that they've been doing it this is arguably the worst NME EoY list I've ever seen.

21 Lightspeed Champion Falling Off The Lavender Bridge

haha i remember this guy

btw u might be right marcello

Hope you like MGMT guys.

1 MGMT Kids
2 Glasvegas Geraldine
3 Mystery Jets Two Doors Down
4 MGMT Time To Pretend
5 MGMT Electric Feel
6 Metronomy Heartbreaker
7 Friendly Fires Paris Is Burning
8 MIA Paper Planes
9 Kings of Leon Sex On Fire
10 Vampire Weekend A-Punk
11 The Verve Love Is Noise
12 Hot Chip Ready For The Floor
13 Elbow One Day Like This
14 Florence and The Machine Kiss With A Fist
15 Ladyhawke Paris Is Burning
16 Oasis The Shock of The Lightning
17 Spiritualized Soul on Fire
18 Hercules and Love Affair Blind
19 Oasis I'm Out of Time
20 Chairlift Bruises
21 TV on the Radio Golden Age
22 The Last Shadow Puppets Standing Next To Me
23 Fucked Up Year of The Pig
24 Santagold LES Artistes
25 Mystery Jets Young Love
26 Amazing Baby Head Dress
27 The Last Shadow Puppets The Age of The Understatement
28 Elbow Grounds For Divorce
29 DJ Mujava Township Funk
30 Florence and The Machine Dog Days Are Over
31 Laura Marling Ghosts
32 Black Kids I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
33 Vampire Weekend Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
34 Late Of The Pier Space An The Woods
35 Ladyhawke Back of The Van
36 Little Boots Stuck on Repeat
37 Wiley Wearing My Rolex
38 Sam Sparro Black & Gold
39 Vampire Weekend Oxford Comma
40 Heartbreak We're Back
41 Dizzee Rascal Dance Wiv Me
42 Late Of The Pier Focker
43 Glasvegas It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes ME Cry
44 Crystal Castles Courtship Dating
45 Crystal Castles Crimewave
46 Mogwai Batcat
47 Portishead Machine Gun
48 Cave & the Bad Seeds, Nick Dig!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
49 Glasvegas Flowers and Football Tops
50 Maria, Ida Oh My God

As per usual any good choices spoilt by the ridiculous

jesus fucking christ

50 Maria, Ida Oh My God

^^ida maria otm

7 Friendly Fires Paris Is Burning

no such song exists

i do dig that florence & the machine track, had no idea it was some sort of popular thing

The whiter than white NME EoY lists with token Rolex and Dizzee/Calvin input.

It is, seriously, a disgrace.

Should be Paris, blame Excel for thinking ahead.

why is this surprising? i can't remember nme being ever being legit, but they probably were there in the 80s for a bit

ooooh rhyming!

fresh

That NME list is hilarious. No one can claim they aren't on-brand I suppose.

26 Amazing Baby Head Dress

Which bit of this is the band name and which bit is the song title?

29 DJ Mujava Township Funk

Any idea what this is? I am assuming 'fake baile funk remix of Nirvana'.

Not quite - DJ Mujava's MySpace page is here. And the video for "Township Funk" can be found here.

Amazing Baby is the group, "Head Dress" is the song and they are here.

matt u have almost certainly heard 'township funk' - it has been EVERYWHERE this year

it's ok, much better when u hear it in clubs, at home it's a bit duhn duhn duhn though

That Classic Rock list is kind of beautiful. They know what they like, and do not sheepishly shoehorn in token albums from other genres to feign diversity.

agree w/this!! worst thing about so many indie lists is the tiny nod they give to other genres, as if they're somehow claiming to represent the entirety of popular music just cuz they have one hip-hop writer (to 20 indie writers obv)

actually i'm listening to 'township funk' again and i was wrong, it is a bit of a monster at home as well. the ashley beedle mix is even better!

agree w/this!! worst thing about so many indie lists is the tiny nod they give to other genres, as if they're somehow claiming to represent the entirety of popular music just cuz they have one hip-hop writer (to 20 indie writers obv)

yes. it's disgusting. how dare they like things from outside their assigned genre?

Wilful misunderstanding of a point, classic internet flourish there

I understand the point, but dispute its validity.

The Classic Rock list is by and large an excellent specialist genre list obviously compiled by experts who know their stuff and love it.

But still, Dig Lazarus Dig! WHY???

I knew MGMT was gonna sweep the middlebrow contingent.

I do like them but.

Best Album On NME' s 2008 Albums Of The Year List?

are the NME lists staff-picked or reader-votes? really can't tell anymore

Staff

WIRE top ten:

10. Caretaker - Persstant Repetition
9. The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
8. William S Burroughs - Real English Tea
7. Evangelista - Hello Voyager
6. Advisory Circle - Other Channels
5. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
4. John Butcher - Resonant Spaces
3. The Hospitals - Hairdryer Peace
2. Philip Jeck - Sand
1. The Bug - London Zoo

Have the fifty in front of me - Luomo at 18, Tricky(!) at 26 and Portishead at 38 amongst other things.

post it!

Do a poll!

Yeah right, I'm not typing all that lot in.

You did 10.

Do 40 more. I'll paypal you a dollar.

take a picture i'll last longer

Err, yuck.

suggestion, list them in blocks of ten

7. Evangelista - Hello Voyager

^^ nice to finally see this in a mag's top ten

I typed the wire lists out before. But it wasnt in WH Smiths in Hamilton today.

Okay, under duress:

WIRE cont.

20. Stephan Mathieu - Radioland
19. Bill Dixon - 17 Musicians...
18. Luomo - Convivial
17. Dusk + Blackdown - Margins Music
16. Autechre - Quaristice
15. Kasai Allstars - In the 7th Moon
14. Eric Chenaux - Sloppy Ground
13. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig thingy
12. Ryoji Ikeda - Test Pattern
11. Kevin Drumm - Imperial Distortion

That's 20 cents pal.

how do we know you're not making this up?

Dig Thingy = much better title

xpost Yeah, like "Kasai Allstars" is even a thing.

WIRE pt III

30. Terry Riley - The Last Camel in Paris
29. Earth - The Bees Made Honey...
28. Scorces - I Turn Into You
27. Arther Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me
26. Tricky - Knowle West Boy
25. Robert Ashley - Concrete
24. Jandek - Glasgow Sunday 2005
23. Group Inerane - Guitars From Agadez
22. Hercules & Love Affair - s/t
21. Lukas Ligeti - Afrikan Machinery

23. Group Inerane - Guitars From Agadez

I wanna hear this!

28. Scorces - I Turn Into You

David Keenan's wife band LOL

i'd like to see one list that just ignores all artists who've been around 15 years or more. yeah that's facile but a little 'yeah yeah they've still got it but there's too much new decent stuff to bother much with them right now' statement wouldn't go amiss

WIRE 40-31

40. Jakob Ullmann - Voice, Books and Fire 3
39. Toumani Diabate - Mande Variations
38. Portishead - Third
37. Maryanne Amacher - Sound Characters 2
36. Emeralds - Solar Bridge
35. Vampire Weekend - s/t
34. Harvey Milk - Life...
33. Stereo Image - s/t
32. Christina Carter - Masque Femine
31. Malcolm Goldstein - A Sounding of Sources

WIRE last bit

50. Sao Paulo Underground - Long ass album title
49. Ellen Fullman and Monique Buzzarte - Fluctuations
48. Sic Alps - US EZ
47. Mark Stewart - Edit
46. Alva Noto - Unitxt
45. Peter Rehberg - Works for GV
44. Josephine Foster - This Coming Gladness
43. Murcof - Versailles Sessions
42. Vajra - Live
41. Dave Grubbs - An Optimist Notes the Dust

I don't know why I typed 'em backwards either.

now for the genre lists!

backwards made it easier to do this

The Wire

50. Sao Paulo Underground - Long ass album title
49. Ellen Fullman and Monique Buzzarte - Fluctuations
48. Sic Alps - US EZ
47. Mark Stewart - Edit
46. Alva Noto - Unitxt
45. Peter Rehberg - Works for GV
44. Josephine Foster - This Coming Gladness
43. Murcof - Versailles Sessions
42. Vajra - Live
41. Dave Grubbs - An Optimist Notes the Dust
40. Jakob Ullmann - Voice, Books and Fire 3
39. Toumani Diabate - Mande Variations
38. Portishead - Third
37. Maryanne Amacher - Sound Characters 2
36. Emeralds - Solar Bridge
35. Vampire Weekend - s/t
34. Harvey Milk - Life...
33. Stereo Image - s/t
32. Christina Carter - Masque Femine
31. Malcolm Goldstein - A Sounding of Sources
30. Terry Riley - The Last Camel in Paris
29. Earth - The Bees Made Honey...
28. Scorces - I Turn Into You
27. Arther Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me
26. Tricky - Knowle West Boy
25. Robert Ashley - Concrete
24. Jandek - Glasgow Sunday 2005
23. Group Inerane - Guitars From Agadez
22. Hercules & Love Affair - s/t
21. Lukas Ligeti - Afrikan Machinery
20. Stephan Mathieu - Radioland
19. Bill Dixon - 17 Musicians...
18. Luomo - Convivial
17. Dusk + Blackdown - Margins Music
16. Autechre - Quaristice
15. Kasai Allstars - In the 7th Moon
14. Eric Chenaux - Sloppy Ground
13. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig thingy
12. Ryoji Ikeda - Test Pattern
11. Kevin Drumm - Imperial Distortion
10. Caretaker - Persstant Repetition
9. The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
8. William S Burroughs - Real English Tea
7. Evangelista - Hello Voyager
6. Advisory Circle - Other Channels
5. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
4. John Butcher - Resonant Spaces
3. The Hospitals - Hairdryer Peace
2. Philip Jeck - Sand
1. The Bug - London Zoo

There's 12 genres! The page starts at Aufgehoben, ends at Robert Wyatt, lots of stuff in between. x-post

When does Marcello's 2008 albums list get published?

backwards lists = UNACCEPTABLE

Oh, I bought London Zoo yesterday! Good, innit?

is there an avant rock one? id like to see that. Outer Limits is usually good too.

Avant Rock: AufgehobenBurningStarCoreBirchvilleCatMotelBlackMountainDeadCEatSkullFabDiamondsGrowingHairPolishHospitalsHototogisuReligiousKnivesScorcesAlexTuckerValet

agree w/this!! worst thing about so many indie lists is the tiny nod they give to other genres...

I do like the genre magazine lists because they dig deeper than most, though I also appreciate the lists from bloggers and others that are diverse, when it seems that they honestly like and listen to all that stuff.

Thanks for The Wire list NickB.

Other lists show Matmos and Excepter love, go ILX!

In defence of the NME, the blurbs for the albums are much longer than the past few years.

AMG Pop (alphabetical)

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior
Black Milk - Tronic
Brian Blade Fellowship - Season of Changes
Anthony Braxton - Beyond Quantum
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
Buena Vista Social Club - At Carnegie Hall
Calexico - Carried to Dust
Los Campesinos - Hold on Now, Youngster…
James Carter - Present Tense
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Elvis Costello & the Imposters - Momofuku
Rodney Crowell - Sex and Gasoline
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Raheem DeVaughn - Love Behind the Melody
Lila Downs - Shake Away/Ojo de Culebra
Duffy - Rockferry
The Fireman - Electric Arguments
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
The Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Juliana Hatfield - How to Walk Away
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Jazzanova - Of All the Things
Kelley Polar - I Need You to Hold on While the Sky Is Falling
The Kills - Midnight Boom
B.B. King - One Kind Favor
Solange Knowles - Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
Femi Kuti - Day by Day
Leila - Blood, Looms and Blooms
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin’
M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Madlib - WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling
Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis - Two Men with the Blues
The New Year - The New Year
Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
No Age - Nouns
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Osborne - Osborne
Portishead - Third
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Steve Reid Ensemble - Daxaar
R.E.M. - Accelerate
Robyn - Robyn (US Bonus Track)
Santogold - Santogold
Stereolab - Chemical Chords
George Strait - Troubadour
Jazmine Sullivan - Fearless
Taylor Swift - Fearless
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams

Blimey, at long last a list without freaking Dig Lazarus Bastard Dig in it!

Rolling Stone's Top 50 albums: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/24958695/albums_of_the_year/31

I'll type up the singles list shortly (not on website, as far as I can tell)

"JOCKSON Browne"????

Spicoli?