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It’s been a great year for music — several of my favorite bands put out albums this year, plus I discovered a number of new artists. It was hard to pare the list down, but these are the albums that really stood out for me. Here they are, in rough but non-scientific order, starting with the best:
Over the last couple years I haven’t kept up much with new music as I was finding it too cumbersome to sift through the garbage. I was getting much more mileage out of digging for gems from the 60s and 70s. Because of this, I know 2008 was a great year for new music: a lot of amazing releases popped up on my radar without me even looking for them. As I look back on my finds, I am struck by the number of exciting debuts so I decided to present five noteworthy new bands that came out of 2008. Of course, because I’ve been so lazy about new music you’ll notice these are mostly local bands. And, who knows, I probably missed a bunch. Here we go, in ascending order:
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This year’s list is full of controversy. Or at least “controversy.” As someone who ordinarily sticks pretty closely (uh…compulsively?) to the rules of year-end list-making, I generally would give a hearty “absolutely not!” when it comes to issues like including compilations on your list, or featuring albums that had a smaller release in a previous year. Well goodbye to all that! My list this year includes all those violations and more. Take that, rules!
It’s pretty rare that I truly have a #1 record, or that #3 is substantially better in my eyes than #7. Therefore, in no particular order, here are my top ten records of 2008.
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Our volunteer coordinator Jenna comes into contact with a LOT of musicians at her day job at the Old Town Folk School and it’s no surprise that her list of top picks for 2008 has some exceptional gems.
Read on to see her favorites
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In no particular order…
Blevin Blectum - Gular Flutter
The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost
Booka Shade - The Sun and The Neon Light
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
Santogold - Santogold
Portishead - Third
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
Q Tip - The Renaissance
The Bug - London Zoo
Deerhunter – Microcastle
Our running tally of “Best Of” lists continues on with a bit from Patrick Masterson, who edited this at least three times before we posted it….for those haters who say there was no good music in 2008, I say they just weren’t trying. Patrick’s list is a great case in point, there’s a few records on here that I managed to snag a digital peek at through the year, and I really liked, but didn’t spend enough time with. Now’s the time to remedy that.
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Around this time of year, all the music websites, magazines, and nerds begin to compile their end-of-year best-album lists. And yes, recorded albums are important as a permanent documentation of an artist’s music, but just as a properly cared-for record can last a lifetime, so can a well-tended memory of a great show. The following top 10 of 2008 takes into consideration both my favorite albums and the most intimate, energetic, and generally mind-blowing shows I’ve been to this year.
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Part of being a giant music nerd, is that you’re always on the lookout for new stuff to hear. That’s a lot of why these “best of” lists are so much fun to read. But wouldn’t it be fun if you could just take a peek at a friends ITunes playlist? I dunno, it just seems sorta clandestine, and wrong….which also makes it feel oh so right! We’ve already heard from Dan Morgridge but I couldn’t resist taking this opportunity to post a screenshot he sent me of his Top Songs of 2008. I hope you enjoy seeing this as much as I did.
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In no particular order…
Amy Ray, “Didn’t It Feel Kinder”
Joan as Police Woman, “To Survive”
Ladytron, “Velocifero”
Local H, “12 Angry Months”
Mavis Staples, “Live: Hope At The Hideout”
Nada Surf, “Lucky”
Portishead, “Third”
Raveonettes, “Lust Lust Lust”
She & Him, “Volume One”
The Hold Steady, “Stay Positive”
Photos by John Schroeder | ©2007-2009 CHIRP