Aquarius Records : Customer Favorites 2008

Talk about procrastinatin'. Here at last we present all the wonderful, often lengthy lists we received from a whole bunch of dedicated AQ customers detailing their favorite records of... 2008! That's right, we know it's now 2010, and we're already collecting tops of 2009 lists from peeps, but that just means, it's about damn time we posted THESE. And while it doesn't excuse our tardiness, maybe there's something to be said for taking another look at what you/we liked in '08 NOW, since chances are you've already forgotten about a lot of this stuff what with all of 2009 in the way. Interesting to think about if you ARE still listening to your faves from over a year ago... Well that's one way of thinking about it. Thanks for sharing - sorry we took such a while to put this together. We promise the 2009 customer faves list page won't take quite so long. Oh, and as always, apologies in advance if in our obvious rush to get this finished, we accidentally screwed up anybody's list... (see also the AQ staff favorites of 2008)

TIMWIE J. MALMSTEEN Here's my top 10 albums of the year, you guys post those right? Cloak of Displacement's Top 10 of 2008 1. Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy The new GNR kills the old GNR, enough said. 2. Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious I've probably listened to this more than any other CD, it makes me not want to kill myself or anyone else. 3. Krallice - Krallice Brutal Prog meets trance inducing black metal. Gives me goosebumps. 4. Gridlink - Amber Grey Jon Chang tops the might Discordance Axis, and I thought I would never, ever say such a thing. 5. Nachtmystium - Assassains: Black Meddle Part 1 Black metal meets Pink Floyd, and man I have to sing along to the chorus of Assassains everytime I hear it. 6. Darkthrone - Black Flags and Dark Thrones This makes me want to start a circle pit while I'm driving. 7. Hypothermia - Gratoner LP Krautrock with Kim's trademark shriek, my mother in law even liked it, until he started "singing". 8. Rick Springfield - Venus in Overdrive Um....no comment.... 9. Dead Reptile Shrine - Burning Black Infinity Double LP Best packaging of the year, and the black metal contained within is fantastically retarded as well. That's a compliment. 10. Sunn0))) - Domkirke LP They really need to make a travel size of that church organ. DEREK GODAT (Ultra Hard Gel) Soundtrack 2008 Strawberry Path "When The Raven Has Come to the Earth" David Crosby "If Only I Could Remember My Name" Grouper "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill" Aidan Baker "Green & Cold" Alcest "Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde" Minipop "A New Hope" Stars "In Our Bedroom After The War" Landing "Circuit / Centrefuge / Fade In Fade Out" Tears Run Rings "A Question And An Answer / Always Sometimes Seldom Never" Machinefabriek & Riftmusic "Machinefabriek & Riftmusic" Alastair Galbraith "Mirrorwork" Sprills Of Ore "Interstellar" Mia Doi Todd "GEA" Cyann & Ben "Sweet Beliefs" Christina Carter "Lace Heart / Texas Blues Working" Jimi Hendrix "Electric Ladyland / Message From Nine to the Universe" Dariush Talai "Musique Traditionnelle / Concert D'Utrecht" JEREMY TRIBBY Top 10 of 2008 (in alphabetical order, though Micah's new LP would be a solid #1 I think) The Baird Sisters - Lonely Town CD-R (self-released) Brethren of the Free Spirit - All Things are from Him, through Him and in Him LP (audioMER) Matthew Robert Cooper - Miniatures LP (Gaarden Records) Death Vessel - Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us LP (Sub Pop) Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh - S/T LP (Drag City) Fire on Fire - The Orchard (Young God) C. Joynes - The Running Board LP (Great Pop Supplement) Jack Rose - I Do Play Rock and Roll LP (Three Lobed) Micah Blue Smaldone - The Red River LP (Immune) V/A - Fight On, Your Time Ain't Long LP (Mississippi) Some reissues I'm real thankful for. They were all pressed this year but didn't originate in 2008: Harvey Milk - Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men 2LP (Reproductive/Chunklet) Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (Warner Bros) [this is the best sounding pressing of the record ever] Emmanuelle Parrenin - Maison Rose (Lion Productions) Harry Taussig - Fate Is Only Once (Tompkins Square) Trees - In the Garden of Jane Delawney 2LP (Sunbeam) Trees - On the Shore 2LP (Sunbeam) Townes Van Zandt - S/T LP (Fat Possum) Townes Van Zandt - Delta Momma Blues LP (Fat Possum) As far as shows go... man. Death Vessel & Micah Blue Smaldone at the Bottom of the Hill. This was the first time Micah had been through the bay since 2003 I think? Everything's changed since then. I remember reading something Jack Rose said about him years ago -- something like "Micah's so good he'll make you throw your dick in the dirt." Believe it. That his 2005 LP "Hither and Thither" on Tequila Sunrise is still in print after 3 years -- in an edition of just 500 -- is both saddening but also miraculous for those who don't already own it. ANDREW BEDDOW albums stephan mathieu - radioland cd (die schacatel) bruno pronsato - why can't we be like us 2xlp (hello? repeat) idea fire company - the island of taste lp (swill radio) tape - luminarium cd (hapna) actress - hazyville cd (werk) flying lotus - los angeles 2xlp (warp) move d & benjamin brunn - songs from the beehive 2xlp (smallville) head of wantastiquet - mortange lp (ecstatic yod) jason fine - our music is a secret order cd (kontra music) singles pangaea - 'you & i' / 'router' (hessle audio) tin man - wasteland 12" (global a) moodymann - det.riot '67 12" (kdj) dam funk - 'galactic fun' (stones throw) theo parrish 'goin' downstairs (parts one and two)' / 'space bumps' (sound signature) / kuniyuki - all these things [theo parrish remix] (mule musiq) trg - 'broken heart [martyn's dcm mix]' (hessle audio) / shut up and dance - 'epileptic [martyn's no strobe mix]' (shut up and dance) / flying lotus - 'robertaflack [martyn's heart beat mix]' (warp) martyn - 'all i have is memories' (apple pips) / 'vancouver' (3024) larry heard - 25 years from alpha 12" (alleviated) everything stl put out this year (something / perlon) kyle hall - worx of art 12" (wild oats) peverelist - 'infinity is now' / 'junktion' (tectonic) / appleblim - 'vansan [t++ remix]' (skull disco) mala - 'new life baby paris' (deep medi musik) move d - 'drone' (modern love) lowtec - workshop 06 12" (workshop) scuba - 'twitch [jamie vex'd remix]' / 'poppies [substance dub mix]' (hotflush) xdb - 'espac' (sistrum) keith worthy / juju & jordash - subterranean episodes 12" (aesthetic audio) ramandanman - 'blimey' (hessle audio) / kontext - 'plumes [ramadanman refix]' (immerse ANTHONY GALICA Murder by Death - Red of Tooth and Claw Nadja - The Bungled & the Botched Aidan Baker/Leah Buckareff/Nadja - Trinity Nadja & Black Boned Angel - Christ Send Light Firethrone - Day of Darkness and Blackness (re-re-release) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! Flaskavsae/Light Shall Prevail - Split Elgibbor - Fireland Njiqahdda - Nji. Njiijn. Njiiijn. Nekrasov - The Form Of Thought From Beast ASSAF VESTIN Cast Originallis Rational Diet - At Work Birds & Buildings - Bantam To Behemoth Cargo Cult Revival Snakecharmer Fromuz - Overlook Burst - Lazarus Bird Deus Ex machina Imparis Sculptured Embodiment Combat Astronomy - Dreams no longer hesitate Il Bacio Della Medusa Discesa Eksi Ekso - I Am Your b*****d Wings Opeth Watershed October Equus Charybdis Eroica - Hisen The Architect Russian Circles Station Hammers Of Misfortune Fields Olive Mess Cherdak Svartbag s/t Nachtmystium Assassins Ihsahm AngL Beardfish - Sleeping In Traffic II Fun Machine - Sonnenhuhn Make A Rising - Infinite Ellipse and head with open fontanel Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward Ayreon - Y Red Masque - Fossil Eyes Moon Safari Blumljud Guapo Elixirs Grayceon - This Grand Show Hammers Of Misfortune - Church Of Broken Glass DFA - 4th Cynic - Traced In Air The Evpatoria Project Maar Edensong - Fallen Fruit Teliof - Is It? Saena - s/t Magenta Metamorphosis Thieves' Kitchen - Water road Kinetic Element - The Powered By Light Suite About Tess - Beautiful Sylbat Mara Equus Eutheria Osada Vida Body parts party Mathew Parmenter Horror Express Capillary Action So Embarrassing Extra Life Secular works Dark Suns Grave Human Genuine Achenar All Will Change Thanatoschizo Zoom Code The Cavalera Conspiracy Inflikted Zip Tang Pank Hai Meirzadh Straight Circles Amygdala Complex Combat Day Without Dawn Understanding Consequences Tempano Selective Memory Mouth Of The Architect Quietly Elephant9 Dodovoodoo Tribal Logic Freaky Karma Willowglass Book of hours Indricothere s/t The Tangent Not As Good As The Book Followed by Ghosts Dear Monsters, Be Patient BBI bbi Gurth Tormentes Secret Chiefs 3: Xaphan Ocoai Breatherman At The Soundawn Red Square Everon North Bloodbath The Fathomless Mystery Tadashi Goto Innervisions Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul Time Traveller Chapters I&II Virgin Black Requiem Fortissimo The Wrong Object Stories from the shed Half Past Four Rabbit in the vestibule Canvas Solaris The atomized dream Meshuggah Obzen Moongarden Songs from the lighthouse Pendragon Pure Overhead And we're not here after all Grails Take Refuge in Clean Living Grails Doomsdayer's Holiday Interference Sardines Spot de rue Caamora She Moonrise The Light of a Distant Bay Tricantropus Recuerdos Del Futuro Slacks Field Recordings Big Block 454 - Bratislava Tiles Fly paper ANGELA SAWYER 1. Bros. Unconnected-Live @ Knitting Factory NYC June 22, 2008 Live performances don't squeeze my juice nearly as much as records do, but this one was quite the high wire act. I'd seen the movie 4 times, performers needed a week of codeine syrup to rub the scratch out of their voices, & most of the jokes were older than Henny Youngman's. That coulda been good enough, frankly, but I also got to find out what the lyrics to 'I Knew a Jew Named Frankenstein' were, & see an uberhip NYC audience instantly reduced to shocked gasps and nervous giggles. Probably still available for download someplace, so get googling. 2. Shuggie Rodelle & his Imperial Imbiblio Band-s/t (Conner) cassette 1978/1966-77 Deeply sick group grope from San Fran that smacks of Godz, Fred Lane, Starship Beer, etc. Prime & loose non-music. I got obsessed & asked everyone I'd ever met if they knew anything about this for a few months. Turns out it was led by Bob Conner (son of filmmaker Bruce), who was also the keyboard player in the KBD band The Maggots ('Let's Get Let's Get Tammy Wynette'). Fantasies of lavish reissues bloom behind my eyelids. 3. Nino Ferrer-Le Telefon Mirza (Riviera) lp 1967 Nino's ability to turn James Brown into pop eurosleaze gold is trumped only by his ability to fit into those incredibly skinny Italian suits. Blase, sarcastic, rich enough to enjoy horse breeding as a hobby, and stuffed full of raw suave energy, his French-Italo-English ye ye is tres amicalement. 4. Various-Give Me Love (Honest Jon's) 2lp/cd 2008/1925-29 More amazing 78s dug out of the EMI archive, this time documenting the rich, fluid, urban kaleidescope of 20s Baghdad. Arabic folk singers, professional Jewish oud players, dabka dance songs, Kurdish violinists, double reed zurna players & forbidden women singers all rub shoulders like calligraphy curlicues in book margins. Effervescent frission and haunting calls to God just explode from the grooves. Incredible notes that include translations of lyrics, analysis of styles, & a story from of the city once bedecked by coffeeshops & victrolas by a man who knew most of the musicians on the recordings when he was a boy. 5. Various-International Vicious Society Vol. 4 (University of Vice) lp 2008/196x My favorite series cracks out a new volume, and it's party time. Kee-razed sicko genre-imploders from around the world. Hear the chinese gongs of Belgium, the cajun accordions from Colombia, the sniggering chimpmunks of Mexico, and loads more frat-trash that's unlikely as hell & full of stuttering twist-psycho freakbeat fun. Beee-ooot-i-ful. 6. Tunnel Canary-Tunnel Canary (Run Down Sun) 2lp 2008/1978-84 Vancouver's best kept secret until pretty darn recently. Ebra Ziron's demented & cathartic female screeching is 2nd only to Hijokaidan's Junko, & backed by supreme guitar destruction that might as well be a chainsaw. Once you sit back & enjoy that incredible shrieking, the band turns out to be full of sophisticated long form improvs that exude slow rippling surges of tension & release. 7. Dennis Tyfus/Dylan Nyoukis-s/t (Ultra Eczema) lp 2008 Well slap me on my alveolar flap if there aren't some glutinous uvular plosives coming outta these two sets of phlegm lips. Vocal based slimers with gasping, panting, snoring, grumbling, whispering, and all sorts of other ducky babble, abetted by siren electronics & looping. Nyoukis side seems to've been culled from tapes of an aboriginal cannibal feast, with baby gurgle cameo. Tyfus side has some tender drone built out of vocal overdubs, which gets interrupted by a sped up tape of a tibetan monk, and then just when your tears might start to fall he trashes it with a bit of verbed-up Heino eurovision singing. 8. Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family-My Ancestors (Hummingbird) cd 2008/1970 Wonderfully naive shit-Hendrix ripoffs mixed with dirty Zambian funk & somewhat inept lyrics in English. A great companion piece to Chubby Checker's fake-Hendrix record, as well as more obvious choices like all those Nigerian funk compilations that've been around lately. 9. Menstruation Sisters-MA (No Fun) lp 2008/2000 Nick Kamiussis (aka Nik the Greek, Nick Rizili, Black Throated Wind) might be the best singer alive on earth at this juncture. All I've ever heard about him is that he was once a postal worker in Sydney, but since when does the government hire pig footed bandicoots to deliver the mail? Unholy imitations of Grover, the Tasmanian Devil, a broken weed whacker, a six year old girl getting her toenails pulled off, an oscillator that's having it's insides poked with a wire hanger, etc. Oren Ambarchi ain't no slouch either & I'd say he runs over his guitar with a lawnmover here, then whips out some primo ape-on-the-loose drum bashing. Repeat from my top ten of 2000 probably, but it's too good to give a shit. 10. Sandy & Mandhy-Para Castukis (Lion) lp 2008/1969 Yummy organ-driven melancholy psych with Zombies-type harmony vocals, gorgeous bits of bossa. Members of a couple of local teen bands in Argentina (Los Free Men, La Maquina de Musica) hit up Billy Bond to try & get a record deal. He said that he had enough bands, but could use a folk duo. They promptly became a fake one & pressed 110 copies of a demo with no cover. Upon giving one to Billy, he said it sounded too much like a band with a duo name. When the band gigged around Buenos Aires, they had to carry their Farfisa to & from rehearsals by walking it down the street, and had to take instruments to shows on the subway, because nobody in the band could afford a car. BRUNO BISSONNETTE In no particular order (listed as artist/title/format/label) : 01. Secret Chiefs 3: Xaphan - Book of Angels vol. 9 CD (Tzadik) 02. Farmers Market: Surfin' USSR CD (Ipecac) 03. To Live and Shave in L.A.: Merely Resurrected cassette (Heavy Psych) 04. Miss High Heel: The Family's Hot Daughter CD (Blossoming Noise) 05. Ocrilim: Ment LP (Brown sounds) 06. DJ /rupture: Uproot CD (The Agriculture) 07. Weasel Walter & Mary Halvorson: Opulence CD (ugExplode) 08. Girl Talk: Feed the Animals FLAC files (Illegal Art) 09. Anthony Braxton: Nine Compositions 2003 DVD (Rastascan) 10. Anthony Braxton: Quartet (GTM) 2006 4xCD (Important Records) Special mentions to: Krallice, Orange Tulip Conspiracy, The Bug's London Zoo, John McLaughlin's Floating Point, Fred Frith's To sail, to sail and Back to Life, Stevan Kovacs Tickmayer's Cold Peace Counterpoints, Biota's Half a True Day, Idea Fire Company's Island of Taste, all other TLASILA releases (splits with Harshcore and Totally Ripped in particular) and a bunch of other fantastic Anthony Braxton records: -12+1tet (Victoriaville) 2007 CD -Diamond Curtain Wall Trio (Victoriaville) 2007 CD -Piano Music (1968-2000) performed by Genevieve Foccroulle 9xCD All the above are fine contenders. SPENCER OWEN (R. Kelly's leaked 12 PLAY: FOURTH QUARTER would be on there if it ever came out...) 11. Yoshida Tatsuya/Keiji Haino - HAUENFIOMIUME 10. Lil Wayne - THA CARTER III 09. Momus - JOEMUS 08. Q-Tip - THE RENAISSANCE 07. The Roots - RISING DOWN 06. The Sea & Cake - CAR ALARM 05. Sparks - EXOTIC CREATURES OF THE DEEP 04. Matmos - SUPREME BALLOON 03. Jonathan Richman - BECAUSE HER BEAUTY IS RAW AND WILD 02. Max Tundra - PARALLAX ERROR BEHEADS YOU 01. Boredoms - 77 BOA DRUM Peace in the new year to my favorite record store... JENGIZ Absolutely Breathtaking 1. Cloudland Canyon Lie in Light 2. Earth The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull 3. Suishou No Fun Prayer for Chibi 4. MV & EE The Ground Ain't Dirty 5. Nadja Desire in Uneasiness The Droning Ones 1. O))) Presents Pentemple 2. A.M Rag Red Reverie 3. The Skull Defekts The Drone Drug 4. Pelt Dauphin Elegies 5. Seht Dead Bees ((the((quiet)earth))suite) Honourable Mentions 1. Philip Jeck Sand 2. Lawrence English Kiri No Oto 3. Ascend Ample Fire Within 4. David Lynch with Marek ZebrowskiPolish Night Music 5. Kasai Allstars In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned into a Swimming Fish, and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic The aRCHIVE Suite 1. Peter Wright Pretty Mushroom Clouds 2. LSD Pond 3. Sitaar Tar! Semimimimimin 4. Li Jianhong San Sheng Shi The Live Room 1. Flower-Corsano Duo at St-Giles-in-the-Field 2. Hototogisu & Zaimph & Marcia Bassettat Corsica Studios, & assisting with her massively heavy gear in the back of a London Taxi 3. Acid Mothers Temple & Pikachu! at Corsica Studios 4. Bohren & der Club of Gore at Corsica Studios 5. Harvey Milk at the Underworld 6. The Necks at the Vortex Jazz Club 7. Henry Flynt at Cafe Oto 8. White/Lichens at Cafe Oto 9. Jack Rose at Brixton Windmill JOE MULLIGAN Rank Artist Release Label 1 TAPE Luminarium Hapna 2 THE CARETAKER Persistent Repetition Of Phrases INSTALL 3 THE FUN YEARS Baby, It's Cold Inside BARGE 4 RICHARD SKELTON Marking Time PRESERVATION 5 KEVIN DRUMM Imperial Distortion HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS 6 ZOMBY Where Were U in '92? WERK 7 BRAEL / TOKYO BLOODWORM Living Language Moteer 8 BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE Dolores Pias 9 STEPHAN MATHIEU Radioland DIE SCHACHTEL 10 GOLDMUND The Malady Of Elegance Type 11 FENNESZ Black Sea Touch 12 JACASZEK Treny MIASMAH 13 BYETONE Death Of A Typographer Raster Noton 14 PETER BRODERICK Float Type 15 CON_CETTA Micro Moteer 16 LIBRARY TAPES A Summer Beneath the Trees Make Mine Music 17 PAAVOHARJU Laulu Laakson Kukista Fonal 18 BLACKSAND Barn ASUSU 19 MAX RICHTER 24 Postcards In Full Colour FatCat GREG JACKSON My Top Ten Albums of 2008! 1. Monroe Mustang- The Imaginary Band, Regretfully Declines 2. Dodos- Visiter 3. Fembots- Calling Out 4. Harvey Milk- Life.... The Best Game In Town 5. Machinefabriek- Dauw 6. Portishead- Third 7. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis- The Assassination of Jesse James Sdtk. 8. Machinefabriek- Ranonkel 9. The New Year- S/t 10. Giant Sand-proVISIONS Top 5 Best Concerts of 2008! Stars of the Lid @ The Triple Door, Seattle Monroe Mustang @ The Mohawk, Austin Dodos @ The Bourbon, Vancouver Harvey Danger- 10th Anniversary Party @ The Triple Door, Seattle Boredoms @ Neumos, Seattle Best 5 Old Albums I Found This Year! Michael Linnen- Misc. Score Cd (All the Real Girls, Undertow) Harvey Milk- Special Wishes Rex- C and Waltz Super Furry Animals- Radiator Nine Inch Nails- With Teeth Best Music Store I Never Stepped Foot In All Year! You Guys! Thanks for Being Awesome Ambience Rocks. BARRY SARANCHUK 1 Fleet Foxes 2 Dungen 4 3 Golden Jooklo Age "Tropical Trip" LP 4 Helen Espvall & Masaki Batoh 5 The WHO "at Kilburn:1977" DVD 6 Expo70 "Black Ohms" 7 Unimother27 "Grin" 8 Raconteurs "Consolers of The Lonely" 9 Ulver "Shadows of The Sun" 10 Uriah Heep "Wake the Sleeper" So,....there you go. All the new releases I really liked a lot this year,or at least the ones I can remember off of the top of my head. LANE STEPHENS 1 prurient - and still, wanting 2 valerio cosi - heavy electronic pacific rock 3 scott tuma - not for nobody 4 george "bongo joe" coleman - bongo joe 5 jason crumer - ottoman black 6 warmth/medroxy progesterone acetate - split 7" 7 chriss sutherland - me in a field 8klangmutationen - schwarzhagel 9tom carter - shots at infinity 1 10barn owl - from our mouths a perpetual light 11 black pus - all aboard the magic pus 12 cave - hunt live devil/JAMZ 13 inca ore - birthday of bless you CHRIS VIDELL Pelt - Dauphin Elegies Bardo Pond - Batholith Birchville Cat Motel - Gunpowder Temple of Heaven Isengrind/Twisted Moon/Natural Snow Buildings - The Snowbringer Cult Grey Daturas - Return to Disruption We Are LSD Pond Ulaan Kohl II Wooden Shjips - Vol. 1 Emeralds - Solar Bridge Dead C - Secret Earth Reissue of the year: Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting Live stuff I never thought I would see: Dead C Boredoms Simply Saucer Chrome (even better than I ever would have thought possible) A couple of comeback shows by reformed Slumberland greats Lorelei Gary Higgins Roky Erikson The Ex with Getachew Mekuria Effigies Cluster MARK GORECKI Below are some of my Fave albums of 2008 (In alphabetical order only); 01) (Mika Vainio) Oleva 02) Aethenor - Betimes Black Cloudmasses 03) Aidan Baker / Tim Hecker - Fantasma Parastasie 04) Alps, The III 05) Asbestoscape - Self Titled 06) Barn Owl Raft Of Serpents 07) Bretheren Of The Free Spirit - All Things Are From Him.. 08) Burning Star Core Challenger 09) Chris Watson - Cima Verde 10) Fennesz - Black Sea 11) Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna 12) Ilyas Ahmed - Between Two Skies / Towards The Night 13) Jesu / Envy - Self Titled Split 14) Jacaszek Treny 15) Jack Rose - Dr Ragtime & Pals 16) James Blackshaw - Litany Of Echoes 17) Kevin Drumm - Imperial Distortion 18) Koen Holtkamp - Field Rituals 19) Loren Chasse / Michael Northam - The Otolith 20) Lawrence English - Kiri No Oto 21) Machinefabriek - Dauw / Vloed 22) Nadja / 5-5-2000 Tumpisa 23) Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance Of The Sun & The Moon 24) Onra Chinoiseries 25) Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista 26) Philip Jeck Sand 27) Philip Jeck - Suite: Live In Liverpool 28) Richard Skelton - Marking Time 29) Shackleton / Various - Soundboy's Gravestone Gets Desecrated By Vandals 30) Stephan Mathieu - Radioland 31) Tape Luminarium 32) This Quiet Army Unconquered 33) Various - Jewelled Antler Library 34) Various - Shadow Music Of Thailand 35) Voice Of The Seven Woods VVIIW Quality late discoveries / reissues worth a mention; Bruce Haack Haackula Daphne Oram Oramics Joakim Skogsberg - Jola Rota Jorge Ben - Self Titled Melting Glass Box - Self Titled Polk Miller - Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette Robbie Basho - The Seal Of The Blue Lotus Various - Victrola Favorites Yoshi Wada - Lament For The Rise And Fall Yoshi Wada - Off The Wall Yoshi Wada - The Appointed Cloud Yukiko Kuwabara - Kuwabara Yukiko To Anata RYAN WALKER leviathan 'massive conspiracy against all life' LP nachtmystium 'black meddle: assassins' LP nachtmystium 'worldfall' EP krallice 'krallice' LP vortex of end 'fanatik spiritual devotion' EP current 93 'birth control blues' EP fucked up 'chemistry of common life' LP torche 'meandethal' LP m83 'saturdays = youth' LP tv on the radio 'dear science' LP portishead '3' LP magnetic fields 'distortion' LP the fall 'imperial wax solvent' LP nick cave 'dig lazarus dig' LP melvins 'nude with boots' LP nine inch nails 'the slip' LP no age 'nouns' LP warbringer 'war without end' LP jay reatard 'matador singles 08' LP deathcab for cutie 'narrow stairs' LP JOHN BRASSIL Here's my list of Top Live Shows of 2008: Just a note about this - I tried to really limit this to one show per venue, so the Mercy Lounge, which is hands down the best club in Nashville for touring acts right now, kind of gets short shrift here because I saw a *ton* of good stuff there there this year - sorry Rosebuds, Calexico, How I Became The Bomb, etc. Even with that, this is a long list, so I'll try to keep the commentary to a minimum. All shows in Nashville unless otherwise noted. Yo La Tengo & Kurt Wagner @ The Belcourt Theatre, January 17th - The only thing better than the storytelling mode of the show was the Hulk vs Bees question it prompted. Thurston Moore and J Mascis @ The French Legation in Austin during SXSW, March 15th - Two separate sets, for free (thanks Press Here!) in an absolutely gorgeous outdoor setting. Montonix @ Springwater Supper Club, March 21st. One of the craziest live shows I've ever seen, in the perfect spot for that kind of madness. When lighting the toms on fire is just the prelude, you know you're in for a wild night. Caribou & Fuck Buttons @ The Mercy Lounge, April 8th. Dan Snaith has got it all going on right now and the substitute drummer he had that night was *killing* it. The Raconteurs @ The Cannery Ballroom, April 14th and 15th. Yes, I went both nights. These guys are the best rock band since Led Zeppelin and anyone who says differently is looking for an ass- kicking. From Jack White. Ben Sollee with Abagail Washburn and The Tallest Man on Earth @ The Basement, June 4th. Thanks to JT and the folks at Thirty Tigers for getting this show together and Mike and Geoff for making a home for these kinds of showcases - only in Nashville, baby, only in Nashville. Metallica @ The Basement, June 12th. Yes, *that* Metallica. I stood right on the barricade in front of the stage all the way through sound check to have a good spot to shoot this show. Never have I been so glad I pack earplugs in my camera bag. Pearl Jam @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, June 14th. I am not a huge fan but when Music Allies' Sean O' Connell rounded up a bunch of radio folks for something-special-he-wouldn't-say-what, I tagged along and got treated to front row position in front of the main stage and I didn't hear any of the 60,000 people behind me complaining through the entire set. Take that, Kanye. Chromeo @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, June 14th. Even more fun live than they are on the record, folks. Chro-me-ohhh.. DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist @ The 9:30 Club, Washington, DC, July 16th - 8 turntables, all vintage 45s, sick visuals - why exactly was this called the Hard Sell tour? Animal Collective @ Pitchfork Music Festival, July 19th. Narrowly acing out King Khan, Bon Iver, and !!!, they had the right vibe in the right place at the right time. Cut Copy & The Presets @ The Masquerade, Atlanta, September 27th - Those in attendance maintain The Presets should have had top billing, but when you've been waiting months for a live taste of "Lights and Music" it's pretty hard to beat. ZZ Top @ The Ryman Auditorium, October 3rd - 40 years together and they still throw down the electric blues like nobody's business. MSTRKRFT @ The Mercy Lounge, October 17th - One of the best realized DJ shows ever to come to town. Gregg Gillis, take note: You don't need to break shit to have a good time. Z-Trip @ Exit/In, November 7th - He's just amazing to watch in action and like the trouper that he is, played to a small crowd the same way he did in front of city's worth in Manchester a few years back. How I Became The Bomb, The Protomen & Jensen Sportag @ The Mercy Lounge, December 13th - Oh, all right, I'll include a Bomb show. Nashville's best dance band, the crazy antics of the Protomen and Jensen Sportag in full-on pop star mode *and* a snow machine - what's not to love! I really must try to get out more often. JOSEPH GERVASI No top! No top! Just my beloved best of 2008 by Joseph A. Gervasi of Exhumed Films and Diabolik DVD: 10 favorite new releases for 2008 in alphabetical order: ALPS: III BAADER BRAINS: The Complete Unfinished Works of the Young Tigers DEERHUNTER: Microcastle FLEET FOXES: s/t GNAW THEIR TONGUES: An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood THE HEADS: Dead In the Water THE LAST OF THE SHADOW PUPPETS: The Age of Understatement MASSHYSTERI: Var Del Av Stan THE SUN BLINDNESS: Like Pearly Clouds WOE: A Spell For the Death of Man Herelies my unlucky 13 favorite re-issues of 2008 also in alphabetical order: CLEARLIGHT: boxset GAL COSTA: Gal GARRY FARR: Strange Fruit GENESIS: 1970-1975 boxset LA DUSSELDORF: Viva THE MOVE: s/t NATURAL SNOW BUILDINGS: The Dance of the Moon and the Sun PAPER BUBBLE: Scenery SUPERSISTER: Present From Nancy/To the Highest Bidder/Pudding En Gisteren T2: It'll All Work Out In Boomland V/A: Spirit of Joy: Tales From the Polydor Underground, 1967 - 1974 boxset V/A: Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story V/A: Take Me To the River: A Southern Soul Story 1966 - 1977 boxset Bonus 2009 favorite: I got a very advanced copy of this from Justin from the band back in mid-autumn and I have to say that these two will surely be among my top releases for next year: CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX: Night Raider and The Resurrectionists (out spring 2009) JACK HANKIN Best Albums: Plants & Animals "Parc Avenue" Eyeless in Gaza "Summer Sun, Subway Salt" Ruby Suns "Sea Lion" Calexico "Carried to Dust" Hauschka "Ferndorf" Paavaharju "Laulu Leakson Kukista" Studio "Yearbook 2" Air France "No Way Down" High Places s/t Bacherlorette "Isolation Loops" Department of Eagles "In Ear Park" Koushik "Out My Window" Best Live Shows: Yeasayer (Bimbos) Calexico (Fillmore) Plants & Animals (Rickshaw) Grizzly Bear (Great American Music Hall) REM/National/Modest Mouse (Sasquatch) Portishead (Coachella) OLIVER ANMA MAY Best of / Most listened to in (not exactly of) 2008 (in no particulary order): LEVIATHAN "Massive Conspiracy Against All Life" DEATHSPELLOMEGA "Fas-Ite, Maledicti, In Agnem Aeternum" PESTE NOIRE "K.P.N. / La Sanie Des Siecles - Panegyrique De LaDegenerescence" MAKE A CHANGE ... KILL YOURSELF "s/t" WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM "Two Hunters" (2LP) WEAKLING "Dead As Dreams" JOHN CALE "Paris 1919" JAMES BLACKSHAW "Litany Of Echoes" BOHREN& DER CLUB OF GORE "Dolores" + Re-Discovery ofmy year: all from ENVY, especially "Insomniac Doze", "Abyssal" & "Split w/ Jesu" RYAN PATRICK O'HARA Ryan Patrick O'Hara's Lump Of Awesome Sounds Harvey Milk - Life the Best Game in Town [2 x CD] (Daymare) No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop) Nadja & 5/5/2000: Tumpisa [split 12"] Cave - Hunt Like Devil [CD + LP] (Permanent Records) Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head) Trees - Light's Bane (Crucial Blast) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down In The Light (Palace) Boris - Smile [Japanese CD & US Vinyl Versions] (DIWPhalanx/Southern Lord) GZA/Genius - Pro Tools [CD] (Babygrande) Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life (Moribund) Isengrind/Twinsistermoon/Natural Snow Buildings - The Snowbringer Cult [2 x CD] (Students of Decay) Pentemple - O))) Presents (Southern Lord) Ascend - Fire From Within [CD] (Southern Lord) J. Spaceman & Sun City Girls - Mister Lonely OST (Drag City) Abe Vigoda - Skeleton (Post Present Medium) A Storm of Light - And We Wept the Black Ocean Within (Neurot) Ocrilim - Annwn (Hydra Head) Antony & the Johnsons - Another World EP (Secretly Canadian) Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1 (Century Media) Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling (Matador) Mount Eerie - Black Wooden Ceiling Opening (P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd) Coffins - Buried Death [CD] (Southern Lord) Doomriders/Disfear split 7" - Crooked Path/Fear and Trembling (Deathwish, Inc.) The Magnetic Fields - Distortion [CD] (Nonesuch) Baroness - First & Second [CD Reissue] (Hyperrealist) Sunn O))) - Domkirke (Southern Lord) Bloodbath - The Fathomless Mastery [CD] (Peaceville) Tommy Santee Klaws - Gloria [CD] (Beat Nun Recordings) 16 Horsepower - Live March 2001 [2 x CD] (Alternative Tentacles) Disfear - Live the Storm (Relapse) Thee Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending the Night In (Tom Lab) The Mars Volta - Bedlam In Goliath (GSL/Universal) Watain - Casus Luciferi [CD Reissue] (Seasons of Mist) Fleet Foxes - S/T (Sub Pop) Darkthrone - Frostland Tapes [3 x CD Reissue] (Peaceville) Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull (Southern Lord) Thee Oh Sees - Peanut Butter Oven EP (Awesome Vistas) Woven Hand - Ten Stones (Sounds Familyre) Best Record (3-Way Tie) Earth - The Bees ; Harvey Milk - Life ; Torche - Meanderthal Best Show High On Fire in Fresno, CA Best Event of 2008 (and ever) The birth of my beautiful daughter, Iris, in February she's already a HUGE fan of music (she plays the tambourine and the key-tar) and loves (Smog), Miles Davis, and Nina Simone no metal, yet GEDDES GENGRAS Legendary Pink Dots 'Plutonium Blonde' (ROIR) - LPD are evergreens, and despite churning out their fair share of crap in the '90's and beyond, their ability to surprise the listener is their main asset. Or maybe it's the swirling, synth and sample based backdrop The Silverman provides, draping this record in dust and burnt motor oil. Edward Ka-Spel's lyrics make mundane subjects like consumerism, mailmen, and cell phone ownership read like high fantasy. A stunning return to form. Group Inerane Guitars of Agadez (Sublime Frequencies) - In some ways, a follow-up to last year's Group Doueh release, this one dispenses with the tranced-out moods of the former and comes up with a take on Toureg guitar music that is gnarlier, sandblasted weirdness. It manages to surge forward while remaining locked in place, an endless loop that could go on forever. . Faust/NWW 'Disconnected' (2XLP version, Dirtier Promotions) combines my favorite elements of two legendary projects that have been missing the mark more often then not in recent years. More then the sum of its parts, closer to the square root. Cold Sun 'Dark Shadows' (World in Sound) my favorite psychedelic album of all time. THEE end-all-be-all trip, bathed in dissonant autoharp, stinging fuzz guitar, and some of the best lyrics to crawl out of the Texas desert. World in Sound lovingly rescued this gem from the grave, so forget the pricetag, buy this album!!! V/A 1970's Algerian Proto Rai Music (Sublime Frequencies) these cuts, gathered by the mad geniuses at Sublime Freq., even made me dance. blaring trumpets and impassioned vocals carry the melody while organs pump out drones and an army of hand drums pound against the beat, not with it. J. W. Farquhar The Formal Female (Shadoks) a beyond-weird private-press missive dispatched from 70's philly and lovingly brought back by the Shadoks label. Cheesy drum machines, insane fuzz guitars, 12 minute songs, and yet far weirder then any of these signifiers can suggest. Freedom's Children Astra (Shadoks) what I wish Atom Heart Mother sounded like. dense waves of organ and guitars, a would-be psych classic from 70's south africa, nearly lost to time until now Pocahaunted Island Diamonds (LP on Arbor, CD on Not Not Fun) Quaju Peg the collie man, ha the best collie in seaport town. Though they dropped a tall stack of slabs on us in 2008, this one has to be my favorite. Call it their "Heart of the 'haunted", bobb bruno's rankin drum machine beats and rubbery bass mix with the smoke-thin vocals and guitars that Pocahaunted usually bring. Harvey Milk - Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men (vinyl reissue on Chunklet) I was lucky enough to snag the first three HM albums when Chunklet pressed them on deluxe 2xLPs this year, and this one has stuck with me the most. plumbing the depths of heaviness, while also displaying an insane control of dynamic range, khanate-style sludge meets the melvins at a rush concert. or something. Earth The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (Southern Lord) Earth came close with 05's Hex, but they finally made their perfect album. Wisps of their past as guitar drone all-stars blow across old civil war battlefields and Dylan Carlson and crew are searching for arrowheads. This record defines 'americana' for me. Jay Reatard Singles '06-'07 (In the Red) I slept on '06's Blood Visions, my mistake, I guess, because I was wholly unprepared for these singles to hit me like a ton of bricks. If you had three minutes left in your life, you might want to spend the first thirty seconds deciding which two-and-a-half minute gem you'll spin off this collection. This record gives me faith in the future of pop music. Sun Araw Beach Head (Not Not Fun) 2008 proved to be the year that Tropical was hot. Pretty dumb, and there were enough shitty mbira-band cd-r's made this year to pave a road from L.A. to Hawaii, but if it's cold where you are, (and hell, it's cold in L.A. this week, especially when you have leaks in the roof and cracks in your walls) and you need a thaw, drop this perfect slice of beach party. It treads a very thin line with perfect precision and made this skeptic a fan. Amanaz Africa (Shadoks) Another Shadoks reissue, this is a mellow psych guitar workout, with tipsy rhythms, impassioned vocals, mellow rhythm and crude nasal lead guitars. Beautifully wonky song structures and a wonderfully subdued production style make this an ideal late-night companion. Robedoor Endlessly Blazing (Woodsist) Robedoor continue to push themselves into hairier and scarier territory. I was lucky enough to sit on and watch the session for one of the songs on this record, captured by Grant Capes at Echo Curio, and seeing this band expand their sound while retaining their essential, bombed-out vibe has to be one of the best parts about living in L.A.. A major move to composition from decomposition. Dead Reptile Shrine Burning Black Infinity (Cocainacopia) I don't know who or what Dead Reptile Shrine is, but this record made my mind hurt in the best way. You could call it black metal, I know I do, but that's also totally missing the point. Cheesy keyboard string sections, weird folk-meets-jandek acoustic brain-death, creepy drones, kvlt vocals and the requisite tinny guitars and cardboard-box drumming, hitting on every possible aspect of true experimental BM. DRS has released a string of impossibly weird and heavy tapes, and this 2XLP is one of them, brought to new depths of depravity and fidelity on rad cow-colored vinyl and in a deluxe gatefold sleeve. TIFFANY JOICE 1. Alcest- Souvenirs d'un autre monde 2. Angel Eyes- Something to do with Death 3. Baroness- First and Second EP 4. Amesoeurs- Ruines Humaines EP 5. Quest for Blood- ST 6. Darkestrah- The Great Silk Road 7. Shall Not Kill; Fantastik Hole; Tekken; and Moon- ST Multiple release 8. Jacaszek- Treny 9. Fen- Ancient Sorrow 10. Jimmy Cake- Spectre and Crown ARIO I find it sad when people say "music just isn't the same any more." While it may be true that the songs they have in mind are no longer in vogue, I sense it's more a problem of unearthing the good stuff from the crap. On that note, here's what moved me the most in '08... 01. caspa & rusko - fabriclive.37 Even in the absence of a new Burial record, dubstep continues to hold my interest and I'm glad to see no signs of the "movement" slowing down. Nothing captured the best of the current dubstep scene for me quite like this mix. It's always weird to consider a mix in a list of albums, but there's enough of their own material here that I think it counts (not to mention that the mixing is nearly flawless, which creates their own unique versions of the songs). Admittedly, I find the middle section of the 29 tracks here a little weak, but damn, the beginning and end hit so hard. Apparently they only had one take to record this (before the sound engineer had to take off), which may be contributing to the sense of tension that holds throughout. The last song, Conquest's "Forever" could very well play on forever as far as I'm concerned. 02. benga - diary of an afro warrior Another dubstep entry in the top 10 (had a hard time not making it #1). Like any form of electronic music, it's difficult to take a set of disparate tracks and turn them into an actual cohesive album, but that's exactly what we have here. This dude's production is amazing and I can't wait to see what he does next. (Also, along with Skream, he provided one of my show highlights for '08). Big ups to mikebee for introducing me to both this and the Caspa/Rusko mix at his fine bastion of music knowledge. 03. m83 - saturdays = youth Not a big surprise here... I'm a huge fan of theirs, and while I think their last few releases never really equaled the brilliance of "Dead Cities," they reinvented their sound and became awesome to me again. Not to mention that this was my favorite show of 2008. 04. john maus - love is real While technically a 2007 release, I don't think it really hit anyone's radar until January of this year (thx Aquarius!). By far the most bizarre and original music I've heard in a long time... this guy has some sort of inner demon that he's trying to exorcise with synthesizers and tortured (albeit catchy) lyrics. On sheer number of repeat listens, this would be #1, but I wound up playing it out and had to put it on ice for a few months. If you're a fan of non-sequiturs and 80s synth-pop, you owe it to yourself to check this out. 05. cut copy - in ghost colours Along with M83, this is my other trendy pick of the year. "Lights and Music" and "Hearts on Fire" are pop perfection, particularly when that saxophone part kicks in on the latter. Two other things I like about them: they have really great interstitial tracks and they kick total ass live. I'd like to see them expand their sound more in the future. 06. bohren & der club of gore - dolores A recent discovery courtesy of Aquarius, this is the sad-bastard-music album to end all sad-bastard-music albums. Last.fm describes them as "funeral jazz" which is about as perfect a description as I've ever seen for a musical genre. The pace of their songs make Low feel like happy hardcore and the somberness is unlike anything I've heard. If Ian Curtis had access to "Dolores," it might've taken the place of Iggy Pop's "The Idiot" in his last hours. 07. nine inch nails - ghosts i-iv Trent, I know you're a narcissist, so heed the Google Alert that brought you here, put down your copy of "Outliers," and listen up :) Stop making "normal" NIN records and keep refining this Ghosts thing. Seriously, "The Slip," while free, didn't break any new ground sonically and doesn't seem congruent with where you are in life any more. Ghosts on the other hand has some truly magnificent moments, and as a concept, is utterly fucking awesome and you are to be commended for pulling it off. Seeing you play live this year, I wanted to jump into a sound proof booth as soon as "Closer" or "Head Like a Hole" came on, but the 3 song Ghosts interlude was total bliss. Maybe it's time to drop the NIN moniker or change things up in a way that will free you up from having to play the hits. I know you gotta eat, but it really is time to put the old songs to bed. 08. perfume - game / dream fighter I discovered Perfume via MTV Japan only a few weeks ago and was instantly hooked. They're like the Japanese equivalent of Kylie Minogue at her best. The producer is also the brain behind the group Capsule, so Perfume get the best of both worlds with pop success and indie cred. The production is impeccable and the melodies are totally addictive (and c'mon they're adorable). 09. marginalman (aka dj tuttle) - honcho sound vol. 39 Another recent acquisition from Japan, this mix is amazing. Blends bhangra with new jack (even Front 242?)... and it all seems to make sense together. Still getting my head around it. 10. koss - four worlds converge as one I listen to a disproportionate amount of ambient music, but never have enough room to include these releases in my top 10. This one stood out above the rest for me. It's like a delicate cob web, barely even noticeable, but beautiful upon close inspection. Contenders for #11: portishead - third, gas - nah und fern, the bug - london zoo, flying lotus - los angeles, agraph - a day phases, depreciation guild - in her gentle jaws, philip jeck - sand, zomby - where were you in '92?, luciano - fabric 41 Honorable mention mix: This Resident Advisor mix by Aeroplane was another highlight, but more of a straight forward mix of danceable jams than the mixes that made it into my top 10. MATTHEW WARD Beach House "Devotion" Prurient "Cocaine Death" Vikki Jackman "Whispering Pages" Kevin Drumm "Imperial Distortion" Red Favorite "s/t" PHIL LOCKE #10) Fennesz - Black Sea #10) Cranes - Cranes #10) Astrobrite - One Hit Winder #10) Envy/Jesu - split EP #09) Pidgeon - Might As Well Go Eat Worms #08) Pinhead Gunpowder - West Side Highway EP #07) Matt Elliott - Howling Songs #06) Antony and the Johnsons - Another World EP #05) Unbunny - Sensory Underload #04) D_rradio - D_rradio #03) Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords #02) Girl Talk - Feed the Animals #01) The Mae Shi - Hlllyh ERICK ALLEN HATCH presented alphabetically... Aluk Todolo -- Descension Beach House -- Devotion Burning Star Core -- Challenger Crystal Stilts -- Alight of Night Eden Express -- Que Amors Que Fennesz -- Black Sea Gang Gang Dance -- Saint Dymphna Grails -- Doomsdayer's Holiday Heltah Skeltah -- D.I.R.T. Indian Jewelry -- Free Gold Jake One -- White Van Music Jean Grae -- Evil Jeanius Leviathan -- Massive Conspiracy Against All Life Microkingdom -- Pro Hour Nachtmystium -- Assassins: Black Meddle, Pt. 1 Small Sur -- We Live in Houses Made of Wood Teeth Mountain -- Teeth Mountain Thank You -- Terrible Two Young Jeezy -- The Recession Zomes -- Zomes RANDALL HINSON So....here's my tops of 2008 in no order: Albums: Luie Luie - Touchy Dead Man - Euphoria Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness Gnaw Their Tongues - An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood The Ocean - Precambrian Duchess Says -Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs Songs: Eat Skull - Punk Trips Woods Family Creeps - Twisted Tongue Things that didn't come out in 2008, but ruled anyway: ZZ Top - Tres Hombres Great Speckled Bird - s/t Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece Willie Nelson - Stardust Iron Butterfly - Ball MATTHEW SELANDER In random order Flying Lotus-Los Angeles -My favorite dubby, abstract hip hop record in a long time Matmos-Supreme Balloon -this record is amazing. Its vintage '70's electronica that feels like it from the future. Gnarls Barkly-Odd Couple -more fun than any other record I have bought this year Ponytail-Ice Cream Spiritual -the sound of punk to come Singer-Unhistories -picks up nicely from where U.S. Maple left off Oneida-Preteen Weaponry -the first track is epic Zomes-s/t -beautiful loops and at least one unborn Lungfish tune Vivian Girls-s/t -2008 was the year that lo-fi shit the bed and I think these Girls are the top of the heap Aidan Baker-I Wish Too, To Be Absorbed -its hard to pick just one Aidan Baker/Nadja release since there seems to be at least one new record every week. This one has gotten a lot of attention around my apartment and office Harvey Milk - Life......The Best Game In Town -still on top of their game and now with Joe Preston ! VADIM EGOROV 1. Suishou No Fune Prayer For Chibi 2. Burning Star Core Challenger 3. Ulaan Khol - II 4. Jack Rose I Do Play Rock And Roll 5. Earth The Bees Made Honey In The Lion s Skull 6. Emeralds Solar Bridge 7. James Ferraro - Multitopia 8. Fennesz Black Sea 9. Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill 10. Gang Gang Dance Saint Dymphna 11. Lumerians s/t 12. Philip Jeck Suite. Live In Liverpool 13. James Blackshaw Litany Of Echoes 14. Ignatz III 15. Lawrence English - Kiri No Oto 16. Aidan Baker & Tim Hecker Fantasma Parastasie 17. Ben Nash The Seventh Goodbye 18. Stefano Pilia Last Days 19. Nudge Infinity Padlock 20. Natural Snow Buildings The Dance Of The Moon And Of The Sun 21. Matt Baldwin Paths Of Ignition 22. Nathan Bell Banjo 23. Twine - Violets 24. Steve Moore Vaalbara 25. Belong Same Places (Slow Version) 26. Human Bell s/t 27. C.Joynes God Feeds The Ravens 28. Strategy Music For Lamping 29. Bosch s With You Dreams That Come A Thing Trilogy Part II As If 30. Wavves s/t MISCHA KARAM Thank you Aquarius Records for all of the amazing reviews and little treasures I never would have heard of if not for your dedication to finding awesome music from all over the world! Here's my top ten for 2008: 1. HARVEY MILK--Life...The Best Game In Town Sludge rocking gods harness all of their powers to blast out a perfect album of heaviosity. Has been on repeat on my stereo since it came out.Coupled with the vinyl reissues of their first three albums, 2008 was definitely the year of Harvey Milk. 2. THEE OH SEES--The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In Never have I been so hypnotized by a poppy, fast-paced garage record before. The songs all seem to melt into each other without getting boring. Sounds like it's recorded in some empty bunker while the world is ending is occuring just above. 3. SERGE GAINSBOURG--Les Annes Psychedeliques Wonderful compilation of Gainsbourg's late 60's material, perfectly combining the hits with lesser known tracks that vary from dub-like grooves to silky folk songs to his trademark mono-croon sexy jams. Chanson du Forcat, with its Ballad of Hollis Brown-esque guitar and smooth as hell vocal delivery stands out on the record, showing a more sensitive side to Gainsbourg. 4. WHITE MAGIC--New Egypt Absolutely mind-blowing. White Magic at their peak, with swirling vocals, staccato piano and an endless build. This song could last all day and I'd never turn it off. 5. CAVE--Hunt Like Devil Riff-tastic. Every time I listen to Hunt Like Devil, I can't help but think that this is the music every other band wishes they were playing. 6. PORTISHEAD--Third Sounds like Portishead had somehow been evolving thoughout their entire hiatus. Discarding the whole trip hop thing that was their trademark, they retained all of the mournfulness and longing that can only come across if they actually MEAN IT, which most bands that reunite don't 7. RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR--Retribution Gospel Choir I am personally completely in love with Low and anything that Alan Sparhawk does (with the exception of some of the Black Eyed Snakes material). RGC follows suit, taking a more straight up rocking approach to Sparhawk's same old impeccable songwriting. The drumming is fantastic, and little time-signature glitches add something special to an otherwise extremely straightforward and earnest record. 8. BORIS--Smile (Japanese Version) I am extremely lucky to have seen Boris on the Smile tour and pick up a vinyl copy of the Japanese version of their latest LP at a price only somewhat exhorbitant ($200 on eBay for an album that came out this year...COME ON!). The sequencing is far superior to the domestic version, and some of the songs are completely different versions. The opener, Statement, is drawn out to over seven minutes and perfectly paced with choo choo train back up vocals and Wata owning the wah wah. Was at the top of my list when it came out, but slipped a bit over time. 9. EARTH--The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull My favorite record to get stoned and take a bath to. 10. DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES--In Ear Park Reiterates how important Daniel Rossen's addition to Grizzly Bear was, making Yellow House such a beautiful album. In Ear Park is beautiful, lyrical, and dark yet hopeful. Almost sounds like a follow-up to Yellow House, which is fine with me. JEREMY GAYNOR Sun Kil Moon - April Fennesz - Black Sea Hobo - From A to B Barn Owl - From Our Mouths A Perpetual Light Tom Carter and Christian Kiefer - From the Great American Songbook Pantaleimon - Heart of the Sun Richard Pinhas & Merzbow - Keio Line Tape - Luminarium Brightblack Morning Light - Motion to Rejoin Padded Cell - Night Must Fall Scott Tuma - Not for Nobody Various Artists - Recovery (Fractured Recordings) Sebastian Russell - Sexus Marc Houle - Sixty Four Various Artists - Sounds from Can Elles (minus records) Mathew Jonson - Symphony for the Apocolypse : New age revolution Ricardo Villalobos - Vasco EP Alter Ego - What's Next?! Vikki Jackman - Whispering Pages Various Artists - Wierd Compilation (wierd records) Re-releases: Sprung Aus Den Wolken - Faux Pas Gas - Nah Und Fern 2008 was mostly about discovering all the great music I'd missed out on in 2007. I'm looking forward to rediscovering 2008 in 2009! NATE LUCAS No order: Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags Carlos Giffoni - Adult Life Torche - Meanderthal Earth - The Bees Made Honey In the Lion's Skull Sixteen Horsepower - Live March 2001 Philip Jeck - Sand Sun Araw - Beach Head Fennesz - Black Sea Bohren Und Der Club of Gore - Dolores Women - Women CHAOSMONGER1138 1. Virus - The Black Flux 2. Averse Sefira - The Advent Parallax 3. Arghoslent - Hornets of the Pogrom 4. Portishead - Third 5. Aura Noir - Hades Rise 6. Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags 7. The Residents - The Bunny Boy 8. Wastelander - Wardrive 9. When - You Are Silent 10. Deathhammer - Forever Ripping Fast A MOOSEN What played a lot in the Static Towers laboratory and during the transcontinental migration: Black Boned Angel - Endless Coming Into life Geronimo -Self Titled Pig Heart Transplant - Hope You Enjoy Heaven Heavensore - Asmodai Runhild Gammelsaeter - Amplicon Total Abuse - Self Titled Pyha - The Haunted House Fucked Up - Chemistry of Common Life Boredoms - Super Roots 9 Asva - What You Dont Know Is Frontier Steve on Till - A Grave Is A Grim Horse Pussygutt - She Hid Behind Her Veil Scott Kelly - The Wake Gore - reissues Coffins - Buried Death Darkspace - III Jewelled Antler Box Zomes - Self Titled Flipper - Reissues Corrupted - Paso Inferior reissue Ala Muerte - Santa Elena Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life Burial Hex - Initiations ADRIAN DZIEWANSKI Ferial Confine "First, Second, Third Drop" (Siren) Vikki Jackman "Whispering Pages" (Faraway Press) Andrew Chalk "Time of Hayfield" (Faraway Press) Aidan Baker and Tim Hecker "Fantasma Parastasie" (Alien8) Acre "Monolith" (Arbor) Acre "A Shield of Air/Born of Light" (Eolian) Philip Jeck "Sand" (Touch) Omit "Interceptor" (Helen Scarsdale) Grouper "Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill" (Type) Omake and Johnson "Headiferous Onctabulum" (Human Faculties) Emeralds "Solar Bridge" (Hanson) The Alps "III" (Type) V/A "A Cleansing Ascension" (Elevator Bath) Windy Weber "I Hate People" (Blue Flea) Windy and Carl "Songs For the Broken Hearted" (Kranky) Shit and Shine "Kuss Miche, Meine Leibe" (Load) FM3 The Buddha Machine 2.0 3 Reissues Gas "Nah Und Fern" (Kompakt) Fripp and Eno "Evening Star","No Pussyfooting" (DGM) Still have to hear... AFCGT "S/T" (Self-Released) Kevin Drumm "Imperial Distortion" (Hospital Productions) Lawrence English "Kiri No Oto" (Touch) Chop Shop "Oxide" (23five Inc) Fennesz "Black Sea" (Touch) James Blackshaw "Litany of Echoes" (Tompkins Square) SCOTT EVANS (Kowloon Walled City) Not particularly exciting, but hey. * Helms Alee - Night Terrors. A few years ago my favorite record was Autolux Future Perfect. This is like that. Burly, but hooky and pretty. Like Autolux it's all there: tones, production, songs. Really nice. * Young Widows - Old Wounds. Mathy noise rock. Cool production, great record. * 2 Foot Yard - Borrowed Arms. Incredibly smart and musical, as expected. * Akimbo - Jersey Shores. I love a good side project. Which this record isn't, technically, but it feels like one given how it was made and how it came out. Total ass kickage. * Torche - Meanderthal. Yeah, this record is on pretty much every other top 10 list this year. I prefer the In Return EP, but this one's pretty great too. Heavy / hooky. * KEN Mode - Mennonite. I just found out that this record exists. The band released it themselves with little fanfare. It's not as consistent as Reprisal (which blew my mind) but it still rules. * Made Out of Babies - The Ruiner. Spastic, heavy, weird, good. * Baroness - Red Album. Yeah, 2007. But I listened to it like crazy this year. Riffs, followed by additional riffs, interspersed by jams. Amazing live band too. * Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid. I love these guys. They're like a British Radiohead. No, wait. Anyway, another really nice record from Elbow. And they produce their own records. Damn. * Leatherback - H is for Hospital. My friend Sean made this record in February. I admit that my take on it is colored by knowing Sean, but so what? Like I said a few months ago, it's a mostly instrumental wide-eyed take on King Crimson and lo-fi pop, and I really love it. It's free, go get it. * Cursed - III: Architects Of Troubled Sleep. Distorted distortion. Yes. Honorable mentions: * Black Elk - Always A Six, Never A Nine * Clouds - We Are Above You * Portishead - Third * Black Ships - Omens * Wetnurse - Invisible City * Meshuggah - ObZen GARY SIMMONS ALBUM OF THE YEAR: V. Sjoberg New Jazz Ensemble - Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me Everything Else In ABC: Aglaia - Unprofaned Twilight Aidan Baker - Book Of Nods The Beauty Of Gemina - A Stranger To Tears Christina Carter - Masque Femine Christina Carter - Texas Working Blues Celer - I Love You So Much I Can t Even Title This (The Light That Never Goes Out Went Out) Celer Discourses Of The Withered Celer / Mathieu Ruhlmann - Mesocaph Loren Chasse - The Footpath The Daysleepers - Drowned In A Sea Of Sound Lawrence English - Kiri No Oto Fennesz - Black Sea Ferial Confine First, Second And Third Drop Informatik - Beyond Terje Isungset - Ice Concerts Vikki Jackman - Whispering Pages Legendary Pink Dots - Plutonium Blonde Mina Harker - Tiefer MV & EE - The Ground Ain t Dirty Nahvalur - Aboideau Nortt - Galgenfrist Rome - Masse Mensch Material Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns Summons Of Shining Ruins - Summons Of Shining Ruins David Tagg - Cold Spring Harbor David Tagg - Fundamentals Of Orchid Biology Thuja - Thuja Mirko Uhlig - The Night Miller Uruk Hai - Upon The Elysian Fields Yendri - Dreams Of An Undead Girl BRIAN TURNER (WFMU Music Director) Ancestors - "s/t" (Youth Attach) Cheap Time - "s/t" (In the Red) Animosity + Drumcorps - "Altered Beast" (Man Alive) Mlodrs - "s/t" (No Label) Sic Alps - "US EZ + United 7"" (Siltbreeze/Important) Futurians - "Jawol, Tivol" (Soft Abuse) Mayyors - "Megans LOLZ" (Gomerdome) Maxine Funke - "Lace" (Nextbestway) Evans/Fei/Smith/Walter - "s/t" (ugExplode) Darkspace - "III" (Avant Garde) Nuit Noire - Fantomatic Plentitude (Armageddon) Puffy Areolas - Sweat Edition (Layaway Butch) Squim - Zephyrus LP (Olde English Spelling Bee) Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase - Glistening Inn (Ultra Eczema) Ryoji Ikeda - Test Pattern (Raster-Noton) Teenage Panzer Korps - Games for Slaves (Siltbreeze) Wounded Lion - 7" (S-S) Harvey Milk - Life...the Best Game in Town (Hydra Head) Reissues: Soggy, Better Beatles, Jean-Pierre Massiera, Ravjunk's Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner, Tommy Jay, Gore, Cultural Amnesia, the Songs of the Broken-Hearted: Baghdad comp on Honest Jons, the Messthetics Greatest Hisses collection, Jason Willett's retropective on Megaphone, Operating Theater's mid-80's collection, Dust-To-Digital's Victrola Favorites, the Yoshi Wada titles on EM, sure I am forgetting a bunch. Live shows: Heaven and Hell/Motorhead/Judas Priest at Jones Beach (sitting at the top of the amphitheater while dark clouds and lightning rolled by south of Long Island accompanied by the voice of Dio), Sightings/Dead C at Bowery, Blues Control at Johnny Brenda's, Mike Rep at SXSW, Information opening for Teenage Jesus and the Knit, Spectrum at ATP, the whole FMU SXSW jam, Fab Diamonds/Rot Shit et al at Asterisk, Brothers Unconnected at the Knit, Huutajaat at PS1, the Issue show with Heathen Shame, Kelley/Jewell, Cooper-Moore, and of course the FMU freebie concerts for 08: SY/Feelies, Ex/Getatchew/Mahmoud & co., Wire/Times New Viking. DEREK FAHNESTOCK DF s annual top ten. Anthems always win. 10 FARFLUNG A Wound in Eternity 09 NO AGE -- Nouns 08 AIDAN BAKER + TIM HECKER Fantasma Parastasie 07 OPETH -- Watershed 06 VAMPIRE WEEKEND s/t 05 WOVEN HAND Ten Stones 04 BENOIT PIOULARD -- Temper 03 FLEET FOXES s/t 02 TORCHE Meanderthal 01 BRITISH SEA POWER Do You Like Rock Music? JASON MCNEELY 1. Lifelover - Konkurs 2. Gloomy Grim - Under the Spell of the Unlight 3. Mar de Grises - Draining the Waterheart 4. Mercy Arms - Mercy Arms 5. Zeigeist - The Jade Motel 6. Cynic - Traced in Air 7. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours 8. Septic Flesh - Communion 9. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Angles 10. MC Chris - MC Chris is Dead BERNARD FRANCIS KYLE Best music of 2008: baby dee safe inside the day (drag city) alpha the sky is mine (cat 'n roof) beach house devotion (carpark) sun kill moon april (caldo verde) meredith monk impermanence (ecm) fleet foxes (sub pop) spiritualized songs in a&e (sanctuary) grouper dragging a dead dear up a hill (type) GAS nah und fern (kompakt) ponytail ice cream spiritual (we are free) antony and the johnsons another world ep (secretly canadian) sam amidon all is well (bedroom community) ane brun changing the season (cheap lullaby) spire live fundamentalis (touch) gavin bryars the sinking of the titanic - Philip Jeck, Alter Ego (touch) philip jeck sand (touch) itsnotyouitsme walled gardens (new amsterdam records) micah p. hinson and the red empire orchestra (full time hobby) johann johannsson fordlandia (4ad) marianne faithful easy come easy go (naive) arthur russell love is overtaking me (audika) michael nyman 8 lust songs: I Sonetti Lussuriosi (mn records) hauschka ferndorf (fat cat) lisa gerrard & klaus schulze farscape (synthetic symphony) harvey milk life...the best game in town (hydra head) school of seven bells alpinisms (ghostly international) Best song cover: where does the time go (susanna, cat power) Reissues/uncovered: david bowie live in santa monica '72 (emi) scott walker 'til the band comes in (water) Best Live Shows of 2008: Baby Dee (hotel utah) My Bloody Valentine (concourse) Nico Muhly (swedish american hall) Sam Amidon (swedish american hall) Meredith Monk (first unitarian church) Boris (great american music hall) Beach House (swedish american hall) Dean and Britta (yoshi's sf) Gang Gang Dance (bimbo's) The Rosebuds (independent) Jonny Greenwood (herbst theatre) Justin Bond (rrazz room) David Byrne (davies symphony hall) Hauschka (hotel utah) LLOYD New: Beach House - Devotion Breeders - Mountain Battles The Dodos - Visiter Harada Ikuko - Kemono To Maho Stephen Malkmus & Jicks - Real Emotional Trash Primal Scream - Beautiful Future Spiritualized - Songs in A&E Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha Reissues: Can - Out of Reach Alice Cooper - Pretties For You, Easy Action, Billion Dollar Babies Robyn Hitchcock - Eye La Dusseldorf - s/t, VIVA, Individuellos Neu! - 1, 2, 75 Rodriguez - Cold Fact The Vss - Nervous Circuits Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue Songs: Adele - "Chasing Pavements" from 19 Ladytron - "Ghosts" & "Black Cat" from Velocifero Legendary Pink Dots - "Torchsong" from Plutonium Blonde Sparks - "Good Morning" from Exotic Creatures of the Deep DVD: Iron Maiden - Live After Death - The History of Iron Maiden Part 2 Monty Python's Holy Trinity (6 dvd) Real Ghosts (www.realghostsmovie.com) Saxondale (BBC) Gigs: AC/DC @ The Palace of Auburn Hills, MI Acid Mothers Temple @ Magic Stick, Detroit MI The Breeders @ Phoenix, Toronto ON Iron Maiden @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto ON Judas Priest/Heaven & Hell/Motorhead @ Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto ON Stephen Malkmus & Jicks @ Phoenix, Toronto ON My Bloody Valentine @ Kool Haus, Toronto ON OhGr @ Opera House, Toronto ON NADAV CARMEL Unordered ten: *Have A Nice Life - "Deathconsciousness" (Enemies List) *Heathern Haints - s/t 12" (self-released) [You guys should really check this out, actually. Just squeaked in at the end of the year (for me, anyway- it actually came out in September) and includes the stoner rock jam of the year in the song "The Good Air."] *Nodzzz - I Don't Wanna (Smoke Marijuana) 7" (Make A Mess) & s/t 12" (What's Yr Rupture) *Caethua - released a bunch of fantastic stuff *Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and Sun reissue (Foxy Digitalis) *LAKE - Oh, the Places We'll Go (K) *Madeline/Karl Blau/Your Heart Breaks - Tour EP (Whprwil) *King Khan - It's a Lie 7" (Norton) & Supreme Genius of King Khan (Vice) *Dream Bitches - Coke-and-Spiriters (RIYL) *TI$A - Obama Way video on YouTube MICHAEL WOODRING A few of my favorite releases from 2008 (in alpha order) Ishai Adar - Beaufort soundtrack CD Aidan Baker - Book of Nods CD Bloc Party - Intimacy CD Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Dolores CD Gareth S. Brown - The Gallows/Royal College O' Surgeons/Early Mammals CDs Do Make Say Think - The Whole Story of Glory CD The Drift - Memory Drawings LP Robin Guthrie - 3:19 Bande Originale Du Film CD Jacaszek - Treny CD Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling CD Steven Moore - Vaalbara LP Max Richter - 24 Postcards in Full Color CD Janek Schaefer - Extended Play (Triptych for the Child Survivors of War and Conflict) CD Richard Skelton - Marking Time CD Terminal Sound System - Constructing Towers CD Zeitkratzer & Carsten Nicolai - Electronics CD Favorite Reissues John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Prince of Darkness soundtrack CDs John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - They Live-20th Anniversary Edition soundtrack CD Flipper - Public Flipper Limited CDs Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting and Evening Star CDs V/A - Moving Soundtracks (on LTM Recordings) CD Favorites of 2008 that were released before 2008 Blueneck - Scars of the Midwest CD John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween III: Season of the Witch soundtrack reissue CD The National - Boxer CD GARY CULTER TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2008 (in no particular order) Emeralds- Solar Bridge (Hanson) Valerio Cosi- Heavy Electronic Pacific Rock (Digitalis) John Zorn- Filmworks XIX: The Rain Horse (Tzadik) Flying Lotus- Los Angeles (Warp) Torche- Meanderthal (Hydra Head) The Master Musicians of Hop-Frog- Centuries Later (URCK) Graham Lambkin/Jason Lescalleet- The Breadwinner (Erstwhile) Fuck Buttons- Street Horrrsing (ATP) Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet- Asphalt Flowers Forking Paths (Hatology) Fleet Foxes- Sun Giant EP/self-titled LP (Sub Pop) Kevin Drumm- Imperial Distortion (Hospital) Birchville Cat Motel- Gunpowder Temple of Heaven (Pica Disk) Grails- Take Refuge in Clean Living (Important)/Doomsdayer s Holiday (Temporary Residence) Nomo- Ghost Rock (Ubiquity) Nachtmystium- Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1 (Century Media) Mark Stewart- Edit (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!) Njiqahdda- Nji.Njiijn.Njiiijn. (Pagan Flames) Trinacria- Journey Now Travel Infinitely (Season of Mist) Lawrence English- Kiri No Oto (Touch) Michael Dessen Trio- Between Shadow and Space (Clean Feed) Dungen- 4 (Kemado) The Fun Years- Baby, It s Cold Inside (Barge) Samothrace- Life s Trade (20 Buck Spin) No Neck Blues Band- Clomeim (Locust) Cana- Temporary Antennae (Profound Lore) Benot Pioulard- Temper (Kranky) Etran Finatawa- Desert Crossroads (Riverboat) Toumani Diabet- The Mand Variations (Nonesuch) Murcof- The Versailles Sessions (Leaf) Un Festn Sagital- Epitafio a la Permanencia (Beta-Lactam Ring) TOP REISSUES Ted Daniel Quintet- Tapestry (Porter) Pole- 1 2 3 (scape) GAS- Nah und Fern (Kompakt) La Dsseldorf- self titled LP/Viva (Water) Agitation Free- Malesch/2nd (Revisited) Dennis Wilson- Pacific Ocean Blue (Epic) Kid Creole- Going Places: The August Darnell Years 1976-1983 (Strut) John Hill- Six Moons of Jupiter (Finders Keepers) Teenage Filmstars- Star (ArtPop!) TOP COMPILATIONS Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Nigerian Blues (Soundway) Nigeria Disco Funk Special 1974-1979 (Soundway) Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970 s Nigeria (Soundway) Basic Replay (Basic Replay) Bollywood Steel Guitar (Sublime Frequencies) Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump (Strut) Calypsoul 70: Caribbean Soul & Calypso 1969-1979 (Strut) Auteur Labels: Les Disques du Crepuscule 1980-1985 (LTM) Conquer the World: The Lost Soul of Philadelphia International Records (Legacy) Soundboy s Gravestone Gets Desecrated by Vandals (Skull Disco) ALFREDO ORTEGA 1. nico muhly - mothertongue 2. butcher / muller / van der schyff - way out northwest 3. erykah badu - new amerykah pt. 1: 4th world war 4. dan friel - ghost town 5. terrible twos - terrible twos 6. the cool kids - bake sale 7. flying lotus - los angeles 8. why? - alopecia 9. the kills - midnight boom 10. hawnay troof - islands of ayle JEFFERSON PETREY TOP 15 ALBUMS OF 2008 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER ---------------------------------------------------------- Bernard Parmegiani "L'oeuvre Musicale - Box Set" (INA-GRM) Anthony Braxton/Milford Graves/William Parker "Beyond Quantum" (Tzadik) Autechre "Quaristice (Versions)" (Warp UK) Boris "Smile (Japanese Version)" (DIW phalanx) Hecker & Haswell/Mika Vanio "Popol Vuh Remix" (Mego) V/A "Money Will Ruin Everything II" (Rune Grammofon) Zeitkratzer "Electronics - Box Set" (Zeitkratzer) Coh "Strings" (Raster-Noton) FM3 "Buddha Machine II" (FM3) KTL "IV" (Mego) GAS "Nah Und Fern - Box Set" (Kompakt) Stephan Mathieu "Radioland" (Die Schachtel) Birchville Cat Motel "Seventh Ruined Hex" (Important) Skullflower "Circulus Vitiosus Deus" (Turgid Animal) Jasper TX "Black Sleep" (Miasmah) TOP 15 FILMS OF 2008 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER ------------------------------------------------------- Andrei Zvyagintsev "The Banishment" (Russia) Pedro Costa "Colossal Youth" (Portugal) Roy Andersson "You, The Living" (Sweden) Ari Folman "Waltz with Bashir" (Isreal) Jai Zhang-Ke "Useless" (China) Koji Wakamatsu "United Red Army" (Japan) Gustavo Spolidoro "Still Orangutans" (Brazil) Aditya Assarat "Wonderful Town" (Thailand) Pen-Ek Ratanaruang "Ploy" (Thailand) Carlos Reygadas "Silent Light" (Mexico) Tomas Alfredson "Let the Right One In" (Sweden) Kiyoshi Kurosawa "Tokyo Sonata" (Japan) Frederick Wiseman "34 Documentaries by Frederick Wiseman" (United States) Apichatpong Weerasethakul "Meteorites / Emerald" (Thailand) Alex Gibney "Taxi to the Dark Side" (United States) TOP LIVE MUSIC SHOWS OF 2008 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER ------------------------------------------------------------------- Alva Noto / Frank Breatschnieder / Olaf Bender - SFAI - San Francisco Boredoms - Neumos - Seattle Boris - Neumos - Seattle My Bloody Valentine - Concourse - San Francisco Asunder - Neumos - Seattle Autechre - Neumos - Seattle The Bug - Decibel Fest - Seattle Didn't travel as much this year to see art openings quite as much as previous years, so those didn't amount to enough to make a list, but great exhibits were seen throughout the year at: SFMOMA Lawrimore Project Western Bridge Gallery Frye Art Museum Henry Art Gallery Contrary to many, many year-end wrap ups I've read so far in various established periodicals, online mags, music and film review sites and those 'informed gentlemen of the internet'; bloggers - the consensus seems to be that 2008 was a rather lackluster year in the arts and their annual wrap-ups reflect as much. I'd like to offer an alternate reading/overview. Rather than there being less high quality releases, it has been the case that 2008, more than many of the post-millennial years to date, has been one for diggers. By that I mean, having to dig, deeper and reach further and do considerably more work in finding those quality, expressive, inventive and adventurous new works in the arts. Making a case of film in-particular; all of my picks here with the exception of 3-4 I saw in the theatre during the International Film Fest and of those, *one* film came back for a later distributed theatrical run. Which translates to me as; If I hadn't gone out of my way to catch those one or two screenings during the single night they were showing in the fest, I never would have seen much of the best international cinema offered this year. So this year, even more than others, making the effort resulted in really reaping the rewards. ...And lets not forget the most important event in arts / culture / politics here in usamerica this past year, took place on the night of Nov. 4th! Wooo Hooly! 09! ANDREW SCHERER My Top 25 of the Year Have A Nice Life "Deathconciousness" Deathspell Omega / S.V.E.S.T. "Chaining the Katechon / Veritas Diaboli Manet In Aeternum" Woven Hand "Ten Stones" Nadja "The Bungled & The Botched" Rebirth of Nefast / Slidhr "Ex Nihilio" Scott Tuma "Not for Nobody" MGLA "Groza" Nightbringer "Death and the Black Work" The Memories Attack "s/t" Otesanek / Loss / Orthodox / Mournful Congregation "Four Burials" Zomes "s/t" Lifelover "Konkurs" Pretty & Nice "Get Young" The One "I, Master" Elm "Bxogonoas" Wasif, Imad and Two Part Beast "Strange Hexes" Horna "Sanojesi Aarelle" Skepticism "Alloy" Darkspace "III" The Rollo Treadway "s/t" Old Forest "Tales of the Sussex Weald Pt. 1 + 2" Frail "Brilliant Darkness" Blood of the Black Owl "A Feral Spirit" Torche "Meanderthal" Aanal Beehemoth "Forest Paranoid" RAE DONALDSON My Top 30 Albums from 2008 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Dig! Lazarus Dig! Burning Star Core Challenger Steven R. Smith The Owl Brent Cash How Will I Know If I m Alive? American Music Club The Golden Age Joshua Burkett Where s My hat? Portishead 3 Dungen 4 Tape Luminarium Blues Control S/T Volcano The Bear The Mountains Among Us Grails Take Refuge In Clean Living The Crooked Jades Shining Darkness Kocani Orkestar The Ravished Bride Josephine Foster This Coming Darkness Bo Ramsey Fragile Ed Askew Rainy Day Song Ulaan Khol 1 Deerhoof Offend Maggie Blue Mountain Omnibus Scott Tuma Not for Nobody Don Cavalli Cryland APM Sprint Mill Damien Jurado Caught In The Trees The Week That Was S/T Begushkin King s Curse Masaki Batoh & Helena Espvall S/T Benge Twenty Systems Daniel Padden Pause For The Jet Steve Wynn Crossing Dragon Bridge 15 Reissues Joakim Skogsberg Jola Rota Ersen S/T Timebox Beggin Rodriguez Cold Fact Jorge Ben S/T Sir Victor Uwaifo Guitar-Boy Superstar ] Sun City Girls You re Never Alone With A Cigarette Anne Briggs S/T Agitation Free Live Plush Fed Penguin Caf Orchestra S/T Jack Rose Dr Ragtime & His Pals Arthur Russell Love Is Overtaking Me V/A Love Peace & Poetry:Chilean Psychedelic Music V/A Nigeria Rock Special: Psych Afro Rock Albums I Can t Stop Playing That Didn t Come Out This Year Milton Nascimento & Lo Borges Clube de Esquina The New Alchemy Organic Universe DAVID FORBIS 2008 was as great a year in music as 2007 was lackluster. Narrowing down my list to 10 of my favorites was harder than finding 10 from last year. Lots of surprises, new discoveries, and old favorites that delivered the goods. 1. Dead Confederate "Wrecking Ball" 2. Drive-By Truckers "Brighter than Creation's Dark" 3. Shearwater "Rook" 4. Melvins "Nude With Boots" 5. Black Mountain "In the Future" 6. The Hold Steady "Stay Positive" 7. The Black Keys "Attack & Release" 8. Otis Taylor "Recapturing the Banjo" 9. Buckethead "Albino Slug" 10. Centro-Matic / South San Gabriel "Dual Hawks" Others that I liked a lot included: Beck "Modern Guilt", The Black Angels "Directions to See a Ghost", Black Crowes "Warpaint", Dead Meadow "Old Growth", Ghostland Observatory "Robotique Majestique", Hammers of Misfortune "Church of Broken Glass / Fields", The Mars Volta "The Bedlam in Goliath", Russian Circles "Station", Ryan Adams & The Cardinals "Cardinology" Top 10 concerts of the year: 1/19: Antone's: Jason Isbell (with Will Hoge, Jeremy Fisher) 2/10: Emo's: Dead Meadow (with Black Mountain, Blood on the Wall, The Viet Minh, Ringo Deathstarr, Strange Attractors) 2/21: Antone's: North Mississippi Allstars (with Alvin Youngblood Hart) 2/29: Austin Music Hall: Ghostland Observatory (with Dr. Jack) 5/30: Emo's: The Black Angels (with Brothers and Sisters, Possessed By Paul James) 5/31: The Parish: Centro-Matic (with South San Gabriel, Sarah Jaffe) 6/22: (Houston) Jones Hall: Tom Waits 8/22: Emo's: Melvins (with Porn, Big Business) 9/26: KLRU-TV Studios: Drive-By Truckers 9/28: Stubb's: The Black Keys (with Jessica Lea Mayfield, Black Angels) JOHN LEE 1. Group Inerane - Guitars From Agadez (Sublime Frequencies) 2. Fennesz - Black Sea (Touch) 3. The Bug - London Zoo (Ninja Tune) 4. V/A - Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days (Dust-to-Digital) 5. Cave - Hunt Like Devil/JAMZ EP (Permanent) 6. Sic Alps - A Long Way Around to a Shortcut (Animal Disguise) 7. Fabulous Diamonds - Seven Songs (Siltbreeze) 8. Jerusalem and the Starbaskets - The Howling (Radio Fonico) 9. Jack Rose - Dr. Ragtime and His Pals + Self-Titled Bonus Disc (Tequila Sunrise) 10. Sun City Girls - You re Never Alone With a Cigarette (Abduction) 11. V/A - 1970 s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground (Sublime Frequencies) 12. Josephine Foster - This Coming Gladness (Bo Weavil) 13. Suarasama - Fajar di Atas Awan (Drag City) 14. Group Doueh - Guitar Music from the Western Sahara (Sublime Frequencies) 15. Mahjongg - Kontpab (K) 16. Earth, Roots And Water - Innocent Youths (Light in the Attic) 17. Lau Nau - Nukkuu (Locust) 18. Times New Viking - Rip It Off (Matador) 19. Gas - Nah Und Fern (Kompakt) 20. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued (Kranky) 21. Alan & Richard Bishop - Present The Brothers Unconnected: A Tribute to Charles Gocher & Sun City Girls (Abduction) 22. The Dead C - Secret Earth (Ba Da Bing) 23. Ragga Twins - Ragga Twins Step Out (Soul Jazz) 24. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Mute/Anti-) 25. Oneida - Preteen Weaponry (Jagjaguwar/Brah) Honorable Mentions: Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky) Cheveu - Cheveu (Born Bad) Cloudland Canyon - Lie In Light (Kranky) Bill Cosby - Badfoot Brown & The Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band (Dusty Groove) Karen Dalton - Green Rocky Road (Megaphone) Eat Skull - Sick to Death (Siltbreeze) Eden Express - Que Amors Que (Holy Mountain) Factums - The Sistrum + Bonus 7 (Sacred Bones) Fifty Foot Hose - Cauldron (Phoenix) Flower Travellin Band - Satori (Phoenix) Hank IV - Refuge in Genre (Siltbreeze) Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista (Fonal) Power Pill Fist - Kongmanivong (Graveface) Re-Up Gang - Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang (Koch) Sic Alps - U.S. EZ (Siltbreeze) Times New Viking - Stay Awake EP (Matador) Titmachine - We Build This City 7 (Siltbreeze) The Unholy Two - Kutter 7 (Columbus Discount) U.S. Girls - Introducing... (Siltbreeze) V/A - Cave/California Split 10 (Permanent) V/A - Disco Italia: Essential Italo Disco Classics 1977-1985 (Strut) V/A - Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story, 1980-1986 (Strut) V/A - Give Me Love: Songs of the Brokenhearted - Baghdad, 1925-1929 (Honest Jon s) V/A - Living is Hard: West African Music from Britain, 1927-1929 (Honest Jon s) V/A - Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump (Strut) V/A - Nigeria Disco Special: The Sound of the Underground Lagos Dancefloor. 1974-1979 (Soundway) V/A - Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970 s Nigeria (Soundway) V/A - Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Nigerian Blues. 1970-6 (Soundway) Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Epic/Legacy) DAX RINER Mogwai, The Hawk is Howling A Silver Mount Zion, 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons Portishead, Third Harvey Milk, Life ... The Best Game in Town Windy & Carl, Songs for the Broken Hearted Fennesz Black Sea Christopher Bissonnette, In Between Words Bardo Pond, Batholith Pavement, Brighten the Corners - Nicene Creedence Edition JON BERSON (Ray's Vast Basement) sweet seventeen . 2008 odd nosdam . pretty swell explode flying lotus . los angeles samiyam . return karl blau . nature's got away machinefabrik . dauw maus haus . lark marvels transport assembly . improbable songs subtle . exiting arm vivian girls . vivian girls michael zapruder . dragon chinese cocktail horoscope yoome . the boredom of me charles atlas . social studies arthur russell . love is overtaking me why . alopecia thao with the get down stay down . we brave bee stings and all restiform bodies . tv loves you back dame satan . beaches and bridges CHASE MIDDAUGH 01) Nurse With Wound - "Huffin' Rag Blues" 02) Portishead - "Third" 03) Asva - "What You Don't Know Is Frontier" 04) John Zorn - "The Crucible" 05) Melvins - "Nude With Boots" 06) Q-Tip - "The Renaissance" 07) Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - "Dolores" 08) Wadada Leo Smith - "Tabligh" 09) Nas - "Untitled" 10) MoHa! - "One Way Ticket To Candyland" 11) John Zorn - "The Dreamers" 12) thenor - "Betimes Black Cloudmasses" 13) Box - "Studio" 14) Black Milk - "Tronic" 15) Zakarya - "The True Story Concerning Martin Behaim" 16) Harvey Milk - "Life... The Best Game In Town" 17) Flying Lotus - "Los Angeles" 18) Nomo - "Ghost Rock" 19) Scorch Trio - "Brolt" 20) Valet - "Naked Acid" 21) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Dig Lazarus, Dig!" 22) Fred Frith - "To Sail, To Sail" 23) Torche - "Meanderthal" 24) Woven Hand - "Ten Stones" MIKE DERENIEWSKI "Fell Out '08" aka TQR&R's top 10 (& then some) list from mike d's Skrockin' Yer Butow radio show (whfr.fm): All Girl Summer Fun Band Looking Into It agsfb music Burial Hex Initiations Aurora Borealis CoH + Cosey Fanni Tutti COH Plays Cosey Raster-Noton Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing ATP Recordings Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Thee Early Worm Early Worm Dais Records Indian Jewelry Free Gold! We Are Free. John Maus Love Is Real Upset! The Rhythm Magnetic Fields Distortion Nonesuch The Manhattan Love Suicides Burnt Out Landscapes Magic Marker / Squirrel Records Prurient And Still, Wanting No Fun Productions The Raveonettes Lust Lust Lust Vice Records Sudden Infant Psychotic Einzelkind Blossoming Noise Throbbing Gristle 32nd Annual Report Industrial Records Ltd. Tiny Microphone Home Best Kept Secret Windy Weber I Hate People Blue Flea / Kenedik Records v/a WIERD COMPILATION VOL. II : ANALOGUE ELECTRONIC MUSIC 2008 Wierd Records and shows: My Bloody Valentine @ Kool Haus, Toronto Iron Maiden @ Blossom Theater, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio TERENCE HANNUM Velnias - Sovereign Nocturnal CD (God is Myth) Sutcliffe Jugend - The Fall of Nature CD (GroundFault/Hospital) Skinhorse - Demo CDR Kevin Drumm - Imperial Distortion 2xCD (Hospital) Emeralds - Solar Bridge CD (Hanson) Oakeater - Moloch LP (Nihilist) Prurient - And, Still Wanting CD (No Fun Prod.) Alzagailzehguh - Misinterpreted Injury 2x7" (Razors + Medicine) Fennesz - Black Sea CD (Touch) Weird Records Compilation II 4xLP (Weird) PASCAL FILATRE 10. Mgla-Groza 9. Crystal Stilts-Crystal Stilts 8. Avsolutized-Den Svarta Vandans Genealogi 7. Lil' Wayne-Tha Carter III 6. Gang Gang Dance-Saint Dymphna 5. Atlas Sound-Let The Blind... 4. Mount Eerie-Dawn: Winter Journal 3. Nachtmystium-Assassins: Black Metal Meddle Pt. 1 2. Deerhunter-Microcastle 1. Bon Iver-For Emma: Forever Ago GUY STRACHAN 1 Deathspell Omega/S.V.E.S.T. - 'Split' LP 2 Skullflower - 'Desire For A Holy War' 3 MGLA - 'Groza' 4 Blue Sabbath Black Cheer - 'Untitled' 5 Behexen - 'My Soul For His Glory' 6 Phobia - '22 Acts Of Random Violence' 7 Lifelover - 'Konkurs' 8 Wicked King Wicker - 'Wicked King Wicker' 9 Skepticism - 'Alloy' 10 Fennesz - 'Black Sea' Heh, to say that The Telescopes were 'overshadowed' is an understatement...what was weird was that during 1989 they sold out a 1000 capacity venue three times. 1990 they play Reading Festival and support Jesus & Mary Chain to much acclaim. At the end of the year, they booked two nights at a venue that holds 5-600 people. 100 show up the first night, 60 the second. Little doubt as to why they walked off after 25 minutes! A week later, Loop played their final show to almost 3000 people! Ah, memories.... DANIEL SKEVINGTON In approximate order of the amount of obsessive listening they have inspired: Richard Pinhas/Merzbow - Keio Line Joakim Skogsberg - Jola Rota The Week That Was - s/t Sky Larkin - Molten/Fossil, I 7"es Ariel Kalma - Les Temps Des Moissons/Osmose Various Artists - Bollywood Steel Guitar Guapo - Elixirs Bottomless Pit - Congress Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull Harvey Milk - Life: The Best Game In Town Monopoly Child Star Searchers - Mandala Levitations Yoshi Wada - Lament For The Rise And Fall Of The Elephantine Crocodile Some of those are probably from 2007 or are reissues, but I certainly listened to them a lot this year! ANDREW M.K. WARREN in no particular order. FOTHERINGAY 2 CD (Fledg'ling) SUN RA Secrets Of The Sun CD (Atavistic/Unheard Music Series) LIKE A KIND OF MATADOR Halfway To Dangerous CD (Tumult) JOAKIM SKOGSBERG Jola Rota CD (Tiliqua Records) GENE CLARK s/t ("White Light") LP (4 Men With Beards) SACROS s/t CD (Shadoks Music) THE HI FI'S Snakes And Hi Fis CD (Wooden Hill) FLEET FOXES Fleet Foxes / Sun Giant EP 2LP (Sub Pop) THE WALKMEN You & Me CD (Gigantic) VARIOUS ARTISTS Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound of the Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79 2LP (Soundway) DENNIS WILSON Pacific Ocean Blue 3LP (Sundazed/Epic) JORGE BEN s/t CD (Dusty Groove) VARIOUS ARTISTS Obsession (1967-1973) 2LP (Bully Records) BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY Lie Down in the Light LP (Drag City) VARIOUS ARTISTS 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground LP (Sublime Frequencies) ANNE BRIGGS s/t CD (Water) DILLARD & CLARK The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark CD (Water) DEMIAN s/t CD (Fallout) YVES, SERGE & VICTOR Cagibi... LP (Guerssen Records) VARIOUS ARTISTS Last Kind Words (1926-1953) LP (Mississippi Records) JULIA NOVAK Bands who kept me from killing myself in '08. Or drove me closer to it (it's often a toss-up) 1. Whitehouse- This year saw some long overdue vinyl reissues for their classic early records AND recent great ones- "Birthdeath Experience" and "Asceticists" as good examples, respectively. If Whitehouse had never existed, society would be much the same as if the nuclear bomb had never been invented. Maybe a little better off, but I kinda like unabashed and fucked up displays of violence. And the ringing in my ears. 2. The Intelligence- Although they've been around for a while, they seemed to only be getting better with each release this year. Their side of a split 12" with the Ohsees blew my mind, and they released a bunch of equally impressive 7"s as well. On top of that, they were great live a few months ago in SF. Can't wait until they inevitably disappoint me in 09. 2. Mayyors- The band that killed it the most live. I was left dazed and drenched in sweat every time. Two of the best 7"s of 08, too. 3. The Hospitals- "Hairdryer Peace" is their best LP so far, and their recent show in Davis with Night Wounds was one of the most memorable of the year for me. Why is my favorite local band the one that plays the least shows? Are there too many 60s garage revival nights for them to find an available venue? 4.Blank Dogs- For proving that music is as formulaic as I thought it could be (GarageBand + synth + reverb = internet boner). If it ain't broke, don't fix it. (Limited box set? The internet just came.) ...This being said, I own every Blank Dogs release. And I want them all buried with me. 5. My Bloody Valentine- I spent way too much money to see them, snuck in way too little booze, and could barely make out Kevin Shields' smug face through the near seizure-inducing strobe light assault. But despite the hundreds (thousands?) of others in my same predicament that night, I still managed to feel "alone in a crowded room". To MBV, the band I've counted on since high school for that familiar feeling of introversion and self-loathing, I extend a genuine thanks. 6. Brainbombs- New record this year. I don't own it yet. I was broke when it came out and now that I can buy it, I can't find it. Brainbombs, the #1 I-guess-mp3s-will-suffice-for-now band. Oh yeah, and they played a couple shows... in Europe. It's all I can do to turn up my computer speakers and pretend to be satisfied. 7. Crystal Stilts- 12" and LP had just the right amount of melancholy I needed. Simultaneously jangly and depressing? I am THERE. 8. Mayo Thompson- His solo LP, "Corky's Debt to His Father" was reissued this year. THANK. FUCKING. GOD. I can only be friends with people who love this record as much as I do. I guess I feel this puts more pressure on the 99.9+% of humanity who don't want to be my friend anyway. 9. Malaria!- Yeah, the semi-legendary female postpunk band from Germany. Apparently some inept warehouse worker misplaced a bunch of boxes of their "Emotion" LP years ago, or something like that. Anyway, they were found this year, and it was cool to be able to buy an original copy of an amazing classic postpunk record from distros/local record stores, and for cheap. Thanks, warehouse asshole. 10. Wavves- Their debut home recorded tape/LP was really, really good. Mostly in my list cause they're sort of a culmination of what I liked most about music in 08- Simple but great songs, with a little weirdness and a lot of fuzz. In 09 they will sign to a big label, tour Europe, write the same song over and over, etc. Here's to 08. It's long. Sorry. Hope you like it anyway. LOUIS LIBERT (in no particular order) New Stuff Omit - Interceptor Pole - 1 2 3 Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends John Maus - Love is Real Bjorn Torske- Feil Knapp Ignatz - 3 Alps - 3 Black Moth Super Rainbow - Drippers EP Suarasama - Fajar Di Atas Awan Zomes Crystal Stilts - s/t EP Dungen - 4 Rod Modell - Incense & Black Light Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt.1: 4th World War Portishead - Third Cloudland Canyon - Lie in Light Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs Vetiver - Thing of the Past Flying Lotus - Los Angeles Shugo Tokumaru - Exit Pierre Bastien - Visions of Doing Andrew Chalk - Time of Hayfield Old Stuff (first heard in 2008) The Necks - Drive By Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu of Ethiopia Ursula Bogner - Recordings 1969 - 1988 Tony Allen - Afro Disco Beat Nigeria Disco Funk Special Agitation Free - Malesch John Cale/Terry Riley - Church of Anthrax Daniel Higgs - Plays the Mirror of the Apocalypse and Other Songs Thomas Leer - Contradictions Bruce Haack - Haackula Ragga Twins - Ragga Twins Step Out Hear, O Israel: A Prayer Ceremony in Jazz Flying Lotus - 1983 Betty Harris - The Lost Soul Queen Gilberto Gil - Expresso 2222 Jorge Ben - s/t (1969) NATE CHRISTY It was great to finally visit aQ this year. Thank you for another killer year of lists and mailorder service! Here's a list of my favorite music from 2008. Krallice "s/t" Earth "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull" Leviathan "Massive Conspiracy Against All Life" (Wrest in peace, Leviathan) Harvey Milk "Life... The Best Game in Town" Torche "Meanderthal" Hammers of Misfortune "Fields / Church of Broken Glass" Grails "Take Refuge in Clean Living" Sunn O))) meets Nurse with Wound "The Iron Soul of Nothing" Like a Kind of Matador "Halfway to Dangerous" Grails "Doomsdayer's Holiday" Urfaust "Drei Rituale Jenseits des Kosmos" The Goslings "Occasion" Pyha "The Haunted House" Sunn O))) "Domkirke" Varghkoghargasmal "Drowned in Lakes" Mogwai "Hawk is Howling" Boris "Smile" Melvins "Nude with Boots" Unearthly Trance "Electrocution" Nachtmystium "Assassins: Black Meddle, Part One" reissues! Burning Witch "Crippled Lucifer" Mudhoney "Superfuzz Bigmuff" Gore "Hart Gore / Mean Man's Dream" Leviathan "A Silhouette in Splinters" ANGEL GARCIA in no particular order (news, reissues, et al.): Christina Carter -- A Blossom Fell (Many Breaths Press - Art Edition) Jandek -- Glasgow Sunday 2005 (Corwood) Hasegawa-Shizuo -- I Know A Chord Buried Into The Ground And A Tongue On A Cloud (Haang Niap Records) Emeralds -- Solar Bridge (Hanson) Iro -- Tamafuri (PSF) V/A -- Jewelled Antler Box set COH -- Strings (Raster-Noton) ULAAN KHOL -- II (Soft Abuse) GOOD STUFF HOUSE -- Endless Bummer (Root Strata) CRYSTAL STILTS -- Alight of Night (Slumberland Records) WASIF, IMAAD WITH TWO PART BEAST -- Strange Hexes (self released) SUSANNA -- "Flower Of Evil" (Rune Grammofon) FRIPP & ENO -- (No Pussyfooting) (DGM) DEERHUNTER -- Microcastle / Weird Era Continued (Kranky) HOLTKAMP, KOEN -- Field Rituals (Type) LAMBCHOP -- "OH (ohio)" (Merge) ALPS, THE -- III (Type) BELL, NATHAN -- Banjo (West Main Development) IGNATZ -- III ((K-RAA-K)3) LA DUSSELDORF -- s/t (Water) MOUNT EERIE WITH JULIE DOIRON & FRED SQUIRE -- Lost Wisdom (P.W. Elverum & Sun, Destroyers & Releasers Of Music & Worlds) EYELESS IN GAZA -- "Summer Salt / Subway Sun" (Beta-Lactam Ring) HARRY PUSSY -- "You'll Never Play This Town Again" (Load) ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS -- Another World (Secretly Canadian) VIVIAN GIRLS -- s/t (In The Red) WALKER, SCOTT -- 'Til The Band Comes In (Water) TINDERSTICKS -- Hungry Saw (Constellation) BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT -- Motion to Rejoin (Matador) BAUER, MATT -- The Island Moved In The Storm (La Societe Expeditionnaire) CRYSTAL STILTS -- s/t (Woodsist) WOVEN HAND -- "Ten Stones" (Sounds Familyre) SUARASAMA -- Fajar Di Atas Awan (Drag City) FOSTER, JOSEPHINE -- This Coming Gladness (Bo'Weavil) BURNING STAR CORE -- Challenger (Hospital Productions) HIGUCHI, HISATO -- Butterfly Horse Street (Family Vineyard) KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES -- The Supreme Genius Of (Vice) GHQ -- Cosmology Of Eye (Time Lag) BLACKSHAW, JAMES -- Litany Of Echoes (Tompkins Square) DALTON, KAREN -- Green Rocky Road (Megaphone) GAS -- Nah Und Fern (Kompakt) BALDWIN, MATT -- Paths Of Ignition (American Dust) GROUPER -- Dragging A Dead Dear Up A Hill (Type) KIKURI (HAINO, KEIJI & MASAMI AKITA) -- Pulverized Purple (Victo) GUNN, STEVE -- Onomato Disc (Onomato) BARN OWL -- Raft Of Serpents (Root Strata) INDIAN JEWELRY -- Free Gold (We Are Free) JAMES, SKIP -- 1931 Sessions (Mississippi) WOODEN SHJIPS -- Vol. 1 (Holy Mountain) JECK, PHILIP -- Sand (Touch) MUDHONEY -- Superfuzz Bigmuff (Sub Pop) PORTISHEAD -- Third (Mercury) AHMED, ILYAS -- The Vertigo Of Dawn (Time-Lag) AHMED, ILYAS -- Between Two Skies / Towards The Night (Digitalis) ROSE, JACK -- Dr. Ragtime & Pals / Self Titled (Tequila Sunrise) SUN KIL MOON -- April (Redeye) SUISHO NO FUNE -- "Prayer for Chibi" (Holy Mountain) EVANGELISTA -- "Hello, Voyager" (Constellation) CHATHAM, RHYS -- Guitar Trio Is My Life (Table Of The Elements) ATLAS SOUND -- Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky) BRETHREN OF THE FREE SPIRIT -- All Things Are From Him, Through Him And In Him (Audiomer) MILES DEVENS (IGNATZ) -- Atlantic Woman (Pacific City Sound Visions) DOO SOO, KIM -- "Ten Days Butterfly" (PSF) MAUS, JOHN -- Love Is Real (Upset! The Rhythm) DENGUE FEVER -- Venus On Earth (M80) GAINSBOURG, SERGE -- Les Annees Psychedeliques 1966-1971 (Le Smoke Disques) V/A -- Victrola Favorites (Dust To Digital) SMITH, STEVEN R. -- The Anchorite (Root Strata) HIGGS, DANIEL -- Plays The Mirror Of The Apocalypse And Other Songs (Open Mouth) IDA -- "Lovers Prayers" (Polyvinyl) METZGER, PAUL -- "Deliverance" (Locust) XIU XIU -- Women as Lovers (Kill Rock Stars) GOLDMUND -- The Malady of Elegance (Type) FELIX PELISSIER 1. Portishead - Third 2. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes & Sun Giant EP 3. Gas - Nah und Fern 4. Darkspace - III 5. Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness 6. Skepticism - Alloy 7. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Continued 8. Byetone - Death of a Typographer 9. The Walkmen - You & Me 10. V/A - The Jewelled Antler Library 11. Pyha - The Haunted House 12. Fennesz - Black Sea 13. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park 14. Un Festin Sagital - Epitafio a la Permanencia 15. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago 16. ColdWorld - Melancholie 17. Mount Eerie, Julie Doiron & Fred Squire - Lost Wisdom 18. Clark - Turning Dragon 19. Sombres Forts - Royaume de Glace 20. John Zorn / Secret Chiefs 3 - Xaphan: Book of Angels volume 9 21. 2562 - Aerial 22. Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale 23. Lifelover - Konkurs 24. Beach House - Devotion 25. M83 - Saturdays = Youth 26. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer up a Hill 27. Johann Johanssson - Fordlndia 28. Toumani Diabate - The Mand Variations 29. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig !!! Lazarus Dig !!! 30. Cynic - Traced in Air 31. Antony & The Johnsons - Another World EP 32. John Zorn - Filmworks XX: Sholem Aleichem 33. Krallice - Krallice 34. A Forest of Stars - A Forest of Stars 35. Animal Collective - Water Curses EP 36. Opeth - Watershed 37. V/A - The Best of Ethiopiques 38. Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Dolores 39. Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull 40. Avsolutized - Den Svarta Vandans Genealogi 41. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles 42. Why? - Alopecia 43. I Shalt Become - Requiem 44. Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle part 1 45. El Guincho - Alegranza HANK DREW Fennesz "Black Sea" Natural Snow Buildings "The Snowbringer Cult" Darkspace "III" Ulaan Khol "II" Jabladav "Primland" Expo 70 "Black Ohms" Group Inerane "Guitars from Agadez" Menace Ruine 'The Die is Cast" Grails "Take Refuge in Clean Living" Aidan Baker and Tim Hecker "Fantasma Parastasie" RY WHARTON Long: The Alps- III LP Pumice- Quo LP Zomes- Zomes LP Sic Alps- U.S. EZ LP Portishead- Third 2LP Emeralds- Solar Bridge CD Flying Lotus- Los Angeles 2LP Breeders- Mountain Battles LP Raveonettes- Lust Lust Lust LP Kurt Vile- Constant Hitmaker CD Pantaleimon- Heart of the Sun CD Necrovation- Breed Deadness Blood LP Guns 'n' Roses- Chinese Democracy CD Eddy Current Suppression Ring 'Primary Colours' LP Eleanoora Rosenholm- l Kysy Kuolleilta, He Sanoivat LP Natural Snow Buildings/Isengrind/Twinsistermoon- The Snowbringer Cult 2CD Short: Alter Ego- Gary 12" Mayyors- Metro/Fatigure 7" Ricardo Villalbos- Enfants 12" White Magic- New Egypt CDEP The Anals- Commando of Love 7" Comet Gain- Love Without Lies 7" Shackleton- Death is Not Final 12" Martyn- All I Have is Memories 12" Digital Leather- Sorcerer LP (side A) Private Entertainment- Four Tracks 7" Ignivomous- Eroded Void of Salvation 7" XYX- Sistema de Terminacion Sexual 7" Them, Themselves or They- Ribbons & Bows....Angel Dust & Magick Wands 7" Old/Again: Red Favorite- S/T LP The Clean- Compilation LP SPK Document III0 Boxset Bullwackies- Black World LP Yoshi Wada- Off the Wall CD V/A- African Scream Contest 2LP Wicked Witch- Chaos: 1978-1986 LP Karen Dalton- Green Rocky Road CD Comet Gain- Broken Record Prayers CD Jean-Pierre Massiera- Psychoses Discoid LP Mystifier- Baphometic Goat Worship 5LP Boxset JOHN KOCH (in approximate order) The Dutchess & The Duke: She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke LP Beach House: Devotion 2xLP Barn Owl: From Our Mouths a Perpetual Light LP Mount Eerie: Lost Wisdom LP / Black Wooden Ceiling Opening 10"+CD Donovan Quinn & The Thirteenth Month: self-titled CD Nodzzz: self-titled LP Harvey Milk: Life The Best Game in Town CD Ulaan Khol: I / II CDs Vordr: III CD Bubblegum Lemonade: Doubleplusgood CD Cause Co-Motion!: It's Time! Singles and EPs 2005-08 CD (technically a collection of old and new 7"s) Elm: Woven Into Light / Bxogonoas CD-Rs Silver Jews: Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea LP The Black Angels: Directions to See a Ghost 3xLP Magic Lantern: self-titled / High Beams LPs Group Inerane: Guitars from Agadez (Music of Niger) CD (technically a reissue of '07 LP) Skepticism: Alloy CD Cough: Sigillum Luciferi CD Thee Oh Sees: Thee Hounds of Foggy Notion CD+DVD Hush Arbors: self-titled (Ecstatic Peace!) CD Vivian Girls: self-titled LP Arthur Russell: Love Is Overtaking Me CD The Magnetic Fields: Distortion LP Northern Portrait: The Fallen Aristocracy / Napoleon Sweetheart CDEPs The Lucksmiths: First Frost CD Pillars of Silence: self-titled CD-R Asva: What You Don't Know Is Frontier 2xLP Urthona: I Refute It Thus CD Thomas Function: Celebration! LP Ilyas Ahmed: The Vertigo of Dawn LP Mgla: Groza CD Eibon: self-titled CD Leviathan: Massive Conspiracy Against All Life 2xLP Vetiver: Thing of the Past LP The Memories Attack: self-titled CD Also the two Townes Van Zandt LP reissues, the Hank Williams Unreleased Recordings 3xCD set, the Shop Assistants reissue, the Girls: Lust For Life 7", and anything and everything Mississippi Records put out! Thanks for all the music aQ! SAM BOWDEN Isengrind/TwinSisterMoon/Natural Snow Buildings - The Snowbringer Cult Peter Broderick - Float & Home [just makes it easier than listing this guy twice, you know] Jhann Jhannsson - Fordlandia Religious Knives - It's After Dark Tape - Luminarium LSD Pond - LSD Pond Machinefabriek - Ranonkel [also] Machinefabriek & Soccer Committee - Drawn The Goslings - Occasion Excepter - Debt Dept. Bears - Simple Machinery LOREN KUSF 1 Isen Torr-Mighty & Superior 2 Thin Lizzy-UK Tour 75 3 Hammers Of Misfortune-Fields/Church 4 Lord Vicar-Demon Of Freedom 7" 5 Various Artists-A2 (Of Course) compilation 6 Overdrive-Let The Metal Do The Talking 7 Reverend Bizarre-Dark World/Deceiver 7" 8 Powerhouse- st (reissue of early Shinki Chen group) 9 Blood Of The Sun-Death Ride 10 Solitude Aeturnus-Hour Of Despair DVD more KENT MOIR 01 Ambarchi, Oren | A Final Kiss On Poisoned Cheeks | Table of the Elements 02 Earth | The Bees Made Honey in the Skull of the Lion | Southern Lord 03 Fennesz | Black Sea | Touch 04 Grouper | Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill | Type 05 Xela | In Boca Al Lupo (Limited Vinyl Edition) | Type 06 Weber, Windy | I Hate People | Kenedik Records 07 Svarte Greiner | Til Seters | A Room Forever 08 Sun Kil Moon | April | Caldo Verde 09 Windy & Carl | Songs for the Broken Hearted | Kranky 10 Solo Andata + Seaworthy + Taylor Deupree | Live in Melbourne | 12k Thanks for introducing me to some great music throughout the year. LOUIS DEBIASIO Best of 2008 Krallice s/t Sun Araw The Phynx Quantec Unusual Signals Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago Harvey Milk Life... the Best Game in Town Earthless Live at Roadburn 2008 Bong Bong Wold Stratification Goslings Occasion Pyha The Haunted House GAS book+cd Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness Earth The Bees Made Honey in the Lions Skull Reissues Lemonheads It's a Shame About Ray GAS Nah und Fern Alice Cooper Pretties for You, Love it to Death Wizards From Kansas - s/t Relatively Clean Rivers - s/t Loop Heavens End, Fade Out Teenage Filmstars - Star Fripp & Eno No Pussyfooting, Morning Star John Cale and Terry Riley - Church of Anthrax Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue What I actually listened to the most Trollman av Ildtoppberg Arcane Ruins Adorn the Ice-Wrought Monoliths of the Ancient Cavern of Stars Rachmaninov Piano Concertos 1-4 (Vladimir Ashkenazy) Pharoah Sanders - Karma Gram Parsons everything he was involved in Best Live Shows My Bloody Valentine Iron Maiden Harvey Milk TODD PONTIUS 1. Sic Alps - Long Way to a Shortcut CD (Animal Language), U.S. EZ LP (Siltbreeze) 2. Los Llamarada - Take the Sky LP (S-S) 3. Tyvek - Cauldron Born CDR, Sidewalk/Flashing Lights 7" (M'lady's) 4. Ara - Pick Up and Run 2007 LP (What the?) 5. Little Claw - Race to the Bottom 7" (Siltbreeze), World of tired 7" (Physical Sewer), Live Trash 2006 CDR 6. Guinea Worms - Box of Records 7" (Columbus Discount), Lost and Found 7" (Botulism Music) 7. Pink Reason - Winona 7" (Woodsist), 3:16/Sweet Sinister 7" (Columbus Discount) 8. El Jesus de Magico - Unclean Ghost/Pirate Utopia 7" (Columbus Discount) 9. Times New Viking - Rip it Off CD, Stay Awake 7" (Matador) 10. Grave Blankets - Our Love is Real 7" (HoZac), Fey Gods - Face Like a Rat tape Some things that I really enjoyed a lot TV Ghost - s/t LP (Die Stasi) V/A - XXperiments LP (Die Stasi) Blank Dogs - singles, On Two Sides LP (Troubleman) Fabulous Diamonds - s/t LP (Siltbreeze) Factums - The Sistrum LP (Sacred Bones) Unholy 2 - Kutter/Porky$ 7" (Columbus Discount) Vivian Girls - 7" (Woodsist), 7" (In the Red) Black Time - singles, Double Negative LP (In the Red) Zola Jesus - Soeur Sewer 7" (Sacred Bones) Emeralds - Solar Bridge CD (Hanson) Ducktails - Beach Point Pleasant 7" (Breakingworld) Nothing People - Anonymous LP (S-S) Reissues Tommy Jay - Tall Tales of Trauma (Columbus Discount) Harrisburg Players 7" (Columbus Discount) 70s Thai Orchestra/Siamese Temple Ball LP (Mississippi) V/A fight on, your time ain't long LP (Mississippi) Dead C reissues on Jagjaguwar ADAM DOWNEY Cloudland Canyon - Lie in Light (My favorite record of the year) Emeralds - Solar Bridge Mark McGuire - Dream Team The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun Sitar Tah! - Semimimimimin NWW - Huffin' Rag Blues (& the Bacteria Bitch Magnet EP) Ghost Brames - Whisper When The Wild Winds Blow Colour Haze - All Nice Face - Can I Fuck It? Jonathan Richman - Because Her Beauty Is Raw & Wild Sic Alps - U.S. EZ Sparks - Exotic Creatures of the Deep Birchville Cat Motel - Four Freckle Constellation Wire -Object 47 Steve Gunn - Sundowner John Zorn - Filmworks XX: Sholem Aleichem Bardo Pond - Batholith Reissues & Comps Frank Lowe - Black Beings Nick Loew - Jesus of Cool Soul Messages From Dimona on Numero All the Afro comps put out by Soundway! African Scream Contest on Analog Patrick the Llama - The Grace of the Amazon God EVAN LEVINE 10. 5ive - Hesperus 09. Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill 08. Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull 07. Aidan Baker - Book Of Nods <--- that was 2008 right? am i crazy? 06. Boris - Smile 05. White Hills - A Little Bliss Forever 04. A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons 03. Spiritualized - Songs In A&E 02. Ancestors - Neptune With Fire 01. Harvey Milk - Life The Best Game In Town JAN DE VROEDE who lives in Greenland My favorite records of 2008 or what we ve been listening to on the North Pole _______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Mississippi Records cause whatever they release it s been rocking my world! Especially: V/A I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore 1927-1948 V/A Life Is A Problem MYSTERIOUS THAI LP V/A Last Kind Words PHILLIPS, WASHINGTON What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? 2. MOUNT EERIE WITH JULIE DOIRON & FRED SQUIRE Lost Wisdom 3. PESTE NOIRE K.P.N. La Sanie Des Siecles - Panegyrique De La Degenerescence 4. BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE Dolores 5. COH Strings 6. V/A Victrola Favorites 7. BEACH HOUSE devotion 8. WOMEN s/t 9. GRAILS Take Refuge In Clean Living 10. GERONIMO s/t 11. TOUMAST Ishumar 12. CHAD VANGAALEN soft airplane 13. MATT BAUER The Island Moved In The Storm 14. NIVE NIELSEN vacuum cleaner killer (casette) 15. CRYSTAL STILTS s/t 16. SKEPTICISM Alloy 17. NJIQAHDDA Ints / Nji / Verfatu 18. TAPE Luminarium 19. VALET Naked Acid 20. EL PERRO DEL MAR From The Valley To The Stars 21. UNDER SATAN'S SUN s/t 22. FRICARA PACCHU Midnight Pyre 23. PUMICE Quo 24. WHITE MAGIC New Egypt 25. THE SNIVELLING SHITS I can t come SEAN SLEIGHT 1. secret chiefs 3 / john zorn - xaphan: the book of angels, volume 9 2. tussle - cream cuts 3. squarepusher - just a souvenir 4. circle - hollywood 5. of montreal - skeletal lamping 6. notwist, the - the devil, you + me 7. lifelover - konkurs 8. pretty and nice - get young 9. orange tulip conspiracy - s/t 10. pierre bastien - visions of doing Honorable mention: brian eno & david byrne - everything that happens will happen today deerhoof - offend maggie dEUS - vantage point einsturzende neubauten - alles wieder offen wire - object 47 residents - bunny boy farmers market - surfin' ussr man man - rabbit habits matmos - supreme balloon coil - the new backwards tipsy - buzzz john zorn - filmworks xx: sholem aleichem gang gang dance - saint dymphna philip jeck - sand fennesz - black sea aQ ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuules! JASON SPARKS 1) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 'dig, lazarus dig!!!' 2) Philip Jeck 'sand' 3) Earth 'the bees made honey in the lion's skull' 4) Lustmord 'other' 5) Melvins 'nude with boots' 6) Sunn o))) 'domkirke' 7) Zomes 's/t' 8) Earthless 'live at roadburn' 9) Portishead 'third' 10) Bohren and Der Club of Gore 'delores' love you guys! RAIN SAAVEL Emeralds & Dilloway - Under Pressure (Hanson) Ancestors - Ancestors I (Youth Attack), yes i know it was first releases 2007, dont care Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (Type Records) Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (Enemies List Home Recordings) Hair Police - Certainty of Swarms (No Fun Records) Robedoor - Pained Transformation (House Of Alchemy) Barn Owl - From Our Mouths A Perpetual Light (Not Not Fun Records) Grey Daturas - Return to Disruption CD (Neurot Recordings) Cave - Hunt Like Devil (Permanent Records) Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls (In The Red Recordings) Magik Markers - Danau Blues (Arbitary Signs) The Goslings - Occasion (Not Not Fun) Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling (Matador) Kuuluud - Kummuli Kaheksa, heksanda Maailma Imelik (Legendaarne Records) and many tapes including Milla jams in the chimneyroom KEN JAMISON in deep thanks for the bi-weekly list taking part in saving my musical soul: (1) SUNN0))) - Domkirke I hesitate to give such praise to limited-edition, vinyl-only releases, but not only is Domkirke the best SUNN0))) album ever, but it was the standout long-player of 2008, at least of those I personally heard. Almost makes me want to attend church again; that is, if Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson were the musical directors and Attila Csihar was the cantor. Big, doomy sound in cold stone architecture while the priest incants ill doings. (2) THE EVPATORIA REPORT - Maar Whenever I feel a little down about the future of post-rock I just put on an EvRep CD and immediately feel better. Not quite the stunner that their prior "Golevka" was, but that release may be the best album period of these double-oughts, and "Maar" most certainly would be in the top twenty. The only problem in comparing this band to Godspeed You Black Emperor! would be that EvRep is better; take the big, dramatic, symphonic reveries and have them played by better instrumentalists. Rich ideas well-done. (3) PYHA - The Haunted House Okay, so much of this was released in limited amounts several years ago, but I'm not going to be retentive compulsive about it because this repackaging allows it to be presented to the hungry masses. He's a teenager, though quite the talented one, and he's from Korea which is not a hotbed of black metal. But he 'gets it'. Take interesting ideas and make them gritty and dirty, beaten and scarred. Then make it sound if you are trying to push it through a tiny space all at once. A recipe for avant dark metal success. (4) PENTEMPLE - 0))) Presents... Anderson, O'Malley, Csihar, Oren Ambarchi, and Sin-Nanna of Striborg mash it all up in a free doom free-for-all. Awe-inspiring. Makes me think there's a future for improvisational drone 'n' moan. (5) THIS WILL DESTROY YOU -This Will Destroy You Yeah, they're also from Texas, and yeah, they work the same guitar-based post-rock territory as Explosions In The Sky - so sue 'em. The truth is they work the style in a more ambient manner, and this CD is actually more enjoyable overall than most of the EITS oeuvre. (6) NORTT - Galgenfrist No cheesy horror flick bullshit or lame torture porn effects here, this is the soundtrack to the bad stuff which comes from inside your head and encrusts your brainpan. Take the best left-field black metal and slow it down to funeral speed while your naughty little internal voice narrates your pathetic life. (7) CAINA - Temporary Antennae The direction Ulver should have gone after the splendid Nattens Madrigal. No dadrock prog here, just Mr. Andrew Curtis-Brignell working his good/bad dichotomy to our benefit. And every once-in-a-while The Beast grabs him by the throat and shakes out the vocal demons. (8) WRATH OF THE WEAK - Alogon We need more solid black metal groups (duos? solo dudes?) detonating their music in an early Flying Saucer Attack mode. Messiness in the defense of grotty creativity is no vice. (9) I SHALT BECOME - Requiem Wow. A lot of black metal to finish up the list. But it was that kind of year. And S. Holliman is making some of the best misty, moody, emotive music of the genre at the moment. This downcast music always puts me in a better mood, like a good purging. (10) DARKESTRAH - The Great Silk Road Excellent folky black metal that never turns wimpy. Kriegtalith has bigger singing cojones than just about every 'hard' dude in the biz today, really bringing up the polyps, and her bandmates provide some solidly harsh backing. Can be recommended for 'alternative' BMers and regular metal types. Mostly, my musical 2008 consisted of lots and lots of Trist. Everyone's favorite depressive Czech black metaller is releasing some of the most utterly devastating yet cool-sounding music around nowadays. A little fuzzy Burzum, a little shoegaze, and a whole lot of mental asylum. Hopefully Mr. T. will detach his lips from the bottle long enough to present us with more music. JARON WRIGHT 10. The Fall of Troy - Phantom on the Horizon 9. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head - Glistening Pleasure 8. Ryan Adams - Cardinology 7. Beck - Modern Guilt 6. Black Keys - Attack and release 5. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust 4. These Arms Are Snakes - Tail Swallower and Dove 3. Portugal the Man - Censored colors 2. Russian Circles - Station 1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant Honorary Mention: These Arms are Snakes/Russian Circles tour Sp DIAN GRANAHAN & MATTHEW SWIEZYNSKI (Invisible Birds) loren chasse - the footpath werner durand - remnants from paradise loren chasse (of) - the rocks will open yannick dauby / christopher harvard / hughes germain aka osone - pasarelle colin andrew sheffield - signatures scott sherk - icelandic air lawrence english - kiri no oto vikki jackman - whispering pages steve roden - vester fields scott tuma - not for nobody matt shoemaker - mutable depths didn't catch until 2009, though released dec. 2008: giancarlo toniutti - qwalsamtimutkw?italuc'ik (and now he almost did make himself into hemlock needles, it is said) RENZO PAVAN 1-EARTH-The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull 2-CAPRICORNS-River, Bear Your Bones 3-ASCEND-Ample Fire Within 4-ENSLAVED-Vertebrae 5-LEVIATHAN-Massive Conspiracy Against All Life 6-DARKSPACE-Darkspace III 7-KRALLICE-S/T 8-BORIS-Smile 9-TRINACRIA-Travel Now Journey Infinitely 10-SUNN O)))-Domkirke RON BATES I couldn't get it down to ten, but I tried to make up for it by listing these in alphabetical order: Baader Brains - The Complete Unfinished Works of The Young Tigers Big Dipper - Supercluster Boris - Smile (Japanese mix) Burning Witch - Crippled Lucifer reissue Deerhoof - Offend Maggie Die Brcke - Who Gets the Kids? Goslings - Occasion Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness Husband & Knife - An End Krallice - S/T Mount Eerie - Black Wooden Ceiling Opening Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle, Pt.1 Portishead - Third Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-la-la Band - 13 Blues for 13 Moons Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That The Stolen Minks - High Kicks Times New Viking - Rip It Off JEREMY RACHELS No particular order here, except the first 2. Probably think of a gazillion more. Opeth - Watershed Steven Wilson - Insurgentes Fleet Foxes - s/t Emeralds/Quintana Roo - split Holly Throsby - A Loud Call James Blackshaw - Litany of Echoes Glory Fckn Sun - Spectra Burning Star Core - Operator Dead, Post Abandoned Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill Julie Mittens - s/t Flaherty/Corsano - The Beloved Music Portishead - Third Deerhoof - Offend Maggie Beach House - Devotion Windy & Carl - Songs for the Broken Hearted Reissues Gore -Hart Gore/Mean Man's Dream John Baker - John Baker Tapes v/a - Essence of Swedish Progressive Music box v/a - Strange Pleasures/Further Sounds of Decca Underground all the Supersister reissues on Esoteric Chris Morris - On The Hour BBC Radio (finally!) BRYAN CARROLL argh, lists are hard! tried to combine everything i loved about 2008 recorded music into one list, reissues included. thank you aquarius for helping to enable my habit, i hope you have a prosperous & peaceful 2009. 20. Sails - s/t cassette. 19. The Walkmen - You & Me 18. Wold - Stratification 17. Rodriguez - Cold Fact 16. Sic Alps - U.S. EZ 15. Harvey Milk - Life, the Best Game in Town 14. Mountains - Mountains Mountains Mountains 13. MISSISSIPPI RECORDS 12. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Vol. 1 11. King Khan & The Shrines - The Supreme Genius of... 10. Earth - The Bees Made Honey In the Lion's Skull 9. Gregor Samsa - Rest 8. School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms 7. Ezekial Honig - Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band 6. School of Language - Sea From Shore 5. Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes 4. Beach House - Devotion 3. Little Joy - s/t 2. The Replacements reissues 1. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park JOHN BEERS (MR. HCI of Happy Flowers) My #1 for 2008: Portugal. The MAN "Censored Colors" (Equal Vision) 2 - 10 (alpha order): Arizona "Glowing Bird" (Echo Mountain Records) Boredoms "77 Boa Drum" (Commmons) Jade Warrior "Now" (WindWeaver Music) Tom Jones "24 Hours" (S-Curve/EMI) The Nothing "A Warm Gun" (A Major Label) Sigur ROs "Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust" (XL Recordings) Chris Strawn "I Left My Hat in Hades" (Drazzig Records) Van der Graaf Generator "Trisector" (Virgin/EMI) zZz "Running with the Beast" (Excelsior Recordings/ANTI-) 11 - 25 (also alpha order) Beyonc "I Am . . . Sasha Fierce" (Sony) The Dresden Dolls "No, Virginia . . ." (Roadrunner Records) Dropsonic "The Low Life" (Ascetic Records) Faceless Werewolves "Pardon Me, Are Those Your Claws on My Back?" (Super Secret Records) The Fall "Imperial Wax Solvent" (Sanctuary) The Findells "Lost in Paradise" (self-released) The Goslings "Occasion" (Not Not Fun) Harvey Milk "Life . . . The Best Game in Town" (Hydra Head Records/Daymare) The Howling Hex "Earth Junk" (Drag City) The Mars Volta "The Bedlam in Goliath" (Universal Records) Metallica "Death Magnetic" (Elektra) Motorpsycho "Little Lucid Moments" (Rune Grammophone) Portishead "Third" (Mercury) Tenniscoats & Secai "Tenniscoats & Secai" (Noble) Torche "Meanderthal" (Hydra Head Records) Top EPs of the Year: Antony & the Johnsons "Another World" (Secretly Canadian) Dark Dark Dark "Love You, Bye." (Blood Onion) Diocletian "Sect of Swords" (Unholy Horde Records) Early Man "Beware the Circling Fin" (The End Records) Faun Fables "A Table Forgotten" (Drag City) The Kleber Claux Memorial Singers "The Kleber Claux Memorial Singers" (self-released) S.V.E.S.T. "Le Diable est ma raison" (End All Life Productions) Sex Vid "Communal Living" (DOM America) Slaraffenland "Sunshine" (Home Tapes) Urfaust "Drei Rituale Jenseits des Kosmos" (Debemur Morti Productions) Vopat "Call to Them" (Public Guilt) Reissue of the Year: Les Troubadours du Roi Baudoin "Missa Luba" (El/Cherry Red) Other Top Reissues: Angel "On Earth as It Is in Heaven" (Lovember Records) Kevin Ayers "Songs for Insane Times An Anthology 1969-1980" (Harvest/EMI) Big Dipper "Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology" (Merge) Buzzcocks - expanded remasters of the first three albums (EMI) Klabautamann "Our Journey through the Woods" (Vendlus) Peggy Lee "Make It with You"/"Where Did They Go" two-fer (Collectors' Choice Music) The Move "Anthology 1966-1972" (Salvo) Orange "In the Midst of Chaos" (De Stijl) T.2. "It'll All Work Out in Boomland" & "T.2." (Acme) The Troggs "The Troggs" & "The Trogg Tapes" (Repertoire) UFO - expanded remasters of the five studio albums with Schenker on Chrysalis/EMI Top Archival Releases: Asylum "Earth Is the Insane Asylum of the Universe" (Shadow Kingdom Records) pre-Unorthdox Suicide Commandos "The Legendary KQRS Concert, 1976" (Garage D'or) Thin Lizzy "UK Tour 75" (Major League Productions) BTW, you are welcome to include a link to my blog entry about the top ten with long descriptions, MP3s, etc.: http://notwithoutmerit.blogspot.com/2009/02/mr-hcis-favorite-music-of-2008-part-i.html SCOTT MUNCY First time ever; why not? It's actually about twenty as I'm mixing reissues with the new...less new than ever this year but I remain hopeful. In no order: *EDDY CURRENT SUPRESSION RING-Primary Colours *BLUE NOTES-Ogun Collection *GROUP INERANE-Guitars from Agadez *PYHA-Haunted *SHIT AND SHINE-Cherry *SALAH RAGAB & CAIRO JAZZ BAND-Egyptian Jazz *BURNING STAR CORE-Challenger *CLARK-HUTCHINSON-A=MH2 *PRAM-The Moving Frontier *JOHN TCHICAI-Afrodisiac *EVANGELISTA-Hello Voyager *MIKE OSBORNE-Force of Nature *EARTH-The Bees Made Honey... *AKIRA ISHIKAWA & COUNT BUFFALO-Uganda *PORTISHEAD-Third *ERYKAH BADU-New Amerykah Pt. 1 *HUGH MASEKELA-Home is Where the Music Is *VA-Don't Stop: Recording Tap (Numero) *SUGARCANE HARRIS-Sugarcane's got the Blues *SPIRITUALIZED-Songs in A&E MARC RICHTER (Dekorder / Black To Comm) Mike Kelley - Yummy Puffy Mommy Yoni (Compound Annex) Runhild Gammelsaeter - Amplicon (Utech) Stephan Mathieu - Radioland (Die Schachtel) Gaeoudjiparl - Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra (Krabbesholm) Xela - In Bocca Al Lupo (Type) Jon Mueller - Metals (Table Of The Elements) Fennesz - Black Sea (Touch) Portishead - Third (Mercury) Sunn o))) - Domkirke (Southern Lord) G*Park - Reuters (Tochnit Aleph) Darkspace - III (Avantgarde) Max Mller - Die Nostalgie ist auch nicht mehr das was sie frher mal war (Angelika Koehlermann) Hair Police - Certainty Of Swarms (No Fun) Fanal - Fanal II (Sonig) Burning Star Core - Challenger (Hospital) Birchville Cat Motel - Gunpowder Temple Of Heaven (Pica Disk) Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters (Southern Lord) Skullflower - La Noche De Walpurgis (Private) V/A - Okkulte Stimmen Mediale Musik (Suppose) Ulaan Khol - I / II (Soft Abuse) Monopoly Child Star Searchers - Prince Of Parrot Shooters (Pacific City) Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (Type) MICHAEL REISINGER Okkulte Stimmen - Mediale Musik Skullflower - "Taste The Blood of The Deceiver" Oxbow - "Love's Holiday Orchestra" Joe Preston & Daniel Menche - "Cerberic Doxology" Pyha - "The Haunted House" Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - "Real Emotional Trash" The Bug - "London Zoo" Current 93 - reissues of "Nature Unveiled" & "Dogs Blood Rising" Sightings - "Through The Panama" Ancestors - "s/t" Bobb Bruno - "Clown's Castle" (tape) Biz Markie - "Goin' Off" (reissue, maybe not '08) Sex/Vid - "Communal Living" Zomes - "s/t" Stephen Brodsky - "Black Ribbon Award" Harry Pussy - "You'll Never Play This Town Again" Brad Laner - "Neighbor Singing" Harvey Milk - "Life...The Best Game in Town" Mammal - "Lonesome Drifter" Ocrilim - "Ment" Rudimentary Peni - "No More Pain" Growing - "All The Way" Helms Alee - "Night Terrors" Guapo - "Elixirs" Red Eyed Legends/Old Haunts split (7") Blank Dogs - "On Two Sides" David Scott Stone - "When I had Your Love I had The World" (7") Transformations - "The Ministry of Love" (tape) Meneguar - "The In Hour" Inca Ore - "Birthday of Bless You" Free Kitten - "Inherit" The Dead Science - "Villainaire" David Grubbs - "An Optimist Notes The Dusk" Grey Daturas - "Return To Disruption" Rodriguez - "Cold Fact" (reissue) Telescopes - reissues Memorable Shows: Thrones w/ Epileptinomicon, Kraftwerk, Marnie Stern w/ Gang Gang Dance, Ida, Imaad Wasif & Two Part Beast, Two Ton Boa, Times New Viking, John Wiese, Japanther, Torche, Eat Skull, Melvins..... ALEX BUCZYNSKI THE PRESENT AS HELL: 2008 IN REVIEW "We shouldn't hope for anything. Hope is a horrible thing invented by political parties to keep their members in line." Pier Paolo Pasolini. 1) Metallica - Death Magnetic 2) Judas Priest - Nostradamus 3) Unearthly Trance - Electrocution 4) Sculptured - Embodiment 5) Gravehill - Metal of Death 6) Sanctum - On the Horizon 7) Skitliv - Amfetimin 8) Copremesis - Muay Thai Ladyboys 9) Daniel Ekeroth - Swedish Death Metal 10) The Criterion Collection # 17 - Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom 11) Carcass - The Pathologist's Report 12) Blue Notes - The Ogun Collection 13) The Faceless - Planetary Duality 14) Deicide - 'Till Death Do Us Part 15) No Neck Blues Band - Clomeim 16) Ihsahn - Angl 17) Decrepit Birth - Diminishing Between Worlds 18) Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble - Xenogenesis Suite 19) Aborted - Strychnine.213 20) Spontaneous Music Ensemble - Bare Essentials 21) Dismember - Dismember 22) Psycroptic - Ob(servant) 23) Anthony Braxton - The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton 24) Unleashed - Hammer Battalion 25) Kataklysm - Prevail 26) Trio X - 2006 United States Tour 27) Grave - Dominion VIII 28) Hail of Bullets - Of Frost and War 29) Psychobolia - Fisting You All 30) George E. Lewis - A Power Stronger Than Itself "L'argent a tout corrompu, je veux aller me cacher." Pier Paolo Passolini. Aquarius Records home