Be Excellent To Each Other

I do this (at least in my head) every year, so here it is for you all to ignore, but post your faves of '08 so I may check out how your brains have been boogying too.

Disclaimer: Yes, I like metal. A lot.

2008 was one of the best years for music in a long long time! Especially metal, but also loads of music which gave me spasms. But to choose my top 5 (in no order) I would have:

Woven Hand - Ten Stones - Alt-Country/Rock - Fast becoming one of my all-time favourite artists ever, David Eugene Edwards (also formerly of the incredible 16 Horsepower) is gifted beyond all sense of scale. Proof (if ever it was needed) that music primarily inspired by Jesus can be dark, powerful and mind-blowingly incredible.

Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life - Black Metal. The final Leviathan album, and dear Satan, is it Wrest's best!! Kicking your fucking head through the floor heavy, I defy you not to be scared shitless by this record.

Krallice - Krallice - Black Metal, again. Mick Barr is God. So is Colin Martson. Together they made incredible music together. Equal parts their own styles, but so hypnotic in its intensity, with riffs that will crush your soul.

ColdWorld - Melancholie² - Black Metal, yes, again. Yeah 2008 has been incredible for BM and this is one of the greatest highlights. Clearly influenced by Burzum, but with gushing waves of My Dying Bride styled bleak beauty, with some of the most intense harmonies ever recorded to disc.

Gas - Nah Und Fern Not Black Metal, but Ambient/Dub Techno. 4 CD boxset release of the most mind melting, deep, dark and dirty Dub-Techno, possibly ever. Germany truly is the epicentre of electronic music.


Also, the following were incredible albums too, each could have made an album of the year any other year.

Nachtmystium - Assassins Black Meddle Pt.1 - Black Metal (Motorhead on Crack!)
16 Horsepower - Live March 2001 - Alt-Country/Rock
Enduser - Left - Jungle/DnB/Dub/Dancehall
Meat Beat Manifesto - Autoimmune - Electronica (Return of the Acid House masters!)
Darsombra - Eternal Jewel - Guitar Drone/Ambient
Aidan Baker & Tim Hecker - Fantasma Parastasie - Guitar Drone/Ambient
Ocrilim - Annwn - Guitar Drone/Ambient
Striborg - Foreboding Silence - Black Metal
Enslaved - Vertebrae - Black Metal (but kinda like King Crimson too)
Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town - ROCK!
Torche - Meanderthal - ROCK!
Scorn - Super Mantis Part 1 12'' - Ugly/Hard as fuck Dub
Silent Servant - Violencia 12'' - Dub/Techno
Rod Modell - Incense & Blacklight - Dub/Techno
Komonazmuk - Studio Mix September 2008 - Dubstep

I really liked the following:
Youthmovies - Good Nature
Trash80 - Icarus
Ballboy - I worked on the Ships
both of NINs releases - The Slip, and Ghosts 1-4
Los Campesinos! - Hold on Youngster
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Helios - Caesura
Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy (don't hurt me)
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Chase & Status - More than alot


Edit: The Very Best Mixtape is ace too

Two massive stand outs

Pendulum - In Silico
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Angles.



As someone who didn't give a crap about the hype and has heard maybe 3 GNR songs ever... I actually quite liked this.

Oi loiked

Krallice - Krallice
Gnaw Their Tongues - For All Slaves... A Song of False Hope
Sapthuran - The Wanderer
Arckanum - Anticosmos
Nortt - Galgenfrist
Baptism - The Grim Arts of Melancholy
Vinterriket - Gebirgsh๖henstille
Dismember - Dismember
Metallica - Death Magnetic

My favourite album of 2008 had to be The Ting Tings with We Started Nothing. I listened to that over and over. Ah the joy of repetition.. (That's Hot Chip you dolt - Ed)

I liked Duffy's Rockferry. She's soooo damn cute man.

Also enjoyed Ali Campbells album (like a bit of UB40) his cover of would I lie to you was great.

311 Did a greatest hits album that was fantastic (kinda ska punk band from LB CA).

Other than that the only thing that really turned my head was Gnarls Barkley's run (the song.. not sure if it's on an album) and I just listened to lots of Rob Zombie and Fuel etc.

If it helps, her name is "Kate". She really should have included that amongst the bitching no-one ever gets it right.

I bought oddly few, for me, albums that were actually released this year but my favourites of those were:

Kala - MIA oops, I was sure that was 08
Third - Portishead
Slime and Reason - Roots Manuva

Honourable mentions to Distortion - Magnetic Fields and the 2008 rework of New Forms - Reprazent.

I've also just had a first listen to Ninja Tuna - Mr Scruff and enjoyed it.

In other non album categories, I've just made up:

Track of the year: The Clock (Surgeon Remix) - Thom Yorke
Packaging of the year: 12" versions of the Eraser RMX series, ooh shiny
Cover of the year: Hot Chip's version of Wearing my Rolex
Album that I hadn't heard before this year: European Punks - Scott 4 and Magic Car

Also for Dudley, is that Pendulum album a bit more varied? Hold your Colour had a few decent tracks but was overall a bit long and boring but they seem to have some interesting ideas they could play with - the track I heard on the radio Monday evening just sounded like more of the same.

Edit - screw it, was only a fiver on play so ordered, same for Ting Tings as I kept meaning to check that out.

heh, my mate proposed to her from the ting tings

ooh, hadn't heard of that, what is it exactly?

Shame about the recent chemical fire.

God bless Last.fm and Soulseek, I shall be entertained this weekend by your favourite sounds.



I haven't heard the new Gnaw album yet, but the ones before it were fucking great! I should have added the Baptism album to my list, very very good that one. Also, Dismember? Not listened to them in years and years, must give it a go.



Wow, blast from the past, didn't know about that, must check that one out.



Surgeon fucking owns! One of the best DJs I've seen out this year, no doubt.

I keep meaning to give the Portishead album more of a go. I like it but haven't given it enough time yet as other records have been distracting me too much.

Re-edit of the original, some beefing up of the baselines, more squiggly noises and extra vocals (I mainly bought a cheap copy to have a version of Brown Paper Bag with Dynamite on it) and there's a new track. To be honest it's not as good as the original, the extra studio work has made it sound significantly more generic compared to the awesome more organic feel of the 1997 release - which I've always credited to the fact they played it live. Worth a listen, but far from essential.

Surgeon ranks equal second with Hawtin behind Jeff Mills for me - love what he does. Also affection from seeing hearing him play at the Orbit's 10th Birthday party, which also saw some other first experiences for me. This has also reminded me to hunt out a download of the "This is for you shits" mix - I'm not paying some scalping tosser £30 for the CD.

The Portishead record is an odd one, didn't like it at first but it really grew on me, I think it was some discombobulation from the fact it doesn't sound like a new record from them so much as a whole new band, albeit one that actually suits Beth's voice better.

I also got to see Jeff Mills this year too at the Warehouse Project in Manchester, and obviously, he was incredible. When you say the Orbit, I take it you mean THE Orbit which used to be in Morley? I am eternally gutted I never made it there when it was alive, from all I hear from people who did frequent it, it was the most incredible night out ever. My mate Rich claims the greatest musical event of his life was seeing Dave Clarke play there.

Defo get the "This is for you Shits" mix, its boss. Get on slsk.

Last year.

This. Also, Laura Marling's "Alas I Cannot Swim". A ridiculously young and promising singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice and interesting, poetic lyrics. I've yet to hear a song by her that I didn't like and/or love.

Yep, The Orbit at the Afterdark - went many times while at Leeds University. Didn't know it had ceased to be. It was awesome, objectively the decor, conditions etc. were ghastly but the atmosphere and music were incredible - even if I did attend the non appearances of both David Holmes and Joey Beltram, both of whom no-showed more than once.

Now I think about it, Surgeon wasnt' the 10th Birthday, that was Sven Vath and Adam Beyer, must just have been a regular night.

I only properly got into Techno in 2001 when I moved to Brighton, only after seeing really great DJs in action did I realise what this genre was about. Hence never making it to the Orbit (it shut in '03 - http://www.theorbituary.com ). Gutted... but, my current life plan for about 18 months time is to move to Berlin, making up for lost Techno time, perhaps

Figures

She probably couldn't for copyright reasons.

Anyway I've usually seen her referred to as Katie rather than Kate. Interestingly Singstar gets the lyrics wrong to that song. So does the internet. The lyric booklet in the CD doesn't.

I've only listened to two albums released last year, both of which are very good. Freezepop's 'Future Future Future Perfect' (perhaps not as catchy as their other albums but some great songs on there) and Metallica's 'Death Magnetic' which is a definite return to form for them.

Me too, I shortened it purely because the lyrics refer to it as a four letter word unless that's what you mean by "wrong", I don't have a CD for that album.

"Moonwink" by The Spinto Band - It took me a little to get into this, but once it clicked then it didn't leave my iPod regulars. So many fantastic songs, barely a skippable track on the album.

Also

"Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" by Amanda Palmer

"Golden Delicious" by Mike Doughty

"The Circus" by Take That

"Way to Normal" by Ben Folds (though it was mostly average)

"We Started Nothing" by The Ting Tings

"Vampire Weekend" by... well, who do you think?

There were probably loads of others, but it's late and... well... red wine.

Probably not many fans of pure 80's-style, female-vocal synth pop on here, but if you are, then "Electricity" by PARRALOX is a cracking album, and in a similar vein, check out "Peekaboo" by MARSHEAUX (from 2007).

Oooo! I'm one. Love Alison Moyet me.

If you're talking about "Alison Moyet when she was in Yazoo" then the albums I mentioned might appeal to you.
Was never too keen on her solo stuff personally....

Indeed in Yazoo.

My albums of the year were on my blog. Once.

Damn you, domain people!

My albums of the year so far, still haven't listened to loads.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig! Lazarus! Dig!
Beach House - Devotion
Women - st
Vivian Girls - st
A Place to Bury Strangers - st
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Los Campesinos Albums
The Dodos - Visiter
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer


British Sea Power were singles band of the year and OST of the year has to be Johnny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood

Seconded on both Los Campesinos albums. Although I need to give the 2nd one a few more listens. My other favourites have been:

Why? - Alopecia
Dillinger Four - C I V I L W A R
The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Jay Reatard - Singles '08
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (the excellent tracks negated the three poor songs)

Honorable mentions also go to Lemuria, Scream Hello, The Wedding Present, The Notwist and Death Cab For Cutie. Holy Fuck would be in there but it came out last year it seems.

Best names for good bands I discovered - Algernon Cadwallader; Get Bent.

I met Los Campesinos! at Indietracks.

Very friendly.

This didn't do anything for me. I loved their first album, but the second sounded like a contractual obligation or something. I expected this to be something really special but I found it just dull, to be honest. Ex.pectation is a prison, as they say



That's disappointing. I'd heard they'd released something, but didn't know what it was. You don't really want to mess with brown paper bag. Does it still have live drums?

This is my favourite album that was actually released in 2008. My favourite album that I first listened to in 2008 was actually released in 2007 and is Crazy Ex-Girlfriend by Miranda Lambert. I also got the Ting Tings album, which has some excellent stuff on it.

My top artists last year were, according to Last.fm -

Miranda Lambert
The Auteurs
CSS
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Regina Spektor
Bright Eyes
Waylon Jennings
Danger Mouse & Jemini
Bloc Party
DangerDoom

Miranda Lambert I've mentioned. The Auteurs, Regina Spektor, Bright Eyes, Waylon Jennings, Danger Mouse & Jemini and DangerDoom didn't release anything in 2008 that I was aware of. CSS did - at least I think their second album was a 2008 release - but it's not as good as the first album, which made up the bulk of my listens. Bloc Party did release their third album, but I only got their (disappointing) second album a couple of weeks ago, so it'll be a while until I get round to it.

My most-listened tracks were -

CSS – Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
Bright Eyes – Another Travelin' Song
Miranda Lambert – Texas Pride
Waylon Jennings – Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
Steve Earle – Guitar Town
The Libertines – Time for Heroes
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
Robyn – With Every Heartbeat
Miranda Lambert – Gunpowder & Lead
Regina Spektor – On the Radio
Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Ensemble – Defying Gravity
Neil Diamond – Cracklin' Rosie
Miranda Lambert – Wichita Falls
Jamie T – So Lonely Was The Ballad
Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett – It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

None of which were released in 2008, I don't think.

Tch.

I've got old.

I was a Stoodunt at Leeds in Orbits prime, awesome place. TBH though the 'Its Obvious' nights at the Warehouse spanked it.

*recollects*

Shitting hell... 14 years ago.

Basehunter! *
Katie Perry *
Britney Spears (Related searches: britney spears no knickers) *

THX!

* Didn't listen to any new good music really, this was just on the radio!

Katy Perry's album is actually very good.

Well I'd been listening to that since 2007 so I don't think it counts for me.

Also the Ting Tings lyric that is wrong is 'I'm the last kid standing up against the wall' the correct lyric is 'I'm the last drip standing up against the wall'

Maybe it was censored in Singstar because drip is offensive to some incredibly easily offended people in some country somewhere.

NIN - The Slip (IT WAS FREE TOO!)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarous, Dig!
Booka Shade - The Sun & The Neon Light

I haven't really paid any attention to NIN since The Fragile came out (nearly 10 years ago, cripes). What should I get and what should I avoid since?

The Slip.

Discipline and Echoplex are great tracks.

Its also free. http://theslip.nin.com/ x

Yeah, I've already got it on my machine, but I haven't listened to it yet. Has Trent not done any other albums in the last decade, then?

Yes. "Myp is a time wasting cock" is superb.

Elbow's Seldom Seen Kid started off sounding like a tenner badly spent, then ended up being the album I couldn't stop playing.

Last Shadow Puppets and the On The Hour re-releases are probably my next fave stuff. Good work on the mention of Beach House and Amanda Palmer, both lovely bits of work.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig (not as good as the double album that preceded it, but still awesome)
Metallica - Death Magnetic (i wasn't expecting much and first listens didn't feel like much, but when it started clicking, it's an album near the brilliance of the classics)
Anathema - Hindsight (it's just an acoustic album, yes, but its a great one)


Disappointments
Rise Against - Appeal to Reason (Listenable, but nowhere near as good as the last 2)
Enslaved - Vertebrae (this is getting old, it's not "innovative" anymore, just concentrate on doing good songs, or an album with 10 remixes of "the dead stare")

You can't go wrong with a bit of Mike Ink, though like Ritchie Hawtin he don't make acid tracks no more. Wanders off to find 5 years on Acid.

Bears best of 2008

808 State Quadrastate re release. The 89 album but with a shed load of added tracks. Acid, Techno and that.
Bochum Welt Robotic Operating Buddy. R.O.B. 2CD, CD one is a new album where as two is a best of CD from all their Rephlex releases.
Clone Classic Cuts. Old school House / disco comp plus bonus mix CD by Serge and Alden Tyrrell.
Back to the Box. Dave Clarke. Stunningly obscure old school house mix on two CDS. CD two is unmixed and yes I really like all of Clarkes work especially World Service mixes.


I like the C64 version of Boten Anna http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHWlzOBSmh0

Shit, I forgot Hindsight, Hindsight as well as RuySan

Two physical ones. I didn't get With Teeth, but was heartened by Year Zero. 'The Great Destroyer' was especially good.

Anyway, my top 10 of 2008 (sure to change the next time I hear something, but that's why we have the ability to make more than one post, right?):

00. Shining – Shining*
01. Akimbo – Jersey Shores
02. Squarepusher - Just a Souvenir
03. Duke Spirit – Neptune
04. Evangelista – Hello, Voyager
05. Rye Wolves – Oceans of Delicate Rain
06. Be Your Own Pet – Get Awkward!
07. SND – 4, 5, 6
08. Genghis Tron – Board Up the House
09. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
10. Kevin Drumm – Imperial Distortion

Most listened not from 2008:

01. Carcass - Heartwork
02. Blink-182 - Enema of the State
03. Paramore - Riot!
04. Captain Ahab - After the Rain My Heart Still Dreams
05. Lift To Experience - The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads

* Number zero because it’s technically not a 2008 album. In the strictest sense of the term. It came out in 2008, but combines the albums Shining released in 2005 and 2007.

AMBER GRAY.

Oh, and Detrimentalist. By VSnares.