EB's Best Albums, Songs, etc of 2008 (and worst songs)

[Phoenix Dark]

Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini

I love her voice, and the album is another growth in direction - lots more variety than her first downtempo album and the more acoustic, folksy second one (both of which are great)

The Black Keys - Attack and Release

A kaleidoscope of rock, from blues tears to straight up blow-yer-face-off riffs to tolerable ballads


Portishead - Third

Definitely a grower. I don't think it's as good as their previous albums but definitely features some great songs, and I like the different direction

Beck - Modern Guilt

Borrowed it from a friend and haven't given it back.


Immortal Technique - The Third World

Why?

Now you know this isn't a trend of a fashion
This is my life and my passion, fuck trying to cash in
I need more than advancements and a rented mansion
So while you little house nikkas is singin and dancin
I'll kill you and take your land like an Israeli expansion

Lykke Li - Youth Novels

Great pop album, and I'm not into the genre but the album is just so digestible. Great voice too

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

Better than their first album

Madlib - WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip

Some weak guest appearances but his producing is top notch. Great study music

Q-Tip - The Renaissance

Solid album, not great. Production is tight

Comeback of the Year: Metallica - Death Magnetic. They'll never get back to their glory days but this is their best album since The Black Album. Couple mis stepls (wtf Unforgiven III) but overall it rocks yer face off

Disappointment(s) of the year: Guns n Roses - Chinese Democracy. There are a couple amazing songs but overall the album is quite average.

Black Milk - Tronic. One of the best produced albums of the year but I'm just not feeling Black Milk as a rapper. Nothing interesting to say, and unlike Kanye he doesn't surround himself with great rappers to compensate for his weak flows (although Royce Da 5 9 shows up on the best track on the album).

The Roots - Rising Down. Def Jam tried their hardest to neuter it, and while they didn't succeed the album still sounds meh. It's ok but I expected something better, especially after the great Game Theory.


some of my favorite songs in no order:
















Music dude of the year: Danger Mouse

Produced three of my favorite albums of the year. Next year will be awesome too, with a new Danger Doom record on the way plus his work on DOOM's solo album.

[fistfulofmetal]

Only two albums I've listened to from 08 I would considered "The Best"


The Way of All Flesh by Gojira


Twilight of the Thunder Gods by Amon Amarth

Worst?

Nostradamus by Judas Priest.
God, so bad. 

[Bebpo]

I liked Modern Guilt, The Pillow's Pied Piper, and the new Killers album is growing on me.  She's Coloris that Groo recommended in one of the other threads is great too.

Worst Album of the Year is definitely Weezer's Red Album

[TakingBackSunday]

Islands-Arm's Way


Fleet Foxes


Girl Talk-Feed the Animals


Titus Andronicus-The Airing of Grievances


Conor Oberst


Okkervil River-The Stand-Ins

You already listed some others that I would list.

[Phoenix Dark]

Worst songs of the year:


negates Obama's win


the chorus is a joke


no words


smh

[fistfulofmetal]

Song of the year:

Cover of Impellitteri's Hungry Days by this Japanese girl.

[demi]

Senses Fail - Life Is Not A Waiting Room
Anberlin - New Surrender
The Academy Is - Fast Times At Barrington High
Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

[drew]

(Image removed from quote.)
Girl Talk-Feed the Animals

 

i didnt know he cam out with a new album

[TakingBackSunday]

Came out in like June.  It's fucking incredible.

[Barry Egan]

The only new album I listened to this year was Dear Science 

but it's fucking awesome. 

[Human Snorenado]

My 2008 Top 5

5. Bonnie "Prince" Billy- "Lie Down in the Light"



Oldham's gotten kind of stale to be honest, but even a pedestrian BPB album is pretty good by others standards.  This one isn't quite as dark as you'd usually expect from him, but still and all quite good!

4. Black Keys- "Attack and Release"



One of my favorite recent bands getting the Danger Mouse treatment?  DO WANT.

3. Beck- "Modern Guilt"



Reminds me the most of Sea Change, and that's a good thing. 

2. DeVotchka- "A Mad and Faithful Telling"



Just an awesome album from an awesome band.  Weird collision of sounds- Eastern European gypsy music, mariachi insanity and some of the best songwriting around.

1. Bon Iver- "For Emma, Forever Ago"



Like a lightning bolt out of nowhere, this album is great in the way that only something completely new, honest and refreshing can be.  Dude ran off to a cabin in the woods after a shitty period in his life and made this album, and it's absolutely the best thing I've heard this year.  Minimal instrumentation, layered falsetto vocals, and incredible songwriting.  Must buy.

[Eric P]

I listen to so much music that I can't really recall what cameout this year vs other years vs what's just new to me.

The Death Set - World Wide is a favorite.  A collection of previously recorded material (some of it 4 years old), and new recordings and new recordings of old material.  Is it cohesive as a album?  Not really.  But it is a good testament to the work which came before this album.

Vampire Weekend - S/T.  I loved this album.  I don't care if they're an overhyped pitchfork posse approved group.  The music is good and interesting while tapping into rarely used African Rhythms and mixing it with literate pop lyrics.

I honestly will have to gain access to my MP3 and CD library to see what else actually came out this year.

Biggest "new to me" revelation was the work of Scott Walker.  Amazing artist.  It's a shame he isn't more well known.

Also, the re-release of many Fania classics which introduced me to the awesome world of New York Salsa and Boogaloo.  I was desperately in need of new "dance" music having been driven mad by the hipsters "discovering" Justice, Fidget, Electro and Dubstep and driving them into the ground.

[Robo]

In an order of the moment, my top 15:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Deerhunter Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple
The Kills Midnight Boom
Santogold Santogold
The Black Keys Attack & Release
Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
Ratatat LP3
The Black Angels Directions to See A Ghost
TV on the Radio Dear Science
Portishead Third
Okkervil River The Stand Ins
MGMT Oracular Spectacular
of Montreal Skeletal Lamping

[close]

Most disappointing: David Byrne & Brian Eno Everything That Happens Can Happen Today

Best "new-to-me": The Chameleons Script of the Bridge

[Eric P]

i am a filthy filthy whore for Of Montreal, but I don't know if I can rate the album as a best of this year.  There are many tracks which just fail to hold up for me.  I feel the first song, tragically, may be the worst offender of this as it goes into two minutes of stabs, single strike chords and percussion. 

However the great songs are truly great, such as Gallery Piece and Id Engager.  There are many excellent moments where the album blends nearly seamlessly from track to track even though each track is made up of 30 second to one minute "chunks" of loops.

But then I am concerned that my feelings about this album are overshadowed by just how absolutely amazing Hissing Fauna was to me.

[Phoenix Dark]

Looks like just about everyone agrees. Danger Mouse: music dude of the year

[Robo]

i am a filthy filthy whore for Of Montreal, but I don't know if I can rate the album as a best of this year.  There are many tracks which just fail to hold up for me.  I feel the first song, tragically, may be the worst offender of this as it goes into two minutes of stabs, single strike chords and percussion. 

However the great songs are truly great, such as Gallery Piece and Id Engager.  There are many excellent moments where the album blends nearly seamlessly from track to track even though each track is made up of 30 second to one minute "chunks" of loops.

But then I am concerned that my feelings about this album are overshadowed by just how absolutely amazing Hissing Fauna was to me.

I might be guilty of the exact opposite after being mostly disappointed by Hissing Fauna.

[Robo]

Looks like just about everyone agrees. Danger Mouse: music dude of the year

It's between him and Bradford Cox, who released (accidentally, in one case) four albums of excellent music this year with Deerhunter and Atlas Sound.

[drew]

Came out in like June.  It's fucking incredible.

eh, i think im getting old or something, he will get into a awesome groove for 5-10 seconds and then BAM he drops fucking everything and goes into another section thats completely different and jarring then i get a headache and press pause.

[Phoenix Dark]

Forgot to add:

Jazz Liberatorz - Clin d'Oeil


Group of French hip hop producers who - you guessed it - specialize in jazzy, lush sounding production. The album features a plethora of guest rappers who not only rap but share stories about their first experiences with jazz. J-Live, Apani B Fly Emcee, Fatlip and others provide great rhymes

[Himu]

*bookmarks thread*

[TakingBackSunday]

RoboJ, as always, is fucking dead on.

[Eric P]

i need to get the new Fucked Up album

[ferrarimanf355]

Death Magnetic was great, Chinese Democracy was better than expected, and that new Eagles of Death Metal album was pretty good.

As for that Britney Spears song, it's kinda catchy, and I can't wait for the Local H cover. 

[BobbyRobby]

black keys album is great.  of the rest of their albums, what else is good?

new beck album is good too. i can't believe i'm so out of the current music loop that i didn't know it existed.

[fistfulofmetal]

Hmm, seems I've forgot one.

Among Beggars and Thieves by Falconer.

[lordmaji]

Good IMO.






I also thought Young Jeezy's The Recession wasn't that bad.

----------------------------------

sad, sad, sad albums.




and this is my premtive strike for horrible shit albums to release before the end of the year.

1.


Ghey.

[drew]

i need to get the new Fucked Up album

 

 

[TakingBackSunday]

black keys album is great.  of the rest of their albums, what else is good?

Pretty much everything by them is great.  Start with the Big Come Up and work your way up.

By the way, I've met and interviewed the Black Keys 

[Eric P]

i never noticed the tattoos until now.

fucking hilarious

[lordmaji]

I forgot to add this... This album has been growing on me.


The Modern Age of Slavery - Damned to Blindness

It's some straight up hardcore metal, but it's catchy and a bit fun... I wasn't sure what to think of it at first. "Another douche metal band" but it ended up being pretty damn good. Good for getting work done fast. I enjoy it.

[Eric P]

the star fucking hipsters album is really growing on me

[Don Flamenco]

Mahjongg - Kontpab
No Age - Nouns
Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Boris - Smile
Kangding Ray - Automne Fold

Shame of the year: Stereolab for putting out the same album again

[Phoenix Dark]

EB>Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/24947047/singles_of_the_year

[TakingBackSunday]

...Beyonce?

[Phoenix Dark]

And the funny thing is that her other song ("If I Were a Boy") is the more respected single, so they didn't even pick the right seat on the bandwagon.

Single Ladies is a grower...not an r&b fan in general but the song isn't horrible, it's alright. But to say it's the BEST single of the YEAR?

[TakingBackSunday]

I don't know, I don't understand why people herald her as such a legend and great artist.  She fucking dances like a clown.

[Phoenix Dark]

Interesting you brought up the L word. Kanye West (lol) recently said she's bigger and more important than Tina Turner, but the haters refuse to recognize the greatness. Funny, Beyonce doesn't have a single song that'll be relevant in 20 years. She doesn't have timeless songs like Tina Turner or Diana Ross. Sure of course many 20something year olds of today will still like her in 20 years, and will look back on her music as important to them. But she doesn't hold a candle to the r&b divas

And that's coming from someone who doesn't like the genre. My mom grew up on that stuff and doesn't like Beyonce at all. Not the traditional Beyonce-hate-for-no-reason, she simply thinks her music is meh plus she thinks she's nothing more than a product.

[Human Snorenado]

black keys album is great.  of the rest of their albums, what else is good?

new beck album is good too. i can't believe i'm so out of the current music loop that i didn't know it existed.

Rubber Factory is overall their best album.  It's just the right blend of "made this grimey, lo-fi shit in my garage" of their earlier work and the overproduced Magic Potion. 

[tiesto]

Some of my favorites of the year, mostly prog, house and tech house.















Favorite EM of the year: Hernan Cattaneo
Favorite songs of the year: Michael Cassette-Shadows Movement, Pryda-Pjanoo
Favorite producers: Eric Prydz, Guy J, Paul Keeley
Favorite DJs of the year: John Digweed, Nick Warren, Hernan Cattaneo, Luke Fair, Desyn Masiello, Danny Howells, Sasha
Biggest disappointment of the year: Anything related to Armin Van Buuren
Worst song (dance music): Armin Van Buuren and DJ Shah - Going Wrong
Worst song (anything): Danity Kane "do you have a first aid kit handy" 
Most overrated DJs/producers/etc: All that 'hipster electro', 'blog house', 'fidget house' type stuff, Justice, Simian, etc. like Eric P said that stuff has been beaten into the ground.

[Cormacaroni]

Thanks for the Girl Talk recommendation - been listening to it for 2 days straight now. It's a laugh! And a drinking game waiting to happen.