Mid-Year Bests

I like lists. So far, here are my tops for the year:

1. Sun Kil Moon - April
2. Bonnie Prince Billy - Lie Down in the Light
3. The Goslins - Occasion
4. Grand Archives - S/T
5. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah
6. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
7. Dr. Dog - Fate
8. Mae Shi - Hlllyh
9. Lukestar - Lake Toba
10. Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood

Rising records include the new one by Ladytron, which I disliked at first but am really warming to; Fuck Buttons, which I can't say why I like it, but I keep playing it; Harvey Milk; Pyramids; and probably a bunch more.

Sun Kil Moon - April
Oxford Collapse - Bits
all i can think of at the moment..

1.) Cat Power - Jukebox
2.) Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
3.) The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

In no particular order:

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Flight of the Conchords - s/t
Vampire Weekend - s/t
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

Still looking forward to in 2008: Oxford Collapse, Okkervil River, Wire, Of Montreal

Do you wanna how you know I'm ghey?

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Originally posted by Relaxer:
5. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah

I like this one a lot more than I expected to.

Cloud Cult - Tea Time…
Foals - Antidote
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Mates of State - Rearrange Us
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

Originally posted by vansmack:
Do you wanna how you know I'm ghey?

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

the album is f'ing brilliant! (its actually titled - viva la vida or Death And All His Friends). granted i just saw coldplay 2x in a week so im kinda in love with them.

id also add
earth to the dandy warhols

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:

Originally posted by Relaxer:
5. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah

I like this one a lot more than I expected to.

Same. I'm actually delving into her back catalog a bit and coming up with a whole new appreciation for her. Mama's Gun is a great album.

in no particular order

portishead - third
hold steady - stay positive
fleet foxes- ragged wood
vampire weekend- s/t
sloan- parallel play
matthew ryan- matthew ryan vs. the silver state
the duke spirit- neptune

mates of state - re-arrange us
gutter twins - saturnalia
fleet foxes - s/t
coldplay - viva la vida
destroyer - trouble in dreams
nada surf - lucky
dropkick murphys - meanest of times (special ed)
retribution gospel choir - s/t
mgmt - oracular spectacular
the out circuit - pierce the empire

other recent purchases that i like:
most secret method - get lovey
ramones - rocket to russia
soulsavers - it's not how you fall…
young galaxy - s/t

some of my favs so far this year:
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Hercules and Love Affair - s/t
Ladytron - Velocifero
Sigur Ros - med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

Santogold is surprisingly good but i've only heard it once, so it's not officially on the list yet. M83 - Saturdays = Youth is borderline.

Originally posted by xneverwherex:

Originally posted by vansmack:
Do you wanna how you know I'm ghey?

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

the album is f'ing brilliant! (its actually titled - viva la vida or Death And All His Friends).

to be completely correct, it's titled:

Viva la Vida
or
Death and All His Friends

according to the latest Spin mag, that's the correct way to present the title of this over-blown recording (note the line breaks). i think it's decent, but i'm not nuts about it. i'll give the band a chance to redeem themselves at the end of the month, in philly.

Even the fucking title puts me to sleep…

Originally posted by sweetcell:
Viva la Vida
or
Death and All His Friends

Vampire Weekend - This is the best record I've heard this year.

The Fall - "Imperial Wax Solvent" I haven't heard it but it's The Fall so even if it sucks, I'll still listen to it at least 100 times.

Times New Viking - "Rip It Off" The songs on this record are great but the production/mastering is shit. My formative years were spent listening to hardcore and none of those records (save for boombox recorded live albums released on shady German labels) sounded as distorted and crummy as "Rip It Off." They made a concerted effort to have that record sound as crappy as it does and I think it was silly. But like I said, the songs are excellent and they were great live so I'll put them on my "best of '08" list.

Titus Andronicus - "The Airing of Grievances" This record has four really good songs on it, which is good enough to qualify for my "best of '08" list.

The reissue of Nick Lowe's "Jesus of Cool" rules but I don't know if reissues count.

Records I have heard that did not make my list include:

Magnetic Fields - "Distortion" - I listened to it once three months ago and haven't had the urge to listen to it since.

Ruby Suns - Nice cover art.

Records that I look forward to acquiring before 2008 is out:

The Oranges Band's forthcoming album

Gary B. and the Notions' forthcoming album

The Homosexuals' recent release (which is a reissue, obviously)

The Terminals - "Cul de Sac" - Okay, this came out about 20 years ago but I've been desperately seeking a copy for a really long time.

Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
Virginia Coalition - Home This Year

i am so woefully behind on albums this year

favs so far:

cut copy - "in ghost colours"
drive-by truckers - "brighter than creation's dark"
M83 - "saturdays=youth"
the magnetic fields - "distortion"
silver jews - "lookout mountain, lookout sea"
vampire weekend - "s/t"
wolf parade - "at mount zoomer"

for the life of me i cant get into that cut copy

Originally posted by earlx:
The reissue of Nick Lowe's "Jesus of Cool" rules but I don't know if reissues count.

If it did, it would be the record of the year for me. Can't stop listening to it.

Death Cab for Cutie
Vampire Weekend
MGMT
My Morning Jacket
Raconteurs

great lists so far

1. Foals - Antidotes
2. Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
4. Ladyhawk - Shots
4. Hot Chip - Made In the Dark
5. Santogold - Santogold
6. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
7. 5ive - Hesperus
8. All the Saints - Fire On Corridor X
9. Sun Kil Moon - April
10. Black Keys - Attack and Release

honorable mention:
Why - Alopecia
Nick Cave - Dig Lazaurus Dig!
The Roots - Rising Down
Quiet Village - Silent Movie
The Whip - X Marks Destination