Best Music Of 2008

While we're on the subject of phony awards shows, this is the second year in a row I've compiled an alternate to the Grammy Awards on my internet radio station, Dynamic Range Radio. Since there seems to be a lot of compulsive list-makers around here (guilty!) I thought some of you might be interested.

Dynammy Awards 2008


Song Of The Year

Detlef Schrempf - Band Of Horses
Geraldine - Glasvegas
Go To Sea - Ocean Colour Scene
I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked - Ida Maria
Rockist Part 4 - School Of Language
Run To Your Grave - The Mae Shi
Shout Me Out - TV On The Radio
Thrash Unreal - Against Me! (Winnner)
Time To Pretend - MGMT
Waving Flags - British Sea Power

Album Of The Year

Andorra - Caribou
Dear Science - TV On The Radio
Do You Like Rock Music? - British Sea Power
New Wave - Against Me! (Winner)
Santogold - Santogold

Breakthrough Artist

Glasvegas
Fleet Foxes
MGMT
Santogold (Winner)
Vampire Weekend

Best Sound Quality

Andorra - Caribou (Winner)
Dear Science - TV On The Radio
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes


If you're intersted, you can hear clips and read the full post on my website.

Oooo... more list time! I liked that TV on the Radio album- first time I was able to get into them

Here's mine

FAVOURITE SONGS
Santogold- LES Artistes
Deerhunter- Nothing Ever Happened
MIA- Papaer Planes
Primal Scream- Can't Go Back
Kanye West- Love Lockdown
MGMT- Electric Feel
Foals- Mathletics
Vampire Weekend- A Punk
Tapes N Tapes- Hang them All
Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal

FAVOURITE ALBUMS
Sun Kil Moon- April
Santogold- Santogold
Deerhunter- Microcastle
Beach House- Devotion
Crystal Castles- Crystal Castles
Cut Copy- In Ghost Colours
Mogwai- The Hawk is Howling
Wolf Parade- At Mount Zoomer
The Notwist- The Devil, You, and Me


FAVOURITE GIGS
Tom Waits, Dublin, July
Battles, ATP Explosions in the Sky, UK, May
Menomena, Dublin, February

Best Albums Of The Year
Slipknot-All Hope Is Gone
Children of Bodom-Blooddrunk
Unearth-The March
Jedi Mind Tricks-A History Of Violence

Best Songs
Unearth-My Will Be Done
Children Of Bodom-Tie My Rope
Slipknot-This Cold Black
Jedi Mind Tricks-Godflesh
The Acacia Strain-Dr.Doom
T.I-On Top Of The World
Disturbed-Enough

2008 was a relatively slow year (2007 blows it away.. and 2009 is shaping up to be great, too).. but there were definitely some gems:

Song Of The Year
Black Mountain - Angels
The Real Heroes - Metal Only
The Breeders - Walk It Off
Frank Black - Garbage Heap
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney on Heather Mill's Wooden Peg
The Black Angels - Mission District
The B-52s - Funplex
The Dandy Warhols - Welcome to the Third World
Weezer - The Weight
Spoon - Don't You Evah

Album Of The Year
Black Mountain - In the Future
The Sound of Urchin - Rejoice
Elf Power - In a Cave
Dead Meadow - Old Growth
The Real Heroes - The Red Sun was Pasted in the Sky like a Wafer
Keziah Jones - Nigerian Wood
Clinic - Do It
The Toadies - No Deliverance
Blood Meridian - Liquidate Paris!
Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

Breakthrough Artist
Vampire Weekend (i kinda have a love/hate thing goin on with these guys... but the potential is clearly there)

Best Production
Black Mountain - In the Future
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Anaïs - Love Album
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV

johnErle wrote:my internet radio station, Dynamic Range Radio.

Sweet website! Listening now

john, I haven't heard of a single one of your bands/songs o.O

NSpan wrote:

johnErle wrote:my internet radio station, Dynamic Range Radio.

Sweet website! Listening now

Thanks! Glad you like it so far.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney on Heather Mill's Wooden Peg

I missed that one, but that would have been in the running for Album Title Of The Year alongside The Hot Toddies - Smell The Mitten

becs wrote:john, I haven't heard of a single one of your bands/songs o.O

Well, now you know a place where you can hear them, if you're interested.

I haven't listened to a single band on transfomer2's list if it makes you feel any better. There's so much music out there these days in so many niches it's impossible to keep up with it all.

I've only listened to one song from all of these lists (Paper Planes).

I would like to register a complaint about your website John.

WHY IN THE FUCK HAVE YOU NOT MENTIONED THIS BEFORE?!?!?!?!?

With how often we are discussing music and bitching about each others choices and posting our music I would think that you would slide a mention of your site into about every other post. I advise you to read some of Shryke's posts to see how to plug your site on EVERY post you make. LOL (kidding shrykey, you know I luvs ya)

Anyway I started listening and your site will make a great addition to Pandora.com on my daily music playing.

Donte77 wrote:I would like to register a complaint about your website John.

WHY IN THE FUCK HAVE YOU NOT MENTIONED THIS BEFORE?!?!?!?!?

I had to prove I wasn't a spambot first. Now that most you know I'm serious about the game but I also happen to have something to plug, my sig will never let you forget.

Donte77 wrote:Anyway I started listening...

Sweet. Because of that, I'll overlook the fact that you mentioned that other station.

johnErle wrote:

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney on Heather Mill's Wooden Peg

I missed that one, but that would have been in the running for Album Title Of The Year

it's actually a song title.. but, if it helps, the full title is "Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney on Heather Mill's Wooden Peg (Bombing the White House)"

Anyone who likes Against Me! is ok in my book. Best band currently making music in my opinion. Seen them twice already, the two greatest shows I've ever been too. actually met their drummer after the second show (which was on my birthday too!). Seriously amazing band. So glad to see them the winners.

My favorite song of 2008 was Kim and Jessie by M83.

For me, 2008 was the year I finally stopped going to Best Buy to purchase my albums. Instead, I downloaded a lot of stuff on I-tunes, and rarely a whole album. So my albums of the year list will be short, but songs of the year might be long...

Best Albums:

Kings of Leon - Only by the night
Secondhand Serenade - A Twist In My Story
The Kooks - Konk
The Racontuers - CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY

Best songs:

Snow Patrol - Crack the Shutters
Newton Falkner - Dream Catch Me
Ryan Star - Last Train Home
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
SafetySuit - Something I Said
Tyrone Wells - More
Josiah Leming - They Say
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
M.I.A. - Paper Planes (I think this was the only reason I went to see "Pineapple Express")





Most disappointing albums:

Coldplay - Viva la vida (I can't believe all the props for this album, it's by far their worst)
Keane - Perfect Symetry (I think I was expecting too much)
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (I almost threw this album out of my car after 1 listen)


Overall it was a pretty disappointing year music wise. I kept waiting for good albums to come out, but most of it was bullshit. What happened to the days where an artist or group had to put out an album full of good songs? Why does it seem like they release one good song and that's ok? Oh yeah, itunes happened. Whoever contributes to that piece of shit can.....oh wait....fuck...

I was thinking about this earlier on today. I still refuse to buy music online. All of my record and cd collection is bought from shops. Probably doing myself out of a lot of money (well, if you add up more than 1200 cds and 500 records it probably does add up...), but I just can't bring myself to do it. My record collection is pretty much, alongside my dvd and comic collection (and oh yeah, my wife) the most important things I have, And I love being able to display them, rearrange them and caress them ever so often. Secondly, I cannot ever bring myself to just buy one song from an album. I still live in the mind frame that a single song will never work outside of an album. An album tells a story, delivers a message. A single song cannot deliver this in the way it is intended.

Anyway, I'll have a think about what my favourite albums were over the last year. I'll get back to you on it.

I know where you are coming from surfer, BUT in today's age, unfortunately not many artists make albums that have a concept or tell a story...that's why music today is garbage combared to some of the stuff we grew up on and the stuff our parents grew up on...those albums had to be good or else nobody would buy them...it only got worse in 2008, that's why i said overall i thought it was a disappointing year...


on a side note, it's nice to see another person on this site that collects records...i only have a small collection, maybe 100, but I prefer to listen to them over my CD's...I wish all new albums came out in vinyl.

You see, I don't agree entirely with you there. There are still plenty of good artists out there today, and plenty of good albums are still being produced. It's just that the majority of popular music is aimed at music fans who will happily buy just one song online, and have no interest in albums. The I-Pod generation who just play all their music on shuffle and don't care about themes and so on. It's true that this has resulted in artists who know they only have one shot at superstardom, and put all their efforts into creating that one hit song. The need to produce albums has gone, as an act can just upload a few songs onto their myspace page and be hailed as the 'best act since....'

However, I have not lost faith in todays artists. There are still plenty out there which go the extra mile to produce something original, creative and with meaning. We just have to try harder to find them. Which is all part of the fun too!

And yes, I listen to both cds and records. I enjoy both, and each have their own qualities. It'd be nice if an even balance could be made between the two so that they could co-exist. But in today's digital age, it's only an amount of time before both cease to exist.

I never said there weren't artists who still don't put together good albums, don't put words in my mouth! LOL....... BUT you have to agree that the percentage of them that do in today's music scene is drastically lower than it used to be. AND i'll stick by my statement that 2008 sucked.

I'm not sure. I think there is far more access to music than there used to be, and so our pool of talent is far more diluted. There is probably still the same amount of talent there, its just that the one hit wonders get all the headlines and obscure the talent from view. There were plenty of talentless pretty artists around when we were younger, it's just that because of myspace etc, they can get a lot more coverage and rise to fame a lot quicker. Which is also a problem. Artists today are not given time to develop. Where as a while ago acts took years to refine their sound and abilities, if an act has a hit they are quickly signed up by a record company and then pressured to release an album within a matter of months, if not weeks. How can a young act achieve that. Then, if that album is a hit, they are then pressured to release another one within a year. Acts used to take years between albums sometimes to create something of meaning. They just are not allowed that time frame nowadays. What if an act only has one good album in them, but are pressured to keep rehashing their sound and diluting their hit over and over just to bring in money? That is what is destroying the music industry.

If an act was still allowed the same luxuries of artists of old, maybe we would be heralding this decade as an amazing one, but until something changes, I doubt it. The talent is still there, it's just not allowed to blossom.

Wait, since when is every album a concept album? Since when does an album have to tell a story? They're not movies, they are a collection of songs. If I were starting a band, I wouldn't give a fuck about connecting the songs I put on an album. I'd only care that they are good.

I purchase music on itunes, but more often than not I'm purchasing the whole album. Its a better deal that way anyway, you get the whole album, which is usually 13 to 14 songs, for 10 dollars, whereas individual songs are a dollar each. Really though, I've given up most of my faith in contemporary music, and only like a small handful of the music that is produced every year, so I don't really feel it worth my time to put out a list. It would be dominated by Against Me!, Rise Against and the Gaslight Anthem.

What if an act only has one good album in them, but are pressured to keep rehashing their sound and diluting their hit over and over just to bring in money?

What, you mean like The Killers?

brockman81 wrote:

What if an act only has one good album in them, but are pressured to keep rehashing their sound and diluting their hit over and over just to bring in money?

What, you mean like The Killers?

I didn't mention anyone... [GRIN]

And Geez, a band doesn't have to create a concept album (although I do like them), but a collection of songs which have meaning and usually a theme (which is where the album title usually comes from, not just the name of a song) is usually a good place to start.

Mainstream Music really isnt very good now a days. Especially the Rap. Lil Wayne is a cancer to rap music and he should stop rapping right now. Also bands like The Killers,Coldplay and Panic At The Disco! are all awful but get a lot of props that really just dont deserve. That really gets on my nerves.

silversurfer19 wrote:I'm not sure. I think there is far more access to music than there used to be, and so our pool of talent is far more diluted. There is probably still the same amount of talent there, its just that the one hit wonders get all the headlines and obscure the talent from view. There were plenty of talentless pretty artists around when we were younger, it's just that because of myspace etc, they can get a lot more coverage and rise to fame a lot quicker. Which is also a problem. Artists today are not given time to develop. Where as a while ago acts took years to refine their sound and abilities, if an act has a hit they are quickly signed up by a record company and then pressured to release an album within a matter of months, if not weeks. How can a young act achieve that. Then, if that album is a hit, they are then pressured to release another one within a year. Acts used to take years between albums sometimes to create something of meaning. They just are not allowed that time frame nowadays. What if an act only has one good album in them, but are pressured to keep rehashing their sound and diluting their hit over and over just to bring in money? That is what is destroying the music industry.

If an act was still allowed the same luxuries of artists of old, maybe we would be heralding this decade as an amazing one, but until something changes, I doubt it. The talent is still there, it's just not allowed to blossom.

Surfer, you've made good points throughout this thread, but i think you're falling victim to nostalgia for "the good old days".. the music industry has always been a soul-crushing empire that grinds out "hits" whether or not the artists are ready to write em.. it was probably at its worst in the 40s and 50s (when musicians got paid dick and had no choice but to sign ridiculous contracts in order to have their music heard by anyone outside of earshot)... things got a little better in the late 60s and 70s when talented musicians were finally treated (a bit) like "artists".. nonetheless, the contracts were still insane, and the majority of acts were underpaid and overworked.. most acts were compelled to churn out hit after hit, until the album market finally overtook the sales of singles, which is when artists were contractually obligated to pump out full albums year after year.. sure, there were exceptions to the rule--a few bands had nearly unlimited access to studio time and recorded at their own leisure--but that was rare..

if you talk to musicians who have actually experienced working with big labels, you'll consistently hear that standards have only gotten better in recent times.. with the rise of the internet (and, along with it, myspace, etc.), bands have an honest chance at getting themselves heard on their own.. that's a major bargaining chip that works in musicians' favor.. physical record sales have declined a bit, but that's because the music industry itself has been dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming.. but the artists and labels that have embraced new technology have seen that modern music-lovers aren't exclusively pirates, thieves, and digital-bootleggers.. people are still willing to PAY for music, provided that its accessible and convenient to do so..

nowadays, it's possible for an unsigned band to go on a profitable national (or international) tour, provided they've built up enough word-of-mouth through the internet and digital radio.. FM is slowly dying, and that's one of the main reasons people think the entire music industry itself is on its way out.. as Surfer pointed out: there's just as much talent out there as there ever was.. but, the difference is, you might not find it in the same places as before.. if you still rely on FM, major tv networks, and big studios to tell you where the action is, you're gonna be missing out on a LOT of brilliant modern music.. again, as surfer said, our access to the talent-pool has expanded so we see a lot more crap out there.. but it's a double-edged sword, and that increase in exposure allows us access to a lot more great music that might not otherwise be heard..

my suggestion to people who think there isn't good music being made today: LOOK HARDER! it takes a bit more effort nowadays, but you'll be rewarded for your time.. DIG a little bit.. don't settle for the Flavor of the Week and then be disappointed when it becomes stale and tired all too quickly.. find talented bands, and follow the trail they leave.. look at their influences, and look at who they're influencing.. go to shows.. stick around for all the bands on the bill, not just the one you're there to see... meet the fans.. meet the band.. talk to people.. ask around.. the best person to ask about good music is the guy on stage playing good music.. musicians are notoriously rabid music-fans.. most musicians attend lots of shows and will be happy to tell you who the next REAL up-and-comers are gonna be..

and, if all else fails, just ask me.. i'll send ya some good stuff