2008 In Music (a.k.a. The List Thread)

[Lamrock]

With all the music websites starting this, and pretty much all relevant 2008 releases out or leaked, its about time to make the 2008 music list thread.

Lamrock's Top 5 Albums:

5. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak - Most people seem to dislike this album, and I certainly did at first. It has come to really grow on me since, and in a weak year, it manages to capture the #5 spot.
4. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster - Surprisingly fantastic album. Catchy indie pop with endearing lyrics.
3. Deerhunter - Microcastle - Not one bad song on this album.
2. Why? - Alopecia - If it counts, this is my favorite rap album of the year. Sounds like Mellow Gold-era Beck.
1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science - Amazing album. Tops their previous album, Return To Cookie Mountain, which was my favorite of 2006.

Honorary Mention: Beck - Modern Guilt, The Hold Steady - Stay Positive, MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

[Dramacydal]

A thread like this should be genre specific. It's simply impossible to create a ranking with albums from all types of genres.

[Lamrock]

Mine is Indie rock + 808's. You can if you want.

[Oznogrd]

This was such a weak year any music i've "discovered" this year was actually made 20-30 years ago. The Weezer and Offspring albums were so weak it made me want to cry. Other bands who were even more stellar years ago (Oasis and GnR) released terribad albums...finally: i wanna punch myself in the face rather than listen to that autotune shit. /fail on music this year.

[Lean]

Heard a few tracks from the new Guns n' Roses album, they don't sound like the old guys. Metallica's Death Magnetic seemed pretty well to me, except for a few tracks. Local band Wolfgang released their sixth album Villains (after seven years of being apart from each other), and it's such a blast.

[Joe']

This was such a weak year any music i've "discovered" this year was actually made 20-30 years ago.

Ditto. Finally got The Who's Quadrophenia on vinyl yesterday plus a lot of other stuff I never cared enough to listen to: Yardbirds, Cream, Genesis, Blind Faith, Dire Straits, King Crimson, Yes, Canned Heat, Boston, Simon & Garfunkel, the early Creedence records.

Man, even the debut Foo Fighters album sounds like crap now, and I love that album...

[Fresh8]

I listen to RnB... I spent 2008 listening to Trey Songz on and on because Usher released an album that was nowhere near the goodness of Confessions and 8701... I liked Ne-Yo's album though. I don't think it was that big of a year... I'm looking forward to Trey's next album though.

[Doobie]

Sit, did you check out Evolver by John Legend? I haven't yet but the songs I've heard I've loved.

[Eich]

5. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak - i dont know why, but i like it
4. Brainstorm - Tur kaut kam ir jābūt - Latvian Rock (only one that i listen)
3. Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt - ow yess..tjey done it this year.. i just like all the songs
2. Kanye West - Sky High - Best remixes..
1. The Killers - Day & Age Best album of The Killers.. Its the best for me.

[Oznogrd]

5. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak - i dont know why, but i like it
4. Brainstorm - Tur kaut kam ir jābūt - Latvian Rock (only one that i listen)
3. Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt - ow yess..tjey done it this year.. i just like all the songs
2. Kanye West - Sky High - Best remixes..
1. The Killers - Day & Age Best album of The Killers.. Its the best for me.

A remix album is not an album
The killers day & age best album? did you listen to hot fuss?

[Doobie]

5. Coldplay (Viva la Vida) - Pretty short album, but it was great, enjoyed most songs.
4. Bloc Party (Intimacy) - I heard it cause of a friend the other day and I really loved it.
3. Kanye West (808's and Heartbreak) - Was in shock when I heard he was singing but I love this album.
2. Gym Class Heroes ( The Quilt) - I liked every song on this cd, and bumped it for a while. Great album.
1. Q-tip ( The Renaissance) - Haven't bought it yet, but downloaded it. Really deserves to be noticed.

[Eich]

5. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak - i dont know why, but i like it
4. Brainstorm - Tur kaut kam ir jābūt - Latvian Rock (only one that i listen)
3. Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt - ow yess..tjey done it this year.. i just like all the songs
2. Kanye West - Sky High - Best remixes..
1. The Killers - Day & Age Best album of The Killers.. Its the best for me.

A remix album is not an album
The killers day & age best album? did you listen to hot fuss?

Well i think it is the best.. maybe coz i'm tired of listening songs from Hot Fuss, Sams Town, Sawdust..
But when i first listend to Hot Fuss , i thought that that is the best album.

[el badman]

There really hasn't been much for me this year, but those certainly stand out (as far as rock/metal):

1. Oceansize - Frames (released last Fall in Europe, but this year in the US)
2. Day Without Dawn - Understanding Consequences
3. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo - I have Made My Bed In Darkness
4. Intronaut - Prehistoricisms
5...none so far, slow year for (my type of) music

[Lamrock]

Round 2 of lists!

Lamrock's Top 5 Songs:

5. The Hold Steady - Sequestered In Memphis - The Hold Steady's best single to date.
4. Kanye West - Paranoid - Far and away the best song off of 808's and Heartbreak.
3. Why? - Fatalist Palmistry - The best track off Alopecia - I had this song on repeat for a long time. Good stuff.
2. Los Campesinos! - My Year In Lists - Just a great song.
1. TV On The Radio - DLZ - A fantastic song; my favorite off the album. This song is the epitome of TV On The Radio.

Honorary Mention: MGMT - Weekend Wars; Of Montreal - of Montreal - Gallery Piece; Weezer - The Greatest Man That Ever Lived

[Fresh8]

Sit, did you check out Evolver by John Legend? I haven't yet but the songs I've heard I've loved.

I was in the CD store the other day and I saw Common and John Legend's records on the shelf and thought bout it but I don't have money atm so didn't get them. Never really listened to John Legend much although my ex was a big fan... so I think I might get it - thanks for the heads up dude. Unfortunately, we don't get much RnB music down here in Oz...

EDIT: Doobie, I took your advice and used my last $50 in my bank account to go and grab some CDs. I got Evolver. And I also got Common's new album. Will say what I think of them after I listen to them tomorrow.

[Dramacydal]

I'm too late...I was trying to warn you but you already bought them.

Evolver = crap. Seriously this album is so shitty, I don't even know where to start. I used to love John Legend's music but this new album is absolutely nothing like Get Lifted or Once Again. He lost his soul, his voice is edited...I could go on and on but it'd be a waste of time. It's incredibly shitty, point blank.

Universal Mind Control = disappointing. It's not shitty but it's nowhere near the flawlessness of Be and Finding Forever. Too many tracks about hos, lyrically he fell off quite a bit, the production is annoying and really doesn't fit Common's style.

Sorry, Sit, but you wasted your money.

[Doobie]

I heard about 3 or 4 songs from evolver and they didn't sound bad at all. I do admit that Green Light was a new look for John Legend but I like it. Satisfaction is also great.

I do love Once Again considering it was one of my favorite cd's for a while. Songs like Again, Another Again. P.D.A, and heaven all made this album great.


And on the Common side of things, I skipped on this album. I haven't heard anything I've liked from it so far, but wow Be was probably one of the best hip-hop cd's of all time. Favorite song from there was the intro, also called 'be'.

[Fresh8]

I got Get Lifted as well. I haven't listened to them, been working all day. And I won't worry about wasting my money on the CDs because I don't really buy many these days. But the fact that I am on $1 for the next few days... maybe it is a bit of a sacrifice not worth taken... if the CDs turn out to be bad... But hey, everyone said Ye's album was bad but I got it cause I'm a fan and I guess it didn't turn out too bad.

dramacydal and doobie, what do you guys think of Akon? I've never really been a fan but thought might give his new cd a spin.

[Dramacydal]

Honestly, I can't stand Akon. I hate that type of music.

If you're looking for new albums get Q-Tip's The Renaissance and John Robinson's Who Is This Man. Those are the best hip-hop albums of 08.

[Fresh8]

I never really liked Akon either. But yeah, my brother and sister already got it for me for Christmas so might as well listen to it now... I don't know who I like more: Akon or T-Pain lol

Right now, I am much more into RnB, anyone got any suggested listening?

[Dramacydal]

Not really R'n'B but rather soul, but Anthony Hamilton is that shit. I could bump his music all day every day. Amazing voice with so much soul, and he doesn't go pop like so many other artists these days.

[Fresh8]

Anthony Hamilton is good, I agree.

This year, I have gone backwards. Listening to lots of Luther Vandross.

[Kenny]

I only bought two good albums this year, and they were Black Ice by AC/DC and Lessons to be Learned by Gabriella Cilmi. The others I got were Metallica - Death Magnetic (complete and utter disappointment) and Anberlin - Cities (decent, but bland). I heard the GNR one too and that's even worse than Death Magnetic. I'm mainly a bargain bin shopper, so I don't buy many new cds

[Skills]

I'm more of the Hip-Hop/R&B type of person when it comes to my music taste. Here's my list!

5. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak: It sucks that the bear is no where to be found, but I have to admit, Kanye's non-rap album takes some getting used to, but the tracks like 'Heartless' and 'RoboCop' will evantually grow on you.

4. Usher - Here I Stand: Usher's one of my favorite artists of all time, so I had to give him some love here. There was no doubt that when 'Love In This Club' first leaked on the internet, it would be a smash hit. Though it ain't no 'Confessions', it's still pretty hot.

3. Ludacris - Theater of the Mind: This album made me start listening to Ludacris again. I didn't like him as much as I do now after listening to this album. 'What Them Girls Like' and 'One More Drink' are certified club bangers. Plus his other collabs are pretty good too.

2. Day26 - Day26: Diddy did pretty good with MTB4, forming this new R&B group. The majority of the album is a smash, and deserves much more attention since neither of the singles have gained any chart success. Look out for them in the future.

1. T.I. - Paper Trail: The best T.I. album to date. Every track on the album is raw, featuring collabs with Ludacris, Rihanna, Usher, Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Justin Timberlake. There's no surprise it's got so many singles.

Honorable mentions go out to 'Ne-Yo - The Year of the Gentleman' and 'Kardinal Offishall - Not 4 Sale'

[Fresh8]

Skillmatic, Year Of The Gentleman was way better than Here I Stand.