Best new music of the first third of 2008

[u2popmofo]

We're nearly a third of the way through the year, what are your favorite releases so far?


1. M83 - 'Saturdays=Youth'
2. Vampire Weekend - self-titled
tie
2. Why? - 'Alopecia'
4. Gnarls Barkley - 'The Odd Couple'
5. Cut Copy - 'In Ghost Colours'
6. Atlas Sound - 'Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel'
7. REM - 'Accelerate'
8. Bauhaus - 'Go Away White'
9. Retribution Gospel Choir - self-titled
10. Goldfrapp - 'Seventh Tree'

Favorite EP: Fleet Foxes - 'Sun Giant'
Favorite Soundtrack: Juno
Favorite live album: Colin Meloy Sings Live!

There are a couple still to come out this month that I'm expecting to compete with the list: Elbow, Jonathan Richman, Frightened Rabbit, South.

What are your favs?????

 

[Popmartijn]

Voicst - A Tale Of Two Devils


Some other great Dutch albums released in 2008:
Claw Boys Claw - Pajama Day
Gram - Four-Letter Word

And though I only have her single Mercy, I'm quite taken by Duffy. So I might check out her album Rockferry soon.

 

[gman]

James - Hey Ma
Daniel Lanois - Here is what is

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

The only new release I've bought this year is Evangelista's Hello, Voyager. It's really wonderful, though, and I'm certain it will make my year-end list.

 

[LMP]

Hot Chip's Made in the Dark was pretty nifty, too.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I haven't sought out a lot of new music this year but I have enjoyed the new R.E.M. and Raconteurs releases.

Vampire Weekend's debut was cool, too, and I like what I've heard out of Tom Petty's old band Mudcrutch.

 

[BoMac]

I'm still digging Consolers of the Lonely from The Raconteurs.

 

[Irishteen]

I've only heard 3 new releases this year Nine Inch Nails, The Charlatans and REM and none have really had that much of an impression on me, haven't bought any of them either.

 

[lazarus]

1. Malkmus/Jicks, Real Emotional Trash
2. Los Campesinos!, Hold on Now Youngster
3. Vampire Weekend, S/T
4. R.E.M., Accelerate
5. Man Man, Rabbit Habits
6. Bauhaus, Go Away White

 

[maro_chik]

1. M83 - 'Saturdays=Youth'

I'm really digging this album too - especially "Kim & Jessie".

I haven't really heard anything else new besides Sarah Slean's "The Baroness", which is sounding pretty darn good so far.

 

[Aygo]

REM - 'Accelerate'
Goldfrapp - 'Seventh Tree'

 

[I'm Ready]

14. Ruby Suns-Sea Lions
13. Silver Jews-Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
12. Beach House-Devotion
11. Destroyer-Trouble in Dreams
10. M83-Saturdays=Youth
9. Atlas Sound-Let the Blind Lead Those Who Cannot See
8. Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend
7. Plants and Animals-Parc Avenue
6. Cut Copy-In Ghost Colours
5. The Mountain Goats-Heretic Pride
4. Fleet Foxes-Sun Giant EP
3. The Dodos-Visiter
2. Fleet Foxes-Ragged Wood
1. Portishead-Third

 

[If you shout...]

If you're usually in the same area as I am, as far as musical taste goes, then you'd be certifiably insane not to check out these records. I didn't really put anything in order, after the top three. Accordingly, and also since the year is still so young, not all of these records are really "great," but they're all at least "pretty good, I guess."

1) Los Campesinos!, Hold On Now, Youngster...

2) Josh Goldberg, Double Murder Suicide (available for free, via a blog on www.myspace.com/joshuamartingoldberg)

3) Ruby Suns, Sea Lion (Everything that everybody said Person Pitch was, too intimidated by the critical consensus on Animal Collective to admit, in actuality, that it wasn't. A colossal, towering, nearly overwhelming success, this record.)

4) Times New Viking, Rip It Off

5) Neon Neon, Stainless Style

6) Terrible Twos, Terrible Twos

7) The Mae Shi, HLLLYH

8) Head of Femur, Great Plains

9) Fuck Buttons, Street Horrrsing (I thought that this wasn't anything special, upon first listen, but have come quite to enjoy it, after a number of subsequent spins! Very good!)

10) The Hold Steady, Stay Positive (Hasn't come out yet, but will clearly be the second-best record of the year, just behind Hold On Now, Youngster.... Just wanted to warn everybody.)

Also, I've written about how I think it's basically just a regular, decent-enough record, but Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight deserves at least a nod, for putting a song as jaw-dropping as "The Modern Leper" out there. On the whole, even some of the records on my list, I should point out, are sort of buoyed by individual songs. More even than in years past, the kinds of music to which I often listen have so far had trouble cranking out too many wonderful records. I'm knee-deep in spectacular, transcendent fucking songs (Fleet Foxes, "Drops In The River;" Xiu Xiu, "No Friend Oh!;" Ike Reilly, "Dragonflies;" Atlas Sound, "River Card;" Cut Copy, "Unforgettable Season" (and a few others); several beyond perfect gems from The Magnetic Fields's Distortion; Samamidon's gorgeous "Saro"...the list fucking goes on), but pretty hard up to name more than just a handful of LPs which've really, really impressed me. Also, I might be forgetting a record or two. Apologies, if so.

 

[thetitans2k]

Ech... 2007 was way better. What are the big releases for the rest of 08?

 

[lazarus]

Shit, I forgot Neon Neon. Thanks for the reminder, IYS.

That's def in there somewhere.

 

[Bono's shades]

Nick Cave - Dig Lazarus Dig
REM - Accelerate
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

That's it so far. Gotta save some slots for the rest of the year.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

10) The Hold Steady, Stay Positive (Hasn't come out yet, but will clearly be the second-best record of the year, just behind Hold On Now, Youngster.... Just wanted to warn everybody.)

Haha hell yeah. I can't wait to hear Stay Positive. I also predict it will be one of the best albums of the year once it's finally out. Nice pick.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Thusfar,
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!
Flogging Molly - Float
R.E.M. - Accelerate

 

[Saracene]

So far I absolutely love:

Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!!!
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree

Other standouts:

These New Puritans - Beat Pyramid
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Cat Power - Jukebox
Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
Sheryl Crow - Detours

...and I still got some new CDs that I bought to listen to.

 

[AtomicBono]

Ech... 2007 was way better. What are the big releases for the rest of 08?

oh I dunno, I think some indie Irish band is supposed to release something maybe

agree on M83

haven't really listened to much else new. Still need to get Tokyo Police Club's album Elephant Shell as well as Gnarls Barkley and Cadence Weapon. new Death Cab should hopefully be good.

 

[gman]

Why cant i like as many different recording artists as you lot????

 

[Laura M]

Why cant i like as many different recording artists as you lot????

I've heard some of the new material mentioned in this thread but the only album we've bought this year is the new REM and I still haven't heard it.

I will want to get a copy of the new Leona Naess album. Still not sure when exactly that's coming out though.

 

[intedomine]

I haven't really been bothered listening to this year's albums, though Accelerate is class.

 

[u2popmofo]

11. Destroyer-Trouble in Dreams
3. The Dodos-Visiter
2. Fleet Foxes-Ragged Wood
1. Portishead-Third

I still need to hear the Destroyer and Dodos albums, the songs I've heard from each have been great.

Look forward to hearing the new Portishead and Fleet Foxes LP.

Nice overall list, I'm Ready, looks like we share some similar tastes in music.

 

[phanan]

Technically, it's not out yet, but as of right now, Station by Russian Circles is my favorite album of the year so far.