Mid-Year Bests

[Relaxer]

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.

[manimtired]

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

[serpent boy]

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

[mr. pretentious]

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

[vansmack]

Do you wanna how you know I'm ghey?
 
 Coldplay - Viva La Vida

[Bombay Chutney]

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

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

[killsaly]

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?

[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). granted i just saw coldplay 2x in a week so im kinda in love with them.
 
 id also add
 earth to the dandy warhols

[Relaxer]

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. [/b]

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.

[stu47]

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

[Driveway]

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

[sweetcell]

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).[/b]

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.

[nkotb]

Even the fucking title puts me to sleep...
 
 

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

[earlx]

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.

[taperkat]

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