| JESSIE |
|
JOHN KUNZ |
These are my favorite albums of 2008 listed alphabetically to my best ability to be fairish. This was a huge year for me as a music fan. Thank goodness.
The Black Keys - Attack and Release
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Sera Cahoone - Only As the Day is Long
Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Dual Hawks
The Constantines - Kensington Heights
Dr. Dog - Fate
Everest - Ghost Notes
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Ra Ra Riot - Rhumb Line
Ladyhawk - Shots
Love As Laughter - Holy
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Shearwater - Rook
And for those with a taste for the twang and the mood lighting of a dance hall such as myself:
Austin Collins - Roses are Black
Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
And one last one that can't be classified. Here's to my favorite member of The Band:
Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer |
|
Texas Music Baker's Dozen
1. Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
2. Carolyn Wonderland - Miss Understood
3. Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
4. Rodney Crowell - Sex & Gasoline
5. James McMurtry - Just Us Kids
6. Eliza Gilkyson - Beautiful World
7. Okkervil River - Stand Ins
8. Bob Schneider - When The Sun Breaks Down On The Moon
9. Carrie Rodriguez - She Ain't Me
10. Nelson W./Marsalis W. - Two Men with the Blues
11. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Pt. 1: 4th World War
12. Roy Hargrove - Earfood
13. Shearwater - Rook
Non Texas Music Top 10
1. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
2. Shelby Lynne - Just A Little Lovin'
3. Santogold - Santogold
4. Calexico - Carried To Dust
5. Jason Mraz - We Sing We Dance We Steal
6. EmmyLou Harris - All I Intended To Be
7. Randy Newman - Harps & Angels
8. Brett Dennen - Hope For The Hopeless
9. Dengue Fever - Venus on Earth
10. Esperanza Spalding - Esperanza
Reissues
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool |
 |
|
|
| DANNY FOX BAKER'S Bestest of 2008 |
|
DEREK LEWIS' favorite '08 Skilly Joints! |
| Hot Chip - made in the dark
Manu Chao - radiolina
Muse- haarp
Fujiya and Miyagi - lightbulbs
Clinic - funf
Jay Reatard - matador singles 08
Ladytron - velocifero
Teenagers- reality check
Hurcules love affair - s/t
Girl Talk- feed the animals
The Clash - live at shea stadium (I sometimes wonder why people even buy concert albums but this was SO MUCH FUN!)
rock the casbah like a hurricane buddy! |
|
The Roots- Rising Down
Portishead- Third
Al Green- Lay It Down
Q-Tip- The Renaissance
Saul Williams- The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust!
Grupo Fantasma- Sonidos Gold
Santogold- Santogold
Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
Menahan Street Band- Make The Road By Walking
Cassandra Wilson- Loverly
Femi Kuti- Day By Day |
| |
|
|
| EDMUND LESTRANGE'S relatively short list for 2008 |
A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues For 13 Moons
Alps - III
Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can’t See But...
Blank Dogs - On Two Sides
Chad Vangaalen - Soft Airplane
Cheap Time - Cheap Time
Cory Allen - Fourth Wave
Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
Deerhunter - Microcastle + Weird Era + Platts Island
Earles and Jensen - Just Farr a Laugh (Bleachy’s back!)
Fun Years - Baby, It’s Cold Inside
Hauschka - Ferndorf
Helios - Caesura
Jay Reatard - Matador Singles ‘08 + Singles 06-07
Jesu - Why Are We Not Perfect?
Koen Holtkamp - Field Rituals
Lord Dog Bird - Self Titled
Magnetic Fields - Distortion
Malcolm Middleton - Sleight of Heart
Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
Ooga Boogas - Romance and Adventure
Peter Broderick - Float
Talkdemonic - Eyes At Half Mast
|
|
Reissues and Compilations
Daniel Johnston Wizzz! Volume 2
The Nerves Mogwai
Calypsoul Shop Assistants
Joy Division
Mission of Burma
Pavement
Best Live Shows
Intelligence @ Emos
Thee Oh Sees @ Beerland
Place To Bury Strangers @ SXSW + Emos
Best in-store performance
Man Man
Musical regrets and disappointments
not going to ATP NYC and Gonerfest.
Max Richter… I wanted so much more than ringtones. |
| |
|
|
| TRACEY |
|
KEITH'S in no order... |
1. Torche - Meanderthal
2. Ladyhawk - Shots
3. Sonic Chicken 4 - S/T
4. This Will Destroy You - S/T
5. Black Mountain - In The Future
6. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
7. Dutchess + the Duke - She’s the Dutchess. He’s the Duke.
8. Deerhunter - Microcastle
9. Sigur Ros - Meo Sui i Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust
10. Megapuss - Surfing
11. Meneguar - In Hour
Reissues
1. King Khan + BBQ Show - S/T
2. Otis Redding - Otis Blue DLX
3. Rodriguez - Cold Fact
4. Van Duren - Are You Serious?
5. Los York’s - El Viaje
6. Various Artusts - Titan: It’s All Pop!
7. Pavement - Brighten the Corners |
|
cult of luna - eternal kingdom (earache)
torche - meanderthal (hydra head)
metallica - death magnetic (elektra)
the sword - gods of the earth (kemado)
mouth of the architect - quietly (translation loss)
russian circles - station (suicide squeeze)
mammifer - hirror enniffer (hydra head)
earth - the bees made honey in the lion's skull (southern lord)
bonded by blood - feed the beast (earache)
deadbird - twilight ritual (at a loss)
sammothrace - life's trade (20 buck spin)
jesu/battle of mice split (robotic empire)
re-issue...
cat stevens - tea for the tillerman/teaser and the firecat (a&m)
daniel lanois - acadie (red floor) |
| |
|
|
ESME'S Favorite Releases of 2008 in no
particular order: |
|
BRIAN'S top 13 new releases for 2008 (in no particular order) |
Gentleman Jesse - Introducing Gentleman Jesse
Cheap Time - Cheap Time
Silver Jews - Look Out Mountain Lookout Sea
Music Go Music - Light of Love
Jeremy Jay - A Place Where We Could Go
The Lodger - Life Is Sweet
Shearwater - Rook
Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
The Dutchess & the Duke - She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke
Stereolab - Chemical Chords
Favorite Local Releases of the Year:
Harlem - Free Drugs ;)
Follow that Bird! - Follow that Bird! EP
JC & CO. - French Place Afternoon 7'
The Hunnies - Keep it Dutch EP
Pillow Queens - Kookoolegit |
|
Cheap Time - s/t
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colors
Nothing People - Anonymous
Pierced Arrows - Straight to the Heart
Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground
Eat Skull - Sick to Death
Cheveu - s/t
Thomas Function - Celebration
Gentleman Jesse and his Men - s/t
Black Orphan - Video Kids 7"
Sic Alps - US EZ
Vivian Girls - s/t
The Higher State - Automatic Motion 45
Brian's top 13 reissues for 2008 (in no particular order)
13th Floor Elevators - Psychedelic Sounds of (in glorious MONO!)
Cold Sun - Dark Shadows
The Bachs - Out of the Bachs
JTIV - Cosmic Lightning
The Nerves - One Way Ticket
Gal Costa - Gal
v/a - 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground
Jade Stone & Luv - Mosaics: Pieces of Stone
Ersen - s/t
v/a - Titan: It's All Pop!
v/a - Well Hung
Mayo Thompson - Corky's Debt to his Father (on vinyl!)
We The People - Too Much Noise |
| |
|
|
MATT "D-Lips*” MCCARROLL'S tops of 2008
(*don't ask, you don't want to know)
|
|
PRINCE KLASSEN'S ‘08 Highlights |
Fucked Up – Chemistry of Common Life
Gaslight Anthem – '59 Sound
Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
Silver Mount Zion – 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons
Russian Circles – Station
Torche – Meanderthal
Al Green – Lay It Down
Balmorrhea – Rivers Arms
Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
Daturah – Reverie
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Dianogah – Qhnnnl
Portishead - Third
Mogwai – Batcat EP
Jay Reatard single series
(however, everyone needs to stop doing the limited release, picture disc, multiple pressings on different colors, etc. BS. seriously)
Notwist – The Devil, You + Me
Eli "Paperboy" Reed – Roll With You
The Sword – Gods Of The Earth
This Will Destroy You – This Will Destroy You
World Burns To Death – Graveyard Of Utopia
Hot Water Music – Till The Wheels Fall Off
Hammock – Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
Willits + Sakamoto – Ocean Fire
Reissues and Compilations
Nerves – One Way Ticket
Roky Erickson & The Explosives – Halloween
Replacements – Tim resissue
Mission of Burma – Signals Calls & Marches reissue
Herbie Hancock – Hear, O Israel reissue
Marked Men – Marked Men reissue
Various – The Nigerian Special series
Various – 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground
Portraits Of Past - Discography
Mogwai - Young Team |
|
new releases
Beach House - devotion (carpark)
Dengue Fever - Venus on Earth (m80)
Shuta Hasunuma - Ok Bamboo (western vinyl)
James Pants - Welcome (stones throw)
Koushik - Out My Window (stones throw)
Santogold - St (downtown records)
Stereolab - Chemical Chords (4ad)
Talkdemonic - Eyes at Half Mast (arena rock)
VA - Mi Fresh mixed by Prince Klassen (self promotion at its worst)
VA - Fabriclive 37 mixed by Caspa and Rusko (fabric)
re issues
Arthur Russell - Love is Overtaking Me (best record of all year)
Neu - catalog re issue (once again)
Metallica - early records, eff anything after the "Black Album" (vinyl remasters!!)
Mission Of Burma - catalog re issue (thank god)
Wild Pitch records catalog (so necessary)
VA - Going Places: The August Darnell Years (2nd best record of the year)
VA - African Scream Contest
VA - Nigeria Specials series
dvd
Arthur Russell - Wild Combination: a Portrait of Arthur Russell
Daft Punk - Electroma
other highlights
Austin Asian American Film Festival
Vancouver
Olga Kurylenko
East Coast Tour
Entourage season 5
Fully Fitted blog
1st semester back to school |
| |
|
|
| JAMES ADKISSON top 15 ( in no order) |
|
BILL JEFFEREY'S list (YES!!!) |
Gregor Samsa – Rest
Legendary Pink Dots – Plutonium Blonde
Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
Opeth – Watershed
Ruby Suns – Sea Lion
Foals – Antidotes
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Spiritualized – A&E
King Crimson - Live In London: Parts 1 & 2, 1996
Baron Grod – S/T
Deerhunter – Microcastle
This Will Destroy You – S/T
Earth – The Bees made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
Boris - Smile
Fripp and Eno – No Pussyfooting (remaster)
Sorry Portishead. I’m one of those un-hip people that just wanted to hear you make more beautiful Trip Hop. |
|
there was a lot of awesome releases for me this year but it all pales in comparison to what i would like to call :
THE YEAR OF THE DEAD C!
Dead C - Secret Earth
vinyl re-issues
Dead C - DRC 503/Sun Stabbed
Dead C - Eusa Kills/Helen Said This
best show of the year:
Dead C New York Oct 13 !
best come back of the year:
Kevin Ayers - Unfairground
favorite non Dead C record of the year:
Nick Cave - Dig Lazarus Dig
favorite local release
Coma In Algiers - This Is Your Justice |
| |
|
|
| COLBY'S “Nothing Fancy” list for 2008 |
|
JOHN SPENCER'S tasty treats |
Al Green ~ Lay It Down
Titan: This Is Pop!
Shearwater ~ Rook
Eddy Current Suppression Ring ~ Primary Colours
Silver Jews ~ Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Gentleman Jesse & His Men~ S/T
Jay Reatard ~ Singles '08
Fucked Up ~ The Chemistry of Common Life
The Nerves ~ One Way Ticket
Sparks - Exotic Creatures of the Creep
The Final Solution ~ Brotherman Soundtrack
Bonnie Prince Billy ~ Lie Down In The Light
Ohsees/Sic Alps ~ split
Variou/Sublime Frequencies ~ 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground
|
|
vinyls
Beach House - devotion
Beonoit Pioulard - precis and temper
Nadja - all three release on conspiracy and touched
Sic Alps - u.s. ez
New Bloods - the secret life
Eluvium- the new record or the box set
Matthew Robert Cooper - minitures
Fuck Buttons - street horsing
J Spacemen and Sun City Girls - mister lonely
Wolf Parade - at mount zoomer
and maybe:
vivian girls
deerhunter
neil halstead |
| |
|
|
| SLIPPY'S top 10 - 2008 |
|
KERBY'S Tops of 2008 |
1) Butthole Surfers live at Stubbs + Dallas w/Mr Peppermint (show)
2) Brothers Unconnected - tribute to Charles Ghosher and Sun City Girls
3) Kids In The Hall paramount theatre with Albert (show)
4) X Emo's (show)
5) Nick Cave Dig Lazarus Dig
6) Isabell Campbell and Mark Lannigan Sunday At Devil Dirt
7) Flipper ....oh yeah they didnt play...(show)
8) Tom Waits Dallas Texas(show)
9) Dead C Secret Earth
10) Curse Of Blefuscu at the Compound (show) |
|
1.) Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
2.) The Verve - Forth
3.) Beach House - Devotion
4.) Whispertown 2000 - Swim
5.) She & Him - Vol. 1
6.) The Duke Spirit - Neptune
7.) Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
8.) Sons & Daughters - This Gift
9.) Asteroid No. 4 - These Flowers of Ours
10.) The Raveonettes- Lust Lust Lust |
| |
|
|
| JON MERRILL'S Top 10 Film + Televison of 2008 |
Re-issues
1. Zodiac (director's cut)
2. The New World (extended cut)
3. Mummy '32 (legacy collection)
4. Don Quixote
5. Bonnie and Clyde (special edition)
6. Touch of Evil (special edition)
7. Cannibal the Musical (anniversary edition)
8. Nightmare Before Christmas (special edition)
9. Big Lebowski (collector's edition)
10. Halloween (30th anniversary edition)
TELEVISION
1. The Wire s.5
2. Spaced (complete series)
3. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia s.3
4. Mad Men s.1
5. Lost s.4
6. Californication s.1
7. Dexter s.2
8. 30 Rock s.2
9. Curb Your Enthusiasm s.6
10. The Shield s.6
Blu-Ray
1. Dark Knight
2. Dark City
3. Dirty Harry Collection
4. James Bond v.1
5. James Bond v.2
6. Batman Begins
7. Step into Liquid
8. Transformers
9. Firefly (complete series)
10. The Proposition |
|
DVD
1. Wall-E
2. No Country for Old Men
3. There Will be Blood
4. Gone Baby Gone
5. Assassination of Jesse James
6. Diving Bell & the Butterfly
7. Persepolis
8. Lars and the Real Girl
9. Sunshine
10. In Bruges
CRITERION
1. The Furies
2. Days of Heaven
3. Breathless
4. Bottle Rocket
5. Vampyr
6. Chungking Express
7. Vengeance is Mine
8. Red Balloon
9. Salo
10. Walker |
| |
|
|
| KELSEY'S Top 13 |
|
CARSON'S “Have you heard this?” 2008 list |
| Wire- Read and Burn
Deerhunter- Microcastle
Eddie Current Supression Ring- Primary Colors
TV on the Radio- Dear Science
Goldfrapp- Seventh Tree
Pillow Queen- Kookoo Legit
Baron Grod- S/T
Silver Jews- Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Dig Lazarus Dig
Jay Reatard- Singles 06-07
Santogold- S/T
Of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
Chad VanGaalen- Soft Airplane |
|
1. WIRE - "Object 47"
2. GRAILS - "Doomsayer's Holiday"
3. SUNN 0))) - "Domkirke"
4. COFFINS - "Buried Death"
5. BLANK DOGS - "On Two Sides"
6. DISGUISES - "Post-Mortem Depression"
7. LEVIATHAN - "Massive Conspiracy Against All Life"
8. HENRY GRIMES & RASHIED ALI - "Going To The Ritual"
9. HATE ETERNAL - "Fury & Flames”
10. CM (CHAOS MAJIK) - "Jesuve"
11. JARBOE - "Mahakali"
12. THE GUTTER TWINS - "Saturnalia"
13. RTX - "JJ Got Live RaTX" |
| |
|
|
| RECORDS THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR THAT I ENJOYED BY I, NATHANIEL CARDACI |
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
OOGA BOOGAS-ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE
WIRE- READ AND BURN
WIRE-OBJECT 47
BEACH HOUSE-DEVOTION
DEERHUNTER- MICROCASTLE
SUNSET-GLOWING CITY
FALL-IMPERIAL WAX SOLVENT
THE LODGER-LIFE IS SWEET
OF MONTREAL-SKELETAL LAMPING
CHEAP TIME- CHEAP TIME
GLASVEGAS- HOME TAPES (DEMOS)
MAGNETIC FIELDS- DISTORTION
WHITE DENIM-EXPOSION
BLANK DOGS- ON TWO SIDES
CLUTCHY HOPKINS-WALKING BACKWARDS
LIL WAYNE-CARTER III
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN - THE BBC SESSIONS
NEON NEON - STAINLESS STYLE
HOT CHIP- MADE IN THE DARK'
SOME REISSUES THAT ROCKED ME SOCKS OFF MATEY!
JOY DIVISION- UNKNOWN PLEASURES (THE SECOND DISC WITH THE LIVE SHOWS.YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT THERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN HOOKEY AND THE NEW ORDER SAY HOW THE ALBUM REALLY DIDN'T CAPTURE THEIR LIVE SOUND)
|
|
THE NERVES - ONE WAY TICKET (PURE POWER POP AT ITS BEST SERIOUSLY I MEAN IT THIS TIME TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT BUY THIS RECORD YOU CAN'T BE DISAPPOINTED)
SOME LIVE SHOWS THAT HAD ME BUMPING AND GRINDING IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER
BEACH HOUSE IN PHILADELPHIA AT THE BARBERY THEY TOTALLY DECORATED THE WHOLE PLACE WITH THIS SWEET HIGH SCHOOL DANCE THEME I MADE OUT WITH SO MANY GIRLS (NOT REALLY) AND RELIVED MY FORMATIVE YEARS (STILL IN THEM )
THE LODGER IN NEW YORK CITY AT THE CAKE SHOP AND SOUND FIX THE SHOW AT A SOUND FIX WAS FREE AND THE PLAYED THE HELL OUT OF THERE INSTRUMENTS(NO REALLY THEY DID).
OF MONTREAL IN AUSTIN AT FIESTA GARDENS I TOTALLY TOOK ECSTASY AND DANCED WITH MY SHIRT OFF WITH A PASS-A -FIRE IN MY MOUTH BUT SERIOUSLY IN BETWEEN FADING IN AND OUT OF CONCIOUSNESS AND STAYING AWAY FROM THE WEIRD HIPPIE TYPES THAT HAD WONDER IN ON THEIR MUSHROOM TRIPS THIS SHOW WAS VERY ENTERTAINING |
| |
|
|
| LINDA'S favorites of 2008 |
|
MARTIN COULTER |
Best Records
Lost Crusaders - Have You Heard About the World
Nick Cave and the Badseeds- Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Pierced Arrows - Straight to the Heart
King Khan and BBQ - King Khan and BBQ Show
The Cynics - Here We Are
Hacienda - Loud is the Night
Black Hollies - Casting Shadows
Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and The True Loves- Roll With You
Paul Collins' Beat - Ribbon of Gold
Clinic - Do It!
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours
Best Re-issue
Rodriguez - Cold Fact
Best Local Demos
Ripe
Love Taps
Best 45s
The Higher State - Automatic Motion/Trip On High
The Yolks - Introducing the Yolks
Les Bof! - Les Bof!
Pierced Arrows - Caroline
Best DVD
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Best Documentary
Gonzo
Best Music Documentary
Running Down A Dream
Best Local Gig
Ripe/Nic Armstrong/Hacienda/Shapes have Fangs at Hole in the Wall |
|
Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
possibly the best slide guitarist still playing
Band of Heathens - s/t
fun band comprised of equally talented solo singer/songwriters
Walter Hyatt - Some Unfinished Business
my favorite songwriter period. tunes from the vault.
James McMurtry - Just Us Kids
its not just political it rocks, makes one think about current events.
Marcia Ball - Peace Love and BBQ
always fun, rock n roll cajun style
Carolyn Wonderland - Miss Understood
very talented blues belter and amazing guitarist. small band - big sound
Gurf Morlix - Birth to Boneyard
instrumental embellished version of “Diamond To Dust”, his ‘07 masterpiece
Warren Hood - S/T
young but extremely talented singer + instrumentalist from jazz to the blues, folk to country + western. he has earned his spot as an Austin favorite.
Bobby Whitlock and Coco Carmel - Lovers
encompasses southern soul with easy feel. bobby was with Derek and the Dominoes and the cd shines with special guests
Ian Mclagan - Never Say Never
master B3 player, always smiling and playing his heart out. the cd has a feel of all the live shows Austin is privy to.
Waybacks - Loaded
mixes bluegrass, jazz, + rock in a melting pot. not your typical jam band. unique sound also features local wiz Warren Hood
Murali Coryell - Same Damn Thing
coming from a musical family his guitar style plays tribute from Buddy Guy to Hendrix and vocals reminiscent of Sam Cooke, Al Green. He makes the music his. |
| |
|
|
| PATRICK'S Picks for TV on DVD 2008 |
1. Extras (Complete Series)
Takes fun-comfortable to a new level. Written and directed by Ricky Gervais, who is consistently brilliant as the show’s lead. Cruel and inspired celebrity cameos. Knowing, silly, crafted, sharp, and, at times, darker than you might expect.
2. 30 Rock (Season 2)
Tina Fey is the celebrity crush you talk about when you’re trying to appear evolved. Her smart, self-deprecating Liz Lemon makes a perfect foil for Alec Baldwin’s uber-executive Jack Donaghy. A strong supporting cast conjures the best ensemble comedy chemistry since Arrested Development.
3. Mad Men (Season 1)
More beautifully shot, designed, and styled than anything on TV. Maybe ever. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) oozes weapons-grade charisma as the thinking man’s alpha male. Romanticize the gritty late ’60s in the East Village if you must. I’ll take the richly textured interior of an early ’60s ad agency on Madison Avenue.
4. Spaced (Complete Series)
I never saw a bootleg of Simon Pegg’s BBC cult phenomenon Spaced. Maybe you’re resisting this show because a friend of yours over-hyped it. Relax. Watch the show. If you’re not hopelessly wishing for a third season after this, maybe TV isn’t for you.
5. Flight of the Conchords (Season 1)
Better than most New Zealand folk duos.
|
|
6. Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav
“You look like Idi Amin after a three year crack binge on the sun.”
7. Deadwood (Complete Series)
Has anyone called Deadwood in your “best TV show ever” group of friends? Next time you’ve heard enough about The Wire or Buffy or Lost, make a play for Deadwood.
8. Damages (Season 1)
Great cast (Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Rose Byrne). Lots of intertwining stories. Puzzling flashbacks. Lawyers get slimy. Wealthy industrialists covering up something, but what? If you like it a little, you’ll like it a lot.
9. Gossip Girl (Season 1)
I’m sick of the term “guilty pleasure.” I like this show because it is fun. Why should I feel guilty? I recycle, and I give blood. If I want to watch pretty rich intrigue and punch-outs at debutante balls, I will.
10.John From Cincinnati (Only Season)
A deeply strange show from Deadwood creator David Milch. Debuted on HBO right after the Sopranos finale. Super-natural surfer family. Mysterious visitor with mystical powers and limited vocabulary. Great performances all around. Finds interesting ways to be shocking, and I don’t mean the levitation. Cancelled after one ambitious season. |
| |
|
|
| KEVIN |
|
MANDY |
Ooga Boogas - Romance and Adventure
Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
Blank Dogs - On Two Sides
Radar Brothers - Auditorium
Sonic Chicken 4 - S/T
Baron Grod - S/T
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead...
Thee Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom...
VA - Perfect Unpop
Thomas Function - Celebration |
|
1. Jason Mraz - We sing, We dance, We steal things
2. She & Him - Volume One
3. Yael Naim - New Soul
4. Ariel Abshire - Exclamation Love
5. Ryan Montbleau - Patience on Friday
6. Adele - 19
7. Donavon Frankenreiter - Pass It Around
8. Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static
9. Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless
10. Ray Lamontagne - Gossip in the Grain |
| |
|
|
| DOUG'S top 10 (re-issues inclusive) in alphabetical order: |
|
PAUL'S Top 10 physical objects occupying (or formerly occupying) space in our store |
|
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Earthless - Live at Roadburn
Roky Erickson & The Explosives ? Halloween
The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
The Sword - Gods of the Earth
Re-issues:
Cheap Trick - Budokan!
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville: 15th Anniversary
The Replacements - Let It Be |
|
1. V/A “Shadow Music of Thailand” LP
2. V/A “Proto Algerian Funk” LP
3. Ersen “Ersen” LP/CD
4. Chris Ware “Acme Novelty Library #19 BOOK
5. Skip James “1931 Sessions” LP
6. Dead C “Secret Earth” CD
7. Shit & Shine “Cherry” CD
8. V/A “Bollywood Steel Guitar” CD
9. Believer MAGAZINE
10. Daniel Johnston “Jeremiah the Innocent” TOY |
| |
|
|
| BETH |
|
RODNEY |
1. barn grod - baron grod
2. faceless werewolves - excuse me but are those your claws on my back?
3. mitch hedburg - do you believe in gosh?
4. beach house - beach house
5. benoit piouard - temper
6. windy & carl - songs for the broken hearted
7. koen holtkamp - field rituals
8. elanoora rosenholm - ala kysy kuolleita, he sanoivat
9. fujiya & miyagi - lightbulbs
10. sparks - exotic creatures from the deep
|
|
1)Cold Sun- Dark Shadows (World in Sound)
2)Liverpool- Por Favor, Sucesso (Sunny Pierrot cd/Shadoks lp)
3)Gerard Manset- La Mort D’Orion (World Psychedelia)
4)Ersen- Ersen (Finders Keepers)
5)Various- Shadow Music of Thailand (Sublime Frequencies)
6)J.T. IV- Cosmic Lightning (Galactic Zoo/Drag City)
7)Ursula Bogner- Recordings 1969-1988 (Faitiche)
8)Dead C- Secret Earth (Ba Da Bing)
9)Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family- My Ancestors ( Hummingbird)
10)Sir Victor Uwaifo- Guitar Boy Superstar (Soundway)
Top 5 DVD releases
1)Day of the Outlaw (MGM)
2)Delirious Fictions of William Klein (Criterion)
3)Le Deuxieme Souffle (Criterion)
4)Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (Diskotek Media)
5)The Queen of Black Magic (Mondo Macabro) |
| |
|
|
| RUSSELL'S TOP 9 (PLUS 3 REISSUES, 2 DISQUALIFICATIONS, AND 2 CELEBRITIES) |
CARTER: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 5. Pacifica Quartet. Naxos 8559362 (63694393622).
The Pacifica Quartet gave a fantastic performance of Carter's Fifth Quartet in San Antonio back in 2005, so I knew this recording would be a sure bet. Mr. Carter will celebrate his 100th birthday on December 11th, and his compositional productivity remains equal to what it was at least 30 years ago, so we're all lame and pathetic.
CARTER: Complete Piano Music. Ursula Oppens, piano. Cedille 9000108 (73513191082).
Carter's centennial year warranted a second selection on this list, and this CD made the grade because of the best version I've ever heard of "Night Fantasies", plus the World Premiere recording of his short tour de force "Catenaires".
LASSUS: Cantiones Sacrae sex vocum. Collegium Vocale Gent; Philippe Herreweghe, conductor.
Harmonia mundi HMC 901984 (79488189132).
I own all of Herreweghe's Lassus recordings, a composer I adore, and this latest is not to be missed.
PERSICHETTI: Complete Piano Sonatas. Geoffrey Burleson, piano. New World 80677 (09322806772).
Is Mr. Burleson as good a harpsichordist as he is a pianist? If so, please have him record Persichetti's ten harpsichord sonatas (and there are ten instead of nine, contrary to what the Persichetti Society website says).
SCHOENBERG/SIBELIUS: Violin Concertos. Hilary Hahn, violin; Swedish Radio Sym. Orch.; Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond.Deutsche Grammophon B0010858-02 (02894777346).
Hahn's revelatory (and beautiful) performance of the Schoenberg edged out Anne-Sophie Mutter's recording of Gubaidulina's "in tempus praesens" to make the list, but even if Mutter the Great had recorded the Schoenberg she still wouldn't have topped Hahn's interpretation, though the Gubaidulina is pretty great.
SHOSTAKOVICH/BRITTEN: Cello Concerto No. 2/Third Suite for Cello Solo. Channel Classics SACD 25308 (722385253082).Pieter Wispelwey, cello; Sinfonia Cracovia; Jurjen Hempel, cond.
An inspired pairing, including possibly the best version of the Shostakovich since the Rostropovich/Ozawa, which will never be topped.
TIPPETT: Piano Concerto; Handel Fantasia; Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-4. Steven Osborne, piano. Hyperion CDA 67461/2 (03457117461--2 CDs).
My new favorite recordings of all these works, especially the sonatas.
XENAKIS: Kraanerg. Callithumpian Consort; Stephen Drury, cond. Mode 196 (76459301962).
The most successfully integrated performance yet of this 1968 masterpiece, plus you've got to love a Classical CD that has "PLAY LOUD" printed in large letters on its label.
David Oistrakh: 100th Anniversary Edition (includes violin concertos by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, and Ernst Hermann Meyer). Berlin Classics 18461 (78212484612--2 CDs).
Oistrakh's greatest performance that nobody knows is of Meyer's Violin Concerto, a work heavily influenced by Shostakovich that deserves to be in the repertoire. Its appearance on CD (FINALLY!) should be required listening for every violinist. |
|
REISSUES
MIASKOVSKY: Complete Symphonies. Various orchestras; Evgeny Svetlanov, cond. Warner Music 82564696898 (16 CDs).
These recordings have been available multiple times previously (and the Regis label is currently issuing them on individual CDs), but the Warner set will be the most easily accessible to U.S. shoppers.
Mstislav Rostropovich: Plays Cello Works. Warner Music 82564696817 (9 CDs).
Almost all of these recordings are reissues, including Alexander Knaifel's unbelievably beautiful "Chapter Eight" for multiple choirs and solo cello, but two works making their U.S. CD debut that I've owned on LP for decades are Marcel Landowski's "Un enfant appelle" and Andre Jolivet's outstanding Cello Concerto No. 2. Like the Meyer for every violinist, the Jolivet should be required listening for every cellist.
Concord String Quartet: Plays quartets by Haydn, Dvorak, Borodin, and Beethoven. Vox Box CDX 5149 (04716351492--2 CDs).
Known mainly for championing contemporary composers before disbanding in 1987, the Concord, as this set proves, could perform the standards just as commandingly; in fact, theirs may be the best Beethoven Op. 132 you'll ever hear.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
O'REGAN: Threshold of Light. Conspirare; Craig Hella Johnson, cond. Harmonia mundi SACD 807490 (09304674906).
I know too many of the Austin-based musicians performing on this disc to be able to include it impartially.
PALESTRINA/LASSUS/ASHEWELL: "La Quinta essentia". Huelgas
Ensemble; Paul van Nevel, cond. Harmonia mundi 901922
(79488180302).
The Ashewell Mass is a major discovery, but I cannot abide by the decision to excise the Credo of the Palestrina Mass to fit in onto this admittedly glorious CD instead of a shorter mass being chosen that would fit in its entirety.
BEST CELEBRITY ENCOUNTERS OF THE WATERLOO KIND IN 2008
Robert Plant (9/27): Couldn't have been nicer about autographing two CDs for my ex-wife, Rachel. Or more amused.
Barry Humphries (10/25): My favorite of all the celebrities I've met at Waterloo in over four years here. Knows more about music than all of you reading this combined, and thanks to yours truly now owns a recording of Jean Francaix's Quadruple Concerto (and also now knows the secret of the Uuno Klami header card). |
| |
|
|
| ANDY |
|
JOE JOHNSTON TURNER'S Fabulous Records of Aught-Eight |
New Stuff
1. Thee Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night in
2. caUSE co-MOTION! - It's Time
3. Nudity - Nightfeeders
4. Growing - Lateral & All the Way
5. Belong - Colorless Record
6. Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07 & Singles 08
7. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
8. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
9. JC & Co. - French Place Afternoon 7" ep
10. Wooden Shjips - Vol. 1
11. Magnetic Fields - Distortion
12. Sic Alps - A Long Way Around to a Shortcut & U.S. EZ
13. No Age - Nouns
14. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
15. Beach House - Devotion
16. Birchville Cat Motel - Four Freckle Constellation LP
17. Tape - Luminarium
18. Eat Skull - Sick to Death
19. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
20. Blank Dogs – On Two Sides
Reissues & Such
1. Shop Assistants - Will Anything Happen
2. Telescopes – Singles Compilation ‘89-‘91
3. Milk 'n Cookies - S/T
4. Various - Nigeria Disco Funk Special
5. Monochrome Set - Independent Singles Collection
6. John Cale & Terry Riley - Church of Anthrax
7. The Feelies - Only Life
8. Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting
9. Various – Unperfect Pop
10. The Lines – Memory Span |
|
1. Opeth - Watershed
2. Portishead - Third
3. Ancestors - Neptune By Fire
4. Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle pt. 1
5. Graveyard - Graveyard
6. Blood Ceremony - Blood Ceremony
7. Baron Grod - Baron Grod
8. Brothers And Sisters - Fortunately
9. The Sword - Gods of the Earth
10. Korpiklaani - Korven Kuningas
11. Testament - Formation of Damnation
12. Crom - Hot Sumerian Nights
13. Saviours - Into Abaddon
14. Dub Trio - Another Sound Is Dying
15. Asva - What You Don't Know Is Frontier
16. Ascend - Ample Fire Within
17. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
18. Jex Thoth - Jex Thoth
19. Black Widow - Live (DVD)
20. Swedish Death Metal by Daniel Ekeroth (book)
21. Get Thrashed (documentary)
Honorable Mention
1. Robin Thicke - Something Else
2. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
3. Darkthrone - Dark Thrones & Black Flags
Reissues
1. Mellow Candle - Swaddling Songs
2. Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix - New World's Fair
3. Pogues - Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say...Pogue Mahone
4. Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings
4. Suzy, Led Zeppelin, And Me by Martin Millar (book)
5. Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar (book) |
| |
|
|
| LIZZY'S top 19 live shows of '08 |
|
DJ BONEHEAD'S 12 X 8 for 2008 |
Brownout @ Beauty Bar 1/22
The Go-Gos @ Antones 2/4
Black Joe Lewis @ PrePrimary Obama Rally 2/22
Paul Collins Beat (SXSW) @ Soho Lounge 3/12
X & The Raveonettes (Spin SXSW Party) @ Stubb's 3/16
Man Man @ Emos 4/30
Roky Erickson (w/ surprise guest Billy Gibbons) @ Emos 5/15
The Cure @ Austin Music Hall 6/8
King Khan & The Shrines @ Mohawk 7/6
Jay Reatard, Cheap Time, & The Golden Boys @ Red 7 8/3
20/20, Pointed Sticks, Nikki Corvette, Tranzmitors, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, Black & Whites (Power Pop Festival) @ Mohawk 8/29-30
Silver Jews @ Emos 9/19
David Byrne ACL Aftershow @ The Paramount 9/25
Thomas Function @ Beerland 9/26
Jenny Lewis ACL Aftershow @ La Zona Rosa 9/28
Cat Power @ Stubb's 10/11
The High Strung & Boston Spaceships (Robert Pollard) @ The Parish 10/14
Young Mammals @ Club 1808 11/7
Darker My Love & The Strange Boys @ Emos 12/13 |
|
Format : CD
Recloose - Perfect Timing (Sonar Kollektiv)
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (Warp)
Shawn Lee & Band of Frequencies - Under The Sun (Ubiquity)
Inverse Cinematics – Passin’ Through (Pulver)
Syclops - I've Got My Eye On You (DFA)
The Mole - As High As The Sky (Wagon Repair)
Atjazz - Full Circle (Mantis)
Sonar Kollektiv Orchester - Guaranteed Niceness (Sonar Kollektiv)
Christian Prommer´s DrumLesson - Drum Lesson Vol.1 (Sonar Kollektiv)
Giles Peterson - In The House (Defected)
Charles Webster - Defected presents Charles Webster (Defected)
Notwave - Various Artists (DFA / Rong)
Format : 12" / LP
Ben Armstrong and Randall Soeung - Wrong Turn (MHYH 002)
Two Banks of Four - Queen Of Crows / Junkyard Gods / Go Remixes (Sonar Kollektiv)
Christian Prommers DrumLesson - Rej (Peter Kruder Remix) / Dirty Drums (Sonar Kollektiv)
Jazzanova - Belle Et Fou EP w/ Danny Krivit Edit (Sonar Kollektiv)
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - Face À L'Est (Musique Risquée)
Giles Peterson - In The House Exclusives 1, 2 & 3 (Defected)
Charles Webster - Defected presents Charles Webster EP 1 & 3 (Defected)
The Juan Maclean - Happy House (DFA) |
| |
|
|
| FINNER |
|
ALLISON |
|
1. Dub Trio “Another Sound Is Dying”
2. Neil Halstead “Oh MIghty Engine”
3.Russian Circles “Station”
4. Cult Of Luna “Eternal Kingdom”
5. Cory Allen “Fourth Wave”
6. Sword “Gods Of The Earth”
7. Metallica “Death Magnetic”
8. Gregor Samsa “Rest”
9. Faceless Werewolves “Pardon me...Are Those Your Claws On My Back
10. Baron Grod “S/T” |
|
in no particular order:
nick cave - dig!!! lazarus dig!!!
shearwater - rook
cheap time - cheap time
ten kens - ten kens
the new year - the new year
notwist - the devil, you + me
deerhunter - microcastle
sigur ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
spiritualized - songs in a&e
king khan & the shrines - the supreme genius of king khan & the shrines
reissues:
king khan and bbq - king khan and bbq show
rodriquez - rodriguez |
| |
|
|
| SHEILA SCOVILLE |
|
CHIPZ Top Ten |
Albums
1 Pram - The Moving Frontier
2 Portishead - Third
3 Sparks - Exotic Creatures of the Creep
4 Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplaine
5 Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
6 Ooga Boogas - Romance and Adventure
7 Hercules and Love Affair - S/T
8 Mark Stewart - Edit
9 RTX - JJ Got Live RaTX
10 Blank Dogs - On Two Sides
Live Shows
1 Om and Mudhoney at Emo's
2 Butthole Surfers reunion show at Stubbs
3 Liars at Mohawk and Red 7
4 Darondo at Club Deville for SXSW
5 Dengue Fever at Club Deville
6 Dead C at Bowery Ballroom
7 Van Morrison at La Zona Rosa
8 Gary Higgins/Red Hash at End of an Ear instore
9 Night Viking at Chaindrive and Pecan Street Festival
10 Ooga Boogas at Emo's |
|
(not in order of importance)
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Benga – Diary of a Mad Afro Warrior
Yelle – Pop Up
Rodriguez – Cold Fact
Verve – Forth
Courteeners – St. Jude
Rascals – Rascalize
Shortwave Set – Replica Sun Machine
Whip – X Marks Destination
Lionheart Brothers – Dizzy Kiss
and….a few more:
Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
Tobacco – Fucked Up Friends
Duchess & the Duke – She’s the Dutchess He’s the Duke
Lindstrom – Where you go I go too
Pigeon Detectives – Emergency
Hercules & Love Affair
Wombats – Guide to love loss and desperation
Last of the Shadow Puppets – Age of Understatement
Sword – Gods of Earth
Koushik – Out My Window |
| |
|
|
| CHRISTINA |
|
CORBY'S Top 10 companies that haven't gone out of business this year: (not necessarily in order) |
| Tom Carter - Shots At Infinity 2 (Important)
Dead C - Secret Earth (Ba Da Bing)
Dredd Foole - Kissing The Contemporary Bliss (Family Vineyard)
Free Kitten - Inherit (Ecstatic Peace)
Hisato Higuchi - Butterfly Horse Street (Family Vineyard)
Jandek - Glasgow Sunday 2005 (Corwood)
Metal Rouge - Three For Malachi Ritscher (Root Strata)
Naked On The Vague - Blood Pressure Sessions (Siltbreeze)
Alexander Tucker - Portal (ATP)
Windy + Carl - Songs For The Broken Hearted (Kranky) |
|
1. Whataburger
2. Valve/Steam
3. Chase (my bank, although I probably wouldn't have noticed if they did)
4. NC Soft-Austin (Although they did downsize in Feb)
5. Comedy Central
6. Lucasfilm
7. Iain M. Banks Inc.
8. the company that owns the extended service contract on my car (no, they are just "re-organizing")
9. All the cool record companies/labels that I order from
10. Waterloo Records & Video |
| |
|
|
| AND THE WINNERS ARE... |
1. Deerhunter - Microcastle
2. Jay Reatard – Matador Singles ’08 and Singles 06-07
3. Nick Cave – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
4. Blank Dogs – On Two Sides
5. Baron Grod – Self Titled
6. Beach House - Devotion
7. Cheap Time – Self Titled
8. Shearwater - Rook
9. The Sword – Gods Of The Earth
10. Ooga Boogas – Romance and Adventure
11. Notwist – The Devil, You + Me
12. This Will Destroy You – Self Titled
13. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
14. Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
15. Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Primary Colors
Top Re-issues/Compilations 2008
The Nerves – One Way Ticket
Rodriguez –Cold Fact
VA – 1970’s Algerian Proto Rai Underground
King Khan & BBQ Show – Self Titled
VA – Nigerian Special Series
VA – Titan: Its All Pop!
|
