TOP 10 NOW: \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\shawty got poll poll poll poll poll poll poll (part II: 2008 ALBUMS)/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

But but but Musically, I like the wtfing most of all! :)

Thanks again for doing this, have a great weekend

anyway, teaser for #20...it's probably the most tolerable "indie" album I heard last year

my most tolerable indie album was santogold...i'd be pretty pleased to see her at no 20, it's about where she belongs.

i think what i meant was that there's a distinct lack of songs so far - not that i place any sort of premium on them but the tendency towards droney ambience and abstract psych folk has meant that any album with actual songcraft on it has really leapt out so far.

Great weekend AFTER you give us #19 - #10 obv. (sorry, I already have weekend)

also i suspect that the metal crew have done a better job of getting themselves organised for an effective assault on this poll.

if anything i'd say the exact opposite, mostly lamenting the fact that harvey milk et al aren't probably going to make it. also, not the most centralized shared opinion types yer likely to find, TBH.

Droney ambience and abstract psych-folk are two different things to me - the phrasing "actual songcraft" makes me cringe, because to me that's exactly what Grouper does, for example - but I see your point Lex.

Maybe on that album, the other albums are pretty drone-y

if anything i'd say the exact opposite, mostly lamenting the fact that harvey milk et al aren't probably going to make it.

The biggest disappointment for me. Before the poll , i didnt think it would make it, but after Boris and Earth made it, whom Harvey Milk beat by a long way in the metal poll, I had my hopes raised, but dashed when Torche was posted.
Still, I've had a lot more of my list making it than I imagined. And there's still The Bug and Portishead to come hopefully.
Longshot after seeing Grouper and Lau Nau making it would be James Blackshaw, but I dont think there's anyway he could go top 20. Esp if the top 20 features more recognisable names now.

re crystal castles, the track that first got me.

a lot of the album is like that, moody, repetitive. some of it gets more electrodribbly

and some of it's more chiptuney and squawky

fingers crossed for Late Of The Pier at 20

for the record, i don't know grouper. but am keen to listen to it now. thanks guys.

Hmmm lots happening while i was gone. happy abt torche, it was my #1 but that's a great showing for a 'niche' album.

however, crystal castles is fine but boring, elbow and campesinos are things i will never understand, and i was really disappointed with microcastle.

It's like dying in Zelda over and over again.

Can't stand Crystal Castles, but love this description.

i don't think any given album so far is un-ilm, but ambient droney stuff does seem rather overrepresented compared to its visible presence. and there's a weird lack of house and techno so far, though i'm not sure what the consensus albums even were this year (shed? trus'me?). also i suspect that the metal crew have done a better job of getting themselves organised for an effective assault on this poll. i can't even imagine the r&b or ringtone threads doing that.

i'm not unhappy with it, better this than the terrible pfork indie which filled every other 2008 year-end list, but i do feel a bit...distant from it, and i really hope the top 20 has more stuff i'm down with.

ie no more fucking elbow, seriously, god, so BORING.

― lex pretend, Thursday, February 12, 2009 5:24 PM Bookmark

good assessment

I'm particularly suprised at the low amount of house/techno after how strongy those genres performed in the singles poll.

I'm particularly non-stoked for the top 20 because ho boy we're in for a lot of house/techno/TVOTR

:P

based on the projections I have read above some of you are going to be in for a rather large surprise.

looking forward to being surprised

Elbow is the best thing on this list so far, IMO!

O_O

if ANYONE can explain to me why elbow is good i will listen attentively.

get the other three albums. do not get this one.

the other three albums are sublime, musically-involving and often surprising explorations of emotion, this is watered-down mush by comparison

what instrument did musically play?
/dadjoek

regarding elbow, i think this one is the best and most accomplished yet! the other three seemed a bit hesitant and unsure of themselves, particularly in the longer, plodding numbers. seemed like they were doing the requisite long track, requisite loud track etc., all the while kind of uncertain about what direction they wanted to go in as an act. this new record is much more confident and assured, and, importantly, it's a lot more subtle too. the dude's staying in a comfortable range vocally and not trying to outdo himself. i mean he's no thom yorke, and when he stretches his voice he sounds broad and clumsy. bad thing about 'seldom seen kid' though is that it really falls away at the end. 'one day like this' is fucking shit, sugar coated in gimmicky strings and the worst kinds of studio trickery.

I half expected the Paul Weller to sneak in. Was quite an adventurous album from his point of view and it's the first album I've liked of his since Wild Wood.
I think marcello and maybe mark grout will back me up on that.

So, here are 15 albums that will certainly go top 20:

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War
The Bug - London Zoo
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
The-Dream - Love/Hate
Fleet Foxes - s/t
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
Hercules and Love Affair - s/t
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
M83 - Saturdays = Youth
Portishead - Third
Santogold - s/t
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Vampire Weekend - s/t
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak

also there are some things that didn't make the top 50 that made me go omgwtf, like, search my spam folder to make sure that i didn't lose some ballots kind of omgwtf.

― lil waynes babymama (musically), Monday, February 9, 2009 12:08 PM (4 days ago)

Here are 12 more that could make it, but I'm unsure:

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
No Age - Nouns
Steinski - What Does It All Mean? Retrospective 1983-2006
TI - Paper Trail
Young Jeezy - The Recession

A couple more:

Air France - No Way Down
DJ /rupture - Uproot

maybe kanye/vampire weekend/tvotr/fleet foxes one of those wont make it and thats what she means? Thats 3 high profile things id expect to be in it.

There's been a lack of nme/pfork indie really so far, replaced by whats been termed as mor electro-dribble so either its all going to come now or miss out completely. Could any of TVOTR/Fleet Foxes/Vampire Weekend miss out?

That's 29 albums. Only 20 max are going to make it.

And that's just off the top of my head.

Hopefully there will be some unexpected entries. (though I doubt it)

i hope fucked up and no age didn't get many votes. the former is arty and "challenging" in a way that misses the point, while the latter is doug martsch singing over old JAMC outtakes

Musically could really tease us if she said there was something in that which wasn't mentioned in those previous posts

TVOTR, Fleet Fuxors, Vampire Weekend are all too high profile to not make it. Too many listeners, too many voters. Plus they've done well in the tracks poll -- I think people are listening to those, and will vote for them.

I can see Bon Iver, MGMT and maybe even Young Jeezy not making it. All would surprise me, but it could happen.

in the poll not "that"

I'd say Air France is a lock.

My gut tells me The-Dream won't make it...

of montreal taking fleet foxes' spot would put the biggest smile on my face.

Hah! Not going to happen, unfortunately.

Hot Chip and Steinski I really have no idea about. I can see either making it, or not. I'd say both are left out, gut feeling.

(The former, of course is electrodribble. The latter, brilliant and essential.)

Before I go back to bed, tell me what electro-dribble will probably make it ;)

hah xpost

i hope fucked up and no age didn't get many votes. the former is arty and "challenging" in a way that misses the point, while the latter is doug martsch singing over old JAMC outtakes]

wow that's just super rong re: fucked up. what in the world is "challenging" about it?

hah agreed but i think his point is that hacks trying to be challenging doesnt make for much of a challenge

but it's not supposed to challenge, it's supposed to rock, and it does so.

Before I go back to bed, tell me what electro-dribble will probably make it ;)

The remaining electrodribble I'd say is Cut Copy, Hot Chip and MGMT. I would expect at least Cut Copy in the top 5-15 or so.

I feel like MGMT and Hot Chip could've gotten votes on the tracks poll, more so than here.

vocals = challenging, if yr not into that approach. i don't think they're trying to be challenging on any level, though. just sound like a rock band, and a good one

be real surprised if MGMT doesn't make it

"challenging" in the sense that it tries to do away with convention and integrate punk with some more unassuming stylings so as to mess with common perceptions of what constitutes punk and in what directions it can be pushed. that's a noble pursuit, i just don't think it works so well with this album. doesn't sound so vital to my ears. opinion only.

the vocals is another point too, but one that didn't occur to me till it was mentioned :)

By the way, what the fuck is this!?!!?

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I like this list a lot so far... but then again, after seven of my choices appearing on it, why wouldn't I? ;)

I was going to vote for Grouper then forgot, though (I have the horrible feeling I voted for Elbow in its place, sorry fellow Grouper-lovers). With emil.y's and my vote it would have featured even higher!