Year-End Critics' Polls '08

nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year, you know? and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 12:16 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I mean, it wasn't the best year for hip-hop sure...

But The Roots, ABN, TI, Jeezy, Webbie and Guilty Simpson are all pretty awesome in my eyes.

Whiney, I'm going to go ahead and fess up that I haven't heard ANY of those!

Wait, who are ABN?

I spend waaaay too much time and energy listing to avant-garde and noise...

ABN are Assholes By Nature, Houston diehards Z-Ro and Trae together. I think all those records I mentioned are better than the Lil Wayne record.

If you like avant-garde and noise, i suggest starting with the Roots record, which is pretty apocalyptic and unforgiving and moving on to Guilty Simpson, which is Madlibby stuff that The Wire readers could prolly fuck with.

Also, since you're here, can we talk about the best NOISE noise records (ie, harsh noise, not Fuck Buttons) of the year?

The only ones I've really loved are (in order)

1. Carlos Giffoni - Eternal Noise
2. Emeralds – Solar Bridge
3. Prurient - And Still Waiting
4. Burning Star Core - Challenger
5. The Goslings – Occasion
6. Robedoor - Rancor Keeper
7. Wold - Stratification
8. Skull Defekts - The Drone Drug

But I'm sure there's some I haven't copped. Supposedly Jason Crumer on Hospital is supposed to be ill.

But I'm sure there's a bunch

scratch that last line

also feeling nappy roots and bun b, in terms of hip-hop

Oh yeah, add Nappy Roots to that list, definitely!

nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year, you know? and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:16 AM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark

yah maybe try listening to rap before saying stuff like this??

ooooooohboy I sure do love these conversations

and the likeliest candidates all got pushed back from late 2008 to early 2009.

― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:16 AM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark

jay-z? common? timbaland?

50 and Alchemist too (I don't think Common got pushed back to next year, though)

whiney you HAVE to cop crumer, that disc is amazing

also i'll second prurient, giffoni (that album and his other releases), bxc

That Lil Wayne record should be finishing high in critics polls, probably higher than it has on these listed. I mean it's really good and really popular, which tends to be what rises to the top when consensus is measured.

I don't think it's the best record of the year or anything, but it's one of the best albums that also sold a lot and MIGHT be the best hip-hop album in a relatively weak year for hip-hop albums.

It's the preponderance of Fleet Foxes/My Morning Jacket/Kings of Leon/etc. indie-roots mediocrities that's more depressing.

deej, i'll amend what i said to

"nothing was AWESOME in hip-hop this year for me"

that i heard

carter iii was great for what it was but couldn't be top ten for me given that there was so much better stuff out in other genres

robedoor and pocahaunted kinda leave me a bit cold, to be honest

Pocahaunted is Pocahorrible

Like if you're going to have a name that stupid, you better be awesome.

Surprised Fennesz' Black Sea hasn't appeared in any list so far as I thought it was pretty much the mainstream ambient album and artist of choice. I suppose the late release is to blame.

Its not that good and it's no longer fashionable for indie fuXXors to rally around Funnesz

Tape's Luminarium is much better in that vein, but it didn't get too much by means of press

haha i'll second that whiney

other great 08 noise: controlled dissonance, fuck buttons, growing, thurston moore, Istituzioni Ambienti Naturalismo / Lolita Vibrator Torture, whistletips, cash slave clique

more discussion of atlas sound plz

HOTOTOGISU people

also great: the north sea, satellite clouds, starving weirdos

In what issue will The Wire publish their list?

traditionally, it's the december issue, i think

The old Stylus staff should compile one for old time's sake and put it on the site. When ILM does one, we should expand entries to 20 albums to keep it interesting.

The best lists usually turn me on to albums I missed. Cokemachineglow, Brainwashed, Silent Ballet and The Wire are good for that.

Looks like Kanye West and Killers will be underrepresented when they normally would likely rule the mainstream lists.

Some favorite noise and avant records of 2008:

zdzislaw pierik / piotr zabrodzki - namanga
william parker - double sunrise over neptune
li jianhong - san sheng shi
sean mccann - flutter oasis
astro echo the echo from the purple dawn
datashock & shivers - vol IV
nasa - bummer daze
natural snow buildings - laurie bird

is that Tape, as in the Häpna artist? i didn't know they even had anything new out.

can you tell me about natural snow buildings?

forgot: neptune, "gong lake" (though it took me a while to "get" that one)

Whoah, didn't know about a new Tape record either! (and by the looks of it, it has been out for what, eight months? crazy!)

I think the problem everyone is having this year is that there hasnt been a definitive album which both mainstream and critics may agree on like say 'In Rainbows' or 'Person Pitch' last year. It hasn't been a very good year for pop or mainstream.

I still haven't ranked them as I don't have a favorite one but this are the records I listened to the most this year:

Jacaszek - Treny
Bruno Pronsato - Why Cant We Be Like Us
Clark - Turning Dragon
Shed - Shedding the past
Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Zdzislaw Piernik & Piotr Zabrodzki - Namanga
Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista
Scott Tuma - Not for Nobody
Tape - Luminarium
Death Vessel - Nothing is good enough for us
Air France - No Way Down Ep
Four Tet - Ringer Ep

Also amidst a love/hate season with Lykke Li and Fleet Foxes. There's many things on both I like but I just cant seem to listen to the full album straight... they're very homogenic.

@Beatrix: Natural Snow Buildings released seven (!) albums this year. It seems the most popular is 'Laurie Bird' wouldnt know about the rest since I've only listened 'Sung to the North' and it's decent. The opening track on Laurie Bird (46 minutes long) is a hell of a trip, the other two tracks are ok.

For some reason people keep namedropping Vampire Weekend on Natural Snow Buildings reviews, when I can't hear any musical connection between them, anybody knows if they share a member or come from the same place or something?

no, natural snow buildings are french, and are really just two people. As far as I can tell there is absolutely not connection, musically or otherwise. people are crazy.

Actually all I've read over and over is 'Better than Vampire Weekend'... I suppose it's some sort of joke then.

I think the problem everyone is having this year is that there hasnt been a definitive album which both mainstream and critics may agree on like say 'In Rainbows' or 'Person Pitch' last year. It hasn't been a very good year for pop or mainstream.

Only someone with Paavoharju on their list would say that Person Pitch had mainstream resonance.

^ Wasn't it a global lovefest after pitchfork named it album of the year? I suppose I'm more forlorn than I thought I was :(

Are you dissing on Paavoharju?

Whiney's just does a victory dance anytime he finds someone indier than him.

Wasn't it a global lovefest after pitchfork named it album of the year?

Maybe on some indie-leaning message boards, but I don't think Rolling Stone readers know Panda Bear from Grizzly Bear because of that. Also, Paavoharju's all right.

Whiney's just does a victory dance anytime he finds someone indier than him.

some dude and the art of feigned ignorance.

I wasn't making fun of his choices, I was just saying his thinking that blog-hyped indie rock bands having some sort of mainstream push may be because he dwells so intensely in deep cuts.

Only someone with Paavoharju on their list would say that Person Pitch had mainstream resonance.

Yeah, I thought the same thing. I thought maybe he meant to say Sound of Silver.

(Or, for that matter, Graduation.)

Is there still such thing as "blog-hyped indie rock?" What blogs are still considered taste-makers?

I know someone says this every year on these threads, but: it's impossible to keep up with every frickin' album that comes out in a given year. In addition to the gazillion albums that came out in 2008 that I didn't buy, download illegally, or receive as promos, there are a lot that I did get as promos but never had a free moment to play because I was too busy listening to other stuff for reviews or just living life generally. All of which is to say that there's no such thing as a totally wide-open top 10 list and there never will be, until, perhaps, Multivac is invented. And even then probably not.

Is there still such thing as "blog-hyped indie rock?" What blogs are still considered taste-makers?

My point exactly

Oh yes, 'Sound of Silver' is a better example I guess, but anyways you got the point. Everyone already knew by November what album was ranking on the first place for them and this year it's been very harsh pleasing everyone by the choices, critics seem confused. The best records this year are too offbeat or strange for mainstream audience yet the pop releases have been very bland.

PS: I'm a girl.

As for music blogs which could be considered 'taste-makers' I'd nominate gorillavsbear.

gotta second these noms for avant albums of the year...

paavoharju - laulu laakson kukista
natural snow buildings - laurie bird
emeralds – solar bridge
burning star core - challenger
the goslings – occasion

a few suggestions...

demons/hatred - split lp
liquid metal - alternative soundtrack to digital overdrive
u.s. girls - introducing...
teotihuacan - live smokeshows from inside the ciguri cave hazed diamonds with windswept hair
bulbs - light ships

no more... fuck buttons, please.

i kinda like pocahaunted, even though i'd choose mi ami over them any day of the week. speaking of which, add mi ami - african rhythms 12" to that suggestions list.

i would really hope gvb doesn't influence anyone's taste
sorry if anyone on that site is here but i really dislike that blog

xp