Year-End Critics' Polls '08

"I think that if we can move into original content in the long run that will be more exciting. It is closer to what we do in the newspaper - we don't publish other people's stories. We are original content providers."

Ha ha, tell that to the various bloggers whose content they've splashed over double page spreads without permission or payment!

Pushing the envelope already with the ACM Gospel Choir there.

Very glad to see others got in ahead of me with the task of typing up the Wire lists. I bet myself before turning the page to see the top of their list that the Bug would be #1, good to see I've been keeping my finger on the pulse.

wow, the wire's "critical beats" list sure veered dubstep this year. (for the record, i contributed about half of that; guessing walmsley did the rest. and my list was, shockingly, mostly dubstep, with the exception of villalobos, koze, and louis guilliaume. i think i voted for move d's "drøne," too, but it looks like that slipped over to the electronica list.)

as for mixing up tracks, albums and singles, IMO it's the only way to do it when each genre just gets one (short) list...

xpost: That was Kid Cudi's "Day 'N Night", I think.

― mike t-diva, Thursday, December 11, 2008 4:49 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

haha thats one of the main songs discussed in frankenstein beats thread -- it has an american corollary w/ a crookers remix as well

1. Roots Manuva - Slime and Reason

really missing something with this

I can't get past the cover. Ties with Santogold for title of worst 2008 album cover.

1. Roots Manuva - Slime and Reason

really missing something with this

― Yentl vs Predator (blueski), Thursday, 11 December 2008 12:27 (32 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Problem with Roots Manuva albums is that they take far too long to "unlock" when listening to now, and I just get convinced the further he gets into his career the less valuable the stuff you're gonna be discovering on the 40th listen is.

i think i just wanted some not-boring beats

I sort of lost interest in Roots Manuva when I realised he was a really plodding MC who happens to have an amazing voice.

Gigwise's Top 50 Albums Of 2008!
http://www.gigwise.com/photos/48128/Gigwises-Top-50-Albums-Of-2008

Spin Magazine - The 40 Best Albums of 2008
http://www.spin.com/articles/40-best-albums-2008?page=0%2C0

Dear Gigwise,

I can't be fucked to click 'Next' 50 times to see which record you voted as number one. Please make your website less shit or I will assume you voted for MGMT like everyone else.

Yours,

poor Gigwise they just don't understand Information Design

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/930811

Gigwise Top 10

1. Elbow
2. Lil' Wayne
3. TV On The Radio
4. MGMT
5. Kanye West
6. Neon Neon
7. Friendly Fires
8. Metallica
9. Mogwai
10. Sebastien Tellier

Gigwise need to become WEBwise
http://www.informationdesign.org/

I fiddled with the URL - it was Eblow what won it.

x-post durn it

does anyone on ILM love/care about both the Elbow and Lil Wayne albums to roughly the same degree?

Probably a fair few who think they're both shit.

and the faeces

what's up with spin's santogold review? so who actually gets the spot, her or lykki?

same goes for elbow

Lykke gets Lykke's spot, clearly.

Did Spin really compare Hot Chip to Nate Dogg?

what's up with spin's santogold review? so who actually gets the spot, her or lykki?

I don't understand this comment. Did we read the same review?

SANTOGOLD
SANTOGOLD
The M.I.A. comparisons fly as far as surging opener "L.E.S. Artistes." From there, Santi White concocts her own dance-floor ultramodernity, incorporating '80s new wave (the Missing Persons–meets-Devo "You'll Find a Way"), reggae ("Shove It"), and coconut-flavored electro (the buzzing "Unstoppable"). It's a sonic mash as gloriously schizoid as her outfits. Who else could make opening for Coldplay, writing songs for Ashlee Simpson, and collaborating with Spank Rock seem so audaciously natural? J.M.

coconut-flavored electro?

Did Spin really compare Hot Chip to Nate Dogg?

― the gov (rod blagojevich ha ha) (The Reverend), Thursday, December 11, 2008 2:42 PM (41 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

they're just trying to make us start another poll thread

The M.I.A. comparisons fly as far as surging opener "L.E.S. Artistes."

Actually, that's the line that bothers me the most, since "Creator" is clearly the song on the album that's the most M.I.A.-derivative.

Drowned In Sound's 50 Albums of 2008

I'm still looking for that Rolo Tomassi album. Finally heard Wild Beasts, and not sure what to think about that singer. Some moments remind me of Long Fin Killie.

The few unique entries are:
Hauschka - Ferndorf
Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up 'Til It Was Light
Diamanda Galas - Guilty Guilty Guilty

tbh i'd forgotten that guilty guilty guilty was released, mostly b/c diamanda isn't an artist one exactly listens to regularly, but there's a track in the middle of it called 'time (interlude)' which is just chillingly beautiful.

Johnny Foreigner only at #38? Heads will roll.

Next year I'm lobbying for Diamanda Galas Week on X Factor.

someone tell me about johnny foreigner. ive only heard of them cuz they've toured w/ campesinos lots this year though im assuming that they are irreparably terrible.

You'll probably like them if you like Los Campesinos. I think they are largely terrible.

lol u gotta be fuckin kidding me with this 500 word intro to the dis list

Their name is bad enough to prevent my investigating them any further.

What a pompous pile of pumpkin piss that DiS intro is.

"We decree" - FUCK OFF!

"potent pop" - KILL NOW

I find their incessant references to "our world" and similar really offputting and I also feel like the extent to which they seem to cling to it as an ethos drags them down as a potentially not bad site

yeah i think dis is generally not awful - the writing is only okay if im being generous but they give lots of bands a completely open forum and it usually results in really interesting reads wrt bands that you care about (the track-by-track feature especially)

DiS is very consciously about creating a sense of community and that community is the modern extension of a ground-level London-centric indie fanzine world. I find this pretty offputting as well but can't really deny it's been a significant factor in their success, despite the site as a whole feeling very cobbled together.

Hang on, I've just read the piece and it's terrible. I'm not sure what 'world' Outkast share with DiS but I haven't seen Andre 3000 down the Monarch of late.

He was there with Cee-Lo. It was groovy.

DiS reminds me of Jazz Journal - that always goes on about "our" world and OUR music and is equally out of touch.

I've heard Young Jeezy was spotted at the Los Campesinos gig the other day. He likes listening to M83 while dipping into Baudrillard as well.

DiS is very consciously about creating a sense of community and that community is the modern extension of a ground-level London-centric indie fanzine world. I find this pretty offputting as well but can't really deny it's been a significant factor in their success, despite the site as a whole feeling very cobbled together.

― Matt DC, Friday, 12 December 2008 11:21 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Success may be too strong a word there.

Bit patronising to suggest that he wouldn't (xp).

I meant success as in lots of readers, not as in actually making money.

They've done more with it than I would have expected, but also not as much as they clearly must have expected at one point

What, like Hull City?

In 2008 DiS ended their ties with BSKyB
http://www.drownedinsound.com/in_depth/3858825
...and lost their lead writer (who is now at Clash Magazine / Website)