Best Album of 2008

[Dublin12]

I voted other, as I have yet to hear anything better than the new David Holmes cd.

[Wolfie]

Viva La Vida just shaded it for me.

[B]Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha is a very enjoyable (if not particularly original) album.

It's a more immediate, upbeat album to Road to Rouen and has an infectious glam stomp to some of the tunes. Gaz Coombes vocals have a new maturity and confidence in delivery that was perhaps missing previously.

The influences are blatantly obvious nods to Bowie, Dylan etc but they are always tastefully and cleverly woven into the fabric of the tunes.

If you're looking for an album to simply entertain - check it out.

[Macy]

Other: The Aftermath - Friendlier Up Here

[centre mid]

Damn, I meant to vote for MGMT Oracular Spectacutlar but i forgot it was 2007, no outstanding others as of yet.

[Bluebeard]

Damn, I meant to vote for MGMT Oracular Spectacutlar but i forgot it was 2007, no outstanding others as of yet.

Thought it was this year. WIki suggests that it was released online last year and in real terms this year. I'd have called it a 2008 release, and that is what was on the back of the CD cover.

[kingdom hoop]

Pretty sure Oracular Spectacular was doing the rounds at the tail end of last year Bluey baby. Maybe if the popular charts account for internet sales then we should too. Though it appears to be of little consequence beyond giving Centre Mid someone to vote for this year.

On the topic of Centre Mid, for me Midfield General's General Disarray hounds this year's opposition into submission, brutishly claiming possession of the best-album award with an electro masterpiece. Though I do him a disservice with the aggressive terminology as General Disarray blends power with panache, feistiness with finesse - in other words, just what you want from your Midfield General.
Fans of The Mighty Boosh may be interested to note that Noel Fielding guest stars on one song, while Brighton and Hove Albion fans should know Midfield General himself owns your sponsors - Skint Records. No excuse for ye not to check out THE electronic album of the year, forget that Neon Neon and Hot Chip rubbish.

Overall this year seemed to serve me a glut of fantastic records in the first quarter (amongst many others Lykke Li, We Show Up On Radar, Vampire Weekend, Foals, Hot Chip, Neon Neon, Cut Copy, The LK immediately spring to mind) but less so over the past few months (Jape and Lindstrom maybe). Still, I was well fed before the (probably self-created) famine. But decent year in general I think.

Surprised no one's mentioned The Ting Tings though, I suppose we'll have to wait until Single of the Year for them. Anything else happen this year? My memory is best described as merely encompassing the od half of good.

[superfrank]

Surprised no one's mentioned The Ting Tings though, I suppose we'll have to wait until Single of the Year for them.

Which one? They all sound the same.

[stann]

Anything else happen this year? My memory is best described as merely encompassing the od half of good.

Mine is going that way it seems, as I forgot Midfield General, and to mention the brilliant Nick Cave and even more brilliant Elbow albums which in all fairness are in the list above.
That's a decent top six then, those three there, Neon Neon, Cut Copy and Hot Chip slightly over all. Pretty good year!

[kingdom hoop]

Which one? They all sound the same.

Just like Stacey, Mary-Jo Lisa and Jane sound the same is it? Please try not to hurt someone's feelings and listen properly next time won't you, unless you want a fairly tiresome "That's Not The Song's Name" tune to come out.

Mine is going that way it seems, as I forgot Midfield General, and to mention the brilliant Nick Cave and even more brilliant Elbow albums which in all fairness are in the list above.
That's a decent top six then, those three there, Neon Neon, Cut Copy and Hot Chip slightly over all. Pretty good year!

Whoo, first person I've 'met' who has the Midfield General album. 137 Piano and (particularly so) Bass Mechanic definitely two of my favourite tracks of the year, and prefer it overall to Hot Chip too, maybe cos of the football references! And now I know you said your memory is fuzzy but how did you leave Hoop Hoop Hurray out of the top 6? And don't give me the "no compilations" excuse!

[Bluebeard]

Utterly forgot the wonderful Youth Novels by Lykke Li, and for that, much atonement is due.

However, seeing as I don't believe in music that is not printed on vinyl, I stand firmly behind my stance on it being a 2008 release. Many things are releases online or on MTV before real people who like their music to have ALL the frequencies can get hold of it. Otherwise we'd have to include Crazy Frog and interminable other crap, and that could seriously affect the Oasis votes...

[gustavo]

Otherwise we'd have to include Crazy Frog and interminable other crap, and that could seriously affect the Oasis votes...

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul 0

[Pauro 76]

Oh noooo, please not the Ting Tings. They just severely irritate me. Reckon MGMT 'Oracular Spectacular' is a class album. Slow burner for me, only got the album a month ago, but it's excellent, and will be surely in the album of the year lists.

[jebus]

Judgement Call On MGMT (not that it matters)

I'm putting them down as a 2008 release as the album was only released on CD/vinyl/mini disk (remember them? probably not) in Jan 2008. It was available to download before hand but that's why we call it a judgement call

[Bluebeard]

Yes, I would have to say that the quality of modding and judgement in the Music forum is second to none!

[Pauro 76]

Reckon Portishead - Third deserves a mention. After 11 years away, it could have been a disaster. The fact that it was a different feel from the two previous albums, and that it was a damn fine comeback puts it up there with the best. The Rip, one of the songs of the year for me. Speaking of comebacks, the Verve one was majorly disappointing iMO.

[kingdom hoop]

Better than the main forum anyway. Jebus for Promotion!

Other good albums from this year that have come to mind:
Benga - Diary Of An Afro Warrior
Brazilian Girls - New York City
Booka Shade - The Sun And The Neon Light
Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
Supabeatz - Sexy Hi-Fi


By the way, did anyone get the new Peter Bjorn & John album?

[jebus]

Agree on Portishead and Benga from the last two posts, haven't actually gotten around to buying the new Booka Shade yet (more fool me) and this has just reminded me that I need to pick it up

[BohsPartisan]

Yeah Portishead was quality. I was expecting it to be awful or just a re-hash of the old sound but I was pleasantly surprised.

[superfrank]

Just like Stacey, Mary-Jo Lisa and Jane sound the same is it? Please try not to hurt someone's feelings and listen properly next time won't you, unless you want a fairly tiresome "That's Not The Song's Name" tune to come out.

There's only so many times the Ting Tings can make a song that sounds original. I think that was once. All their singles I've heard sound like slowed down or faster versions of their previous versions.

I mean, there must be only so many combinations of guitar and drum (there's only two of them, yeah?) that can make a song.

[Dodge]

Only two of them but pretty varied amount of instruments. Asa rapfan I thought you'd have appreciated the merits of excellent production

Most bands have a similar sound