I didn’t get too much of a chance to listen to new music in 2008, instead spending most of the year studying for several certification exams. As such, what follows is more of a recap of the year for me and what I did get a chance to see/hear/experience, rather than a traditional “top 10.”
Good :: Tears For Fear’s Elemental — I listened to this record more than any other in 2008. Strange that I should still find resonance in a record that is 15 years old. The Loop reissues. A slew of excellent Aidan Baker / Nadja / Arc releases. Lots of great stuff on the archivecd label. All of those expanded & remastered Orb records – thank you! Ending the year on a true high note by going to London the day after Christmas and coming back the day after New Year’s. The CarterTutti record was fantastic. Panda Bear. The Carl Wilson reissue. Pub’s EP series on ampoule (pricey but totally worth it). Cluster’s Berlin 07, Coil’s The New Backwards, any tidbits that I’ve been able to pick up from Soisong. Season 2 of Metalocalypse. Earthless’ Live At Roadburn. Fripp/Eno reissues. “Solid Waste” by Meat Beat Manifesto (featured on Autoimmune) might be track of the year. Finding a copy of the first Primitive Painter record. Scorn’s return to form, Stealth (though released late 2007). Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler”. The soundtrack to “Michael Clayton.” The Gas reissue box on Kompakt. Violets by Twine. The death of Neo-Conservatism. Archival releases from FSOL.
Bad :: Chemical Chords from Stereolab — this is the sound of a once-great band truly spinning its wheels. The death of David Foster Wallace shook me deep. Other friends also decided to not continue making the journey with the rest of us (RIP, Sabrina). Not having time to write. The last Autechre record. Imposter-Don Caballero starts writing songs with vocals = math rock is dead. Death of Ron Ashton. Not being able to keep up with Matthew Bower’s aggressive release schedule. No new MuteMath or Tortoise records.
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