quote:

Originally posted by just indie:
the apples in stereo should have at least been one of my honorable mentions...

This makes sense. It had some good songs on it, and it was a very respectable effort. It just wasn't extremely strong and cohesive as an album.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:

quote:

Originally posted by just indie:
the apples in stereo should have at least been one of my honorable mentions...

This makes sense. It had some good songs on it, and it was a very respectable effort. It just wasn't extremely strong and cohesive as an album.

That's funny, I thought it was one of the best straight pop albums since Fountains of Wayne's "Welcome Interstate Managers" or, going further back, Caviar's self-titled. And the non-pythagorean compositions are passable, but they're just so out there and interesting if you bother to read the (insane amount of) info the Apples have written about it. They've got power pop down to a science, literally.

quote:

Originally posted by pak:

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:

quote:

Originally posted by just indie:
the apples in stereo should have at least been one of my honorable mentions...

This makes sense. It had some good songs on it, and it was a very respectable effort. It just wasn't extremely strong and cohesive as an album.

That's funny, I thought it was one of the best straight pop albums since Fountains of Wayne's "Welcome Interstate Managers" or, going further back, Caviar's self-titled. And the non-pythagorean compositions are passable, but they're just so out there and interesting if you bother to read the (insane amount of) info the Apples have written about it. They've got power pop down to a science, literally.

Exactly. Several of thos songs are just amazing. They just can't seem to break out of their formula.

My disapointment with the album came clear the day I realized how many songs on the album are simply the title of the song sung over and over and over over a really catchy melody. It just gets old after a while.

Like a delicious box of Milk Duds. They are sooo good, but after a while... You just want to go eat a peanut or something.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
Like a delicious box of Milk Duds. They are sooo good, but after a while... You just want to go eat a peanut or something.

If I had a quotebox that I kept at home, that would go in it.

If I had listened to them earlier, I think I could have found room for Bettye LaVette and A Place to Bury Strangers on my list.

I probably should have put None Shall Pass higher than I did (top twenty) and I forgot The Fragile Army(top fifty) completely.

Super Furry Animals - "Hey Venus"

i cant stop listenin to that album in daily basis.shame not to have them in my top 20 list.brilliant album by a genious band.

quote:

Originally posted by sk:
Super Furry Animals - "Hey Venus"

i cant stop listenin to that album in daily basis.shame not to have them in my top 20 list.brilliant album by a genious band.

Shame on you. It really is quality... I've still got it on heavy rotation. You can make it up to me and everyone else you've let down, and atone for your grievous error by placing it high on your 2008 list.

I'm not sure why it's such a polarizing album, but I'm in the lovin' Sky Blue Sky camp. I didn't really start listening to it until after I posted my albums list ("Side with the Seeds" made my best songs list, which I posted a few days later), but had I, it would have been in my top 25 for sure. And now that I've listened some more, "Impossible Germany" might have displaced "Side with the Seeds" on my songs list. Regardless, this album is some good stuff, and not at all boring. For the record, I'm neither old, nor mellow. Oh, and I only use a cane if I'm pimpin'.

I rag on the Wilco fans because it's fun. There are some good songs on there...

It's funny that you responded Chamberk, since I thought about picking on you in my post for putting that boring-ass Challengers so high on your list

quote:

Originally posted by Briznow:
I'm not sure why it's such a polarizing album, but I'm in the lovin' Sky Blue Sky camp. I didn't really start listening to it until after I posted my albums list ("Side with the Seeds" made my best songs list, which I posted a few days later), but had I, it would have been in my top 25 for sure. And now that I've listened some more, "Impossible Germany" might have displaced "Side with the Seeds" on my songs list. Regardless, this album is some good stuff, and not at all boring. For the record, I'm neither old, nor mellow. Oh, and I only use a cane if I'm pimpin'.

I am a huge Wilco fan, so I wanted to love Sky Blue Sky... it's a perfectly good album, but for me, it lacks that extra something that made their last three albums masterpieces. For lack of a better way to describe it, I thought it lacked passion.

re: Sky Blue Sky, let me say this: This was actually the first Wilco album I've ever bothered to check out ::gasp::

Since then, I've listened to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, and I think Sky Blue Sky holds up nicely compared to those two...so far.

I don't know if it will hold up as well as I continue to listen to their past work more and more, but I do know that Wilco has a new fan.

quote:

Originally posted by Briznow:
It's funny that you responded Chamberk, since I thought about picking on you in my post for putting that boring-ass Challengers so high on your list

Challengers isn't so much boring as it is miles and miles better than Sky Blue Sky.

The moment I posted my list all I could think about was the fact that New Moon didn't make my list. I discounted it for inclusion, because it was a compilation, but I just wanted to kick myself over that, since it's top ten material, at least for me. I also shouldv'e taken off my guilty pleasure, We Are the Pipettes, in favor of Future of the Left's Curses.

I hate house music so much. It's so over-produced, it's made for dancing (which is something I'm way too cool to do), and is just generally mindless.

But, why do I love everything that I hate?
It starts with me loving pandas because they're so intolerable (who wouldn't bang out to save their own species, even?!?!). I then progressed to dating a girl on and off just because she's so crazy that it's attractive (or maybe it's just because she'sfreaking hot and awesome). Now it's all the way, full blown... I'm questioning whether I should've added Gabrial Ananda's Bambusbeats to my list.

How long will I be forced to live this so called life?!?!?!

P.S. How Phuture does that album sound? Esp. "Egge" For some reason it seems to me like last year had a resurgence of Acid House even though I can't really think of much else to back this claim up (it's 4am and I'm drunk. Give me a break)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JGlass,

quote:

Originally posted by Chamberk:

quote:

Originally posted by Briznow:
It's funny that you responded Chamberk, since I thought about picking on you in my post for putting that boring-ass Challengers so high on your list

Challengers isn't so much boring as it is miles and miles better than Sky Blue Sky.

I loved Challengers, too, Chams. I still do. I suspect that I'll be listening to it next year and beyond.

I missed Blitzen Trapper. I just got it, and I think it's fantastic. Stupid, pretentious, fun, challenging, silly and entertaining. Would likely have cracked my top 20, maybe my top 15.

Definitely agree on the Blitzen Trapper album. I totally passed over it because it didn't grab me after the first few listens, but upon closer examination it is quite good.

I should have placed The National higher if for no other reason than "Fake Empire" is simply an incredible song. Something about the combination of moody instrumentation and dreary vocals just go together perfectly.

A Place to Bury Strangers
No Age- Weirdo Rippers

I didn't actually get these albums until after I made my list. It's a shame because No Age would have made my top 10.

I had Rachel Unthank & the Winterset's The Bairns at #55. Now it'd probably be a top 15. It's really a great new approach for traditional UK folk. Dare I call it the Smile of trad UK folk (and yes, I'm a major Brian Wilson fan)? It's that excellent. Not sure how Rachel's previous release sounds but I'm hunting it down.