Record of the Year 2008

Record of the Year 2008

30 December, 2008
by: Domzig

Everybody knows that the only people that know about music are musicians. Therefore we decided to ask some of our favourite bands to tell you the records you should have bought this year. We're nice like that.

Jacob – Damn Shames

Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (Brainfeeder). Texture alone qualifies this record as one of the best of the year. Steven Ellison arranges and side-chains his pops, hisses and crackles into waves of noise, unpredictable as a river in spate.

The noise is far beyond Rod Modell's gentle appropriation of found sounds, yet the listener is never overcome with the ferocity, nor the seemingly random nature of it. When this texture is combined with Ellison's melodies, plaintive synths and off-kilter but intensely danceable beats you have one of the most original albums of the year, and for me, definitely the most enjoyable.

Michael King – Youves (Formerly Mirror! Mirror!)

Johnny Flynn – A Larum (Vertigo). It’s the one album that I can listen to from start to finish and enjoy everything. He’s a very talented guy who writes catchy yet very original songs.

Greg Griffin – Lofty Heights

Definitely Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop). Everything on that album is awesome – the art work, the production, the song writing- everything. There's been a whole lot of experimentalism in music right now, and I just think this album epitomises the balance between that and being pop. 

Rory – KASMs

I think the communal vote would be: Melvins – Nude With Boots (Ipecac). Everyone in the band has been big fans of the Melvins for years. They never seem to change their sound too much but for some reason that shit never gets old. It might not be the most innovative choice and maybe we should have chosen a new band but Melvins have had a new lease of life since the two members of Big Business joined the band, and I've always been a fan of the sound of two drummers playing at the same time (Black Eyes and latter day Fugazi also utilised the double drum attack well).

As far as new bands debut releases in 2008, Health – Health (Lovepump) and Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing (ATP) were both good records. As for early next year we're eagerly looking forward to Magick Daggers and HTRK's new albums, oh and obviously the KASMS album which is out in April and is hot shit!

Dan - Ten Kens

Snowman –The Horse, The Rat And The Swan (Dot Dash). The impact this album has had on our band runs deep.  It's the only record we all completely agree on. Gloomy, brooding and trashy, just the way we like it.  The dark, dismal overtones create a very tense listening experience, and although a 'Liars' comparison could possibly be made, one would be hard pressed to pigeonhole their otherwise cryptic sound. This is most certainly a band taking the road less travelled...and that has made all the difference.

Matt -Dethscalator

'Communal Living' by Sex Vid (Dom America). It's really great noisy hardcore. Takes inspiration from Die Kreuzen and Void which is great in my book.

Domzig