top albums of 2008

so, it's time for my annual roster of my top albums of 2008. i promise to be brief this time, so let's get right to it, shall we...

#10 --> No Age - Nouns

can't say too much about this album other than it rocked. this band (as well as other greats like Abe Vigoda) are giving california hope for providing great bands again.


#9 --> Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

the album art alone put this in my top 10 for the year.





#8 --> Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!

i'll be honest, i'll probably stick this guy in my top 10 for every album he releases. mr. cave took a break on this album from ranting about the damnation of the old testament god, as well as the benevolence of the new testament god in order to talk about some of the more lighter sides of the good ol book.

i had the opportunity to shoot some photos for pitchfork at his show at the 9:30 club earlier this year...the tour was as stellar as the album. plus, my 13 year wait to see him in the flesh was finally over.

#7 --> The Walkmen - You & Me

their first album was good, not great...and mostly hard to listen to. their following two albums pretty much followed suit.

however, surprisingly, even after every suburbanite 15 year old girl started liking them after being featured on the abomination of a television show "the o.c.", the boys turned around and made a beautiful NY album, all w/o one single! in my heart, these guys are a success story for how any band can still turn it all around (take heed shins, death cab, etc.).

also, these guys made "prep school rocker" chic popular before any of the members of vampire weekend had attended their high school junior prom. so there.

#6 --> Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

what is it with all these pacific northwest boys making appalachian folk rock uber-marketable?

regardless, this is a great album, and sure to be a suitable stand-in for the mediocre my morning jacket album that was released this year.

#5 --> The Dodos - Visiter

just a damn good album.








#4 --> Spiritualized - Songs in A&E

to be honest, i was just happy to have jason pierce alive after all the ordeal he's been through.

however, on the consumer side, the album is spectacular. in scope, it's a definite departure from his previous albums. the production is scarce on some songs, while epic on others. in essence, the album is almost as bipolar as the man who wrote it.

#3 --> MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

this isn't a great album. it's not classic. what it IS? my andrew w.k. of 2008.

wherever i am in life, this album will bring me back throughout the entire year: bonnaroo, countless parties, and many other unmentionables.

#2 --> Radiohead - In Rainbows

i can already hear it...yes, controversial pick. is this a 2007 release, or a 2008 release?

does a digital release count as a release? no. the release date is the day evan can purchase the album on vinyl in the united states. the definitive answer. have bush write it into law before he leaves.

as far as the album itself? i don't need to write anything. it's radiohead. it's good. allison and i saw them the day after our wedding...if they're good enough to travel through 6 hours of DC traffic AND get in an accident the day after your wedding - then their album doesn't need further press in my book.

#1 --> Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

this is the best album of the year. go buy it and you'll know why.





Other great albums of note from 2008:
TV On The Radio - Dear Science
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colors
The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Here's a list of my top albums from 2007 too!

cous cous, hummus, and self-important assholes

i WAS going to rant about the batch of old money, west cary d-bags that took over cous cous this evening. extremely rude bunch of folks that were oblivious to sticking their ass in our face for the duration of dinner, using our dinner table as a place to stick their drinks while talking to other people, and people leaning over our freakin' table to get drinks from ANOTHER FREAKIN' TABLE!!!!!!

i love cous cous. love it. wonderful owners, wonderful wait staff, wonderful atmosphere. however - loaded patrons...if you know you're going to take over a restaurant with a bunch of tweed, north face vest, glitter scarf wearing u of r grads...rent the place out for your event - you have the money, use it.

when our waitress came over to check on us, and i stated that it was the most awkward dinner ever, she packaged the rest of our food to go. awesome - that's why the staff there is second to none.

fin.

guns n' pepper - follow up...

i've tried to cash in on the free dr. pepper here and there for most of the morning - to no avail. their server is overloaded with backhanded freeloaders like myself trying to, well, i don't know what the hell we're trying to do. drop a note if you have any success.

i just stumbled upon this interview with axl rose regarding his thoughts on all this soda nonsense. in his typical m.o., he has nothing pleasant to say:

YOU'RE GONNA DIE!!!, er, diet dr. pepper

back in march, i was thrilled to find out that dr. pepper had offered everyone in the US a free beverage if guns n' roses actually released their much mythologized album "chinese democracy". a ridiculous offer for a ridiculous situation. yes. i love america.

anyway, it appears that the braided assclown that is axl rose will at long last bestow this much heralded album this weekend - ergo, america gets their free candy water. i had imagined circus clowns at every street corner handing out glass bottles of dr. pepper out of some strange abomination of a ice cream truck...but it looks like another anti-climatic situation - you can print out a coupon from the dr. pepper website on sunday.

with today's economy, i'll take what i can get.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gc9S2shf_wKwjH11jMbO9iJGbjlAD94IV63O1

on the road to blue mountain

after some slight delay, we made our way up to blue mountain brewery this afternoon.

90 minute commute, 15 degree temperature drop...oh and 90 minutes of dave's rambling and listening to the back story of my brothers current hangover - boom we're there!

we grabbed some couch space on the back end of the tasting room (wouldn't recommend this...we thought it'd be pole position since it was right next to the powder room...turns out we got to spell hints of doody vapors for the duration of our stay - no worries though!). moving on...we ordered the sampler - enjoyed their flagship full nelson pale ale, as well as their lager, kolsch 151, lights out, and nitro porter. all quality - but still hooked on the pale ale! ridiculous hops in that mothertrucker, and the aroma is really sweet.

we didn't eat any entrees, but gnawed on their pretzels, as well as some chips + guac. everything there is reasonably priced - $5 for the entire beer sampler, $4 for a pint! we walked out of the joint with a case of the full nelson ($30), a t-shirt ($15), and a pint glass ($5).

i'd definitely recommend a trip up there - especially since they distribute thinly throughout the richmond area (only cap ale, commercial taphouse, and retail at river city cellars...as far as i know). really nice folks, beautiful scenery, and a crazy brewery cat in the parking lot.

oh, and the girls had us stop by pollak vineyards on the way home. the wines were quality, and the tasting room + production facility was splendid (only 6 months old!)...but wine just ain't my bag. heathen beers all the way!

hello? is this thing on?

so, a blog.

i finally joined the ranks of the people who think OTHER people care enough to follow the nonsense they get into day after day. apparently this really happens. i'm fairly certain all this is merely a crack-like addiction - i mean, i think keeping up with the frequency of your friends bowel movements makes you a good friend, right? yeah, lets go with that. we're all lower echelon paparazzi for one another.

anyway, here it goes.