Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Time To Take Inventory


It’s mid year, fires are blazin’ all around our little chunk of Northern California and I just reckoned that this would be a good time to stop and evaluate the best releases of 2008 (so far). Here’s the new stuff that got my attention the first half of the year:

Dig Lazarus Dig by Nick Cave
In The Future, Black Mountain
The Breeders, Mountain Battles
Flight Of The Knife by Brian Scary and the Shredding Tears
You Cross My Path, The Charlatans
Take A Good Look by The Fleshtones
Flight Of The Conchords by Flight Of The Conchords
Stop, Drop and Roll by Foxboro Hot Tubs
Made In The Dark, Hot Chip
Parallel Play by Sloan
Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket
Stainless Style, Neon Neon
22 Dreams by Paul Weller
Songs In A and E by Spiritualized


That’s all I can think of, but I have every confidence that you’ll help fill in the gaps! What albums did I miss? What albums are you folks looking forward to that are slated for release in the second half of 2008? How about your favorite re-issues?

4 comments:

Holly A Hughes said...

Oh, you know my favorite re-issue. ;)

I also really liked
Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie
Twilight by the Baskervilles (smart NYC indie-pop band with a great backbeat)
The Hard Way by James Hunter (British soul singer you'd swear was Sam Cooke reincarnated)
Same Old Man by John Hiatt
Konk by the Kooks
...and you forgot Working Man's Cafe by Ray Davies

Still haven't made my mind up yet about Elvis Costello's Momofuku. I love it, of course, but is it a top EC album? I can't be sure.

I just ordered 22 Dreams, but I'm holding out for the hard copy CD and haven't heard it yet. Damn, do I love Paul Weller.

There's a new Ron Sexsmith CD coming out any day now, which I'm dying to hear.

Uncle E said...

Yeah, you're gonna love 22 Dreams...

CTV said...

New Ron Sexsmith? Happy days! And James Hunter is great, isn't he? Sam Cooke on a ska trip.

OK, my albums of 2008 so far:

1. Tift Merrit
2. Kathleen Edwards
3. The Weepies
4. Death Cab
5. Micah P. Hinson

I've been disappointed with the Counting Crows album.

And I'm really, really looking forward to Joshua Radin's album, due for release in September. His last effort was my Album of 2006. And, from the three tracks I've heard, Jay Brannan's album will be worth checking out.

Mark said...

My favorite re-issue, well, I hate to be predictable, but it has to be Nick Lowe's Jesus Of Cool. I'm really looking forward to the Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians box set, Luminous Groove, due out August 19th from Yep Roc. Funny, Paul Weller, Ron Sexsmith, Nick Lowe, and Robyn Hitchcock are all on the Yep Roc label!

I've heard James Hunter on the radio, I think I just need to buy his CD's, he's got such a great voice.