I subscribed to Uncut for almost a decade (we finally parted ways this summer, though I still have every CD) and while many issues went unread in recent years, I got to know their editors’ tastes pretty well. Unlike NME, which is obsessed with hyping the next Oasis, Uncut has a predilection for bands they deem authentically, unquestionably American, which means lots of coverage of nu-folkies like Fleet Foxes and bar bands like Hold Steady, but never hip-hop. So with that in mind, I don’t see many surprises on the mag’s year-end list. Mojo, on the other hand, threw a few welcome curveballs in their Top 50, including Flying Lotus, The Week That Was, and a handful of LPs I’ve never heard of. And for those keeping score, the only band who has received countdown kudos in every rock monthly we’ve looked at so far is TV On The Radio.
WEEKEND UPDATE: All fifty from Uncut‘s list have now been posted. Only knew the top twenty when this entry was published…
Uncut
50 Mercury Rev – Snowflake Midnight
49 Brian Wilson – That Lucky Old Sun
48 David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
47 Sic Alps – USEZ
46 Pete Greenwood – Sirens
45 The Fall – Imperial Wax Solvent
44 REM – Accelerate
43 Joan As Police Woman – To Survive
42 Metallica – Death Magnetic
41 James Yorkston – When The Haar Rolls In
40 That Week That Was – That Week That Was
39 Beck – Modern Guilt
38 Endless Boogie – Focus Level
37 Lambchop – OH(Ohio)
36 Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull
35 Toumani Diabate – The Mande Variations
34 Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
33 Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
32 Flight of The Conchords – Flight of The Conchords
31 White Denim – Workout Holiday
30 Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
29 Robert Foster – The Evangelist
28 The Felice Brothers – The Felice Brothers
27 MGMT – Orcular Spectacular
26 Lucinda Williams – Little Honey
25 Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
24 Glasvegas – Glasvegas
23 Black Mountain – In The Future
22 The Raconteurs – Consolers of The Lonely
21 Howlin Rain – Magnificent Fiend
20 My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
19 Shearwater – Rook
18 Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Real Emotional Trash
17 Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
16 Wild Beasts – Limbo, Panto
15 Hot Chip – Made In The Dark
14 Randy Newman – Harps and Angels
13 James Blackshaw – Litany of Echoes
12 The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
11 Drive-by Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
10 Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
9 Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
8 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
7 Neon Neon – Stainless Style
6 Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
5 Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
4 Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
3 TV On The Radio – Dear Science
2 Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
1 Portishead – Third
Mojo
50 Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
49 The Neil Cowley Trio – Loud… Louder… Stop
48 AC/DC – Black Ice
47 Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
46 James Hunter – The Hard Way
45 Metallica – Death Magnetic
44 Goldmund – The Malady Of Elegance
43 Aimee Mann – @#%&*! Smilers
42 Juana Molina – Un Día
41 The Fall – Imperial Wax Solvent
40 The Black Keys – Attack & Release
39 Abe Vigoda – Skeleton
38 Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
37 Gavin Bryars & Philip Jeck & Alter Ego – The Sinking of the Titanic
36 MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
35 Our Broken Garden – When Your Blackening Shows
34 Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
33 Kasai Allstars – In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic
32 Seasick Steve – I Started Out With Nothin’ and I Still Got Most of It Left
31 Duffy – Rockferry
30 The Night Marchers – See You in Magic
29 Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
28 Neon Neon – Stainless Style
27 M83 – Saturdays=Youth
26 Peter Broderick – Home
25 Randy Newman – Harps and Angels
24 Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
23 Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
22 Mercury Rev – Snowflake Midnight
21 Amadou & Mariam – Welcome to Mali
20 TV on the Radio – Dear Science
19 Beck – Modern Guilt
18 Pete Molinari – A Virtual Landslide
17 Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
16 Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
15 Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves – Roll With You
14 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
13 Drive-By Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
12 Don Cavalli – Cryland
11 Portishead – Third
10 Neil Diamond – Home Before Dark
9 The Bug – London Zoo
8 The Week That Was – The Week That Was
7 Glasvegas – Glasvegas
6 The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
5 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
4 Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
3 Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
2 The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age Of The Understatement
1 Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Mojo certainly could’ve tapped Vampire Weekend instead of the one of three 2007 albums they included.
[Lists via ILX, foxy pic by Amrit at P4K Music Festival.]
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Thank you to Uncut for reminding me that Gnarls Barkley and Sigur Ros actually released albums this year. Yikes.
I didn’t think ” Un Dia” was there but it is. That’s speaks good of somebody. It’s not every year I even HAVE a favorite new album. Fleet Foxes have great potential. … 1971 Fleetwood Mac’s Future Games is a really good album in that snow falling peaceful, hypnotic,darker shadows sense (Nile Rodgers MTV lite brite it is not) Hopefully Robyn and the boys will pick up where they left off with ‘heard them stirring”…
Ugh, Third is not that good
Best of 2008
The ancient and wise magus of music,
Willie Nelson
with
“Moment of Forever”
Get Real…..
Both of these lists need some work. I sued to be a KOL fan until this new album, and yet I see it on the UNCUT list. Why? It blows ass.
—–
http://thearteryblog.blogspot.com/
gang gang is sadly left out. that’s fucked up.
No Dr. Dog? Am I missing something? That was at least top 5 IMO
Am i being blind or is Spiritualized not in either list? WTF?
Plus no Dept of Eagles, Liam Finn, Dr. Dog, Plants & Animals, The Aliens, Wolf Parade, Jim Noir and The Walkmen. Shameful.
Am I high? I know I’m super over the top in my love for Wolf Parade but srsly, not even in the Top 50?
WORD on Beach House, MGMT, Dodos, and DEPT OF EAGLES. Oy, these people.
NPR’s top 10 “Smart Rock” list somewhat vindicates a lot of our feelings:
1. Okkervil River – The Stand Ins
2. The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
3. Shearwater – Rook
4. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
5. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
6. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
7. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
8. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
9. Leatherbag – Love & Harm
10. (Honorable Mention) The Smiths – The Sound of the Smiths
This time of year is perfect for bickering over little lists. BTW – We’ve got our editorial top 10s up here: http://www.musicemissions.com/blog/2008/12/01/top-albums-of-2008/
Sad to see that not one top 50 list has included the year’s finest album……Where is IN GHOST COLOURS by CUT COPY?????????????
Ditto, why no Cut Copy? Such a great record and better than a lot of these albums listed. Well at least I already know about it.
I’m sorry, I just don’t understand why MMJ’s Evil Urges is on almost all of these 2008 lists. Does anyone else share my view that it was an awful album? I love MMJ but…man Evil Urges was just… cringe worthy…
Dr. Dog???
Department of Eagles???
Dungen??????? (so far only mentioned by Robin Pecknold)
come on dammit!!
14 years, 13 million dollars, and not even an honorable mention?
u guy see this list. not bad. – http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/54183/the-glide-20-our-top-albums-of-2008.html
Good calls: Dan Cavali (Mojo), White Denim (Uncut), and Sic Alps (Uncut)
Bad Calls: Jenny Lewis (Uncut), Fleet Foxes, The Bug (Mojo)
MGMT and Yeasayer came out last year, no?
http://jo-tel.com/sharks-top-15-albums-of-2008/
WHat about LAURA MARLING?? ALAS I CANNOT SWIM?