So we're halfway through 2008; what are your top 10 albums of this year, so far?

I'm not scraping anywhere near ten obvious candidates yet :/
I wonder if I'll even have a list 6 months from now at this rate...

but man that Evangelista album, that's gotta be in there at least top 3. Another vote please!

Listened to that Shearwater album based on this thread but it's more Radiohead than Talk Talk. :(

No it isn't. It's not as Talk Talk as a lot of people say though, but the only bit even slightly redolent of Radiohead is the opening two chords of The Snow Leopard.

The guys voice reminds me of Radiohead. Bearing in mind that I never listen to Radiohead. I don't see ANY resemblance to Talk Talk. I've only listened once, on the way to work. I will listen again on the way home.

And I don't want any comments about fidelity.

Cos he sings in a high register? That's very lazy listening, dude.

He's far more operatic than Yorke; more like Anthony Hegarty.

Nah he's not like Antony.

I zoned out listening to this on the tube and when my brain started working agin it was like who ios this Thom Yorke type motherfucker I'm hearing?

Have you heard the new Polar Bear, Nick? (Or Marcello?)

There's a new Polar Bear???!!! No I haven't, is it in shops???

Out on Monday in Tin Angel records (what happened to Babel Label?). I will most assuredly be ordering this hurriedly.

I had no idea either till I saw it reviewed in The Guardian today.

I've stuck Held On The Tips Of Fingers on now. God I LOVE Polar Bear. More so than Acoustic Ladyland, maybe.

No love for Clark's 'Turning Dragon'?

He's far more operatic than Yorke; more like Anthony Hegarty.

saw 'em live in March, dude sounded like a karaoke Freddy Mercury. really really really bad.

upon further listening turns out the Pas/Cal album is not so good.

hi dere i can be list dork too : )

1 bruno pronsato - why can't we be more like us?
2 animal collective - water curses
3 zeigeist - the jade motel
4 v/a mixed by marcus nasty - deja vu fm february 28
5 booka shade - the sun and the neon light
6 mara trax - it got me funk
7 disfear - live the storm
8 flying lotus - los angeles
9 lil' mama - vyp: voice of the young people
10 v/a - step up 2 the streets

I have the Polar Bear.

But is it good?

Only on my first (distracted) listen, so difficult to say. There's certainly no obvious shark-jumping. It's long (14 tracks, 70ish minutes), and there are more electronics and more deployment of varied instrumentation, but still essentially bass, drums, double brass. The sleeve states "all electronics were played live". If you've heard Dim Lit then the move from that to Held On The Tips Of Fingers seems to be mirrored here too; still jazz, but a little bit further on again. One track's got quite a droning, eastern vibe to it. I'm enjoying it.

Should I buy it tonight? It's yr call. Yes or no answer.

Buy it. Although I had to get it straight from their label. London shops probably better than Amazon / Exeter shops, though.

OK, I'll get it if I see it.

In no particular order

1. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah part one (4th world war)
2. Gnarls Barkley - The odd Couple
3. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
4. Al Green--Lay It Down
5. Vampire Weekend
6. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
7. Fleet Foxes – s/t
8. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
9. Portishead – Third
10. Sigur Ros--Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust

i haven't heard that many records this year.

1. Rebirth Brass Band, 25th Anniversary
2. Brian Blade & the Fellowship, Season of Changes
3. Mint Condition, E-Life
4. Blind Boys of Alabama, Down in New Orleans
5. Badu
6. Nik Barscht's Ronin, Holin

Off the top of my head:

Hold Steady
Orchestra Baobab
Vampire Weekend
Atmosphere
Al Green
The Roots
Jay Reatard
Drive-By Truckers

Update:

1. Portishead - Portishead
2. Fuck Buttons - Street Horssing
3. Lindstrom - Where You Go, I Go Too
4. Torche - Meanderthal
5. Made Out Of Babies - The Ruiner
6. Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town
7. James Blackshaw - Litany Of Echoes
8. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
9. The Roots - Rising Down
10. The Breeders - Mountain Battles

update

1. vampire weekend- s/t
2. the-dream- love/hate
3. los campesions!- hold on now youngster
4. hercules and love affair- s/t
5. cut copy- in ghost colours
6. hot chip- made in the dark
7. lil wayne- tha carter III
8. deerhunter- microcastle
9. lil boosie- da beginning
10. no age- nouns
---
11. abe vigoda- skeleton
12. the hold steady- stay positive
13. studio- yearbook 2
14. lindstrom- where you go i go too
15. rich boy- bigger than the mayor

im listing these last 5 because they'd be entrenched in my top 10 in any of the past few years. as i stated up thread (i think), this has been an extraordinary year for albums esp. indie

Shearwater
The Notwist
Polar Bear
The Do
Elbow
Portishead
Seu Jorge
Vampire Weekend
Why?
Four Tet

Rings - Black Habbit
Black Pus - Black Pus 4: All Aboard the Magic Pus
Fuck Button - Street Horrrsing
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
Dan Friel - Ghost Town
Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Autechre - Quaristice
Pocahaunted - Island Diamonds

The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
The Goslings - Occasion
Bauhaus - Go Away White
Made Out Of Babies - The Ruiner
Ufomammut - Idolum
Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
Seu Jorge - America Brasil o Disco
Sons And Daughters - This Gift
Torche - Meanderthal
Kaki King - Dreaming of Revenge

While we're reviving the singles thread:

1 Erykah Badu
2 Portishead
3 Kelley Polar
4 Hercules & Love Affair
5 Calle 13
6 Solange
7 Nappy Roots
8 The-Dream
9 Jazmine Sullivan
10 Ne-Yo

1. los campesinos
2. the-dream
3. deerhunter
4. vampire weekend
5. t-pain
6. young jeezy
7. cut copy
8. hercules & love affair
9. lil boosie
10. hot chip

in a rough order...everything outside of the top 2 is still v fluid. and there's still ciara and beyonce to come! and i haven't included any mixes! aaagh.

erykah badu - new amerykah part one (4th world war)
mariah carey - e=mc2
the-dream - love/hate
young jeezy - the recession
wiley - grime wave
jazmine sullivan - fearless
lil' wayne - tha carter iii
luomo - convivial
danity kane - welcome to the dollhouse

the bug - london zoo
ne-yo - year of the gentleman
gang gang dance - saint dymphna
anja schneider - beyond the valley
solange - sol-angel and the hadley st dreams
laura marling - alas i cannot swim
kanye west - 808s and heartbreak
mlle caro & franck garcia - pain disappears
ashlee simpson - bittersweet world
kuniyuki takahashi - all these things

ear dis - welcome to floorboogie
roots manuva - slime and reason
tinchy stryder - cloud 9
portishead - third
akiko kiyama - 7 years

Lay it Down- Al Green
Oracular Spectacular- MGMT
Flying Lotus- Los Angeles
That Lucky Old Sun- Brian Wilson
The Weather Clock- July Skies
Gebel Barkal- Om
Sou- Marcelo Camelo
The Way of All Flesh- Gojira
Other Channels- The Advisory Circle
Attack & Release- Black Keys

deerhunter - microcastle
sigur ros - meo veopoefinvnqneqnne'oeknk'gfvneqpogne'on
the walkmen - you & me
of montreal - skeletal lamping
eat skull - sick to death
vampire weekend - st (i know, i'm a gay retard)
no age - nouns
SM + the jicks - real emo trash
the hold steady - stay positive
marnie stern - this is it...

overall not as strong as 07 was for me

jeezy, nyg'z, erykah, the-dream, ABN, webbie, peven everett, AZ, raheem devaughn, statik selektah,

is everyone counting the gucci mane as last year

anyway im holding a spot open for scarface's new record. i havent listened to that prodigy record yet either. and whats up with a dro record this year.

i see killer mike didnt get much traction

If people are counting The-Dream, you can probably count Gucci Mane

gucci mane should've been in my list, i think i deleted a line accidentally

1. Portishead – Third
2. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
3. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
4. Lindstrøm – Where You Go I Go To
5. Torche - Meanderthal
6. Made Out Of Babies – The Ruiner
7. The Roots – Rising Down
8. Gang Gang Dance – Saint Dymphna
9. Harvey Milk – Life… The Best Game In Town
10. Vivian Girls – Vivian Girls

agh, lindstrom was deleted from my list too!!

This is what I've got at the moment (apologies for the formatting, I pasted this from RYM):

1
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes (2008)
2
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend (2008)
3
Thao With The Get Down Stay Down
We Brave Bee Stings and All (2008)
4
Stephen Malkmus
Real Emotional Trash (2008)
5
Santogold
Santogold (2008)
6
Opeth
Watershed (2008)
7
Pete & the Pirates
Little Death (2008)
8
Jenny Scheinman
Crossing the Field (2008)
9
Destroyer
Trouble in Dreams (2008)
10
Jenny Scheinman
Jenny Scheinman (2008)

If I could include Kevin Ayers Unfairground, which I didn't hear until this year, then that would probably be around #3.

devotchka, july skies, mogil, auburn lull, ruby suns, gareth s brown, moto boy, cocoanut groove, library tapes, lodger, regina, motifs, randomnumber, moscow olympics, rockettothesky, soda fountain rag, sound of arrows ep, stereolab, still corners ep, vapnet

As with my singles, this is extremely, extremely provisional:

1. Ne-Yo, Year of the Gentleman (Def Jam)
2. Poplife Sucks (N.E.W.S.)
3. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part 1: 4th World War (Motown)
4. Spoon, Daytrotter Session (http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1322/spoon)
5. Raphael Saadiq, The Way I See It (Columbia)
6. Hercules and Love Affair (DFA/Mute)
7. Fucked Up, The Chemistry of Common Life (Matador)
8. Portishead, Third (Mercury)
9. Lil’ Wayne, Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
10. Flying Lotus, Los Angeles (Warp)

Second ten: Etran Finatawa, Benga, Dave Aju, Tape, the Hold Steady, Bob Dylan, Gang Gang Dance, caUSE co-MOTION!, Girl Talk, the Muslims.

1. The-Dream - Love/Hate
2. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster/We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
3. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Pt 1: 4th World War
4. Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07/Singles 08
5. Jerusalem and the Starbaskets - The Howling
6. Kelley Pollar - I Need You to Hold on While the Sky is Falling
7. Kleerup - s/t
8. Mariah Carey - E=MC2
9. Mahjongg - Kontpab
10. Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head

I should point out that my top five artists were all slated to release two albums this year.

Extremely tentative Top 25 snapshot of this random point in time, including a number of releases (asterisked) that might conceivably make more sense on a reissues ballot, if there is one, and if I made the more-or-less aribitrary decision to put them there:

1 - 10:
Jamey Johnson – That Lonesome Song (Mercury)
Rose Tattoo – Blood Brothers (Wacken)
Ross Johnson – Make It Stop! The Most Of Ross Johnson (Goner)*
The Knux – Remind Me In 3 Days… (Interscope)
Rick Springfield – Venus In Overdrive (New Door/Universal Music Enterprises)
The Tonic Rays – The Tonic Rays (thetonicrays.com ’07)
Woodbox Gang – Drunk As Dragons (Alternative Tentacles)
Carter’s Chord – Carter’s Chord (Show Dog Nashville)
Teacher’s Pet – Teacher’s Pet (Smog Veil)*
Prisonshake – Dirty Moons (Scat)

11 - 20
Morel – The Death Of The Paperboy (Outsider Music)
The Lizards – är-chē-ol’-ō-gy (Hypserspace)
Banastre Tarleton Band – Huzzah! Greatest Hits (Green Horse)*
(Various) – 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground (Subliminal Frequencies)*
Steinski – What Does It All Mean?: 1983-2006 Retrospective (Illegal Art)*
New Bloods – The Secret Life (K EP)
Girlschool – Legacy (Steamhammer/SPV/Wacken)
Trace Adkins – X (EMI)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Primary Colours (Goner)
Toby Keith – That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy (Show Dog Nashville)

21 - 25
Black Diamond Heavies – A Touch Of Someone Else’s Class (Alive)
Sonny Rollins – Road Shows Vol. 1 (Doxy)*
Final Solutions – Songs By Solutions (Goner EP ’07)
Ashlee Simpson – Bittersweet World (Geffen)
Fotheringay – 2 (Fledgling)*

1. The-Dream - Love/Hate
2. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster/We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
3. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Pt 1: 4th World War
4. Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07/Singles 08
5. Jerusalem and the Starbaskets - The Howling
6. Kelley Pollar - I Need You to Hold on While the Sky is Falling
7. Kleerup - s/t
8. Mariah Carey - E=MC2
9. Mahjongg - Kontpab
10. Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head

― Tape Store, Sunday, November 2, 2008 4:09 PM (1 hour ago)

jerusalem and the starbaskets put out a full-length? i can't find it anywhere. i really like their song "i cannot radiato without you"

pretty close to the tracks list...

1. The Drones - Havilah
2. Made Out of Babies - The Ruiner
3. Shearwater - Rook
4. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
5. Parts and Labor - Receivers
6. Wolf Parade - At Mt Zoomer
7. Drive-by Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
8. Hilotrons - Happymatic
9. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
10. Jaguar Love - Take Me to the Sea