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

Well as we've already discussed, Cardiacs are due. Let me add the lovely Volcano! to that and it's already looking a lot rosier.

YEAH OK NICK I'LL GET THAT SHEARWATER ALBUM

In no order:

Erykah Badu
Hercules & Love Affair
Steinski
Portishead
Vampire Weekend
Lil Wayne
Magnetic Fields
The Hold Steady
The-Dream
Be Your Own Pet

Haha, I'm not so much meaning that, Louis, as just... there's always people, every year, who moan that each year is shite and last year was better and 1991 was even better still, and I can't say I see much difference between any two particular years you care to choose that are close together. Each year there are records I love, like, and don't give a shit about.

actually, for once, i aint complaining this year is a bad'un.
just that i, along with a few others i know, have obviously fallen off distribution lists, so not getting to hear as much new stuff as per normal.
there's loads of good stuff i would love to hear, but only so many hours in the day and so many pounds in the pocket.

Good records, bad records and indifferent records, all living together inside a piano.

The only criticism of this year is that 2007 was so awesome it's just not gonna match up.

It was? It isn't?

Yer certinleh makin' me think!

Provided you're wise enough not to take your aesthetic lead from Guardian Music or Radcliffe and Maconie, 2008's been a pearl of a year thus far.

I have little-to-no-interest in albums this year. There are good ones I am sure.

For singles it's the best year since 2002.

I don't even know what's been a single this year. I kind of assume it doesn't matter anymore.

No that was 1959.

i'm feeling more enthusiastic about albums than i have in years, but singles (or 'tracks', whatever) are always going to be more important to me. also, far far harder to put into a list, b/c while there might be about 30 albums i'm into this year so far, there are already well over 100 individual tracks

Where is DJ Martian's list of 9000 albums band?

it's a bit weird that since downloading making a list of 10 albums at the end of a year never did get any easier for me (inability to 'widen it up' unchanged). it meant i just heard a lot more average albums each year.

I think 'methods' of listening / consumption have far more influence over our perception of how many 'good albums' there have been (in relation to individual tracks or not) than number of albums consumed does.

I generally tend to use the "ears" option.

No Age: Nouns
Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation's Dark

Robert Forster: The Evangelist
My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
Opeth: Watershed
Stephen Malkmus: Real Emotional Trash
Bon Iver: For Emma...
Nada Surf: Lucky
MGMT: Orangular...
Wolf Parade: Mt. Zoomer

I think 'methods' of listening / consumption have far more influence over our perception of how many 'good albums' there have been (in relation to individual tracks or not) than number of albums consumed does

probably right, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference with me either way

plus sometimes i forget i'm not actually a music writer i just spend a lot of time on list threads with people who are

I think Matmos - "Supreme Balloon" is my #1 so far. Other things, in only a vague order and probably not exhaustively, which have had many listens and delighted me on all of them:
Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
Strategy - Music for Lamping
Grouper - Dragging etc
uh, maybe the Ladytron? I'm running out now

Currently looking forward to hearing Oneida, the Alex Moulton and Racebannon, and giving No Age and TNV more of a chance because I really liked their previous releases but haven't had a chance to sit down with the TNV much and really didn't care for the No Age on first listen.

I didn't know there was new randomNumber out and had forgotten about the Oneida, so I'm glad this thread exists.

in no order:

American Music Club, The Golden Age (Merge)
Kaki King, Dreaming of Revenge (Velour)
Tata Young, One Love
the Breeders, Mountain Battles (4AD)
Cece Winans, Thy Kingdom Come (EMI Gospel)
Jucifer, L'autichienne (Relapse)
Jamie Liddell, Jim (Warp)
Beach House, Devotions (Carpark)
Septic Flesh, Communion (Season of Mist)
Prostitute Disfigurement, Descendants of Depravity (Willowtip)
Origin, Antithesis (Relapse)
Morbosidad, Profana la Cruz del Nazareno (NWN)

As a non-writer (obviously), pre-internet I was reluctant to make year-end lists as it would typically take me until the next year to hear most of the albums I'd decide were the "best", as I was a lot more reliant on finding things second-hand (things I eagerly bought new tended not to live up to expectations).

Now, I'm hearing a lot more stuff at the time of release/leak, but more aware than ever of how much there is left to listen to, and have usually forgotten what last month's best album ever was (sometimes even before its physical release) in the rush to find this month's. So by the time the list season rolls round I still feel unprepared.

So, I am as unable as ever to produce a list of solid gold classics off the top of my head, but from this corny indie fuck's point of view there are a bunch of exciting new directions opening up in the music I've been listening to, and this year trying to keep up has felt fun again and less of an obligation. Looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the year.

El Perro Del Mar, The Dø, Elbow, Portishead, Half Man Half Biscuit, Goldfrapp...
That's all I got.

Pattern is Movement
Syclops
Shonky
Cristian Vogel (technically 2007 I think)
El Guincho

also: Meshuggah, Minilogue, Marc Romboy

Willie Nelson - Moment of Forever
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Part 1
Ponies in the Surf - See You Happy
Kath Bloom – Terror
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Adam Green - Sixes and Sevens
Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie
No Kids - Come Into My House
A Weather - Cove

Vampire Weekend feels like it was released 8.5 years ago, but I gotta give it props for being a solid indie pop record.

The Ruby Suns' Sea Lion has sort of surprised me how frequently it pops up in rotation. Definitely on the list for me.

Other albums I bought only within the last couple weeks, so it's tough to guage whether they're "best" or just shiny and new: Fleet Floxes, Shearwater, MGMT.

Beach House I think is good but not "best" of anything.

If I made a top ten now, it would probably look like:

1. Jamey Johnson – That Lonesome Song (Mercury)
2. Legless – Finding Mr. Perfect (leglesstheband.com)
3. The Tonic Rays – The Tonic Rays (thetonicrays.com ’07)
4. Woodbox Gang – Drunk As Dragons (Alternative Tentacles)
5. Rags – Rags (RPT ’06)
6. Dolly Parton – Backwoods Barbie (Dolly)
7. Teacher’s Pet – Teacher’s Pet (Smog Veil)
8. Ross Johnson – Make It Stop! The Most Of Ross Johnson (Goner)
9. Phil Vassar – Prayer Of A Common Man (Universal)
10.Steinski – What Does It All Mean?: 1983-2006 Retrospective (Illegal Art)

But four of those (Ross Johnson, Rags, Teacher's Pet, Steinksi) are not primarily "new" music per se' (though all four have lots of music that was never actually on album before, and one of those came out in '06. And Tonic Rays are technically '07. So to make up for those, this would be my next five):

11. Prima J – Prima J (Geffen)
12. Final Solutions – Songs By Solutions (Goner EP ’07)
13. Montgomery Gentry – Back When I Knew It All (Columbia)
14. Ashlee Simpson – Bittersweet World (Geffen)
15. Crash Street Kids – Transatlantic Suicide (Hot City Recording Company)

Albums a few people listed above that might have an outside chance at my top ten: Lil Mama, Opeth.

Albums people listed above that I basically like, but that would definitely not have a shot at my top ten (more or less in order): Hold Steady (their worst album, sounds like to me), Kathleen Edwards, Santogold, Ting Tings, Hercules and Love Affair, Vampire Weekend, Los Campesinos!, Boris, No Age.

Still haven't heard Lil Wayne yet. Haven't decided what I think of Jay Reatard, which is never as good as I want it to be. Didn't even know there was a new Oneida album until just this second. Etc. etc. etc.

Glad to see someone else is enjoying the Jucifer album as much as I did! It may be long, but damn it's solid all the way through.

I forgot about Backwoods Barbie. That is probably near the bottom of my top 10.

El Perro Del Mar - From The Valley To The Stars
Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
James Blackshaw - Litany Of Echoes
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
Sic Alps - U.K. EZ
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Not Heal
Crystal Stilts - 12"
Rhys Chatham - Guitar Trio Is My Life
El Guincho - Alegranza

Reissues/Comps:

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue
Van Duren - Are You Serious
V/A - Thank You Friends
Gas - Nah End Fern
Steinski - What Does It All Mean?
V/A - Nigeria Disco/Rock Special
Big Dipper - Supercluster
Earth, Roots, And Water - Innocent Youths
Joe Higgs - Life Of Contradiction
Jim Ford - Point Of No Return
V/A - Wayfaring Strangers: Guitar Soli

This is all I can come up with:

The-Dream- Lovehate
Mariah- E=MC2
Rod Modell- Incense & Black Light
Marcel Dettmann- Berghain 02
Kelley Polar- I Need You to Hold On While the Sky is Falling
Justus Kohncke- Safe and Sound
Various Artists- My Favorite Things (Mule Electronic)
Janet Jackson- Discipline
Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part One

Feels like a pretty shit year for albums so far, but I'm confident the second half of the year will make up for it.

Don't have ten yet, and I'm pretty sure that the new Bleach (only out in Japan at the moment) and possibly the new Magic Dirt (not out yet) will be on it. As of now, I just have:

Portishead "Third"
18th Dye "Amorine Queen"
Opeth "Watershed"

Oh crap, totally forgot to add Maybe It's Reno - s/t to the list. Stupid memory.

Top 25 in alphabetical order... these don't really include the more recent stuff that I haven't had time to fully digest yet (Opeth, etc).

Atlas Sound
Erykah Badu
Be Your Own Pet
Black Mountain
Bon Iver
Cut Copy
Dead Meadow
Death Cab For Cutie
Dodos
Fleet Foxes
Foals
Frightened Rabbit
The Goslings
Gutter Twins
Hercules & Love Affair
Los Campesinos!
No Age
Portishead
Ruby Suns
Spiritualized
Sun Kil Moon
Torche
Vampire Weekend
Vandermark 5
The Whigs

shearwater: rook
elbow: seldom seen kid
goldfrapp: seventh tree
portishead: third
american music club: the golden age
sun kil moon: april
kelley stoltz: circular sounds
spiritualized: songs in a&e
nick cave: dig lazarus dig

i think that's about it.

Not a single one. What a crappy year, maybe some sort of hangover from last year when there was overwhelmingly much to choose from.

Probably should check out Kelley Polar and that one baja moonship was raving about, the one with the crazy artwork

^^^^ This (last year = gr8; this year so far = not so much).

I forgot about Sun Kil Moon! That disc is good, tho it's been in my playlist rotation far less than Ghosts Of The Great Highway, even now.

things i havent made my mind up about: the beach house album, the bon iver album, the death cab album. i'm pretty sure I don't love any of them but you never know

Had slightly more of a think, was forgetting a couple of things

Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
The Doubtful Guest - Acid Sauna
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Blood Ceremony - s/t
Hercules & Love Affair - s/t
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down In The Light
Gnaw Their Tongues - An Epiphanic Vomiting Of Blood
Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling
Ascend - Ample Fire Within
Diskjokke - Staying In

This is pretty much in order I guess

black and whites s/t
cheap time s/t
the pets "misdirection"

if you ain't interested in hearing ANY of the stuff mentioned on this thread you should perhaps question your interest in music

I think that's too extreme. The range of music being mentioned here isn't really that great.

(Which doesn't mean I'm not interested in anything mentioned here, but I'm close enough to it to want to respond.)

The range of music being mentioned here isn't really that great.

Seriously. You guys are all listing the same albums and they all suck.

All I really like so far that I can think of at the moment are the Drive By Truckers and Jucifer albums.

And Pierced Arrows.

don't know those 3 - wonder if they don't suck...

The range of music being mentioned here isn't really that great.

compared to what? don't understand anyone who thought last 2 years had significantly more better stuff than this year

I've listened to and liked a lot of albums this year, but the only one that I really absolutely love is Kelley Polar's. I don't know if I'm burnt out but even albums by acts I usually love (M83, Mag Fields, Cut Copy etc) aren't holding my attention.

pierced arrows = great.

juicifer and dbt's = zzzz for me.

10. breeders - mountain battles
9. born ruffians - red, yellow and blue
8. hercules & love affair - s/t
7. crystal castles - s/t
6. oxford collapse - bits
5. times new viking - rip it off
4. the spectacles - home
3. nick cave and bad seeds - dig, lazarus, dig
2. fake fictions - krakatoa
1. prairie spies - surplus enjoyment

good call on the shearwater album people. i'm listening to it now and into it