REM is yet to come no?

Flat, uninspired and a blatant attempt to recreate the past rather than moving on.

best way to listen to black dog is walking home on a frosty autumns night in complete darkness.

That's when my love for this album came out of the closet, and much like a big gay man would, i came all over it!

REM released an album this year?

thankfully no

ah, thank god.

i have a shitty short term

"REM has yet to come to and realize that they can't make good music," more like!!

Useless Rocker's Beck quote is classic.

And I like No Age.

more like R.A.M in the A.S.S!

You like No Good Music, more liek!!!

“i don't really think in terms of songs on this album, more in segments and lines.” - brobee

#29.




Why? - Alopecia
(1890 Points, 26 Votes, Three #1 Votes)

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: n/a

SOMB Says: My timing is awful: I consumed forty-seven 2007 albums last year and then I forgot to make a list. This year, I topped out at twenty-five new releases, probably just above the acceptable threshold for EOY submissions, and spent most of my fishing, trouting, salmoning, and so forth on out-of-print jazz. Maybe my recent concentration on instrumental music has made me treasure the fewer lyrics I encounter these days, because I felt like it was just one gem after another on Alopecia. The world Yoni Wolf creates, with its surreal scenes of affectionate strangulation, bicycle-mounted stalking, clawed-out eyes, back-alley sodomy, and corpses exhumed from rivers, is unsettlingly and uncannily evocative, and yet it keeps drawing me in, somewhat to my social detriment: people with whom I share my fascination with Wolf's lyrics start to think I'm weird. The instrumentation can't be ignored, either. The questionable "alternative hip-hop" designation bandied about belies the great melodies and harmonies in the vocals and arrangements. It's a real repeat-rewarder of MST3K proportions, too. Picking up the subtle chord changes of "By Torpedo or Crohn's," or parsing exactly which instruments are creating the unique sonorities throughout, or deciphering "Anna and Nathan" in the chorus to "Fatalist Palmistry," inspires the listener to dig deeper for more to the point where one might start imagining more layers to justify the search. That's why wherever this lands in the 100 is, in part, a function of circumstance: f this album isn't leaked in January, there's not enough time to fully appreciate this, and it doesn't rank where it ranks. - Holiday In Risk

Artist's Previous Rankings on Our Albums Lists: n/a

Ranked Highest By: martymca, 100% Vegetable Juice, holidayinrisk (#1)

Also Ranked By brobee (#2), w. josh, Culle, UselessRocker (#3), Kicker of Elves (#4), greakgoat91 (#5)

Amazon Link

Haha, we're seriously in the top 30 already?

Fucking Why?

LOL

Yes, fwiw. Delayed gratification is the spice of life, but I can't blame Paul for wanting to get this over with.




The way people were jumping on the bandwagon at the end, I'd be surprised if it's anyone but Portishead.

“I actually liked the song. I just felt bad for the guys in the video. It was like a baby woodpecker looking through a dense bush.” - Montana

#28.




Sigur Rós - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
(1925 Points, 38 Votes)

US Chart Position: #15

UK Chart Position: #5

Charting Singles: n/a

SOMB Says: There aren’t many bands I can think of to emerge this decade that have a completely unique sound, but Sigur Rós might be one of them. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for any of their individual records, discounting Von. Sure, they all do little things to distinguish themselves; () is bleak, Takk is happy, Ágætis Byrjun sounds like a debut. Still, the band has yet to really push itself like it did on Ágætis. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust initially sounds like the band is making that push for something new. Unfortunately, not halfway into the album they suddenly forget what they had just been going for, and half to start repeating what they’ve been doing for years. Fortunately, Sigur Rós is a such a badass band that it’s hard to be too upset with more of the same.

Tracks 1-4: Sigur Rós showed they could do a relatively traditionally structured, 4-minute song with the excellent “Hoppipolla”, and here they pump out four in a row, and even pull an Animal Collective (minus the knobs lolz) on opener “Gobbledigook”. Nice work guys, although I have a feeling that had there been more accessible tracks like these, or if they had at least been dispersed more evenly through the album, Með suð would have been quite a bit better off.

Tracks 5-11: Cookie-cutter Sigur Rós, but I’ll be damned if it still isn’t tasty as hell. Just like with their past three records, there are enough moments of epic ambition to scare p4k writers into a hole and enough moments of sparse Icelandic musings to bring them right back out again.

Overall, it’s a shame the pacing couldn’t be more cohesive, but it’s still a damn fine record. - Liffey

Artist's Previous Rankings on Our Albums Lists: “Takk…” (#19 of 2005)

Ranked Highest By: 2x2x2, Elemeno P.T. (#2)

Also Ranked By: Rez (#3), carl (#4), Ella Isquire (#5)

Amazon Link

yeah no i took a day off work for this

i expect it to be worth the $20 im losing in pay

if this wasnt a SIGUR ROS record, would it have placed?

NIGUR ROS

i dunno about on the overall list, but on mine it would have.

who knew that these guys liked to have fun?

If it was a GOOD record, then no, it wouldn't have!!!

That Black Dog album is sweet, but it's so fucking long. It's like 2 hours or something. I can never sit down and listen to the whole thing.

You guys voted Sea Change number 3 in '02? Ya fuckin' kidding me? Album is boring as hell.

Alopecia is sweet. Great lyrics and production. A true "Phones" album.

jk I've never heard a Sigur Ros song in my life.

i think i listened to like 3 minutes of sigur ros once while fucking johnny shack's mother.

I thought Why? was huge around here. Even I voted it higher than that.

edit: i last four

Paul, you didn't NSFW tag the Sigur Ros album cover.

yeah paul wtf is wrong w/ you

Yes, but did it sell 1.5 million copies?

wakingrufus better warn this guy

it's like, just over an hour.

“The only reason this isn't my favourite Fennesz album is because Endless Summer is perfect.” - vurt

#27.




Fennesz - Black Sea
(1930 Points, 27 Votes, One #1 Vote)

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: n/a

SOMB Says: Hermoine dashed as quickly as she could down the hall. She knew that if any of the Slytherin prefects -- or even worse, Snape himself -- caught her running inside the corridors of Hogwarts, it would mean fifty points taken away from Gryffindor, but she had no time to worry about such trivial matters. If she didn't find Harry and Ron soon, they'd have bigger problems than losing the House Cup. She raced up the stairs and towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, now resting on a bed and eating truffles. She casually eyed Hermoine from inside the painting, waiting for the password. "Well, aren't you in a bit of a rush?"

Hermoine breathed heavily, exhausted from the laborious trip up the stairs of Gryffindor Tower. She'd seen Neville Longbottom lose his breath upon reaching the top, but had never felt so tired herself. Of course, she'd been up for nearly two days straight, but her research had finally paid off. "I've got to get in... it's an emergency!"

"I dare say! Well of course, of course... but first, the password?"

"Flibbertigibbet," Hermoine replied. The Fat Lady just shook her head. "Oddsbodikins? Wattlebird? Pig Snout?"

"Oh dear," the Fat Lady said. "They didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Hermoine asked, beginning to look impatient.

"That the password has changed, my love!"

She spun around, coming face to face with a ginger-headed boy in a worn-out overcoat. "Ronald Weasley! Where's Harry? Quick, we need to find him."

"Nice to see you too, dear!" Ron's smile disappeared as he turned to the portrait on the wall. "Oh... he's upstairs. Oi! Fat Lady! The password is Saffron Revolution." The painting opened up, revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, lit by torches and smelling of fresh Pumpkin Pasties.

"Saffron Revolution? Ron, are you bloody mad? What kind of a password is that?" Hermoine crossed her arms and stared at the ginger-haired boy. "Have you had too much butterbeer again?"

"Aw don't be upset," Ron said, taking her by the hand and pulling her inside. "Everyone says it's not a single, but don't listen to 'em. Not a word! Touch released it as a digital download a month before the album came out! It's completely within the rules, and a bloody brilliant too, if you ask me!" They entered the common room, finding Harry Potter sitting cross-legged on the floor before the fireplace, seemingly transfixed by the crackling fire as he stared straight ahead, as if he were waiting for Sirius's face to reappear in the flames before him.

Hermoine rushed towards Harry. "Harry, I've done it! I've found the last Horcrux! We can finally defeat Lord Vol... Lord you know who! Harry?" He stared straight ahead, unmoved by her discovery, which she was so sure would be the best news he'd heard in years. At last, he could finally bring an end to the terror that had been haunting the Wizard world for years, and get the revenge he'd longed for. His mother, his father, Professor Dumbledore... she couldn't wait to tell him! "Harry! Are you listening to me? Take those headphones off!"

Harry pulled the AKG K240's off his tussled head, glaring at Hermoine like an angry basilisk. "Damn it Hermoine, what is it this time?"

"I've found the final Horcrux! It took two nights in the library, but..."

"And it took Fennesz four years to finish making this album! Now sod off and let me listen to it already."

Hermoine turned to Ron in disbelief, but found no astonishment in his eyes. "He's right, you know," said Ron. "Black Sea is the first album Fennesz has released since Venice in 2004, and it's a stunning work of fragile beauty and undeniable power. Christian Fennesz has once again established himself as one of the premier electroacoustic composers in the world, able to craft pieces that possess both startling intimacy and monumental scope. This is easily his best release since Endless Summer, only this time there's no concept at work, no reference for the listener to prepare themselves for beforehand, no framework to color the experience of the listener. The songs themselves simply exist on their own and it's impossible to resist giving yourself in to them. It's sort of like staring into the pensieve... or so Harry says."

"Maybe if Dumbledore had spent more time in Vienna art galleries or reading The Wire instead of running Hogwarts," Harry replied.

"But I don't understand!" Hermoine protested. "I know where the final Horcrux is and you two just want to stand around talking about this album?"

"Of course not," Ron replied. "We'd rather sit down and listen to it, wouldn't we Harry?"

"Wait your turn, I'm listening to 'Perfume for Winter' right now. What a brilliant track this is," Harry said, turning away from the two of them again as he placed the headphones back on his head. Suddenly, he collapsed on the floor, clutching his forehead in pain. "My scar! It's burning again!"

Hermoine ran to his side and knelt down beside him. "Harry, no! He's trying to see through your eyes again! Remember your Occlumency lessons!"

"Hermoine," Harry screamed. "You don't understand! He doesn't want me! He just wants... to hear the album!"

Ron watched as Hermoine began wrestling the headphones from Harry, who was still withering on the floor in pain while desperately trying to keep them on his head. Suddenly, he pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at Hermoine. "Crucio!" The spell knocked her off her feet and sent her into the castle walls, where she slumped into a motionless heap on the floor. "Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, as the body of Hermoine Granger began to change shape, quickly revealing the corpse of... Draco Malfoy.

Harry, breathing heavily but apparently now free from the dreadful touch of Voldemort's mind, stared at the dead body in shock. "Ron? How did you know?"

"I knew it couldn't be Hermoine," he said calmly. "Because a true friend like her would never make you stop listening to Fennesz." - undo

Artist's Previous Rankings on Our Albums Lists: n/a

Ranked Highest By: st. park (#1)

Also Ranked By: The Luscious Phil (#3), Badger, maxexactly (#4), autodafe, +marios+, ____________________________ (#5)

Amazon Link

It's good. Certainly better than anything he's done post 2k.

Black Sea is such an incredible album.

gonna sit down and read undo's blurb right now.

You have chosen to ignore all posts from: Pavement Ist Rad.

great album cover

Yeah, just picked up the vinyl of this in Brooklyn last week.
Thought this would be higher.

Meh. It's not as good as Sea Change.

“This album made my newborn daughter cry. Really.” - cerebralcaustic

#26.




Spiritualized - Songs In A&E
(1998 Points, 31 Votes, Two #1 Votes)

US Chart Position: #157

UK Chart Position: #15

Charting Singles: n/a

SOMB Says: "My favorite band in high school soiling it's drawers." --Avec
"...one of the more "I did not see that one coming," records of the year." --The Luscious Phil
"My favorite part of the album is how beat to shit his voice is." --Nick



J. Spaceman is hasn't killed himself yet! And he made a new album! Maybe his best in years!

Hype was surprisingly high after the barely tolerable Amazing Grace that this album would be a return to form, or some such shit like that. We heard stories about the hospitalization, the pneumonia, his meeting Harmony Korine, and the rest. Would the album live up to press?

Well, I didn't think so at first. Like many people on this board I heard it as just the same old Spiritualized, a little more haggard maybe, but the same old shit. But damned if this wasn't one of the growers of the year. It really is just the same old J. Spaceman, but that hardly matters.

I'm getting in the car 10 minutes after I write this to drive the 17 hours back down to FL, and this will be blasted along the way. Best Spiritualized in 10 years? Yep. Best of 2008? Yep. - 77 or 88

Artist's Previous Rankings on Our Albums Lists: n/a

Ranked Highest By: spiritofeden, Waterloo (#1)

Also Ranked By: Nick, bleach (#3), Mike Schank (#4), souviaki (#5)

Amazon Link

Token difficult album by seldom-seen, unprolific, well-regarded electronic artist. Album would have placed in the same spot even if the cover was the only thing that had been released.

pretty cool showing for the awesome Radio Scarecrow and pretty awesome Undo blurb too

I don't know what this means.

It's no Girl Talk.

otm... at least the majority of the artists (Beck, R.E.M., etc.) had to really earn a suspicious board's grudging respect

Ah crap, forgot that's coming up. Time for lunch.