Top 25 Records of '08

Ok, so here is a list of my favorite records from the past year. In no particular order

1. Benga  Diary of An Afro Warrior - Tempa

2. Portishead  Third - Mercury

3. The Mars Volta  The Bedlam In Goliath - Umvd Labels

4. TV On The Radio  Dear Science - DGC/Interscope

5. Flying Lotus  Los Angeles - Warp

6. Gnarles Barkley  The Odd Couple - Atlantic

7. Barry Lynn  Balancing Lakes - Planet Mu

8. Dizzee Rascal  Maths + English - Definative Jux

9. Venetian Snares  Detrimentalist - Planet Mu

10. Black Mountain - In the Future - Jagjaguwar

11. Sigur Ros  með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - XL Recordings

12. 2562  Ariel - Techtonic Records

13. My Morning Jacket  Evil Urges - ATO Records

14. Enduser  Left - Ohm Resistence

15. The Bug  London Zoo - Ninja Tune

16. Animal Collective  Water Curses EP  Domino

17. The Black Keys  Attack & Release - None Such

18. Cool Kids  The Bake Sale EP – Chocolate Industries

19. Kelpe  Ex Aquarium – D.C. Recordings

20. Black Moth Super Rainbow  Dandelion Gum - Grave Face

21. Doom Tree  Doom Tree - Doom Tree

22. Ratatat  LP3 - XL Recordings

23. These Arms Are Snakes  Tail Swallower and Dove - Suicide Squeeze

24. Dearhunter  Microcastle - Kranky 

25. Why? Alopecia - Anticon

Who says the industry is dying?  Oh yeah, all of the execs who've spent the last 10+ years trying to get rich instead of taking a gamble on something that will stand the test of time.  I read somewhere that The Supremes made three albums with the same Label (Columbia?) before they finally had a hit.  Can you imagine a major record label showing that kind of dedication to an artist in this day and age?

Well, you reap what you sew.