Users’ Poll results: 39-20
This was one of the results of a Google Image search for “Thievery Corporation”
The march continues! Here are today’s albums:
39. Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
38. Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty
37. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
36. Various Artists – Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-76
35. Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue
34. Beach House – Devotion
33. Thievery Corporation – Radio Retaliation
32. Thao – We Brave Bee Stings and All
31. Stephen Malkmus – Real Emotional Trash
30. Adele – 19
29. Los Campesinos – Hold On Now, Youngster
28. The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
27. Radiohead – In Rainbows
26. Black Mountain – In The Future
25. British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
24. Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride
23. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
22. Why? – Alopecia
21. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
20. David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Deerhoof, eh? People really like those guys, don’t they? Their grinning manga-nightmare vibe is not for me, but they certainly have created a … universe.
YEAH editor/user list overlap! It looks like everyone, everywhere, is grudgingly admitting to liking Crystal Castles, and man is that Nigeria Special comp mindblowing. Also, Beach House, The Raveonettes, and Thao!
Other stuff: THIEVERY CORPORATION. This was one of the bigger sleepers for us — every single day, Joe, Yancey and I would come in, check the charts, and wonder aloud who all these people downloading Thievery Corporation were. At least we know our charts aren’t malfunctioning. 
As usual, jump in here with a “hey, I wrote that!” if you see your blurbs here. I’m going to go in now and put in the names of people who have claimed blurbs since yesterday, so you should see that in twenty minutes or so. Tomorrow: We crack the Top Ten!
I’m staking my claim for the line on Heretic Pride:
“Sometimes Darnielle sounds like an injured puppy, sometimes he sounds like the most bad-ass guy in the room.”
Thanks, this is a great list.
That “blitzkrieg” quote for Alopecia (#22) is mine!
Awesome, thanks Zero and ptolemy! Goin up now…..
The Fucked Up one about Loveless and boundaries was mine. I feel a bit embarassed about it seeing it up ons creen though – it seems like the kind of ivory tower statement I hate people making about music. Nevermind – don’t let that stop you picking any other of my comments!
Still striking out! I’ve heard these albums’ they’re just not the best of the year. Especially British Sea Power. I can’t help but feel a bitter taste in my mouth. I get that some folks might like Black Mountain more than me (it’s a bit too languid and drugged-out at times but it’s still pretty solid), but God, Do You Like Rock Music is an arrogant piece.
Mountain Goats is all right. I really really liked it at first (a song about San Bernardino!), but it kind of petered out a few weeks later. Though “Lovecraft in Brooklyn” is just an incredible song.
Question about the Oberst. I loved Cassadaga last year but didn’t like the samples of this work; it just didn’t seem as genuine. Anyone that can elaborate on this labum?
I also thought In Rainbows was disappointing following Hail to the Thief. It’s a good, solid album, but it pales in comparison to their 2003 effort.
I have never heard In Rainbows!
Also, I say languid A LOT.
I didn’t like In Rainbows at first, but I turned a hard corner on it and fell completely in love with it. I’d highly recommend listening to “All I Need,” if you haven’t already heard it.
I said these things:
#96 – Passion Pit
“Can’t. Stop. Listening.”
#39 – Deerhoof
“They sound more confident than ever.”
I was seriously addicted to “All I Need” for a while there, I love that track.
Good to see Why? finally made one of the year end lists! That album changed my listening habits this year.
Did “Untrue” appear on last year’s list? It’s sort of a bummer when a disc’s release date is (a) very late in the year or (b) is siginficantly different from when the disc appears on eMusic, since that leaves the disc in limbo (a lot of people won’t remember it or won’t think it’s eligible in a given year). If I knew I could, I would have voted “Untrue” and “In Rainbows” Nos. 1 and 2 this year (or vice-versa), but I considered them 2007 discs.
”I have never heard In Rainbows! ”
You should. It’s very — very — good. Best, and warmest, songwriting by Radiohead in a long time. It’s romantic, lush and (for Radiohead) refreshingly direct and straightforward, on songs like ”All I Need,” ”Videotape,” and ”House Of Cards.” And the delicate keyboard and guitar arrangement on ”Reckoner” is about the best thing I’ve heard from the band, period (aside from their cover of ”Ceremony,” which I still watch on YouTube about once a week).
All this is coming out wrong; I shoudn’t try to write it from my cell. But trust me: ”In Rainbows” is well worth your time.
I said the following:
#99 All We Could Do Was Sing by Port O’Brien
“Joyful and mournful, like waves rushing up against you.”
#60 Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) by Cloud Cult
“They wander all over the place musically, but it’s a glorious experimental romp.”
It’s looking less and less likely Juana Molina will show up on this list, which means my best blurb (something about Julia Louis Dreyfus) won’t show up here. So I’ll take credit for the following (sorta lame) ones:
#64 SVIIB – “Layered and dreamy, yet immediately hooky.”
#35 Plants and Animals – “Finally, a jam band that remains interesting for more than 10 minutes.”
…and #26 Black Mountain – “The first sign 2008 was going to be a pretty damn good year for music.” sounds like something I would have written, but I can’t remember for sure. Anyone else want to claim that one?
“Had Julia Louis-Dreyfus cut an album this good, it would have been my #2 pick of 2008 for all of eMu Argentina.”
You mean that one, Purdy?? Watch out, kid — I can make you a STAR.
…and Jayson, with your Excel skills I’ll have no choice in the matter! I’m movin’ on up!
Nice work… you made my day.
How could Thievery Corporation not be one of the big hits? Phenomenal group, and one of my Top 5 live shows of all time @ eleven50 (now defunct) in Atlanta.