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[Mutagenic]

Pitchfork is often maligned for their elitism of music. While aiming to maintain their 'hip' status, they tend to come across as contradictory, stuck-up, and downright nauseating. However, P4K can be used as a valuable tool for finding obscure and overlooked gems. A glance over their latest list, the best of 2008, proves once again I haven't heard all there is to hear this year.

You can find a write-up of each album here.

50. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
49. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
48. High Places - High Places
47. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
46. Beach House - Devotion
45. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
44. Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It
43. Shearwater - Rook
42. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down in the Light
41. David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
40. The Very Best - Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are the Very Best
39. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
38. The Bug - London Zoo
37. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
36. Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
35. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
34. Arthur Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me
33. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
32. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
31. Fennesz - Black Sea
30. Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster...
29. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
28. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
27. Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
26. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
25. Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances
24. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
23. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
22. Santogold - Santogold
21. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
20. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
19. The Walkmen - You & Me
18. The Mae Shi - HLLLYH
17. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
16. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
15. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
14. Air France - No Way Down
13. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
12. Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
11. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
10. DJ/rupture - Uproot
9. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
8. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
7. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
6. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
5. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
4. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
3. No Age - Nouns
2. Portishead - Third
1. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP/Fleet Foxes

 

[Diablos]

They put Saturdays=Youth at #8? Really?

It doesn't even deserve to be in the top 50. Not saying it's bad, but it's not AOTY material.

 

[wenis]

Where the fuck is The Black Keys-Attack and Release?!

WTF!

 

[Corwood Rep]

Vampire Weekend is #7 and Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! is only 32.

Pathetic.

 

[Skittleguy]

Yay, Max Tundra made the list!

 

[pakkit]

Kanye making the list made me "lol". The way the P4k list is assembled is by having all the people vote on the staff, which is why JT and Kanye almost always make the list. It's also why their lists tend to be uninteresting, and more indicative of the indie "scene" as a whole. Fleet Foxes and TV on the Radio will be sweeping a lot of lists.

BTW, where is GAF's end of year thread?

 

[AnnSwag]

Go Kanye!

 

[Odrion]

However, P4K can be used as a valuable tool for finding obscure and overlooked gems. A glance over their latest list, the best of 2008, proves once again I haven't heard all there is to hear this year.

no they can't because they omitted several great albums for a bunch of albums they even rated 7/10 themselves because the albums weren't popular enough

fuck these guys, read tinymixtapes

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

No Mountain Goats is a crime

 

[Keatsta]

I loved Fleet Foxes quite a bit, but I can't help feeling that there's something I'm still missing with them.

 

[pakkit]

no they can't because they omitted several great albums for a bunch of albums they rated 7/10 because they weren't popular

fuck these guys, read tinymixtapes

CokeMachineGlow and Metacritic Forums, here.

 

[Mifune]

I liked that Vampire Weekend disc but they were so incredibly awful live that I pretty much lost any respect I had for them.

 

[Odrion]

they put crystal castles at #15, either this year was terrible for music or these guys lost their minds

41. David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

well, least they gave these two props for a pretty good record

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

or these guys lost their minds

It's Pitchfork dude

 

[Borgnine]

Tallest Man On Earth got robbed, but I agree with #1.

 

[Mifune]

The only thing worse than the Pitchfork Top 50 is the inevitable GAF bitching about the Pitchfork Top 50.

 

[linsivvi]

Gosh...Dear Science is the only album I have on the list. And I only bought it a few days ago....

 

[Keatsta]

No Mountain Goats is a crime

Yeah, especially since they gave the album 8/10.

 

[Trevor360]

pretty sure the excluded Coldplay out of spite.

 

[Odrion]

It's Pitchfork dude

they gave the album a 7.8 (agreeable score, some good parts but the album is pretty much a myspace mixtape of whatever songs they made) and think it's worthy of the #15 spot, under what circumstances i don't know

 

[CzarTim]

I've only heard of 3 of those bands... I must be cooler than I thought.

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Yeah, especially since they gave the album 8/10.

Plus they gave the Fleet Foxes the win based on an EP and an album. Not only did the Mountain Goats put out a great album, but they also put out two very good EPs.

 

[Flynn]

The only thing worse than the Pitchfork Top 50 is the inevitable GAF bitching about the Pitchfork Top 50.

I have no problem with the list. Good stuff on there. Some lame stuff on there. My feelings aren't hurt. Will probably check out things I haven't copped yet. I'm richer for their making a list.

 

[Mifune]

they gave the album a 7.8 (agreeable score, some good parts but the album is pretty much a myspace mixtape of whatever songs they made) and think it's worthy of the #15 spot, under what circumstances i don't know

There are more opinions involved than that of the original reviewer.

 

[Odrion]

There are more opinions involved than that of the original reviewer.

if they publish the score, they should stick with the score

i cannot see anyone thinking the album is anything above 7/10 either

 

[Bulerias]

Why are all these albums hip-hop/rock/rap/etc? I think if these guys heard any of the truly great flamenco albums that came out this year (Chicuelo's Diapasion instantly comes to mind), they'd be near the top of their lists.

 

[Flynn]

There are more opinions involved than that of the original reviewer.

I'm glad you came into say this so I didn't have to double post. That first review is one person's opinion. The list is a survey of all their writers. Also, stop obsessing over review scores and you'll live longer.

 

[Borgnine]

Why are all these albums hip-hop/rock/rap/etc? I think if these guys heard any of the truly great flamenco albums that came out this year (Chicuelo's Diapasion instantly comes to mind), they'd be near the top of their lists.

What the? :lol

I'm sure some great Chinese Opera came out his year too, WHY THE FUCK ISN'T IT ON THE LIST?!

 

[Keatsta]

Plus they gave the Fleet Foxes the win based on an EP and an album. Not only did the Mountain Goats put out a great album, but they also put out two very good EPs.

They probably still would have given the Fleet Foxes s/t 1st even without Sun Giant, though. I almost think they forgot about Heretic Pride, though. It wasn't even an honorable mention.

 

[Blackhead]

The only thing worse than the Pitchfork Top 50 is the inevitable GAF bitching about the Pitchfork Top 50.

That's the best part of the list going up:lol .

Kanye *ugh* No Reverend and the Makers or Thievery Corporation? P4K fails yet again.

 

[Captain Pants]

I'm glad to see Fleet Foxes getting some respect... and somehow I missed out on the new Bonnie Prince Billy album, I must get that. Master and Everyone is one of my favorites, so I'm sure I will love his new one.

 

[kitchenmotors]

Despite what some people think in this thread (who I never agree with musically anyway) I'm glad M83 and Cut Copy are getting some nods on lists for AOTY. Both albums are my personal favorite for 2008. I saw both acts live twice and the album material translates so well into a live setting, much better than Vampire Weekend's debut, which is alright but not Top 10 worthy IMO.

 

[Ceres]

I recognize maybe 4 band names on this list. Kids these days.

 

[Odrion]

Well, the top 10 is pretty accurate. Glad they didn't act predictable and hand #1 to Deerhunter. (I like the album, but man Portishead and Fleet Foxes albums were incredible.)

Where the heck is that guy with the Godspeed You! avatar, he must be happy Deerhunter is getting cred.

 

[Blackhead]

Why are all these albums hip-hop/rock/rap/etc? I think if these guys heard any of the truly great flamenco albums that came out this year (Chicuelo's Diapasion instantly comes to mind), they'd be near the top of their lists.

They never really figure 'world' music into the rankings. They had a separate article picking the best in dancehall music for the year but none show up in their top 50 list. That's the indie scene for ya.

 

[devilhawk]

Why are all these albums hip-hop/rock/rap/etc? I think if these guys heard any of the truly great flamenco albums that came out this year (Chicuelo's Diapasion instantly comes to mind), they'd be near the top of their lists.

There is rock on this list?

 

[Keatsta]

Well, the top 10 is pretty accurate. Glad they didn't act predictable and hand #1 to Deerhunter. (I like the album, but man Portishead and Fleet Foxes albums were incredible.)

Where the heck is that guy with the Godspeed You! avatar, he must be happy Deerhunter is getting cred.

I was predicting TV on the Radio in first, actually. It won the reader poll hands down.

 

[giga]

Pitchfork is often maligned for their elitism of music. While aiming to maintain their 'hip' status, they tend to come across as contradictory, stuck-up, and downright nauseating. However, P4K can be used as a valuable tool for finding obscure and overlooked gems. A glance over their latest list, the best of 2008, proves once again I haven't heard all there is to hear this year.

You can find a write-up of each album here.

50. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
49. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
48. High Places - High Places
47. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
46. Beach House - Devotion
45. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
44. Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It
43. Shearwater - Rook
42. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down in the Light
41. David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
40. The Very Best - Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are the Very Best
39. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
38. The Bug - London Zoo
37. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
36. Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
35. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
34. Arthur Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me
33. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
32. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
31. Fennesz - Black Sea
30. Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster...
29. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
28. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
27. Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
26. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
25. Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances
24. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
23. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
22. Santogold - Santogold
21. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
20. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
19. The Walkmen - You & Me
18. The Mae Shi - HLLLYH
17. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
16. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
15. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
14. Air France - No Way Down
13. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
12. Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
11. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
10. DJ/rupture - Uproot
9. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
8. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
7. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
6. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
5. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
4. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
3. No Age - Nouns
2. Portishead - Third
1. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP/Fleet Foxes

I made a thread about #14. <_<

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346026

 

[starchild excalibur]

i'm glad to at least see flying lotus and the bug on there.

 

[Mifune]

I have no problem with the list. Good stuff on there. Some lame stuff on there. My feelings aren't hurt. Will probably check out things I haven't copped yet. I'm richer for their making a list.

I've always liked Pitchfork, but their year end list carries an air of "we know everything about everything" that is just plain annoying. Yes, they know a lot about music (primarily indie rock) but it's when they pretend to be experts on hip-hop, dance, electronic, THE MUSICAL ZEITGEIST, that I just have to throw up my hands and say, "Okay guys, enough."

I think I'm just getting old and cranky.

 

[Solo]

Ive only even heard of 9 of these bands/performers. Music elitist, I am not :lol

 

[theBishop]

Atlas Sound and Gang Gang Dance deserved higher. I can't believe Man Man didn't even make the list.

 

[Alucard]

Am I the only one who thinks the TV on the Radio album is...unimpressive and forgettable, and oftentimes unlistenable?

 

[kitchenmotors]

I'm a little surprised at all the bitching about the list. Despite some odd choices (Vampire Weekend in the top 10 and Kanye), this is a pretty good list. There are a lot of GREAT albums in there, stuff that really should be heard no matter what you think of Pitchfork or whatever your opinion is of the indie scene.

 

[Mutagenic]

I made a thread about #14. <_<

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346026

I've listened to Air France a lot lately. It reminds me vaguely of Avalanches. I thought Flying Lotus was a little better, personally. Oh and I'm surprised Ruby Suns wasn't on the list.

 

[Reave]

Ive only even heard of 9 of these bands/performers. Music elitist, I am not :lol

I don't recognize a lot of the artists on the list either. I'll probably search and sample their stuff through iTunes clips, just for perspective.

 

[afternoon delight]

Pitchfork reviews are pretty much verbal masturbation sessions. I can't take anything they say seriously.

Edit:

Am I the only one who thinks the TV on the Radio album is...unimpressive and forgettable, and oftentimes unlistenable?

No, you're not. But then again, they'll never top their Desperate Youth album.

 

[nitewulf]

wow...very high position for Cut/Copy which is pretty much a mainstream pop album. I mean i love it, but then it begs the question why they omit a single album by Pearl Jam or STP from their best of 90's list. I'm sorry but a masterpiece like Vs. is too conventional for their 90's list? yet a sugar pop album is fine for 4th position in 08?

uuhhh...

anyway, there are some excellent choices in the top 50, specially surprised they liked Hercules & Love Affair and Lindstrom so much. Crystal Castles though...ionno...

 

[nitewulf]

CokeMachineGlow and Metacritic Forums, here.

cokemachineglow is excellent, also like popmatters.

 

[teepo]

pitchfork lost their edge.