Chinese Democracy!!

Chinese Democracy!!!

Mickey's Top Ten of 2008
1 - Fleet Foxes - s/t - This and Girl Talk may as well be tied for best, but longevity may favor the Foxes. Also, I can play it in front of the boys, which I can't say for Girl Talk.

2 - Girl Talk - Feed the Animals - Was there any inkling Mr. Gillis could have outdone Night Ripper? Not only does he do things one better, he also gave away the album for free.

3 - Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight - These guys manage to be cliched on paper: Acoustic guitar, keyboards, drums, bitter songs about breakups. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

4 - Dr. Dog - Fate - Another triumph by the boys of Dog.

5 - Smoking Popes - Stay Down - Dear Rivers Cuomo, Please relinquish your first two Weezer albums to Josh Caterer. Thank you. - Mickey Pearson (PS to the haters - I understand that Little Jane-Marie is unapologetically cheesy, but I'm a father now and can sympathize with Caterer.)

6 - TV on the Radio - Dear Science, - This band is unstoppable.

7 - Haley Bonar - Big Star - Have you all heard of her?.

8 - Department of Eagles - In Ear Park - The lead Grizzly Bear dude does roughly the same thing as his GB stuff, but manages to make it a lot less echoey and more structured. Delish!

9 - The Dodos - Visiter - Sort of like Animal Collective's Sung Tongs, but more accessible. Lots of fun.

10 - She & Him - Volume One - Zooey Deschanel showcases her awesome voice with M. Ward's great musicianship behind.

Haley Bonar's "Big Star" made City Pages' Top Ten Local Albums of the Year.

http://www.citypages.com/2008-12-17/news/top-10-local-albums-of-the-year

1) Gas Light Anthem '59 Sound

2) Airborne Toxic Event Airborne Toxic Event

Best album of 2008: Hot Chip, "Made in the Dark"

Fleet Foxes - yep
Dr. Dog - yep
Haley Bonar - yep
Girl Talk - yep
Dept. of Eagles - yep

Malkmus & the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash (his best post-Pavement album thus far, by far)

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (front loaded, for sure, but "Kids" is such a great fucking song)

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III ("A Milli" & "3Peat" and yeah, hot like a venereal disease)

Deerhunter - Microcastles/Weird Era (don't sleep on the 2nd disc, it's pretty good too)

Beck - Modern Guilt (good, not great; "Profanity Prayers" & "Chemtrails" rule)

Coldplay - Viva La Vida (I liked it. Get off my fucking back already.)

Disappointments:

The Hold Steady
Wolf Parade
Destroyer

Didn't hear, but want to:
Crystal Castles
Vivian Girls
Crystal Stilts
Okkervil River
No Age
Bon Iver

Radiohead – In Rainbows
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
She & Him – Volume 1
Chatham County Line – IV
Pete Molinari – A Virtual Landslide
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Atlas Sound – Let The Blind Lead…
Retribution Gospel Choir – RGC
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Lie Down In The Light
The Tisdales - Baker's Dozen

-The Walkmen "You and Me"
-Beach House "Devotion"

And in non-pitchfork.com hyped records...

-Jeremy Messersmith "The Silver City"
-Eric Pollard's Death's Pardon

Oh, and Cougar Conley's new record is set to be a best of come 2009. Let's wish him luck getting a gig on the Duluth side of the bridge.

-The Walkmen "You and Me"
-Beach House "Devotion"

And in non-pitchfork.com hyped records...

-Jeremy Messersmith "The Silver City"
-Eric Pollard's Death's Pardon

Oh, and Cougar Conley's new record is set to be a best of come 2009. Let's wish him luck getting a gig on the Duluth side of the bridge.