Pomp Culture Presents: 2008 Film Review

The only thing more pompous than our 2008 Movie Lists is the fact that we are just getting around to posting them three weeks into January of 2009 under the assumption that you've been waiting with bated (garlic) breath. I mean, for the love of God, the Oscar nominations have already been released (The Reader over The Dark Knight?) and the Golden Globes are a thing of the past. These are about as timely as releasing "Milk" two weeks after the Prop 8 vote.

So disregard the films that the Academy would lead you to believe are good and just go see whatever is on The Hundley's list. Here they are, 23 days late, 23 dollars short and just as offensive as the popcorn trick.

Daft Funk

These movies were all viewed on black market, Hong Kong-imported DVDS whose grainy quality is rivaled only by The Zapruder Footage.

1. Frost/Nixon: This one was much better than I thought. It wastes no time getting into the story, starting out with Nixon's resignation and going from there. Frank Langella's Nixon was pitch perfect and the last 20 minutes of this movie are so tense, you should go buy a chair so you can sit on the edge of it. Not an expensive chair, just something nice.

2. The Wrestler: As a straight male in the 18-30 age group, I don't use the word "heartbreaking" much. The Wrestler is a heartbreaking film, and Mickey Rourke is perfectly cast. This seems like a movie that would get better seeing it a second or even a third time.

3. The Dark Knight/Iron Man: The comic book nerd in me needed a change of pants for these ones. I loved them both equally and both were about as much fun as I've ever had at the movies. I feel a bit bad for Iron man though. Any other year, and it would have been recognized as the best comic book movie ever. But it's never a bad thing coming in second place to a movie that made $530 million.

4. Burn After Reading: A lot of people were down on the Cohen Brothers' follow up to No Country For Old Men. I loved it. It wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny as The Big Lebowski, and not nearly as dark as Fargo, but kind of met both halfway. Brad Pitt's dancing alone makes it a top 10 movie, although George Clooney's performance steals the movie. Just don't go down into his basement.

5. Gran Torino: If you ever thought to yourself, "Man, I wish there was a movie where Clint Eastwood was an old Korean War vet that just goes around being a badass for 2 hours while getting away with being a complete racist, but also really likable at the same time" then I've got the movie for you.

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The special effects in this movie were so good (especially in the first half) that it wasn't until hours after I finished the movie that I realized that I didn't have any emotional investment in any of the characters. I didn't care when people died or had their hearts broken or whatever. All that and I still enjoyed it? That's good direction.

7. The Foot Fist Way: Danny McBride tried his damnedest to cameo in every funny movie this year. He stole Pineapple Express. He was great in Tropic Thunder. But his best performance of the year was his lone starring role as a small town karate instructor trying to deal with an unfaithful wife and meeting his idol. Look, I can't explain it in any way that would convince you to see it, so just watch this clip, laugh your ass off, and rent it.

8. Milk: I never knew Harvey Milk and I was born after he died. But watching Sean Penn in this movie, I can just tell that he got every single nuance of his life just right. It would have been easy to make this movie solely about "the first openly gay man elected to public office" but Gus Van Sant made it more than that. It was about being a human being and giving other human beings the same right to live and be happy regardless of what life they live.

9. In Bruges: I've always thought that Colin Farrell could act, but just had bad decisions in the movies he decided to do. Hell, I thought he was fantastic in Phone Booth. Finally he gives a great performance in a really funny movie. Midgets? Check. Drugs and alcohol? Check. I hope Brandon Gleason and Farrell have another chance to work together int he future, because their chemistry was what made this movie so much fun.

10. Shotgun Stories: When Roger Ebert put out his Top 20 Movies of 2008 list, Shotgun Stories was on it. it sounded pretty cool, so I rented it and it really blew me away. It's the story about three brothers that get tangled up in a feud that erupts with their four half brothers after the death of their mutual father. Set in the cotton fields of Southeast Arkansas, the smaller the town you grew up in, the more you'll love this movie.

Honorable Mention- Revolutionary Road: This one doesn't make the top 10 because it wasn't that great a movie per say. The story was a bit rushed and jumbled, but the performances by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (and supporting actor Michael Shannon) will stick with you for days after seeing this movie.

Worst Movie of the Year - Semi-Pro: I didn't laugh once during this movie. Terrible on every level. Also, I don't want to see Woody from Cheers have sex with anyone. Ever. Sick.

One You Might Have Missed - Let The Right One In: It's a Swedish movie about a 12 year old boy who gets bullied on a daily basis. He finds comfort and confidence to fight back in his new friend, the girl next door. Did I mention that she's a vampire? Art-house vampire flick? And it delivers? Sign me up!

Overrated - Man On Wire: Critics fell over themselves trying to prise this movie (It has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes). People all around the country raved about how suspenseful it was. I stopped watching it halfway through the movie. There was no suspense. Don't tell me about how you were scared of getting caught or falling off the top floor of the Twin Towers. I know you didn't fall to your death. You know how I know that? Because you're being interviewed in the first 5 minutes of this movie! The tightrope walk between the Twin Towers already happened, so why would anything about this movie be suspenseful?


Chaim Witz

This list erroneously thinks its better than you.

1. The Wrestler - A heart wrenching, bittersweet character study of one man's fall from grace. A tour de force by Mickey Rourke and a chance for him to dust off both his career and those sunglasses that he swiped at the 84' People's Choice Awards.

2. The Dark Knight - More than just a comic book movie, this was an epic crime tale where the hero just happens to wear tights. Nearly everything from the musical score to the use of the Chicago backdrop to the haunting performance by Heath Ledger was pitch perfect.

3. Slumdog Millionaire - Director Danny Boyle creates a rich, accessible fairy tale that leaps off the screen and tugs at the heartstrings. Undeserving of it's 'R' rating, this is the rare indie film that should appeal to nearly everyone.

4. Rachel Getting Married - Great performances and plenty of drama, minus the usual wedding movie cheese. Long, extended camera takes help suck you in and make you feel a part of the happening, ethnic and sometimes pretentious wedding reception. Top shelf liquor, top shelf film.

5. Pineapple Express - Hilarious stoner movie with mass appeal for the non-stoner set. Danny McBride is priceless as 'Red', in what is sure to be a career launching role.

6. In Bruges - Darkly comic, sometimes surreal hitman movie hits the mark. Midgets, drinking, bursts of random violence and Colin Farrell cursing. Sounds like most of my dates in college.

7. Role Models - Role Models doesn't reinvent the wheel, but certainly makes the wheel seem much, much funnier. Cursing little kids, Paul Rudd and a KISS-inspired finale all make for one of the funnier comedies of 2008.

8. Che - Certainly not a film for everyone, unless 4.5 hours (divided into two parts) of subtitles and the minuta that goes into jungle guerrilla warfare are your thing. Not knowing anything about Che besides the fact that many hipsters don his t-shirt, I found it pretty fascinating from start to finish, particularly Part I.

9. Wanted - Taken as a serious action film (see: Bourne), Wanted is fairly laughable. Taken as a live-action cartoon, devoid of any intelligence but full of testosterone, I suppose it's still laughable, but damn entertaining.

10. Wall E - Pixar does it again. The first 45 minutes, devoid of any dialogue, are pretty ballsy and pretty great.

Honorable Mention:
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - A 'Say Anything' for the MySpace Generation.
Doubt - Meryl Steep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in an acting smackdown.
Ironman - RDJ drinks scotch and flies around.
The Incredible Hulk - Better than it should have been.

Worth Seeing: Frost/Nixon (not as dry as you'd think), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (curiously flawed), The Bank Job, Definitely Maybe, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, American Teen, Burn After Reading (minor Cohens), Young @ Heart, Cloverfield, The Visitor

Worst Of:
1. Sleepwalking
2. 27 Dresses
3. Happy Go Lucky
4. The Secret Life of Bees
5. The Happening

Overrated: Tropic Thunder, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Four Christmases, Hancock: Proof positive that box office success does not always = quality.

Disappointments: Step Brothers, Quantum of Solace: Both of them have their moments for sure, but the bar was set high (Anchorman, Casino Royale) and neither could live up to their older siblings.

Best Performances:
Mickey Rourke: The Wrestler
Heath Ledger: The Dark Knight
Meryl Streep: Doubt
Danny McBride: Pineapple Express
Ann Hathaway: Rachel Getting Married
Russell Brand: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Frank Langella: Frost/Nixon


Governor X

This list escaped from Guantanamo Bay.

1. Slumdog Millionaire – Director Danny Boyle is finally getting the accolades I've always thought he deserved and rightfully so. Slumdog Millionaire is a masterpiece taking two hours to go from one of the most depressing movies you'll ever see to one of the most uplifting. The Bollywood dance number at the end doesn't hurt either.

2. Gran Torino – If Clint Eastwood chooses to retire from acting after Gran Torino, at least he'll be going out on top. His portrayal of the bitter, racist Korean War vet who ultimately takes his young Asian neighbor under his wing is simultaneously infuriating, sad, and hilarious. In other words, he nails it. Easily his best movie since Unforgiven.

3. Religulous – No one shreds religion as well as Bill Maher. Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins make the same case (and so would I if I felt like arguing), but Maher does it in a way that comes off as funny and less abrasive. Quote of the century: Religion must die for man to live.

4. Che – If you didn't think it would be possible to make a movie about Che Guevara that wasn't incredibly slanted one way or another, I submit Steven Soderbergh's Che to you. Leaving the editorializing for historians, Soderbergh simply tells the story of Che during the Cuban Revolution and his ultimate downfall in Bolivia. Benicio Del Torro will almost certainly be getting an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the Argentine revolutionary.

5. Valkyrie – Tom Cruise ist ein Deutschlander? Ja. Valkyrie is an all around solid historical drama. While it struck me as odd at first, the decisions to have the actors not fake German accents proved to be the correct decision. It left the focus on the story rather than Tom Cruise or Bill Nighy trying to talk like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

6. Wall-E – Charming children's movie? Check. Scathing critique of sloth and consumerism in modern society? Check.

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Any Indy fan who didn't like this needs to re-watch the original three. They were just as over the top. Its entertainment people! Speaking of entertainment…

8. Wanted is truly one of the most ridiculous films I've ever seen, but I can't tell you I didn't enjoy every minute of it.

9. In Bruges – Belgium sucks, and someone finally made a movie about it. Bravo. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are brilliant as squabbling hitmen.

10. The Dark Knight – I really didn't want to include this because of all the hype, but it was too good to leave off. I don't think it's possible for a movie with Morgan Freeman in it to be bad. Wait. I take that back. Deep Impact sucked.

Honorable mention (in no order): Young @ Heart, Hellboy 2, Quantum of Solace, Hancock, Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express


E-Claire

These movies will pay for your dinner, but expect sex in return.

1. Milk – Being from the Bay Area, I really wanted to see this movie. And I wasn't disappointed. Sean Penn was excellent as Harvey Milk. And James Franco, Josh Brolin, and Emile Hirsch give great supporting performances. I don't want to get too political, but I will say that the same types of issues they were fighting over about 30 years ago are still being fought about today...Which makes this more than just a biopic…The movie is as relevant today as it would've been back then.

2. Gran Torino – The first part of this movie could be called "Clint Eastwood is a racist and hates everyone." The second part could be called "Don't fuck with Clint Eastwood," and the last part, well, you'll have to watch. But I love Clint Eastwood, and I'm bummed that I hear this will supposedly be the last movie he'll act in. But at least he went out as a badass who growls a lot and tells people to get off his lawn.

3. Frost/Nixon – Frank Langella was very good as Nixon. I think he did a good job of humanizing the former president. The guy did a lot of bad things, but you still felt a little something for him in this movie…At least I did.

4. The Wrestler – I can't really comment too much on this movie without giving anything away, so I'm just going to say that Mickey Rourke was fantastic. There were some moments in the movie where he wasn't saying anything, but you could almost feel what he was thinking, and that really impressed me. I also hope Springsteen wins the Oscar for Best Original Song. His song "The Wrestler" really captures the essence of the movie – and not just because it has the same title as the movie.

5. The Dark Knight – I really liked this movie. The story was interesting, the acting was great (Maggie Gyllenhaal was kinda blah, though), and the IMAX shots were rad.

6. In Bruges – Hit men + midgets = comedic gold.

7. Iron Man – Robert Downey Jr. was great as Tony Stark/Ironman. And it's nice to see Gwyneth Paltrow do a movie where she's not moping around for 2 hours.

8. Role Models – I was a little skeptical about this movie because Stiffler from "American Pie" was in it, but it ended up being pretty damn funny. Just make sure you can handle an hour-and-a-half of that McLovin kid…He basically plays McLovin again, but this time he wears a cape.

9. Revolutionary Road – This movie basically seemed like a vehicle for Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio to flex their acting chops, but they both did a good job. I hope Kate Winslet finally wins an Oscar this year. I like her as an actress, and it seems like every year she turns in a great performance, there's someone else who's got the Oscar locked up. Maybe this will be her year.

10. Mamma Mia! – This movie was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be – mostly because Pierce Brosnan can't carry a tune in a bucket. I also got a kick out of the guy in front of us who cried during one of the sappy scenes. I had to muffle my laughter. I'm such a jackass.

Movies that probably would've made my list if I had seen them: Rachel Getting Married, Slumdog Millionaire

Worst movie of the year: Seven Pounds. I'll agree with the critics who say the plot of this movie was way too pretentious. Will Smith, when you were handed the script to this movie, your response should've been "Awwww HELL Naw!"


Dave Thomas

This list would like to think that it speaks for itself.

1. WallE
2. Iron Man
3. The Dark Knight
4. The Wrestler
5. Milk
6. Slumdog Millionaire
7. Role Models
8. Pineapple Express
9. Appaloosa
10. Burn After Reading


Jordi

This list was diagnosed with full blown AIDS.

1. Wall-E: Explosions, social message, robots, kick-ass animation, and a feel-good story. Real actors are overrated.

2. The Dark Knight:Explosions, anarchy, subtle comment about order in chaos (i.e. Bush against Iraqi anarchists or Einstein vs. quantum physics), kick-ass terrorist techniques; for more, check this out.

3. Tropic Thunder: Explosions, humor, satire on warhawks, reliance on pop culture references hurts timelessness of movie.

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Explosions, interesting story based on string/wave theory and alien conspiracies, could have been higher, but the Soviets were the most ridiculous and incompetent enemy Indy has ever faced.

5. The Incredible Hulk: Explosions, stuff, Liv Tyler, big green guy, etc.

6. Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Explosions, Jedis, Natalie Portman (animated), would have been higher if it was more of a Star Wars movie and not a silly 2-hour commercial for the Cartoon Network show. Also, the young girl jedi is the most annoying character in the Star Wars galaxy behind Jar Jar Binks.

7. Four Christmases: No explosions, but it did have Reese Witherspoon.


The Hundley

If movies were orgasms, you'd have to fake it with these.

Haven't seen that many movies this year. I'd rather read a book. That being said, I would have liked to have seen the new Bond, Pineapple Express, Hancock, Ben Button, Zohan, and Valkyrie. Alas, I didn't see any of those, so here is my best of 2008, and what a disappointing year for movies it was

1.Shine a Light - Martin Scorsese's documentary/concert of the Rolling Stones. I am by no means a big Stones guy, but this film was KILLER. The only one on my list that I wanted to (and did) see twice. It really helped that Shine a Light was only released in I-Max Theatres. The picture and especially the sound really made it seem like you were actually sitting front row.

2. The Dark Knight - I waited for more than 8 weeks past the original release date to see this because that's how long my little farm town took to get it at our I-Max. Great experience. I have to imagine it loses a lot of luster outside of a theatre. Visually this movie was cool, but I thought the story was a bit weak. Didn't quite understand the hype. Like I said, weak year for movies.

3. The Express - I'm a sucker for true stories, doubly so if it involves sports. Rob Brown does a solid job portraying Ernie Davis, a black running back for Syracuse in the 60's. That reminds me, send Chaim Witz an email and ask him to explain what "Rob Brown Drunk" is.

4. Hellboy II - A good action flick, cool effects, dry humor. Hellboy is a cool hero. I guess.

5. Tropic Thunder - Apparently it's chic to make fun of this movie, but I enjoyed it for what it's worth. I wasn't expecting to see anyone turn in a Larry Olivier performance, I was expecting to laugh. And I thought it had plenty of those. Bob Downey II was great.

6. Indiana Jones and Castle Grayskull - I flirted with the idea of going to a Halloween costume party as Indiana Jones. Chaim Witz told me I should have someone constantly following me around with a big green screen. And that's really funny...and sad. Sad but true.

7. Iron Man - Kind of a dud. Sometimes RDJ was good, mostly he was annoying. I also hate Gwenyth Paltrow-Coldplay. Sorry, didn't see many movies.

Honorable Mention - U23D. Wicked-cool experience, just wished it could have featured a band that I really dig.

Worst Movie - The Happening: Seriously, the storyline, acting, and dialog were akin to something you'd see on an After School Special. Just a horrible, horrible movie. And I'm normally a fan of M. Noche Shyamalan.


Arcturus

It was like pulling teeth to get him to make a Top 5 'non porno' movie list.

1. The Dark Knight-With all apologies to Daft Funk, the Dark Knight was freaking amazing. The points he made in his earlier post were valid, but I still believe this was the best movie of '08, regardless of it being a comic book film. Not just an action movie, the film deals with the dark side of humanity and the consequences of the choices we make.

2. Wall-E-More than just a kids film, Wall-E is at once a love story and a warning of the dangers of over-consumption gone wrong. The animation is amazing, the music is perfectly chosen/composed, and the story never seems forced or shrill.

3. Appaloosa-The Western returns with a bang in Ed Harris's solidly directed adaptation of the novel by Robert B. Parker. Harris and Viggo Mortensen make for believable purveyors of justice hired to clean up the town of Appaloosa. Moral dilemmas and sharp dialogue crackle around superb gun play in this character driven piece.

4. Quantum of Solace-Daniel Craig returns for his second go-round as James Bond in the follow up to the incredible Casino Royale. Craig's Bond is still badass, but the plot of the sequel doesn't quite live up to the standard set by Casino Royale. Despite the weaker storyline, QoS still delivers plenty of action and most of the film's appeal is watching Craig make the role of 007 his own. I can only hope that the next film features a tighter script, but as long as Craig is playing the title role, I'll keep coming back for more.

5. Doubt-Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep create sparks in this story of a priest accused of child abuse by a nun. The dialogue is well-written and the acting is simply amazing. An excellent fim that explores the nature of gossip and speculation, as well as the role of the church and its relationship with its parishioners. Outstanding.

Pomp Culture's Best of 2008: Year in Review

Oh 2008, what a wild ride it was. Let's take a minute to look back at the highs and lows of the past year (cue Green Day's Good Riddance...).

JANUARY

- Chaim begins the "Mustache Diaries", a futile attempt to toughen his image by attempting to grow facial hair. This journey plays out much like a gayer version of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

- Manute Bol is named the 2008 TMS Man of the Year. Any future Man of the Year awards will pale in comparison to Manute.

- The 2008 NFL playoffs are once again simulated on Tecmo Super Bowl.

- Daft Funk posts the first Childhood Favorites feature, immediately goes outside to find a "good stick" afterwards.

- After Lingering Bursitis introduced us to the glory of Scotch Eggs, Brant Brown chronicles his first attempt at making these delicacies of the gods.

- In an attempt to make TMS seem more sophisticated, The Hundley writes about books.

- Terrell Owens cries a lot.

- Over/Underrated: All American Edition.

- After trade rumors begin to swirl, the Thunder Matt Contingency Plan is introduced.

FEBRUARY

- For no reason whatsoever, the Governor holds a press conference.

- TMS Vacation begins. Readers fail to notice any difference when we stop writing about sports for a week and a half.

- Daft Funk wants to give you a hug.

- Super Tuesday is chronicled by our resident drunken Englishman in what became the biggest and most psychotic drunkblog in history. Hour 1, Hour 2, Hour 3, Hour 4.

- Chip Wesley reminisces about the convenience store items that brought him joy as a child.

- The world is introduced to Phillip Mitchell. The full effects of this event still have not been completely understood.

- Nickelback gets their long overdue War Criminal indictment.

MARCH

- Our obsession with food continues with Over/Underrated: Appetizers.

- Ronald McDonald's Cubs preview spotlights Ryan Theriot.

- Brant Brown buys a pack of baseball cards.

- Rocco Baldelli Life Status angers our biggest douchebag reader.

- Anger towards cilantro can no longer be kept quiet.

- Steve Finley Was Here is launched. World response is indifferent.

- Our initial reaction to Reed Johnson joining the Cubs wasn't exactly favorable. We later retracted these sentiments.

- Much to our own shock and bewilderment, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune names us as one of Chicago's Best Blogs.

APRIL

- The Hundley interviews a local MMA fighter. TMS briefly appears like a legitimate sports blog.

- We score an online interview with beat writer Paul Sullivan. Perhaps our greatest blogging achievement to date.

- Possible titles for various athletes' books.

- Few things have been more overrated than the Olympic Torch.

- The Hundley begins the Thunder Matt Bat Odyssey, a feature he has never offered us closure on.

- Adam Sandler becomes the first person to simultaneously be a War Criminal and War Hero.

- LB unironically eats a pound of bacon and proceeds to write the All-Fat Team.

- The NFL Draft, several hours of overrated glory.

- Cubs of Yore: Lee Elia. I hope we get hotter'n shit!

MAY

- The Governor writes a post that even confuses Phillip Mitchell.

- An old piece we once for GROTA becomes a War Hero: Mark Grace.

- The Hundley goes to DC and sees their baseball team. They have uniforms and everything, it's great.

- The addition of Jim Edmonds is met with even greater hostility than Reed Johnson.

- Daft Funk goes shopping for clothes and gets angry.

JUNE

- We finally recap a Cubs trip in May. New Cubs were heckled, hats were stolen, beers were dumped on heads, shots of Patron were purchased for chubby girls, nachos were ordered.

- The Governor debuts the TMS Beer Project.

- Brant and Daft Funk attend a game on the left coast.

- The Hundley attends a single A ballgame. He doesn't get out much.

- A pledge drive is started to send Daft Funk to Thunderfist 2008.

- A damning case is brought forth against Wind being a War Criminal.

- Want to join my 27x27 fantasy league?

- The most poignant "Gist" of the year is written.

JULY

- Daft Funk and Chaim spend more time analyzing a new Motley Crue album than any person rightfully should.

- Chip's dark secret is revealed. A press conference follows the initial fallout of the devastating news.

- Jesse Helms dies.

- The Cubs land Rich Harden, however it is at great cost.

- Chaim's priapism over The Dark Knight begins. No cure has been found to date.

- Josh Hamilton destroys the world with his sobriety as well as his bat.

- All Star Game Liveblog.

- Daft Funk sees Mamma Mia. To compensate afterwards he changes the oil in his car, drinks a 12 pack of Busch Light and jerks off to a monster truck magazine.

- The TMS 30 List is finally laid to rest.

- To great fanfare, OJ Simpson makes his return to TMS.

- Thunderfist 2008!

- TMS goes Limey as LB takes over for the weekend.

AUGUST

- The Olympics happened.

- The Governor gives his thoughts on visits to Wrigley Field as well as the Cell.

- Brant Brown's Premier League guide.

- Dave Otto for vice president.

- Jordi and E-Claire join TMS.

- Link Bulimia debuts. General public reaction is ambivalent.

SEPTEMBER

- Cubs have minor slump, fans unsurprisingly begin overreacting.

- Huell Howser offers up the first Celebrity NFL Picks of the season. A fan of Huell gets pissed off.

- Heineken? Fuck that shit!

- Arcturus, formerly Loser Poet joins TMS.

- Carlos Zambrano is bigger than Jesus.

- Rube Waddell, American hero.

- Jordi begins the outstanding Eulogies for the Eliminated series.

- The Astros become the biggest bunch of whiny crybaby pansies since the Seahawks lost the Super Bowl.

- Paul Newman dies.

OCTOBER

Brant looks at what baseball teams are under the most pressure in the postseason.

- Chaim reports about being at Game 1 of the NLDS.

- Unrated DVD's truly are overrated.

- TMS Drunkblogs the Vice Presidential debates, which brings an old douchebag commenter out of hiding.

- OJ is going to jail.

- The Cubs break our hearts yet again. TMS reacts with this, this, this, this, and this.

- Daft Funk professes his love for hair metal.

- Chaim discovers Facebook. Later he finds this amazing site where people post videos of all sorts of stuff called U-Tub or something.

- The closure of Thunder Matt's Saloon is announced.

- Arcturus wishes Hollywood would stop raping his childhood.

NOVEMBER

- The Governor liveblogs the election along with Hawk Harrelson and Shark Jesus.

- Thunder Matt's Saloon officially closes, deeming itself a War Criminal.

- Pomp Culture launches. Overall disinterest is confused with excited buzz.

- Daft Funk discusses various things that never quite lived up to their hype.

- The Hundley shares what it's like to be in a rock band.

- Chaim wants to do unmentionable things to crab rangoons.

- Jordi gives us a glimpse into the world of the Afro Squad.

- E-Claire has had enough of all the abbreviated speak the kids are using these days, OMG LOLZ!

- Kerry Wood becomes a free agent. An era has ended.

- The Hundley chronicles the rise and fall of Guns n Roses in his life.

- Hot dogs at the movie theater? What the hell is wrong with you people!

- Death League 2009 begins. Once again Amy Winehouse is the #1 draft pick. The Governor wins the inaugural Death League 2008 thanks in large part to the death of Benazir Bhutto notching him 66% of his total points.

- Myron Rolle provides a much-needed feel good story in the world of football.

DECEMBER

- Despite living in California for most her life, E-Claire has done a lousy job being a native.

- Seriously, liking the NBA isn't something you should be ashamed of. It's OK to admit it.

- Get to know the various kinds of garden-variety homeless people.

- Chinese Democracy came out. Chaim and Funk actually listened and reviewed it. No one received their Dr. Pepper.

- A gripping tale of addiction, and increased neck girth.

- O.J. reports from prison and gives us his Over/Underrateds.

- Brant defends Christmas music, while Jordi defends being a Scrooge.

- Having by now mastered Facebook, Chaim comes across the revelation that you can purchase shit online. He'll undoubtedly have his mind blown in 2009 when he finds out he can do his taxes on these interwebs as well.

- It's the holidays, so booze it up! You don't know what's the seasonal thing to drink? Let The Hundley be your guide to yuletide inebriation.

- Pomp Culture releases their Best Albums of 2008. The Best of 2008 radio station follows soon after.

- Happy Festivus! Merry Christmas!

- The Dark Knight is deemed overrated by Daft Funk. Chaim challenges him to an open-handed slap fight to settle the matter.

-2008 ends.

That's it. I hope you had a good 2008 and wish you the best in 2009. The aughts are almost over. VH1 will certainly be having an "I Love the 00's!" special any time now.

Pomp Culture's Best of 2008: Music Edition

If there is one thing we here at Pomp Culture like more than alcohol, its movies. Unfortunately its not time for the Best Movies of 2008 yet, so you have to deal with the Best Albums of 2008.

Last year on Thunder Matt's Saloon, each writer listed they're favorite albums of 2007. The list was eclectic, bloated and disorganized. Some people wrote blurbs, some didn't, some made up awards, some only listed 5 albums, some listed 10. Overall it made for one big jumbled mess, and it was glorious.

This year is no exception. All 11 members of the Pomp Culture Collective have offered up their highs (and lows) for music in 2008. From pretentious indie hipsters, to metal fans, to jazz aficionados, to cock rockers, we've got just about everything covered here. So here we go, the most skeet-tastic albums of the year:

Chip Wesley - warning, may be too pretentious for some readers.
I posted my top 30-11 last week, you can read that here.

1. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely - Really, nothing else came close for me. This album doesn't just knock your dick in the dirt, it rips it off, takes it offshore and does deep sea drilling with it. Check out: The whole album, I can't narrow it down.

2. White Denim - Exposion - A fantastic album mixing elements of garage rock, blues and psychedelia. This album is only available on vinyl and digital format as the band has stated, "CDs seem pretty worthless to us". Check out: IEIEI, Shake Shake Shake, Migration Wind.

3. A Night in the Box - Write a Letter - A chance listen on XM radio led to me discovering A Night in the Box. A quick search and download from eMusic later and I had one of the best albums I've heard all year. The best description I've heard for them is "dirty roadhouse folk" music. Check out: Let Me Know, Broken Down Radiator Blues, Rich Man's Table.

4. TV on the Radio - Dear Science - Definitely an album that takes multiple listens before truly appreciating, but it's rewarding once you do. Expect this album to show up on more than just my list. Check out: Halfway Home, Red Dress, Love Dog

5. Secret Machines - Secret Machines - There's alway room for dark, moody, prog rock and Secret Machines fills that nicely. Listening to this album full of 6 minute-plus space rock anthems makes me want to dust off my Pink Floyd albums. Check out: Now You're Gone, Underneath the Concrete, The Walls Are Starting to Crack.

6. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins - Coming off the same recording session as last year's release "The Stage Names", Okkervil River offers a nice continuation of that album with "The Stand Ins". Check out: Singer Songwriter, Lost Coastlines, Pop Lie.

7. The Black Keys - Attack & Release - The biggest complaint I keep hearing about this album is that it sounds too polished and that it's missing raw fuzzed out sound from their previous work. Look, I love the Keys and their rough fuzzed out guitar recordings in the basement are great, but they've done that for four albums now. I for one welcome the change. Danger Mouse does a great job mixing up a bit without losing that unique Black Keys sound. Check out: Strange Times, Psychotic Girl, Oceans and Streams.

8. Delta Spirit - Ode to Sunshine - Band out of San Diego that blends Americana with a little bit of soul. Fans of Blitzen Trapper would probably dig this album too. Check out: Trashcan, People C'mon, Streetwalker.

9. Shugo Tokumaru - Exit - I was in my car listening to XM, when I first heard "Parachute", the opening track on Shugo Tokumaru's latest album, 'Exit'. I tried my best to remember the artist's name until I could get home and look him up. After some quick and dirty Google searching and some spelling corrections I was fortunate to find this album. Shugo's amazing ability to layer instruments and experiment with melodies makes 'Exit' a beautiful little nugget of indie pop weirdness. Check out: Parachute, La La Radio, Wedding.

10. What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us - I thought Schlitz was what made Milwaukee famous. Actually the name comes from a Jerry Lee Lewis song and the band is from Texas, not Wisconsin. In fact WMMF is the fourth band on this top ten from Texas and the third from Austin in particular. Really it's just an odd coincidence. Check out: Blood, Sweat and Fears, Sultan, Resistance Street.

Biggest Disappointment - Kings of Leon - Only by the Night - I had low expectations for last year's Because of the Times and wound up pleasantly surprised. I guess then I should've known that I would be let down by this one. I was optimistic when the single "Crawl" was released online. Sadly that is the only real decent song, the rest is insipid alt rock tailor-made for FM radio and large arenas.

Interpol Award - Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes - This award goes to the album that critics and indie snobs drool over and yet I just don't get all the adulation. It's ok I guess but after 3 or 4 songs it just wears on me. Previous winners of this award include The National, Bloc Party, and of course Interpol.


The Hundley - only a top five, but what a diverse five they are!

1. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely - Usually I'm not one to make brash statements, but this album is far and away the best thing I've heard this year. It's not even close. It might even be one of the best albums of the last five years. I really dig the arrangements, which are pretty complex for straight ahead rockers like these guys. The whole album has an Americana feel to it with country-esque fiddle, bluesy guitars, and folk-tinged organ. And in a band with such high profile members, no one seems to shine brighter than anyone else.

Tight Cuts: Old Enough, Rich Kid Blues, Carolina Drama

2. Black Crowes - Warpaint - Songwriting is not dead! The Crowes came back in a big way with this album and remind all of us how talented of a band they are. The new addition is Luther Dickinson from The North Mississippi All-Stars on lead guitar, who shines bright on this album with his interplay with founding member and primary songwriter, Rich Robinson. Most of the album was recorded live and without overdubs. Their energy and creativity is back and provides a nice difference from their last album almost 7 years ago. The album's music lend itself to be easily performed live, which, let's face it, is where the Black Crowes have always made their hay. This album was definitely a nice surprise.

Tight Cuts: Wounded Bird, Goodbye Daughters of The Revolution, Movin' on Down The Line

3. A Night in the Box - Write a Letter - I have to thank Chip Wesley for turning me on to these guys. Kind of a bluegrass, folk, blues odyssey that's rich in dynamics. The lead singer has a wailing and powerful voice which is complimented nicely by some slow, and many times eerie violin work. Listening to the album from start to finish is definitely a journey - it's powerful and dangerous at one moment, while joyous and playful the next. Actually, it's a lot like my performances in the sack in that regard.

Tight Cuts: Let Me Know, Broken-Down Radiator Romance Blues

4. The Black Keys - Attack and Release - Oh Black Keys, why did you deviate? What in the hell does some cat named Danger Mouse have to do with your sound? They tried something different - they went away from their raw, extremely lo-fi recording practices in favor of some of DM's production and subsequent layering of vocals and guitars. I'm not sure if it was an improvement, but it still works nonetheless. The bottom line is that their raw and gritty energy still shines through, making it an album that will produce a fair share of head bangs and air guitar chops.

Tight Cuts: Strange Times, I Got Mine, Remember When

5. North Mississippi Allstars - Boulderado (Live) - If there's one criticism you could make about this band, it's that their studio albums seem distant, which is true of most any jam band (re: Grateful Dead, Phish, Robert Randolph). Naturally with this being a live album, you get the essence and true feel of the band. Nearly three hours of music on this double disc set, chocked full of extended jams and the singing guitar of Luther Dickinson. Pretty amazing sound for a three-piece. A great album for those who love them some blues/rock jamming.

Tight Cuts: Someday Baby, Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, Mean Ol' Wind Died Down

Biggest Disappointment - Guns 'N Roses - Chinese Diplomacy - Have I listened to it? No. Does this deserve to be called Guns 'N Roses? No. Am I wearing pants right now? (Pleads the 5th Amendment)

Guilty Pleasure - This Warm December - A Brushfire Holiday - Hey, it's a slow year. I'll admit, I listen to this album all the time. The album is composed of some artists from Brushfire Records, about half of which are new songs, while the other half are fresh takes on traditional Christmas songs. The artist list includes Jack Johnson, Mason Jennings, Matt Costa and more. Particularly intruiging is the song by Zee Avi, whom Johnson found on YouTube of all places!


Arcturus - may actually think it's 1960.

1. Hank Mobley Quintet-Hank Mobley
This is a remastered session from March of 1957. Mobley is my favorite tenor saxophonist and he's got an all-star lineup here with Art Blakey on drums, Art Farmer on trumpet, Horace Silver on piano, and Doug Watkins on bass. Check out: "Funk in Deep Freeze" and "Base on Balls".

2. Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants
Trumpeter and jazz legend Davis is accompanied by Milt Jackson on vibes, Thelonius Monk on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums for the majority of this haunting album. There's also one track featuring Miles's first classic quintet of John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Check out: "The Man I Love" and "Bemsha Swing", as well as "'Round Midnight" for an early Coltrane fix. The Modern Jazz tunes are from '54 and the "classic quintet" from a session in '56.

3. Settin' The Pace-John Coltrane
The soon to be sax legend recorded several albums for Prestiege as he began to experiment with his sound. These albums may not be as adventerous as what came later, but they're among my favorite jazz albums. This album features Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Check out: "I See Your Face Before Me" and "Little Melonae" to see Coltrane's beautiful and fiery sides respectively.

4. How to Walk Away-Juliana Hatfield
While her last album "Made in China" was an angry blast of indy rock anger, How to Walk Away captures the pop sensibilities of one of our most undersung songstresses. Check out: "This Lonely Love" and "My Baby . . ."

5. Rockferry-Duffy
I heard Rockferry in a Borders and had no idea what I was listening to. I honestly thought it was a neo soul album sung by a lady of the African-American persuasion. I didn't ask the staff what they were playing and forgot about it until I heard the song "Mercy" on a TV commercial. I'd also seen oodles of the CD out on display at stores everywhere and never made the connection between the two as the CD cover featured a skinny white chick. Imagine my surprise when I looked up the song on Amazon and discovered they were one and the same. This is a surprisngly good album with arrangements that remind me of old Stax records. Apparently, there was a lot of hype surrounding Duffy, but I never caught wind of any of it, proving once again how abysmally out of it I really am. No matter, as this Welsh gal delivers the goods. Check out: "Stepping Stone" and "Hanging On Too Long" as well as the title cut.


E-Claire - can incorporate Billy Joel into any top ten list.

1. The Raconteurs – Consolers Of The Lonely. Apart from the fact that I enjoyed the album musically, I like how Jack White and Co. mix it up on a lot of the tracks. For example, songs like "Old Enough" and "Top Yourself" have a twang to them, while "Salute Your Solution" and "Consoler of the Lonely" have more of a rock vibe. This was definitely my favorite album of 2008.

2. What Made Milwaukee Famous – What Doesn't Kill Us. Damn! This whole time, I thought what made Milwaukee Famous was brats. Apparently, it was this band. If you like that garage-rock sound – like the White Stripes and The Strokes – this album might be for you.

3. The Whigs – Mission Control. The Whigs were a political party who opposed the policies of Andrew Jackson. However, they dissolved in 1856, and then decided to form a kick-ass rock band. What? That's not how it happened? Whatever. This album is good.

4. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak. I think the reason I liked this album so much is because of its simplicity. For example, the beat for "Heartless" is basically a base line and one of those train whistles you hear in the Sleep Train mattress commercials…And the song "Say You Will" is pretty much Kanye's voice, a couple of drums, and some kind of noise that sounds like it came from the game "Pong." There aren't many artists that can do so much with so little. I was impressed..

5. Eagles of Death Metal – Heart On. Hah! Heart On! I just got that! Anyway…This album pretty much sounds like their other albums, but I still like the band's musical stylings…It's not super-processed, and that "WannaBe in L.A." song is damn catchy.

6. Weezer – The Red Album. I am a pretty big Weezer fan, and I was kind of disappointed with this album. It starts out fine enough, but then it kind of tails off at the end. It's almost like they worked really hard on the first half of the album, and then said "Shit! We've gotta crank out 5 more songs!" Still, there are some good tracks on The Red Album – including "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived," which seems like it's their attempt at a "Jesus of Suburbia"-type song. Also, on the deluxe version of the album, there's a really good song called "King" – sung by drummer Pat Wilson.

7. Billy Joel – The Stranger: 30th Anniversary (Legacy Edition). This album came out in 1977, but it was re-released this year as a 2-disc set featuring a re-mastered version of "The Stranger" and "Live At Carnegie Hall" – which was previously unreleased. When I tell people I'm a huge Billy Joel fan, they usually tell me to go play croquet with the other 50-year-olds...But he's such a good artist. He's a phenomenal piano player and a talented song writer who's been able to stay relevant for over 30 years. The Stranger is my favorite album of his, so if you're bored at work with nothing to do, give it a listen and see what you think.

8. The Black Crowes – Warpaint. I like The Black Crowes, and this pretty much sounds like all the other Black Crowes albums…So therefore, I liked this album.

9. John Legend – Evolver. This album makes me feel groovy, and I've always liked Legend's voice. One thing I noticed while listening to this album: Legend is either singing about wanting to get with girls, or wanting to get back together with a girl he misses. Johnny…Perhaps if you stopped trying to get with girls, the girl you like wouldn't leave you. Just a suggestion…

10. Electric Light Orchestra – All Over The World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra. Ok, fine. This album didn't come out in 2008…But I bought it in 2008 and I needed something to round out my top 10. I like this album, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's fun…It's upbeat (with the exception of "Telephone Line" – that song's kind of a downer)…And it keeps me awake on long drives. So it makes the list.

Biggest Disappointment: Panic At The Disco - Pretty.Odd. They dropped the exclamation point from their name, and apparently, they also dropped the fun from their music. I take a lot of crap for it, but I liked "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out." It was an upbeat album that was fun to listen to. But in the band's sophomore effort, it seems like they're trying too hard to shake the image of their first album. You can tell they're trying to be more artsy, but I just don't think they pull it off. I didn't mind the change of pace, but I wish they'd kept some of their old vibe on this album, too.

Album That Everyone Seems To Like But Me: TV On The Radio - Dear Science. I wish I could give you some genius explanation for not liking this album, but I just didn't. Apart from that Newspaper Man song, I just didn't like any of the songs on the album. Sorry.


Daft Funk - can incorporate Electric Six into any top ten list.

1. The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely: Easily my favorite album of the year. Without the strain of having to carry an entire band, Jack White is given the freedom to indulge in the sound of all of his influences, from Zeppelin to bluegrass to straight-up garage rock. The first time I heard the album's closing track 'Carolina Drama', I thought it was the best song I'd heard all year. I still think that today.

1A. The Answer - Rise: Why is this #1A? because it came out in 2007, but I didn't hear it till 2008. If I would have had it last year, it definitely would have made the top spot on my list, so I'm giving it some love now. Copies are pretty hard to come by (Amazon's cheapest copy is $50), so find someone else who has it and make a copy. If you like to rock and roll, it's worth tracking it down. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of the first track and then call me. I'll help you find the top of your head since it's just been blown off. Anyone that is opening for AC/DC on tour is automatically given 3 thumbs up by me.

2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!: This one's a bit out there, but it's catchy and extremely interesting. Take the Biblical character Lazarus, wake him up in modern times and stick him in New York/Los Angeles. Then write a concept album about his journey through fame, fortune...and drug problems.

3. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst: Was the rest of Bright Eyes busy this year? Because even though this is a Conor Oberst solo album, it sounds exactly like a Bright Eyes album so I have no idea what the difference is. Either way, Oberst tears through 12 songs doing his best impressions of everyone from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan. In lesser hands it would come off as a cheap attempt to copycat the greats, but Oberst pulls it off well.

4. Metallica - Death Magnetic: I'm actually happy that 2003's St. Anger sucked so hard. If not for that overblown piece of crap, I don't think that Death Magnetic would have been as great. The key difference between the two albums is that on St. Anger, Metallica tried too hard to force out a similar sound to their early albums. On Death Magnetic, they stop pushing so hard and bring a more modern sound to their epic 7 minute tracks from the olden days. An entire album's worth of retro thrash metal with dark and apocalyptic themes? Yes please!

5. The Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll: As I chew my own foot off in anticipation of the new Green Day album, the Foxboro Hot Tubs have tided me over a bit. I was a bit surprised that this album was so well put together and catchy for being a side project. Green Day is talented enough so that when you think this album was finished in a matter of days, it could be true.

6. What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us: 1. Cheese, 2. Fireworks, 3. Randall Simon's Sausage Race Attack. These were the things that I thought made Milwaukee famous. It turns out it was just some old-school garage rock.

7. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It: If you split Marvin Gaye into 2 parts, one would most likely be John Legend. The other would be Raphael Saadiq. While Legend is definitely more pop-influenced (especially his superb 2008 album Evolver), Saadiq has more of the R&B/soul sound, which I prefer. TRIVIA: Remember that group Tony! Toni! Tone! from the 1990's? Raphael Saadiq was one of them! I'm pretty sure he was 'Toni!'

8. Electric Six - Flashy: Much like my pants, it takes a lot for someone to get into my Top 10 for 2 years in a row. But that's exactly what the Electric Six have done. Not only have they released albums in consecutive years, but they're both excellent. Remember that novelty song by them a few years ago called 'Gay Bar'? Would you believe they wrote a sequel? Would you also believe that they simply called it 'Gay Bar Part 2'? God, this band kicks so much ass.

9. The Pretenders - Break Up The Concrete: A little country-ish. A little rockabilly too. I dig it.

10. Duffy - Rockferry: If you like Amy Winehouse but you want her a little younger, less crazy and not looking like a zombie, Duffy's your lady. Don't be scared off by her hit radio smash 'Mercy'. That's actually one of the worst songs on the album. The rest are solid.

Honorable Mention: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything Good That Happens Will Happen Today, Kings of Leon - Only By The Night, Jackson Browne - Time the Conquerer, Rise Against - Appeal To Reason, 3 Doors Down - 3 Doors Down

Most Disappointing: This is a 3 way tie between Day and Age by The Killers, The Odd Couple by Gnarls Barkley and Pretty. Odd by Panic at the Disco. Pretty. Odd and The Odd Couple were decent, but big steps backward from their band's respective debuts (Note To Self: Don't use the word 'Odd' in album title). The Killers? That album falls off the face of the Earth about 4 songs in.

The "Still Doing The Same Thing" Award: Continuing to find success in putting out basically the same albums over and over, we have AC/DC's Black Ice, B.B. King's One Kind Favor and Warpaint by The Black Crowes. King's album was all kinds of excellent, Warpaint was steady but a bit bland, and as much as it pains me to say so, Black Ice was just plain boring.

Lingering Bursitis - coming from a bunker stocked with canned goods and vinyl albums.

What passes for "new music" these days is an incoherent, unlistenable mess, so my list is empty this year. The schizophrenic twittering and buzzing of electronic music could give the listener a sudden burst of Parkinson's, while every male singer-songwriter comes across like a neutered puppy with their whining and pining for loves lost and heartbreak found. Heck, with their fondness for saccharine observations and sappy perspective on the world, is it any wonder they're lonely?

Thus, I shun new music.

Simply put: if it wasn't made more than 25 years ago, it's garbage.

If you like James Blunt (and I cannot imagine anyone does), put down the CD and grab something by one of the REAL soul singers, the guys who did it back when there were actually things to complain about beyond mixing up of one's lunch order at the deli.

For example, Howard Tate would be a good place to start. Grab the reissue Get It While You Can: The Complete Legendary Verve Sessions and hear just what that genre is supposed to sound like. He was buried amid the slew of singers that took the 70s by storm (Hathaway, Withers, Green, etc.), but deserves his due.

That's my only recommendation for this year. You can thank me later.


Jordi Scrubbings - these songs make good pro wrestling intros.

1) Heltah Skeltah - Da Incredible Rhyme Team: Old-school, grimy hip-hop. Very New York and very lyrics based. Best line of the CD: "I know you're gay, you might be/catching big balls to your head like David Tyree".

2) Drive-By Truckers - Brighter than Creation's Dark: About as close to country as I get. Very southern vibe. A lot of introspective ballads. Best song: "Lisa's Birthday", about a guy whose roommate/ girlfriend is always going out and getting too drunk so he has to pick her up every night.

3) BB King - One Kind Favor: Another classic from the blues master. I've seen BB in concert so many times I almost take him for granted. But when I listen to songs like "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" I get a little sad that we might not have BB around for another 5-10-or 20 years. No filler, this is just great blues.

4) GZA - Pro Tools: The best lyricist of the Wu-Tang Clan in his latest solo release. GZA has some of the best storytelling rhymes in the business. Thick imagery and classic tales from the street go along with typical above-average Wu-Tang beats.

5) JJ Grey and Mofro - Orange Blossoms: Another mellow CD. Far less country than Drive By Truckers. JJ Grey and Mofro continue to put out great soul, R&B, funky songs that harken to the days of Sam Cooke, Booker T & The MGs, and Sly and the Family Stone, all with a very southern vibe.

6) Tantric - The End Begins: I know "Down and Out" was overplayed. I even got sick of it. But this was one good album. Solid from top to bottom, with a very unique sound thanks to the fiddle. I have been really surprised "Love Letter" wasn't or hasn't been a single. Not as good as their first, but still pretty catchy.

7) Immortal Technique - The 3rd World: Underground radical MC with a global perspective. A lot of rhymes about immigrants and the downtrodden throughout the world. Definitely against the Bush administration and US capitalism. A rapper for people who think Rage Against the Machine is too easy on The Man.

8) Sevendust - Hope and Sorrow: Another year and another CD from Sevendust, who may be hard rock's most busiest band. Thirteen years ago I bought their first album, and this year I bought their 7th, I think. Not one for too many guest appearances, this album has Miles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti from AlterBridge and Daughtry in supporting cameos. Another solid release.

9) Black Stone Cherry - Folklore and Superstition: My third "southern" pick. While not as good as their first album, Black Stone Cherry continues to be one of my favorite new rock bands. They are slightly heavy with mostly good lyrics and a good grove. Hopefully their third release will have fewer ballads and more heavy jams.

10) Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Eleventh Hour: Another one of my favorite lyricists. This album would have been a lot higher had I not recently bought Del's 2000 release "Deltron 3030" which is far better in concept and performance. While Eleventh Hour isn't a bad album, it only whets the appetite for what Del can do on a song. For an MC who has been around since the early 90s, that is not good enough.

Honorable mention: Paris - Acid Reflux

CD I know I should have listened to more: Black Crowes - Warpaint

Acquistion too recent for me to put it on this list: Buddy Guy - Skin Deep

Governor X - stuff you probably hated but the Gov doesn't care what you think.

1. R.E.M. – Accelerate
After years of wandering through an electronic post-Bill Barry malaise, R.E.M. reminds the world that when they want to be, they can be a knock your dick in the dirt rock band. The punk inspired Accelerate is their best CD since New Adventures in Hi-Fi and spawned one of their best live sets ever.

Download – Horse to Water

2. Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
If it is even possible for a CD to live up to 17 years of hype, Chinese Democracy comes about as close as you can get. Every time you think this CD can’t get any bigger and more epic, Axl turns it up a notch by bringing in a string section, sampling a Martin Luther King speech, or stripping it down to nothing more than him and a piano pining for lost love.

Download – Better

3. The Offspring – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
When I graduated high school, I figured I had left The Offspring behind. Sure they had a good song or two on their last few CDs, but they were pretty much dead to me. Well, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace brought the Offspring back with a vengeance. It could be their finest work ever.

Download – Half-Truism

4. Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreak
Long live auto-tune! Actually, the material on West’s 4th CD is so solid and gripping, the metallic auto-tune almost becomes an after thought. Its kind of a love it or leave it type of disc, but you can file me under “love it”.

Download – Paranoid

5. The Killers – Day & Age
The Killers’ homage to disco and alien spacecraft may take awhile to grow on you, but if you let it slip into your life you’ll soon find yourself wishing you knew how to quit it. After numerous listens, the only real issue with the disc is its frustratingly short 40 minute runtime.

Download – Spaceman

6. Keane – Perfect Symmetry
My love of the pudgy English trio would be more appropriate on the beaches of Brighton than the beaches of California, but I can’t help myself. Keane is really the only band today that carries on the banner of the great unsung mid-90s Britpop era.

Download – Perfect Symmetry

7. Daddy Yankee – Talento de Barrio
Much to the dismay of family and friends, 2008 was the year I discovered reggaeton music. I have Daddy Yankee’s Pose to thank for opening my eyes and ears to this growing musical phenomenon.

Download – Pose

8. T. I. – Paper Trail
With the musical tragedies of Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and T-Pain dominating the airwaves in recent years, I was ready to proclaim hip-hop dead. Then, out of nowhere, T.I. comes back with the best rap CD since Dr. Dre’s 2001 and renews my faith in the genre.

Download – Live Your Life

9. Travis – Ode to J Smith
Comebacks seem to be a recurring theme on my list - some literally like GNR, and others quality wise like R.E.M., The Offspring, and T.I. Travis falls into the 2nd group, putting out one of their most complete and less depressing works in years.

Download – Before You Were Young

10. Tokio Hotel – Scream
Apparently I’m a 13 year old European girl because this emo glam-rock by a group of effeminate weirdo teenagers from Germany totally caught on with me. We all have our crosses to bear.

Download – Forgotten Children

Honorable Mention – Live Discs
With so many quality new CDs out this year, I felt there was no need to include live discs in my top 10. Two concert CDs this year are worth an honorable mention though. My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade is Dead CD/DVD features the band playing their 2006 CD The Black Parade from beginning to end allegedly for the last time ever. Muse’s HAARP is the British band’s first live performance available in the US. The music is predictably solid, but unfortunately the CD does not contain two of their best songs, Plug in Baby and Apocalypse Please, which appear on the DVD.

Biggest Disappointment of 2008 - Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
Oasis is one of my favorite bands, but Dig Out Your Soul simply can’t be swept under the rug. I really wanted to like this, but it starts out so-so, builds slightly and then slams right into a brick wall with the unbearable 6th track (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady. The disc never recovers after that and will go down not only as 2008’s biggest disappointment, but Oasis’ worst CD ever.


Brant Brown - a little bearded lad from New Zealand tickled his fancy.

1. Liam Finn: I'll Be Lightning
Technically this album was released in 2007, but not until 2008 stateside. The studio recordings do not quite capture the amazing breadth of Finn's talents and energy that he displays in his live shows, but it does make for an excellent first step in what is sure to be a very successful solo career.
Check out: Energy Spent, Better to Be, Lead Balloon

2. TV on the Radio: Dear Science
To me, Dear Science is composed of a tighter, cleaner batch of songs than Return to Cookie Mountain. What stand out to me are some of the slower, more melodic tunes. Very catchy and difficult to get out of your head at times, which is fine as long as the songs are of this high quality.
Check out: Love Dog, Family Tree, Crying

3. Sigur Ros: Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Another outstanding set from these auteurs of sorrow. In this album, however, the group took great strides in delivering a more upbeat and hopeful cadence during the first half of the album. Then they predictably (and beautifully) transition back to the deep emotional introspection that fans are accustomed to, and in the effort, come out with some of their best material ever.
Check out: Festival, Inní mér syngur vitleysingur, Ára bátur

4. She & Him: Volume One
This debut album from actress Zooey Deschanel and musician Matt Ward may seem like some cheap novelty at face value. These songs, and her voice, are absolutely legitimate. The minimalist instrumental stylings bring Deschanel's harmonies to the forefront. The reception to this album has been strong, so we should be receiving more from the duo on the near future.

5. Okkervil River: The Stand Ins
I would imagine it's difficult to release two full length albums of high quality in successive years, but Okkervil River nailed it, delivering this set after The Stage Names in 2007. The Stand Ins feels a little softer, maybe a little less distinct, but from start to finish this is a top notch effort.

The rest of the Top 10
6. Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
7. Secret Machines: Secret Machines
8. Black Keys: Attack & Release
9. Richard Swift: Richard Swift as Onasis
10. Blitzen Trapper: Furr

Biggest Disappointment: This award goes to Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul on so many levels. What a complete mess.

Album I Despised the Most: Chinese Democracy. My expectations were at rock bottom for this album, and Axl met me there.


Chaim Witz - best listened whilst donning an ascot and/or monocle.

1. TV On the Radio - "Dear Science" - Like if Prince had sex with Radiohead, which when you think about it, is actually plausible.

Best Song: Golden Age

2. The Raconteurs - "Consolers of the Lonely" - The side project officially surpasses the original.

Best Song: Salute Your Solution

3. Butch Walker - "Sycamore Meadows" - Butch Walker's opus. Not that anyone knows who that is.

Best Song: Here Comes the Heartache

4. Guns n Roses - "Chinese Democracy" - Sometimes brilliant, sometimes aggravating, always interesting.

Best Song: Better

5. Tapes N Tapes - "Walk It Off" - The first good thing to come out of Minneapolis since ever.

Best Song: Lines

6. Motley Crue - "Saints of Los Angeles" - A solid comeback album of sorts from LA's STD poster boys.

Best Song: Saints of Los Angeles

7. Eagles of Death Metal - "Heart On" - Not a danceable as their debut, but really, white people shouldn't be dancing anyway.

Best Song: Prissy Prancin'

8. The Black Keys - "Attack and Release" - This one is a bit of a downer, but I suppose that's the point really.

Best Song: Strange Times

9. MGMT - "Oracular Spectacular" - Glimpses of brilliance, they're sometimes too hip for their own good.

Best Song: Kids

10. Snow Patrol - "A Hundred Million Suns" - Lots of heart wrenching, samey ballads, but sometimes you need a good cry.

Best Song: Set Down Your Glass

Honorable Mention: Brian Vander Ark - Self Titled, What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us, The Kills - Midnight Boom

Biggest Disappointments

The Killers - "Day and Age" - This is a gay disco album without the sense of fun. If you're gonna go gay, go all the way.

Kings of Leon - "Only By the Night" - Southern fried Coldplay.

Cold War Kids - "Loyalty to Loyalty" - Missing one key ingredient: Melody.

Buckcherry - "Black Butterfly" - Gritty heir to the Crue's throne put out an album of store brand rock.

Dave Thomas - best music while surfing for awful links.

1. Fleet Foxes (Fleet Foxes) - There was an awful lot of hype about this album going into my purchase and I was skeptical, to say the least. But when Pitchfork rants and raves it begs attention. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the sound the first time through. Now I think the lyrics and harmonies are, for the lack of a better term, absolutely pure. You should own this.

2. Feed the Animals (Girl Talk) - This album completely blew my mind the first time I listened to it. I was excited the entire time to see what was going to pop up next. Top notch Mr. Gillis. Top notch indeed.

3. Consolers of the Lonely (The Raconteurs) - This was an early favorite for my favorite album of the year. They put on a hell of a show at Lollapalooza too. The best rock album of the year for me. If you liked this, you might also like: The White Stripes, The Cure, Led Zeppelin, welding.

4. Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend) - This album is pretty catchy and I found myself listening to it over and over on my walk to work but it had to give it a rest before I burned out. It’ll take the Mario theme to get Oxford Comma and A-Punk out of your head.

5. Low vs. Diamond (Low vs. Diamond) - This is my sleeper pick of the draft. They’re a smaller group from LA getting a bunch of popular reviews. A friend turned me on to them, albeit too late to hear them play a show in my neighborhood. You can bet I’ll be keeping an eye out for any future shows.

6. For Emma, Forever Ago (Bon Iver) - An excellent album from beginning to end. No complaints.

7. Dear Science (TV on The Radio) - This is probably my favorite album of theirs but it’s a very unique sound and I can see how some people would have a difficult time affording the patience to let it grow on them. Eclectic.

8. 808s and Heartbreak (Kanye West) - One could say that this “feel sorry” story is actually just one song. If you can get over the voice modulation that he uses in EVERY song I think the stories are interesting and while Kanye isn’t the most talented musician out there, he keeps reinventing himself and that keeps my attention.

9. Attack and Release (The Black Keys) - I Got Mine and Strange Times were the high points for me.

10. What Doesn’t Kill Us (What Made Milwaukee Famous) - A smaller group finding their legs. Listen to Cheap Wine.