The 2008 Pitchfork 100

[Giuseppe Zangara]

Yo anyone got predix for the top five? I'll say:

 

5 Hercules & Love Affair

4 Portishead

3 Deerhunter

2 TVOTR

1 Fleet Foxes

 

Lil Wayne will be somewhere between 15 and 7.

NME couldn't wait (scroll down a bit):

 

Pitchfork

1. Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.

2. TV On The Radio – Dear Science

3. No Age - Nouns

4. Hercules And Love Affair – Hercules And Love Affair

5. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

6. DJ Rupture - Uproot

7. Fucked Up – The Chemistry Of Common Life

8. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

9. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours

10. Portishead – Third

[Copper Feel]

Pretty by-the-numbers NME list there, aside from TV on the Radio being at the top. I really don't like Glasvegas.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

It's totally by the numbers for a music publication to put Dear Science in a top 10 or 20 list. It received high enough praise in all the right circles, so of course it'll be on all the major lists. This isn't a knock on the record, by the way. I've certainly talked enough of my love for it.

[Copper Feel]

It would seem a little obscure for NME though. They're basically Heat magazine for indie music.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

Obscure? Are TVOTR not as "well known" (please note I'm use this term loosely) in the UK as they are here? As for the second half of your post, I have no idea what that means.

[Copper Feel]

They're probably not. I've yet to meet someone who was able to say more than 'oh yeah, I've heard of them' when asked about TVotR. Heat is a gossip mag, I don't know what the American equivalent would be.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Can we disqualify Vampire Weekend from year-end lists because it's kinda-sorta a 2007 release? How about because it's shitty/

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

Haha check out Rolling Stone's list to see what happens when out-of-touch boomers make a desperate grab at hipness/relevance.

 

1. Dear Science, by TV On The Radio

2. Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 by Bob Dylan

3. Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne

4. Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket

5. Life Death Love and Freedom by John Mellencamp

6. Santogold by Santogold

7. Viva La Vida by Coldplay

8. Modern Guilt by Beck

9. Death Magnetic by Metallica

10. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend

 

EDIT: Holy shit they put the Jonas Brothers at #40

[Guest Czecherbear]

Mellencamp and Santogold, together at last. And Beck? Nobody likes Beck! Why's he still here? He had like one song!

 

Is Santogold the less talented M.I.A., the other way around, or are they pretty much equal? I don't really know a lot of her stuff.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

That top 10 is just right for Rolling Stone. They cast their net indiscriminately.

[BUTT]

Is Santogold the less talented M.I.A., the other way around, or are they pretty much equal? I don't really know a lot of her stuff.

 

[Garth]

They're probably not. I've yet to meet someone who was able to say more than 'oh yeah, I've heard of them' when asked about TVotR. Heat is a gossip mag, I don't know what the American equivalent would be.

 

For the Heat equivalent, I'd take a stab at it being pretty close to The National Enquirer. Both appear to be horrible rags, just one is made of shinier paper.

 

NME is truly terrible though, it pains me that one of my friends is there for work experience at the moment. Nothing will convince her that it is not brilliant.

 

Speaking of Los Compesinos, I went to university with Gareth the lead singer. He was the head TV cricket for the student magazine. He was nice enough, but I always got the impression that he thinks he's a lot smarter than he actually is.

[Smartly Pretty]

I like Los Campesinos! a bunch and I'm going to see them with Titus Andronicus (BERGEN COUNTY PRIDE) this January. nyah nyah.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

I like Los Campesinos! a bunch and I'm going to see them with Titus Andronicus (BERGEN COUNTY PRIDE) this January. nyah nyah.

I've no interest in seeing this show, but I'm going to go over there and beat you up in front of all your friends.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

Titus Andronicus is pretty sweet.

[Smartly Pretty]

I like Los Campesinos! a bunch and I'm going to see them with Titus Andronicus (BERGEN COUNTY PRIDE) this January. nyah nyah.

I've no interest in seeing this show, but I'm going to go over there and beat you up in front of all your friends.

 

Could you buy us beer afterwards?

[At Home]

And Beck? Nobody likes Beck! Why's he still here? He had like one song!

 

Die.

[Guest Czecherbear]

I know I have a reputation for swearing I'll never like an act, folding my arms, and scowling (Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Steely Dan), but I feel confident in saying I'll never care about Beck.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

Odelay was a pretty alright album, I think. That might just be nostalgia talking, though. I did some serious rockin out to 'Devil's Haircut' back in the day. I seem to remember Midnite Vultures being pretty fun, too.

 

But yeah, he's hardly done anything worthwhile in a decade. The only people checking for Beck these days are the boring-est of boring white people (what up pbone).

[C Dubya 04]

I liked Mellow Gold enough back in the day, thought Odelay was pretty good and actively enjoyed One Foot in the Grave. I haven't paid much attention to him past then though.

[Edwin MacPhisto]

NME were close, but must have been guessing or working off an old list. Fleet Foxes were #1. Beards and mountains are in this season.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

Nine of the 10 are on both lists, just ranked differently. Either NME were remarkably prescient or the Pitchfork editors changed it up a little after the original list was spoiled.

 

Fleet Foxes aren't terrible. Just a little too vanilla.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

Is Cut Copy actually any good? "Hearts on Fire" struck as being the sort of totally generic "dance-y" indie rock that NME creams its trousers for. Like, a shittier Klaxons or something. Is there something I'm missing there, or is Pitchfork just losing it's edge?

[Gary Floyd]

Is Cut Copy actually any good? "Hearts on Fire" struck as being the sort of totally generic "dance-y" indie rock that NME creams its trousers for. Like, a shittier Klaxons or something. Is there something I'm missing there, or is Pitchfork just losing it's edge?

I liked it, but it loses some appeal after repeat listens.

[Mik]

Missing from the list: The Stand Ins by Okkervill River.

 

It's nearly as good as The Stage Names and "Lost Coastlines", "Blue Tulip", "Singer Songwriter", and "Calling and Not Calling My Ex" are standout tracks that I will definitely still be listening to in 5 years+.

 

Not sure about the complete snub.

[Edwin MacPhisto]

Re - Cut Copy: If you class them that way, In Ghost Colours would definitely put them at the top of the genre, but I get more of an 80s dance-pop vibe off the album than I do NME-rock. The album's pretty good. "Feel the Love" and "Far Away" might be worth a go if you wanna get a wider taste of what's on it.

[Cheech Tremendous]

Alright, I've got copies of TV on the Radio, Cut Copy, Vampire Weekend and Portishead in my possession. Time to expand my horizons to be a little more Pitchfork-y.

[Annabelle]

anyone else like the little joy album?

[PLAGIARISM!]

I've said it before, but has Neon Neon's Stainless Style had a mainstream release in the US? A brilliant album, vying with Dear Science for my best of the year. (Probably just losing, but still).