Best of 2008 - Staff Picks
Here they are, the best of the best of 2008 according to our highly skilled, fabulously opinionated staff. If there's something here that intrigues you, be sure to ask to check it out next time you stop in.
Best of 2008 - Frank
Best Album
1. Ry Cooder- I Flathead
2. Raphael Saadiq- The Way I See It
3. Lucinda Williams- Little Honey
4. Pacific UV- Longplay2
5. Neil Young- SugarMountain Live @ Canterbury
6. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
7. Orchestra Baobab- Made In Dakar
8. Roots- Rising Down
9. Hayes Carll- Trouble In Mind
10. Eagles of Death Metal- Heart On
Best Reissue
1. Various Artists: Love Train-Sound of Philadelphia
2. Various Artists: Eccentric Soul 21-Soul Messages From Dimona
3. Replacements- Tim
Best Live Show
Joe Jackson
Best In-Store
Lisa Hannigan
Most Welcome Comeback
Al Green
Guilty Pleasure
Buddy Greco
Best Artwork/Packaging
Miles Davis- Kind Of Blue 50th Anniversary
Misc. Fav’s
Brotherhood
Life & Times of Tim
Avocados
Best of 2008 - Christian
Best Album
1. Mogwai- Hawk Is Howling
2. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah
3. Blue Sky Black Death- Latenight Cinema
4. Holy Fuck- LP
5. Flying Lotus- Los Angeles
6. Final Solutions- Numero 22: Brotherman Soundtrack
7. Koushik- Out My Window
8. Kings of Leon- Only By The Night
9. School of Seven Bells- Alpinism
10. Mars Volta- Bedlam In Goliath
Best Reissue
1. Love- Forever Changes
2. Jimi Hendrix- Electric Ladyland
3. Deltron 3030- S/T
Best Live Show
1. Portishead- Mayan
2. Entrance- Low End Theory
3. Radiohead- Hollywood Bowl
Best In-Store
Shearwater
Most Welcome Comeback
Wu Tang
Best Artwork/Packaging
Nobody Presents Blank Blue- Western Water Music II
Misc. Fav’s
Jedi Mind Tricks
Dexter
History Of Violence
Kids Meals (From Lucilles)
Best of 2008 - Heather
Best Album
1. Portishead- Third
2. Spiritualized- Songs In A & E
3. Deerhunter- Microcastles
4. Stereolab- Chemical Chords
5. Dungen- 4
6. King Khan & the Shrines- Supreme Genius Of King Khan
7. Nobody Presents Blank Blue- Western Water Music Vol II
8. TV On The Radio- Dear Science
9. Nightmarchers- See You In Magic
10. El Perro Del Mar- From the Valley To The Stars
Best Reissue
1. Otis Redding
2. New Order
3. Jesus & Mary Chain
Best Live Show
1. My Bloody Valentine- Santa Monica Civic
2. Nick Cave/Cat Power/Spiritualized- Hollywood Bowl
3. Liars/ No Age- El Rey
Best In-Store
Cold War Kids
Most Welcome Comeback
Portishead/MBV
Guilty Pleasure
MGMT
Best Artwork/Packaging
School of Seven Bells/Thievery Corporation
Misc. Fav’s
ANP Quarterly
IceCreamMan.com
Fido Trust Records
C Salt Gourmet Chocolates
DDR Projects Gallery
Best of 2008 - Chris
Best Album
1. Mars Volta- Bedlam In Goliath
2. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
3. Portishead- Third
4. Mogwai- Hawk Is Howling
5. Earth- Bee’s Made Honey In The Lion’s
6. Xiu Xiu- Women’s As Lovers
7. Calexico- Carried To Dust
8. Deerhoof- Offend Maggie
9. Fucked Up- Chemistry Of Common Life
10. Juana Molina- Un Dia
Best Reissue
1. Rodriguez- Cold Fact
2. Eccentric Soul #21- Soul Messages From Dimona
3. Carcass- Reek of Putrefaction
Best Live Show
1. Patti Smith- Orpheum
2. Prince/Portishead/Kraftwerk- Coachella
3. Boredoms w/ 88 Drummers- Fonda & Tar Pits
Best In-Store
People Under The Stairs
Most Welcome Comeback
Portishead
Guilty Pleasure
MGMT
Best Artwork/Packaging
Earth
Misc. Fav’s
Everyone, but Larry
Upright Citizens Brigade
Kid Robot-Simpsons
Playing Pool @ Ferns
Working @Fingerprints
Movie Night
Best of 2008 - Larry
Best Album
1. Last Shadow Puppets- Age of the Understatement
2. Oasis- Dig Out Your Soul
3. Kings Of Leon- Only By the Night
4. Glasvegas- Glasvegas
5. Verve- Forth
6. Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
7. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
8. Deerhunter- Microcastle
9. Cut Copy- In Ghost Colours
10. Raphael Saadiq- Way I See
Best Reissue
1. David Bowie- Live Santa Monica ‘72
2. Rodriguez- Cold Fact
3. Kinks- Picture Book
Best Live Show
1. Last Shadow Puppets- Mayan
2. Oasis- Staples Center
Best In-Store
People Under The Stairs
Guilty Pleasure
Frank
Best Artwork/Packaging
Oasis
Misc. Fav’s
Cheap Trick
Budokau DVD
My Cat “Candy”
Best of 2008 - Dominique
Best Album
1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
2. Chad VanGaalen- Soft Airplane
3. Street Dogs- State of Grace
4. Last Shadow Puppets- Age of the Understatement
5. King Khan & the Shrines- Supreme Genius of King Khan
6. Phenomenauts- For All Man Kind
7. Slackers- Self Medication
8. Horrorpops- Kiss Kiss Kill Kill
9. Black Mountain- In The Future
10. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah
Best Reissue
1. David Bowie- Live In Santa Monica ‘72
2. Rodriguez- Cold Fact
3. Symarip (Deluxe Ed) – Skinhead Moonstomp
Best Live Show
1. Leslie Hall- Glasshouse
2. Gogol Bordello- Detour Fest
3. See Spot- CD Release Party
Best In-Store
Rivers Cuomo
Most Welcome Comeback
Portishead
Guilty Pleasure
Metallica
Best Artwork/Packaging
Flight Of the Conchords
Misc. Fav’s
Peskimo’s Bamboo Zoo- Kid Robot Toy
E Pluribus Venom by Shepard Fairey
Venture Brothers- Season 3
Best of 2008 - Zac
Best Album
1. Bon Iver- For Emma Forever Ago
2. Beck- Modern Guilt
3. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
4. Black Mountain- In the Future
5. Black Keys- Attack & Release
6. Goldfrapp- Seventh Tree
7. Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet- Apocalypse Inside of an Orange
8. Secret Machines- Secret Machines
9. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah
10. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
Best Reissue
1. Beck Odelay
2. Deltron 3030- Deltron 3030
3. Graham Nash- Songs For Beginners
Best Live Show
1. Radiohead- Hollywood Bowl
2. Mars Volta- Brea Events Center
3. Portishead- Mayan
Best In-Store
Grand Old Party
Most Welcome Comeback
Potishead
Guilty Pleasure
NERD- Seeing Sounds
Best Artwork/Packaging
Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet
Misc. Fav’s
Banksy & Dangermouse’s Paris Hilton CD
Erykah Badu’s Gramaphone Reproductive System
“The Nightman Cometh”