About two weeks ago I asked our great DJs to submit their lists of favorite albums of the year. A bunch of people responded, I tallied the votes, and today we learn WMUA's collective favorite 20 albums of 2008. No recounts here, no Coleman/Franken stuff, these results are guaranteed. So let's hear 'em, low to high for maximum suspense. And be sure to check out DJs' individual top tens at the bottom.
20. 
Kings of Leon -
Only by the Night (RCA) 19. 
TV on the Radio -
Dear Science (DGC/Interscope) 18. 
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks -
Real Emotional Trash (Matador) 17. 
Dodos -
Visiter (French Kiss) 16. 
No Age -
Nouns (Sub Pop)
15. 
Magnetic Fields -
Distortion (Nonesuch)14. 
Baby Guts -
The Kissing Disease (Guilt Ridden Pop)13. 
Marnie Ste
rn - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (Kill Rock Stars)
12. 
Deerhunter - Microcastle (Kranky)
11. 
M83 - Saturdays=Youth (Mute)
10. 
Portishead - Third (Mercury)
9. 
Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst (Saddle Creek)
8. 
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
7. 
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
6. 
Duchess Says - Anthologie des Trois Perchoirs (Alien8)
5. 
Dan Friel - Ghost Town (Important)
4. 
Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls (In The Red)
3. 
Why? - Alopecia (Anticon)
2. 
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (Social Registry)
1. 
Parts and Labor - Receivers (Jagjaguwar)
Yes, after spending most every week since its release at number 1 on our weekly charts, Parts and Labor take the title of WMUA's favorite album of the year. Great job! Also, if you didn't go see them at Hampshire on the 11th because it was snowing outside, you're a wimp and you missed out pretty hard. Sorry to break the news.
Now check these individual lists. If you see something you like, tune in to the show. It's not any more complicated than that.
Dave Murray (host of
In the Court of the Crimson King, Wednesdays 8 pm - 10 pm)
1. Parts & Labor – Receivers
2. Duchess Says – Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs
3. Racebannon – Acid or Blood
4. Tobacco – Fucked Up Friends
5. sBach – s/t
6. Total Abuse – s/t
7. Portishead – Third
8. Subtle – Exiting Arm
9. Darker My Love – 2
10. Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
Alex Hornbeck (host of
Strange Light, Tuesdays 10 pm - midnight)
1. Portishead – Third
2. Gang Gang Dance – Saint Dymphna
3. Dan Friel – Ghost Town
4. Blood on the Wall – Liferz
5. Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane
6. Mahjongg – Kontpab
7. Max Richter – 24 Postcards in Full Colour
8. No Age – Nouns
9. Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
10. Indian Jewelry – Free Gold!
Eric Marklein (host of
Sound of Confusion, Mondays 8 - 10 pm)
1. Harvey Milk - Life...The Best Game in Town
2. Dan Friel - Ghost Town
3. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
4. Why? - Alopecia
5. Boris - Smile
6. Breeders - Mountain Battles
7. Torche - Meanderthal
8. Earles and Jensen - Just Farr A Laugh Vol. 1 & 2: The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!
9. Deerhunter - Microcastle
10. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
Erika Patsy (co-host of
Expressway To Yr Skull, Thursdays 5:30 - 8 pm)
1. Vivian Girls - s/t
2. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
3. Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08
4. Love Is All - A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night
5. Parts & Labor - Receivers
6. Stereolab - Chemical Chords
7. No Age - Nouns
8. Dead Dog - s/t
9. The New Bloods - The Secret Life
10. Pants Yell! - Alison Statton
Corey Charron (co-host of Fallen Through the Cracks/Vinyl Revival, Tuesdays 8-10 pm)
1. Why? ‐ Alopecia
2. Magnetic Fields ‐ Distortion
3. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks ‐ Real Emotional Trash
4. Duchess Says - Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs
5. Silver Jews ‐ Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
6. Baby Guts ‐ Kissing Disease
7. Oxford Collapse ‐ Bits
8. Jeffrey Lewis ‐ 12 Crass Songs
9. Marnie Stern - This Is It...
10. Shannon McArdle - Summer of the Whore
Zara Rose (co-host of
Fallen Through the Cracks/Vinyl Revival, Tuesdays 8-10 pm)
1. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
2. Shannon McArdle - Summer of the Whore
3. Baby Guts - Kissing Disease
4. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
5. Marnie Stern - This is it and I am it...
6. Oxford Collapse - Bits
7. Jeffery Lewis - 12 Crass Songs
8. Duchess Says - Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs
9. Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here
10. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
Gabe Chicoine (co-host of
Mind Blinders, Mondays 10 pm - midnight)
1. No Age - Nouns
2. Dan Friel - Ghost Town
3. Jay Reatard - Singles ’06 – ‘07
4. Why? - Alopecia
5. Blood on the Wall - Liferz
6. Parts and Labor - Receivers
7. Awesome Color - Electric Aborígenes
8. Deerhunter - Microcastle
9. Portishead - Third
10. El Guincho - Alegranza!
Ian Nelson (co-host of
Sesame Street Band-Aids, Mondays 5:30 - 8 pm)
1. lil wayne - carter III
2. dodos - visiter
3. deerhunter - microcastle
4. excepter - debt dept
5. white denim - exposion
6. air france - no way down EP
7. gang gang dance - saint dymphna
8. m83 - saturdays=youth
9. conor oberst - conor oberst
10. vivian girls - vivian girls
Barry Benham (co-host of
Sesame Street Band-Aids, Mondays 5:30 - 8 pm)
1. lil' wayne - tha carter III
2. titus andronicus - the airing of grievances
3. dodos - visiter
4. little joy - s/t
5. conor oberst - s/t
6. kanye west - 808s & heartbreak
7. of montreal - skeletal lamping
8. m83 - saturdays = youth
9. panic at the disco - pretty odd
10. pretty & nice – s/t
Rich Ladew (host of
End of Radio, Thursdays 8 - 10 pm)
1. Parts and Labor - Receivers
2. Dan Friel - Ghost Town
3. Torche - Meandrathal
4. TV On The Radio - Dear Science
5. Various Artists - Don't Stop: Recording Tap
6. New Order - Movement (Reissue)
7. Dark Meat - Universal Indians (Reissue)
8. Wire - Object 47
9. Melvins - Nude With Boots
10. Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic - Dawn Of The Cycads
Andujar (host of
Clandestino, Mondays 2:30 - 4:30)
1. Nomo - Ghost Rock
2. Grupo Fantasma - Sonidos Gold
3. Bio Ritmo - Bionico
4. Kaleta & Kozo Afrobeat - Country of Guns
5. William Parker - Double Sunrise Over Neptune
6. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
7. Orchestra Baobob - Made In Dakar
8. Brownout - Homenaje
9. Bronx River Parkway & the Candela All Stars - San Sebatstian 152
10. Jesus Pagan y su Orquesta - Salsa de la Mata
(and check out Andujar's full list with write-ups
by clicking here)
Pete Rizzo (on air Fridays 8 - 10 pm)
1. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
2. Kings of Leon - Only By the Night
3. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
4. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
5. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
6. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
7. Beck - Modern Guilt
8. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
9. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
10. Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath
Beth Schumacher (no winter show, check back in spring)
1. Why? - Alopecia
2. Mason Jennings - In The Ever
3. The Toadies - Deliverance
4. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
5. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
6. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
7. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
8. Secret Machines - Secret Machines
9. Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun
10. Adam Green - Sixes & Sevens
Carly Stipek (no winter show, check back in spring)
1. The Rural Alberta Advatage - Hometowns
2. Deastro - Keeper’s
3. Walkmen - You & Me
4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
5. Au - Verbs
6. Beach House - Devotion
7. Women - Women
8. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
9. Deerhuner - Microcastle
10. Parts & Labor - Receivers
Jen Wanamaker (graduated - ciao!)
1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
2. Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow And Blue
3. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
4. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
5. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
6. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
7. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
8. Beck - Modern Guilt
9. School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
10. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
Donald Hedeman (no winter show, check back in spring)
1. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
2. Theo Parrish - Sound Signature Sounds (Reissue)
3. Osborne - Osborne
4. DJ Stingray - Aqua Team 2
5. Der Zyklus - Cherenkov Radiation
6. Wisp - Katabatic
7. Madlib - Beat Konducta, Vol.5: Dil Cosby Suite
8. Bochum Welt - R.O.B.
9. Madvillain - Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix
10. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
Hank Berry (host of
A Thousand Plateaus, Sundays 7:30 - 9:30 pm)
1. Michael Byron - Dreamers of Pearl
2. Handel: Tolomeo, Alan Curtis Conducting - Il Complesso Baracco (with Ann Hallenberg)
3. Jordi Savall directing Hesperion XXI - Fransico Javier: La Ruta de Oriente
4. Mozart: Don Giovani - Rene Jacobs Directing the Freibruger Barockorchester
5. Karlheinz Stockhausen - Stimmung
6. Anthony Braxton - The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton
7. Ursula Oppens - Oppens Plays Carter
8. Henry Purcell - Keyboard Suites & Grounds, Keyboardist Richard Egarr
9. Eri Yamamoto - Redwoods
10. Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs
Darryl Clark (host of
Old School, Thursdays 6 - 8 am)
alejandro escovedo "real animal
al green "lay it down"
jenny lewis "acid tongue"
dido "safe trip home"
marc cohn "join the parade live ep"
cat power "jukebox"
sprinsteen "magic"
alice smith "for lovers, dreamers & me"
dylan "telltale signs"
dr. dog "fate"
roberet forsterer "the eveangelist"
joni mitchell "shine"
randy newman "harps & angels"
maceo parker "roots and grooves"
sharon jones "100 days, 100 nights"
Glenn Siegel (host of
Jazz In Silhouette, Fridays 9 am - noon)
The Heliocentrics - Out There
Umalali - The Garifuna Women's Project
Omar Souleyman - Highway to Hassake
Dem Trio - The Fountain
Various - Ayombe
Think of One - Camping Shaabi
Etran Finatawa - Desert Crossroads
Toumast - Ishumar
Raphael Cortijo - La Quiniela Del Dia
Various - Afrobeat Nirvana
Andrew McGraw - Kolaborasi
Sidestepper - The Buena Vibra Sound System
Chapinlandia - Marimba Music of Guatemala
Beto Villa - Father of Orquesta Tejana, Vol. 1
Buika - Mi nina Lola
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Kinsmen
Bronx River Parkway - San Sebastian 152
Nomo - Ghost Rock
Hanggai - Introducing Hanggai
Various - Rough Guide to Music of Mali
Savina Yannatou - Songs Of An Other
Juaneco y Su Combo - Masters of Chica 1
Various - Rough Guide to Klezmer Revolution
Shakers n' Bakers - Yearning for Zion
Eyal Maoz - Edom
