You are currently browsing the daily archive for July 22nd, 2008.
From Radar Magazine:
In the late ’90s, pop-culture historian Bill Geerhart had a little too much time on his hands and a surfeit of stamps. So, for his own entertainment, the then-unemployed thirtysomething launched a letter-writing campaign to some of the most powerful and infamous figures in the country, posing as a curious 10-year-old named Billy.
…
As it turns out, no group hates to disappoint a child more than convicted killers, all of whom responded promptly to Billy’s questions about dropping out of school. Their letters, published here for the first time, range from criminally insane to downright sensible, offering snapshots of the personalities behind some of America’s most hideous crimes. Recently, Radar asked Billy to follow up with his mentors as a college student.
My 2008 heard/best of list so far:
1-50
Magnetic Fields: Distortion
Spiritualized: Songs in A and E
The Walkmen: You and Me
Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel: Dual Hawks
Russian Red: I Love Your Glasses
The Kills: Midnight Boom
MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
Black Mountain: In the Future
Thomas Function: Celebration
The Futureheads: This Is Not the World
Sunset: The Glowing City
No Age: Nouns
Times New Viking: Rip it Off
Ladytron: Velocifero
Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing
Drive-by Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Why?: Alopecia
British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music?
Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride
Darla Farmer: Rewiring the Electric Forest
Vetiver: Thing of the Past
The Twlight Sad: Here It Never Snowed Afterwards It Did
Silver Jews: Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Lykke Li: Youth Novels
Mono in VCF
The Felice Brothers: s/t
Sun Kil Moon: April
Fleet Foxes: s/t
Sunset: Bright Blue Dream
The Mumlers: Thickets and Stitches
The Dutchess and the Duke: She’s the Dutchess
El Perro del Mar: From the Valley to the Stars
Murder by Death: Red of Tooth and Claw
Man Man: Rabbit Habits
Tallest Man on Earth: Shallow Graves
Colour Revolt: Plunder Beg and Curse
Jamie Lidell: Jim
Vampire Weekend
Crystal Stilts: s/t
Brian Scary and the Shredding Tears: Flight of the Knife
The Steeldrivers: s/t
Ladyhawk: Shots
She and Him: Volume One
Portishead: Third
Les Savy Fav: After the Balls Drop
Have a Nice Life: Deathconsciousness
Cat Power: Jukebox
Evangelista: Hello Voyager
Lonely Drifter Karen: Grass Is Singing
Brasil and the Gallowbrothers Band: Hi Brasil Is Where We Are
51-84
My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
Irene: Long Gone Since Last Summer
The Breeders: Mountain Battles
Wye Oak: If Children
Born Ruffians: Red, Yellow and Blue
The Kooks: Konk
Guillemots: Red
Pia Fraus: After Summer
Slow Down Tallahassee: The Beautiful Light
High Places: 03/07 – 09/07
The Superimposers: Harpsichord Treacle
Explorer’s Club: Freedom Wind
Shrine: Oneironaut
NASA: Bummer Days
Natural Snow Buildings: Slayer of the King of Hell
Okieson: Tomorrow’s Gone
Possessed by Paul James: Cold and Blind
Neutral: Serpents in the Dawn
Crystal Skulls: Blocked Numbers
Our Brother the Native: Make Amends
Indian Jewelry
Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree
The Boats: Our Small Ideas
R.E.M.: Accelerate
The Teenagers: Reality Check
Brent Cash: How Will I Know If I’m Awake
Veronica Maggio: Och Vinnaren Är
Ex Reverie: The Door Into Summer
Manishevitz: East to East
Donovan Quinn: October Lanterns
Dirtbombs: We Have You Surrounded
Black Ox Orkestar: Ver Tanzt
Wild Sweet Orange: We Have Cause to Be Uneasy
On the to-hear list:
The Red Sun Band: The Shiralee
Steven Malkmus & the Jicks: Real Emotional Trash
Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping
Martina Topley-Bird: The Blue God
The Night Marchers: See You in Magic
Earth: The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
Mae Shi: HLLLYH
Constantines: Kensington Heights
Joggers
Nick Cave: Dig Lazarus Dig
Foals: Antidotes
Duke Spirit: Neptune
Kelley Polar
Beach House: Devotion
Clinic: Do It
Atlas Sound
Destroyer: Trouble in Dreams
Cass McCombs: Dropping the Writ
The Low Lows
Liz Phair
Jex Thoth – Jex Thoth
The Day Everything Became Nothing – Brutal
Experimental Aircraft – Third Transmission: Meet Me On Echo Terrace
The Okmoniks – Party Fever
The Goslings – Occasion
Sic Alps – U.S. Ez
