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2008 - A YEAR OF MUSIC
Albums worth another mention in no particular order (majority released over the past 12 months)
    
Albums are given marks out of 10: All albums given 10 or 9 are essential! - All albums given 8.5, 8+ and 8 are highly recommended,
those given 7.5 are very good and recommended (while a 7+ is much better than a 7 but not as impressive as a 7.5), a 6.5 or 6+ are good to decent, a 6 is average or just about acceptable, while anything from 5.5 downwards start to sound a bit grim, and all albums under a 3 should be removed from their cases and would have much better use as a beermat (biermat)!
FALL OUT BOY - Folie A Deux (Mercury / Fueled By Ramen) 7+/10
GUNS N` ROSES - Chinese Democracy (Geffen) 2+/10
DAVID ARNOLD - Quantum Of Solace {ost} (Sony) 7/10
THE BEE GEES - Best Of: Volume 1 (Rhino - 1969 reissue) 7+/10
THE BEE GEES - Best Of: Volume 2 (Rhino - 1973 reissue) 6.5/10
BELLE & SEBASTIAN - The BBC Sessions (Jeepster) 7.5/10
THE KILLERS - Day & Age (Island) 6+/10
P!NK - Funhouse (RCA) 3/10
DOLPHIN BOY - Vertical Variations (Vertical Records) 7.5/10
DEATH OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD - Death of the Neighbourhood (Atic) 7.5/10
ENNIO MORRICONE - In Venice: Live At Piazza San Marco {2 CD & Book} (Music Media) 9.5/10
STEREOPHONICS - Decade In The Sun: The Best Of {2 CD} (V2 / Mercury) 3+/10
THE SMITHS - The Sound Of The Smiths {2 CD} (Warners) 9+/10
RAZORLIGHT - Slipway Fires (Mercury) 2.5/10
GRACE JONES - Hurricane (Wall of Sound) 8.5/10
THE CURE - 4:13 Dream (Polydor / Geffen) 6.5/10
Q The Album 2008 - various artists {2 CD} (BMG) 5/10
KAISER CHIEFS - Off With Their Heads (B-Unique) 6/10
ARCTIC MONKEYS - Live at The Apollo {DVD} (Domino) 7.5/10
SNOW PATROL - A Hundred Million Suns (Polydor / Geffen) 6/10
Radio 1 Live Lounge (volume 3) - various artists {2 CD} (BMG) 6+/10
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND - Memory And Humanity (PIAS / Roadrunner) 5+/10
LIFE ON MARS / ASHES TO ASHES {ost} - various artists - 2 CD (Sony) 7+/10
WILD BEASTS - Limbo Panto (Domino) 6/10
KEANE - Perfect Symmetry (Island) 2+/10
TRAVIS - Ode To J. Smith (Red Telephone Box) 7.5/10
TILLY AND THE WALL - O (Moshi Moshi) 5/10
TOWERS OF LONDON - Fizzy Pop (Vibrant) 4/10
OASIS - Dig Out Your Soul (Big Brother) 7+/10
HIT ME TV - Hit Me TV (The Alternative) 6/10
CAGE THE ELEPHANT - Cage the Elephant (Relentless) 6.5/10
FLEET FOXES - Fleet Foxes (Bellaunion / Sub Pop) 7+/10
DARTZ - The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique (Xtra Mile) 7/10
QUEEN & PAUL RODGERS - The Cosmos Rocks (Parlophone) 2/10
NEW ORDER - Power, Corruption & Lies {2 CD version} (Rhino / Warner) 8.5/10
NEW ORDER - Movement {2 CD version} (Rhino / Warner) 8/10
NEW ORDER - Low Life {2 CD version} (Rhino / Warner) 7.5/10
NEW ORDER - Brotherhood {2 CD version} (Rhino / Warner) 8/10
MERCURY REV - Snowflake Midnight (V2) 6/10
THE DATSUNS - Head Stunts (Cooking Vinyl) 4.5/10
SILENCE IS SEXY - This Ain`t Hollywood (MFSW) 3+/10
KINGS OF LEON - Only By The Night (BMG / RCA) 7+/10
KATY PERRY - One Of The Boys (Virgin / Capitol) 2/10
COLD WAR KIDS - Loyalty to Loyalty (Mercury) 6/10
JULIAN COPE - Black Sheep (Head Heritage) 7+/10
WITHIN TEMPTATION - Black Symphony (Roadrunner) 3+/10
BRETT ANDERSON - Wilderness (Drowned In Sound / V2) 6.5/10
A BALLADEER - Where Are You, Bambi Woods? (EMI Benelux) 4+/10
THE STREETS - Everything Is Borrowed (679 Recordings / Warner) 6+/10
METALLICA - Death Magnetic (Mercury / Warner) 5+/10
TV ON THE RADIO - Dear Science (4AD) 6/10
LADYHAWKE - Ladyhawke (Island) 6/10
JEM - Down to Earth (ATO) 4.5/10
GLASVEGAS - Glasvegas (Columbia) 7+/10
SLIPKNOT - All Hope Is Gone (Roadrunner) 3.5/10
FRIENDLY FIRES - Friendly Fires (XL Recordings) 6+/10
THE GIRLS - We Make Love Not Songs (PIAS Benelux) 2/10
HOT CLUB De PARIS - Live At Dead Lake (Moshi Moshi) 7/10
THE AUTOMATIC - This Is A Fix (B-Unique) 6/10
BLOC PARTY - Intimacy (Wichita) 4+/10
THE VERVE - Forth (Parlophone) 7+/10
MY MORNING JACKET - Evil Urges (Rough Trade) 5/10
JAGUAR LOVE - Take Me to the Sea (Matador) 6.5/10
MONKEY - Journey to the West (XL Recordings) 7.5/10
LEVELLERS - Letters from the Underground (Universal) 5/10
LATE OF THE PIER - Fantasy Black Channel (Parlophone) 6+/10
GYM CLASS HEROES - The Quilt (Fueled By Ramen / Decaydance) 5/10
THE WEEK THAT WAS - The Week That Was (Memphis Industries / PIAS) 7.5/10
NOAH & THE WHALE - Peaceful The World Lays Me Down (Mercury / Universal) 5/10
HADOUKEN! - Music for an Accelerated Culture (Atlantic) 6/10
FRIGHTENED RABBIT - The Midnight Organ Fight (Fat Cat) 6/10
PRIMAL SCREAM - Beautiful Future (Atlantic) 6.5/10
ANTONIO PINTO - City Of Men {ost} (Lakeshore) 7+/10
THE HOLD STEADY - Stay Positive (Rough Trade) 6+/10
NEW ORDER - Live in Glasgow {DVD + bonus CD} (Warner) 7.5/10
SOCIETY OF IMAGINARY FRIENDS - Sadness Is A Bridge To Love (Soifmusic) 5+/10
FIVE O`CLOCK HEROES - Speak Your Language (Pinnacle / Glaze) 4.5/10
LOOK SEE PROOF - Between Here And There (Weekender Records) 5+/10
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN - To Survive (PIAS / Reveal) 5/10
CSS - Donkey (Sub Pop) 6+/10
FEEDER - Silent Cry (Echo Records) 5/10
BECK - Modern Guilt (XL Recordings) 6.5/10
ANOUK - Live at Gelredome (EMI Benelux) 2/10
GAVIN ROSSDALE - Wanderlust (Universal) 2+/10
TRICKY - Knowle West Boy (Domino Records) 7.5/10
THE BEEP SEALS - Things That Roar (Heron) 7+/10
THE SUBWAYS - All Or Nothing (Infectious / Warner) 7+/10
BLACK KIDS - Partie Traumatic (Mercury / Almost Gold) 6.5/10
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS - Romance At Short Notice (Mercury) 3.5/10
SIGUR ROS - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (EMI) 7+/10
ALANIS MORISSETTE - Flavors of Entanglement (Maverick / Warner) 3/10
AIMEE MANN - @#%&*! Smilers (ADA / Super Ego) 8+/10
INFADELS - Universe In Reverse (Wall of Sound) 6/10
THE RASCALS - Rascalize (Deltasonic / V2) 5.5/10
WEEZER - Red Album (Geffen) 5/10
ABC - Traffic (Borough Music) 7+/10
COLDPLAY - Viva La Vida ... (Parlophone / EMI) 6.5/10
THE FALL - Imperial Wax Solvent (Sanctuary / Castle) 7+/10
THE MUSIC - Strength In Numbers (Polydor) 6+/10
PAUL WELLER - 22 Dreams (Island / Universal) 7/10
THE FRATELLIS - Here We Stand (Island) 7/10
THE ZUTONS - You Can Do Anything (Deltasonic) 6+/10
PIGEON DETECTIVES - Emergency (Dance To The Radio) 6/10
THE FUTUREHEADS - This Is Not The World (Nul Records) 8.5/10
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - Narrow Stairs (Warner) 6+/10
THE DRESDEN DOLLS - No, Virginia (Roadrunner) 6/10
THE TING TINGS - We Started Nothing (Columbia) 7.5/10
TOKYO POLICE CLUB - Elephant Shell (Memphis Industries) 6.5/10
DELAYS - Everything`s The Rush (Polydor) 7/10
PORTISHEAD - Third (Island) 7+/10
dEUS - Vantage Point (V2) 5/10
CLINIC - Do It! (Domino) 6+/10
GEM - New (Excelsior) 2.5/10
JAMES - Hey Ma (Mercury / Fontana) 7.5/10
¡FORWARD, RUSSIA! - Life Processes (Cooking Vinyl) 2+/10
TINDERSTICKS - The Hungry Saw (Beggars Banquet) 7+/10
THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS - The Age Of The Understatement (Domino) 8/10
COUNTING CROWS - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (Polydor) 5/10
ASHES TO ASHES {soundtrack to BBC series} - va - (Sony / BMG) 7+/10
THE BREEDERS - Mountain Battles (4AD) 5/10
THE COURTEENERS - St Jude (Polydor) 8.5/10
THE KOOKS - Konk (Virgin) 2.5/10
REM - Accelerate (Warners) 7.5/10
GUILLEMOTS - Red (Polydor) 5.5/10
THE SPECIALS - Best of The Specials (EMI) 7+/10
THE LONG BLONDES - Couples (Rough Trade) 3.5/10
TAPES `N TAPES - Walk It Off (XL Recordings) 6+/10
ROLLING STONES - Shine A Light (Polydor) 5/10
CRYSTAL CASTLES - Crystal Castles (Last Gang) 7/10
FILM NOIR WORLD - Dark Earth (Nashville Noir Records) 7.5/10
THE RACONTEURS - Consolers of the Lonely (Warners) 6+/10
ELBOW - Seldom Seen Kid (Polydor) 7+/10
BLOOD RED SHOES - Box of Secrets (Mercury) 7.5/10
WE ARE SCIENTISTS - Brain Thrust Mastery (Virgin) 6.5/10
THE WHIP - X Marks Destination (Southern Fried Records) 7+/10
PENNYWISE - Reason to Believe (Epitaph) 4/10
SUPERGRASS - Diamond Hoo Ha (Parlophone) 5.5/10
PANIC AT THE DISCO - Pretty Odd (Fueled By Ramen / Warners) 7.5/10
THE CHARLATANS - You Cross My Path (Cooking Vinyl) 6+/10
FOALS - Antidotes (Transgressive Records / Sub Pop) 7+/10
GET CAPE WEAR CAPE FLY - Searching For The Hows & Whys (Atlantic) 7/10
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - Dig Lazarus Dig (Mute) 6.5/10
THE KILLS - Midnight Bloom (Domino) 7/10
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (Columbia) 7.5/10
DUFFY - Rockferry (Polydor) 7.5/10
GOLDFRAPP - Seventh Tree (Mute) 7.5/10
RACOON - Before You Leave (PIAS) 2/10
LAURA MARLING - Alas I Cannot Swim (Virgin) 7.5/10
PETE & THE PIRATES - Little Death (Stolen) 6/10
MORCHEEBA - Dive Deep (Echo / PIAS) 7/10
VAMPIRE WEEKEND - Vampire Weekend (XL) 7.5/10
SONS & DAUGHTERS - This Gift (Domino) 7+/10
MORRISSEY - Greatest Hits (Decca / Polydor) 8+/10
HOT CHIP - Made In The Dark (DFA / Astralwerks) 7.5/10
LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge (Domino) 6+/10
SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE - Sea From Shore (PIAS) 7/10
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - Scream Aim Fire (Sony / BMG) 4/10
BRITISH SEA POWER - Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade) 6.5/10
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS - Scouting For Girls (Epic) 5+/10
GORILLAZ - D-Sides (Regal / Parlophone / Virgin) 7.5/10
ANOUK - Who`s Your Momma (EMI Benelux) 1.5/10
THE KILLERS - Sawdust (Mercury / Island) 7/10
THE WOMBATS - A Guide To Love Loss And Desperation (14th Floor / Warners) 7.5/10
THE RAVEONETTES - Lust Lust Lust (Fierce Panda) 6/10
SIGUR ROS - Hvarf : Heim {2 CD} (EMI / Geffen) 7/10
RADIOHEAD - In Rainbows (XL Recordings / ATO) 7.5/10
STEREOPHONICS - Pull The Pin (V2) 2.5/10
THE HUMAN VALUE - Push and Pull (Big Deal Records) 7.5/10
THE HIVES - The Black and White Album (Polydor / Interscope) 6.5/10
iLiKETRAiNS - Elegies To Lessons Learnt (Beggars Banquet) 8+/10
CONTROL {soundtrack} - various artists - (Warners) 7.5/10
PJ HARVEY - White Chalk (Island) 7.5/10
FOO FIGHTERS - Echoes Silence Patience & Grace (BMG / RCA) 5/10
PURESSENCE - Don't Forget to Remember (Reaction) 7+/10
ENNIO MORRICONE - La sconosciuta {ost} (Sony) 7.5/10
THE DYKEENIES - Nothing Means Everything (Lavolta / Columbia) 7+/10
TECH 9 - Nine Lives (I Scream Records) 1/10 (yes, that is only a 1 out of 10)
REVEREND & THE MAKERS - The State of Things (Wall Of Sound) 6.5/10
KT TUNSTALL - Drastic Fantastic (Relentless / Virgin / EMI) 8+/10
HARD-Fi - Once Upon A Time In The West (Atlantic / Warners) 6/10
THE DEAD 60s - Time To Take Sides (Deltasonic) 7+/10
SIOUXSIE - Mantaray (UM3 / Universal) 7+/10
DRAGONS - Here Are The Roses (Ohm) 2/10
ARCADE FIRE - Neon Bible (Merge / Sonovox) 9/10
KATE NASH - Made Of Bricks (Polydor / Fiction) 6.5/10
CANDIE PAYNE - I Wish I Could Have Loved You More (Deltasonic) 7+/10
THE LODGER - Grown-Ups (Angular / Slumberland Records) 7+/10
ARCTIC MONKEYS – Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino Records) 8+/10
SMASHING PUMPKINS - Zeitgeist (Warners) 7/10
NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - Fantastic Playroom (Island) 7+/10
BAT FOR LASHES - Fur And Gold (2006 - Echo / 2007 - Parlophone) 8.5/10
INTERPOL - Our Love to Admire (Parlophone / Capitol) 8/10
MOKE - Shorland (PIAS) 5/10
BURIAL - Untrue (HyperDub) 7.5/10
MAPS - We Can Create (Mute) 7.5/10
AIR TRAFFIC - Fractured Life (EMI) 5+/10
EDITORS - An End Has A Start (Kitchenware) 7/10
THE VERVE - This Is Music (The Singles `92 - `98) {CD & DVD} (Virgin) 8/10
INSPIRAL CARPETS - Cool As {2 CD & DVD} (EMI) 8.5/10
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA - Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Ruby Works) 7+/10
KLAXONS - Myths of the Near Future (Polydor) 8/10
    
We would also recommend that you go through our MySpace link where you get to see an overview of all the artists & bands who we believe are making a real difference - > HERE
Wij adviseren dat jullie ook via onze MySpace link naar de overzicht gaan kijken van alle bands wat wij op dit moment belangrijk vinden - > HIER
    
    
2008 - THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY (the best, the worst & the most over hyped guitar orientated drivel ever to get a record released):
THE GOOD – ARCADE FIRE, ARCTIC MONKEYS, THE FUTUREHEADS, HOT CHIP, KLAXONS, KT TUNSTALL, INTERPOL, BAT FOR LASHES, iLiKETRAiNS, RADIOHEAD, PJ HARVEY, THE COURTEENERS, AIMEE MANN, MORRISSEY, PATD, BLOOD RED SHOES & GOLDFRAPP
THE BAD – STEREOPHONICS, KEANE, THE LONG BLONDES, THE GIRLS, DRAGONS, WITHIN TEMPTATION, RACOON & RAZORLIGHT
THE UGLY – ATHLETE, THE KOOKS, AVRIL LAVIGNE, ANOUK, VOICST & BABYSHAMBLES
NOT CONVINCED YET (despite the hype!) - GUILLEMOTS
© AAPA - 2008
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - 2008
click here for the NOMINATIONS and WINNERS!!
Our overview with a "Best of 2008" compilation in one Play List can now be found - > HERE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - 2007
click here for the NOMINATIONS and WINNERS!!
Our overview with a "Best of 2007" compilation in one Play List can now be found - > HERE
There are more CD reviews in the Dutch language & TOP 10 ALBUMS by TerryA on the musicmeter.nl website (where it is marks out of 5) - > HERE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - 2006
click here for the NOMINATIONS and WINNERS!!
Our overview with a "Best of 2006" compilation in one Play List can now be found - > HERE
The direct links for MUSIC NEWS (per month) can be found below...
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