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    Top Ten Albums of '08 - Number 10

    By Prophet on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 6:47pm | Arts & Entertainment

    We'll be working our way from 10 down to one. 

    Oh, by the way, just to introduce myself - I'm prophet and I know the future.

    Moving on...

    10. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

    What can I tell you?  I figured let's get this one out of the way before we get started.  To avoid the inevitable - "oh, when's prophet gonna weigh in on Vampire Weekend and all the hype and the Columbia University preppy flannel tucked-in khakis and the music not having enough teeth and being too benign and ripping off african beats and sounding too much like Graceland but i really do like that A-Punk song that ones not bad i hope they take on a new direction and show us something more in their follow up."

    You know?

    Let's be frank here.  We need to ask a simple question.  Does the fact that I listened to this album - i'm talking about actual full spins here - perhaps more times than any other album this past year automatically warrant it the top slot? 

    I think not.

    So, to avoid all of the above, i've chosen to get it out of the way up front.  And, please don't give me any grief a few weeks from now with the - "does prophet really think that the Throw Me The Statue album is better then Vampire Weekend's?"

    Alright?

    Let's just have a little pact upfront agreeing that we'll all be better off this way.

    Moving on...

    Notable Songs: Oxford Comma, Cope Cod Kwassa Kwassa

    A-Punk

    Topics: 
    Arts & Entertainment

    Comments

    Is it just me or do those boys appear to be paying homage to the Monkees? Also, when did the 80s get back? I counted three women in argyle crew neck sweaters at work today, and now this?

    by Orlando on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 7:41pm

    The fast motion video reminds me of They Might Be Giants

    PS Don't worry, the argyle will make it to Indiana in a few years. You can't expect the 70's to stay cool forever. (But what am I going to do with all these shirts?)


    by Michael Wolraich on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 8:09pm

    I'm a firm believer in the rule that if you wore it the first time, you have no business wearing it the second. So, the list of things I won't be wearing in the next five years includes leg warmers, crew neck sweaters with snowflakes, flourescent sweatshirts and matching socks, and sweatshirts with any sort of ripping in the shoulder area. Also, I won't be carrying a big, ugly purse. And I never liked the argyle stuff the first time around, so that's out too. Oh, and penny loafers--forget about it.


    by Orlando on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 8:25pm

    Fair enough. I can't bring myself to go 80's either. Last summer, I saw a kid in double-layer izods. Gag me with a spoon.


    by Michael Wolraich on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 8:32pm

    Double-layer, you say?


    by DF on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 10:41pm

    See, it was exactly this conversation - the style conversation - that i was looking to purge from the outset.


    by Prophet on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 10:51pm

    You really shouldn't have admitted that. I'm not all that in to fashion, but you can bet that I'll be commenting on every outfit in every video from here on in. Can you try to find videos with pretty clothes? 


    by Orlando on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 10:59pm

    I'll do my best.

     


    by Prophet on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:00am

    This video has some top-notch fashion sense:


    by DF on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 2:22pm

    Oh great Prophet, I beg of you; Please do a top 10 rundown of the year's most drugged out videos. Though I would find a 2009 rundown far more impressive


    by Mortimus on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 4:10pm

    I have to tell you - I could probably pull off a top 10 of '09.  That's a great idea.

     


    by Prophet on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 12:40am

    Welcome, prophet. All I hear these days is "Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend," but they've just never done it for me. Based on your rec, I'll give 'em another shot though. I look forward to 1-9, despite your choice of 10.


    by Michael Wolraich on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 7:43pm

    Oh, yeah. Welcome! (sheesh, I'm rude...sorry)

    by Orlando on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 7:48pm

    Me too.

    (Pssst.... Hey O.... Why are we welcoming Genghis?)


    by quinn esq on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 9:45pm

    I'm just sucking up.


    by Orlando on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 9:59pm

    It'll be an eclectic mix.  Not to worry.


    by Prophet on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:02am

    Yup. It's embarrassing, innit? Played the heck out of it. Now, let's prophesy what the prophet will - or rather, should - have as the rest.

    Hurm. Kills. Vanilla Swingers. Jason Isbell. Chew Fu. Girl Talk. ELO. Fleetwood Mac. Miracle Fortress. And Frightened Rabbit. Because...

    THEY'RE SCOTTISH! AND NOT CRAP!

      


    by quinn esq on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 7:47pm

    Belle & Sebastian are Scottish and not crap.

    The Proclaimers are Scottish and crap.

    Mark Knopfler is Scottish and crappier than Dire Straits.


    by Michael Wolraich on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 8:19pm

    Admittedly, there has been some crap. The later Rod comes to mind. Though he's still a God, and the Faces were giants. 

    But. Annie Lennox. Del Amitri. Teenage Fanclub. The Waterboys. David Byrne. (And yes, we're claiming him.) And Bon Scott of AC/DC.

    Ok, Franz Ferdinand are crap too. If they'd stuck with Franz MacFerdinand they wouldn't have been though. By definition.

    Mark Knopfler. One saving grace. Played with Dylan on Blind Willie McTell. Thank God, or else nobody would have ever known about it, and Dylan would've probably forgotten it.


    by quinn esq on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 9:44pm

    You so do not get David Byrne. Franz Ferdinand is not the best band ever, but compared to Del Amitri? Really? Though I did love Nothing Ever Happens. Gotta get me that on itunes.

    PS You forgot Oi Polloi

    PPS Whatever one might say about Scottish music, it beats the heck out of Australian. Canada's not so bad, but I can't get past Celine Dion.


    by Michael Wolraich on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 9:59pm

    Brutally off-topic, I know (sorry prophet), but G... Justin Currie of Del Amitri is a guy the other singer-songwriters of Britain are just in awe of. Seriously. I saw him sit one night, with I think it was Luka Bloom and Richard Thompson, and toss out songs he never bothered recording, and after a bit, they just threw up their arms, and said - "Just keep playing man. I can't touch that." So he did. Worst thing is him getting lost to the bottle. What a loss.

    I've given away to friends and family about 20 copies of that double-set compilation they did, Hatful of Rain & Lousy with Love, and got nothing but raves back.

    And Canadian music happens to be particularly great right now, by the way. Now that we've shoved Shania and Celine (and Avril) off the boat. Miracle Fortress & Two Hours Traffic have gorgeous stuff, though I'm pretty tired of Feist and Arcade Fire. Anyway. We'll see if prophet comes up with any Canucks. Not sure he's gonna tuck Black Mountain or Wintersleep in there though....


    by quinn esq on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 10:39pm

    Yeah, Prophet. Where's the Can-con? You have nine more shots.

    I'm a nationalist but not as cutting-edge as Quinn. My taste runs to Blue Rodeo, Cowboy Junkies, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan and the vastly underappreciated Jann Arden. Not to mention Loreena McKinnitt and the country's unofficial poet laureate, Leonard Cohen. (Cohen won't be on the Top 10 list, since he didn't even cut an album this year. But what an astonishing body of work!)

    I've shilled for homeboys Arcade Fire to friends and relatives, but have to agree with Quinn that they've been overhyped (not necessarily by them). Still, I like their recording ethos: they don't release an album before they are satisfied with it, routinely missing key sales periods like Christmas. That smacks of musical integrity -- or maybe they are just disorganized and lazy. 

    One thing, Prophet: If you can see the future, why are you touting the top albums of 2008? Tell us what's going to be good next year.


    by acanuck on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 2:44am

    Y'see? This is why these damn fools need Canadians around. We should all be raging on prophet for being such a wuss and not telling us all about 2009. So what're the big music stories? Do Britney and I get back together? Does Genghis take up the pan flute? Does AC/DC pick up Paul McCartney as a new lead singer? Do Vampire Weekend stay in school forever? Oh yeah. And when will my CD player get fixed?


    by quinn esq on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 9:53am

    "Now We Can See" by The Thermals - due out April 7th, 2009.

     

     


    by Prophet on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 10:28am

    I love David Byrne.  And I have found myself, living in a shot-gun shack.

     


    by LisB on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:22am

    Did I say shot-gun?  I meant pasties.  Beans.  Counter-tops.  Whatev.  Take me to the river.  I've got a girlfriend, who's better than that.  And she was.  Burning down the house. 

     


    by LisB on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:25am

    Will "The Clash Live at Shea Stadium" make the top 10?  That's all I wanna know.

    J/K.  Thanks for introducing me to something new...and different. 


    by LisB on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 8:31pm

    I dunno about these guys.  I suppose it's fun music, but for my tastes it lacks edge and variety.  I sense that people who like the novelty really like it, the rest of us could probably take it or leave it.  Me?  I'm gonna put on Men at Work's Cargo.


    by DF on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 3:52pm