What we liked in 2008: SHANNON's Lists

Favorites, Part 1

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazurus, Dig!!
   Hmmm....It's hard for me not to be too much of a pathetic fan boy here. But what the hell. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are fucking amazing!Again! A great record hot on the heels of last years best Grinderman side project, the Bad Seeds somehow seem to get better. Older, louder, meaner, funnier and with a campy streak that's not in the least repulsive Nick and the Seed's write and perform rock and roll for grown ups who find adult "Paste style" pap like Coldplay, Keane, Vampire Weekend and their ilk an embarrassment. Long live King Ink!!
2. Mudhoney - Lucky Ones
   I could almost substitute Nick Cave's name above and add Mudhoney's. With some of the best songs of their career contained on Lucky Ones Mudhoney prove once and for that THEY were and are the best Seattle ever produced. And, I might add, really genuine and nice guys.
3. Annihilation Time - III - Tales of the Ancient Age
   What do you get when combine classic Thin Lizzy dual guitar leads, "My War" Black Flag era vocals, a sophmoric, skater sense of humor and awesome thrashing (dude)? Annihilation Time that's what. Man what I wouldn't give to see Vampire Weekend open for Annihilation Time. Oh the fun we would have.
4. Prisonshake - Dirty Moons
   Maybe it's my fondness for Cleveland bands or maybe it's just my love of well written rock songs played with passion, humor and drunken energy that draws me to Prisonshake. This, their first record in 14 years, brought back the same feeling I got when I first heard The Replacements or discovered the Homestead label. Real, honest mid-western rock. It goes down like a cold Schaefer.
5. Boris - Smile
   There is a lead guitar break in the first 2 seconds of "Lazer Beam" that is the voice of God.That is if God is a 90 lb Japanese woman. Heavy and beautiful, Boris kills.
6. Portishead - Third
   You know I never really cottoned to the whole trip-hop thing, but Portishead always stood out. With "Third" things got darker, unsettling. "We Carry On" raised the hair on my arms. Really. Krautrock rehash? Who cares.
7. Black Mountain - In The Future
   Black Mountain up's the stoner quotient by adding some prog elements to their Sabbath riffs. It's so good I don't mind songs about ponies.
8. Howlin' Rain - Magnificent Fiend
   I recently overheard a neighborhood hipster get his skinny black jeans in a wad about this band. "What a bunch of hippie bullshit! They sound like something my dad would like" His buddy responded "Yeah their like the Faces or Allman Brothers. Fuck that".
9. Witch - Paralyzed
   I'm running out of things to say about heavy rock. This record makes me want to drive around in my friend Rob's canary yellow Honda Accord and drink scotch, vodka and Pepsi all out the same bottle just like we did in 10th grade. And then play pinball.
10. King Tuff - Was Dead
    I for one am happy Power Pop is cool these days. Please don't let Pitchfork ruin it.

Favorite Reissues and Compilations

1. Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue
2. Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff
   I wish they had included a bass and drum tracks only disc. "I'll be holding". Luuuuukin!!!
3. Rodriguez - Cold Fact
4. Harvey Milk - Pleaser/Live Pleaser
   Still the only Athens band in the last decade to matter.
5. African Scream Contest
   Damn! That's some raw shit!
6. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Live at the Fillmore East
   Neil Young - Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House
   Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall
   Essential reissues.

Live shows that kept me from quitting music for another year

• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - 9:30 Club Washington, DC
• Mudhoney - The Earl ATL and Sunset Tavern Seattle, WA
• Tom Waits - Fox Theatre ATL
• It's Casual - Criminal Records
• Golden Animals - Criminal Records

The "I hate to be negative, but I can't help it" list

• Fleet Foxes
  Really? This band managed to irritate off one of the gentlest people I know, my bandmate and close friend Anna Kramer. If you know Anna, you know she's a downright hippie sweetheart. Through their hair preening on stage to their pompous answer to the praise "Your harmonies are beautiful." (The response from a band member, the one with the beard and long hair, was, "Yeah, I hope we don't get overexposed." Wow.) And the record is boring.
• Brian Wilson - Lucky Old Sun
  Someone please call Dr. Landy
• Dungen - 4
  Whaaa Haaappend!?
• Garage rock
  Enough already.