Q’s Top 50 of 2008

Q have always been a publication that favours big and dumb Arena Rock over pretty much anything else, so their no.1 probably isn’t that surprising.

50 Dido – Safe Trip Home
49 Emmylou Harris – All I Intended To Be
48 Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
47 Randy Newman – Harps And Angels
46 The Verve – Forth
45 Jack Johnson Sleep Through Static
44 Black Kids – Partie Traumatic
43 Joan As Police Woman – To Survive
42 Liam Finn – I’ll Be Lightning
41 Lindsey Buckingham – Gift Of Screws
40 My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
39 Santogold – Santogold
38 John Mellencamp – Life Death Love & Freedom
37 Lykke Li – Youth Novels
36 R.E.M. – Accelerate
35 The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
34 Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
33 Hercules & Love Affair – Hercules & Love Affair
32 Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
31 Black Mountain – In The Future
30 Portishead – Third
29 AC/DC – Black Ice
28 Paul Weller – Dreams
27 Neil Diamond – Home Before Dark
26 Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
25 Metallica – Death Magnetic
24 The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age Of The Understatement
23 Beck – Modern Guilt
22 The Killers – Day & Age
21 Razorlight – Slipway Fires
20 The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
19 Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
18 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
17 Adele – 19
16 Hot Chip – Made In The Dark
15 Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
14 Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads
13 MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
12 Keane – Perfect Symmetry
11 Sigur Rós – Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
10 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
09 The Raconteurs – Consolers Of The Lonely
08 Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
07 TV On The Radio – Dear Science
06 Duffy – Rockferry
05 Glasvegas – Glasvegas
04 Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
03 Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
02 Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
01 Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night

This is why Kings of Leon won, according to Q:

Like others before them – R.E.M. and Radiohead in recent years – Kings Of Leon are making big rock music to fill big spaces, without resorting to hot air or empty posturing.

Because ‘Sex on Fire’ had some real weight behind it – and Coldplay at no.3! I guess it makes sense that they would back a band who seem to be trying their hardest to emulate U2.

But Coldplay – at no.3!

I’ll leave you with a more agreeable choice from the list.

MP3: Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
[Audio http://jorichards77.googlepages.com/02WhiteWinterHymnal.mp3%5D

Kanye West – Paranoid

‘Baby, don’t worry ’bout it.’

One of the better picks off a hit and miss album. Expect a review sometime in the not so near future.

[Audio http://jorichards77.googlepages.com/06ParanoidFeaturingMr.Hudson.mp3%5D

MP3: Kanye West – Paranoid

David Byrne probably isn’t a McCain supporter.

Just got this in the mail. It’s an easy post for me and it’s nice and topical.

Pardon the bulk mailing. I Can’t Vote. I am an immigrant with a Green Card and, therefore, I am not eligible to vote in a federal election. FYI – I can get drafted (luckily, Daniel Berrigan burned my draft board’s records) and I pay taxes, yet I cannot vote for President. On Election Day, I see my neighbors heading to the nearby elementary school to cast their ballots. The voting booth joint is a great leveler; the whole neighborhood – rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky – they all turn out in one day.

But most of you can vote. What can I say? The Republicans have made us less safe than before 9/11, bankrupted this economy, started an illegal war they can’t – and don’t intend to – finish, removed what sympathy (after 9/11) and respect the world had for the US, and have robbed US citizens of many of their basic rights. Global warming? What’s that? Science and education? Investment in our future? No, thanks – we’ll stick with a good ‘ole hockey mom. Ignorant, and fucking proud of it, as is always the case.

Although it looks like a shoo-in, it ain’t over ’til Florida. And there are plenty of racists in this country who will vote against their own best interests. So please, get to your local elementary school, post office, town hall, or whatever, and cast your vote and make this a country we can all be proud of. We can get out of this mess, and life can be better than it is.

David Byrne
NYC

I guess he isn’t a Republican then, eh?

Anyway, the big day is here. Living in the UK hasn’t stopped me studiously following this race since Iowa,  it’s been absolutely captivating, almost cinematic in it’s scope.  Let’s just hope it has a happy ending this time.

MP3: Radiohead – Electioneering

[Audio http://jorichards77.googlepages.com/08Electioneering.mp3%5D