Best of 2008 - Album of the Year

At long last, here is The Sky Report's favorite 50 albums of 2008. Sorry this is so late, but the holidays really swept me up. Better late than never!

In general, I felt 2008 was not the strongest year for solid, original albums. But after much agony, I've mustered up the Top 50. And if you wonder how acts like MGMT and The Raveonettes didn’t make the list, see the Best of 2007. Bands like Coldplay, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, Death Cab For Cutie, and Vampire Weekend really overshot my radar and I really can’t stand hearing them anymore, so while their albums may have been worthy, I didn’t care to investigate them very closely. And can I just get this off my chest? Fuck Metallica, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Oasis and AC/DC. I just don’t care anymore. Sorry if that sounds negative - I'm actually in a great mood lately.

On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by the resurrections of The B-52’s and Grace Jones. Their return albums were both admirable and I found myself giving them many repeat listens.

Top 50 Albums of 2008

50. GRACE JONES - Hurricane
49. BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH - Slow Burning Lights
48. FUJIYA & MIYAGI - Lightbulbs
47. RATATAT - LP3
46. THE DUKE SPIRIT - Neptune
45. BLACK MOUNTAIN - In the Future
44. SIGUR ROS - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
43. GANG GANG DANCE - Saint Dymphna
42. DIPLO & SANTOGOLD - Top Ranking
41. PONYTAIL- Ice Cream Spiritual

40. CRYSTAL CASTLES - s/t
39. HIGH PLACES - s/t
38. OF MONTREAL - Skeletal Lamping
37. CUT COPY - In Ghost Colours
36. HEADLIGHTS - Some Racing, Some Stopping
35. VIVIAN GIRLS - s/t
34. RA RA RIOT - The Rhumb Diary
33. QUIET VILLAGE - Silent Movie
32. M83 - Saturdays = Youth
31. CRYSTAL STILTS - Alight of Night

30. DAVID BYRNE & BRIAN ENO - Everything That Happens...
29. MENAHAN STREET BAND - Make the Road By Walking
28. GROUPER - Dragging A Dead Deer Up a Hill
27. THE DODOS - Visiter
26. THE MAGNETIC FIELDS - Distortion
25. LYKKE LI - Youth Novels
24. LOVE IS ALL - A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night
23. THE B-52'S - Funplex
22. LITTLE JOY - s/t
21. HOT CHIP - Made in the Dark

20. DJ/RUPTURE - Uproot
19. NO AGE - Nouns
18. THE DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES - In Ear Park
17. WHITE DENIM - Workout Holiday
16. GOLDFRAPP - Seventh Tree
15. FLEET FOXES - s/t
14. BEACH HOUSE - Devotion
13. ERYKAH BADU - New Amerykah Part One (4th world War)
12. GIRL TALK - Feed the Animals
11. HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR - s/t

10. EL GUINCHO - Alegranza!


9. TOBACCO - Fucked Up Friends


8. FUCK BUTTONS - Street Horrrsing


7. LIL WAYNE - Tha Carter III


6. THEE OH SEES - The Master's Bedroom...


5. DEERHUNTER - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.


4. PORTISHEAD - Third


3. TV ON THE RADIO - Dear Science


2. ATLAS SOUND - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel


1. SANTOGOLD - self-titled

New SANTOGOLD Video - 'Lights Out'

Santogold debuts "Lights Out", the third music video from her debut album. The track is perhaps the poppiest moment from the album, instantly catchy and hummable. Could this be the crossover hit Santi seems so intent on achieving? We'll just have to wait and see.

Santogold - Lights Out (music video)

It's a SANTOGOLD Summer!

Santogold is everywhere this summer! First, Santi does a free show with Diplo and A-Trak this Sunday at Central Park Summerstage. Show starts at 3:00 pm so get there early! Then, Miss Gold joins Coldplay for their North American arena tour, kicking off July 22 in Chicago. Also, there is a new CD out called Top Ranking, which is a Santogold/Diplo "mixtape". See the full tracklist at the bottom of this post. You can buy the CD here. And an exclusive new track from the mix...

Santogold & Diplo - Guns of Brooklyn (Doc and Jon Hill dub) (The Clash cover)

New videos for "Creator" and "My Drive Thru" (w/ Julian Casablancas & N.E.R.D.)...

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Santogold, Julian Casablancas, N.E.R.D. - My Drive Thru (music video)



MIXTAPE TRACKLIST

1. Dub Selection Intro
2. 3-6 Mafia - Late Night (Unstoppable Mix)
3. Santogold - Shuv It (Disco D Blend) [EXCLUSIVE]
4. Santogold - I'm A Lady (Diplo Mix Ft Amanda Blank) [EXCLUSIVE]
5. Sir Mixalot - Posse On Broadway
6. Santogold - Lights Out (Diplo's Panda Bear Mix) [EXCLUSIVE]
7. Aretha Franklin - Save Me
8. Devo - Be Stiff
9. B52's - Mesopotamia
10. Gerri And The Holograms - Gerri And The Holograms
11. Santogold - Anne (Switch Mix) [EXCLUSIVE]
12. Santogold - LES Artistes (XXXchange Mix Ft Movado)
13. Cutty Ranks - Dutty Six Pack [EXCLUSIVE]
14. Santogold - Find A Way (Graeme & Switch Mix Ft Kid Cudi)/ Lunar Camel [EXCLUSIVE]
15. Richie Spice x Ratatat - Marijuana
16. Desmond Dekker - Shanty Town
17. Santogold - Guns Of Brooklyn [EXCLUSIVE]
18. Dixie Cups - Iko Iko
19. Tony Matterhorn - Big Belly Guns [EXCLUSIVE]
20. Santogold - Get It Up (Radioclit mix Ft MIA & Gorilla Zoe) [EXCLUSIVE]
21. Mark Ronson In Studio
22. Trouble Andrew - Run - Hide
23. Sister Nancy - Pigeon Rock
24. Nora Dean - Barbwire
25. Shinehead - Know How Fe Chat
26. Clash - Ghetto Defendant
27. Warrior Queen - Check It
28. Santogold x Benga - Unstoppable / Night Dub [EXCLUSIVE]
29. Shawty Lo x Skream - They Know / Stagger
30. Santogold - Creator (Mumdance Mix ft Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman & Tempz) [EXCLUSIVE]
31. Xray / Turbulence Duplate (Starstruck Diplo Mix) [EXCLUSIVE]
32. Barrington Levy - Send A Moses
33. Prince Jazzbo - Ital Corner
34. Santogold - Icarus [EXCLUSIVE]
35. Santogold x Diplo - Right Brigade (hidden track) [EXCLUSIVE]

Get this mix here.

Countdown to Coachella - 10 Days...

For me, Coachella is a very special experience. This year will mark the 5th time I've made the trek out into the middle of the California desert for the country's greatest music festival; my first being in 1999, the inaugural Coachella. Like last year, I'm counting down the days to the festival (like a geek) because I'm so damn excited I can't think about anything else. So, for the next 10 days I'll explore who I think are the most exciting acts playing this year. These acts are in no particular order of greatness or favoritism. But I'll start with four acts that I've already seen and can highly recommend.

SANTOGOLD, Brooklyn, NY


Santogold was awesome when she opened for Bjork last September. Now, her debut album is finally coming out and I think Coachella will be her official "coming out" party. Expect Spank Rock and Diplo to join her onstage (as they did at Madison Square Garden). This is gonna be a great, great show.

Santogold - LES Artistes (music video)


BATTLES, New York City


Battles blew my mind when they played South Street Seaport last summer. The energy these guys create with their bizarre sci-fi funk sound is at times transcendental. Most importantly, you cannot miss these guys rip through the live version of the phenomenally epic robot track "Atlas".

Battles - Atlas (music video)


BLACK LIPS, Atlanta, CA


Black Lips are known for creating a certain level of chaos at their shows, though the one show I went to was rather tame. Whether it be urinating onstage, kissing each other, vomiting, or launching fireworks, a Black Lips show is never simply boring. Check out a NSFW clip of the band playing in Tijuana. Raucous or not, these guys deliver tight, hook-heavy rock n roll that sounds almost better live than it does on record. In fact, the Black Lips' first few albums were all recorded live.

Black Lips - Katrina (music video)


DAN DEACON, Baltimore, MD


Dan Deacon is another artist who creates pandemonium, but rather than doing it onstage, he does it in the crowd. As far as I can tell, Deacon never actually plays onstage. He sets up his wacky table of electronic gadgets, mixers and funny props in the audience and the party ensues around him. Often he instructs the audience in a sort of excercise, pulling you into the mix and everyone somehow becomes a part of the show. So don't complain if you never actually see Dan, just close your eyes and enjoy the euphoric madness that he creates on that wacky table.

Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat (music video)

SANTOGOLD - 'L.E.S. Artistes'

Santogold has already taken the blog world by storm. Now she is preparing to step it up a notch with the April release of her debut album on Downtown Records. With a slot at Coachella next month and a recent Fader cover, Santogold now has a new music video for the awesome track "L.E.S. Artistes". The video is bizarre and "artistic" indeed. Check it out below.

Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (music video)

STEVE AOKI - "Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles" CD Giveaway

Steve Aoki's bangin' debut mix album "Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles" is about to explode onto the scene. The electro-slam rock mix features hot tracks from Justice, Peaches, Datarock, MSTRKRFT, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and others, with guest vocal drops from Santogold, Spank Rock, Uffie, Kid Sister, Pase Rock, Amanda Blank and Mickey Avalon. This mix is out of control!

For a chance to win a copy of the CD, write to theskyreport@yahoo.com and briefly explain why you would like to add this mix to your collection. See the full tracklisting below.

"Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles" will be released January 22 via Thrive Records.

For tour itinerary and remix streams, go to Steve Aoki's Myspace page.

Tracklisting:

1. Refused - New Noise
2. Justice - Waters of Nazereth (Erol Alkan's Durr Durrrrrr Re-Edit) w/ Pase Rock's Guest Drop
3. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars w/ Spank Rock & Amanda Blank's Guest Drop
4. Services - Element of Danger (MSTRKRFT Remix) w/ Har Mar Superstar's Guest Drop
5. Goose - Bring It On w/ Todd Fink's Guest Drop
6. Larry Tee & Princess Superstar - Licky (Work It Out) [Herve Goes Low Remix] w/Santogold Guest Drop
7. Green Velvet - Shake and Pop w/ Kid Sister's Guest Drop
8. Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Soulwax Remix)
9. The Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away (Riton Re-Dub)
10. Peaches - Boys Wanna Be Her (Weird Science Remix)
11. Datarock - Fa-Fa-Fa w/ Steve Bays' Guest Drop
12. Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir
13. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket Remix)
14. KIM - Wet 'N Wild w/ Mickey Avalon's Guest Drop
15. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix)
17. Scanners - Low Life (L.A. Riots Remix) w/ Uffie's Guest Drop

The Sky Report Turns 1

A week ago today, The Sky Report had it's one year anniversary...and I forgot! But we got a great gift just in time for the occasion...a nomination for Best Music Blog at the Hey Nielson/Billboard.com Best Music Blog contest. The competition is incredibly stiff, so if you have a minute, please click the link and vote for The Sky Report.

Thanks to everyone who reads this blog. It has been very motivating to see that people actually read what I have to say about music.

Also, I'll be DJing on my laptop Thursdays in Bushwick (current or former stomping ground of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, White Rabbits, Amy Winehouse, Santogold) at the new Northeast Kingdom downstairs lounge. Every Thursday from 11-2...L Train to Jefferson...18 Wyckoff @ Troutman...if you live in NYC, come by and say hi.

And please take part in the Best Album of 2007 poll at the bottom of the scroll.

Thanks
Scot

BJORK Transcends Madison Square Garden

BJORK amazed last night, bringing her stunning live show to Madison Square Garden. Complete with fire, confetti, lasers, flags, special guests and a brass section dressed as a tribal army, this was a global circus of stimulation that only Bjork could pull off. The setlist (which you can find at the bottom of this post) was crowd-pleasing, highlights of which were 'I Miss You', 'Hyperballad', 'Army of Me', and the electrifying 'Pluto'. Another highlight was 'Dull Flame of Desire' of which Bjork brought out special guest Antony of ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS for a gorgeous and flawlessly executed duet.



Also on the bill were SANTOGOLD and KLAXONS. It was Santogold's birthday and you could feel her genuine excitement about the show from a mile away. Playing to a half empty stadium, Santogold gave a highly energetic performance that easily overcame the 8:00 opening slot obstacles. Santogold is an artist to watch in the future. She will be big. In between songs, Santogold introduced herself to the crowd by saying something to the effect of, "I don't have any music that you can buy. Bjork just picked us up and she's making it all happen." It also doesn't hurt that she had DIPLO onstage with her, providing the electronic beats.

Faring not so well were the recent Mercury Music Prize winners Klaxons, who got off to a rocky start with sound issues. Their set was lost on the crowd, as they seemed to just move through the motions, without any charisma or energy whatsoever. This doesn't close the door on Klaxons for me, as I love the album and will continue listening to it. But I think Klaxons haven't evolved into an arena-sized band yet. I would much rather see them in a small venue like Studio B. Some sort of light show would have hugely made a difference as well.

Check out this short clip of Bjork's closing encore 'Declare Independence'. This was truly a spectacular finale...

Bjork - Declare Independence (live at MSG) (partial)


Setlist:

01. Intro - Brennið Þið Vitar
02. Earth Intruders
03. Hunter
04. Pagan Poetry
05. I See Who You Are w/ Min Xiao-Fen
06. Unravel
07. The Pleasure Is All Mine
08. Dull Flame Of Desire w/ Antony (of Antony & the Johnsons)
09. Jóga
10. Desired Constellation
11. Army Of Me
12. Innocence
13. I Miss You
14. Cover Me
15. Wanderlust
16. Hyperballad
17. Pluto
encore
18. Oceania
19. Declare Independence