the best of 2008

The year has come to an end, so we're letting you know what really made us take notice in 2008. Click on your favourite CJSW personality, or simply scroll down.

myke atkinson

Myke Atkinson is the Music Director at CJSW as well as the host of The Banshee Beat. The following is his list of 90.9 records that he that were rad in 2008, and he notes that "this list is by no means all the best records... just a bunch of them. I know I've forgotten some, and I'll smack my head later. Anyways, there are no local releases on here, simply because I could honestly fill this list with all the great releases that came out from Calgary over the past year. Also, the list is in alphabetical order since when records get this good, you can't say this one's better than that one."

Top 90.9 Records of 2008

  • Accidental - There Were Wolves (Thrill Jockey)
  • Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky)
  • Autechre - Quaristice (Warp)
  • Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam (Ramseur)
  • Black Mountain - In The Future (Scratch)
  • Blitzen Trapper - Furr (Sub Pop)
  • Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
  • Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down In The Light (Drag City)
  • Castlemusic* - You Can't Take Anyone (Blue Fog)
  • Clark - Turning Dragon (Warp)
  • Crystal Castles* - Crystal Castles (Last Gang)
  • David Karsten Daniels - Fear of Flying (FatCat)
  • Deerhoof - Offend Maggie (Kill Rock Stars)
  • Deerhunter - Microcastle (Kranky)
  • Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park (4AD)
  • Dodos - Visiter (Frenchkiss)
  • Dungen - 4 (Kemado)
  • Dutchess and The Duke - She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke (Hardly Art)
  • Eamon McGrath* - Wild Dogs (Champion City)
  • Ecstatic Sunshine - Way (Cardboard)
  • El Guincho - Alegranza (Young Turks)
  • Fire on Fire - 5 Song EP (Young God)
  • Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
  • Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (Warp)
  • Food For Animals - Belly (Hoss)
  • French Kicks - Swimming (Vagrant)
  • Fuck Buttons - Street Horrsing (ATP)
  • Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (The Social Registry)
  • Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temporary Residence)
  • Growing - All The Way (Social Registry)
  • Guilty Simpson - Ode To The Ghetto (Stones Throw)
  • Hauschka - Ferndorf (Fatcat)
  • Herbaliser - Same As It Never Was (K7)
  • Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair (DFA)
  • High Places - High Places (Thrill Jockey)
  • Husband & Knife* - An End (Divorce)
  • Hush Arbors - Hush Arbors (Ecstatic Peace)
  • Indian Jewelry - "Free Gold!" (We Are Free)
  • Johann Johannsson - Fordlandia (4AD)
  • Juana Molina - Un Dia (Domino)
  • Karl Blau - Nature's Got Away (K Records)
  • King Darves - The Sun Splits For The Blind Swimmer (De Stijl)
  • Ladyhawk* - Shots (Jagjaguwar)
  • Larkin Grimm - Parplar (Young God)
  • Lykke Li - Youth Novels (Atlantic)
  • Madlib The Beat Konducta - WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip (Rapster)
  • Mae-Shi - HLLLYH (Team Shi)
  • Magnetic Fields - Distortion (Nonesuch)
  • Marnie Stern - This Is It… (Kill Rock Stars)
  • Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me and There's You (!K7)
  • Max Richter - 24 Postcards In Full Colour (Fat Cat)
  • Megapuss - Surfing (Vapor)
  • Menahan Street Band - Make the Road By Walking (Dunham)
  • Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling (Matador)
  • Monotonix - Body Language (Drag City)
  • Mount Analog ft. Karl Blau - That's How I Got To Memphis (International Pop Underground)
  • Music Tapes - For Clouds And Tornadoes (Merge)
  • Mutators* - Secret Life (Nominal)
  • No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)
  • Odd Nosdam - Pretty Swell Explode (Anticon)
  • Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In (Tomlab)
  • Okay - Huggable Dust (Absolutely Kosher)
  • One Hundred Dollars* - Forest Of Tears (Blue Fog)
  • Parts & Labor - Receivers (Jagjaguwar)
  • Pattern Is Movement - All Together (Hometapes)
  • Pepi Ginsberg - Red (Park The Van)
  • Pivot - O Soundtrack My Heart (Warp)
  • Place Hands* - Inscribed In Glass (Standard Form)
  • Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual (We Are Free)
  • Por Por - Honk Horn Music of Ghana (Smithsonian Folkways)
  • Portishead - Third (Mercury)
  • Power Pill Fist - Kongmanivong (Graveface)
  • Russian Circles - Station (Suicide Squeeze)
  • School Of Language - Sea From Shore (Thrill Jockey)
  • School Of Seven Bells - Alpinism (Ghostly International)
  • Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (XL)
  • Singer - Unhistories (Drag City)
  • Soul Jazz Orchestra* - Manifesto (Do Right)
  • Stag Hare - Black Medicine Music (A. Star)
  • Thao With The Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings And All (Kill Rock Stars)
  • Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band* - 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons (Constellation)
  • These Are Powers - Taro Tarot (Hoss)
  • Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends (Anticon)
  • TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Geffen)
  • Vivian Girls - Wild Eyes (Plays With Dolls)
  • Volcano! - Paperwork (LEAF)
  • Wilderness - (k)no(w)here (Jagjaguwar)
  • Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals (We Are Free)
  • Yellow Swans - Deterioration (Modern Radio)
  • Young Widows - Old Wounds (Temporary Residence)
  • Various* - Emergency Room Vol. 1 (Nominal)

laura glick

Laura Glick the host of Monday afternoon's punk rock program Don't Throw Your Marmalade. Though she says she "always has a hard time choosing" here is her go at the best of 2008:

  1. Sleepercar - West Texas
  2. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason
  3. Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
  4. Constantines - Kensington Heights
  5. Cheap Girls - Find Me a Drink Home
  6. Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
  7. Anti-Flag - Bright Lights of America
  8. Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just Disappear
  • Honorable mentions, EP's, etc: Dead to Me, Los Difuntos, Loved Ones, Black Lungs, Teenage Bottlerocket, Bad Religion, Off With Their Heads

dj christine

The Nocturntable's DJ Christine has put together two top tens (with blurbs!) for you, covering the crazy spectrum that her program ventures through every Saturday night.

Best of the heavy stuff

  • Bison B.C. – Quiet Earth (Metal Blade)
    Easily my favourite new release/band of 2008. This East Van quartet combines hardcore rock sensibilities with heavy metal fury and a dash of science fiction thrown in to boot!
  • Torche – Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
    Slothcore at its best. Torche shows off their colossal chops with leaden bass notes, grinding guitar runs and possibly the best collection of cover art this year.
  • The Sword – Gods of the Earth (Kemado)
    The eminent genius of The Sword’s old world power cannot be exaggerated. Now if they could only find some tourmates of a comparable calibre.
  • Melvins – Nude with Boots (Ipecac)
    King Buzzo says that “Grunge” is the stuff that grows around his bathtub, so leaving your shoes on is probably a good idea.
  • Quest for Fire – Quest for Fire (Storyboard)
    Former members of The Deadly Snakes, No No Zero and Cursed jammed for a year in a Toronto warehouse before issuing this blues-infused stoner-rock extravaganza.
  • Black Mountain – In the Future (Jagjaguwar)
    Everyone’s darlings, this group of friends from B.C. have no preconceived notions when it comes to working with different genres and genders. Opting to bring the full brunt of their collective talents to bear with every track the elemental ensemble never fails to fascinate with their moody soft-loud capitulations.
  • Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life (Matador)
    Canada’s most exciting new bands is by no coincidence also one of its most confrontational. Whether they’re taking the government to task over the plight of the country’s sex workers or bludgeoning the religious right this indignant punk-core get-up always uses their musical intelligence to good effect.
  • The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath (Universal)
    20 years from now this will album will be hailed as one of the greats. High-flying guerrilla guitarist Omar Lopez-Rodriguez is set to become the next Hendrix, his reputation for tangential hedonism augmenting the band’s already legendary status as brujos (Spanish: wizards) of psychedelic metal.
  • The Black Keys – Attack and Release (Nonesuch)
    Plundering the fundamental blues-rock canon Patrick Carney and Dave Auerbach prove once again that they are simply the best when it comes to putting a modern spin on old school grooves.
  • Beehoover - Heavy Zoo (Exile on Mainstream)
    Straight-forward, respectable, home-grown prog-rock of the highest order. The adventures of this hardworking two-piece dynamo beg to be discovered. This was a tight race for tenth with L.A.’s Imaad Wasif. The Kill Rock Stars artist self-released the deliciously provocative indie rock title Strange Hexes this year with the help of Two Part Beast.
  • Honourable mentions go to: Black Hollies, Elf Power, Labyrinth of Dreams, Thunderwood, Duchess Says, Alpha Galates, Damn Dirty Ape, Red Hot Lovers, Somastate, Witch, Graveyard, The Mag Seven, Beast, Lioness, King Khan and The Shrines, The Herbaliser, Moondoggies, Mugison, Powersolo, Low Note, The Visitors, Catfish Haven, Galacticus, Behemoth, Golden Smoke, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Eagles of Death Metal, Grails, Asian Dub Foundation, Tetrix, Cursed, No No Zero, B.A. Johnston, The Evaporators, The Bronx, Early Man, Kings of Leon, Local H, Cripple Creek Fairies, The Creepshow, Monster Magnet, and Real Tuesday Weld.

Best of the worldly stuff

  • Amadou and Miriam – Welcome to Mali (Because Music)
    A fifth studio album of ultra-smooth Afro-jazz from “The Blind Couple of Mali”.
  • Michael Franti and Spearhead – All Rebel Rockers (ANTI-)
    Roots-Reggae foot soldier Franti urges people to put down the remote control on this riotous album recorded in Kingston with the help of Sly and Robbie.
  • Pacifika - Asuncion (Six Degrees)
    Peruvian born singer Silvana Kane climbs into bed with two cutting edge neo-classical Canadian musicians resulting in a multi-cultural lovechild that embraces a world of divergent influences including flamenco, jazz, pop, folk, electronica, and hip-hop along with Latin and Caribbean flavours.
  • Soul Jazz Orchestra – Manifesto (Do Right! Music)
    Ottawa’s resident purveyors of Afrobeat, SJO continue to evolve with this triumphantly listenable release, their most modern sounding urban funk dance party to date.
  • Think of One – Camping Shaabi (Cramworld)
    Mind blowing world fusion from Belgium. Exotic, electrifying and retroactively progressive Think of One navigates each genre-melding track with astounding surefootedness. This international buffet of groovy audio delights is as fun as hell and quite possibly educational to boot.
  • Dehli 2 Dublin – Dehli 2 Dublin Remixed (Indie)
    Remarkably this Vancouver based ensemble has discovered the hidden link between Celtic and Bhangra music. Fiddle backed with sitar proves to be a pairing as hot and tasty as a curry take-away with chips.
  • Various Artists - The Long Way Down (Real World/Virgin)
    One of the best appointed world music compilations of the year, it’s also the soundtrack to Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman’s latest pan-continental motorcycle trek.
  • Buena Vista Social Club –At Carnegie Hall (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
    Marking the tenth anniversary of their international debut, this historic recording captures the Cuban music legends performing 16 of their enchanting tunes over the course of two lavishly produced discs.
  • Burning Spear – Jah is Real! (Burning Music)
    No longer compelled to strive for the respect his own industry never gave him, the 70 year-old reggae legend Winston Rodney (aka Burning Spear) finds solace in his spirituality on this devotionally-themed release featuring appearances by Parliament’s Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worroll.
  • Lee “Scratch” Perry – Repentance (Lionsgate)
    72 years and going strong, the dub shaman was everywhere in 2008 - except Calgary, of course, as he cancelled his scheduled performance earlier this year. Produced by shock rocker Andrew W.K, Repentance effectively focuses Perry’s manic genius allowing it to rise to a level above that of the other albums he release this year : Scratch Came, Scratch Conquered (Megawave), Lee Perry vs. The Observer (Orange Street), Live at the Jazz Cafe (Dreamcatcher), and yet another reissue of 1975’s The Mighty Upsetter (On-U Sound).

kat

Kat hosts Turing Radio every second Wednesday night here at CJSW. She's done up a quick top ten for your enjoyment below, but if you really want to know what Kat thinks about 2008, check out her blog: here. Huzzah!

  • Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
  • Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair
  • Polly Scattergood - I Hate The Way
  • Adele - 19
  • M83 - Saturdays = Youth
  • Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
  • The Teenagers - Reality Check
  • Fixmer/McCarthy - Into The Night
  • Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07
  • My Brightest Diamond - A Thousand Shark's Teeth

john creary

John Creary is a CJSW volunteer who, besides a host of other amazing qualities, has a really nice email signature. Here's how he ranked 2008 from top to not-as top but still awesome:

  1. Why? – Alopecia
  2. The Dutchess and the Duke – She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke.
  3. Peter and the Wolf – Mellow Owl EP
  4. Chad Vangaalen – Soft Airplane
  5. The Walkmen – You and Me
  6. Tobacco – Fucked up Friends
  7. The Dodos – Visitor
  8. James Pants - Welcome
  9. No Age – Nouns
  10. Videotape – My Favorite Things
  11. Jazz Liberatorz – Clin D’Oeil
  12. Women – Women
  13. Astronautalis – Pomegranate
  14. Beck – Modern Guilt
  15. Deerhunter – Microcastle
  16. People Under the Stairs - Fun DMC
  17. Koushik – Out My Window
  18. Benoit Pioulard – Temper
  19. Avett Brothers – The Second Gleam
  20. Karl Blau – AM
  21. Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez – Why is Bear Billowing?
  22. Noah 23 – Rock, Paper, Scissors
  23. Wye Oak – If Children
  24. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Drippers
  25. Buck 65 – Dirtbike Series

joe chan

You might remember Joe Chan as the host of great programs "Stick It To The Chan" and "My So Called Radio Show" here on CJSW. Unfortunately, he's moved to Vancouver to do lawyerly things, but he's still sent along his best moment of 2008 for your enjoyment:

"We were at an anniversary party at a sneaker/hip hop store in town, late fall. The heat was cranked up - a real sauna in a space no larger than 500 or 600 square feet - and yet all these hip hop kids were still wearing toques and parkas. This only got worse as the party grew larger through the night: the windows fogged up, and people went outside to gasp for fresh air.

At the worst of it, this one fellow showed up all in white, save for a fur coat, hair down to his chest. Under his arm was a red box, which contents he would display to various of his acquaintances (and more than a few non-acquaintances) around the room, whether or not prompted. It turned out to be a bottle of Krug champagne. He would take the bottle in and out of the box, walk with either/or around the small space, showing it off, mostly on his own, never saying more than a couple of words here and there. We stayed at least another hour, and he never did open that bottle. To this day, I still imagine that guy walking all over town, wearing his fur, showing off his bottle of Krug whenever necessary. It's sadly beautiful."

gilles mossiere

Host of Monday evening's french language program French Transe En Danse, Gilles Mossiere has put a list together that he has called "Gilles’ Top Ten Mixed Bag for 2008 (not in order of importance…)":

  1. Neil Young’s powerhouse and emotional return to the Saddledome on October 18th
  2. Ne le dis à personne (Tell no one), Guillaume Canet’s edge-of-your-seat/nail-biter with freaky soundtrack by French musician “M”
  3. French Cds:
    • Three 2007 CDs that came my way in 2008: La France des couleurs by Kabil singer/songwriter Idir accompanied by some of the best French hip-hop artists, Charles et Léo by Jean-Louis Murat (rerecording of some of Charles Baudelaire’s poems set to music by Léo Ferré in the seventies), and Grand Corps Malade’s second release Enfant de la ville.
    • Noir Désir’s long-awaited return with two free downloads: Perdants/Gagnants and a scorching version of French classic Le temps des cerises.
    • Armand Méliès’ Casino.
    • Poney Express’ Daisy Street (yes, it is a French Band singing in French)
  4. All of “Roxy” Skipper Samantha Davies’ videos on the Vendée-Globe website (Toughest Round the World Sailing Competition: about 3 months/Solo/No Stopover/No Outside Help).
  5. Jazz guitarists Elios and Boulou Ferré September Concert at the Alliance française.
  6. Man on Wire: James Marsh’s amazing docu-fiction about Philippe Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center Towers.
  7. Sid Marty’s performance at the Banff Center celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Banff Mountain Book Festival.
  8. Nature: Spending yet another wonderful Reading Week at Brem’s, and splendid June Hiking in Waterton.
  9. 10th Calgary Pétanque (French “bocce”) Tournament (September CJSW Fundraiser).
  10. Black Sessions live on France-Inter radio station: Mercury Rev, The Kills, Rodolphe Burger and Cat Power.

kallen law

Kallen Law, host of Thursday afternoon's My Public Shame, decided there was "too much good shit to limit to 10", so instead he composed this list of "records and live shows and other stuff":

  • Erykah Badu - New Amerykah: Third World War (Universal)
  • Barack Obama
  • The Barbaras - Summertime Road 7" (Goner)
  • Billy Bao - Dialectics of Shit (Parts Unknown)
  • Blank Dogs - On Two Sides (Troubleman)
  • Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down in the Light (Drag City)
  • Cheap Time - S/T (In The Red)
  • Cheveu - S/T (S-S)
  • Collections of Colonies of Bees - Birds (Table of Elements)
  • Dead Luke - Jumping Jack Flash Drive 7" (Sacred Bones)
  • Estelle - Shine (probably Universal)
  • Francis Harold and the Holograms - The Eagle Can't Fly With One Wing 7" (Going Underground)
  • Fucked Up every time they played at Sled Island
  • Gonerfest 5 in Memphis w/ Adam of Failed Pilot fame
  • The Goodnight Loving - S/T (Dusty Medical)
  • Hank IV - Refuge in Genre (Siltbreeze)
  • Hunx & His Punx - You Don't Like Rock'n'roll 7" (Rob's House) (#1 single of 2008)
  • Kim Phuc - Wormwood Star 7" (Criminal IQ)
  • King Tuff - Was Dead (Colonel)
  • Lambchop - OH (ohio) (Merge)
  • Mad Men
  • Mayyors - Megan's LOLZ 7"
  • Mutators - Secret Life (Nominal)
  • Nobunny - Love Visions (Bubbledumb) (clear #1 of 2008)
  • Thee Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom.../Thee Hounds Of Foggy Notion (Tomlab)
  • Ooga Boogas - Romance And Adventure (Aarght!)
  • The Ostrich - Mt. Fuji in Red 7"
  • Rock of Love with Bret Michaels
  • The Pink Noise - Dream Code (Sacred Bones)
  • Benoit Pioulard - Temper (Kranky)
  • Portishead - Third (Mercury)
  • Sex/Vid - Nests 7" (Dom America)
  • Spiritualized - Songs in A&E (Universal)
  • Terrible Twos - S/T (Criminal IQ)
  • Thomas Function - Celebration (Alive)
  • Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw (Constellation)
  • TV Ghost - S/T (Die Stasi)
  • V/A - Emergency Room Vol. 1 (Nominal)
  • Vapid - Do The Earthquake 7" (Nominal)
  • Vivian Girls - S/T (Mauled By Tigers)
  • Wavves - S/T (Woodsist)
  • The Wax Museums - S/T (Douchemaster)
  • The Wicked Awesomes - Information Entropy 7" (Almost Ready)

charles gunn

Trading off each Sunday night edition of The Chit Chat with co-host Hannah, Charles Gunn put together a list of simply the "Best Records Of 2008". Nuf said:

  • Portishead — Third (Universal)
  • Wolf Parade — At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop)
  • Chad VanGaalen — Soft Airplane (Flemish Eye)
  • Volcano! — Paperwork (Leaf Label)
  • Destroyer — Trouble in Dreams (Rough Trade)
  • The Kills — Midnight Boom (Outside)
  • Mount Eerie — Lost Wisdom (Southern)
  • Jim Noir — Jim Noir (Barsuk)
  • Amadou & Mariam — Welcome to Mali (Because)
  • Fleet Foxes — Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)

katie

If you've tuned into CJSW on a Monday morning over the past year, chances are you've gotten an early dose of pep and random ramblings from Katie, host of Her Royal Opinion. Here are her "fave's of the past year":

  1. Arliss Parker - Handsome Like a Lion
  2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
  3. The Dodos - Visitor
  4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
  5. Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
  6. Metronomy - Nights Out
  7. Pants And Tie - Washing Machine/You Rub Me The Wrong Way
  8. Rafter - Sweaty Magic
  9. TV On the Radio - Dear Science
  10. Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
  11. Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends
  12. Larytta - Difficult Fun
  13. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
  14. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
  15. Ladyhawk - Shots

mike zajko

It's Friday night and you're on your way home from wherever at 2:00AM, and there's Mike Zajko, host of Sound Champion Showcase to help mellow you out a little bit while still keeping the party going. Here's his list of the "Top 10 Artists of 2008", though "only a few of these released LPs, most are based on singles":

  1. Broken Note
  2. Clark
  3. Flying Lotus
  4. TRG
  5. wAgA wAgA
  6. Mendelayev
  7. BOP
  8. HoT
  9. Venetian Snares
  10. Noisia

grant burns

One half of your Friday drive-time dream-team, Grant Burns has hosted The Road Pops for as long as anyone can remember. He's put together this list of the "Road Pops Favourite CDs of 2008 - in no particular order", so you can enjoy the feeling of Friday afternoon anytime you want. Lucky you:

  • Dub Pistols - Speaks & Tweeters
  • Mr Something Something - Deep Sleep
  • The Fort Know Five - Radio Free DC
  • The Herbalizer - Same as it Never Was
  • Dubmatix - Renegade Rocker
  • Brazilian Girls - New York City
  • Nickodemus - Endangered Species
  • Sharon Jones & others - Daptone Records Remixed - Scion CD Sampler
  • Tricky - Knowle West Boy
  • Dive Index - Collisions - The Mid/Air REmixes

nat kaos

Have you ever noticed that if you buy fresh baked goods on Fridays, they're always a little heavier? That's because all the bakers in Calgary wake up and bake all those goods while listening to Nat Kaos' programRage Cage at 2:00AM. Nat "reflected on the year that was 2008," and here are his thoughts:

Favourite Albums (in no particular order)

  • Twilight of the Thunder God: Amon Amarth (My top pick of the year!!!)
  • Agony of Death: Holy Moses (My second top pick of the year!!!)
  • Citizen Brain: Gama Bomb
  • Godspeed On Devil's Thunder: Cradle of Filth
  • Southern Storm: Krisiun
  • Eidolon: Dark Fortress
  • Zero Order Phase: Jeff Loomis
  • Heartful of Fire: Brother Firetribe (feat. Empu of Nightwish)
  • Death Magnetic: Metallica
  • Shogun: Trivium
  • The March: Unearth
  • Motorizer: Motorhead
  • Blooddrunk: Children of Bodom
  • Nostradamus: Judas Priest
  • Born to be Bad: Whitesnake
  • Black Ice: AC/DC

Best DVD

  • Centuries of Torment: Cannibal Corpse

    Best Live Shows

    • IRON MAIDEN!!!
    • Helloween/Gamma Ray
    • Amon Amarth/Belphegor
    • Dimmu Borgir/Behemoth/Keep of Kalessin
    • Judas Priest/Testament (in Saskatoon!)
    • Ozzy's Monsters of Rock @ MacMahon Stadium (Highlights: Ozzy, Judas Priest, Testamant, Voivod, Cavalera Conspiracy, Zimmer's Hole)
    • Gigantour @ Stampede Coral (Highlights: Children of Bodom, In Flames, and, of course, Megadeth!)
    • Metallica/Lamb of God
    • Exodus/Goatwhore/Warbringer
    • Evile
    • Finntroll
    • Twisted Sister

    Biggest Rants of the Year

    • Guitar Hero: Learn how to play the REAL instruments, morons!
    • Too many election coverages!
    • I'm still single!

    Outlook for 2009

    • It's the Year of the Ox! Born under this sign myself, and we, the Oxes, take no BULL! We walk with our horns raised high, and if you stand in our way, you may very well feel the GORE! Happy New Year, everyone!

    chef wayne

    Hosting South Louisiana Gumbo for over decade, Chef Wayne brings Louisiana, laughter and a fair bit of opinion to your radio dial every Monday night. To add to those opinions, here are his "Tops 'O The 2 Oughts 8", to which he adds "the order is negotiable":

    Top heartwarmers: The Reverend Ron battles illness to do his annual Christmas Show and finishes with Charlie Musslewhite's "Silent Night", and the marvelous turnout to rescue 4000 drowning CDs and to cleanup the mess in the great CJSW Flood o' 08.

    Super top funding drive shows: The Electric Company with Rob Faust and My Allergy to the Fans with Chet Squanders

    Top acquistions on record for 2008:

    • Bonerama - Live [wow! trombone funk gone wild!]
    • Dirtfoot - Entertain Me [spastic ska-punk madness]
    • Radioradio - Cliche Hot [Crazy Acadians chantent le rap en chiac]
    • Fatter Than Albert - Erin's Runaway Imagination [punk to the core and then some more!]

    Top CJSW event attended: The Saturday over-noon booth at the Folk Fest with those super interviews, especially Reverend Ron's chat with the Carolina Chocolate Drops!

    Devin Friesen

    Besides keeping our library of thousands of records in working order, Devin Friesen hosts a one-hour-blast of a program on Tuesday nights called Each One Teach One. Needless to say, Devin likes a lot of music, and 2008 was no exception:

    Pop/rock/"overall"

    1. Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones (Absolutely sublime, completely blew me away)
    2. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
    3. Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust (OK, this originally came out in '07 but I didn't hear it until the North American release date in '08 w/the bonus tracks, so I'm including it anyways because I really dig it)
    4. Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane
    5. Volcano! - Paperwork (So under-appreciated)
    6. The Dodos - Visitor
    7. Women - Women
    8. Marnie Stern - This is It...
    9. Parts & Labor - Receivers
    10. Zach Hill - Astrological Straits (Most insane 'rock' music I've heard in, well, ever)

    Noise/drone/experimental

    1. Oneida - Preteen Weaponry (Amazing neo-kraut psychedelia)
    2. Burning Star Core - Challenger
    3. MoHa! - One-Way Ticket to Candyland (The Norwegian equivalent to Hella, except more blown out and crazy)
    4. Magic Lantern - High Beams (Psychedelic stoner jams so stoned out, you can basically smell the weed coming off of the vinyl grooves)
    5. Sun Araw - Beach Head + The Phynx
    6. Black Pus - Black Pus 4 All Aboard the Magic Pus
    7. Windy & Carl - Songs For the Broken Hearted
    8. Stag Hare - Black Medicine Music
    9. Yellow Swans - Deterioration
    10. Jason Crumer - Ottoman Black (Thanks Sydney!)

    Punk rock

    1. The Ergs! - Hindsight is 20/20, My Friend (This is a comp of b-sides/rarities/vinyl only etc tracks so it doesn't really count, but I just wanted to throw that out there)
    1. The Loved Ones - Build & Burn (Between this, LaGrecia, and the Gaslight Anthem, passionate heart-on-the-sleeve punk rock (read: the best kind) had a great year)
    2. LaGrecia - On Parallels
    3. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
    4. The Copyrights - Learn the Hard Way
    5. Cheap Time - Cheap Time
    6. Kepi Ghoulie - Hanging Out/American Gothic
    7. Teenage Bottlerocket - Warning Device
    8. Off With Their Heads - From the Bottom
    9. Nobunny - Nobunny
    10. The Steinways - Gorilla Marketing

    Electronic

    1. Dan Friel - Ghost Town
    2. Near the Parenthesis - L'Example
    3. Alias - Resurgam
    4. Kieren Hebden & Steve Reid - NYC
    5. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
    6. Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends
    7. Fennesz - Black Sea
    8. Portishead - Third
    9. Squarepusher - Just a Souvenir
    10. Koushik - Out My Window

    EPs

    1. The Ergs! - That's It...Bye
    2. Crystal Antlers - EP
    3. Parts & Labor - Escapers Two (50 songs in 29 minutes!!)
    4. Desolation Wilderness - Until Forever
    5. The Famines - Black Sea 2X7"

    peter jay maitland

    If you've tuned into Saturday afternoon's Bikesheviks lately, every second week you might be thinking to yourself "that's not CP." Well, that's because he's asked long time CJSW volunteer Peter Jay Maitland to help him steer the left-leaning bicycle. Here's Peter's thought on 2008, something he's calling the "Top 10 + 1 + 9":

    Albums

    • AC/DC “Black Ice” – After an eight year wait, Black Ice does not disappoint, containing some of the catchiest songs ACDC have ever produced along with the usual stellar guitar fireworks.
    • Cripple Creek Fairies “Metal Arms” + “War Amps” – I was one of the fortunate few to get a sneak peak of the latest releases from Calgary’s Cripple Creek Fairies, which provided a brilliant alternate to Christmas music in December. Both releases have some of their best rock and roll yet.
    • Deerhunter “Microcastle/Weird Era Continued” – Mixing more pop into their noise rock pays off while the bonus disk nearly tops the main album.
    • The Drive By Truckers “By Creations Dark” – A triumphant return to form after the somewhat lightweight “A Blessing and a Curse”, a true epic album split into 4 sides of southern rock and beyond.
    • Dr. Dog “Fate” – This prolific group produced another gem this year, continuing to put a new twist on their vintage flavoured tunes.
    • High Dials “Moon Country” – Split into two discs, High Dials display impressive songwriting in the various styles they cover.
    • The Hold Steady “Stay Positive” world domination.
    • King Khan & the Shrines “The Supreme Genius of” – the best garage rock album in years!
    • Raveonettes “Lust Lust Lust” – a seamless mix of pop and white hot shards of noise.
    • The Whigs – “Mission Control” – another excellent straight up rock record, with a very full sound for a trio that is relentlessly propelled by a shit hot drummer.
    • Comeback album of the year that was not AC/DC: Metallica “Death Magnetic” Kirk Hammett makes up for the lack of solos on St. Anger – BIG TIME.

    Live Performances

    • Drive By Truckers/Felice Brothers – February 16, 2008 (Showbox in Seattle, Washington).
      A great venue and show with a strong Felice Brother opening set effectively leading up to a two and half hour Truckers marathon capped off by a fantastic 30 minute encore.
    • Caribou - April 2008 (Grand Theatre).
      Caribou took a great album even further into excellence live, the two drummer attack was spellbinding.
    • The Hives – May 2008 (MacHall).
      The most fun show of the year with Howlin' Pelle Almqvist pulling out all the stops.
    • Sled Island – June 25 – 28, 2008 (Various venues).
      The Sled Island team once again assembled an outstanding line up for this year’s festival. It was impossible to catch everyone but the best sets I saw were Grizzly Bear, the Mae Shi, Okkervil River (Church show), Yo La Tengo, BBQ and the Drive By Truckers. The most inconsistently brilliant memorable show was Deerhunter (I was one of less than half the original crowd that sat through their entire noisy exorcism of the demons of the Martha Cohen Theatre).
    • Ray Davies – July 2008 (Jack Singer).
      First stop in Calgary since 1970 was an upbeat acoustic set from one of rocks best songwriters.
    • Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – August 2008 (Saddledome).
      A straight up classic rock show with one of the best backing bands in the business.
    • Neil Young – Oct. 2008 (Saddledome).
      I ended up at this show last minute and thank Steve Ford I did as this was a jaw dropping display of Young’s various styles. His inspired guitar shredding breathed new life into old favourites like Hey Hey My My.
    • The Spades & Matthew Barber – Nov. 15, 2008 (Gateway Lounge).
      The Spades acted as backing band for Mr. Barber along with delivering a consistently entertaining set of their own.
    • Best veterans rocking out (at least 25 years as a band) Iron Maiden (June), Metallica (December) & Twisted Sister (July)

    dj pandemik

    Though he's moved from Monday midnights to Thursday midnights, DJ Pandemik is still spinning the heavy stuff on his show Bassackwards. In order to ring true to the name of his show, here's his list, bottom's up:

    1. Ayreon - 01011001 (Inside Out)
    1. Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner)
    1. Battery Cage - Forever Never Ends (Metropolis)
    1. Korpiklaani - KORVEN KUNINGAS (Nuclear Blast)
    1. Eluveitie - Slania (Nuclear Blast)
    1. Carphax Files - Revolutions Vol 1: Dirt (COP International)
    1. Hocico - Memorias Atras (COP International)
    1. Mercenary - Architect of Lies (Century Media)
    1. Zonaria - The Cancer Empire (Century Media)
    1. Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe (Century Media)

    kevin packer

    Host of Monday night's Katharsis, Kevin Packer has put together a list of "the sounds of Katharsis in 2008 and will provide moments of bliss for years to come." If you want to check out some self-described "pithy commentary" on this list, check out the Katharsis blog here.

    • Aidan Baker & Jakob Thiesen - A Bout De Souffle (Waterscape)
    • Aidan Baker & Tim Hecker - Fantasma Parastasie (Alien8)
    • Alias – Resergam (Anticon)
    • Alva Noto – Unitxt (Raster-Noton)
    • Atlas Sound – Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky/4AD)
    • Au – Verbs (Aagoo Records)
    • Autistic Daughters - Uneasy Flowers (Kranky)
    • Azeda Booth — In Flesh Tones (Absolutely Kosher)
    • Balmorhea – Rivers Arms (Western Vinyl)
    • Barbara Buchholz – Moonstruck (Intuition)
    • Bass Communion – Molotov & Haze (Important Records)
    • Beach House – Devotion (Carpark Records)
    • Because of Ghosts - This Culture Of Background Noise (Feral Media)
    • Benoît Pioulard – Temper (Kranky)
    • Bersarin Quartet - Bersarin Quartet (Lidar Productions)
    • Bill Hetherington and the Asian Tigers — Bill Hetherington and the Asian Tigers (Independent)
    • Bitcrush - Epilogue in Waves (n5md)
    • Boduf Songs - How Shadows Chase the Balance (Kranky)
    • Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Dolores (Pias/Ipecac)
    • Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
    • Chad VanGaalen — Soft Airplane (Flemish Eye/Sub Pop)
    • Chequerboard – Penny Black (Lazybird)
    • Christopher Bissonette - In Between Words (Kranky)
    • Clinton St. John — Black Forest Levitation (Independent)
    • Collections of Colonies of Bees – Birds (Table of the Elements)
    • Damien Jurado – Caught In the Trees (Secretly Canadian)
    • Dan Goldman - Luxury Pond (Independent)
    • David Grubbs - An Optimist Notes The Dusk (Drag City)
    • Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era Cont (Kranky)
    • Destroyer – Trouble In Dream (Merge)
    • Dodos – Visiter (French Kiss)
    • Dolly Sillito - Smartbomb For Heartache (Chicken Wire)
    • Dreamend – The Long Forgotten Friend (Graveface Records)
    • Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (Southern Lord)
    • Eric Cheneaux – Sloppy Ground (Constellation)
    • Erik Levander – Kondens (Rumraket)
    • Ezekiel Honig - Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band (Anticipate)
    • Fabio Orsi - Audio For Lovers (Last Visible Dog)
    • Fax - Yo Recuerdo (Static Discos)
    • Fennesz – Black Sea (Touch)
    • Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
    • Four Tet – Ringer EP (Domino)
    • Gerry Hebert Quartet - Beat Niq Sessions Volume 2: Constructive Interference (Plunge Records)
    • Gianna Lauren – Fist In A Heart (Independent)
    • Goldmund – The Malady of Elegance (Type)
    • Gregor Samsa – Rest (Kora Records)
    • Gregory & The Hawk - Moenie & Kitchi (FatCat)
    • Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (Type)
    • Günther – Nuclear Stallions (Lakesong Press)
    • Hammock - Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow (Darla)
    • Hauschka – Ferndorf (FatCat)
    • Heaven And – Sweeter As the Years Roll By (Staubgold Germany)
    • Heidi Elva – Ships and Trees (Vitamin Records)
    • Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh - Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh (Drag City)
    • Helios – Caesura (Type)
    • Ida – Lovers Prayers (Polyvinyl)
    • Immune – Not Until Morning (Eglantine Records)
    • Jacaszek – Treny (Miasmah)
    • James Blackshaw - Litany of Echoes (Tompkins Square)
    • Jasper TX – Black Sleep (Miasmah)
    • Jóhann Jóhannsson – Fordlandia (4AD)
    • Kangding Ray - Automne Fold (Raster-Noton)
    • Lambchop – OH (Ohio) (Merge)
    • Land of Talk – Some Are Lakes (Saddle Creek)
    • Lawrence English – Kiri No Oto (Touch)
    • Library Tapes - A Summer Beneath The Trees (Make Mine Music)
    • Lotte Kestner – China Mountain (Independent)
    • Lucid 44 – Co. Mah Coal (Tonto Is Jesus)
    • Machinefabriek – Dauw (Dekorder)
    • Mark Kozelek - 7 Songs Belfast (Caldo Verde Records), Nights LP (Live & Rare Versions (Caldo Verde Records) & The Finally LP (Caldo Verde Records)
    • Max Richter – 24 Postcards In Full Colour (FatCat)
    • Miss Murgatroid & Petra Haden - Hearts and Daggers (File Under Music)
    • Murcof – The Versailles Sessions (Leaf)
    • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Anti)
    • Okay – Huggable Dust (Absolutely Kosher)
    • Rafael Anton Irisarri – Daydreaming (Miasmah)
    • Retribution Gospel Choir – Retribution Gospel Choir (Caldo Verde)
    • Rudi Arapahoe – Echoes From One to Another (Symbolic Interaction)
    • Sam Phillips - Don't Do Anything (Nonesuch)
    • Shearwater – Rook (Matador)
    • Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (XL Recordings)
    • Simon Fisk - Vague Hotels (Plunge)
    • Skyphone – Avellaneda (Rune Grammofon)
    • Snailhouse – Lies On The Prize (Unfamiliar)
    • Snowblink – Long Live (Independent)
    • Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek – Drawn (Digitalis)
    • Springheel Jack - Songs and Themes (Thirsty Ear)
    • Stephan Mathieu – Radioland (Die Schachtel)
    • Sumner McKane – What A Great Place To Be (Independent)
    • Sun Kil Moon – April (Caldo Verde)
    • Sylvain Cheveau/Felicia Atkinson – Roman Anglais (O Rosa Records)
    • Tanya Tagaq – Auk/Blood (Jericho Beach/Ipecac)
    • Taunus – Harriet (Ahornfelder)
    • Taylor Dupree – (Sea Last (12k)
    • Thalia Zedek - Liars and Prayers (Thrill Jockey)
    • The Abassi Brothers – Something Like Nostalgia (Dynamaphone)
    • The Drift - Memory Drawings (Temporary Residence)
    • The Fun Years – Baby It's Cold Inside (Barge)
    • The Green Kingdom – Laminae (The Land of Records)
    • The Middle East – The Recordings of The Middle East (Independent)
    • The Neighbourhood Council – Set Pieces EP & Live at CJSW EP
    • The New Year – The New Year (Touch & Go)
    • The Walkmen – You & Me (Gigantic Music)
    • Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band – 13 Blues For 13 Moons (Constellation)
    • Till The Old World's Blown Up And A New One Is Created (Werner Dafeldecker, Martin Brandlmayr, Christian Fennesz) - Till The Old World's Blown Up And A New One Is Created (Mosz)
    • Tindersticks – The Hungry Saw (Beggars Banquet/Constellation)
    • Tujiko Noriko/Lawrence English/John Chantler – U (Room 40)
    • TV On The Radio – Dear Science, (Interscope)
    • Voice of the Seven Woods – The Journey (Kning Disk)
    • Windy & Carl - Songs for the Broken Hearted (Kranky)
    • Women – Women (Flemish Eye/Jagjaguwar)
    • Woven Hand – Ten Stones (Sounds Familyre)
    • Yellow 6 - When the Leaves Fall Like Snow (Make Mine Music/Darla)

    the lotus queen

    Keeping the party rolling on CJSW's Friday night lineup, The Lotus Queen hosts Remote Emissions each week bringing you the best in Drum n' Bass. Here is her take on the best records of '08:

    1. Drumsound & Bassline Smith - Mafia (Single) - Worldwide Audio
    2. Unknown Error - The Yearning (Apex VIP) (Single) - Horizons
    3. Jmagik & Wikkaman - Crazy World (Brookes Bros. Remix) (Single) - Data
    4. Bachelors of Science - Strings Track (Science Fiction) - Horizons
    5. Seba & Krazy - Finola (Single) - Innerground
    6. Mutt - Feelings For You (Treading Water) - Inside
    7. Visionary - Version Creation (Single) - Pure Vibez
    8. Mutt - Go On And Cry feat. D Whalen (Treading Water) - Inside
    9. Lotus - How Can I Love Her (Continuum EP) - Ruse
    10. Herbaliser - Stranded on Earth (Same As It Never Was) - !K7 (Ok, not a DNB tune but soooo awesome.)
Make sure to get your tickets for CJSW's 25th Anniversary.