January 7, 2009 Playlist

THE BEST OF 2008
Featuring the
KOSMIK RADIATION TOP TEN

   
   

"Real Emotional Trash" by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (2008)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks  "Real Emotional Trash"  2008 (USA)
Every year on the program I do a "best of the year" music special with a Top 10 list, and my pick for the best record of the year becomes the Classic Album of the Week.  Often I complain that there are only a couple of great records amid a sea of crap, but this year I actually had to expand my list of honorable mentions from 15 to 25 because I heard so many good records! (though maybe that just means I am getting better at finding stuff.)  However, I wouldn't say that anything I heard this year was as groundbreaking as some past year's selections (like Scott Walker's The Drift.)  Still, Steve Malkmus' fourth post-Pavement release proves he is one of the last great songwriter/musicians in the rock and roll universe -- as good a band as Pavement was, Malkmus' muse today is stronger than ever, and the current lineup of his backup band the Jicks is a real powerhouse (adding ex-Sleater Kinney drummer Janet Weiss was a stroke of genius.)  While his lyrics are getting more obtuse than ever, SM has cooked up a batch of superb 6-to-10 minute guitar jams for his latest, the likes of which haven't been heard since the glory days of the early 70's.
Here are some recent live clips of songs from Real Emotional Trash: "Dragonfly Pie" featuring the Jicks and "Wicked Wanda" performed as a solo acoustic number.  "Baby C'mon" is a rocker from the previous album (#3 on my Top 10 of 2005), and here's Malkmus doing another solo acoustic rendition of the epic "No More Shoes".  Finally, here 's Pavemnt doing "Trigger Cut" from their classic Slanted & Enchanted album of 1991.
 
(N) = New Release
   

Artist Song Album Year (Label) Country
Earthling Society Drowned World Beauty & The Beast (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #7 album of 2008)
2008 (4Zero) UK
Guns N' Roses
Riad N' The Bedouins Chinese Democracy (N) 2008 (Geffen) USA
The Fall Senior Twilight Stock Replacer Imperial Wax Solvent (N) 2008 (Castle) UK
Wire One Of Us Object 47 (N) 2008 (Pink Flag / Revolver) UK
The Dirtbombs
Indivisible We Have You Surrounded (N) 2008 (In The Red) USA
 
 
Black Mountain Stormy High In The Future (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #5 album of 2008)
2008 (Jagjaguwar) Canada
Blood Ceremony Into The Coven Blood Ceremony (N) 2008 (Rise Above) Canada
Zebras Parasite Parasitic Clones Under The Strong Arm Of The Robot Machine EP (N) 2008 (Secret) USA
Duchess Says Ccut Up Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs (N) 2008 (Alien8) Canada (Quebec)
Boris BUZZ-In Smile (N) 2008 (Southern Lord) Japan
Monotonix
Summers And Autumns Body Language EP (N) 2008 (Drag City) Israel
Shazy Hade Danny X Angel Marie Mexico (N) 2008 (Shortwave) USA
   
 
Tobacco (from Black Moth Super Rainbow) Street Trash Fucked Up Friends (N) 2008 (Anticon) USA
Matmos Rainbow Flag Supreme Balloon (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #2 album of 2008)
2008 (Matador) USA
High Places Banana Slugs - Cosmonaut 03/07 - 09/07 (N - compilation) 2008 (Thrill Jockey) USA
David Byrne & Brian Eno Poor Boy Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (N) 2008 (Todo Mundo) USA/UK
Stereolab Three Women Chemical Chords (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #10 album of 2008)
2008 (4AD) UK/France
Cribshitter
Hooty Hoo Hoo Cry A Little Rainbow (N) 2008 (Medicated G) USA
 
 
Die! Die! Die!
Sideways, Here We Come Promises, Promises (N) 2008 (SAF) New Zealand
Free Kitten
(Kim Gordon, Julie Cafritz, Yoshimi)
Erected Girl Inherit (N) 2008 (Ecstatic Peace) USA/Japan
Hush Arbors
Water II Hush Arbors (N) 2008 (Ecstatic Peace) UK
Deerhoof Offend Maggie Offend Maggie (N) 2008 (Kill Rock Stars) USA/Japan
Company Inc Taste My Meat Art Mr. Person (N) 2008 (self release) USA
The Fiery Furnaces Bitter Tea (live) Remember (N)
2008 (Thrill Jockey) USA
 
  
Various Artists
Great Expectations (Joe Zawinul - Miles Davis) Miles From India (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #3 album of 2008)
2008 (Times Square) USA/India
The Mars Volta
Soothsayer The Bedlam In Goliath (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #8 album of 2008)
2008 (Universal) USA
   
  
Big Block 454 Lush Ulan Bataar Bratislava (N) 2008 (self release) UK
Unio and Petitio A Balm On Yer Cheers Fanx Ta (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #6 album of 2008)
2008 (self release) UK
Antrilon Colliding Waves Mind Erase (N) 2008 (Dead Earnest) USA
Dungen Sätt Att Se 4 (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #4 album of 2008)
2008 (Kemado) Sweden
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Real Emotional Trash Real Emotional Trash (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #1 album of 2008)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
2008 (Matador) USA
   
  
The Black Angels
Doves Directions To See A Ghost (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #9 album of 2008)
2008 (Light In The Attic) USA
Serpentina Satelite The Last Drop Nothing To Say (N) 2008 (Trip In Time) Peru
      
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