Already the third Jagjaguwar release on our year end best-of list, and undoubtedly one of our favorite bands of 2008, Parts & Labor quietly put out one of the best records of the year. With an entire line-up that boasts side projects and a label between band founders Dan Friel and BJ Warsaw, Parts & Labor are a band that remains both an integral part of their hometown Brooklyn musical community as well as the national independent music scene. Yet despite their DIY ethos and with nary a miss on the entire album, Receivers is the type of epic record we’ve come to expect from bands like My Morning Jacket and Band Of Horses. And one that opens up the discussion that Parts & Labor are becoming a band worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as bands of that level.
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With no rhyme or reason, our editorial staff chooses the top 10 biggest music-related news stories of 2008. Coming in at #2: The election of Barack Obama.
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A seemingly monumental effort was put into the video for The Acorn’s “Flood pt 1″. With the trippiest animations, which mirror the song perfectly, it’s an absolutely brilliant video! –Zachary Timm
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Browsing through all the inevitable year-end best-of lists and seeing MGMT hanging out at the top of so many of them makes me feel like a bit of a toolbag for putting “Time to Pretend” at the top of my singles list. But this song is everything that a good pop song should be: It is musically innovative while at the same time being easy to listen to and even something you can sing along with. So what if it’s a trend, I can’t help it. I like MGMT. Everyone else seems to, so it can’t be all that wrong.
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Another one we’re taking liberties with. Despite being release in Canada in 2007, Women’s self-titled debut didn’t officially hit US stores until 2008. And while many of their contemporaries were taking the pop or strictly nostalgic route, Women were pushing the noise and psych genres in new directions. The result of which was one of our favorite records of 2008 as Women became one of our favorite bands.
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