My Favorite Album of 2008.............. (so far)

So my Home girl from the Midwest Ari Botsford, blessed us with her Album reviews of the year so far....(check it out)

BUT.......................

She did not mention My Favorite Album of 08'....
So I am here to pay homage to the Great Rick Ross and his second Album Trilla


Rick Ross
(2008, Def Jam/Slip N Slide/Poe Boy)

How'd Ya Find HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT Him?:
Every Day I'm Hustlin, Every Day I'm Hustlin... I played that song soooooooo much., shiiiit I still play it.

Do NOT Skip Over:
3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13....yea all of em'

Skip Over:
The Dj Khaled interlude (annoying)

Favorite Track:
It's a tough one between the self proclamation anthem "The Boss"
Or the Hovah featured lifestyle of success track Maybach Music
Luxury track has a strong cast with Weezy
However I'm going with the Trey Songz collabo that goes into detail on "This is the Life"

I Didn't Expect:
Money Make Cum- Showcasing the women who are about their money.
Maybach Music- Out of the 745 white on white, to the "Black Maybach, white seats, black piping"

Features:
Trey Songz, Nelly, Wayne, T-Pain, Young Jeezy, R. Kelly, Jay-Z

Favorite Lines:
"When I seen a million it fucked up my life
Brand new twenty cars party for twenty nights" - This is the life

"It's hard to get sleep layin next to five mil" - This Me

"And shawty straight diggin me, and I ain't even rich
I know you niggaz on the sideline like, "Ain't that a bitch?" - the boss

"Words rhymin best
Can't spell well but I define success
I sell well" - This is the Life

"Got me a white girl, i f**k til her face red,
Yeah her food tastes bad, but she givin great head" - Billionaire

Producers:
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League - 4 Tracks
DJ Toomp - "This Me"
Drumma Boy - 2 Tracks
J.R. Rotem - "The Boss"
The Runners - "Speedin"

Assesment:
I'm a hustler and you gotta love someone who makes music that'll help you stay on your grind.

Line I'm most associated with:
"Hoes wanna slice I wanna tell her no
But I can't I get a rush blowin dough"
-This is the Life


So, What's Your Favorite Album of 2008 so far??

Fourteen favorite albums of 2008....so far

Summer means free time, and free time means moar muszik! I took the time to catch up on this year's big releases. A whole corncupia of what I've been listening to, mostly because I've been too lazy to reinstall my Lastfm.

So, here are my favorites so far:

Get Awkward
Be Your Own Pet
(2008, Ecstatic Peace/XL)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM? I checked these guys out on a whim, and boy, am I happy I did. You know how I like my music- like HPV, incredibly catchy.

THIS ALBUM IS: perfect for the summer- a lot of headbopping, dancing listening to this one.

THE WORDS ARE LIKE THIS SAMPLING: "Every time that I see/ You looking right at me/
I forget that i belong to somebody"


IT SOUNDS LIKE: the soundtrack of every college kid's summer. The fun parts, at least.

IF YOU LIKE: The Distillers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, summer break


The Virgins
The Virgins
(2008, Atlantic)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: I'm just going to be 100% honest here. I first heard about The Virgins when Cory Kennedy was blasting about them a while ago. Then, in my summer boredom free time prison, I decided to watch Gossip Girl. The entire season. And you know what? The Virgins' songs are on, like, every episode. And I liked it, and now I can't get their songs out of my head.

THIS ALBUM IS: really good. Standard NYC indie/hipster rock.

THE WORDS ARE : " You talk about like you own me baby/ that's not fair/I told you that I had somebody else/you did not care/ and now you're talking on the telephone/you're tellin' all of your friends/we love each other"


IT SOUNDS LIKE: "cliche cocaine rock" according to my friend Howie, who says their 2007 EP is 20x better. But I think it sounds like all your favorite party memories.

IF YOU LIKE: The Strokes, Delta Spirit, falafel


Tha Carter III
Lil Wayne
(2008, Cash Money/Young Money/Universal)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: Um, doesn't everyone know who Weezy is? Supposedly the most retarded rapper in America, he has a place in every bass-loving kid's heart. At least in mine.

THIS ALBUM IS: DOPE. Bold. Italicized, capitalized. This is the first hip hop album since Jeezy's Thug Motivation 101 that I haven't skipped tracks on. I knew when I heard Lollipop that I'd be blasting this.Lil Wayne has done about 28,763, 386 collaborations (not really, but it's up there). Everyone from David Banner to Kanye, Swizz Beatz to Jay-Z produced, added verses or sang on this album. Weezy's karma for adding to so many songs paid back, and Tha Carter III showcases this cosmic cash-in. Clever rhymes, tight beats, everything you'd expect from a Cash Money Millionaire.

THE WORDS ARE: "I got Summer hatin' on me cause I'm hotter then the Sun/ Got Spring hatin' on me cause I ain't never sprung/ Winter hatin' on me cause I'm colder than ya'll/And I would never, I would never, I would never fall"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: Summer in the city. Or smoking blunts while sipping on 40s.

IF YOU LIKE: Juelz Santana, Rick Ross, weed

BONUS POINTS: Check out Weezy's newest protege, Nicki Minaj. It's nice to hear when a woman breaks into the male-dominated scene of hip-hop, and this girl is TALENTED- not to mention, totally hot. Go on, give her a listen!


Lust Lust Lust
The Raveonettes
(2008, Fierce Panda Records)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: About three years ago, I saw the name. Listened to Pretty in Black. The rest is history.

THIS ALBUM IS: A real treat. The same feedback, noisy goodness with sassy lyrics. The Danish duet of Sune and Sharin has always been a favorite of mine, along with the material for their songs...always hot.

THE WORDS ARE: "Your cheap words that you bought on sale/Won't help you through tonight/You make the eyes of a million girls/And think that's what they like"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: Sex. Sexy, dark, totally the album to blast while twisting the sheets...or trying to.

IF YOU LIKE: The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Kills, sex


H.N.I.C., Pt 2
Prodigy
(2008, Voxonic)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: "Mac 10 Handle" seemed to always be playing at the parties I went to last year.

THIS ALBUM IS: Ominous, and wise. The beats freak me out a little bit, but in a good way. In that way that makes you go, "Oh shit, do not fuck with Prodigy." Also, it's so great to hear someone rapping about stuff besides gettin' shot and makin' rocks. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of party antics, but it's still pretty sick. And slick.

THE WORDS ARE: " With the bagpipe music, I'll burn another L/To amazing grace, what a perfect song/was blind but now you see us/it's not a game at all/Y'all some slimy snakes, bunch of reptile cops/The government and military all corrupt/I ain't on that shade the world shit"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: You know when you walk into a place, and you're not supposed to be there? Like, let's say that you got lost in a really hood place. And you have to stop for directions. This album would be playing.

IF YOU LIKE: Mobb Deep, Immortal Technique, Olde English 40s


Red
Guillemots
(2008, Polydor)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: Trains to Brazil was a iTunes song of the week a coupla years ago. A recent elbo.ws search turned up this new album.

THIS ALBUM IS: Catchy with lots of variety. A lot different than their older stuff, there are more electronic elements. Another cool addition- a sort of world-music feel to it.

THE WORDS ARE:" When the film credits roll I stay right til the end/Then wander streets with my eyes ablaze/All I really want to do is go straight back and watch again/Play a different person every time"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: That romantic, adventurous backpacking-across Europe or South America thing you've got planned apres-college.

IF YOU LIKE: Mystery Jets, The Acorn, Volvo station wagons


Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
(2008, Bella Union/SubPop)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?:My very dear friend Luke Honey recomended them to me.

THIS ALBUM IS: Gorgeous. Really beautiful harmonies, the instrumentals are sleek. Perfect for driving around with the windows down on a country highway. SubPop always delivers on giving the rest of us our Northwestern freak-folk fix for the year.

THE WORDS ARE: " Wanderers this morning came by/ where did they go/graceful in the morning light/to banner fair/to follow you softly/in the cold mountain air"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: Floating. I seriously feel like I'm floating when I listen to this album. Floating in a fairy-tale forest. Or, more specifically, it feels like Portland. Or Seattle. Or Anacortes.

IF YOU LIKE: Tiny Vipers, Belle & Sebastian, bicycles


Feed the Animals
Girl Talk
(2008, Illegal Art)
HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: Last summer, Night Ripper was played at every party. And now, Feed the Animals seems to be requisite with the presence of red plastic cups.

THIS ALBUM IS: Better than the last Girl Talk disc. Slicker, funnier, more of the stuff you love.

THE WORDS ARE: Oh, come on. I can't just tell you lyrics to a Girl Talk song! You have to listen to hear the samples. My personal favorite is the mashing of "Gettin' Some" by Shawnna and "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor.

IT SOUNDS LIKE: Being drunk. And dancing on a table.

IF YOU LIKE: A-Trak, The Hood Internet, dance parties

BONUS POINTS: Girl Talk also decided to pull a Radiohead a la In Rainbows- name your own price. You can download Feed the Animals here


Untitled
Nas
(2008, The Jones Experience/Def Jam/Columbia)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: Yeah, the whole your album being titled after a racial slur thing is kind of news-worthy, don'tcha think, Nas? And then you drop it.

THIS ALBUM IS: The same lyrical goodness we've heard from Nas from years before. He spits rhymes about everything from global poverty to politics. The beats are tight, the cameos are worth it. Nas is absolutely one of the most

IT SOUNDS LIKE: If Barack Obama got a recording deal.

IF YOU LIKE: Jay-Z, Biggie, spliffs


Cold Calling
Trails, formerly RJ Gordon
(2008, American Buffalo Records)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: Trails, or as I know the frontman, RJ Gordon, attends my former college, SUNY Purchase. RJ insisted I downloaded the album, and I'm glad I did.

THIS ALBUM IS: A nice little indie rock joint that packs a punch. A lot of variety. On this album, Trails is virtually a one-man band, but you could never tell. Trails could be The National's little brother from Rockland County. Gordon's low voice never cracks, even when he gets into the heartfelt nooks and crannies of Cold Calling. You'll find yourself putting "The First" or "It Won't Be Long" on your next mix for your wifey.

IT SOUNDS LIKE: A psychadelic love letter.

IF YOU LIKE: Elliot Smith, Cass McCombs, ironic mustaches

BONUS POINTS: You can download this album for free on American Buffalo's website. Keep an eye on this record label- I'm seeing potential Saddle Creek status.


The Bake Sale EP
The Cool Kids
(2008, Chocolate Industries/C.A.K.E. Recordings)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: Not through the Rhapsody commercial, surprisingly. I was walking through the hallways of a dorm when I heard this really dope beat (which I now know as "Mikey Rocks"), knocked on the door and asked what they were playing. "The Cool Kids," he replied. "They're pretty dope."

THIS ALBUM IS: really an EP, and most of the stuff you've probably heard before. But it sounds better, with the addition of a few new tracks. The same smart, cool (haha) stuff you've heard, but more of it. It's fun to listen to- I put it on when I bake. Cookies, that is....The beats are innovative and fresh. It's just this: classic Chi-town fun times. Kid Sister's big brothers, if you will.

THE WORDS ARE: " What it is/what it is/come check the noise/It's the new black version of the Beastie Boys"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: Those hot guys who skate by Brooklyn College. You know. Gold chains, skinny jeans, designer blunts.

IF YOU LIKE: The Pack, Kidz in da Hall, limited edition Nike Dunks


Santogold
Santogold
(2008, Downtown Records)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: MTVu, surprisingly. The video for "L.E.S. Artistes" came on when I was on the elliptical at the gym. I hunted her down via iTunes after I got in my post-workout shower.

THIS ALBUM IS: Sassy. I feel like it's this summer's Kala, in the sense of hot women producing strong albums. There's a lot of variety, which leaves me entertained. Santi White's voice goes from a high-pitched, Blondie-esque yell to a low, sexy belt. Santogold needs to get into your C.D. collection immediately if anything I've just said appeals to you.

THE WORDS ARE: " War tactics/they make me sick/reel your heart in/run away with it/Smile in your face/undermine your back/got guns for the strength they lack"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: an ego boost. A girl with mad flavor.


IF YOU LIKE: M.I.A., Amy Winehouse, hot girls or just being one.


For Emma, Forever Ago
Bon Iver
(2008, Jagjaguwar)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: I don't even know. All I know is that as soon as I heard "Re: Stacks", I fell in love.

THIS ALBUM IS: Painful but relaxing. Listening to this album brings you to a sort of dark place, but the gentle strumming makes you see the good side of it. For Emma, Forever Ago is perfect for laying around, hangovers, looking at the stars- everything beautiful about life is personified in this album.

THE WORDS ARE: " There's a black crow sitting across from me/his wiry legs are crossed/And he's dangling my keys he even fakes a toss/Whatever could it be/ That has brought me to this loss?"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: That blissful feeling that only a truly incredibly acoustic album could bring about.

IF YOU LIKE: Grizzly Bear, Deer Tick, wool sweaters


Pershing
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
(2008, Polyviynl)

HOW'D YA FIND OUT ABOUT THEM?: As I hail from Springfield, MO, SSLYBY have been a staple of my teenage years. Watching them perform and grow, getting coffee from Jon at the Mudhouse...etc.

THIS ALBUM IS: A grower. I wasn't keen on it at first, but once I read the lyrics, it hit me: Someone Still Loves You has definitely grown up. The lyrics are still clever, and the music is slicker than before. Plus, the new version of "No Modern Mystery" is ten times better than the other versions. If you love yourself some lo-fi indie rock, yous gonna love yourself some Pershing.

THE WORDS ARE: "Maybe if i lay low, love will fall around my door and/ maybe I won't/ but your cold eyes, baby/tell me I should be looking for love with some other girl"

IT SOUNDS LIKE: Springfield, MO, or for those of you not familiar: a suburban city with a small yet thriving art scene. In my head, when I hear SSLYBY, I think of the 417. This album is also reminiscent of the feeling I get when I drink Ting or Fresca. Light and refreshing. Twee. Heehee.

IF YOU LIKE: Voxtrot, Matt & Kim, fair trade coffee


There you have it. I know fourteen is a weird number, but I was just drawn to it.
My fourteen tops of 2008, thus far. Get out there and get listening.


What albums make your top fourteen list?

Let me know or check out my site here...
Ari