The Countdowns Are Coming On Monday!

2008 was much more the year of the single rather than the year of the album. 2007 saw the release of three albums that topped everything put out in 2008 (to see my 2007 chart go here). I’m still listening to them religiously almost two years later. My charts, as always, contain only newly released albums and singles, so even though groups like Alphabeat, Robyn and September saw releases in new territories this year, they’re not eligible because the albums were already available (in somewhat different forms) in years past. Alphabeat’s reissue, in particular, would have gotten very close to topping my albums chart this year had it not been released in its original form in 2007. One interesting statistic that came out of my charts this year was the emergence of a lot of really great American artists/bands. There are more Americans on my chart this year than ever before, and that’s something to definitely celebrate because good music has been sorely lacking in this country for a good while now.

Groups - 65%
Solo Artists - 35%
Debut Albums - 50%
Second Albums - 15%
Fourth Album (or higher!) - 15%
Male Singers - 65%
Female Singers - 35%
American Acts - 50% (A massive 45% jump from last year!)
UK Acts - 15%
Swedish Acts - 25%
Norwegian Acts - 5%
Danish Acts - 5%
Australian Acts - 5%
Albums that saw a U.S. release - 55%
Albums with any substantial success in the U.S. - 30%-ish
Released in the 1st Quarter (including Dec. 06) - 15%
Released in the 2nd Quarter - 30%
Released in the 3rd Quarter - 25%
Released in the 4th Quarter - 30%

The Attic - Easy Love

"I want it all and I can't let go"

I was just listening to some tracks from the Attic's excellent 2007 album Remember Tomorrow last night and went on the internet to see what's up with them now. I knew about their recent cover of Secret Service's Flash In The Night (in itself a pop masterpiece), but who knew they'd released other new songs in 2008? I especially love Easy Love, which has a great dance beat and those characteristic Attic vocals. These guys are a seriously underrated dance duo capable of breaking out into other genres as well. Just check out the EPIC Sail Away from their last album, which I found quite goosebump-inducing yesterday

The Attic - Easy Love (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here.)

Kitty & The K - I Am A MF

"Everything I told you was a lie"

I just found this track floating around on my computer today. I'm not sure when or how it got there, but Kitty & The K is a Swedish band that I like very much so I was happy to find it. I posted their best song (By The Way) awhile ago and assumed, by how they've been going on about it, that there'd be an album out by now. But there's been little word from these guys. I Am A MF is more aggressive than By The Way (like you couldn't tell that by the title, right?). The vocals and general energy actually reminds me a lot of Surferosa.

Kitty & The K - I Am A MF (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. No album to buy yet.)

(We Are) Performance - Market Street - (Everything Is Changing)

"It's more or less the same as the world"

This is sort of a throwback post, as I've had (We Are) Performance's album for over a year now. It's also a post with a hell of a lot of parentheses. Now, as much as I liked the group's early material, I never could get into their album until recently. And now that I've given the cd another chance, I'm really enjoying it, especially this track. Market Street (Everything Is Changing) has all the manic energy of Short Sharp Shock, yet with a really poppy melody and a fantastic chorus. And while I'm on the topic of (We Are) Performance, I've gotta mention their brother/sister band (both in city and sound) Daggers (ie: the best new band on the planet) and their just-released recording of The Whole Of The Moon, streaming now on their myspace. Beyond excellent.

(We Are) Performance - Market Street - (Everything Is Changing) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here!)

Kate Miller-Heidke - I Like You Better When You're Not Around

"Please don't take it to heart"

One week left until I get into the 2008 year-end lists! But until then I've got five fantastic songs to share. First up is Kate Miller-Heidke. I posted a song from her first album a long while ago, and I'm a little late getting into her second release. Can't Shake It was a great single, though... one of her best songs (and most danceable). Generally, her music is much more quirky. There are bits of Tori Amos, Nellie McKay and Kate Nash ingrained in her unique pop but she's usually more theatrical than any of them (just check out the weird little stomp of Politics In Space!). Enough about other songs, though. Today I'm posting I Like You Better When You're Not Around because, other than Can't Shake It, it's my favorite song on the album. It's so poppy it hurts, plus it's a bit Sparks-ish, which is instantly amazing.

Kate Miller-Heidke - I Like You Better When You're Not Around (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here!)