What were the 80 most important musical recordings, artists, trends, events, and performances of 2008? What were the eight things this year that broke our hearts—or, at least, our ears? We’re happy to announce 80 ’08 (and Heartbreak), Idolator’s year-end overview. The list is below the jump.
On March 9, HBO’s The Wire aired its series finale, and its evocative closing credits theme, “The Fall,” rolled out its ominous bass line and eerie violin for the last time. For five seasons, music supervisor Blake Leyh‘s sole contribution to the show’s score, which followed every episode’s closing scene, was equally fitting to punctuate a shocking plot twist or a character’s slowly sinking realization.
I’ve been a fan of Stop Smiling, the bimonthly out of Chicago with themed issues, multiple covers, a predilection for in-depth Q&A’s, and some of the cleanest art design around, for a while now. Their newest offering is juicy: “The DC Issue,” which looks at our nation’s capital. In addition to some political content (including an enjoyably sharp Q&A with Ana Marie Cox), the big stuff is the twin cover subjects, crime novelist George Pelecanos and The Wire‘s Anwan Glover (a.k.a. Big G of local go-go heroes the Backyard Band). Pelecanos, of course, was deeply involved in The Wire, but the best bits are about music. Take a look at Pelecanos’ roster of D.C.’s greatest acts:
Guys, not to get all hard-partying fanboy on you, but (OMG!!!1!) did you know that this month The Wire asked world’s-greatest-human Andrew WK to sit down for their “Invisible Jukebox,” the long-running feature where interviewer plays interviewee a bunch of records? More »
ARTIST: Various Artists
TITLE: Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks From The Wire
RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2008
WEB DEBUT: A while ago, I imagine, but I’m slow.
Brit experimental institution The Wire has just dropped its weighty year-end issue, which features Brit experimental (pop) institution Robert Wyatt at No. 1 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2007. As for the rest of the mag’s rundown, it may prominently big up LCD Soundsystem and M.I.A., but hey, it’s also got saxophone records that you can barely hear!
THE GOOD: The Wire is always reliable for a dose of hair-straightening hairshirt noise, serious sound art, and/or free improv. Like Sightings’ brutalist Through at no. 37, Throbbing Gristle’s unexpectedly excellent reunion record at No. 32, or the ramshackle brilliance of drummer Chris Corsano and guitarist Mick Flower’s duo LP at No. 27.
THE BAD: Rough and tough experimentalists beware: bloggers and message board denizens are already grumbling that The Wire‘s Top 10 features many of the same records that appeared on all sorts of square lists this year. On the other hand, those who feel the magazine has lost the connection to (avant) pop music that marked its ’90s heyday may find this development heartening.
THE WHAAAA? In Rainbows? Even down at No. 34? You’re The Wire! You don’t have to play these mainstream reindeer games!
Thanks to everyone who listened when we requested an MP3 of Paul Weller’s take on “I Walk On Gilded Splinters,” the Dr. John number that closed the season-four finale of The Wire. More »
Last night’s season finale of The Wire so harrowing and heartbreaking, it would be an insult to even try to encapsulate it in a 100-word blog post. More »
Our meager collection of regular readers know that we’ll make any excuse to mention HBO’s The Wire, a.k.a. The Greatest Show In The World, And Possibly The Most Amazing Thing To Happen In Popular Culture In Twenty Years (Except For Some Really Good Books). More »
If you missed last night’s episode of The Wire–and you really shouldn’t have, as it’s generally the best 58 minutes of television all week–you missed a well-played shout-out to the Baltimore club scene: In order to smoke out a New York dealer who’s invaded their turf, two for-hire killers wander… More »
