Monday, December 29, 2008

WEWOREMASKS END OF THE YEAR LISTS (2008)



without further ado, the panda and the grizzly present to you the year-end lists of 2008. the year was somewhat like any other year, jerome and i (grizzly) have compiled the standard bs lists you've grown accustomed to on every site.

GRIZZLY/ROSHAN:

i'm not sure if my list will suit many, as i couldn't give a shit less about what genre is acceptable to choose, what's credible and what's not. i listen to what moves me and have never limited myself to one genre, the underground, or what is unacceptable for any blogger or music fan to like.

here's my list. if you have any gripes with it, listen to track 5 on justin timberlake's justified and GTFO of my face:


tv shows:

honorable mention:
the life and times of tim (season one)

5. entourage (season five)
4. how i met your mother (season four)
3. prison break (season four)
2. it's always sunny in philadelphia (season four)
1. lost (season four)

note: sorry i don't watch ______.

top 10 live shows (all in houston, unless otherwise noted):

honorable mention:
portugal. the man, wintersleep@ the meridian

10. tokyo police club @ the meridian
9. atmosphere @ fun fun fun fest; austin, tx
8. gym class heroes, estelle @ the meridian
7. girl talk @ warehouse live
6. the souled out tour - common, n.e.r.d. @ verizon wireless theater
5. clipse @ fun fun fun fest; austin, tx
4. the mars volta @ verizon wireless theater
3. 2k sports bounce tour - q-tip, the cool kids, the knux @ warehouse live
2. alkaline trio, thrice, the gaslight anthem @ house of blues
1. the glow in the dark tour - kanye west, rihanna, n.e.r.d., lupe fiasco @ the woodlands pavilion

note: i mean 10-2 were great shows, but fuck every concert/show/festival that has ever existed in 2008. glow in the dark is and will forever be the business.

top 10 mixtapes:

honorable mention:
charles hamilton - sonic the hamilton grab.

10. asher roth - the greenhouse effect vol. I grab.
9. dj benzi - the new deal grab.
8. the cool kids - that's stupid grab.
7. colin monroe - ...is the unsung hero grab.
6. mick boogie and terry urban - viva la hova grab.
5. dj benzi and plain pat - sky high mixtape grab.
4. clipse - play cloths grab.
3. nas - the nigger tape grab.
2. kid cudi - a kid named cudi grab.
1. wale - a mixtape about nothing grab.

note: many of these were better releases than a lot of the albums released, namely the top three. nas' nigger tape showcased some of what didn't and wouldn't make the cut for untitled, and in many cases, (see: be a nigger too) the reasons were apparent. cudi signed to g.o.o.d., worked with ye, and will undoubtedly blow up in 09. likewise with wale. the mixtape about nothing is easily one of the hottest releases/mixtapes/LPs in a long time. i mean concept albums are one thing, but this dude's dropping concept mixtapes. AND it's incredible.


top 15 EPs:

15. 65daysofstatic - the distant and mechanised glow of eastern european dance parties
14. manchester orchestra - let my pride be what's behind
13. the cambiata - "to heal"
12. person l - initial
11. the carps - waves and shambles
10. deas vail - white lights
9. the alchemist - the cookbook
8. coldplay - prospekts march
7. third eye blind - red star
6. the jealous sound - got friends
5. passion pit - chunk of change
4. looking glass wars - a place in a parlor grab.
3. the gaslight anthem - the senor and the queen
2. eye alaska - yellow and elephant
1. moving mountains - foreword stream.

note: easy choice. moving mountains are mindblowing. their debut lp pneuma was incredible, and this is no different. each song plays like a movie, with the typical post-rock crescendo/climax/decrescendo style. however, the vocals add that certain element that allows you to be more attached to what you're actually listening to. make sure you give this EP a chance.

top 10 disappointments:

honorable mention:
colour revolt - plunder, beg and curse

10. ratatat - LP3
9. stars - sad robot
8. minus the bear - acoustics
7. fear before - fear before
6. the re-up gang - the clipse presents the re-up gang
5. norma jean - the antimother
4. thursday/envy - split
3. death cab for cutie - narrow stairs
2. the faint - fasciinatiion
1. common - universal mind control

note: common -- i'll tell you what you should (did) do: dumb it down.

top 40 albums of 2008:

honorable mentions:
45. ne-yo - year of the gentleman
44. lykke li - youth novels
43. sophia - my morning; migration review.
42. alive in wild paint - ceilings review.
41. bloc party - intimacy

40. kidz in the hall - the 'in' crowd
39. 88 keys - the death of adam
38. this town needs guns - animals
37. santogold - santogold
36. lil wayne - tha carter III review.
35. sigur ros - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
34. snowgoons - black snow
33. usher - here i stand review.
32. cut copy - in ghost colours
31. young jeezy - the recession
30. city and colour - bring me your love review.
29. doomtree - doomtree
28. q-tip - the renaissance
27. looking glass wars - the musician
26. portugal. the man - censored colours
25. vampire weekend - vampire weekend
24. tiger lou - a partial print
23. underoath - lost in the sound of separation review.
22. coldplay - viva la vida or death and all his friends review.
21. the roots - rising down
20. the fall of troy - phantom on the horizon
19. mgmt - oracular spectacular
18. flight of the conchords - flight of the conchords
17. n.e.r.d. - seeing sounds
16. wolftron - flesh and fears
15. ludacris - theater of the mind
14. alkaline trio - agony and irony
13. gym class heroes - the quilt review.
12. the knux - remind me in 3 days
11. innerpartysystem - innerpartysystem review.
10. tokyo police club - elephant shell
9. the game - l.a.x. review.
8. the mars volta - the bedlam in goliath review.
7. atmosphere - when life gives you lemons, you paint that shit gold
6. lydia - illuminate review.

5. thrice - the alchemy index vol III and IV: earth and air review.



note: it's no surprise that thrice is so high up on my list this year (just like every time they ever release an album. i just feel that they can do nothing wrong. the final two chapters in the alchemy index brought their experimental and ambitious project to a close, and together is one of the best collections of music that i've personally heard.

4. the gaslight anthem - the 59' sound



note: i was turned on to the gaslight anthem by a handful of people who nagged at me to listen to it. i'm not one to actually take the initiative on such a recommendation, but after seeing them live, i was sold. i spun all their albums, and the 59' sound is a modern day classic. i can see fans of literally any type of rock music getting into this.

3. t.i. - paper trail review.



note: i probably bumped this album more than any other album in 2008. was never die-hard about tip till i heard paper trail. king was my shit back in 2006, but this album took tip to a new level. touching base on everything from losing his best friend to his gun charges to flossin', paper trail has it all. this is easily his personal classic and his best album.

2. kanye west - 808s & heartbreak review.



note: 808s saw a heartbroken minimalist in kanye west, and thus 808s and heartbreak was born, which has easily his most critiqued and hated album. i find it hard to believe that anybody can listen to this album without feeling anything. this album proves yet again that kanye is an artist, and despite all of his shortcomings as an emcee/performer/human being/whatever you believe, he continues to push himself and expand his legacy, or at least what he came into the game for.

1. nas - untitled review.



note: after a few missteps, nas is back. everything surrounding this album was somewhat controversial, and all hype aside, i had very little doubt that this album would flop for me personally. although a bit moody, untitled touched base on everything that's going on with hip-hop, politics, and the trials, tribulations and the stereotypes of ethnicity/race. i might not have listened to this more than 808s or paper trail, but it was miles better.

and above all, this album was released on my birthday. it was fate for me to love it.

"hip-hop was aborted, but nas breathes life back into the embryo."
-nas, "queens get the money"



PANDA/JEROME:

i had just about every problem one could have with technology in '08, so there's probably a lot of things i missed out on. but i also spent much of 2008 drunk, so had i had a functioning computer, i probably would have missed out on a lot of shit anyway. here's a list of 50 things that made my taste better than yours in 2008:


50. the audition - champion
49. lydia - illuminate
48. not having vampire weekend or bon iver on my list.
47. ne-yo - year of the gentleman
46. neon neon - stainless style
45. eye alaska - yellow and elephant
44. wall-e
43. an albatross - the an albatross family album
42. michael jackson's 2008 demos/thriller 25
41. the new prince songs i haven't even heard yet.
40. lil wayne - tha carter III
39. cut copy - in ghost colours
38. looking glass wars - the musician
37. anything peter toh released in 2008.
36. young jeezy ft. kanye west - put on (song of the year)
35. wolftron - flesh and fears
34. santogold - santogold
33. 88 keys - the death of adam
32. gym class heroes - the quilt
31. tv on the radio - dear science
30. morrissey - that's how people grow up (single)
29. the all new adventures of us - best loved goodnight tales
28. N.E.R.D.- seeing sounds
27. yasutaka tsutsi - salmonella men on planet porno buy.
26. wale - a mixtape about nothing
26. martina topley bird - the blue god
25. jamie lidell - jim
24. the roots - rising down
23. boondocks (season 2) official boondocks website.
22. common - universal mind control
21. haruki murakami - after dark buy.
21. the knux - remind me in 3 days
20. gnarls barkley - the odd couple
19. kid cudi - a kid named cudi
18. the carps - waves and shambles
17. tgr lou - a partial print / the loyal
16. q-tip - the renaissance
15. john legend - evolver
14. ours - mercy (dancing at the death of an imaginary enemy)
13. innerparysystem -innerpartysystem
12. the dark knight
11. t.i. - paper trail
10. nas - untitled
9. the cambiata - to heal
8. tricky - knowle west boy
7. portishead - third
6. 2008 football season of the texas tech red raiders.
5. bloc party - intimacy



this album is legit, straight up. and the best songs are NOT the ones that resemble silent alarm. it's the ones where they took successful risks. they made a bold album, and it's proven to be their best thus far. they wrote better music, they performed it better, and best of all.. once again, they didn't make silent alarm part 2. deal with it.

4. lykke li - youth novels



you've probably read/heard a lot of hype about her late this year (late pass for other bloggers/magazines). this album is definitely worth the hype. believe it.

3. skins (season 1) skins official website.

Photobucket

between all things gordan ramsey, a few of my coworkers and this show, i've spent a lot of time listening to british accents this year. it's great to see a show about youth that doesn't patronize it's audience (cough disney cough). sex, drugs, alcohol, love, relationships, friendship, sex, drugs, alcohol...everything you want in a good tv show.

2. junot diaz - the brief wounderous life of oscar wao buy.



it was great to see my boy junot get so much praise for the release of his first novel. i'm a huge fan of his first book also, a collection of short stories called drown. this one is an incredible read. if you're a reader, i'm sure you've at least heard of this by now. get on it.

1. kanye west - 808s & heartbreak



at the end of the day (year), it doesn't particularly matter what any of us thinks he should have done on/with this album, but he made it. and it's intricate, flawed, detailed and simplistic. it's both aesthetically and musically, perfect.



that's it! congratulations if you've made it through both lists. hopefully we get off our lazy asses once the new year starts and move over to wordpress and will probably buy a domain for this little blog we've have started.

thanks to anyone who:
-reads on a regular basis.
-has us bookmarked as their homepage.
-sends us recs (even though we are too lazy and end up ignoring them)
-sends us cookies (no one has done this yet, and this needs to change)
-hates us.
-thinks we're ugly.
-thinks we're cute.

and until 2009, holla. have a safe, happy and inebriated new years.

love,
weworemasks
the panda and the grizzly

prince klassen remixes (2008)



prince klassen is one of the few local DJs (austin, tx) worth mentioning. also worth mentioning is that he rolls with central booking, which is all sorts of texas DJ win. he comes through here and spins every once in a while, so that's never a bad thing. i just scoped two remixes/edits of his, so grab em.

prince klassen on myspace.

download:

ghosthustler - busy busy busy (prince klassen edit)
mr. oizo - it takes two (prince klassen edit)

-grizzly

dear michael cera, (2008)



stop being a douche bag. according to an interview and an article on you ain't no picasso, you're the only one holding up the arrested development movie. for the love of all things good and pure, make the movie. don't make me hate you and do this.

love,
grizzly

music video: daniel merriweather - change f. wale (2008)



new video from daniel merriweather, who's got a ton of soul. this is the first i'm hearing of him, and i'm definitely digging it. not gonna lie though, if i didn't see wale's name tagged onto it, i never would've listened, haha.

-grizzly

tkrmx - justice/cross tkrmx (2008)



hot damn. just stumbled on this gem. anyone who's completely sick of justice can ignore this, but this is some top shelf business.

check the tracklist:

01 Genesis ft. 50 Cent
02 Let There Be Light ft. 3-6 Mafia & UGK
03 D.A.N.C.E. ft. Beanie Sigel & Beastie Boys
04 Newjack ft. Kanye West & Lupe Fiasco
05 Phantom ft. Lil Wayne
06 Phantom II ft. Lupe Fiasco
07 Valentine ft. Lupe Fiasco
08 Tthhee Pparrttyy ft. 3-6 Mafia, Youngbuck, 8-Ball & MJG
09 DVNO ft. Pitbull
10 Stress ft. Eminem
11 Waters of Nazereth ft. Kanye West
12 One Minute to Midnight ft. Wu-Tang Clan & Mobb Deep


i'd type out all the songs, but you know how i do. way too lazy.

download the entire thing right here.

-grizzly

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

morrissey - i'm throwing my arms around paris (2008)

new morrissey song. very chill vibe. love this man to pieces. get into it.



- i'm throwing my arms around panda

Monday, December 22, 2008

2008 USER-SUBMITTED END OF THE YEAR LISTS



ok...if you can make it through all these lists, then all the power to you. our personal lists will be posted very soon. happy holidays!

Kendall Phillips
southsidediscotech.blogspot.com
Houston, TX


The good homie Kendall over at SSDT is putting together an epic list for his top 50 songs of 2008, excluding any and all remixes. Not only is he making a list, he has provided an mp3 download of all his tracks.

part I
part II
part III
part IV
part V

Dance
The Bloody Beetroots – Rombo
The Bloody Beetroots – Butter
Justice – Planisphere Parts 1 through 4
The Golden Filter – Solid Gold
The Phantom’s Revenge – Moondancer
Surkin – Chrome Knight ft. Dave 1
A-Trak – Say Whoa
BURNS – Make Love
Beni – My Love Sees You

Australia
Miami Horror – Summerfest ’86
Miami Horror – Make You Mine
Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
Ladyhawke – Dusk Til Dawn
Ladyhawke – My Delirium
Cut Copy – Hearts On Fire
Cut Copy – Far Away
Cut Copy – Out There On Thin Ice
Empire of the Sun – Walking On A Dream
Empire of the Sun – Standing On The Shore
Empire of the Sun – Swordfish Hotkiss Night
BMX – WAR

Hip-Hop
Kid Sister – Get Fresh
T-Pain – Can’t Believe It ft. Lil’ Wayne
Lil’ Wayne – 3 Peat
The Count & Sinden – Hardcore Girls ft. Rye Rye
Wale – The Kramer
Young Jeezy – Put On ft. Kanye West
Kanye West – Street Lights
Dizzee Rascal – Dance Wiv Me ft. Calvin Harris
Herve & A-Trak – Roll With The Winners
Lil’ Wayne – Let The Beat Build
Kid Cudi – T.G.I.F. ft. Chip The Ripper

B-more

Debonair Samir – Freaky Girl

Indie-Rock
Metronomy – Heartbreaker
Magistrates – Make This Work
Ghostland Observatory – Freeheart Lover
Boy Crisis – L’homme
Bloc Party – Mercury
Starfucker – German Love
Black Kids – Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)
Cansei De Ser Sexy – Move
The Ting Tings – Shut Up and Let Me Go
Tokyo Police Club – Tessellate

Indie-Pop
Priors – What You Need
Lykke Li – Breaking It Up
Lykke Li – I’m Good I’m Gone
The Twelves – Works For Me
Little Boots – Meddle
N.E.R.D. – You Know What
Sam Sparro – 21st Century Life



Bradley Babendir
highbeamreview.com
Deerfield, IL


Top 15 Albums Of The Year

15. Thrice - The Alchemy Index (III & IV)
14. Russian Circles - Station
13. Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux
12. No Age - Nouns
11. Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
10. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
9. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
8. City and Colour - Bring Me Your Love
7. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
6. Arrows - Modern Art & Politics
5. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
4. Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors
3. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
2. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow
1. Lydia – Illuminate

Best EPs of 2008

10. Thursday/Envy - Split
9. There For Tomorrow - There For Tomorrow
8. Eye Alaska - Yellow & Elephant
7. New Found Glory - Tip Of The Iceberg
6. Past Lives - Strange Symmetry
5. The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale
4. Maps & Atlases - You And Me And The Mountain
3. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
2. Animal Collective - Water Curses
1. Manchester Orchestra - Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind

Biggest Disappointments of 2008

10. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
9. Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Seperation
8. Thieves & Villains - Movement
7. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
6. The Killers - Day & Age
5. Jason Mraz - We Dance, We Sing, We Steal Things
4. The Academy Is... - Fast Times At Barrington High
3. Common - Universal Mind Control
2. Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)
1. Anberlin - New Surrender


Kyle Olden
Buffalo, NY



Music:

Evol Intent - Era of Diversion - Serious heat from the guys that remixed The Sound of Animals Fighting’s "The Heretic." TSOAF does a track called "The Curtain Falls," it’s like glitch mixed with m83. WTF.

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
– “Skinny Love,” if you haven’t heard it, go find someone quick. You’re going to want to make out.

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park - You'd have to be fucking kidding me not to like this.

Dosh - Wolves & Wishes - Anticon produces another win with Dosh. Huge. Huge. Huge.
In the vein of Explosions in the Sky. Or like Battles staggering around Texas fucked up on lean.

Alias - Resurgam LP - Again, another Anticon Gem.

Movies:

Wall-E - If you can't get laid while watching this movie, you’re retarded.

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures - Huge movie about an indie film maker that is socially inept. Good laughs.

Tropic Thunder - "I'm David Beckham!!!!"

Let the Right One In - Amazing vampire movie with a heart of gold and a demeanor to match. This movie is adorable, seriously. It’s about a little German boy who falls in love with a girl who got turned into a vampire hundreds of years ago and never aged. It's touching. Really.

Rec - It actually came out in 2007 [in Spain] but it was released via bittorrent in 2008. This is what Quarantine was based on, and what Quarantine completely mutilated. I fucking hate that some idiot chose to make that movie. What a douche bag.

Cloverfield – I’m serious, this movie looked like so much fun to make and every time I saw people doing what they were doing in the movie, I wanted to be in Brooklyn forever. Seriously, fuck me. I want to move.

The Dark Knight
– Nuff said.

Synecdoche New York - See it and be amazed.

Stepbrothers - I saw this high out of my mind on a mélange of downers. This movie is HYSTERICAL.

The Strangers - Saw this and went home and turned on ALL the lights. I never do that, ever. I hate to say it, but the Americans beat the French with this one. Way scarier.

Paranoid Park - Gus Van Sant does it right. A truly unforgettable scene amongst a haze of really well-done other scenes. Great script and acting.

Funny Games (US) - Give Michael Pitt an Oscar, he is fucking CREEPY in this remake of the Dutch original. Shot for shot with one extra shot that is a huge kick in the balls to Americans. I loved it.

In Bruges - Fucking AWESOME. And fucking FUNNY.

Misc:

The Knot - Best Whiskey ever. Go get a bottle and figure it out. Thanks Ireland.

Percocet
- I should have found you in 2007.



Matt and Bill
climbingthehorizon.com
University of Connecticut



Matt's List

*Matt’s list may or may not have links for you to “preview” his top choices.

Bill's List


Vishal Bhatt (holla @ grizzlies cousin!)
Columbus, OH


the best of 2008*

the worst of 2008

*make sure to click the link for reviews of his top ten.

top 10 sports moments of 2008 (interesting read. plus, no one else did this.)

best TV and movies of 2008


Bedwetting Cosmonaut
bedwettingcosmonaut.blogspot.com
Provo, UT


10. the sound of animals fighting - the ocean and the sun
9. evangelicals - the evening descends
8. underoath - lost in the sound of separation
7. stray from the path - villains
6. mgmt - oracular spectacular
5. conor oberst - conor oberst
4. lydia - illuminate
3. colour revolt - plunder, beg, and curse
2. right away, great captain! - the eventually home
1. la dispute - somewhere at the bottom of the river between vega and altair


Kat Swansey
www.myspace.com/katswansey
Austin, TX


top ten albums of 2008
1. minus the bear – acoustics ep
2. the helio sequence - keep your eyes ahead
3. conor oberst - conor oberst
4. kanye west – 808s and heartbreak
5. jenny lewis – acid tongue
6. legacy fails – you were a ghost
7. third eye blind – red star
8. as eden burns – the great celestial delusion
9. mgmt – oracular spectacular
10.vampire weekend - vampire weekend


Herbie Hickmott
Philadelphia, PA


1. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
2. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
3. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
4. Adele – 19
5. Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
6. Cataldo – Signal Flare
7. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
8. The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
9. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
10. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
11. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
12. Ray LaMontagne – Gossip in the Grain
13. Dr. Dog – Fate
14. T.I. – Paper Trail
15. Jack’s Mannequin – The Glass Passenger
16. Santogold – Santogold
17. The Killers – Day & Age
18. Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
19. Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell
20. Anathallo – Canopy Glow


Mike Damante
Soundcheck
www.thedailycougar.com



Top 15 Songs of 2008

Top 10 Albums of 2008

note: this is my co-columnist for sound check, the column i have at the daily cougar (university of houston)


Messineto
messineto.blogspot.com


Top 25 Records of 2008
1 Snoleoparden - Snoleoparden
2 The Walkmen - You & Me
3 El Guincho - Alegranza
4 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
5 Black Mountain - In The Future
6 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
7 Little Joy - Little Joy
8 Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
9 The Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
10 Plants And Animals - Parc Avenue
11 Dead Combo - Lusitania Playboys
12 Santogold - Santogold
13 Coconot - Cosa Astral
14 Air France - No Way Down
15 Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood \ Sun Giant
16 The Bug - London Zoo
17 Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
18 Man Man - Rabbit Habits
19 Sun Kil Moon - April
20 Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
21 Quiet Village - Silent Movie
22 Deerhunter - Microcastle
23 M83 - Saturdays = youth
24 Lykke Li – Youth Novels
25 Pete and the Pirates - Little Death


AJ Gutierrez
Houston, TX


Top 20 Albums of 2008

20. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
19. Able Baker Fox - Voices
18. The Dodos - Visiter
17. She & Him - Vol: One
16. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
15. No Age - Nouns
14. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
13. Santogold - Santogold
12. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
11. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10. Q- Tip - the renaissance
9. Kid Cudi - A Kid Named Cudi
8. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
6. T.I. - Paper trail
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
4. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
3. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
2. Vampire Weekend - S/T
1. The Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound


Emily Driskill
emily's flickr.
Houston, TX



top ten albums of 2008
10. rhys chatham & his guitar trio all stars - guitar trio is my life!
9. the raconteurs - consolers of the lonely
8. she and him - volume one
7. sun kil moon - april
6. fleet foxes - fleet foxes
5. beck - modern guilt
4. sigur ros - með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
3. adele - 19
2. robyn - robyn
1. colour revolt - plunder beg and curse


Justin Peevey
cemetery shakedown on myspace.
Houston, TX
(check em out)

20 MOVIES YOU SHOULD'VE RENTED IN 2008 (IN NO ORDER)

Across the Universe
Why You Should See It: Visually stunning and sonically captivating, this is the ultra sensory experience of the year.

American Teen
Why You Should See It: Experience high school again, but this time around see your classmates in a new light and reevaluate the whole experience.

Charlie Bartlett
Why You Should See It: Anton Yelchin gives a surprisingly good performance as the titular character, and Robert Downey, Jr. as his alcoholic principal certainly doesn't hurt either.

The Dark Knight
Why You Should See It: I could give you a million reasons, but really at this point, it just comes down to peer pressure, doesn't it?

Death Sentence
Why You Should See It: While it looks like just another "Death Wish" knock-off, this movie will truly surprise you with how far it goes to show the tragedy of violence and how much it will resonate with you.

The Fall
Why You Should See It: This may be the most overall beautiful film of the year, shot across 18 countries in a 4 year span, and the craftsmanship shows.

Juno
Why You Should See It: Intriguing characters and infinitely quotable dialogue catapulted this indie comedy into the limelight where it wholly belongs.

The King of Kong
Why You Should See It: This just shows how excellent film making can make even the most boring or trivial subjects come to life, suck you in, and entertain the hell out of you.

Kung Fu Panda
Why You Should See It: Not only is this the best animated film of the year, but it's certainly one of the funniest.

Lars and the Real Girl
Why You Should See It: You would expect a movie about a man in love with a sex doll to be so heartwarming, but this movie is really about the lengths people will go to support the ones they love..

No Country for Old Men
Why You Should See It: Tommy Lee Jones' crusty sheriff and Javier Bardem's psychopath put this gripping thriller over the top.

The Orphanage
Why You Should See It: This one's well worth sitting through the subtitles for, as it is by far the scariest and most suspenseful film of the year.

Redbelt
Why You Should See It: A story of honor, integrity, and personal strength, this surprisingly great flick is rounded out by an amazing cast that makes it a must-see.

Step Brothers
Why You Should See It: Hands down the most outrageous, ridiculous, and absolute funniest film of the year.

Sunshine
Why You Should See It: Danny Boyle can virtually do no wrong, and this venture into the realm of realistic science fiction is no different.

Teeth
Why You Should See It: I dare you to NOT be instantly intrigued by a movie about a girl who suffers from "vagina dentata..."

There Will Be Blood
Why You Should See It: In my opinion, this is absolutely the most perfect all-around example of excellent film making this year, from writing to directing to acting..

What Would Jesus Buy?
Why You Should See It: The most creative and entertaining protesting you will ever see, and for what I believe to be one of the greatest overlooked problems in today's society.

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?
Why You Should See It: Surprisingly funny and eye-opening, this is leaps and bounds better than Spurlock's "Supersize Me" and does a wonderful job show its audience the dangers of thinking ethnocentrically.

Wristcutters: A Love Story
Why You Should See It: Creative, compelling, insightful, and entertaining--this is the most original film of the year.


---EDIT---

late passes:

deskdoorbeat.blogspot.com
blogspot, USA


After much lazy laze. Here is my 'Best Things I've Heard This Year' list. It might be albums, it might be singles, it might be from last year. Enjoy.

5. Thrice- The Alchemy Index: Vol. IV Earth (album)
10. M83- Up! (single)
4. Lupe Fiasco/Justice- The Coolest vs. Let There Be Light (single)
11. Kill The Noise- Hey You (Le Castle Vania Remix) (single)
7. Innerpartysystem- Innerpartysystem (album)
13. Grum- Go Back (Le Castle Vania Remix) (single)
15. Coldplay- Viva La Vida (single)
12. Burden Of A Day- Burden Of A Day (album)
6. Astronautalis- Two Years Before The Mast (single)
1. Emery- Broken Hearts Will Prevail (album)
3. Kanye West- 808 and Heartbreak (album)
2. The Twelves- Anything I heard by them
14. Glassjaw- You Think You're John Fucking Lennon (single)
8. Cut Copy- Lights and Music (Boys Noize Remix) (single)
9. Lies In Disguise- Penis Vs. Vagina (single)



Trang Nguyen
aka chuchutrang
Houston, TX


the nine albums i liked in 2008:

1. cut copy - in ghost colours
2. mgmt - oracular spectacular
3. crystal castles - crystal castles
4. ra ra riot - the rhumb line
5. santogold - santogold
6. portishead - third
7. the cool kids - the bake sale ep
8. lykke li - youth novels
9. t.i. - paper trail



-weworemasks

p.s. thanks to everyone who took their time to submit. twas fun. expect our lists by christmas -- happy holidays.

par avion - zombie america (2008)



par avion literally just dropped their new track "zombie america." shit's sounding good on my end so head over to their page and listen to it.

listen to "zombie america" at par avion's myspace.

-par grizzly

fukkk offf - rave is king (le castle vania remix) (2008)



this is filthy. i don't think i've ever hated any of lcv's material, seriously.

fukkk offf on myspace.
lecastlevania on myspace.

and if you still haven't gotten on lcv, i suggest you go here. it's a fuckin' gold mine.

download:

fukkk offf - rave is king (le castle vania remix)

-grizzly

Thursday, December 18, 2008

flight of the conchords - season two premiere (2008)



funny or die has the premiere for season two of the hit HBO show flight of the conchords. this show is easily one of the best new series in a while. i got on the bandwagon pretty late, but everything from season one is probably funnier than everything you watch. the soundtrack goes hand in hand, and is always a fun spin. head to your nearest store and buy (or download) season one so head over to funnyordie and catch the season two premiere. sorry to every other countries, it's for the USA ONLY.

FOTC on the web

watch:
the season two premiere of flight of the conchords.

-flight of the grizzlies

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

renegades - magnetar (free download) (2008)



some more dancefloor jams for you. "rngds" or renegades (if you want to be less cool and use vowels) are a group out of colorado bringing their newest album magnetar to you for free download. hit their myspace and give "control" and "dawn raider" a spin. if that's your shit, grab their full length asap.

rngds on myspace.

download magnetar:



-grizzly

music video: mstrkrft - bounce (2008)



the new sexiness from their album fist of god, which is due out in march sometime. probably in time for some sxsw appearances? let's hope so.


download:

mstrkrft - bounce via rcrdlbl.

-grzzlykrft

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

music video: n.e.r.d. - sooner or later (2008)



p and the gang just dropped the video for their third single from seeing sounds. video rules, and i don't think i've ever seen a flyer janitor in my entire life.

-grizzly

Friday, December 12, 2008

DMCA (2008)



it seems like the blogger digital millenium copyright act has been on our blog tip recently, deleting some of our posts for "infringement." that's cool and all, but some of the shit they've been deleting (see: the twelves post) featured links that were not mine, and also available all over the internet for free download. so why us? and why delete the entire post? why not have the links removed? no clue, but these tyrant assholes can go fuck themselves. i just wanted to share this rant.

also, this is just another reason why me and the panda are taking our shit to wordpress soon. till the wordpress drops in 09.

-grizzly on behalf of wwm

Thursday, December 11, 2008

moving mountains - foreword (2008)




absolutepunk dot net got their hands on the brand new EP from moving mountains, foreword, and has put the entire thing up for stream on their site. this thing is another unbelievable release for these guys. oh and if you haven't done so, check outpneuma and their demo ep.



stream foreword:

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

h.i.s.d. - summer sessions (2008)



ok, a bit of a strange post. i was watchin' a questlove video blog the other day, and he happened to drop this little group's name. h.i.s.d., short for HUESTON (houston?) INDEPENDENT SPIT DISTRICT.

sidebar: worst. group. name. ever.

anyway, this group's out of my hometown, and it's a collective of twelve emcees who are trying to get their shit poppin. aside from their terrible, terrible name, these dudes really have something going on. i knew that questlove droppin their names couldn't have been a mistake, so i took it upon myself to check it out, and was not disappointed.

anyway, please hit up okayplayer for a download of their mixtape and see what's up. i'm just glad michael 5000 watts and swishahouse isn't the only houston dent in hip-hop.

h.i.s.d. on myspace

download:



-grizzly

dj benzi and 10.deep present - the new deal mixtape (2008)



benzi on his grind AGAIN with another ridiculous mixtape. this one's also a freebie courtesy of 10.deep, who has brought you kid cudi and wale's mixtapes.

get this shit now.



-grizzly

video: the gaslight anthem - the 59' sound (live) (2008)



the group, fronted by a ripped chris conley with tattoos ([c] jerome) made their television debut (i made that up, please don't get pissed if i'm wrong) on conan o brien's show last night. aside from conan's god awful soundsystem, i'd say the dudes did well.

also, if you haven't already, and you're into the whole "buying albums" thing, head over to amazon and pick the download up for only $3.99.

-the grizzly anthem

Monday, December 8, 2008

the cambiata - hell's kitchen (2008)



hopefully you're familiar with these guys. hopefully you purchased their ep after i ranted about them earlier this year.

well if not.. the cambiata have posted a new track off their upcoming album (due out in january.. holler atcha bears for artist spotlight!). there's a very good chance it's most likely better/sexier than whatever you're currently listening to. the rhythm section sets such a perfect vibe for vocalist chris moulton to croon over.

anyway.. here's the part where you open itunes, click pause, and go to the link below to listen to "hell's kitchen".

the cambiata on myspace.


- panda

fred hart - 808s and heartbreak covers (2008)



i was hoppin on my blogroll today (at work, of course) and these really caught my eye. spotted over at gowhere hip hop (sidebar: this blog stays on topic/rides the jock of the chi for the most part) did a post about fred hart, a graphic designer at the university of arizona. the dude did his own visual interpretation of every song on 808s and some of these are extremely dope.

here's his take on it:


“Well here it is, the complete series of my version of 808s & Heartbreak song covers! I begin with the initial cover for the album, and then go song by song, as they’re presented on the album, each telling a story through imagery, as a metaphor for the journey Kanye West has traveled that allowed us this genius piece of work, 808s & Heartbreak. Each cover looks to create a sort of frame by frame for the album as a whole, with imagery relating to each song, a still shot from each song that allows you to use the lyrics and project your interpretations of each song onto the piece. This is my tribute to Kanye West, whose trials and tribulations have undoubtedly made this the album of the year, if not this decade in my opinion, and a tribute to his mother Donda West as well. So I hope you enjoy this artwork, and please feel free to let me know what you think.” [Fred Hart aka Fhart06]

Fred Hart
University of Arizona [Fine Arts]
fredhart@email.arizona.edu



head over to this link to check out the rest of them. ignore all the 808s and heartbreak hyperboles, though.

-grizzly

Friday, December 5, 2008

it ain't easy being a blog (2008)



ok the end of 2008 is approaching quickly, and we're gonna try to do something awesome this year. i'm sure some of you are making year-end lists for your top albums, songs, movies, sandwiches, beers, whatever. try to limit them to 10-25 a list. we don't care what your 73rd favorite album was this year. type them up and email them to weworemasks@gmail.com with your name, city, website, myspace or whatever you want linked (hey give us your SSN and credit card numbers while you're at it) and we'll put together a post near december's end with everyone's list. i'm hoping more than 5 people get off of their lazy ass and make a list.

hearts.

-weworemasks

edit: comment them too if you like!

wale (2008)



wale just dropped a video for "nike boots," and i realized that this is the worst blog ever. the sole reason is that we have yet to post about wale yet. 2009 will be a HUGE year for dc's finest, and he's surely going to drop one of the flyest debuts hip hop has seen in a while.

in the meantime:

1. go to wale's myspace and 10deep and download both of his mixtapes. 07's 100 miles and running and 08's the mixtape about nothing, both mixed by nick catchdubs, the resident dopeboy over at fool's gold records.
2. love your life.

download:
wale - nike boots

and peep the new music video:



-grizzly

treasure fingers - cross the dancefloor (designer drugs remix) (2008)



droppin the ball yet again. the original was one of my (and every other asshole hipster's) favorite songs last year, and designer drugs never seems to make a shitty remix. also, if they ever roll to your city, go party with them.

designer drugs on myspace.
treasure fingers on myspace.

download:

treasure fingers - cross the dancefloor (designer drugs remix)

-designer grizzlies

Thursday, December 4, 2008

looking glass wars - a place in a parlor (2008)



looking glass wars are a nice band out of new york who put out a great full length, the musician, earlier this year. to my surprise and with the help of a reminder from ap.net, i was directed to their myspace, where homeboys put up their newest ep fo free!

looking glass wars - the musician

download:



-grizzly glass wars

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2 PANDA (2008)



today is jerome's 37th birthday, and even though he probably has to work at 7 a.m. tomorrow, he's rippin' heads off of innocent puppies and grindin' on strangers. he may or may not be the flyest mexican panda i know.

everyone send him love notes and whisper sweet nothings on his:
voicemail: 281-330-8004 ASK FOR MIKE JONES.
or
aim: pandalikessmallboys

i'm too busy with finals to give a shit about jerome's birthday now, so in about 2 weeks, i'll be trekking up to dallas for a weekend where horrible things will be done to horrible people.


these little guys will be the product of that weekend:



but he ain't payin' no child support, hoes.

with many man hugs (yes homo),
grizzly

clipse - play cloths mixtape (2008)



clipse and complex (which is a great magazine) have teamed up to bring you the newest mixtape (sans re-up gang) play cloths. this coincides with the release of their clothing line of the same name, which you can find up on the web somewhere. i'm too lazy to look. for now, head over to complex and download that shit. road to "till the casket drops" in 09.

download:



-grizzly

Monday, December 1, 2008

kanye west press conference from new zealand (2008).



it's kanye west talking for a long time.. of course we had to post it.

- panda

music video: tgr lou - crushed by a crowd (2009)

to me, tiger lou will always be tgr lou. deal with it.

you need to listen to this band. you need to tell your friends to listen to this band. you need to give me twenty dollars.



- panda lou (aka pnd lou)

the alchemist - therapy f. kid cudi, evidence, blu, talib kweli (2008)



the alchemist is another producer who recently dropped the cookbook ep. the ep has everyone from the names on this track to pusha t, snoop and jadakiss. real solid ep, so check that out. this is a track that appears on the EP, but the EP version is sans talib kweli, so i figured i'd throw this one out there instead. also, the rest of them will all be household names come 2009. and if no one else does, it'll be kid cudi. endless props for him.

the alchemist on myspace.

download:

the alchemist - therapy f. kid cudi, evidence, blu and talib kweli

-grizzly

jay electronica (2008)



jay is somewhat of a well-known name, but mostly for his production work (and most notably, for "queens get the money" on untitled) anyway, he's been releasing some new music as of late. exhibit A is from some guitar center compilation that i'm too lazy to find the real name of, and the other two are from a compilation called scratches and demo tapes vol. I. blah, blah.

jay electronica on myspace.

download:

jay electronica - exhibit a/transformations
jay electronica - annakin's prayer
jay electronica - not too far from nothing

-grizzlay electronica

little boots - meddle (treasure fingers remix) (2008)



treasure fingers popped out another hot remix on a europop tip. this time, it's little boots' "meddle" from her arecibo ep, which is out on iamsound records. bump it.

go listen to the original and more of little boots on myspace.
treasure fingers on myspace

download:

little boots - meddle (treasure fingers remix)

-grizzly fingers

the game - laugh (2008)



another b-side from the LAX studio sessions. this one's a bit more laid back than the rest, and really has that nasty compton feel to it, and he semi goes in on other rappers. classic game though. don't grab it if you hate his namedropping or whatever the fuck else.

head over to the old post to grab some more b-sides from LAX.

download:

the game - laugh

-grizzly

vyle (2008)



vyle is yet another chicago hipster tryin' the hip-hop thing out. a friend put me onto him, and i see a lot of potential in this dude. he sounds like chuck inglish's big brother, and he might as well be a long lost cool kids as far as lyrical ability and flow goes. however, he's mixin' electro into his own formula of hip-hop, for something a little different.

second city 2008 needs a better mix, overall. give this man some autotune and turn his vocals up, and this song is dope as hell. possible is nice as is. give this dude a shot and head over to his myspace for some more stuff.

vyle on myspace.

download:

vyle - second city 2008
vyle - possible

-grizzly

sono - panoramic view (2007)



man.. europeans know how to make some sexy music. if you vibe with stuff like bloc party, placebo, 120 days, tgr lou (you know, that big city-bright lights shit you can dance/have sex/do drugs to), etc.. these three germans are definitely right up your alley. with three releases under their collective belt since 2001, this is definitely their most defined and strongest release to date. check out the video for my favorite track, all those city lights, below:



sono on myspace.

download panoramic view:



- panda

Sunday, November 30, 2008

LA riots - remixes (vol. 1)



a lot of sick remixes (including the ting tings, the toxic avenger, kid sister, justice ft. uffie, etc) gathered into one dirty, 45 minute mp3. get your next party started right.

LA riots on myspace.

download the remixes vol. 1:


- panda

Saturday, November 29, 2008

rx bandits - part I: from the garage (2008)

RXB From The Elizabethen


anything this band does makes me happy. their album will dominate all. catch a little jam on this video.

-grizzly

Friday, November 28, 2008

glassjaw - you think you're john fucking lennon (2008)



1. go to glassjaw's website...or click.
2. wait for it.
3. get completely fucked.


official glassjaw website.


- panda

panda can party - soul of the city demos (2008)



at the start of this year, i began working on panda can party with this collection of 9 demos. i've recently decided to put pcp through some changes musically and aesthetically. in the meantime, i figured i'd give away the collection of songs i started with. get into it if you're into the whole electro thing.

p.s. shots of patron help enhance the listening experience.

panda can party on myspace.

download the soul of the city demos:


- panda