Comments on: What was Actually So Great About 2008

By: Nick Keutzer

Nick Keutzer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:40:57 +0000

My favorite 2008 music releases were New Surrender by Anberlin and Milk the Bee by The Break and Repair Method. I am really excited about Matchbox Twenty's new album coming out this year. Nick Keutzers last blog post..The Effects of Heaven

By: Dianna

Dianna — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:43:19 +0000

“Viva La Vida” is definitely a distinct off shoot of other things. Chris Martin said that the band realized that everything was sounding the same as before, and that was boring, so they made a conscious effort to be different and it shows. I think that’s why the album was so huge – they actually made a concentrated effort to change, and did. It made me a fan of Coldplay all over again (I already was, but now even more so). It’s still got a distinct Coldplay vibe, but it’s much better than before and different.

By: The Dane

The Dane — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:33:46 +0000

I'm pretty much a year behind in the music scene. I'm still just excited by 2007's release from Battles: Mirrored. As far as Weezer's album? Colour me distinctly underwhelmed. I hear good things about Coldplay's release, but I'm still skeptical. Their previous releases were all good enough when considered on their lonesomes, but in a world where there was more than one Coldplay album, they were, well, a bit derivative. I always felt like I was listening to an album I had already heard. Is Viva la Vida a distinct new direction for them? (Like the difference between Fiona Apple's albums?) The Danes last blog post..20081119.ChurchLies

By: Dianna

Dianna — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:28:30 +0000

As far as events in music, the release and subsequent success of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends,” is certainly of note. Also the release of the first Weezer album in a couple years was a pretty big deal. Also, this year had a huge influx of female artists, from Duffy to Colbie Calliat to Leona Lewis to Sara Barielles, as well as the return of Britney Spears and Beyonce (time will tell whether or not that was a good thing…).

Radiohead also had a US tour for the first time in years (which I unfortunately missed because of finals and that whole graduating thing). They made an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint on this tour by urging fans NOT to travel far distances to see them, and if they absolutely have to, to carpool together instead of flying. And a couple of weeks before the start of tour, the band shipped (literally, via ship across the Atlantic) all of their equipment to cut down on flying extra stuff, and thereby (by Thom Yorke’s argument) reducing their carbon footprint. It was an interesting event, if not a huge one.

I don’t know – there’s probably more that I missed, but the release of Coldplay and Weezer in the same year was pretty darn impressive.

By: End of the Year Links « Pastor and People

End of the Year Links « Pastor and People — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:24:01 +0000

[...] Alan Noble from Christ and Pop Culture asks the question What was Actually So Great About 2008? [...]

By: The Dane

The Dane — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:40:03 +0000

Fallout 3 has been astoundingly good. Do you know if that real, live tree Three Dog mentions every now and then really exists or can be found? I was pretty amazed, as I did find a single flower growing out of a grave. It was striking in the midst of such all-pervading deadness. The Danes last blog post..20081119.ChurchLies