Postings as they happened in 2008

2008 was a very good year for music. Lots of interesting albums and new bands. All that plus the long awaited GUns N Roses album!

What Happened?

Thursday.1.January.2009
Another year over and done with. We have gathered together our thoughts on the year 2008 for your reading pleasure.
     Best Of Lists: Gumdrop discusses 10 songs that moved her.
     Best Of Lists: Indoor Miner raves about seeing his musical hero play on a street corner,
                        and also lists albums, singles, and concert..
     Best Of Lists: Inspector Jason goes over every concert he saw in 2008, and also ranks
                        movies and albums.
     Best Of Lists: Mr. Pharmacist discusses music old, new, and timeless.
     Best Of Lists: PostLibyan discusses the music, movies, and blogs.
     Best Of Lists: Sunny discusses her favorite movies.
     Best Of Lists: Tracers waxes poetic on music live and recorded.

Sunday.28.December.2008
     Album: Awake by The Antiques
     Album: Temporary People by Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts
     Album: Pardon Me, Are Those Your Claws On My Back? by Faceless Werewolves
     Album: Death In Fiction by Ray
     Album: Polar Life by Sleeping Dog
     Album: Promised Land by Dar Williams
     Compilation: Ambient Not Not Ambient
     Cross-Posting: The current album reviews by Ray and The Antiques represent EvilSponge's
                         first attempt at collaboration. These reviews are composed by Brett
                         Spaceman, who is also involved with [sic], a rival webzine. EvilSpone is
                         cooperating with them, for now! These reviews are featured on both sites.
     EP: Hearts and Coffins by Old Ghost
     Foreshadowing: EvilSponge's "End of the Year" Listravaganza will be ready for your
                           hungover reading enjoyment on New Year's Day. (Well, later in the
                           day -- we Sponge's have to get over our hangover's as well!) Tune
                           in then to see what will the coveted "Alabaster Sponge" Award for
                          Album of the Year!
     Minion Debut: Tonight's posting also introduces new minion Gumdrop to our team. Make
                         her feel at home please. (And that actually means "be polite", if you
                         were wondering.)
     Soundtrack: 3:19 by Robin Guthrie

Sunday.7.December.2008
     Album: Youth Novels by Lykke Li
     Album: Confluence by Manual
     Album: Mantra by Slipstream
     Compilation: Kung Fu Super Sounds
     EP: The Goldest by The Goldest

Sunday.23.November.2008
     Album: After Summer by Pia Fraus
     Concert: THE WEDDING PRESENT w/ The Jealous Girlfriends on Tuesday.14.October.2008
     Concert: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT w/ Carnivores and So So Death on Sunday.19.October.2008
     Concert: THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS on Saturday.1.November.2008
     Concert: THE SUN AND THE MOON w/ Averkiou and Misfortune500 on Friday.7.November.2008
     Concert: FOR AGAINST w/ Springhouse and Twin Tigers on Saturday.8.November.2008
     Concert: M83 w/ School of Seven Bells on Tuesday.11.November.2008
     Concert: PARTS & LABOR w/ Tenth to the Moon on Friday.14.November.2008
     EP: Always on the Run by Florence Hall
     EP: Curious Faces / Violet Future by Twin Tigers

Sunday.8.November.2008
     Album: Beware Fashionable Women by Beware Fashionable Women
     Album: 4:13 Dream by The Cure
     Album: High Places by High Places
     Album: Fireproof by Dawn Landes
     Concert: STEREOLAB w/ Atlas Sound and The Harris Twins on Friday.26.September.2008
     Concert: WIRE w/ The Selmanaires on Sunday.12.October.2008
     Concert: GRABOIDS w/ This Piano Plays Itself on Friday.17.November.2008

Sunday.26.October.2008
     Album: Witches by Beatglider
     Album: Shade Side Sunny Side by For Against
     Album: Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow by Hammock
     Album: Life Like by The Rosebuds
     Concert: SAY HI w/ Jukebox the Ghost and Sleep Therapy on Wednesday.8.October.2008
     EP: Sing Me a Song by Taro Kawasaki
     EP: Stars by Ulrich Schnauss

Sunday.5.October.2008
     7": Jealous Enemies b/w Summer by Dark Captain Light Captain
     Album: Against the Dying of the Light by Avrocar
     Album: Black Sheep by Julian Cope
     Album: With Our Arms Wide Open We March Towards the Burning Sea by Glissando
     Concert: MOGWAI w/ Fuck Buttons on Monday.15.September.2008
     Concert: DEAD CONFEDERATE w/ Wax Fang and Twin Tigers on Saturday.20.September.2008
     Re-release: Snow Tires by Unbunny

Sunday.21.September.2008
     Album: The End of the New Country by Get Help
     Album: Ce Gil by Schengen
     Concert: XIU XIU w/ Evangelista and Common Eider, King Eider on Saturday.23.August.2008
     Concert: OH NO! OH MY! w/ Royal Bangs and Antenna Shoes on Monday.25.August.2008
     Concert: WILD SWEET ORANGE w/ What Made Milwaukee Famous and The Goldest
                  on Thursday.11.September.2008
     Remix Album: Flared Up featuring various artists reinterpreting Port-Royal

Sunday.7.September.2008
     Album: Street Horrrsing by Fuck Buttons
     Album: Sending Triangles by Luga
     Album: Ever After Monkey by Neon Electronics
     EP: Honved by Port-Royal

Sunday.24.August.2008
     7" and Download: Lucky Jack b/w Build Around Me by i Concur
     Album: Umbra by The Sound Gallery
     Album: Songs In A & E by Spiritualized
     Concert: TENTH TO THE MOON w/ Missile Command on Thursday.7.August.2008
     Concert: THE FAINT w/ Jaguar Love and Shy Child on Thursday.14.August.2008
     EP: Tap by Fava Beats

Sunday.10.August.2008
     Album: Saturdays = Youth by M83
     Album: A Child But In Life Yet a Doctor In Love by Magic Bullets
     Album: Of Soft Construction by Near the Parenthesis
     Album: A Dialogue by Geoff Soule
     Album: Apparatus by Subtractive Lad
     Concert: MY BLOODY VALENTINE on Saturday.28.June.2008
     EP: Faint Violet Whiff by Dead Leaf Echo
     EP: EP by Graceland Gospel
     EP: EP1 by Heat From a Dead Star
     EP: Chroma by Yvat

Sunday.27.July.2008
     Album: In Light by Arp
     Album: Dynamos by Club Awesome
     Album: The Slip by Nine Inch Nails
     Album: When the Leaves Fall Like Snow by Yellow6
     EP: The Cause of the Colour by Oppressed by the Line

Sunday.13.July.2008
     Well, another editing marathon is over, and I am one tired sponge! Festivals are such a grueling experience, both in attending them and in editing all of the notes and photos into one review. So here is your review of Corndogorama 2008.
     Day 1 featuring Special Olympiad, Trial by Fire, Loose Screws, The Holland Dutch,
             Attractive Eighties Women, Tenth to the Moon, Thee Crucials, Heinous Bienfang
     Day 2 featuring Volcanizm, Twin Tigers, Graboids, Spy for Hire, Antic Clay and the Last
             Holy Train, Magnapop, Chump, Hollyfaith, and James Hall
     Day 3 featuring Thy Mighty Contract, Handsome Jack, Rock City Dropouts, A.Armada,
              The N.E.C., 5-8, It's Elephant, Grinder Nova, All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, The
              Orphins, Gringo Star, Snowden
     Day 4 featuring The Reverend God and the Jesus Squad, Club Awesome, Light Pupil Dilate,
              Battle Cat, Rizzudo, Summerbirds in the Cellar, Cassavetes, Cinemechanica, Maserati
Please note that there are lots of photos among the reviews, so be patient as the pages load.

Wednesday.9.July.2008
     Album: Box by The Neon Judgement
     Concert: CATPOWER w/ Appaloosa on Wednesday.11.June.2008
     EP: Circles by Dark Captian Light Captain
     Re-release: The Fidelity Wars by Hefner

Sunday.22.June.2008
     Album: Velocifero by Ladytron
     Album: Ornament by The Liverhearts
     Album: Pleamar by Replandor
     Album: Saturnine Songs by The Search
     Concert: LAURA VIERS w/ Liam Finn on Sunday.18.May.2008
     Concert: SHE WANTS REVENGE w/ Be Your Own Pet and The Virgins on Friday.23.May.2008
     Correction: Even a sponge makes mistakes! I was early by one month in my original listing
                    of the two Wire shows that Mr. Minor reviewed last posting. The correct dates
                    now appear.
     Introduction: The above Ladytron album review constitutes the first full review from
                         long-time Minion adfiliate Inspector Jason. The Inspector has previously
                         written reviews for REM HQ, and we are more than pleased to steal him away
                         from those Athenians. Make him feel at home, please.
     Photos: Photos have been added to the live reviews of Wire in Leuven and Manchester.

Sunday.8.June.2008
     Album: A Sky With No Stars by Canadians
     Album: No One Wants to Move the Piano by The Val Papadins
     Concert: WIRE on Tuesday.29.April.2008
     Concert: WIRE on Saturday.3.May.2008
     Concert: SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN w/ Via Audio on Sunday.27.April.2008
     Concert: 2 FOOT YARD w/ Vortex Park on Thursday.22.May.2008
     Concert: THEE SILVER MOUNT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA AND TRA-LA-LA BAND
                  on Sunday.25.May.2008

Monday.19.May.2008
     Album: City Island by The Artificial Sea
     Album: Arundel by Matt Bartram
     Album: Devotion by Beach House
     Album: Do You Like Rock Music? by British Sea Power
     Album: Whole Ghosts by Cinemasophia
     Concert: THE YOUNG KNIVES w/ Ungdomskulen on Wednesday.26.March.2008
     EP: Marie by Romance of Young Tigers
     EP: Split EP by Textile Ranch and Charles Atlas

Sunday.27.March.2008
     Album: Begin Civil Twilight by Auburn Lull
     Album: Peel by Peel
     Concert: EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY w/ Lichens on Sunday.13.April.2008
     Concert: THE LIVERHEARTS w/ Lay Down Mains, Rizzudo, and Club Awesome
                  on Saturday.19.April.2008
     Concert: BRITISH SEA POWER w/ Film School on Monday.21.April.2008
     EP: The City E.P. by Carrie & The Oslo Deadtrash Project
     EP: Prelude to the Sea by Sur La Mer
     EP: Sometimes Splendid Confusion by Televise
     Re-release: In the Marshes by For Against

Monday.14.March.2008
     Album: The Weather Clock by July Skies
     Album: Dinosaurs Turn Into Birds by Silent Kids
     Album: Reset Start Again by Talk
     Concert: SILENT KIDS w/ Luigi and The Preakness on Friday.28.March.2008
     Concert: JUPITER WATTS on Sunday.6.April.2008

Sunday.30.March.2008
     Album: Epliogue In Waves by Bitcrush
     Album: The Mary Onettes by The Mary Onettes
     Album: Le Combat Occulté by La Société des Timides à la Parade des Oiseaux
     Compilation: Alextronic Records Volume 1
     Compilation: One Five Zero

Sunday.23.March.2008
     It's here! It's here! Our review of the four days of mayhem in Texas known as South By SouthWest.
Read the entire SxSW08 review:
     Day 1 featuring Clay Leverett, Madeline, God Is An Astronaut, We vs. the Shark, Elfpower,
             Sean Hayes, The Wedding Present, Yellow Fever, Phil and the Osophers, Call Me
             Lightning, Delorean, Peel, Dub Trio, Naked Raygun
     Day 2 featuring Ravens and Chimes, Scouting for Girls, Cadence Weapon, Billy Bragg,
             The Hunnies, Jukebox the Ghost, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Peel, My
             Education, Our Lunar Activities, Melissa St. Pierre, High Places, The English Beat
     Day 3 featuring Magic Bullets, Yacht, Meneguar, Parts and Labor, Joan of Arc, Spring
             Tigers, Antietam , Say Hi, Cloud Cult, Kurt Vice, My Dad is Dead
     Day 4 featuring David Monks, FM3, Magic Bullets, The High Strung, Record Hop, Oh No!
              Oh My!, Tally Hall, Colour Music, The Autumns
Please note that there are lots of photos (98 in total) among the reviews, so please be patient as the pages load.

Sunday.9.March.2008
     Album: As As by Paper
     Album: The Dangerous Summer by Blake Rainey and his Demons
     Album: Technicolor Dreams by A Toys Orchestra
     Concert: BEACH HOUSE w/ The Papercuts and The Meeks Family on Sat.01.Mar.08
     Concert: THE FEATURES w/ Say Hi and Explorers Club on Fri.07.Feb.08

Sunday.24.February.2008
     Album: The Battle of Sealand by Airiel
     Album: N.A.L.T.1 by Les Fauves
     Album: Numbered Days by The Meeting Places
     Album: The Chemistry That Keeps Us Together by The Purrs
     Album: The Wishes and the Glitch by Say Hi
     Concert: THE YUM YUM TREE w/ Herman, Put Down the Gun and The Arts and Sciences
                  on Fri.08.Feb.08
     Concert: SERJ TANKIAN w/ Fair to Midland on Mon.11.Feb.08

Sunday.10.February.2008
     Album: Hologram+ by Hologram
     Album: Three by Junkboy
     Album: No Love - No Hate by The Puddle
     Album: Paint by Numbers by The Yum Yum Tree
     Album: Yellow Rainbow by The Zom Zoms
     Concert: ONE HAND LOVES THE OTHER w/ Envie, The Subliminator, Killick, and
                  Nerdkween on Fri.20.Jan.08
     Concert: RIZZUDO w/ The Liverhearts on Sat.2.Feb.08
     EP: Curse In Reverse by Map of the Universe

Sunday.27.January.2008
     7": Stay Awake b/w Then He Kissed Me by Asobi Seksu
     7" : Eurocentric by Mike In Mono
     Album: From The Bureau of Robotic Affairs by Eyes To Space
     Album: Wound In Wall by Feeding Fingers
     Album: Embryonic Heraldry by John Heron
     Album: Gummi by Stafrænn Hákon
     Album: Emerald City by John Vanderslice
     Concert: EDITORS w/ Hot Hot Heat and Louis XIV on Fri.11.Jan.08

Sunday.13.January.2008
     Album: There Will Be Rain by An Epic At Best
     Album: Hair by The Lonely H
     Album: The Mad Dukes Sing and Play for You by The Mad Dukes
     Concert: SLEEP THERAPY w/ Chris Strawn, Graboids, and Shadowboxer on Fri.4.Jan.08
     EP: Elika by Elika

Tuesday.1.January.2008
Well, here it is: a brand new year. Some of My Minions have thoughtfully summed up the year 2007 for you, for your reading pleasure.
     Best Of Lists: Brett Spaceman lists 5 Disappointments: a cautionary tale of having high expectations.
     Best Of Lists: Indoor Miner lists albums, re-issues, singles, and gigs.
     Best Of Lists: Inspector Jason recites the names of 10 records that he liked in 2007.
     Best Of Lists: PostLibyan discusses the music of year in chronological terms.
     Best Of Lists: Tracers lists albums both past and present, and live events.

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