Visit our sponsors

Friday, December 12, 2008

A list of albums released by Minnesota Artists in 2008

Are you still trying to assemble your "Best of 2008" lists? I am.

Each December, I scramble to sort out all the CDs that were released in Minnesota over the past 12 months. Even though I try to keep a running list as the year goes by to help me remember which ones I felt were the best, there are always a few I seem to forget about. The nice side of all this scrambling is that it brings a pleasant review.

Each year, Chris Riemenschneider from the Star Tribune is kind enough to send us music writer types a pretty extensive list of a good number of the CDs that were released that year to help jog our memories. Not only do I find Chris's list helpful, I'm always amazed at the quantity of output from our musicians each year.

Without further babbling on my part, here is a list of 139 albums that were released in Minnesota this year. The albums I have personally previewed in their entirety are bolded. And the ones with asterixes (*) by them are ones I added to the list as Chris sent it out.

As always, please add any 2008 Minnesota-released albums you feel are missing in the comments.

  1. A Night in the Box, "Write a Letter"
  2. The Absent Arch, “Keep Calm and Carry On”
  3. Action vs. Action, "Sentimental City"
  4. Ed Ackerson, “Ackerson2”
  5. Nick Africano, "I've Ever Desired"
  6. Atmosphere, "When Life Gives You Lemons ... "
  7. Autumn Leaves, "Long Lost Friend"
  8. Aviette - The Way We Met (wasn't on Chris's list)
  9. The B-Team, "Suburban Boy Blues"
  10. Baby Guts, “Gasoline”
  11. Background Noise Crew, "Background Sampler, Vol. 1"
  12. The Belfast Cowboys, s/t
  13. Big Ditch Road - The Jackson Whites EP *
  14. Bill Mike Band, “Truce”
  15. The Blend, “Losing the Game”
  16. Boiled in Lead, "Silver"
  17. Haley Bonar, "Big Star
  18. Brass Kings, “Washboard Rope Guitar”
  19. David Bruise, “Flyover State”
  20. Café Accordion Orchestra, “Germaine”
  21. Randy Casey, "Late Bloomer"
  22. Cloud Cult, "Feel Good Ghosts”
  23. Count Vesuvius, s/t
  24. Crescent Moon, "Crescent Moon Is in Big Trouble"
  25. Cwn Annwn, "Blood of the Djinn"
  26. Dallas Orbiter - Motorcycle Diagrams (Not on Chris's list)
  27. Death to Our Enemies (self-titled)
  28. The Deaths, "Centralia"
  29. Dillinger Four, “C I V I L W A R”
  30. Pat Donohue, "Freewayman"
  31. Doomtree (self-titled)
  32. Dosh, "Wolves and Wishes"
  33. Down and Above, “Hold Your Breath For a Rising Tide”
  34. Charley Dush, “September’s Sun”
  35. Ellis, "Break the Spell"
  36. Enchanted Ape, "Off the Ground"
  37. Connie Evingson, “Little Did I Dream”
  38. Fat Kid Wednesdays, “Bomb”
  39. Faux Jean, “The Mongolian Invasion”
  40. FTE and DJ D. Mil, “The Independent Party”
  41. Gospel Gossip, “Sing Into My Mouth” (I thought this came out in '07?)
  42. Green Sketch, "So Long ... For Now"
  43. Grey Skies, s/t
  44. Joan Griffith, Laura Caviani and Cyro Baptista, “Sambanova”
  45. Jeff Hanson, “Madam Owl”
  46. Haley Bonar - Big Star *
  47. Heiruspecs, “Heiruspecs”
  48. Heroine Sheiks, "Journey to the End of the Knife"
  49. Ari Herstand, “Whispering Endearments”
  50. High on Stress, “Cop Light Parade”
  51. Hojas Rojas, "Helium"
  52. House of Mercy Band, “Left Behind”
  53. The Hopefuls, “Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre” (Comes out 12/20! I don't have it yet.)
  54. Jack Brass Band, “Traditionally Speaking”
  55. John Swardson and Get Gone - Silver Dust *
  56. Kristoff Krane, “This Will Work for Now”
  57. Mason Jennings, “In the Ever”
  58. Matt Jennings, “Todavía”
  59. K-Salaam & Beatnick, “Whose World Is This?”
  60. Kanser, "Future Retro Legacy"
  61. Kid Dakota, "A Winner's Shadow"
  62. Chris Koza, "The Dark, Delirious Morning."
  63. Little Man, “Of Mind and Matter”
  64. Gary Louris, “Vagabonds”
  65. Love in October, "Pontus, the Devil and Me"
  66. Jeremy Messersmith, “The Silver City”
  67. Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, “Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes”
  68. Luke's Angels, "Paulopolis"
  69. Maps of Norway, “Die Off Songbird”
  70. Marc Perlman + Janey Winterbauer - 25:32:47 *
  71. The Melismatics, “The Acid Test”
  72. Todd Menton, “The Dolmen Field” (Just got this the other day - reviewing CD release party next week)
  73. Mictlan, “Hand Over Fist”
  74. Mighty Fairly, “Big Words and Power Chords”
  75. Mint Condition, "e-Life"
  76. Muja Messiah, "Mpls. Massacre, Vol. 1"
  77. Muja Messiah, "Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy"
  78. Mystery Palace, “Flags Forward”
  79. New Monarchs, “Blueprints”
  80. New Standards, “Rock and Roll”
  81. Nikki Schultz - "Lost and Found {and lost again}" *
  82. Dan Newton, “Hi-Top Sneakers”
  83. Now, Now Every Children, "Cars”
  84. One for the Team, “Built It Up”
  85. Cecil Otter, “Rebel Yellow”
  86. Charlie Parr, “Roustabout”
  87. Patches & Gretchen, “Music From Little Big Pink” (getting this week)
  88. Pert’ Near Sandstone, “Needle & Thread”
  89. Plastic Constellations, "We Appreciate You"
  90. Polara, "Beekeeping"
  91. Popcycle, "Yesterday's Blast"
  92. Private Dancer, “Trouble Eyes”
  93. Quietdrive, “Deliverance”
  94. Rank Strangers, "Tucke des Objekts, Die"
  95. The Red Flags, s/t
  96. Paul Renz, "ReBop"
  97. Retribution Gospel Choir (self-titled)
  98. Revolver - The Illiterati *
  99. Rockford Mules, “From Devil’s Spit to Angel Tears”
  100. Roma di Luna, "Casting the Bones"
  101. Christine Rosholt, “Lipstick”
  102. Kelly Rossum, “Family”
  103. Ruby Isle, “Night Shot”
  104. Sam Keenan - "All the Dark Colored Markers Went Dry" (Not on Chris's list)
  105. Becky Schlegel, For All the World”
  106. Section 30
  107. Sick of Sarah (self-titled)
  108. Small Cities (self-titled)
  109. Solid Gold, “Bodies of Water”
  110. Spaghetti Western String Co., “Lull and Clatter”
  111. St. Dominic’s Trio, “Switch”
  112. StrangeLights, “Evius EP”
  113. Strut & Shock, s/t
  114. Summit Avenue, "Bend"
  115. Adam Svec, "Enemy Swimmer"
  116. Tapes ‘N Tapes, "Walk It Off
  117. Claire Taubenhaus, “No Compass and No Commands”
  118. These Modern Socks, “Picking a Lock at the Speed of Light”
  119. Sara Thomsen, "Everything Changes
  120. The Haves Have It - Friction *
  121. The Tisdales, “Bakers Dozen”
  122. Trama, "Barack O-Trama"
  123. Trampled by Turtles, “Duluth”
  124. Twin City Playboys, "The Good Times Are Killing Me"
  125. Umbrella Bed, “Go”
  126. Vampire Hands, "Me & You Cherry Red"
  127. Wars of 1812, “Status Quo Ante Bellum”
  128. Ben Weaver, "The Ax in the Oak"
  129. Paul Westerberg, “49:00”
  130. White Iron Band, "Devil's Sweet Revenge"
  131. Irv Williams, “Finality”
  132. Shane Wyatt, “The Last Cowboy”
  133. Yer Cronies, “When I Grow Up”
  134. Zebulon Pike, “Intransience”
  135. Various, "Zero Element: The Reclamation Project"
  136. Various, "Southside Soul, Vol. 1"
  137. Various, "Lightning & Thunder, Vol. 1"
  138. Various, "Silage: Foreclosure & Eviction"
  139. Various, “Hope Rocks! Vol. 1”

12 comments:

justacoolcat said...

Amazing.

Anonymous said...

Knonam: Length Of The Blade

David said...

I should probably add $1,000,000 by City on the Make even it's it's technically an EP. "Chicks on Bikes" is one my favorite songs of 2008.

Anonymous said...

I am pretty sure Baby Guts - Gasoline came out in 2007. This year they put out "The Kissing Disease".
Just a tiny correction, good list though!

. said...

Magic Castles - The Lore of Mysticore
The Holy Ghostriders - Fast Track Heart Attack
Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps - Back Yard Tent Set
Zoo Animal - Young Blood

Anonymous said...

This is awesome. Thanks!

m said...

a couple EPs for ya, not sure what qualifies, but may as well throw em in. All locals from 2k8

Hunting Club - Pretty/Ugly
Plastic Chord - Electric Tendrils
Tentacle Boy - The Lost Note EP
The van Gobots - s/t EP

Anonymous said...

Chokecherry- In the Wine Press (human grapes sing not nor dance)

Anonymous said...

Brothers Quetico (now disbanded)- Bovine

Anonymous said...

Derailleur: Bond EP and The Dirtiest Dudes in Rock n' Roll.

Anonymous said...

city on the make- "1,000,000" EP

Egypto Knuckles said...

Frugalis McSpiteful's "The Sunday School EP"