1. Radiohead – In Rainbows/From The Basement DVD
What else can you say about Radiohead that hasn’t been said before? It is a group that, far from past its prime, mixes the loveliest melodies (“All I Need,” “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”), the hard charging (“Bodysnatchers”) and the deceptively heavy (guitar-tuning-wise) “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” the best emotional-but-not-emo song I’ve heard Yorke and co. write in years. After seeing the band live in the summer of 2008, and praising to others how cool and solid the experience was, it was only afterward you realized that the entirety of In Rainbows was performed.
When fans can get behind and excited for the new material – even if much of it was at least two years in the making – as much as the old material live, you know you’ve accomplished something special. ‘Enuff said.
The From The Basement DVD is an all-star roster of alternative rockers live and in a basement studio in Britain. It is a brilliant, though couple of years old series recently released on DVD – reviewed here – that features nothing but pure, uninterrupted (though audience-less) live performances from the likes of Beck, Jamie Lidell, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, The White Stripes, and of course, Radiohead and Thom Yorke solo. It is truly a must-have for those who grew up in the ‘90s and early 2000s with these alternative music heroes.
Semi-Favorites of 2008: TAB The Band – Pulling Out Just Enough To Win, Baskervilles – Twilight, R.E.M. – Accelerate, SP – American Gothic EP, Torche - Meanderthal, Halford – Live At Rock In Rio III DVD/CD, Ryan Adams - Cardinology, Clutch - Full Fathom Five: Video Field Recordings
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
That's an intriguingly eclectic list, Charlie. I'm holding onto my right to make a list until even later, too . . . like you said, last year has invaded this year and I'm not convinced the best has been settled yet.
If you want the whole of Radiohead's In The Basement performance, it can be had on Itunes. It's a video deal, but it'll play back on regular Ipods as audio-only. Fantastic set, too.
2 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
The Jeff Loomis release was pretty damn good. He touches upon a lot of different flavors. Plus, it includes the out-of-this-world,phenomenal Bass work of Michael Manring(but)only on one song*sniff*
[Sorry, I'm dying to hear Mr.Manring release another heavy/fusion type CD]
I thought the new Radiohead was off the charts! Unfortunately, that got considerably overlooked due to the original distribution method...
Yup...We all know how I feel about Metallica's latest release.(*Ugh*)It's definitely not Thrash![see:Kreator] As for And Justice, I don't believe the production was "tinny", It was just missing Newstead's Bass work[if he did any(?)]. There isn't one bass line on the entire album...You think they could've let him do the opening to "One".