CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

Dustin Drase writes

Mike Scales - Top 15 for 2008

Our man Mike Scales has gotten us some killer interviews for the CHIRP site, so it was no surprise that he has a pretty awesome list of favorites for 2008. In his own words “Give me an inch and my Top 10 of 2008 turns into a Top 15. What can I say, Anticon had a great year!”

Here’s his list, in no particular order:

The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed

Mike Skinner’s genius fourth album of subtle bangers and ballads (produced entirely with real instruments) brings a happy tear to this geezer’s eye.

Tobacco – Fucked Up Friends

“(Not) a Black Moth Super Rainbow side project” of noisy, fucked up, stellar beats (and some rhymes) – a timely addition to the Anticon roster.

Restiform Bodies – TV Loves You Back

The surprisingly catchy, beatastic return of Anticon trio PASSAGE, Telephone Jim Jesus and Bomarr. Sample song titles: “Interactive Halloween Bear,” “Bobby Trendy Addendum”

Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh

Brutal, double-bass in your face, environmentally conscious French metal with an ear for sweet vocal harmonies.

Burst – Lazarus Bird

Slamming progressive metal from Gothenburg, upgrading this former post-hardcore band to true prog status among the likes of Mastodon and Opeth.

Dosh – Wolves and Wishes

Another whimsical set of loopy basement future-jazz from the one and only Martin Dosh. If you’ve yet to hear his last two, The Lost Take and/or Pure Trash, consider your ears terribly neglected.

Professor Green – The Green EP

From the ashes of Mike Skinner’s label The Beats comes this hard-partyin’, weed-totin’, emcee battle-winnin’ geezer set to become his own rising star of UK hip-hop.

Why? – Alopecia

Why? was a man, now he’s a band. And in this second outing as such, Why?‘s “addictively odd amalgam of pop, folk and rap” has never sounded so inspired.

Foals – Antidotes

Beautifully crafted, danceable Brit math-pop brought to us by Sub Pop (in the US) – arguably the best band on a side stage at Lollapalooza ’08.

Nachtmystium – Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1

Chicago style progressive black metal. Or black ‘n’ roll? Either way, ass-kicking.

Yoome – The Boredom Of Me

One of Chicago’s finest and most innovative emcees, Serengeti, stretches his unique musical palette ever further with help from Evanston native Tony Trimm’s impeccably lo-fi beats and the sultry vocal stylings of Renee-Louis Carafice.

Genghis Tron – Board Up The House

If Anticon beatscapist Alias and avant-grind masters Pig Destroyer got together and DID IT. Not surprisingly, Vol. 4 of the G-Tron remixes is available now through Anticon.

King Khan & The Shrines – The Supreme Genius Of King Khan & The Shrines

A loud & raucous 9-man 60’s-style psychedelic garage rock REVIVAL straight outta Berlin (by way of Canada)!

James Pants – Welcome

The supreme (funky, left-field, new-wave) genius of James Pants and his Stones Throw debut album Welcome!

Guilty Simpson – Ode To The Ghetto

Thugish J Dilla prodigy straight out the “D” (that’s Detroit, homie), Guilty Simpson spits light-hearted, catchy rhymes over flawless production courtesy of Dilla, Madlib, Oh No and Black Milk – best straight hip-hop release by Stones Throw possibly ever.