The nowhere near "Top 10" list for 2008

Since I hate constrictions of anytype when it comes to building "my favorite of whatever" list....here are some of my favorite releases/happenings of this year:

1. No one from my family having to go to the hospital (if you knew me last year you know what I'm talking about)
2. Graduation and the subsequent employment by Yep Roc.
3. Fav records in no particular order:

Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow and Blue (Warp)
Little Joy - S/T (BG)
Fleet Foxes - S/T (Sub Pop)
Monotonix - Body Language (drag City)
Zach Hill - Astrological Straights (Ipecac)
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop)
Royal Bangs - We Breed Champions (Audio Eagle)
Bon Iver - For Emma, forever Ago (Jagjagwar)
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings and All (KRS)
Department of Eagles - At Ear Park (4AD)
Al Green - Lay it Down (Blue Note)
Portishead - Third (Mercury)
Matmos - Supreme Ballon (Matador)
Marnie Stern - This is It... (KRS)

....and more

Crystal Castles - S/T (Last Gang)
Liam Finn - I'll be Lightning (Yep Roc)
Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temp. Residence)
Russian Circles - Station
SBACH - S/T (Suicide Squeeze)
Patton Oswalt - Werewolves and Lollipops (Sup Pop)

and the shows I saw this year that were certifiably bad-ass

Joan Of Arc (SXSW Polyvinyl showcase)
Panther (T-bird SXSW Showcase)
Diamond Studs (Juan Juevos & Jake Dead - Chapel hill hip hop)
Grails ( Local 506)
Liam Finn (Local 506)
Why? (T-bird SXSW Showcase)
Royal Bangs (Pilot Light Jun 08)
Born Ruffians (SXSW)
MMJ (Tenn. Theatre, SXSW)
No Age (SXSW)
Whigs
Bon Iver, Black Mountain, Jens Lekman (Jagjagwar sxsw)
Fiery Furnaces (Pilot light - May )
Midtown Dickens (Open Eye Cafe - Carrboro music festival)
Astronataulis, Juan Juevos - Local 506

Books I read and recommend:
Choke
Suttree (currently reading)
The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God
Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass
Women
All the Pretty Horses
Fell (Graphic Novel)

....there's lots of neat-o stuff to come in 2009