The BMF Top 10 of 2008: Year in Review

The BMF Top 10 of 2008: Year in Review

I have been a busy boy…here is a list of the indie artists I have reviewed in 2008 on Bill’s Music Forum (up to 12-1-08). Some releases actually came out late in 2007, but I considered them when making the Top 10. In summary, there is no shortage of great music out there…it just isn’t on the radio anymore. Obviously, there are tons of indie artists that should be in the top 10, but they did not qualify because they did not send me their CD!

To qualify for this top 10, the musician or group had to be a relatively unknown independent artist that was reviewed on BMF. I did not think it was fair to consider “Greatest Hits” (sorry in advance to Adam Marsland, whose ‘greatest’ is a true highlight of 2008), other compilations, or reissued CDs (such as the fine pair this year from SideBMusic’s Richard Snow). EPs were considered separately and have their own “Top 5” list. Selections are not necessarily based on how many tracks were deemed “iPOD worthy” at the time, but on how much I found myself reaching for that CD over time. All contenders for 2008 are listed after the Top 10 with links to the original review. Be sure to get your CDs to me (jesterrec@aol.com) and be in the running for the BMF Top 10 of 2009!

THE BMF TOP 10 OF 2008

1. Todd Herfindal "Collective"
2. The Galaxies "Here We Go!"
3. Echo Jet "Echo Jet" (2008)
4. James Freud "See You In Hell"
5. Rob Bonfiglio "Bring on the Happy"
6. Craig Marshall "Point of View"
7. IKE "Where To Begin"
8. 7th Heaven "U.S.A.-U.K."
9. The Meadows "First Nervous Breakdown"
10. The Jellybricks "Goodnight To Everyone"

THE BMF TOP 5 EPs

1. Town and Country "My Blue Heaven" (EP)
2. Radio Days "Midnight Cemetery Rendezvous" (EP)
3. Alternate Routes "The Watershed EP"
4. John Taglieri "Everything We Are" EP
5. The Simple Carnival “Me and My Arrow EP”

Full list of contenders for 2008

Review: Tessa Rae Newman "Spellbound"
Review: IKE "Where To Begin"
Review: Clint Sutton "Clint Sutton"
Review: Will Hoge "Draw the Curtains"
Review: David Brookings "Obsessed"
Review: The Box Social "Get Going"
Review: The Meadows "First Nervous Breakdown"
Review: The Galaxies "Here We Go!"
Review: James Freud "See You In Hell"
Review: The Pendrakes "Sunday Punch"
Review: Chewy Marble "Modulations"
Review: Craig Marshall "Point of View"
Review: Shake Some Action! "Sunny Days Ahead"
Review: Pensive "Artifacts"
Review: Adam Miner "Playing House"
Review: Mike Viola "Lurch"
Review: Warren Pash "Plastic Rulers"
Review: The Simple Carnival “Me and My Arrow EP” (EP)
Review: Garfields Birthday “Let Them Eat Cake”
Review: The Campbell Apartment "Insomniac's Almanac"
Review: The Brigadier "The Rise and Fall of Responsibility"
Review: The Pop Project “Stars of Stage and Screen”
Review: The Rip Off Artists "Esque"
Review: Major Labels "Aquavia"
Review: Alternate Routes "The Watershed EP" (EP)
Review: Christopher Cash “Invisible”
Review: Jonah Matranga "And"
Review: The Jellybricks "Goodnight To Everyone"
Review: Duff Ferguson "Good Things"
Review: Richard X. Heyman "Actual Sighs"
Review: Town and Country "My Blue Heaven" (EP)
Review: Radio Days "Midnight Cemetery Rendezvous" (EP)
Review: Big Life Desire "Dribs and Drabs"
Review: The Simple Carnival “Girls Aliens Food”
Review: Todd Herfindal "Collective"
Review: The Romeo Flynns “Pictures of You”
Review: Only Makebelieve "Message From A Mockingbird"
Review: Blissters "I Love New Wave" (EP)
Review: Cartographer “Cartographer” (EP)
Review: Deas Vail “White Lights” (EP)
Review: John Taglieri "Everything We Are" EP
Review: Andy Spitson "All Eyes On You" (EP)
Review: The Brigadier "Rhymes for Rainy Days" (EP)
Review: Luke Jackson “…And Then Some”
Review: 7th Heaven "U.S.A.-U.K."
Review: The Smith Brothers "Restless"
Review: Bigfellas "Chubbed Up"
Review: Signal Hill Transmission "Starting Gun" (EP)
Review: Poplord “Full/Filled”
Review: Television of Cruelty “Dead Sea Shanties”
Review: American Werewolf Academy “Triceratops”
Review: Echo Jet "Echo Jet" (2008)
Review: Stella Kidd "Contact High" (EP)
Review: Rob Bonfiglio "Bring on the Happy"