The Year in Music 2008: Discography

In 2008, new labels like Durham’s Subdivision 67 emerged, while imprints like Churchkey and Sorry State came into their own with several solid titles. Many local actsfrom Bowerbirds and Megafaun to Boyzone and Michael Hollandmade the leap to national and international labels. And then there’s The Mountain Goats, who released an LP on big indie 4AD before self-releasing two vinyl EPs. These new trends and new avenues made for many memorable releases in 2008.

This list gathers the year’s work by bands from the Triangle or regional acts who consider this area their second home.

9th Wonder & Buckshot, The Formula (Duck Down Records)
9th Wonder & Murs, Sweet Lord (Record Collection)
Jason Adamo, Sunflower (self-released)
Alesana, Where Myth Fades to Legend (Fearless Records)
American Aquarium, The Bible & The Bottle (self-released)
American Aquarium, Bones (self-released)
Annuals, Such Fun (Canvasback Music/ Terpikshore)
Annuals and Sunfold, Wet Zoo Split EP (Canvasback Music/ Terpikshore)
Auxes, Sunshine (Lovitt Records)
The Avett Brothers, Gleam II (Ramseur Records)
Joe Bell & the Stinging Blades, Joe Bell & the Stinging Blades (self-released)
Bellafea, Cavalcade (Southern Records)
Beloved Binge, Blender Theory (Subdivision 67)
Bio Ritmo, Biónico (Locutor Records)
Birds of Avalon, Outer Upper Inner EP (Volcom Entertainment)
Black Skies, Hexagon (BSR)
Black Taj, Beyonder (Amish Recordings)
Bombadil, A Buzz, A Buzz (Ramseur Records)
Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago (re-release; Jagjaguwar)
Bowerbirds, Hymns for a Dark Horse (re-release; Dead Oceans)
Boyzone, Recycled Music (RRR Records)
Brett Harris, Yesterday’s News EP (self-released)
Jule Brown, Surreal Folk Blues (Dualtone Music Group)
Butterflies, Nothing’s Personal (Trekky Records)
Caltrop, World Class (Holidays for Quince Records)
Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan, Hot Licks and Rhetoric (307 Knox)
Chatham County Line, IV (Yep Roc Records)
Chaundon, Carnage (Defend Music/ H.O.J.)
Citified, The Meeting After the Meeting (Eskimo Kiss Records)
Clang Quartet, Recycled Media (RRR Records)
Thad Cockrell, To Be Loved (self-released)
The Curtains of Night, Lost Houses (Holidays for Quince Records)
David Karsten Daniels, Fear of Flying (Fat Cat)
Daylight Dies, Lost to the Living (Candlelight)
Dan Deacon/ Future Islands, 7-inch Split (307 Knox Records)
Death to the Details, Death to the Details (self-released)
Lois Deloatch, Hymn to Freedom: Homage to Oscar Peterson (Improv Media)
Des Ark, Live on WXDU Vol. 2 (self-released)
Devour, Devour (Sorry State Records)
The Dirty Little Heaters, Fatty Don’t Feel Good 7″ (Churchkey Records)
DOCO, The Potato Gun Massacre (self-released)
Dom Casual, Espanta Muerto (self-released)
Double Negative, Fucked Up Weekend DVD (Deranged)
Double Negative, Raw Energy EP (Sorry State)
Down by Avalon, Down by Avalon (Urban Myth Recording Collection)
The Dry Heathens, First Contact with Ground (Churchkey Records)
James Dunn, The Long Ride Home (self-released)
Eberhardt, Eberhardt (self-released)
Edgar Allen Floe, The Streetwise LP (MCEO Records)
Bryce Clayton Eiman, Tape Pieces (Blondena Music)
Embarrassing Fruits, The First Time EP (Trekky Records)
Endless Mic, All New Super Exclusive Al Gore Bongwater Club Mixtape Volume One (self-released)
The Foreign Exchange, Leave It All Behind (Hall of Justus/ Nicolay Music)
Dylan Gilbert, The Quiet Life (self-released)
Goner, Rock & Roll Always Forgets (Bifocal Media)
Great Big Gone, Threadbare Heart (self-released)
The High and Mighties, The Evolution EP (EchoMix Records)
C. Hilton, The Smoking Mirror (Young Girls Records)
C. Hilton & Maurizio Bianchi, Pu 94 (Simple Logic Records)
John Dee Holeman, You Got to Lose, You Can’t Win All the Time (Music Maker Recordings)
Michael Holland, Simple Truths and Pleasures (Moll)
The Homewreckers, Introducing Pink Flag and the Homewreckers (Break Yr Heart)
Hotel Lights, Firecracker People (Bar/ None)
Jean Grae, Jeanius (produced by 9th Wonder and Khrysis) (Blacksmith Music)
Greg Humphreys, Trunk Songs (Phrex Records)
I Was Totally Destroying It, Done Waiting (self-released)
Kaia, Godmakesmonkeys (re-release; Jealous Butcher)
KAZE, Block 2the Basement (Rawkus Records)
K-Hill, The Return of Monroe Hutchin (Kick-a-Verse)
The Kickin Grass Band, The Kickin Grass Band (Superfan Records)
Killer Filler, Filler Up (NDM Ltd.)
Kooley High, Summer Sessions EP (self-released)
Le Weekend, Suite (self-released)
L.E.G.A.C.Y., N.C. Chainsaw Massacre (self-released)
Bill Leslie, Blue Ridge Reunion (Capitol Broadcasting Company)
Little Brother, …And Justus for All (re-release without DJ Mick Boogie; Hall of Justus)
Logic Problem, Logic Problem 7″ (Sorry State Records)
Lost in the Trees, All Alone in an Empty House (Trekky Records)
Lud, V (Fractured Discs)
Luego, I Know, I Know (self-released)
Maple Stave, EP3 (self-released)
Max Indian, You Can Go Anywhere, Do Anything (self-released)
Megafaun, Bury the Square (re-release; Table of the Elements)
Tift Merritt, Another Country (Fantasy)
Jenks Miller, Approaching the Invisible Mountain (New American Folk Hero/ Holidays for Quince Records)
The Monologue Bombs, Beverages + Ghosts (Superfan Records)
Monsonia, Growler (self-released)
The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride LP (4AD)
The Mountain Goats, Satanic Messiah EP (self-released)
The Mountains Goats and Kaki King, Black Pear Tree EP (self-released)
My Hero is Me, Cry Wolf Broadcast (Tragic Hero Records)
Gilbert Neal, Our Deepest Apathy (self-released)
New Artica, How the Brain Works Sick (self-released)
The Old Ceremony, The Old Ceremony Remixed (self-released)
Oso Optimo, The Great American Short Stories (self-released)
Pacific Before Tiger, Anchors (self-released)
Pagan Hellcats, In the Passion (self-released)
The Physics of Meaning, Snake Charmer & Destiny at the Stroke of Midnight (Trekky Records)
Pink Flag, Introducing Pink Flag and the Homewreckers (Break Yr Heart)
The Pneurotics, Forty (self-released)
Portastatic, Some Small History (Merge)
The Port Huron Statement, Man of the Match (self-released)
The Proclivities, Handguns and Dancing Shoes (self-released)
Rapper Big Pooh & DJ Warrior, Rapper’s Delight mix-tape (URB)
Raw Dog, Rabid (self-released)
Relay for Death, Recycled Media (RRR Records)
Mary Johnson Rockers, No Place for Birds to Rest (self-released)
A Rooster for the Masses, Broken Era (Oak City Records)
The Rosebuds, Life Like (Merge Records)
The Rosebuds, Sweet Beats, Troubled Sleep (Night of the Furies Remixed) (Merge Records)
Tokyo Rosenthal, Love Won Out (Rock & Sock Records)
The Sammies, Sandwich (Morisen)
The Scientific Superstar, The Scientific Superstar (Subdivision 67)
The Secret Theatre, Follow Me EP (Coercion Records)
Sequoya, Sleep and Dream of Fire (Subdivision 67)
Shakermaker, Shakermaker (self-released)
Alina Simone, Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware (54° 40′ or Fight/ Topple)
Simple, Songs from a Broken Hip (self-released)
Sleepsound, Leaves Change (self-released)
Stella By Starlight, My Electric Robot Friend (self-released)
Purple St. James (Yahzarah), The Prelude (self-released)
Strange Faces, Strange Faces (self-released)
Stratocruiser, Egg Shells (New Atlas Digital)
The Strugglers, The Latest Rights (Acuarela)
Sunfold, Toy Tugboats (Terpikshore Records)
Sweet By and By, Sweet By and By (self-released)
The T’s, Capital T (Doublenaught Records)
Tea & Tempests, Buck, Doe & Fawn (self-released)
Transportation, Daydreams (Fractured Discs)
Tripp, Good Boy Charm (self-released)
The Urban Sophisticates, Classic Material (self-released)
Valient Thorr, Immortalizer (Volcom Entertainment)
Valient Thorr, In Heat DVD (Volcom Entertainment)
Various Artists, Have a Holly Raleigh Christmas III (Sir Walter Records)
Various Artists, Impala Eardrums (featuring Megafaun) (Table of the Elements)
Various Artists, This Comp Will Kill Fascists (Relapse Records)
Violet Vector & The Lovely Lovelies, EP I (Holidays for Quince Records)
Monty Warren, Trailer Park Angel (Doublenaught Records)
WAUMISS, WAUMISS (Little Ramona Records)
Wedlock, Exogamy (Kounterfeit Records)
Whatever Brains, Soft Dick City (self-released)
Whiskeytown, Strangers Almanac Deluxe Edition (Geffen)
The Whistlestop, The Whistlestop (Southern Brethren/ Apex Records)
The Wigg Report, Like Blammo Fast (Subdivision 67)
Zo! and Tigallo, Zo! and Tigallo Love the ’80s (self-released)