Feature / Music
Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2008

Words: Michael • Posted pre-2010

LINKS TO ALL THE PAGES

Killing California (Danny Craig)

What are your top five albums that were released in 2008?

  1. Fucked Up - Chemistry of Common Life
  2. Black Mountain - In the Future
  3. Motorhead - Motorizer
  4. Unsane - Visqueen
  5. AC/DC - Black Ice

What band did you discover in 2008 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?

Black Mountain is great; I used their song "Angels" in my wedding.

How will you remember 2008? (In terms of music)

That I didn't discover enough new music; I spent too much time listening to baseball on the radio.

Vinyl record sales saw a significant increase this year while hard copy sales continued to dwindle. Is this a return to the glory days for vinyl or just a phase? Explain.

A bit of both, I think those who were into vinyl are getting back into it because of the coldness of the digital age and I think kids who aren't satisfied with digital downloads are discovering vinyl as way of possessing something of importance.

What was the most memorable moment for you in 2008? (Can be in terms of anything)

I have a couple, personally; it was getting married, musically; SXSW, and an awesome Eastcoast tour we did.

What can we look forward to from you in 2009?

Some new releases are in the works; a split 10" this summer and a new full-length. Also, we hope to get back to the Eastcoast.

What three records are you looking forward to most in 2009?

Zeke - where's the new one? Unsane, and ours.

Homepage: http://www.killingcaliforniamusic.blogspot.com

Related features

Skyway

One Question Interviews • May 23, 2025

Andrew Burgess (Skyway) SPB: What is your favorite protest song? Burgess: My favorite protest song? That's a tough one. I think it's impossible to talk about protest songs without mentioning the all-time greats that have held up over the years. I'm talking about songs like "We Shall Overcome," "We Will … Read more

ButcherBird

One Question Interviews • May 22, 2025

Rob (ButcherBird – guitar) SPB: How do you draw the line between taking influence vs. mimicking? Rob: When it comes to human creativity, almost nothing is truly and completely new. There’s a song by Iron Monkey called “House Anxiety” which has an absolutely crushing riff in it -- and it’s … Read more

Perfect Buzz

One Question Interviews • May 20, 2025

Petey J. Cool (Perfect Buzz) SPB: What is the best TV theme song? Petey J. Cool: I’ve still never seen an episode of Hawaii Five-O, but when I was a kid I’d get to catch the opening sequence just before I was marched off to bed. I was fascinated because … Read more

Caterwaul 2025

Music • May 13, 2025

Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a stacked lineup this year, to put it mildly, with each night’s headliners FACS, Young Widows, Naw, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform -- and that’s leaving a ton of other great bands … Read more

Ilya Arbatman (Rotary Club)

Book store co-owner

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • May 13, 2025

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative … Read more

More from this section

Caterwaul 2025

Music • May 13, 2025

Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a stacked lineup this year, to put it mildly, with each night’s headliners FACS, Young Widows, Naw, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform -- and that’s leaving a ton of other great bands … Read more

Guest List: Steven Fairweather (Gob) – The Gateway And The Getaway

Music / The Set List • May 13, 2025

Steven Fairweather is a Canadian musician, radio show host, and comic book writer. He is best known as the bassist of the punk band Gob and the founder of Stranger Radio, an independent online radio station. -- Before the internet, before streaming, before Shazam could tell you what was playing … Read more

2024: A Year In Review

Music / Year End 2024 • January 13, 2025

It's a new year – hooray. And things are off to a fine start, too. If the thought of corrupt governments, AI domination, unmoderated social networks and endless war is causing you to retreat into the past, we don't blame you. In fact, we encourage it! Our writers have summed … Read more