the year keeps on goin'

Early 2008 has been quite the treasure trove of fantastic music. So much so, in fact, that there are albums that I anticipated quite highly that have sat on my shelf collecting dust as my mind was blown by, say, "X Marks Destination" for the millionth time. So more for my sake than yours, an alphabetical list of the nuggets of joy in album form that 2008 has brought me so far.

The B-52's - Funplex
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One : 4th World War
The Breeders - Mountain Battles
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Delays - Everything's The Rush
Duels - The Barbarians Move In
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
I Was A Cub Scout - I Want You To Know There Is Always Hope
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Lowgold - Promise Lands
Colin McIntyre - The Water
Madonna - Hard Candy
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Operator Please - Yes Yes Vindictive
Portishead - Third
Robyn - Robyn
These New Puritans - Beat Pyramid
The Whip - X Marks Destination

That's a whopping 21 albums so far and it's only mid-May. And, of course, there are the albums I still haven't gotten around to picking up yet - Supergrass' "Diamond Hoo Ha" as I'm waiting for the domestic, the Bauhaus record, the James record as I'm hoping for a domestic, I'm sure there's more. Still to come before June is out, the Ting Tings record comes out next week [I absolutely cannot wait for that one], the Alphabeat LP gets a UK release next month [not really holding out for a domestic release on that one...], Mark Morriss of Bluetones fame puts out his solo album in a few weeks, and there's finally a new Notwist album coming out at the end of June. Even further down the road, another PJ Harvey and John Parish collab [pardon me if I'm not super excited for that one, but I am curious], another Erykah Badu album, perhaps a Pop Levi album to go with the fantastic 'Never Never Love' single, the reunited Superdrag are working on an album, as is Charlotte Hatherley. Oh, and maybe an SFA album if the rumors of an LP a year for Rough Trade are true. Good heavens.

What else am I missing? Do share.