The Devil's Best & Worst Of 2008

It's been another interesting year on the outskirts of planet pop and as the year draws to a close it's time for the all important Devil awards for exceptional achievement in the world of indie.

Best Band

And the nominations for best band of 2008 are:

The Brute Chorus, Eux Autres, The Indelicates, Frightened Rabbit, Glasvegas, Ponytail, The Lovely Eggs, These New Puritans, Cut Off Your Hands, Wild Beasts, Woven, The Pity Party, The Grizzly Owls

After much careful deliberation and much pondering the much coveted award of Devil's best band of 2008 is (cue fanfare of trumpets)...

The Lovely Eggs

If Franz Kafka discovered his sense of humour, wrote nursery rhymes for children with ADHD and formed an indie band he'd sound something like the Lovely Eggs. The best band because they were one of the only bands that made the Devil laugh consistently throughout the year.

Go Visit

The Lovely Eggs - Myspace

If you want to check out the Lovely Eggs you'll need to visit their myspace site. However here's a few tracks from some of the nominees for best band of 2008...

MP3 - The Indelicates - Vladimir
MP3 - The Indelicates - Fun Is For The Feeble Minded
Linked direct from The Indelicates website.

MP3 - Ponytail - Celebrate the Body Electric
Linked direct from the Now We Are Free website.


Best Male Singer

And the nominations for best male singer of 2008 are:

Peasant, Simon Bookish, Tommy Reilly, Miss Massive Snowflake

And the winner of the Devil's favourite male singer of 2008 is...


Tommy Reilly

The Lovely Eggs were the best band because they made the Devil laugh, Tommy Reilly is the best male singer because he made the Devil (and Alex James) cry. The unassuming king of unrequited love covered The Killers 'Mr Brightside' and the UK's tear ducts will never be the same.

Go Visit

Tommy Reilly - Myspace

If you want to check out Tommy Reilly you'll have to either check out his myspace site or the Orange Unsigned site.

However here are some tracks from some of the nominees...

MP3 - Simon Bookish - Dumb Terminal
Linked direct from Pitchfork media.

MP3 - Miss Massive Snowflake - Magic At The Beach
Linked direct from Silber Records website.

Best Female Singer

And the nominations for best female singer of 2008 are...

Listen Lisse, Hanne Hukkelberg, Emmy The Great, Lucy & The Caterpillar, Lykke Li, Lex Land, Tracy Shedd, Hazel Winter, The Venus Flytrap One Girl Band, Miss Violetta,

And the winner of the Devil's favourite female singer of 2008 is...

Miss Violetta

Miss Violetta is the Devil's favourite for daring to be challenging and confrontational in a sea of easy listening, Laura Ashley clothed Dido copyists with acoustic guitars. Like Tommy Riley and the Lovely Eggs Miss Violetta provokes an emotional reaction which is increasingly rare in a era of bland major label clones and X Factor puppets.

Go Visit

Miss Violetta - Myspace // Website

If you want to check Miss Violetta out you'll have to visit her myspace site. However here are a couple of tracks from some of the nominees...

MP3 - Lex Land - River (Joni Mitchell cover)

Linked from Lex's website.

MP3 - Tracy Shedd - Valentine (live)
MP3 - Tracy Shedd - Not Giving Up (live)
Linked from Tracy's website.

Best Album

And the nominations for best album of 2008 are...

Miss Massive Snowflake - 'Queen's Headache' , Glasvegas - 'Glasvegas' , The Monolators - 'Don't Dance' , Simon Bookish - 'Everything, Everything', Bromheads Jacket - 'On The Brain' , Fuck Buttons - 'Street Horrrsing'

And the winner of the Devil's favourite album of 2008 is...

The Wild Beasts - Limbo Panto

As quirky as a Salvador Dali wrist watch, as witty as an Oscar Wilde joke book and as eccentric as a genetically modified Chris Eubank, 'Limbo Panto' mixed Klaus Nomi's operatics, the ambiguously sexual indie stylings of The Smiths, the drama of Antony & The Johnstons and the theatricality of Queen on an album that sounded like it had been beamed in from planet perfect.

Go Visit

Wild Beasts - Myspace // Website

Best Video

Dancing cardinals, ecclesiastical grunt mags, Benny Hill pastiches and Radiohead video spoofs that reveals how Thom did that singing in water thing without drowning what more could you want from a video. And the songs a belter too. There could only be one nomination for video of the year and that is...

Fuck Dress - Suburban Nietszche Freak

Go Visit

Fuck Dress - Myspace

Over-rated Act Of The Year

Vampire Weekend

In 2008 Vampire Weekend were responsible for more crap than a 500lb Gorilla eating a laxative laced banana. In which alternative universe is basing your sound on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' a good idea because in the universe occupied by the Devil it's an idea that's more crap than the contents of a Glastonbury portaloo after a particularly virulent strain of dysentry.

The emporers new clothes never fit a band so well.

Inexplicable Fashion Craze Of The Year

What is it with these hats? Since when did looking like the village idiot become a fashion statement?

Thanks to all the Devil's readers for your loyalty, suggestions of bands to include and support during the last 12 months. Check out the blog in the next few days for the Devil's top 10 tracks of 2008.