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

Words: Michael • Posted pre-2010

LINKS TO ALL THE PAGES

A Storm of Light/Blood and Time (Josh Graham)

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

  1. Meshuggah - obZen
  2. Woven Hand - Ten Songs
  3. Harvey Milk - Life? The Best Game in Town
  4. Young Widows - Old Wounds
  5. Black Sun - Hour of the Wolf

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 Sun. I saw them live a few weeks ago at Fontana's in NYC with Nadja (whom A Storm of Light is doing a split with on Robotic Empire in early 2009). I had no idea who they were before the show but I was completely blown away by their power and raw emotion. It reminds me of Swans and Godflesh stripped down to the bare essentials. Amazing.

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

For me 2008 was an adventure, leaving an already established band (Red Sparowes) for a brand new one (A Storm of Light) proved to be challenging and very rewarding.

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.

I think vinyl sales works in a couple of different ways. First, they are a financially viable purchase, as the vinyl is usually limited and the value increases over time. Second, I believe that people who still hold album artwork and packaging in high regard seek out vinyl, as it is the medium that delivers the most interaction with the release as a whole.

These people look at artwork as part of the larger offering unlike those who digitally buy one or two songs here and there.

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

Barack Obama getting elected.

What can we look forward to from you in 2009?

The second studio album from A Storm of Light, more artwork, and hopefully more art shows.

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

Shrinebuilder, Mastodon, and Black Sun

Homepage: http://www.suspendedinlight.com

Related features

Noise Real Records

Interviews • February 9, 2026

Noise Real Records recently released Noise Pollution Volume 1, a limited run 7" that features two new versions of "The Recluse" by Cursive. The new series will continue this revision theme as we move forward. Founded in 2021 by two long-time friends from California's Central Valley, the label is focused … Read more

Verböten

Interviews • February 9, 2026

ver·bo·ten adjective forbidden, especially by an authority. Verböten was formed in 1982 by a bunch of kids aged 10 to 14 years old, soon opening for Chicago's finest punk bands. Thanks to Dave Grohl's HBO series and best-selling book, mentioning Verböten led to opportunities to play Riot Fest and the … Read more

Time Thieves

One Question Interviews • February 4, 2026

Time Thieves SPB: While you’ve all played in punk bands Time Thieves is in the power-pop realm. What is a personal favorite album you feel is overlooked in the genre? Annie: Teenage Heartbreak (1980) by Sorrows. Heard it with a friend for the first time just a few months ago … Read more

Dauber

One Question Interviews • February 3, 2026

Mike (Dauber) SPB: What was the first album you ever bought? Mike: I'm not quite certain what the first album I ever bought was, probably Dookie or Smash. What I can remember is the first time I ever went to the legendary Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ (RIP). I had … Read more

Ian Glasper

One Question Interviews • February 2, 2026

Ian Glasper (A Country Fit For Heroes : DIY Punk in Eighties Britain) SPB: What was the first punk show you saw and do you remember how it inspired you at the time? Glasper: I'm not sure which was the very, very first punk gig I went to, because it's … Read more

More from this section

Demos You Want To Check #2

Music / New Kids On The Block • January 12, 2026

The musical landscape is ever changing. New genres are popping up, new hypes burst out of nowhere and then die out, and new bands present themselves to the world. How on earth are you expected to keep up, right? Well, a little help never hurts! So here we are, your … Read more

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2025)

Music / Year End 2025 • December 23, 2025

Every year we diligently assemble a list of our favorite albums of the year. Each SPB staff member enters the large arena we nickname THE DOJO, and yells out the name of their top album of the year. Rival staffers quickly assemble and shout out their own highly-favored record, and … Read more

Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2025

Music / Year End 2025 • December 23, 2025

For many years now, Scene Point Blank has taken the opportunity as the year ends to formally "pass the mic" to our friends on the other side of the mostly-imaginary divide between listeners and artists. This year is no exception as we ask a bunch of bands, artists and labels … Read more