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

Words: Michael • Posted pre-2010

LINKS TO ALL THE PAGES

A Hope for Home (Matt Ellis)

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

  1. Thrice - The Alchemy Index (Earth and Air)
  2. Thursday/Envy - Split
  3. Sigur Rós - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
  4. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
  5. Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation

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?

Envy. When I heard that one of my favorite bands of all time, Thursday, was doing a split with a Japanese Hardcore/Ambient band I knew I had to check them out. They can encapsulate the same emotion throughout a song that is fragile one minute and bombastic the next.

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

I started listening to a lot older bands, so I spent a lot of time at the used section at my local store. But also great releases by my two favorite bands of all time.

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 there is always a niche for the aggressive music collector, whether its vinyl, rare tees, or b-side downloads from obscure websites. I think labels just realized those people would buy vinyl, so they made more.

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

Signing with Strike First Records. That, and crashing the van in a snowstorm.

What can we look forward to from you in 2009?

Our record drops on January 20th, and then hopefully lots of touring and shows!

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

Thursday- Common Existence, The Chariot- Wars and Rumors of Wars, and It Prevails- Capture and Embrace.

Homepage: http:///www.myspace.com/ahopeforhome

Related features

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

Music • July 6, 2025

We're halfway through the year: when did that happen?! Luckily for you, SPB is on hand to share the music we've enjoyed most in 2025 thus far. Read on to hear about the records that have made our top list for this year as it stands, and also some bonus … Read more

Shane Herrell: A Tribute

Music • July 6, 2025

Shane Herrell: Rest In Power(pop) (1980-2025) The Rocker I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Sadly I never got the chance to hear my friend Shane Herrell karaoke Thin Lizzy’s "The Rocker." As a singing bass player we don’t have enough heroes. It might just … Read more

Unseemlier

One Question Interviews • June 27, 2025

Mike Assatly (Unseemlier - guitar/vocals) SPB: Do you have a preferred model of van for touring? Assatly: Chevy G-20 Gladiator! It was my first van, I got it from my uncle with 115,000 on it. He got rid of it for a new van because it was "old" and would … Read more

Dollar Store

One Question Interviews • June 26, 2025

Dave Slaverave (Dollar Store - bass) SPB: This band hits a lot of styles, all kind of overlapping at the same time. How hard was it to find “your sound” when bringing these influences together? Slaverave: Not very hard at all actually. We're all old-ass adults who've soaked in a … Read more

Golden Shitters

One Question Interviews • June 25, 2025

Matt (Golden Shitters) How nervous were you the first time you played a show? My first show was around 2002. I was 15 years old and it was a basement house party in my hometown of Welland, Ontario. I’d just proved myself to my high school buddies by singing The … Read more

More from this section

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

Music • July 6, 2025

We're halfway through the year: when did that happen?! Luckily for you, SPB is on hand to share the music we've enjoyed most in 2025 thus far. Read on to hear about the records that have made our top list for this year as it stands, and also some bonus … Read more

Shane Herrell: A Tribute

Music • July 6, 2025

Shane Herrell: Rest In Power(pop) (1980-2025) The Rocker I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Sadly I never got the chance to hear my friend Shane Herrell karaoke Thin Lizzy’s "The Rocker." As a singing bass player we don’t have enough heroes. It might just … 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