By my count we’ve got just a little over six weeks remaining in the year 2008.  With the arrival of Thanksgiving on Thursday of next week, not only does the official holiday season begin but for many blogs, print publications, and radio stations so begins the annual rite of passage known as “The Best of the Year” music lists and album countdowns.  Yes, it’s time once again to begin thinking about the concerts, artists, albums, and songs that moved you the most during the year that was twenty aught-eight.  For at least one local Charlottesville radio station the road to “Best of” countdown has already begun.

WNRN 91.9 FM has just recently kicked off their campaign to compile the best albums of 2008 by asking their listeners to start submitting their own lists of this year’s music album favorites.  Once all the lists have been added up, Ronda Chollock will end the year with a live on-air countdown of your 100 favorite albums.  The countdown begins on December 31 at 10am.

So start thinking now about what albums would be on your Best of the Year list and then head over to WNRN’s home page and submit your choices.  (You can submit up to 20 albums)  [Here’s the direct link to WNRN’s Best of 2008 online poll].  O yeah,  and here’s the best part:  Everyone who votes and who includes their name and email address will automatically be entered to win the Top 20 Albums of the Year on CD as well as dinner for two.  Personally, I think 20 albums and a free dinner would fit nicely in someone’s Christmas stocking.  So let’s hear it, who do you think should be considered in the running for the Best Album of 2008?

Popularity: 7% [?]

While summer isn’t officially over, the Labor Day weekend is in many ways the beginning of the end.  School is back in session, football season is underway, and the music festival season is winding down.  [We’ve got one more big regional festival on the horizon though:  The Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol on September 19 - 21.  They’ve got a great line-up and it’s relatively inexpensive ($15 - $20 each day)].

It’s been a pretty jam-packed summer for at least one dude who writes for cvilleMUSE and has two thumbs.  That would be THIS GUY!  So I thought I’d re-cap some of the highlights of the summer season as I experienced them first hand right here on these very pages.  [Check out the links to some of my favorite music moments after the break and feel free to share some of your summer highlights with our readers!]. »Read More

Popularity: 23% [?]

.

We’re just about ready to put the first six months of 2008 behind us and the second half of the year will soon be underway.  So in looking back over the musical ground we’ve covered to this point, I want to know what have been your (5) favorite albums so far this year?  I’ve included a small sampling of the albums released so far in ‘08 but really it’s not even the tip of the iceberg.  So let’s hear it folks.  What are the best sounds you’ve found in 2008?

Popularity: 62% [?]