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

Words: Michael • Posted pre-2010

LINKS TO ALL THE PAGES

Ceremony (Anthony Anzaldo)

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

  1. Blacklisted - Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God
  2. Madonna - Hard Candy
  3. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
  4. Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
  5. The Faint - Fasciinatiion

Top singles are Rihanna's "Disturbia." Coldplay's "Violent Hill," Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold," and Madonna's "4 Minutes."

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?

I found about Oathbreaker from Belgium, probably my favorite local band to ever play with us on tour. They blew me away.

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

I will remember 2008 as being a great year in pop music, and poor year for rock music and the year "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier than God" came out.

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.

The record industry is in the toilet, so a lot of bigger bands are coming out with specialty editions of their records, like vinyl. And now that CD's are becoming obsolete, it looks like we will more or less be seeing (or hearing rather) our music in mp3's (for the average civilian) and vinyl (for the diehards).

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

Definitely Obama being elected president.

What can we look forward to from you in 2009?

Ceremony will tour and put out music in 2009, how much of either has yet to be determined.

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

AFI, Morrissey, and Kylie Minogue

Homepage: http://www.ceremonyhc.com

Related features

Real McKenzies

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • July 8, 2026

Tell us about your bagpipes? Read more

Demos You Want To Check #4

Music / New Kids On The Block • July 7, 2026

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

The Bellrays

Interviews • July 6, 2026

A Conversation with Lisa Kekaula (Vocals) and Bob Vennum (Guitar) of The Bellrays For over three decades, The Bellrays -- Riverside, California’s powerhouse duo of Lisa Kekaula and Bob Vennum -- have blurred the lines between punk, soul, garage rock, and rock ’n’ roll fury. Their music has always been … Read more

Bitters and Distractions

One Question Interviews • July 1, 2026

Travis (Bitters and Distractions – guitar / backup vocals) SPB: It seems you’re mostly releasing singles, as compared to EP/LP. Is there a personal preference or deeper reason why? Travis: You’re correct that we’ve released a significant number of singles over the years. To be more specific, we’ve put out … Read more

Whiplass Records

One Question Interviews • June 30, 2026

Monet (Whiplass Records) SPB: I imagine you’d been thinking about starting this label for a while before it happened. What was the final push or aha! moment that turned it from idea into reality? Monet: Our origin was actually a series of events: The wheels started turning when I decided … Read more

More from this section

Demos You Want To Check #4

Music / New Kids On The Block • July 7, 2026

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

Demos You Want To Check #3

Music / New Kids On The Block • May 8, 2026

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

Guest List: War On Women

Music / The Set List • April 24, 2026

It feels like a lifetime ago when Mitt Romney referenced a "war on women" during the 2012 presidential cycle. A lot has changed, a lot has stayed the same -- but a new politically-charged band formed in the aftermath of that comment, calling themselves War On Women. Now, roughly 14 … Read more