Dear Mrs. Claus,
It's just way easier to grab a few tracks here and there in order to get an impression of a band. If you like what you hear, you go steal the rest from soulseek or something.Still, I decided to do a best of 2008 albums list. I may do a singles list later, if I can get over the inertia that keeps me from doing posts in the first place. I may do a worst of list as well. Or, most overrated or something; mainly because this is a blog and I don't really have to answer to anyone for what's said here.
I guess what one of my big problems with making the albums list is that some of my favorite stuff I get exposed to comes from EPs. For example, Bon Iver is on this list, but I have hardly listened to him at all this year because his EP from last year was so good. Some of this other stuff I can hardly believe was released in 2008 (See #1) but I'm using the release date that Itunes has listed as the ultimate release date judge.
Anyhow this list is gonna be broken down into a couple of sections. The top 5-10 are indispensable, which means that at some point I played a song from one of these albums 9000 or more straight times or that I listened to the album on repeat for the better part of a month. The albums below that are albums that didn't suck and are worth listening to for one reason or another.
Overall I find it strange how this list definitely drifts into very mainstream territory as we get towards the top.
25. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires (Sept. 1st, 2008 XL)
They made the list at the expense of a few other bands that I probably listened to more or may be a bit better - actually who the fuck knows, we’re on number 25, it’s not like I’m batshit crazy for these guys.
24. Kings of Leon – Only By The Night (August 26th, 2008 RCA/Sony)
Everyone has a guilty pleasure. At least mine doesn’t involve farm animals or white hoods.
Shhh...I can keep a secret
as long as you can.
23. Air France – No Way Down (October 5th, 2008)
OBVIOUS MEME
This was actually just two EP's bundled together. I apparently can't adhere to principles. This band just barely made the list. I didn’t listen to them a whole ton this year but they have some very cool music.
Air France - "Collapsing at Your Doorstep"
22. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing (March 17, 2008 ATP)
Definitely the album most likely to score a space travel movie.
21. Chairlift – Does you Inspire you (November 11, 2008 Kanine)
Thank you for the ski vacation Steve Jobs <3
“Plant Health” is a mesmerizing opus to something.
20. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (February 19, 2008 Jagjaguwar)
If this list were made last year and included EP’s, Bon Iver would have made the top 5. Even though this music is timeless, I just find it hard to bump something I hardly listened to this year any higher.
19. Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight (April 15th, 2008 FatCat)
Because I needed some depressing melancholy melodramatic jaw-droppingly beautiful forlorn Scottish music on the list and The Twilight Sad didn’t make an album this year.
18. Los Campesinos! – Hold on now youngster (February 26th, 2008 Arts and Crafts)
These guys released two albums this year. That’s one album for every six Campesinos.
17. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (June 24th, 2008 XL)
I can’t very well leave a best of the year list without a flawless Sigur Ros album. No standouts though drop this album into catalog status.
16. Kleerup – Kleerup (June 2008 EMI Sweden)
Here’s another one that could be higher. I just have to take a little bit away from it because there are so many guests on the album which obviously make it as good as it is.
15. Hot Chip – Made in the Dark (February 4th, 2008 EMI)
Is there anyone who doesn’t know what Hot Chip sounds like?
14. Santogold – Santogold (April 29th, 2008 Downtown)
The Christmas Spirit is the greatest spirit of all non-Russian spirits.
This probably deserves to be higher. If it weren’t on so many beer commercials now it probably would be.
See what Africa can do with a little first world technology?
12. Passion Pit – Chunk of Change (September 16th, 2008 Frenchkiss)
“Sleepyhead” carries this EP on to the best of the year album list. It woulda been the #1 single if I woulda done a singles list. It’s an irresistible jam that makes me twist and jump like nothing else.
The reason I wake up in the morning
11. Lykke Li – Youth Novels (August 19th, 2008 LL)
The best of Sweden.
10. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours (March 22nd, 2008 Modular)
Every time I hear “Lights and Music” I feel like I’m hearing the definitive stereotypical club jam. I mean I like the song, but I can also actually take something away from the rest of the songs besides a coke induced endorphin drip.
I really can’t believe this album has a 2008 release date. I swear this album got huge last year. So many songs on here that just make me feel like dancing.
Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane"
Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane"
8. Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts (April 8th, 2008)
As cheesy as this is to say, this album is just full of life. If I wanted to start a high tech company and work in Silicon Valley I’d probably just pump this album through my blood and be a trillionaire in six to eight weeks.
Cloud Cult - "Everybody Here is a Cloud"
Cloud Cult - "Everybody Here is a Cloud"
7. The Raveonettes - Lust, Lust, Lust (Feb. 19, 2008 Vice)
Can you call something innovative if it sounds like it’s 40 years old?
6. Foals – Antidotes (March 25, 2008 Sub Pop)
I spent most of the Spring adjusting myself to the awesomeness of this album.
Is Tibet still not free?
Should I know why they were fighting in Mumbai?
5. Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line (August 19th, 2008 Barsuk)Not having a girlfriend didn’t stop me from having this on repeat.
4. The Walkmen – You & Me (August 19th, 2008 Gigantic)
Highest ranking album from the band that separates itself from The Hold Steadys and everyone else derivative of The Boss . Nothing short of stellar.
The Walkmen - "In the New Year"
The Walkmen - "In the New Year"
3. M83 – Saturdays = Youth (April 14th, 2008 Virgin)
Top to bottom this is probably the best album of the year. There really were no monster singles though and I guess MGMT’s pop power really put them over the top for me.
2. Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell (March 25th, 2008 Saddle Creek)
I fucking love every song on this album and every remix of every song. Maybe it’s because they all sound the same. I don’t care. Huge credit for making me love a band that plays a genre (post-punk) of music from a label (Saddle Creek) that I really don’t care for.
1. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (January 22nd, 2008 Sony BMG)
An absolutely fantastic album. Amazing singles. “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” make me want to be anything from an hour to ten years younger.
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