“Should I put their album on my ‘best song of 2k8′ list just because I think I am supposed 2 appreciate it?” - HRO
This is something I try to avoid while making my list, so note the lack of Deerhunter and TV on the Radio (“Dancing Choose” may be my least favorite song of the year, the rest of the album is alright). My list is a list of my favorite albums of the year, not the best. I don’t exactly have the credentials to decide what albums were the best, and plus, I would think you would rather read what albums I enjoyed anyways. So, without further ado, here it is: My Favorite Albums of 2K8.
The Honorable Mentions:
El Guincho - Alegranza (So close to making top 10.)
Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III (Too much filler, great lines though.)
Lykke Li - Youth Novels (Love Sweden.)
Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing (Feel badass having a swearword on here.)
The Streets - Everything is Borrowed (His accent is the reason he is on here.)
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires (One day, we’re gonna live in Paris.)
Foals - Antidote (Minus the Bear + Bloc Party.)
Dillinger Four - Civil War (Punk rock cred.)
MGMT- Oracular Spectacular (Amazing singles, bad rest.)
Sigur Rós - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust (Happy songs!)
Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs (Too many throwaway tracks. “Grapevine Fires” is great though.)
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue (Ah, Jenny Lewis)
Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (Hate them as people.)
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement (Arctic Monkeys side project. Good.)
Horse Feathers - House With No Name (Love me some folk.)
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line (Very similar to Vampire Weekend.)
Portishead - Third (Angry robot Sigur Rós.)
Annuals - Such Fun (Pretty fun.)
Beach House - Devotion (Want a beach house.)
TV on the Radio - Dear Science (“Dancing Choose” singlehandedly fucked this for me.)
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer (Slight sophomore slump.)
Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow, And Blue (Like it a lot more than I did at first.)
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? (Sure do. Generic Arcade Fire?)
Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps - Backyard Tent Set (Local songstress.)
High Places - High Places (Good stuff.)
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (“Sequestered in Memphis” is SO good.)
Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends (Again, the word “fuck” makes me feel badass.)
The Kills - Midnight Boom (Boom.)
Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes (Canadian.)
Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel (British people making dance punk.)
Santogold x Diplo - Top Ranking (Great mix.)
She & Him - Volume One (Zooey Deschanel.)
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E (Ambitious.)
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (Nintendo pop.)
Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins (Great singles, alright rest.)
The Walkmen - You & Me (Unexpectedly good.)
The Top Ten:
10. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Consistency is what gets Hot Chip into the top 10. So many great dance jams on the album as well as a surprising amount of variety.
9.Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
I’m a sucker for folk, as my list may display. Everything about this album is perfect for late night studying/internet lurking. “Skinny Love” is certainly one of my favorite songs of the year.
8. M83 - Saturdays = Youth
Welcome to the 80s. “Kim & Jessie” and “Graveyard Girl” alone would make this album worthwhile. At times the lyrics/spoken word are a bit cheesy, but the music more than makes up for it.
7. Santogold - Santogold
Like M.I.A., only better. Santogold manages to put Rilo Kiley, No Doubt, M.I.A., Tegan and Sara, and basically any other female with a voice onto one album and make it cohesive.
6. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
Mates manage to keep their pop sensibility while slowing it down a bit. Their vocals are much tighter and the songs get stuck in my head like a motherfucker.
5. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
Again, a sucker for folk. Craig Finn had this as his number two, so I feel completely vindicated. It’s good to hear Conor having this much fun.
4. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
This will be the album people remember from 2k8. Gregg Gillis makes the transitions smoother, the samples longer, and the mash-ups sicker (Jay-Z plus Radiohead).
3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
This album gets better with every listen. Pure Americana.
2. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
A faultless dance record. Cut Copy makes perfect dance jams while remaining fresh and credible. “Lights and Music” and “Far Away” are stunning examples of this.
1. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
I didn’t listen to one album more than Vampy’s debut, it’s as simple as that. This has been out since January (even longer considering Blue CD-R) and there hasn’t been an extended period of time when I didn’t give it a spin. It’s such an easy listen; the hooks are smooth, the guitars and piping keys airy. Listening to this while walking on campus in the spring last year is just about the most perfect combination of music and real life action I can think of; a completely collegiate sounding album. The combination of Afro-pop, clever indie-pop, and boat shoes won me over and ensured Vampy secured my favorite album of the year.
