Venerdì 19 Dic 2008, 17:08

Here are the 25 albums I thought were the best in 2008.
Share your thoughts!

1. Why?-Alopecia- This is one of the best put together albums I have ever heard. Cohesive from start to finish, the songs flow together and make for an enjoyable listen each and every time. Yoni Wolf's writing ranks among some of the best of all time. "Good Friday" and "The Vowels Pt. 2" are the highlights of the album for me.

2. Deerhunter-Microcastle- It took a little while for this album to really catch on with me. I knew it was something special right from the get go, but I didn't realize just how much I liked until about the 4th or 5th listen. I personally like this album more than any of their other work. "Agoraphobia" may be my favorite song of the year.

3. Sigur Rós-með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust- These guys always seem to amaze me each and every time I listen to them. Though this album isn't their best work, it is still an amazing piece of work. They stepped up the beats on this album, which has allowed it to become their most accessible work. Some of the singing actually seems to make sense on this album, which is unusual for this Icelandic group. Favorite song- "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur"

4. Department of Eagles-In Ear Park- A late addition to my list, they shot right to the top. Most of the songs were actually written in 2001 when the two founding members were roommates at college in New York. Daniel Rossen's song writing is clearly influenced by his time in Grizzly Bear, and it shines through vividly on this album. A touch of psychedelia and plenty of experimental aspects make this a great listen. "Classic Records" is my favorite track.

5. Wolf Parade-At Mount Zoomer- Wolf Parade won me over even more this year with this fantastic album. Dan Boeckner, Spencer Krug and the gang make indie pop jams that include spacy guitar and driving piano riffs. Their singing styles compliment each other well, and both are excellent writers as well. "Language City" is probably the stand out track on the album.

6. Anathallo-Canopy Glow- These Michigan natives came through with an excellent major label debut on Anticon. This Yoni Wolf produced album definitely hits a bit harder than their previous self released work, but it still has the signature Anathallo feel. Matt Joynt's lyrics are always among my favorite, and this album is no exception. Anathallo seems more mature and grown up on this record, maybe the move to Chicago helped them expand their horizons a bit? "The River" and "John J. Audobon" are hauntingly stellar tracks.

7. Subtle-Exiting Arm- My favorite Subtle album, Exiting Arm is a collection of what I feel are Doseone's best songs to date. His words move freely throughout the record, and it's the catchiest album to date for them. They finally broke the plane into what would be more widely accessible to a larger audience, yet the album still held true to Doseone's personal, sometimes dark, lyrics.

8. Beck-Modern Guilt- Sure, yet another Beck album right? No. Modern Guilt is a vast improvement from some of his recent releases. Some people have complained that this album isn't as dance-y or poppy as some of his past stuff, but that's why I like it. It's dark at times, and very much a story from start to finish. "Chemtrails" and "Modern Guilt" are my favorite tracks.

9. Portugal. the Man-Censored Colors- Every album this band releases is vastly different than the ones before it, yet they all fit together so nicely on stage. Every one of their albums always seems to be near the top of my list for favorites for the year, and this is no exception. John Gourley's vocals are more passionate on this album, and the music is much more mellow this time around. This album was inspired by "albums my parents used to listen to", according to Gourley. "1989" and "And I" are my favorites.

10. Marnie Stern-This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That- Easily the longest album title possibly ever, but don't let it fool you into thinking this is a cheesy album, because it is far from that. I'm typically against female vocalists because they always end up being far too poppy for the music they are singing over. Marnie keeps the vocals just as trippy as the music. I can't get enough of this album lately. "Clone Cycle" is my favorite song.

Here are the rest of the top 25:
11. Conor Oberst-Conor Oberst
12. M83-Saturdays=Youth
13. No Age-Nouns
14. Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes
15. Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles
16. Fuck Buttons-Street Horrising
17. The Mountain Goats- Heretic Pride
18. Vivian Girls-VIvian GIrls
19. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks-Real Emotional Trash
20. Sybris-Into the Trees
21. Frontier Ruckus-The Orion Songbook
22. Mason Proper-Olly Oxen Free
23. Thrice- Alchemy Index Vol. III and IV
24. The Black Keys- Attack and Release
25. Javelins- Heavy Meadows