Top Five Albums of 2008
Hi Music fans. Believe it or not it's the end of another music year and it's time for Kicked It In the Sun rate the best five albums.
This post won't be as long as last year's Top Five, but hopefully you will find some new bands to listen to and/or you will recommend a few bands yourself.
Please post your own Top Five in the comments section below. On to the countdown...
5. Cut Copy- In Ghost Colours
This Australian 8o's influenced post-wave band created the perfect "original music mix tape remix album". I know that doesn't make too much sense but the album just flows like you are grooving to it at a club. Songs blend in to each other and just when one groove starts to become old and new hook grabs you. Fun party music for sure. The best track is Lights and Music.
4. Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
These guys kind of remind me of a more uptempo early Death Cab For Cutie combined with The Cure,strings,and some bizarre arrangements. Very poppy but sad. I think the stand out tracks are Ghost Under Rocks and Can You Tell (which is also one of the best pop songs of the year). I'll be honest and tell you this album is not an amazing first listen. Instead it grows and grows on you as you notice more and more little treasures with each listen.
3. Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
It's rare that blog bands ever live up to the hype (see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Tapes-n-Tapes). However, Vampire Weekend have created an album full of hit singles. Everyone of these afro-centric pop songs clocks in at four minutes or under, contains multiple hooks, and is very easy to sing along to. They pay homage to influences like Paul Simon and the Arctic Monkeys without ripping them off directly.
Are they are great live band? No. Are their ironic preppy outfits annoying? Yes. It this album one of the best debuts ever? Also yes.
mp3: Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
A-Punk
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
2. Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
Picture early My Morning Jacket with harmonies borrowed from the Byrds or Beach Boys. The music sounds earthy without seeming too hippy-ish and sounds big while at same time still feeling lo-fi. White Winter Hymnal is easily the most beautiful song that came out in 2008 and Ragged Wood pays homage to some of the folkier Grateful Dead songs.
1. The Dodos- Visiter
Visiter is the hidden treasure of 2008. This duo combines the acoustic punk of Neutral Milk Hotel with bizarre original arrangements that would make Modest Mouse or Arcade Fire happy. They put on a stellar live show and make some cool videos too. Plus, it's nice to listen to a band where the drummer (Logan Kroeger) is part of the team as opposed to just a supporting player.
Free Downloads: Jodi, and Fools.
Listen to the entire album here.
Other great bands that released awesome records this year:
The Raconteurs, Girl Talk, The Hold Steady, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, MGMT, Conor Oberst, Bon Iver, R.E.M, Beck, M83,Okkervil River, Deerhunter, The Whigs, and Blitzen Trapper.
NME's Top 50 albums of 2008
Rolling Stone's Top 50
Stereogum's Top 50
Spin's Top 40 albums
Paste Magazine's Top 50
Here is a suggested Best of 2008 mix (click the picture for a bigger view).
Click here to purchase mix on iTunes.
Click in the comments section below to post your own top five albums.
11 comments:
I haven't listened to enough new albums this year extensively enough to post a legitimate top-5. I've heard a lot, but in the vast majority of cases, I haven't taken the time to really listen. I'll say this, though:
Get the new Bonnie "Prince" Billy album, "Lie Down in the Light". It is awesome. The best since "I See a Darkness" and in my opinion, it's even better.
- CCW
This is fun! Well okay, here are my picks:
5) Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles
I was never into the whole dance music scene, until I heard this.
4) Jenny Lewis: Acid Tongue
It's not just because I have a crush on her. Well it didn't hurt.
3) Final Fantasy: He Poos Clouds
Have you heard this guy? I have.
2) Anathallo: Canopy Glow
Ever wonder what would happen if Sufjan Stevens wrote all the songs for the Arcade Fire? It would sound like this. Pure, blissful magic.
1) She & Him: Volume I
My favorite musician and favorite actress got together to make my favorite album! It's really, really amazing, I have yet to hear anyone disagree.
Honorable mention! The Kills: Midnight Boom, Blitzen Trapper: Furr
Well there you have it! Pick apart.
-Kyle Reardon
top five:
sloan - parallel play
dcfc - narrow stairs
girl talk - feed the animals
jenny jenkins - oventoucher
lackthereof - your anchor
other five:
benji hughes - a love extreme
blind pilot - 3 rounds and a sound
dark captain light captain - miracle kicker
department of eagles - in ear park
why? - alopecia
(sorry for the deleted posts)
1. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
If you like The National, you should check this out. It's a beautiful album.
2. TV On the Radio – Dear Science
They're just really good at what they do.
3. Deerhunter – Microcastle
Quirky indie-pop at it's finest.
4. Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer
Not as many immediate hooks as their stellar debut, "Apologies to the Queen Mary," but a fantastic album, nonetheless!
5. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
One of the best albums to come out of the Northwest in a long time.
best of the rest...
6. The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead
7. 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
8. No Age – Nouns
9. Ten Kens – Ten Kens
10. The Walkmen – You & Me
11. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
12. The Dodos – Visiter
13. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
14. Ruby Suns – Sea Lions
15. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus Dig
I guess I really got into popular music this year.
1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Are you kidding me? With these guys , Band of Horses, and Iron and Wine, I've now found my new favorite genre.
2. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
They got really popular
3. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
They are really popular, I still love their music though, even if they are Radiohead wannabes. Aren't we all though?
4. Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
I really disliked this album when it came out, then I saw them live, enough said.
5. Couldn't pick between the following, loved them all:
Black Keys - Attack and Release
Black Mountain - In the Future
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty
Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
Dead Confederate - Wrecking Ball
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
Secret Machines - Secret Machines
Sigur Ros - Med Sud...
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
The Walkmen - You & Me
Sorry, previous comment by Jon Skoog
5. Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On
Sometimes you just have to rock out.
4. Man Man - Rabbit Habits
Totally weird and funky.
3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Nice work Seattle. I can finally indulge my guilty pleasure of listening to all of my parents' music, without listening to any of my parents' music.
2. Black Keys - Attack and Release
These guys have always been impressive to me, but this album, with the very noticeable Danger Mouse seasoning is a knock out.
1. Punch Brothers - Punch!
This album had me floored and uninterested in listening to anything else for about two months straight this past year. It's a bluegrass "supergroup", and the album is centered around a four movement long form piece that is 1/3 bluegrass, 1/3 classical and 1/3 jazz.
Honorables:
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
She and Him - Volume 1
Deerhunter - Microcastle
NIN - Ghosts I-IV
Beck - Modern Guilt
1. Cold Play "Viva La Vida" (you know how I know...)
2. Death Cab "Narrow Stairs"
3. Raconteurs "Consolers of the Lonely"
4. Fleet Foxes "Fleet Foxes
5. Beck "Modern Guilt"
There are many others but most have been mentioned by others. My honorable mention is definitely AC/DC "Black Ice"...welcome back!
If you want to vote in the Three Imaginary Girls Top Northwest Albums of 2008, click this link.
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