Top 10 Albums of 2008:
10. Everything that Happens will Happen Today- David Byrne and Brian Eno:
Brian Eno had a big year with excellent production on Coldplay’s album and the release of an Iphone app that somehow made its way on Bob Boilen’s Top 10 record list (???). Still, his best work came with longtime collaborator David Byrne. I found their earlier work together a little too sample heavy but beyond the first two muddled tracks, the pair find an impressive level of balance on this album. Both cutting edge and timeless, experimental and melodic, the album showcases two experts who continue to hone their craft.
9. In Ghost Colours- Cut Copy:
With this record, Cut Copy established themselves as the best of the increasingly large number of bands playing indie rock/electronica music. I guess everyone got tired of simply standing around with a beer and bobbing their heads at concerts. Now, they just want to dance. And if there is one thing Cut Copy knows how to do, its to get white people dancing. While other bands try to add some ironic touches to their dance beats and meaningless vocals, Cut Copy simply goes all out. If you’re going to make shameless dance music, just fucking make shameless dance music.
8. Day & Age- The Killers:
This band keeps getting better and better as they grow more and more unpopular with both the mainstream and indie crowds. Well, people are missing out. Sure there are some pretty bad missteps (Joy Ride, the opening minute of Losing Touch), but the lows are simply incomparable to the highs (Spaceman, I Can’t Stay, the rest of Losing Touch). This record is pure escapism which makes it perfect for these hard economic times. Listen to it right before you go see Hotel for Dogs or Bride Wars.
7. No Way Down- Air France
It’s an EP but it’s got more great songs on it than most of the albums that were released this year. Just like the Feist album last year, it has amazing atmospheric production that made it the perfect summer record. The hooks aren’t half bad either.
6. Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend:
For some reason people at Columbia seem to be ashamed of Vampire Weekend and in the press there seems to be a backlash to the backlash to the backlash. Geez. Take away the hype and the alma mater and you have a really good pop album that can be enjoyed all the way through. This is the kind of music that is meant to be blasted in college dorm rooms so just let it happen instead of throwing a fit and talking about how MGMT is soooo much better.
5. You & Me- Walkmen:
This album felt like a knockoff of last year’s effort by The National, clumsier in most aspects but in an ultimately enduring way. Like Boxer, the album has moody production, lyrics about feeling lost in your 30’s, and most importantly great drumming. Many have called this album a real grower that doesn’t have any real singles. I disagree, songs like In the New Year, Four Provinces, and The Blue Route hit hard on the first listen and continue to get better.
4. Los Campesinos!- Hold On Now Youngster:
I’ll admit I came to this album a little late. I had heard the six minute version of You! Me! Dancing! and was like “What the fuck is this shit, I never want to hear this again. It’s just a bunch of fucking little English kids yelling about twee shit for six minutes. This fucking sucks”. Then somehow I ended up hearing the rest of the album and was like, “OMG! These guys are like the best band ever. 12 out of 10! I love all their songs, they are so funny and cutesy! BEST BAND EVER!!!”. And that’s where I am now. (Still who the fuck picked You! Me! Dancing! as the single?).
3. Crystal Castles- Crystal Castles:
Undoubtedly the best singles record of the year. Crimewave is a straight banger, Untrust Us is a coke anthem, and Courtship Dating is marginally better than Ayo Technology (which means its really fucking good).
2. For Emma Forever Ago- Bon Iver:
I remember listening to The Wolves (Act 1 & 2) earlier this year and not being very impressed. Then one night while driving around the Bay Area I listened to the rest of the album. Its perfect for a car ride at night with layered vocals and simple production that still manage to cut emotionally deep. I could have listened to the album just that once and it would still be in my top 5.
1. Dear Science,- TV on the Radio
Like the Bon Iver album, this record floored me on first listen and just kept getting better. Yes there is a dud or two (Red Dress, I’m looking at you) but from the killer chorus of Halfway Home, that guitar lick on Crying, that vocal pause on Golden Age, and the calculated chaos on DLZ, there wasn’t a group of songs that I wanted to come back to more
2 Comments
January 14, 2009 at 6:28 am
Omi, a job well done. I can’t really dispute a lot of your claims because (a) I haven’t heard of half these albums and (b) I rarely ever listen to entire albums with an eye (or ear?) towards critiquing them.
As for “For Emma, Forever Ago” and “Vampire Weekend,” the only albums I really listened to a lot and enjoyed, I’ll give you my opinion. I agree, Bon Iver is so amazing. His lush harmonies and sparse instrumentation came together to create a really chilling, heartfelt album. Perfect late-night drive music. It also sounds pretty original. I could maybe liken it to “Iron and Wine” in terms of tempo and an ability to evince that mellow, melancholic feeling but the percussion and vocal distortions get experimental and a bit off-kilter at times to be straight-up acoustic rock. So I’d say he’s truly a gem/one-of-a-kind. God, I love “Re: Stacks.” It’s ma fave, hands down.
With Vampire Weekend, though, I’d have to disagree a little. I feel like it was a pretty good singles album but wasn’t satisfying as a whole. The songs I loved to an almost unhealthy degree were A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Campus, Walcott, and M79. But the other songs on the album, I brushed under the rug after the first listen. I hated “Mansford Roof” and “One (Blake’s Got a New Face).” Hate is probably too strong of a word, but my feelings towards those songs came pretty close. And even when we used to make fun of how ridiculously that guy sings “BLAKE’S got a new face,” I thought it was retarded and like hard to take, _really_. And also, Omg, MGMT is so much better. So good! God, it just makes me wanna DANCE!
Yet, the most important thing I got out of this post was that I realize you are, like, totally indie-er than me. But like, whatever.
January 14, 2009 at 6:30 am
WTF. moderation?! You are totally gonna censor me.