Well, folks, its the end of another year. Hard to believe it is 2009 already, which means it has been 9 years since the Y2K end-of-the-world phenomenon, which I remember vividly and still recall the smug smirk on my face when the clock struck midnight and the world didn’t collapse in on itself due to our reliance on technology (mom, what a waste of $200 on that bottled water!). But I digress.
I’ve always enjoyed reading lists. I’ve always enjoyed making them. Nobody ever fully agrees with them, but I’ve never felt that was the point of them. That would be pretty boring to constantly looking through lists and being able to say, “By golly, this is the exact same list as mine. Bravo!” So, if you see a certain person or publication you like or enjoy recommending you something, you will be more inclined to check it out, and oftentimes you never would have checked it out and ultimately ended up loving it had it not been for that list. This has been the case for me often.
Without further ado, here is the ten best albums of 2008 according to moi. Click on the album name to go to their page, click on their individual songs to listen to them or see their official video.
Feel free to discuss your picks below.
*Note: I left off Radiohead’s In Rainbows, deciding it was a 2007 release. It would have easily taken this list though and it is certainly one of the best albums of the decade.
10. Razorlight – Slipway Fires
Notable songs: “Wire to Wire,” “Hostage of Love“
9. The Walkmen – You & Me
Notable songs: “Dónde Está la Playa,” “In the New Year“
8. The Kooks – Konk
Notable songs: “Sway,” “Shine On“
7. Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
Notable songs: “Closer,” “Use Somebody“
6. Grand Archives – The Grand Archives
Notable songs: “A Setting Sun,” “Sleepdriving“
5. Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Notable songs: “Lost,” “Strawberry Swing“
4.Calexico – Carried To Dust
Notable songs: “Two Silver Trees,” “House of Valparaiso“
3. The Black Keys – Attack & Release
Notable songs: “Psychotic Girl,” “So He Won’t Break“
2. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Notable songs: “Kids,” “Time to Pretend“
1. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Notable songs: “The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver,” “One Day Like This“
Worth Checking Out (just because):
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
Okkervil River – The Stand Ins
Supergrass – Diamond Hoo Ha
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus Dig
My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
The Pigeon Detectives – Emergency
Keane – Perfect Symmetry
Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch
Why? – Alopecia
The Verve – Forth
Ben Folds – Way to Normal
Beck – Modern Guilt
Bloc Party – Intimacy
The Killers – Day and Age
Cold War Kids – Loyalty To Loyalty
This discussion currently has 5 responses.
January 2, 2009
I don’t know what the deal is with that “Kings of Leon” disc. I can’t get enough. It’s sort of cheesy, 80′s blues (Jeff Healy) mixed with some “Cure” and 90′s indie rock (Wallflowers). Add to that a dash of electronica and you’ve got a record I like. Weird.
January 3, 2009
That’s a great list. I would have to agree with your “In Rainbows” comment. A great record front to back and just ridiculous to see live. One of my lifetime highlights to see Radiohead live. I’m also an Oasis lifer, so it’s so strange to see their latest on all these year end lists. Nice. The only one I didn’t “get” this year was the Coldplay. I’m in the small minority on them that just didn’t see what made that one great. Probably my loss.
January 5, 2009
Yeah, I’m a huge Oasis fan. In hindsight, I almost want to put it on my top ten, but I can’t bring myself to take any of the others off. Still, songs like (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady are all kinds of awesome.
I think I need to write something just on Oasis.
January 5, 2009
Oh and I need to stress how everyone should listen to the masterpiece of an album that is Elbow’s The Seldom Seen Kid. When I first heard this song, I couldn’t stop listening to it for weeks.
Andrew, I see you gave the album a nod in the post. What do you think of the album overall?
January 5, 2009
Not too shabby of a list. I’m a big MGMT fan now, having listened to a few of their songs while I was back home in Pennsylvania. I have Kings of Leon higher on my list at number three. Eagles of Death Metal released a fantastic album titled ‘Heart On’ this year; the follow up to their 2006 release ‘Death by Sexy’. They’re especially worth a listen because Dave Grohl spends a little time rocking out with them (The band’s drummer, Josh Homme, fronts Queens of the Stone Age, which Dave has drummed with before). The Raconteurs and ‘Consolers of the Lonely’ would be on my list along with the Offspring’s ‘Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace’. One of their best outings since ‘Smash’.