top 20 of 2008
Yeah, it's that time again! My list is better than Paul's.
20. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
I'm glad to let this girl back on my list after last year's disaster. Her other group, Rilo Kiley put out an album that was a genuine piece of shit ("Under the Blacklight"), so I wasn't expecting too much from her this time around. Thankfully, this is a really solid album that's a little more country-rock (think "Sweetheart of the Rodeo"-era Byrds) than her previous solo album, the gospel-ey "Rabbit Fur Coat." Doesn't hurt that she has Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward, and Elvis Costello in the studio with her at times. It feels good to like her again, after "Under the Blacklight" kind of made me feel slimy.
BEST TRACK: "Jack Killed Mom"
19. The Duke Spirit - Neptune
I basically fell for the lead singer, Leila Moss, when I saw her band open for Ted Leo in Athens a few years back. An opening band that outperformed the (really good) act I was hyped to see? Doesn't happen too often. They're a gritty rock band with a blonde British bombshell singer who's smoked a few too many cigarettes. And it rocks. That may not seem like the most original band lineup, but what they lack in originality they make up for with attitude. Leila Moss veers between sultry and tough to suit each song, and what she does is transform an ordinary band into an extraordinary one.
BEST TRACK: "My Sunken Treasure"
18. The Decemberists - Always the Bridesmaid Singles Series
I'm pretty excited for their new album for next year if this singles collection was all the stuff they didn't think was quite good enough for the album. There are only six songs, but each of them is quite good in its own way. Standout is without a doubt "Valerie Plame," (which has a part that I swear sounds like "Movin' Right Along" from the Muppet Movie) but this is good proof that these guys have still got it. Bring on the ridiculous concept album rock opera about shapeshifting demons!
BEST TRACK: "Valerie Plame"
17. Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
Okay, the first time you hear this guy start singing you'll immediately think "He's trying to be like Dylan." And yes, he's got a nasal voice and plays an acoustic guitar. But the thing is, all of his songs are wonderfully written and eloquent. The guitar work is more along the lines of Nick Drake or Elliott Smith than Dylan - a virtuoso's performance rather than a folk singer's, very intricate. But if you can't break the Dylan association, just think that there's a secret and hidden album of Bob's from the early 60s and man, it's great!
BEST TRACK: "The Sparrow and the Medicine"
16. Mono in VCF - Mono in VCF
This album went a little bit under the radar, but it's worth searching out. It's got a very cool noir-70s sound and a Nico-esque lead singer. It kind of walks a line between Portishead's old stuff and Blonde Redhead's album from last year. I feel like this is some sort of album from Eastern Europe 25 years ago, but they're actually from Seattle and it came out this year. Oh well! I'm terrible at describing music, which I suppose is why I decided to talk about 20 albums that came out this year! Hah!
BEST TRACK: "Spider Rotation"
15. Deerhunter - Microcastle
Very cool, fuzzy rock. A grower for sure; I didn't like it at first but the more I listened to it the better it became. I don't usually like dreamy stuff with tons of layers of noise over it but this has some solid moments when the songs kick in. This has got to be the album I've listened to most at work; it's very good to zone out to.
BEST TRACK: "Nothing Ever Happened"
14. Coldplay - Viva la Vida, Or Death and All His Friends
I don't care what people think, this is a good album. This album alone should convince people that I'm not ripping off of Pitchfork, because even Pitchfork would be too embarrassed to put this on a best-of-the-year list. I've been down on Coldplay in the past, but I've got to admit that this time around, they did alright. Granted, Joe Satriani may not agree with me so much, but I'm pretty sure he's even lamer than Coldplay. They've got a new vitality to their sound that I really like, and sometimes I even hear them experimenting! That's right! Coldplay, experimenting! The lyrics could still use some work, but overall... they're not trying to be U2, they're not trying to be Radiohead. They're doing their own thing, and... uh... I like it. Way to go, guys.
BEST TRACK: "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love"
13. Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances
Sometimes a man needs some really fucking loud rock music that's poorly recorded and that celebrates being angry. This is the music that a man will listen to at these times, and lo, it will do him good. It's also a good bit more intelligent than I make it sound: "Every time's like the first time. Every time is the same, and maybe you don't believe me now, but you will. Until you hang upon such a cross, you won't know a thing about laughter or loss. From Galilee to Gethsemane to Golgotha is a short walk, a short, short walk." I can't really express why this is such a good album, it's just noisy, angry, and smart. And that works, better than you think it would.
BEST TRACK: "Titus Andronicus"
12. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
One day, I'll see these guys live. I've missed them twice, now - once with a ticket in my freakin' hand. In any case, they don't disappoint with their fourth album; there are more songs about religion, drugs, and music. All of that gets mixed up in the lives of the characters that Craig Finn sings about; most of them tend to end up being disappointed by the first and screwed up on the second. And you know what? There are times throughout the album - like "Lord, I'm Discouraged" - that make it seem like the third is the most transcendent of them all.
BEST TRACK: "Lord, I'm Discouraged"
11. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
My token rap album. I'm generally so-so when it comes to rap and hip-hop; some I like, some I think is boring, and some I just get annoyed at when Greg Gillis plays it over a song from the 80s. Q-Tip, though... he just rules. Ain't no doubt about it. This album, apparently 5 years in the making, is just brilliant. It's got a bit more of a soul sound to it than his old stuff with A Tribe Called Quest, which I can dig. I have a feeling I'm going to come off looking like an idiot if I try to talk about beats or flow, so I'll end it here: Q-Tip rules. Q-Tip for president 2016.
BEST TRACK: "Gettin' Up"
10. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
"Hmm, let's see... how can I possibly make myself whiter? Why don't I listen obsessively to a band of Columbia rich kids whose music draws clear influence from African music, and who sing about Oxford commas, girls in frumpy sweaters, and Lil Jon? Oh, and on my year-end list, I'll put them right above the one rap artist on the entire list. Yeah, that'll work." The only thing that isn't white about my listening to this album is the fact that I refuse to complain about it. Best concert memory of 2008: about 70 people joining them on stage for the closing number, "Walcott."
BEST TRACK: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
9. She & Him - Volume 1
Honestly, I didn't expect much from this debut album by Zooey Deschanel. She's always been a passable actress, but why should I be interested in what some actress thinks is a good musical project? I mean, other actresses that have become singers that I care about: 0. However, this was a nice little surprise, since M. Ward showed up to help her create catchy little folk ditties to go with her not-quite-classically-trained, but still charming, voice. Count myself excited for Volume 2, which is apparently in the works.
BEST TRACK: "I Was Made For You"
8. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
For the first few weeks after I started listening to this album, I was speaking with a Scottish brogue. People didn't hit me, but they should have. Whereas some bands with Scottish singers have rubbed me the wrong way (I'm looking at YOU, Arab Strap) these guys are fantastic. The lyrics are mostly about girls and sex, and this subject matter could be really trite from someone else. But something about that brogue and their folk-pop sound makes it work. Not to mention tracks like "The Modern Leper," which compares a relationship with the narrator to someone having pity on someone whose limbs fall off. Awesome.
BEST TRACK: "The Modern Leper"
7. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
This is my, "I'm obnoxious and I'm listening to a band you've never even HEARD of" band. They're from Canada, they're unsigned, and they're genius. If you're not a fan of singers who can't actually sing, this may not be for you, but if you're up for some Neutral Milk Hotel-ish rocker songs with some awesome drumming and great lyrics and songwriting, I'd suggest you try them out. They came out of nowhere for me in the last month, and without a doubt, this is one of the best albums I've heard all year. Possibly the seventh best!
BEST TRACK: "Edmonton"
6. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
John Darnielle is one of those hard-working guys who keeps on making great music year after year. I only recently discovered him, so I'm glad his latest new album is just as good as, if not better than, the rest of his stuff. Telling stories of various people trapped in their obsessions and lost in their neuroses, Heretic Pride is an intensely great record. The days of his low-fidelity guitar recordings over tape hiss are over; now that he's expanded his sound there are few better performers - and, in my opinion, no better lyricists - in folk-rock. And did I mention he's hard-working? Not one, but TWO EPs after this album came out. One of which has a song about Toad from Mario Bros. Hell yeah, folks.
BEST TRACK: "Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident"
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Occasionally, I feel like this is an album I could have found in a packed-up box in a leaky attic, written and recorded 70 years ago in the Ozarks. Then I remember that this is actually just a good folk album by a bunch of dudes younger than me who have grown long beards and refuse to shower in an effort to seem "legit". Whatever - it's great. They wear influences on their flannel sleeves - the vocal harmonies recall CSNY in particular - but when you can write a 2-minute song as immediately classic as "White Winter Hymnal," I'll let the body odor and My Morning Jacket vocal resemblances slide.
BEST TRACK: "White Winter Hymnal"
4. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
Sometimes, as the years pass and a band you like puts out albums that consistently get better, they start to go from "that band I listen to sometimes" to "that band I listen to all the time." This is the case with Okkervil River. Their album last year, "The Stage Names," sang songs about fame and the misfortune that comes with it; "The Stand-Ins" continues that theme by turning an eye on the fans. This might seem a little overwrought, but since singer-songwriter Will Sheff is one of the most talented lyricists in pop music today, it's practically flawless.
BEST TRACK: "Lost Coastlines"
3. TV on the Radio - Dear Science,
I'll admit it - early on I was leery of TV on the Radio. Sure that "Staring at the Sun" song was cool, but the rest of their stuff was dense and kind of weird! However, as the years have gone on, TVOTR has become more and more accessible and, somehow, even more impressive. Dear Science, could be called their 'pop' album - if you were a tool enough to call it that - but to me it's just them rocking out harder than they ever have before, while still being insanely inventive. (And yes the comma is included in the album title. Awesome.)
BEST TRACK: DMZ
2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
It's surprising to hear something so personal and intimate as this album in this day and age. I have a feeling that if I bared my soul as openly as Justin Vernon did on this record, I would hide away the results for the rest of my life in a safe-deposit box wrapped in chains in a mine that reaches the center of the earth. But then, I'm not musically talented, and Vernon most obviously is. Sometimes all you need to make a masterpiece is a guy, a guitar, some heartbreak, and a remote cabin in Wisconsin.
BEST TRACK: Skinny Love
1. Portishead - Third
Back in the 90s, Portishead sang about broken hearts and lost love. Eleven years have passed, and in the space between then and now, they've become something different entirely - and in my eyes, something better. This time around, they've gone darker and deeper, and what you hear sounds more like songs of a broken person than songs from a broken heart. The music fits these lost lyrics, sometimes quiet and minimalist and sometimes harsh and abrasive. Over all of it, Beth Gibbons's voice is one of the most emotive I've ever heard; every time I listen there's something else in her performance that hits me right in the gut. It's a little weird to go from their slick, sexy tunes to these cacophonies of sound, but there's still the same level of beauty in them - once these songs sank in, I couldn't listen to any album more. It is an amazing, gorgeous wreck of a record, and my favorite of the year.
20. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
I'm glad to let this girl back on my list after last year's disaster. Her other group, Rilo Kiley put out an album that was a genuine piece of shit ("Under the Blacklight"), so I wasn't expecting too much from her this time around. Thankfully, this is a really solid album that's a little more country-rock (think "Sweetheart of the Rodeo"-era Byrds) than her previous solo album, the gospel-ey "Rabbit Fur Coat." Doesn't hurt that she has Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward, and Elvis Costello in the studio with her at times. It feels good to like her again, after "Under the Blacklight" kind of made me feel slimy.
BEST TRACK: "Jack Killed Mom"
19. The Duke Spirit - Neptune
I basically fell for the lead singer, Leila Moss, when I saw her band open for Ted Leo in Athens a few years back. An opening band that outperformed the (really good) act I was hyped to see? Doesn't happen too often. They're a gritty rock band with a blonde British bombshell singer who's smoked a few too many cigarettes. And it rocks. That may not seem like the most original band lineup, but what they lack in originality they make up for with attitude. Leila Moss veers between sultry and tough to suit each song, and what she does is transform an ordinary band into an extraordinary one.
BEST TRACK: "My Sunken Treasure"
18. The Decemberists - Always the Bridesmaid Singles Series
I'm pretty excited for their new album for next year if this singles collection was all the stuff they didn't think was quite good enough for the album. There are only six songs, but each of them is quite good in its own way. Standout is without a doubt "Valerie Plame," (which has a part that I swear sounds like "Movin' Right Along" from the Muppet Movie) but this is good proof that these guys have still got it. Bring on the ridiculous concept album rock opera about shapeshifting demons!
BEST TRACK: "Valerie Plame"
17. Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
Okay, the first time you hear this guy start singing you'll immediately think "He's trying to be like Dylan." And yes, he's got a nasal voice and plays an acoustic guitar. But the thing is, all of his songs are wonderfully written and eloquent. The guitar work is more along the lines of Nick Drake or Elliott Smith than Dylan - a virtuoso's performance rather than a folk singer's, very intricate. But if you can't break the Dylan association, just think that there's a secret and hidden album of Bob's from the early 60s and man, it's great!
BEST TRACK: "The Sparrow and the Medicine"
16. Mono in VCF - Mono in VCF
This album went a little bit under the radar, but it's worth searching out. It's got a very cool noir-70s sound and a Nico-esque lead singer. It kind of walks a line between Portishead's old stuff and Blonde Redhead's album from last year. I feel like this is some sort of album from Eastern Europe 25 years ago, but they're actually from Seattle and it came out this year. Oh well! I'm terrible at describing music, which I suppose is why I decided to talk about 20 albums that came out this year! Hah!
BEST TRACK: "Spider Rotation"
15. Deerhunter - Microcastle
Very cool, fuzzy rock. A grower for sure; I didn't like it at first but the more I listened to it the better it became. I don't usually like dreamy stuff with tons of layers of noise over it but this has some solid moments when the songs kick in. This has got to be the album I've listened to most at work; it's very good to zone out to.
BEST TRACK: "Nothing Ever Happened"
14. Coldplay - Viva la Vida, Or Death and All His Friends
I don't care what people think, this is a good album. This album alone should convince people that I'm not ripping off of Pitchfork, because even Pitchfork would be too embarrassed to put this on a best-of-the-year list. I've been down on Coldplay in the past, but I've got to admit that this time around, they did alright. Granted, Joe Satriani may not agree with me so much, but I'm pretty sure he's even lamer than Coldplay. They've got a new vitality to their sound that I really like, and sometimes I even hear them experimenting! That's right! Coldplay, experimenting! The lyrics could still use some work, but overall... they're not trying to be U2, they're not trying to be Radiohead. They're doing their own thing, and... uh... I like it. Way to go, guys.
BEST TRACK: "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love"
13. Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances
Sometimes a man needs some really fucking loud rock music that's poorly recorded and that celebrates being angry. This is the music that a man will listen to at these times, and lo, it will do him good. It's also a good bit more intelligent than I make it sound: "Every time's like the first time. Every time is the same, and maybe you don't believe me now, but you will. Until you hang upon such a cross, you won't know a thing about laughter or loss. From Galilee to Gethsemane to Golgotha is a short walk, a short, short walk." I can't really express why this is such a good album, it's just noisy, angry, and smart. And that works, better than you think it would.
BEST TRACK: "Titus Andronicus"
12. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
One day, I'll see these guys live. I've missed them twice, now - once with a ticket in my freakin' hand. In any case, they don't disappoint with their fourth album; there are more songs about religion, drugs, and music. All of that gets mixed up in the lives of the characters that Craig Finn sings about; most of them tend to end up being disappointed by the first and screwed up on the second. And you know what? There are times throughout the album - like "Lord, I'm Discouraged" - that make it seem like the third is the most transcendent of them all.
BEST TRACK: "Lord, I'm Discouraged"
11. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
My token rap album. I'm generally so-so when it comes to rap and hip-hop; some I like, some I think is boring, and some I just get annoyed at when Greg Gillis plays it over a song from the 80s. Q-Tip, though... he just rules. Ain't no doubt about it. This album, apparently 5 years in the making, is just brilliant. It's got a bit more of a soul sound to it than his old stuff with A Tribe Called Quest, which I can dig. I have a feeling I'm going to come off looking like an idiot if I try to talk about beats or flow, so I'll end it here: Q-Tip rules. Q-Tip for president 2016.
BEST TRACK: "Gettin' Up"
10. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
"Hmm, let's see... how can I possibly make myself whiter? Why don't I listen obsessively to a band of Columbia rich kids whose music draws clear influence from African music, and who sing about Oxford commas, girls in frumpy sweaters, and Lil Jon? Oh, and on my year-end list, I'll put them right above the one rap artist on the entire list. Yeah, that'll work." The only thing that isn't white about my listening to this album is the fact that I refuse to complain about it. Best concert memory of 2008: about 70 people joining them on stage for the closing number, "Walcott."
BEST TRACK: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
9. She & Him - Volume 1
Honestly, I didn't expect much from this debut album by Zooey Deschanel. She's always been a passable actress, but why should I be interested in what some actress thinks is a good musical project? I mean, other actresses that have become singers that I care about: 0. However, this was a nice little surprise, since M. Ward showed up to help her create catchy little folk ditties to go with her not-quite-classically-trained, but still charming, voice. Count myself excited for Volume 2, which is apparently in the works.
BEST TRACK: "I Was Made For You"
8. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
For the first few weeks after I started listening to this album, I was speaking with a Scottish brogue. People didn't hit me, but they should have. Whereas some bands with Scottish singers have rubbed me the wrong way (I'm looking at YOU, Arab Strap) these guys are fantastic. The lyrics are mostly about girls and sex, and this subject matter could be really trite from someone else. But something about that brogue and their folk-pop sound makes it work. Not to mention tracks like "The Modern Leper," which compares a relationship with the narrator to someone having pity on someone whose limbs fall off. Awesome.
BEST TRACK: "The Modern Leper"
7. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
This is my, "I'm obnoxious and I'm listening to a band you've never even HEARD of" band. They're from Canada, they're unsigned, and they're genius. If you're not a fan of singers who can't actually sing, this may not be for you, but if you're up for some Neutral Milk Hotel-ish rocker songs with some awesome drumming and great lyrics and songwriting, I'd suggest you try them out. They came out of nowhere for me in the last month, and without a doubt, this is one of the best albums I've heard all year. Possibly the seventh best!
BEST TRACK: "Edmonton"
6. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
John Darnielle is one of those hard-working guys who keeps on making great music year after year. I only recently discovered him, so I'm glad his latest new album is just as good as, if not better than, the rest of his stuff. Telling stories of various people trapped in their obsessions and lost in their neuroses, Heretic Pride is an intensely great record. The days of his low-fidelity guitar recordings over tape hiss are over; now that he's expanded his sound there are few better performers - and, in my opinion, no better lyricists - in folk-rock. And did I mention he's hard-working? Not one, but TWO EPs after this album came out. One of which has a song about Toad from Mario Bros. Hell yeah, folks.
BEST TRACK: "Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident"
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Occasionally, I feel like this is an album I could have found in a packed-up box in a leaky attic, written and recorded 70 years ago in the Ozarks. Then I remember that this is actually just a good folk album by a bunch of dudes younger than me who have grown long beards and refuse to shower in an effort to seem "legit". Whatever - it's great. They wear influences on their flannel sleeves - the vocal harmonies recall CSNY in particular - but when you can write a 2-minute song as immediately classic as "White Winter Hymnal," I'll let the body odor and My Morning Jacket vocal resemblances slide.
BEST TRACK: "White Winter Hymnal"
4. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
Sometimes, as the years pass and a band you like puts out albums that consistently get better, they start to go from "that band I listen to sometimes" to "that band I listen to all the time." This is the case with Okkervil River. Their album last year, "The Stage Names," sang songs about fame and the misfortune that comes with it; "The Stand-Ins" continues that theme by turning an eye on the fans. This might seem a little overwrought, but since singer-songwriter Will Sheff is one of the most talented lyricists in pop music today, it's practically flawless.
BEST TRACK: "Lost Coastlines"
3. TV on the Radio - Dear Science,
I'll admit it - early on I was leery of TV on the Radio. Sure that "Staring at the Sun" song was cool, but the rest of their stuff was dense and kind of weird! However, as the years have gone on, TVOTR has become more and more accessible and, somehow, even more impressive. Dear Science, could be called their 'pop' album - if you were a tool enough to call it that - but to me it's just them rocking out harder than they ever have before, while still being insanely inventive. (And yes the comma is included in the album title. Awesome.)
BEST TRACK: DMZ
2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
It's surprising to hear something so personal and intimate as this album in this day and age. I have a feeling that if I bared my soul as openly as Justin Vernon did on this record, I would hide away the results for the rest of my life in a safe-deposit box wrapped in chains in a mine that reaches the center of the earth. But then, I'm not musically talented, and Vernon most obviously is. Sometimes all you need to make a masterpiece is a guy, a guitar, some heartbreak, and a remote cabin in Wisconsin.
BEST TRACK: Skinny Love
1. Portishead - Third
Back in the 90s, Portishead sang about broken hearts and lost love. Eleven years have passed, and in the space between then and now, they've become something different entirely - and in my eyes, something better. This time around, they've gone darker and deeper, and what you hear sounds more like songs of a broken person than songs from a broken heart. The music fits these lost lyrics, sometimes quiet and minimalist and sometimes harsh and abrasive. Over all of it, Beth Gibbons's voice is one of the most emotive I've ever heard; every time I listen there's something else in her performance that hits me right in the gut. It's a little weird to go from their slick, sexy tunes to these cacophonies of sound, but there's still the same level of beauty in them - once these songs sank in, I couldn't listen to any album more. It is an amazing, gorgeous wreck of a record, and my favorite of the year.