The Top 50 Albums of 2008

Bon Iver’s “For Emma Forever Ago” was technically released independently last year but with the insurgence of classic albums from 2007, it fell through my ear crack’s. Luckily for me Justin Vernon’s project received a full-blown major label release this year and turned his small little album written into the Wisconsin woodland into a much-hyped modern folk classic. To me, this year, this album went far beyond the call of duty, it was more like a best friend. It was intimate when intimacy was called for, stirring when things went mundane and comforting when all else failed. It might just be testament to how many good album were made last year that one spilled over to the top spot this year but maybe it just proves that old proverb the music finds you at the right time. In 2008 Bon Iver found me at the right time.

1. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
2. Skeletal Lamping by Of Montreal
3. Ragged Wood by Fleet Foxes
4. Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
5. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend
6. You & Me by The Walkmen
7. In Ghost Colours by Cut Copy
8. The Airing Of Grievances by Titus Andronicus
9. Stay Positive by The Hold Steady
10. Microcastle by Deerhunter
11. Saturdays = Youth by M83
12. Visiter by The Dodos
13. Little Joy by Little Joy
14. Devotion by Beach House
15. Nouns by No Age
16. In Ear Park by Department Of Eagles
17. Workout Holiday by White Denim
18. 808's And Heartbreaks by Kanye West
19. Fate by Dr. Dog
20. Volume One by She & Him
21. Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust by Sigur Rós
22. The Rhumb Line by Ra Ra Riot
23. Hercules and Love Affair by Hercules and Love Affair
24. Made in the Dark by Hot Chip
25. Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne
26. Santogold by Santogold
27. Youth Novels by Lykke Li
28. Furr by Blitzen Trapper
29. At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade
30. Conor Oberst by Conor Oberst
31. Jim by Jamie Lidell
32. Cardinology by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
33. The Seldom Seen Kid by Elbow
34. Songs In A & E by Spiritualized
35. Vivian Girls by Vivian Girls
36. Silent Movie by Quiet Village
37. Rook by Shearwater
38. The Stand Ins by Okkervil River
39. Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles
40. The Devil, You + Me by The Notwist
41. Los Angeles by Flying Lotus
42. Brighter Than Creation's by Dark Drive-By Truckers
43. OH (ohio) by Lambchop
44. Red Yellow And Blue by Born Ruffians
45. Alopecia by Why?
46. We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed by Los Campesinos!
47. The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
48. Carried To Dust by Calexico
49. Shine by Estelle
50. Modern by Guilt Beck

The 100 Best Songs Of 2008

(more links to be added...)

1."Gobbledigook" by Sigur Rós*
Maybe it was the surprise of hearing a new sound from a band whose MO we’ve grown so accustomed to. Maybe it was the beautiful hedonistic music video that promised a perfectly released naked utopia. Maybe it’s the nonsensical lyrics that in a year of the highest hopes and lowest uncertainties can be sung with out any emotional baggage. Whatever the reason Goggledigook was my favorite song of the year and for the same reason the song doesn’t make any sense it makes perfect sense for all those maybes and more.

2.White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes.
Our grandchildren will still love this song as much as we do.

3. Ready for the Floor by Hot Chip.
4. Furr by Blitzen Trapper*

5. M79 by Vampire Weekend
6. Collapsing at Your Doorstep by Air France**
7. Lost Coastline by Okkervil River**
8. Time To Pretend by MGMT.

9.Constructive Summer by The Hold Steady*

10. Blind by Hercules and Love Affair
11. In the Night by Basia Bulat.
12. Everything is Borrowed by The Streets**
13. Can You Tell by Ra Ra Riot*
14. Eraser by No Age
15. That’s Not My Name by the Ting Tings.
16. Palmitos Park by El Guincho.
17. Sitting by White Denim
18. Buriedfed by Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson 
19. Hearts On Fire by Cut Copy
20. L.E.S. Artistes by Santogold
21. Gallery Piece by Of Montreal*
22. Another Day by Jamie Lidell
23. Time Outside The Womb by Titus Andronicus
24. "No One Does It Like You" by Department Of Eagles
25. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? by She & Him
26. The Rabbit, The Bat, And The Reindeer by Dr. Dog
27. Divine by Sébastien Tellier
28. Said So What by French Kicks
29. South of France by Harlem
30. Paranoid (Ft. Mr. Hudson) by Kanye West
31. Another World by Antony & The Johnsons
32. Graveyard Girl by M83
33. Soul On Fire by Spiritualized
34. On The Death Of The Waters by Shearwater
35. No One's Better Sake by Little Joy
36. Sex On Fire by Kings of Leon**
37. Gamma Ray by Beck**
38. Dancing Choose by TV On The Radio
39. Strange Times by The Black Keys
40. The Richest Kids by This Is Ivy League
41. D.A.R.L.I.N.G by Beach House
42. Overtones by David Byrne and Brian Eno
43. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
44. Cheap and Cheerful by The Kills
45. Mr. Carter (Feat. .Jay-Z) by Lil Wayne
46. Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket
47. Cobwebs by Cardinology Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
48. Crimewave (Crystal Castles VS Health) by Crystal Castles
49. American Boy (Ft. Kanye West) by Estelle
50. Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping by Grouper
51. Grounds For Divorce by Elbow
52. Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event
53. Un Día by Juana Molina
54. 5 Years Time by Noah & The Whale
55. Something Is Not Right With Me by Cold War Kids
56. Oh, Mojave by The Ruby Suns
57. Mercy by Duffy
58. Everyone Nose by N.E.R.D
59. Transformer by Marnie Stern
60. Right and Wrong byThe Muslims
61. Always Wanting More by Jay Reatard
62. O New England by The Decemberists
63. What Up Man by The Cool Kids
64. Foam Hands by Destroyer
65. You and I by Ingrid Michaelson
66. St. Petersburg by Brazilian Girls
67. Creeper by Islands
68. Gloomy Planets by The Notwist
69. Black and Gold by Sam Sparro
70. Becky by Be Your Own Pet
71. Your English Is Good by Tokyo Police Club
72. Big Ideas by LCD Soundsystem
73. Tear Down the House by The Avett Brothers
74. Troublemaker by Weezer
75. The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem
76. Easy Does It by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
77. Mirando by Ratatat
78. Two Silver Trees by Calexico
79. Cape Canaveral by Conor Oberst Conor Oberst
80. Drop-out by Times New Viking
81. Call It A Ritual by Wolf Parade
82. Carpetbaggers by Jenny Lewis
83. Jigsaw by Mates of State
84. The Twist by Frightened Rabbit
85. Majesty by The Music Tapes
86. Water Curses by Animal Collective
87. California Girls by The Magnetic Fields
88. Salute Your Solution by The Raconteurs
89. Going On by Gnarls Barkley
90. Who's In Your Dreams by Strawberry Whiplash
91. History by Jay-Z
92. The Butcher by Final Fantasy
93. You Me and the Bourgeoisie by The Submarines
94. In The Heat Of The Morning by The Last Shadow Puppets
95. Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats by Los Campesinos!
96. Young Love (feat Laura Marling) by Mystery Jets
97. Beat Control by Tilly & The Wall
98. The Hollows by Why?
99. Wishing Well by Love Is All
100. The Rip by Portishead

* Downloadable song just right click and save

** Follow to article and downloand

Best Of '08 Part One

What can I say, I’m a stifler. So when it comes to make my “best of” lists, I give myself rules. For my top albums lists: no soundtracks, remix collections, singles collections, live albums, best ofs or Eps. Now those limitations unfairly alienate some of the best collections of music this year had to offer. 

So for my first list of the year, I present you the top best non album releases of 2008:

1. Feed The Animals by Girl Talk*
2. 'The Very Best' Mixtape by The Very Best (Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit)*
3. The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines by King Khan and The Shrines
4. Another World EP by Antony & The Johnsons
5. Sun Giant by Fleet Foxes
6. (Tie) Matador Singles 06-07 & ’08 by Jay Reatard
7. The BBC Sessions by Belle And Sebastian
8. 03/07 - 09/07 by High Places
9. The Second Gleam by The Avett Brothers
10. Always The Bridesmaid: A Singles Series by The Decemberists

*free** album downloads!

**you can pay for the Girl Talk album if you'd like.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis by Between Two Ferns