- Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
- Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs
- Black Kids - Partie Traumatic
- Calexico - Carried to Dust
- Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
- Black Mountain - In the Future
- Grand Archives - Grand Archives
- Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
- Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
- UNKLE - End Titles... Stories for Film
- Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
- American Music Club - The Golden Age
- Beck - Modern Guilt
- Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt
- Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
A few notes on the top five:
I first heard Fleet Foxes from the Sub Pop website early in the year where they are very generous in letting you download free music. White Winter Hymnal was the selection available by Fleet Foxes. I was blown away & have been since the album was released in June. Their EP Sun Giant was released the month before & contains what I believe to be their best song: English House. While I have heard them more than I would like at work since the summer started, I have not grown sick of them...in fact, I like them even more.
Some will say it is not fair that I have included Bob Dylan in my top 15 albums of the year as these songs have all been previously released (from '89-06) & I will find no fault with that opinion- however, these songs did not make any of his official releases & further more, they are just as good if not better. It was like getting a brand new Dylan album that you were not expecting. My only disappointment is that the special 3 disc edition of the record was $100 dollars... kind of a rip off if you ask me.
Partie Traumatic is the party/dance record of the year. Black Kids simply got their synth/groove on with nary a track that did not make me tap my foot, bob my head or snap my fingers. Check out---> Hurricane Jane
Calexico's Carried to Dust is just beautiful. They sound like no other band & are tragically underrated. Check out---> Two Silver Trees
Keep You Eyes Ahead by Helio Sequence is another gem by the label of the year: Sub Pop. Strong all the way through & was in the running for a long time for the #2 spot on this list. Lately is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Some will say it is not fair that I have included Bob Dylan in my top 15 albums of the year as these songs have all been previously released (from '89-06) & I will find no fault with that opinion- however, these songs did not make any of his official releases & further more, they are just as good if not better. It was like getting a brand new Dylan album that you were not expecting. My only disappointment is that the special 3 disc edition of the record was $100 dollars... kind of a rip off if you ask me.
Partie Traumatic is the party/dance record of the year. Black Kids simply got their synth/groove on with nary a track that did not make me tap my foot, bob my head or snap my fingers. Check out---> Hurricane Jane
Calexico's Carried to Dust is just beautiful. They sound like no other band & are tragically underrated. Check out---> Two Silver Trees
Keep You Eyes Ahead by Helio Sequence is another gem by the label of the year: Sub Pop. Strong all the way through & was in the running for a long time for the #2 spot on this list. Lately is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Other worthy releases this year:
- Beach House - Devotion
- Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
- Flaming Lips - Christmas on Mars (movie as well)
- Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
- Joe Jackson - Rain
Musical highlights of the year:
- After waiting 17 years to see American Music Club in concert, I finally got to see them live. It was an 8 song set & while I wanted more, I was happy to get what I did. After the show, I was very fortunate to shake hands with Vudi & talk to him for a few minutes.
- I got over my phobia to Robyn Hitchcock thanks to a co-worker- great stuff in his catalog.
- Funky 16 Corners
- I finally got a copy of Leftism by Leftfield
Disappointments of the year:
- Nine Inch Nails did not come to my hometown on their recent tour.
- Nine Inch Nails' album The Slip. It's still free, but only a handful of songs were keepers while the rest were fan only.
- 4:13 Dream by The Cure was no where near as good as the single/ep's they released leading up to the album.
- I only added 156 titles to my collection. I would love to triple that total...sigh.
Trend to go away:
Not really a trend, but I wish those whiny bastards from Coldplay would go the hell away.
Album I wish I purchased last year when it was out but missed it:
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin <---GREAT!
Albums from 2008 I still want to look into to:
- Benji Hughes - A Love Extreme
- Blitzen Trapper - Furr
- Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
- David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
- Erykah Badu - New Amerkyah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
- Gary Louris - Vagabonds
- Individuals - Fields/Aqua Marine (Reissue from the early 80's)
- Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
- Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
- Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
- School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
- Steve Jansen - Slope
- TV on the Radio - Dear Science
- Walkmen - You and Me
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