Top 5 Albums of 2008
 

Rules

• Share your well-thought out Top 5 of 2008 lists here.
• You can number them 1-5, or list them in no particular order.
• If you post more or less than 5 you are not playing the game right, and everyone's opinion of you and your input will hopefully be lowered accordingly.
• Feel free to explain your picks or not explain your picks.

Thread creator's note
There is probably nothing I hate more than music videos. I provide links to them simply because they are the most readily available means of hearing these songs. I urge you to not even watch them while listening, since they really have nothing to do with the act of committing a song to a recording device.



My Top 5 of 2008


Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

"I Will Possess Your Heart"
YouTube - I Will Possess Your Heart OFFICIAL VIDEO

"Cath..."
YouTube - Death Cab For Cutie - Cath... ALBUM VERSION



The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely

"Many Shades Of Black"
YouTube - Many Shades of Black - The Raconteurs

"You Don't Understand Me"
YouTube - You Don't Understand Me - The Raconteurs



Santogold - Santogold

"L.E.S. Artistes"
YouTube - Santogold - L.E.S Artistes

"Shove It"
YouTube - Santogold - Shove It



TV On The Radio - Dear Science

"Dancing Choose"
YouTube - TV On The Radio "Dancing Choose"

"Family Tree"
YouTube - TV On The Radio: Dear Science: Family Tree



Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

"Oxford Comma"
YouTube - Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
YouTube - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa-Vampire Weekend

Too soon. Someone always releases an album in October-December that merits consideration. ;)

Dola

That said, your list is pretty solid, though I'd disagree with Vampire Weekend on points. I can't really argue with the other 4 though. I'd include at two of those for sure on my list so far.

I was disappointed with the new Death Cab for Cutie album. Plans was much better...

That's what I thought. I know one album that will likely be in my top 5 is You & Me by The Walkmen. But the other 4 spots are open for debate at this point, pending the end of year releases.

I really like the Death Cab album but wouldn't put it on my own "best of" list. I can't stand Santogold at all, especially after I saw her open for Coldplay. She was awful.

I enjoy Santogold's album, or at least a few of the songs. Some are pretty terrible. It also depends on my mood. I don't think they would make my Top 5 of the year list, but since I haven't really thought about what other albums have been released this year, I may be surprised.

I have my own reasons for forever hating Death Cab For Cutie, so I can't say if the new album is good or not.

I think I'd have to put the red Weezer album on there, and then after that it's a crapshoot.

What's wrong with DC4C?

Is there a list somewhere of albums released this year? I think most of what I've listened to was older stuff, but I did listen to Vampire Weekend and The Raconteurs and liked both quite a bit.

List of albums released in 2008 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The only choice I've agreed with so far is Vampire Weekend. I've yet to listen to Santogold or TV on the Radio but I will check those out. The Raconteurs and DC4C were both uninspired albums compared to previous releases IMO.

NPR did a similar listener poll a bit earlier in the year for those that are interested.

hxxp://idolator.com/396827/nprs-best-albums-of-2008-poll-all-songs-considered-especially-if-youre-into-self+reinforcing-stereotypes-about-npr-music

To steal a page from Seinfeld: It's not them, it's me.

Heh, I just noticed the title of the page from idolator. Good stuff.

Based on the link Fidatelo gave, I haven't listened to many this year. But here's my top five so far in no order:

Some People Have Real Problems - Sia Furler
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
The Slip - Nine Inch Nails
Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs
Midnight Boom - The Kills

Ok, no way I can do one for the whole year. But this is one for the albums released up to right now.

Five albums means you can't include everybody. So that means that Devotchka (A Mad and Faithful Telling), Gnarls Barkley (The Odd Couple) and Kings of Leon (Only By The Night) won't get included, in part because their previous albums are just as good or better than this year's release and the ones I'm gonna post are better. I also avoided posting The Raconteurs and TV On the Radio because you covered them already. (I liked Santogold...but I got over it after a while. I still think she's great, just the album was hit/miss.)

The Black Keys - Attack & Release
Take the best producer in the business right now (Danger Mouse) and take a grimey indy rock duo who produced their previous albums themselves in the basement and what do you get? Brilliance.





Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Pt. 1
In an era where everybody in R&B seems to need a rapper to make a remix on a track or where the singing turns into bloviating into the high heavens, Erykah Badu sings and makes actually songs. She's conscious, but it's good music and really unparalleled in the market right now, especially at the level of which she sells albums.





Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
There isn't a country-rock album released this year or last or probably next, that'll be as good as this one. I love the way they've approached this and what they've put together is hands down one of the best releases of the year.





Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
This could've been replaced by some others. But this former singer with Zero 7 really did a good job on this solo release and the fact that it came out in January honestly makes it better, given it's held up so well throughout this year's otherwise solid releases. She's got a set of pipes on her and she uses them extremely well. Soulful, but not stuck in a genre.





Sigur Ros ~ Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Ethereal and not in English, this Iceland band has never really been one that I had much use for. But this year's LP really changed the game for me. I don't know why. It just grows on you after a while. It's also not easy to define, is equally great driving on an afternoon as well as it is great for bedtime/wind down music.

I liked The Black Keys - Attack & Release too, but I haven't listened to it enough. Maybe it should replace The Kills on my list... not really sure.

I'm old and never heard of any of the artists posted here.

Dude, I'm older than you and have seen half the people named in this thread. Teh interwebs are the best device for finding new music EVER! Buckle up and get in the game, fella. :)

That's why we list links and stuff. So you can listen and hear. It's not all modern whipper snapper music, after all, some of them had to get influenced from somewhere. ;)

I would agree on Vampire Weekend and The Raconteurs. I'd also put Modern Guilt by Beck on there, but I'm just a fan of whatever he puts out. I also really liked the last Hold Steady disc.

I'm still trying to decide exactly how I feel about the new Theivery Corporation, Stereolab, Kings of Leon and Of Montreal and whether one of them would grab the final spot right now.

I need to check out the new Of Montreal, because I haven't heard it yet.

I forgot about Sia, that's a good one. I need to listen to it more.

I'm 26 years old and I don't believe I've bought a single album that was released in 2008. I'm already at the stage where I'd rather explore the catalogue of older groups than wade through the large amount of crap that gets released today. No doubt there are a lot of really interesting bands around now, but I just don't have the same motivation to seek them out that I used to.

I think The Coral and the Flaming Lips are perhaps the only two bands that I'd rush out and buy a new CD from if it were released today. Even Radiohead, perhaps my favourite band of all time, are getting a little stale with me.

I like The Coral.

I'm never exposed to new music anymore, so thanks for this thread. I liked The Raconteurs quite a bit. Everything else I could live without. I guess I'm a little picky, but honestly who isn't when it comes to music.

Haven't bought jack squat for music this year, but MPJ's album is great and he finally got "Save You" on an album. One of those songs you just put on repeat and listen to over and over again.

Matthew Perryman Jones - Swallowing the Sea
http://www.myspace.com/mpjmusic

Save You
YouTube - Matthew Perryman Jones - Save You

Meghan's Song
YouTube - Matthew Perryman Jones - Meghan's Song

Feels Like I'm Letting Go
YouTube - Matthew Perryman Jones - Feels Like Letting Go

Motherless Child
YouTube - Matthew Perryman Jones - Motherless Child

I absolutely love this song...

I've only bought three albums released this year. The Black and White Album by The Hives is my favorite of the three.

I ought to check out the second Raconteurs album, the first one was good. Maybe I'll find a few more to listen to by the end of the year.

Well christ I haven't really bought much, but within the last 12 months I'd say the two I've liked most are "Ire Works" by Dillinger Escape Plan, which was actually a late 07 release I guess, so that doesn't count, and I am digging "Death Magnetic" by Metallica.

From all the leaks, I'd be safe to assume Chinease Democracy will find a place in the top of some lists. I think it has some great stuff on it so far.

Not able to post top 5, but Glasvegas album is tops.

Los Campesino's are up there as well, although they're nowhere near as clever as they think they are

This list is albums released in two-thousand-eight, not albums released in nineteen-ninety-never!

Midnight Boom - The Kills
Attack & Release - The Black Keys
The Slip - Nine Inch Nails
Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
We Started Nothing - The Ting Tings

I just refrained from putting on Dig Out Your Soul by Oasis.

My #1 album of the year is still "Midnight Boom", as it was halfway through the year.

I'm really liking Paper Trail by T.I., it may make my list when I get around to sorting through everything.

I think the only new album I bought this year was "Float" from Flogging Molly

1. The Walkmen - You & Me
2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
3. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
4. Miniature Tigers - Tell it to the Volcano
5. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

I like a lot of those offered up so far. I'd also throw out the brand new Keane album (Perfect Symmetry), the Conor Oberst self-titled album, and tops on many lists is the Bon Iver album.

1. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
2. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
3. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
4. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
5. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

End of year list (not too far off from my October list, but with rankings, and a 6th & 7th choice!)

1) Midnight Boom - The Kills
2) Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
3) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
4) Attack & Release - The Black Keys
5) We Started Nothing - The Ting Tings
6) Santogold - Santogold
7) Skeletal Lamping - Of Montreal

In no specific order:

Death Cab for Cutie, Sigur Ros, Black Keys, MGMT and Lupe Fiasco (released end of Dec. 07)

My top five from the year that are in constant rotation in my car:

1) In Silico - Pendulum
2) Way To Normal - Ben Folds
3) Weezer - Weezer
4) Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie
5) Viva La Vida - Coldplay

I'd flip #'s 3 and 4, but otherwise I think you nailed it.

Is this better?

1. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
2. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
4. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
3. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
5. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

I'd say my final top five is the same as what I had in October. I've only listened to a few more albums since then, and even though I like the Oasis and Snow Patrol ones on initial listen-through... I haven't heard them enough yet.

I think it's still too early to call it. Something good might come out today or tomorrow.

I'm going with 10...

1. Hold Steady - Stay Positive
2. Drive-By Truckers - Beyond the Creation's Dark
3. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
4. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
5. No Age - Nouns
6. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
7. Walkmen - You & Me
8. Black Keys - Attack & Release
9. The Dexateens - Lost & Found
10. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins