Listmania: My Top 30 Albums in 2008
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Three consecutive nights of sauna and ice-swimming back home in Finland over the Christmas holidays helped me clear my head about the year in music. 2008 was by no means a great year and some of the current fads leave me utterly cold. Even so, plenty of pretty good stuff found its way to my ears. I count having listened to 109 albums released this year. Here's my top 30 from that bunch. (The ordering is only rough, as it's some non-algorithmic function of: what appealed to me; what I listened to a lot; what I thought was original, interesting, beautiful, or noteworthy in some well-trodden genre; and what I judged to have high musical quality even if I myself didn't quite get passionate about it.) I wish I had the time and concision to add the sort of rapid commentary that you'll find in Dale's end-of-year list, but alas... Happy New Year to all, and let's hope that 2009 will be a smashing year in music!
1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
2. Fucked Up - Chemistry Of Common Life
3. Deerhunter - Microcastle
4. Pete & The Pirates - Little Death
5. For Against - Shade Side Sunny Side
6. TV On The Radio - Dear Science
7. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
8. No Age - Nouns
9. Foals - Antidotes
10. Dungen - 4
11. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
12. The Duke Spirit - Neptune
13. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
14. Wild Beasts - Limbo, Panto
15. Murder By Death - Red Of Tooth And Claw
16. Parts & Labor - Receivers
17. The Kills - Midnight Boom
18. The Week That Was - The Week That Was
19. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
20. Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista
21. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
22. The New Year - The New Year
23. Blackstrap - Steal My Horses And Run
24. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
25. Secret Shine - All Of The Stars
26. White Denim - Exposion/Workout Holiday
27. Love Is All - A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night
28. Jaguar Love - Take Me To The Sea
29. Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw
30. The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
Comments (12)
Nice list! I actually saw White Denim live and they were really fun, but for some reason I've yet to listen to the album... strange...
Thanks, Stefan. I really liked White Denim live. The album could have been great, but takes a few wrong steps.
Pekka, this is another bad-ass list. i've just started listening to Fucked Up (which i got because you kept posting about them ;d) and No Age and i'm really excited. i love Neptune and i'm glad to see Love Is All here. still undecided about Bon Iver but like it a lot. i don't know New Year and only vaguely know Jaguar Love - more stuff to discover!
a lot on here I like, even more I have to listen to. Great list
I've heard 5 of these: Deerhunter, Foals, Bon Iver, The Duke Spirit and The Kills - and liked 'em all.
Heh, that's me, I'm all about consicion. It helps that I've been on vacation since last week.
Sure enough, lots of crossover between our lists, which leaves me a few albums to check out. Sure wish your #2 could have picked a more family-friendly name, I've heard nothing but good about them. Oh well.
thanks pekka, you just added to my shopping list of tunes to check out.
Over 2 new albums a week! I know most of us on Mog are doing the same, but it is really too much to take in, especially when you think about all the albums you have got in the past and had to play 5 or 6 times before you got into it....I'm as guilty as anyone else for chasing the next big thing, but sometimes I think, why?
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...anyway all the best for 2009 for you and yours!
Poe: Thanks! I thought Jaguar Love made a better dance-punkish record than Friendly Fires, which isn't bad but just hasn't grabbed me that much. You might find New Year a bit of a doozy: it's not like the world needs another Kadane brothers (ex-Bedhead) record, but this one, their third under the New Year moniker, is nearly as strong as the first, which was very strong indeed. Bon Iver isn't quite worth the hype, but serenely beautiful all the same. I thought No Age really improved on Weirdo Rippers with Nouns and they were loads of fun live.
Kev: I just wish I knew the stuff on your list better!
Darla: It sounds like I'd probably like stuff you liked but doesn't show up on my list. Let me know if there's any such!
Dale: Ah well, we'll call them [Sorry Dale]d Up :)
Jameson: Thanks, let us know your recs!
Neill: And likewise! I couldn't claim to have listened to all of the 109 5-6 times. Sometimes one or two listens is quite enough, but it's true that slow growers run the risk of going underappreciated. With the benefit of hindsight, I'd revamp the ordering from my last year's list here and there.
Great list. I totally missed the boat on For Against, which is ridiculous -- the AMG review mentions Comsat Angels, The Sound, Section 25 and Joy Division. I should have been all over that! Will definitely pick that up.
Scads of good ones on there, Pekka (including five of my utmosts from the past year - although, in keeping with my no-list dictum, I won't say which ones). And a few that I should sample. As ever, great to get a dispatch from the chainsaw. All the best in 2009, wherever you happen to roam!
New Year is the Kadane brothers (again)? i'm in!