Top 50 Albums of 2008: #9 & 10

10. TV On the Radio Dear, Science
People were probably thinking that TV On the Radio would have shifted towards the mainstream with their major label debut Return to Cookie Mountain but nothing could have been further from the truth. Instead the band crafted an album that was as weirdly catchy as anything they had done before. Amazingly it was their second major label record, Dear, Science , that was their most accessible and pop like record yet. But despite the shift to a more pop like sound TV On the Radio are not just selling out, instead they are pushing the boundaries of rock and pop pushing them close together and tearing down walls between genres. This record is all over the place in style and scope yet forms a cohesive whole unlike anything we've seen from the band yet. It proves that they are not willing to sit still, they will continue to grow and develop their sound, and they are absolutely fearless in trying new things. More bands could benefit from the daring TV On the Radio possess, but right now they are one of few that are truly progressing music to new heights.
TV On the Radio - "Golden Age"
TV On the Radio - "Family Tree"

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9. The Dodos Visiter
Visiter is one of those albums that crept up on me and took my by surprise. When it came out I found myself enjoying all the bombast of the percussion and the lush finger strumming found throughout the record. As it steadily climbed into my regular rotation I became more and more entranced by the graceful lyrics of the record and the way it all comes together over the course of the album. The kick off of the album is obviously the strongest part with the record's two strongest songs "Red and Purple" and "Fools" anchoring it, but as the record wears on the duo keeps experimenting with the structure of their songs and then starts alternating between the short flashes and long drawn out odes which has definitely been slept on a little bit in 2008. All-in-all this was one of my most played records of 2008 and I definitely see this staying in regular rotation for some time to come.
The Dodos - "Red and Purple"
The Dodos - "Jody"