My Favorite Records of 2008

Here is my top 15 of '08 list. This year was a little bit harder to make than last year since there were no albums of the same quality as Boxer or In Rainbows (in my opinion).

15. Lackthereof--Your Anchor
This is Danny Seim of Menomena's side project. I really like his voice--it kind of sounds like a deep Joel Hodgson (MST3k). Plus I found out that he listened to Carman and the Newsboys and crap like I did growing up.

14. The Notwist--The Devil, You + Me
This album is different than Neon Golden in that it requires a little more active listening.

13. Pattern Is Movement--All Together
I've enjoyed listening to this album. It seems like these guys put a lot of effort into their songs; the album is full of interesting rhythmic shifts and instrumentation. Does he really say, "Speak to me, Holy Spirit," in "Trolley Friend?"

12. Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire--Lost Wisdom
Phil's plaintive voice goes well with Doiron's, and the music supports them in an intimate and unassuming way.

11. Crooked Fingers--Forfeit/Fortune
To be honest, I was kind of pissed at this album until I heard "Modern Dislocation." That song made everything better. Then "Your Control" sweeps in afterward and puts this record on my "best of" list.

10. M83--Saturdays=Youth
We drove around town listening to this album quite a bit. There are a few cruddy moments here (spoken word is often not a good idea), but for the most part it is a good album.

9. Costa Music--Lighter Subjects
The vocals might turn a lot of people away from this album. The attention to detail, texture, and nunances that Costa puts into his music make it all work for me.

8. Wolf Parade--At Mount Zoomer
This is a record that some loved to hate in '08 (sorry bout that). I kinda did too, but then I got to the "take a dive" part of "Bang Your Drum," and my buzz was no longer harshed. Not all the songs are great, but I do like "Soldier's Grin," "The Grey Estates," and "Fine Young Cannibals" quite a bit.

7. Ra Ra Riot--The Rhumb Line
"Ghost Under Rocks" is my favorite song here, followed by "Each Year" and "Dying is Fine." These guys are kind of like a more accessible Sea Ray (who weren't that inaccessible either).

6. The Helio Sequence--Keep Your Eyes Ahead
The Helio Sequence is a talented/skilled duo making the kind of music I wish I could be making.

5. TV on the Radio--Dear Science
I'm not making an argument for the entire arc of rock music, but this band is fairly unique in the musical landscape right now. Check out "Family Tree" and "Golden Age."

4. No Kids--Come Into My House
"For Halloween" got me into this record. The male-female vocal interplay and good instrumentation are a couple of the strong points of this group. And "The Beaches All Closed" has a weird r&b feel to it that gets me.

3. Fleet Foxes--Fleet Foxes
Seeing some of their live performances online made me like this band more. Check out their performance of "English House" on Conan. I really like when all or most of the members of a band sing. Though "English House" does not appear on this full-length, there are plenty of songs of the same quality that do.

2. Bon Iver--For Emma, Forever Ago
I don't think I would've placed this so high on the list if I hadn't seen them play in Rock Island a few months ago, but this is a quality album.

1. Frightened Rabbit--The Midnight Organ Fight
Though the lyrics are problematic for me at times, I can't stop listening to this. Check out "Good Arms vs. Bad Arms" and "Fast Blood."

Honorable Mention:
-School of Seven Bells--Alpinisms
-Anathallo--Canopy Glow
-Department of Eagles--In Ear Park
-Vampire Weekend--Vampire Weekend