Josdigital’s Favorite Albums of 2008

Late again and another year past. I wish for a new blog design this year, if I can schedule in the time with my overall laziness.

I put a lot of thought into the list. The top five was just following my gut instinct, while anything below the top ten was a real struggle.
Even though 2008 was definitely not the best year in music (sorry haters), I had a harder time sorting these out than in my 2007 list. Mainly because I unexpectedly had a lot of new discoveries genre wise.

I like all things dark, moody and restless both visual and audible. It hopefully shows in my list that those aren’t boundaries I stay true to. I live and breathe music, to make a bold statement. I’ll gladly make another. This year’s pop is the new indie rock, thank you very much.

According to my Last.fm statistics, my favorite last year’s albums THIS year are Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House.
I obviously can’t include every album I’ve listened to, or could I have listened to enough music to call it the ‘best of the best’. These are the albums I’ve enjoyed the most, were the most memorable and were just plain awe-inspiring.

So here we go. And thanks for reading my blog this year.

1. M83 – Saturdays=Youth

Without a doubt my most played and favorite record of the year. I’m a longtime M83 fanatic and I had no difficulty placing this piece of pure brilliance at the #1 spot. It must have short-circuited a chord in my brain cause my obsessive compulsive behavior made me play it every car ride at the time of release, and I drive a lot.
I always associated M83 albums with big epic music, which it still is but in a less obvious and more concentrated degree. After Stereogum premiered the glorious electronic shiver “Couleurs” on their blog, Anthony Gonzales’ latest effort was both my most surprising and most anticipated. He succeeded in adding another masterpiece to his already great discography with the revival of shoegaze and his teen aspirations in mind.

The nostalgic feel for the 80’s is what French musician Anthony Gonzalez inspired on this record. An ode to the ever great John Hughes films and the birth of electronic synths. The album cover really describes it best.
The album is full of breathy Kate Bush like vocals, melodic guitar riffs and echoed-up drums, just that classic 80’s sound with a modern electronic touch. Electro pop or shoegaze with a repetitive ending chorus for each song that doesn’t get tiresome, on the contrary, it just gives it that extra layer of power which makes it that bit more spectacular. -previously featured

MP3: M83 – We Own The Sky

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2. TV on the Radio – Dear Science

Without a doubt Brooklyn-based art rock band TVOTR’s third album received a lot of fans new to the genre and to the band, with a more poppish aspiration while remaining the ‘weird guys’ they are.
TVOTR’s previous, “Return to Cookie Moutain”, gradually opened my eyes in 2006 as being my dive into the experimental rock scene. I found them exactly to my likings: dark and sombre melancholy, deeply layered heavy rock while pushing boundaries in it’s genre. I guess there will be none like it.
But Dear Science heads it’s own course with (more) catchy, joyous and uplifting work. It’s a balancing act of fast and slow-paced songs and it sounds great, come sing along.

MP3: TV on the Radio – Dancing Choose

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3. Portishead – Third

It’s a surprising thing to see the most revolutionary and most influential band in its genre, come up with a completely different, quite possibly revolutionary too, album after a decade of musical silence.
Psychedelic rhythmic, even industrial rock wouldn’t come to mind when thinking about Portishead, but add a dark feel or tone and it immediately becomes a bit clearer that the band I’m talking about didn’t loose what made them great.
After an 11 year long hiatus they sound darker, more aggressive and aside from Beth Gibbon’s quivering vocals, nothing like their previous two albums, which I’ve learned to appreciate, even though I never was a big trip-hop fan.
The album haunts me and draws me in by just thinking about it. Highly recommended and be aware to be addicted to this dark, heavy experimental rock and electronic act.
Definitely check The Rip below, arguably the best song of the year.

MP3: Portishead – “The Rip”

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4. Deer Hunter – Microcastle

I’ve never been a huge Deerhunter fan in the past, or a fan of the folk rock genre for that matter, but Microcastle changed my whole listening experience.
You could say that this is more of an ambient sounding record, drowning in 60’s pop and garage influences. But even though the songs are pretty great on their own with the speakers turned up, it’s probably better as one whole experience.
With Bradford Cox’s dreamy vocals and atmospheric sound, the music flows nicely through quieter more hypnotic moments to grungy smashing guitars fading into outer space at the end.
Cox’s voice will stay with you, and carry you. It’s emotive, breathtakingly beautiful and if you have not heard this album, you should immediately. Spacey dream-pop territory.

MP3: Deerhunter – Little Kids

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5. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

This album has been force fed to me by them blogs as an indie folk rock album. At first I was protesting, but after the attention faded, I had a sort of tendency toward these silky-smooth songs.
Knowing that this is their debut is as incredible as listening for the 15th time in a row. Rarely have I witnessed such beauty from a band I (still) know so little about. Their heavenly narrative vocals combined with at most it’s isolated instrumentation reveal such gorgeous harmonies, it’s a perfect suit for any seasonal condition.
The album I never bothered to investigate came out to be a wonderful surprise. It’s only right that Fleet Foxes deserves the #1 spot on most lists this year. Don’t miss out.

MP3: Fleet Foxes – He Doesn’t Know Why

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6. Sigur Rós – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust

Compared to their previous work, shorter bursts of swelling beauty are key here. With the likes of bombastic ‘Gobbledigook’, this album shows us that the weird Icelandic boys can do more than create slow-paced atmospheric landscapes.
They still are what we’re used to. Greatly produced, well-examined arrangements with Jonsi’s beautiful ‘falsetto’ voice smeared on top. Sending shivers down your spine when the climaxing moment comes up in ‘Ara Batur’ after an 8min build up is what they do, such great energy.
To me a Sigor Ros album never gets tedious and certainly not this one, therefore extending their impressive discography the band has produced in the past decade.
Translates to “With Buzzing in Our Ears We Play Endlessly”, which is fitting. It feels like they could go on forever.

7. Flying Lotus – Los Angeles

I never really got into LA based (obviously) Steven Ellison’s 1983. FlyLo’s jump to the Warp label opened my eyes to this wonderful piece of instrumental wizardry.
While the huge basslines with cracks and whistles develops a hypnotic hazy feel, it’s subtle differences and slightly off time percussion creates an organic soundscape which is best experienced with a vivid imagination to the visually unknown. It’s psychedelic, hypnotic and highly addictive electro-hop with subtlety.
A killer album you shouldn’t miss.

8. Air France – No Way Down

I usually don’t include nor do I listen to much EPs, but this was such a revelation to me that I’m easily willing to break that rule. A composition of warm synths and electric pianos make up this astonishing piece of imaginary fairytale.
It feels like you’re floating on a soft breeze of air throughout the whole album, like that kite on the album cover. Smooth laid-back electronica from a debuting Swedish duo got my eye out for a full-length hopefully in the near future. Charming.

9. Chairlift – Does You Inspire You

Generally speaking the large majority of debut album releases are the most original in a band’s career. Judging on how much I loved it, I fear that this will also apply to Chairlift.
Knowing that the band originally formed to create background music for haunted houses gives a better idea on what they do. Although less creepy and more ambiance, they create a certain atmosphere.
The album covers mostly emotional moody slow-burners with dramatic and dark sounds, dream pop if you will. While a few incredibly uplifting tracks counter weigh a very diverse feel good listening experience.
With the exception of their most accessible ‘Bruises’ track featured on some kind of Apple ad, this is probably 2008′s most overlooked album. Not to me, I love it.

10. Gang Gang Dance – Saint Dymphna

Saint Dymphna sounds as eclectic as their album cover is. A spectacular rollercoaster ride through danceable electronic songs with diverse sounds, noise rock and far-ranging musical influences. It’s a collage of sounds with broad tastes and a very bombastic effect, combined with bits and pieces of reggae, grime and dubstep. Something completely different than anything you’ve ever heard. Quite a head trip.

11. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

Much acclaimed and hyped to the bone, but well deserved nonetheless. Drowning in Afro-pop influences, these highly educated New Yorkers succeeded in making the perfect feel good album, it’s hummable and easy to love, forward thinking and instantly catchy, infectious and addictive.
I find myself instantly happier.

12. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing

A superficial inexperienced listener would probably conclude this as a bunch of electronic noise. True, but way more than that. It’s a concept that requires your full attention from start to finish to be able to fully enjoy its power. It’s enlightening to hear all the dense arrangements being used in such a repetitive way and still feel completely organic, even when a wall of noise covers up its subtle differences and smooth transitions. It’s chaos, but painfully hypnotic.
Plus I read that they use a Game Boy and a Fisher Price microphone on stage, now that’s beyond just weird.

13. Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair

Hearing that this album was disco influenced was a total turn off for me, so I gradually avoided it. But after hearing “Blind” multiple times on the radio I realized what a greatly structured song it was. 45 minutes of smooth disco era rhythms mixed with trumpets, a lot of bass guitar play, electronic gitter and a very eclectic sounding voice.

14. Paavoharju – Laulu Laakson Kukista

This is the perfect laid back experience on a lazy sunday afternoon with a hot cup of joe. Completely electronically generated, it induces a lot of southern and east-european vibes without making it sound too distant. Took me a few listens to fully enjoy all the mysterious sounds, weird noises, relaxing vibes. It really makes your mind at ease.

15. Q-Tip – The Renaissance

It’s great to see Kamaal back on the top of his game after years of struggle with his label to release ‘Kamaal The Abstract’. He’s bursting with energy and optimism, as if he never left his Tribe roots or the boom bap era.
This is the perfect feel good soundtrack for ear buds while walking or to do something active on, whether it is the soulful Dilla produced ‘Move/Renaissance Rap’ or the incredibly catchy self produced ‘Manwomanboogie’. There’s something to his flow that’s very dynamic and smooth, a wonderful surprise after a long hiatus, an instant classic which I’ll be spinning for years to come.

16. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park

Grizzly Bear’s smooth and organic arrangements on ‘Yellow House’ was a revelation to me this year.
In it being compared to ‘In Ear Park’ by intuition solved my mysteries, hearing that Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen is accountable for its greatness.
Its most elegantly placed melodies is a meditation to make your mind at ease. It’s heaven on earth.

17. Black Milk – Tronic

With all the indie rock and laid-back electronica I’ve been spinning this year, it feels good to know that I regularly enjoy an indie hiphop album too. Black’s choices in production range from 80′s electronica influences on ‘Hold it Down’ to soulful (dare I say Dilla-like) sample based transformations on ‘Try’.
I haven’t listend to his previous ‘Popular Demand’ as much, but you immediately notice that Curtis Cross is more focussed here than ever. It’s a solid record with explosively original beats, hard-hitting drums and electro-infused grooves.

18. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak

I told myself to write about the album and forget about the rest, but I kinda have to.
I almost feel bad for his 808s live performances, but despite all controversy and the “love-to-hate” or “hate-to-love” relationship, I still like most of these songs.
At first it sounds painstakingly obvious and minimal, but repeated listens reveal layers of delicacy, intense power and heartfelt emotion. Moody easy listening melancholy that grows on you.
There’s no denying that Ye overused the vocoder to cover up his short comings, but he’s doing what he wants sonically, in his heart, against the grain and unmistakeably delivers a fresh approach to experimental hip-hop(ism).
In short, taste is subjective. I like it. And despite all the commotion he’s caused, once again, you’ll probably end up liking it anyway too.

19. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

With 3 smashing pop singles in the charts, this was unquestionably the year of the MGMT hobbits. There’s a reason why. It’s catchy as hell, melodic and their music is the right amount of eclecticism for mainstream audience.
Oracular Spectacular emits warmth, while their 70′s vibe penetrates deep charming echos in our eardrums. Top Notch.

20. Clark – Turning Dragon

Clark’s album art freaks me out and so does his music, in a good way I mean. Unlike his acclaimed and well received previous effort Body Riddle, which was smooth laid back electronica, this album hits hard and full of angst. I’m not a techno guy but it’s hooks are catchy, well-formed, and even when not listening I still fear the bird that is Turning Dragon. Creepy delicious.

Lindstrøm – Where You Go I Go Too

Where You Go I Go Too induces us into an epic journey of glorious electronica. 55 min and 3 songs of stretchy disco-era vibes, composed in a way that seems effortless and natural.

The Cool Kids – The Bake Sale

The Cool Kids rap about what they know. Simple as. Those things: trainers, bikes, their neighbourhood, the little bits of bling they’re presently hot on, Street Fighter and SEGA, ill-fitting pants, their other songs, themselves. -DrownedinSound.com

The Cool Kids don’t take themselves too seriously, a breathe of fresh air to the hiphop scene.

Lykke Li – Youth Novels

There’s a lot of criticism on Li, but being a 22 year old Swedish songwriter singing in English is excusable for limited lyrical content. She makes joyful dance-rock, has a good ear for melody and a lot of originality for a debuting artist. She’s the perfect example to what Sweden has to offer a this time, the Swedes just know how to make good pop music.

Ratatat – LP3

LP3 is a fun, easy going, electronic joint that does not bore. Jammed with electronic guitar riffs and smooth transitions, the album sounds very poppish (aka just the way “I” like it) and wouldn’t be what you’d think after a killer intro like ‘The Shiller’.

Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles sounds like an epileptic version of the 1983 arcade game it was based on, 8-bit sounds recreated directly from such games and high pitched vocals with a heavy bassline to counterweight. It’s chaotic, all over the place and provocatively surreal, but oh so irresistible.

Sebastien Tellier – Sexuality

What can I say, super smooth synth pop by Paris’ sexiest.

Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

I enjoyed this album more that I thought was possible. Ant crafted some very mellow, fun and uplifting beats, while Slug tops it off with very intuitive narration, giving you a piece of good advice on each track.

Daedelus – Love to Make Music To

An extremely fun listening experience, but I think that the album is conceptually incoherent, lacks focus. Mainly because the jump from song to song is different in style. In fact, the sequencing order changed just before it was released, indicating uncertainty on Daedelus’ part. I largely think of it as a collection of great songs.
It’s fun.

Koushik – Out My Window

Apparently the Stones Throw signed Canadian’s 2005 album, ‘Be With’, which I adored tremendously more, was just a collection of singles and this is his debut. Conceptually stronger and more structured, this album has a lot of similarities to last year’s psych pop spectacle, Andorra by Caribou, but more beat oriented and diverse. Not nearly as deep though, but its disorientating relaxing vibes are groovy as hell nonetheless.

Atlas Sound – Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel

A lot of my thoughts from Bradford Cox’ other band, Deerhunter, which is stationed at #4, also apply to Atlas Sound. But where Microcastle flows through quieter more hypnotic moments to grungy smashing guitars, Let the Blind remains in its spacious dream-pop mood and feels more wildly improvisational.
I think my main problem was that Deerhunter left such an impression on me that my attention was solely dedicated to the late ‘Microcastle’ this year. Incredibly gorgeous and calming tunes nonetheless.

Scarlett Johansson – Anywhere I Lay My Head

This was an introduction to Tom Waits for me, so I have no opinion on how well in transpires to him. All songs are very great and Scarlett’s syrupy sweet voice sounds tasty.

Santogold – Santogold

Hailed as the future of pop music, revolutionary, even the next M.I.A., is obviously all overrated.
I agree, it’s a hell of an album, relatively flawless, but in spite its sequencing sing-along hooks and her electro-pop, rock, punk, reggae influences, she remains a little too raw and noisy for my taste.
Ms. White does prove she’s more than an imitator in style and attitude of the famous Sri Lankan from last year.

High Places – High Places

Stand-out track ‘From Stardust’ is amazing, the most melodic thing through all cluttered Afro-esque percussion and airy vocals. Powerful, but hard to grasp and hardly enjoyable on first listen.

Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter III

It’s a great album, enjoyed listening trough it a couple of times, but I can’t really judge subjectively cause I really hate the guy. I remember his Cash Money days and the goofy faces he made in every single music video. But I guess that’s excusable as an 18 year old youngster dragged in by ‘the game’, or whatever.
However Carter 3 is clever, over-the-top egocentric and in-your-face outrageous. It’s essential for your pop-cultural well being and you’ll have a blast listening.

The Streets – Everything is Borrowed

Conceptually, I like this album more than their previous. But there are two things that bother me. I aspire their ability to create very simple, almost child-like melodies while retaining strong song structure, but it’s not my musical taste. The second thing is Mike Skinner singing those melodies, period. There are a few standout tracks though.

The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing

Radio friendly, infectious and catchy, but instead of growing toward, it looses focus after a couple listens.

Indecisive, overlooked or a total disappointment:

• Beck – Modern Guilt
• Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
• Sia – Some People Have Real Problems
• Coldplay – Viva La Vida
• Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
• Mars Volta – Bedlam in Goliath
• Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty
• Gotye – Like Drawing Blood
• Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind
• Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
• Immortal Technique – The 3rd World
• Beach House – Devotion
• Illa J – Yancey Boys
• Why – Alopecia
• No Age – Nouns
• The Walkmen – You & Me

Coming next year: ‘Josdigital’s Favorite Albums of 2009′! What do YOU think?