I do this a lot, usually with music. You never know when someone will ask you what your favorite five records of the new millennium are (Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, Arcade Fire's Funeral, White Stripes' Elephant, Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head, and Beck's Sea Change are my current lineup, for the record.)
So now is the time of year when Top 5 lists (or Top 10, Top 50, Top 100, etc.) are most prominent - the end of the year. "Best of 08" lists are everywhere, ranking everything from the past year that we were all supposed to have loved. These lists will have you believe that their tops are the tops of the tops, and explain in convincing (and often arrogant) fashion that you've loved nothing unless you love what they love.
I used to get upset when I read these lists; I couldn't believe certain publications would have the audacity to leave certain things off their list, while putting others entirely too high. I'd argue and argue until I was blue in the face why they were wrong. Nowadays I don't let myself get too hot and bothered about it; their opinion is their opinion, that's fine. I will, however, still argue their selections. (Heretofore everything else mentioned is regarding music.)
For example, Pitchfork was way too obsessed with disco and dance this year. Rolling Stone had no business putting the Jonas Brothers in their Top 50. And Paste? Making She & Him's
Volume 1 Number 1 when few publications even had it on their radar? And putting TV on the Radio at Number 50? No excuses!
As always, I'm left to create my own "Top" list that rights the wrongs of the "professionals" (whose lists have been accumulated here.) And I'm doing it here because I don't get to do it in the newspaper anymore (RIP, Athens Insider.)
This year is an interesting year for me to pick a "Top" list for music, particularly because not a whole lot completely wowed me (except, of course, for this record.) Last year featured a solid batch that was really tough to choose from; of Paste's Top 25 records, I owned 16 of them. This year, I only own 11 of their Top 50. Alas, I shall try.
Without further ado, my 10 favorite records of 2008:
1. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago - We can all thank the ex-girlfriend of Wisconsin songwriter Justin Vernon for helping produce the best, most beautiful - and painful - record of 2008. As the story goes, after said ex-girlfriend (Emma?) broke up with Vernon, he retreated to a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin for a winter to create this heart-wrenching, epic confession. It's bare - mostly acoustic guitar and Vernon's sad croon - but the double-tracked vocals and layered harmonies build it into a strong stance of faith for Vernon, a proclamation that through the darkness of loss, there is still light on the other side. All I know is that if Vernon's rebound is this gorgeous, I can't wait to hear what he can create once reconciled from the loss.This choice is particularly bittersweet for me, considering I was supposed to see him live in Chicago tonight. Alas, money/stress/weather prevented that trip, and I'm left to wait anxiously for his next tour.
Best Track: "Skinny Love"
Sample Line: I tell my love to wreck it all/Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
For more: http://www.boniver.org
2. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes - The first sign that the full-length debut from Seattle's Fleet Foxes would be awesome is the album cover art - seriously, whoa. All medieval paintings aside, this 11-song affair harks back to the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young days of pretty, harmonized folk, as the five dudes (nay, foxes) supply airy, ethereal vocals atop stomping, minimal percussion and bouncy acoustic guitar. All in all it's cheery folk parading lyrics of fantastical imagery - and yet not nearly as jarring and nerdy as that would sound. No, this album is not going to rewrite the books on indie folk, but it is a refreshing take on folk of decades past, when soaring, harmonized vocals were all you needed to hook a listener.Best Track: "White Winter Hymnal"
Sample Line: Through the forest/Down to your grave/Where the birds wait/And the tall grasses wave/They do not/Know you anymore
For more: http://www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes
3. TV on the Radio, Dear Science - Back in 2006, TV on the Radio topped just about every "Best Of" list with their indie art-rock hit "Return to Cookie Mountain." While that record scored more points with critics than fans with its creative mix of electronics, noise, and rock 'n' roll, "Dear Science" brings it back to the catchy dance-rock we knew they had in 'em. Disguising political, satirical, and all-around down-trodden lyrics with upbeat rock and synthesized melodies, TV on the Radio here further the sexy new chapter of rock they're at the forefront of - indie dance-rock - while bringing it back a little closer to the fans who eat it up.Best Track: "Golden Age"
Sample Line: Give it up/'stead of grabbing for decay/What we viewed as gold/I believe pollutes this space/And its grace ascending/Like a snake up your tree/Up your happy ending understanding/All your supposed to be
For more: http://www.tvontheradio.com/
4. The Avett Brothers, The Gleam II - While this isn't a popular pick on "Best Of" lists this year (mostly because it's an EP bridging their last phenomenal record, "Emotionalism," with their next, untitled, Rick Rubin-produced effort) the second "Gleam" EP by North Carolina's Scott and Seth Avett had me listening more than almost every other record this year. It's a six-song collection of stripped-bare ballads, veering away from the bluegrass-punk the Brothers specialize in. What you have hear is not a sample of the Avett's down-South acoustic musical wizardry, but rather a showing of their extraordinary songwriting skills. A good sign of things to come.Best Track: "Murdered in the City"
Sample Line: Make sure my sister knows I loved her/Make sure my mother knows the same/Always remember there was nothing worth sharing/Like the love that let us share our name
For more: http://theavettbrothers.com/site.php
5. Sigur Ros, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - Prior to the release of this, Sigur Ros' fifth full-length (translation of title: "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly"), the word was out that they'd shifted musical directions. While the their previous work had been electric, ethereal soundscapes of epic proportions (not unusual for songs to wander past the 8 or 9 minute mark), this was to be their "indie rock" effort. While that's no more apparent than on opening track "Gobbledigook," with its acoustic-pop brevity (3 minutes!), most of the rest of the album does slide back into old Sigur Ros ways. Of course, that's hardly a negative thing; the warmth of the Icelandic band's soaring songs is always good for a soothing, introspective calm in my ears.Best Track: "Gobbledigook"
Sample Line: þú hatta fjúka lætur í loft/þú regnhlíf snú á hvolf allt of oft/ó nei, ekki, ó (don't worry, I don't know what it means either)
For more: http://www.sigurros.com/main/home/
6. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend - These Ivy League dudes were all the rage for about two weeks back in January, when they were ushed to forefront of the indie scene as the "next big thing." Of course, it's a ruthless indie world out there, and they were kicked to the curb shortly thereafter, having been dismissed as "sell-outs" at the hands of the blogosphere even before their superb debut LP was released. It was all very confusing, signaling the potential dangers of the blogging world in creating a monster out of something that shouldn't be. This record also introduced the indie world to the term "Afrobeat," supplying yet another word to the dictionary of overly abused genre descriptors. In the end, Vampire Weekend did make a really phenomenal record, and will probably rise again (with or without the bloggers.)Best Track: "Oxford Comma"
Sample Line: Why would you speak to me that way/Especially when I always said that I/Haven't got the words for you/All your diction dripping with disdain/Through the pain/I always tell the truth
For more: http://www.vampireweekend.com/
7. M83, Saturdays=Youth - French electronic artist Anthony Gonzalez provided this airy synth-pop addition to 2008, a bit more mainstream than his past works. While it still drowns in synth drones from time to time, it also includes more hooks and catchy melodies, like in single "Kim & Jessie." The sound is much more bright and optimistic than his previous records, but don't let it fool you - the lyrics are still hauntingly depressive.Best Track: "Graveyard Girl"
Sample Line: Death is her boyfriend/She spits on summers and smiles to the night/She collects crowns made of black roses/But her heart is made of bubble gum
For more: http://www.myspace.com/m83
8. Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight - Though this Scottish band has all of the elements needed to become the next Snow Patrol (full alt-rock sound with catchy hooks), they trash them in favor of self-deprecating laments and pessimistic tales about how poor the hand is that they've been dealt. Alas, with the world crashing down all around them, these Scots still manage to pull off a deceivingly uptempo record brimming even with a few dim signs of potential hope. It's as if no matter how many times they get knocked down, they begrudgingly force themselves to get back up again - if only for the sake of getting knocked down once again.Best Track: "The Modern Leper"
Sample Line: Is that you in front of me?/Coming back for even more of exactly the same?/You must be a masochist/To love a modern leper on his last leg/On his last leg For more: http://www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit
9. The Walkmen, You & Me - Mixing low-fi indie rock with garage blues, the latest from NYC's The Walkmen has a sexy sort of soul, passion, and desire rolled up into a burst of rock 'n' roll. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser's distinct warble wails over the simple instrumentation, driving an otherwise straightforward blues-rock record into classic indie rock territory.Best Track: "Red Moon"
Sample Line: The red moon is rising behind you/The ocean is pounding away/I held up a light to the smoke but/The redness blows it away/And the night is cold/And the clouds go by/Tomorrow morning/I hope to be home/By your side
For more: http://www.myspace.com/thewalkmen
10. Coldplay, Viva la Vida - Okay, I know this isn't exactly a trendy pick outside of the Grammy's/Rolling Stone/every layman music fan, but you have to hand it to Coldplay - they made a pretty good record to follow up their so-so "X&Y." After that record came across as a much-recycled version of their masterpiece "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Coldplay didn't stick to their over-played guns and keep on with the same; they figured out a way to change it up. Now, I'm still weary of what Coldplay has become (success has gone to their heads; Chris Martin may or may not be turning into a wacko), but "Viva la Vida" was an incredibly fresh and enjoyable record. Best Track: "Lost!"
Sample Line: Just because I'm hurting/Doesn't mean I'm hurt/Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserve/No better and no worse/I just got lost/Every river that I've tried to cross/And every door I ever tried was locked/Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off...
For More: http://www.coldplay.com/
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