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In no particular order... from left to right.
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
I was super disappointed The Jam's U.S. tour was canceled this year, especially because one of my friends and I had tickets and had been waiting for the concert for more than three months! So, this was kind of a consolation prize... The King of Mod still knows how to do his thing and shows no signs of the demise many aging rockstars face: self-parody. Solid.
The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
Stephin Merrit could sell me songs about nutrition labels, and I would still eat it all up. Merrit has got to be one of the best songwriters alive... This man has a knack for humorous and heartfelt self-deprication, what can I say.
Bon Iver - For Emma, From Forever Ago
I tend not to listen to Subpop Records' bands and musicians, but this was a beautiful and heartbreaking exception. No one will ever match Elliott Smith, but I found myself moved to tears by several songs on this record. Kind of an understated surprise, but a keeper.
Radiohead - In Rainbows
I don't even have to say anything about this, do I? I also got to see them at the Hollywood Bowl for the In Rainbows tour. It was actually a college graduation gift from one of my besties, and we also got the chance to meet up with Mike and Rob, two of my favorite neighbors from my senior year apartment complex. All in all, a really fantastic evening.
Kinky - Barracuda
These guys are fairly mainstream in the Latin American World, and it's totally well-deserved. This was definitely an album I could sit all the way through--or rather, dance all the way through!
Sebastian Tellier - Sensuality
Up till the release of the album, I was kind of convinced Sensuality would be a joke. I say this because the inspiration and general premise of this album is, I paraphrase, "the soundtrack to a 70's soft-core porn in space." I know, right? But as crazy as it sounds, the album sounds exactly like that, but rather than play into the obvious kitsch, Tellier is dead serious. It's aurally sensuous, but not at all lewd, like the description. If you want a general sense of where this album stands, think Air's Moon Safari.
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
My, oh, my. These boys are serious. This is actually a side project from two post punk bands from Manchester (The Artic Monkeys and another band that escapes my memory at the moment), and boy, is it not post punk. My first taste of this album was a link to one of their music videos, and I seriously thought it was a 60's group that I had never heard of (which was suspect...). You know how everybody and their moms love to name The Beatles as influences? These guys walk that talk. From a critical perspective, I have no hesitations in saying this is the best album of the year. You would not believe how much life they have injected back into the Britpop scene, which, as late, has been riddled with musically subpar bands that have basically been banking their careers on image.
Amuro Namie - Best Fiction
This is probably the only mainstream pop I am a fan of, much less listen to. Namie was all the rage when I was in middle school (I went to a predominately Asian American middle school), and while my favorite bands at the time were The Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine, I was so into trading mixed tapes of Namie and other Japanese popstars. Part of why I am still so into her music is because of these fond memories. I understand you're probably thinking, "Who?" Look her up on wiki or Youtube if you want more info, but basically, she's the reigning queen of "hip-pop" in East Asia.
MGMT - MGMT
The self-titled debut from two liberal arts college students who somehow realized they have a the same singular taste and vision in "psychdelic electropop." These guys were pretty hot this year, so I really don't have much to say because they speak for themselves. My favorite track is "Kids."
Grand Archives - Grand Archives Another self-titled debut.
Gorgeous baroque pop. I don't know how many times I spent nights in just reading and listening to "Sleepdriving" on repeat.
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colors
The second album from the "dance punk" lads of Australia. It's not as cohesive as Bright Like Neon Love, but definitely worth multiple spins.
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
These guys... I've got a fraught relationship with them. You may have noticed it by now, but I am serious about music. I take it personally. That said, I was so psyched to win free tickets (Thank you, UCLARadio!) to their show last year at The Roxy, only to find that the band treated their fans like scum the whole night. It was an awful experience, and my friend and I left before the night was even close to being over. I was not the biggest fan of their last album, Hissing Faunas, because while I was in the camp of fans that were supporting the bands forray into dance pop, it was intensely schizophrenic. Kevin Barnes came up with this whacky new stage persona, which, as this recent album confirms, is here to stay. That said, despite many critics giving this album terrible reviews, I find that the very things they criticize are actually the redeeming qualities. I mean, this album is SCHIZO. It's messy, it's all over the place, it makes no sense. But it finally sounds like the band has stepped it up: they no longer sound like a band trying to be something else--they are now what they set out to be. For better or worse, at the moment they are Oedipal, schizo, a little psychotic, insane and unabashedly licentious. It's an incredibly fun and bizarre album to sit through. "Id Engager" and "Plastis Wafers" for the win.
Ayaka - Sing to the Sky
An incredible talent. She is a Japanese singer-songwriter that has recently found chart-topping success, which is no small feat because Japanese pop charts are dominated by idols. I forgot what his name is, but a Sony BMG producer has been quoted as saying he's had the pleasure of seeing two legendary voices debut: Mariah Carey and Utada Hikaru. He added Ayaka to that list.
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Geez, this album was so big this year. Right before its release, Hot Chip played Coachella, and amazingly (well, not really, given the nature of early leaks on the internet...), everyone in attendance knew the lyrics and grooved right on beat. "Ready for the Floor" was the hot summer song hitting clubs all around the world this year (I think this is Hot Chip's "thing" now as their song "Over and Over" held this "title" back in 2006). One of my favorite reviews of this song talks about it having a specific chord change that somehow manages to uplift your soul. It's true. This song is an instant classic, not merely a summer hit.
M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Dripping with the love and angst of the best 80's teenage films about love and coming of age. The feeling of cold night air rushing through your hair while you drive through a brightly lit tunnel and through city lights. That's what this album sounds like. This French heart stopper has a lot more vocal work, but it is a welcome addition.
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo-Ha
This was the first album since a long hiatus, and it shows the Supergrass boys are still in fine form. "Whiskey and Green Tea" has got to be one of the best songs of the year, at least in my book!
Alright, enough of my prattling. Tell me what your favorites of 2008 are! You don't have to post any images--I just had this image made up for my personal blog.personal copy machines
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