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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Best Music of 2008
2008 was a strange year in music for me. Perhaps it is my personal taste in music, but I did not find an album this year that absolutely captivated me. To be fair, experimental and folk music had great years within those genres, however my taste tends to gravitate away from those genres. For example Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes tended to top many critics list. I would not disagree that those are beautifully crafted albums with intricate melodies. I admit listening to the interplay between the guitars and vocals on the Fleet Foxes debut album, truly sounds elaborate and delicate. However, the slow sound of those albums begins to get grating after several listens.
Overall, electronic music did not impress me this year. Several albums were well crafted and made for good listens, but many did not push the genre further. Now, I am not one to say that music has to be completely new sounding, in order for it to be a great album. Yet, an album has to differentiate itself from previous similar sounding albums.
Now for my top 20 albums:
1. Dear Science by TV on the Radio
This album has the perfection combination of experimentation and accessibility. It defies the idea of a "rock" album. Using all sorts of different production methods, they blend in different instruments, vocals, and genres. Slower songs like "Halfway Home" and "Love Dog" are delicate and moving. Yet "Dancing Choose" is a fun uptempo song. TV on the Radio continue to push the envelope on what a genre means.
2. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
This album seems to be overlooked by many in the discussion of the top albums of the year. This to me is easily the most entertaining and interesting album to listen to from this year. Nick Cave is a master story teller, ranging on all sorts of topics. The Bad Seeds support Cave and his growling voice with a fun, Stooges sounding garage rock. In many regards, this album reminds me of The Hold Steady. The idea of stories told to rock music, however the biggest difference between why I love this album and am only a fair weather fan of The Hold Steady, is that there is more to this album than belonging to a typical bar band, in that this album is much more nuanced. Not only is this album exciting and daring, it is also touching and heartfelt.
3.The Week That Was
Another album that for some reason did not receive critical praise at the end of the year. This sounded like an album they had a lot of fun in making. Normally I am not one to praise an album based on the musicianship of a particular artist. With the production technology that is available today, poor musicians can have their flaws covered without anyone being able to tell the difference unless they have heard them live. Yet, on The Week That Was self titled album, there may be the most interesting drumming this side of Battles. The infectious beats coupled with well written songs make for a very pleasant listen. This is not an album that is trying to be different, rather it sounds like an average band comprised of average people doing what they like to do very well. A truly genuine album that I appreciate more, the more I listen to it.
4.Saturdays=Youth by M83
5.Hold On Now, Youngster... by Los Campesinos!
6.Made in the Dark by Hot Chip
7.The Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets
8. Santogold by Santogold
After six straight artists from overseas, Santogold is my second favorite release from the United States this year. Yet, strangely the best comparison to this album are M.I.A's "Arular" and "Kala." Santogold fuses together electronic, hip hop and ska music together. Though this album is a bit top heavy for my liking, those tracks of the top of this cd may be some of the best from this year. L.E.S Artistes blew me away this summer when I first heard it. Not only is it fun and very danceable, it intrigued mostly due to its innovative sound. It was a pop song, with only vague pop music references. It fused together the best elements of hip hop and electronic music and made for a very uninhibiting sound.
9. Alopecia by Why?
10. Tha Carter 3 by Lil' Wayne
My two favorite hip hop albums could not come from more different artists. The best way I can describe Why? is imagine Dr. Dre rapping over a Shins song. Witty lyrics to an indie rock song make for a very clever and original album. Lil' Wayne, makes the least sense to me. I have never felt so disconnected from another artists mindset than I am to Lil' Wayne. I can only assume what is going through Lil' Wayne's head, but he creates some of the more creative lyrics and obscure lyrics I have heard in a hip-hop album.
11. Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
12. Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles
13. Cut Copy
14. The Bug
These are my four favorite electronic albums of the year, as I do not count Hot Chip, TV on the Radio, M83 and Santogold as being exclusively "electronic". The problem that I have with MGMT, Crystal Castles, and Cut Copy is that their ablums were too uneven. All had their fair share of amazing songs, with my personal favorites being "Electric Feel", "Courtship Dating", and "Feel the Love" by the three respective artists. Yet there was some filler in all of those albums that prevented me from putting the albums higher on my list. The Bug was a more solid overall album, however the songs did not differentiate themselves enough from each other to be truly noticeable. I respect consistency, but I prefer more excitement.
15. The Cool by Lupe Fiasco
16.The Bake Sale by The Cool Kids
Both albums coming from hip hop artists from Chicago or as Lupe calls it "the best city in the whole wide, wide world",have a very traditional hip hop sound. The Cool Kids revert back to minimalist beats from the 80's very effectively, crafting fun songs about what they know. Lupe has more going on in his music and raps at a much faster pace than the Cool Kids but succeeds in creating various hit songs off the album.
17.Feed the Animals by Girl Talk
I've grown to respect Girl Talk (Greg Gillis) less and less the more I hear other mash up artists like E-603, the Hood Internet, and Ludachrist, yet I still prefer Girl Talk to these other artists. This is far and away the most entertaining album of the year and has something for everyone. I have heard this refered to as the "Family Guy" of music, bringing in as many pop culture referenes in as short amount of time as possible. This accounts for some very creative and often times even funny juxtapositions in the pop culture world. Girl Talk may not necessarily be an artist, but sometimes I don't need to listen to an artist.
18. Youth Novels by Lykke Li
19. You & Me by The Walkmen
20. Where You Go I Go Too by Lindstrom
Overall, electronic music did not impress me this year. Several albums were well crafted and made for good listens, but many did not push the genre further. Now, I am not one to say that music has to be completely new sounding, in order for it to be a great album. Yet, an album has to differentiate itself from previous similar sounding albums.
Now for my top 20 albums:
1. Dear Science by TV on the Radio
This album has the perfection combination of experimentation and accessibility. It defies the idea of a "rock" album. Using all sorts of different production methods, they blend in different instruments, vocals, and genres. Slower songs like "Halfway Home" and "Love Dog" are delicate and moving. Yet "Dancing Choose" is a fun uptempo song. TV on the Radio continue to push the envelope on what a genre means.
2. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
This album seems to be overlooked by many in the discussion of the top albums of the year. This to me is easily the most entertaining and interesting album to listen to from this year. Nick Cave is a master story teller, ranging on all sorts of topics. The Bad Seeds support Cave and his growling voice with a fun, Stooges sounding garage rock. In many regards, this album reminds me of The Hold Steady. The idea of stories told to rock music, however the biggest difference between why I love this album and am only a fair weather fan of The Hold Steady, is that there is more to this album than belonging to a typical bar band, in that this album is much more nuanced. Not only is this album exciting and daring, it is also touching and heartfelt.3.The Week That Was
Another album that for some reason did not receive critical praise at the end of the year. This sounded like an album they had a lot of fun in making. Normally I am not one to praise an album based on the musicianship of a particular artist. With the production technology that is available today, poor musicians can have their flaws covered without anyone being able to tell the difference unless they have heard them live. Yet, on The Week That Was self titled album, there may be the most interesting drumming this side of Battles. The infectious beats coupled with well written songs make for a very pleasant listen. This is not an album that is trying to be different, rather it sounds like an average band comprised of average people doing what they like to do very well. A truly genuine album that I appreciate more, the more I listen to it.4.Saturdays=Youth by M83
5.Hold On Now, Youngster... by Los Campesinos!
6.Made in the Dark by Hot Chip
7.The Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets
8. Santogold by Santogold
After six straight artists from overseas, Santogold is my second favorite release from the United States this year. Yet, strangely the best comparison to this album are M.I.A's "Arular" and "Kala." Santogold fuses together electronic, hip hop and ska music together. Though this album is a bit top heavy for my liking, those tracks of the top of this cd may be some of the best from this year. L.E.S Artistes blew me away this summer when I first heard it. Not only is it fun and very danceable, it intrigued mostly due to its innovative sound. It was a pop song, with only vague pop music references. It fused together the best elements of hip hop and electronic music and made for a very uninhibiting sound.9. Alopecia by Why?
10. Tha Carter 3 by Lil' Wayne
My two favorite hip hop albums could not come from more different artists. The best way I can describe Why? is imagine Dr. Dre rapping over a Shins song. Witty lyrics to an indie rock song make for a very clever and original album. Lil' Wayne, makes the least sense to me. I have never felt so disconnected from another artists mindset than I am to Lil' Wayne. I can only assume what is going through Lil' Wayne's head, but he creates some of the more creative lyrics and obscure lyrics I have heard in a hip-hop album.
11. Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
12. Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles
13. Cut Copy
14. The Bug
These are my four favorite electronic albums of the year, as I do not count Hot Chip, TV on the Radio, M83 and Santogold as being exclusively "electronic". The problem that I have with MGMT, Crystal Castles, and Cut Copy is that their ablums were too uneven. All had their fair share of amazing songs, with my personal favorites being "Electric Feel", "Courtship Dating", and "Feel the Love" by the three respective artists. Yet there was some filler in all of those albums that prevented me from putting the albums higher on my list. The Bug was a more solid overall album, however the songs did not differentiate themselves enough from each other to be truly noticeable. I respect consistency, but I prefer more excitement.
15. The Cool by Lupe Fiasco
16.The Bake Sale by The Cool Kids
Both albums coming from hip hop artists from Chicago or as Lupe calls it "the best city in the whole wide, wide world",have a very traditional hip hop sound. The Cool Kids revert back to minimalist beats from the 80's very effectively, crafting fun songs about what they know. Lupe has more going on in his music and raps at a much faster pace than the Cool Kids but succeeds in creating various hit songs off the album.
17.Feed the Animals by Girl Talk
I've grown to respect Girl Talk (Greg Gillis) less and less the more I hear other mash up artists like E-603, the Hood Internet, and Ludachrist, yet I still prefer Girl Talk to these other artists. This is far and away the most entertaining album of the year and has something for everyone. I have heard this refered to as the "Family Guy" of music, bringing in as many pop culture referenes in as short amount of time as possible. This accounts for some very creative and often times even funny juxtapositions in the pop culture world. Girl Talk may not necessarily be an artist, but sometimes I don't need to listen to an artist.
18. Youth Novels by Lykke Li
19. You & Me by The Walkmen
20. Where You Go I Go Too by Lindstrom
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