Top New Albums of 2008 (In no particular order after the first one):
Fleet Foxes - "Fleet Foxes"
I should begin by admitting that nothing endears an artist to me like a good live performance. (This is why I can stand to listen to Les Savy Fav.) Conversely, a bad performance is why I no longer listen to Vampire Weekend and why they will not make this list, even though I had their album in heavy rotation when it first came out. So, I must confess that the Fleet Foxes gave one of the best live shows I saw all year, but my love for them started before that show and has continued long after.
For me, this album is hard to describe. I want to call it beautiful and complex simplicity, but the contradiction in that statement overwhelm the point I am trying to make. What made this album stand out was the way in which the layers of sound and harmonies never detracted from the simple elegance of the melodies and lyrics. Hence, the round of "White Winter Hymnal" and the bareness of the end of "Oliver James" are equally exciting. Of all the new albums in 2008, this will be the one to get the most repeats in 2009.
The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive"
The best thing about The Hold Steady is that their songs have both lyrical depth and a quality of outright fun catchiness that make them easy to listen to in any context. This album has sing-alongs ("Sequestered in Memphis") as well as tenderness ("Lord I'm Discouraged"). The only problem I have with it is that I'm usually tired out after rocking to the first four or five songs that I rarely make it through the whole album. Also they are Twins fans and are playing at a Cubs' sponsored concert, which are major points against the band.
TV on the Radio - "Dear Science"
With this album, TVOTR deftly combined the moments of pop rock bliss and quirky weirdness that divided their last album, "Return to Cookie Mountain," into an amazingly catchy, but slightly strange, record from top to bottom. This album remains so good that it has yet to make it from my car into my apartment so that I could copy it onto my iPod. My car stereo just will not give it up. "Dear Science" is the perfect car dancing album because the catchy beats never stop, regardless of the tempo of the song.
The Black Keys - "Attack and Release"
From the opening riff to the album's closer, this album just flat out rocked hard (please excuse all the cliches...this is my first try at blogging). Using (basically) nothing more than a guitar and a drum kit this duo released one of the tastiest rock records around and avoided falling into the trap of sounding repetitive on every song, which is the major fault of most other so called rock bands recently. While some credit should be given to the producer, Danger Mouse, for this, the songs translated so well into a live setting that The Black Keys deserve most of the accolades for this work.
Honorable Mentions (See, I told you there were few albums I liked this year):
My Morning Jacket - "Evil Urges"
This release had a few outstanding songs ("Evil Urges" and "I'm Amazed"), but it mostly fell flat. This one also has not made it onto my iPod, mostly because the majority of it does not need to be on in.
Girl Talk - "Feed the Animals"
While not as revolutionary as "Night Ripper," this mash-up mixtape on steroids still delivered. Unfortunately, in a year when contemplative music dominated my ears, this album, good as it was, never got heavy rotation.
So, while I could stretch out my list by including other bands I dabbled in this year, like MGMT and No Age, the rest of my 2008 "playlist" revolves around older music.
Bob Dylan - "The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live, 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert"
Okay, I could write pages and pages about Dylan (I did actually), but this album stands out as my favorite of his that I discovered this past year. This album catches Dylan in transition, trying to ditch the acoustic corner he felt trapped and adopting a harsh, electric, loud sound. For me, Dylan has become a foundation for how I listen to other music.
Wilco - Their entire discography
Again, I don't want to write a lot about Wilco because I could write about every song they've recorded. At times this past year, their music became the soundtrack to my every move. I listen because the songs are enjoyable, but I also listen because they speak to me and have become a part of my character. I imagine that this is how some feel about bands like The Greatful Dead, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.
Woodie Guthrie - "The Asch Recordings"
Besides Dylan, Guthrie was the biggest musical revelation I had this past year. He should be recognized in the pantheon of American musicians, but unfortunately I think he tends to get overlooked. His music taught me that you should always speak your mind and never be afraid of going against the grain. Too bad most people just remember "This Land is Your Land."
In the next few weeks I hope to get to listen to a few albums I know I missed out on this year and maybe one of them will crack this list, but for now this post encapsulates what made my ears happy in 2008.
