mgdistrict’s top albums and tracks of 2008
albums
5. Visiter by The Dodos
Just barely beating out You & Me by The Walkmen. Such an original and amazing release. No one else sounds like these guys (same could be said for The Walkmen, I suppose, and Vampire Weekend, for that matter). Punchy, rocking and intense. I love it.
4. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend
Hype schmype. You will be playing this record while you make potato salad for your kids in a summer vacation beach house one of these days, mark my words. And you know what? It will still be great. Best track: “Campus.”
3. Starfucker by Starfucker
By any objective measure, this should not be my type of music at all. In fact, I can easily see how some may find it obnoxious. But, man, I just love it. So infectious. It reminds me of the days when I couldn’t stop listening to Air. There’s something about electronic music that makes it automatically thematic for everything going on around you. I love that.
2. Viva la Vida by Coldplay
Bring on the hate. Come on, seriously. Bring it. This is an awesome record. Had they continued down the X&Y path, there would be no bigger detractor than me. But this is big, it’s grand. We still need rock albums like this. Coldplay at least had the guts (the ego?) to try to make it.
1. Here’s To Being Here by Jason Collett
It’s a testament to this album’s quality that it was released in early February and is still in heavy rotation in my music library, and not yet tired or old. I love Jason Collett’s voice, and the quality of songs on this album is remarkably consistent.
tracks
10. “Grapevine Fires” by Death Cab for Cutie
9. “Canadian Girl” by The Walkmen
8. “Walking” by The Dodos – If only for the string vibration at 0:03.
7. “Mississippi” by Bob Dylan
6. “Flume” by Bon Iver
5. “Grounds for Divorce” by Elbow
4. “Go Easy” by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – If only for the change at 2:20.
3. “The Rip” by Portishead
2. “Nothing to Lose” by Jason Collett
1. “Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay – What can I say? I’m a sap when all is said and done.
… and other good stuff from 2008
ALBUM The Good Life by Justin Townes Earle – Steve Earle’s kid put out a great country album this year that I highly recommend if you are looking for something a little less pressed-gray-slacks and a little more dirt-under-your-fingernails. Highly recommended: the brooding Civil War tale “Lone Pine Hill.”
ALBUM House With No Home by Horse Feathers – Was hooked at the first track. If you liked Bon Iver this year, I bet you will be too.
MUSIC VIDEO “Time To Pretend” by MGMT – Best. Video. Ever. HE RIDES A CAT.
NOVEL The Other by David Guterson – I was blown away by Snow Falling On Cedars years ago, but then disappointed by Guterson’s East of the Montains. This one reminded me how good he is. I hope he focuses more on novels in the future; his short stories aren’t his best work.
PODCAST Planet Money from NPR – Brilliant podcast and blog that is thrown together so ably by Adam Davidson, Laura Conaway and others, teaching you all you need to know about how the world as we know it is ending. I can’t recommend it enough.
CITY San Francisco. How come no one told me about this place? Jeez.
only 5 albums? let’s see 10, gallivan! nice lists. i enjoy your support of coldplay. also, san francisco is awesome, 2008 or not.
I had 10 lined up, but truthfully I thought it would have been stretching it into good-but-not-great territory. Partly my fault for not buying enough stuff, I guess, but overall I didn’t think it was that great a year. New ones from Death Cab, My Morning Jacket, Portishead, etc. were all just so-so to me.
I had no idea you liked Starfucker. That alone surprises me, but placing them in the top 5? Wow. Florida is definitely the best opening track of ‘08. No better way to kick off a night than by getting in the car and cranking that song. Even if the rest of the night sucks, that part was awesome.
Ditto with Hard Smart Beta. That almost made the top tracks list.