Top 10 Albums 2008
2008 has undoubtedly been a great year for bands and albums. We have discovered some amazing new talent, some great modern bands have reconfirmed their brilliance, and there have been some outrageous surprise packages. All in all, this has made it an incredibly hard task to come up with our favourite albums of this year, but after much deliberating, inner turmoil and coin-flipping we’ve locked them down - so here you have it: the AoTW Top Ten for 2008 (in no particular order)…Lets us know what your top albums of 2008 are!
Cut Copy / In Ghost Colours
[2008: Modular]
After four years of waiting - in the wake of their glittering debut Bright Like Neon Love, Cut Copy made their highly anticipated return this year with In Ghost Colours – a mix of psychedelic synths, rock guitars, classic pop riffs, and killer 90s dance beats culminating in a shimmering disco ball of party tunes for dancing to.
Vampire Weekend / Vampire Weekend
[2008: XL Recordings]
Vampire Weekend is a terrifically constructed package from start to finish: tight, succinct, clever, original and fun. Sure they were tarnished by being proclaimed an ‘It’ band early in the year by NME and the likes (a curse for any new band) but, for once, the hype was deserved. Vampire Weekend has track after track of jangly indie guitars interspersed with ripples of woodwind melodies, distinct afro-beat rhythms, and delightful lyrics. And props must go to the band for championing the nerdy-yet-dashing combination of oxford polos, smart loafers, pastel sweaters and spectacles.
Los Campesinos! / Hold on Now, Youngster...
[2008:Wichita Recordings ]
Hold on Now, Youngster... is an unrelenting musical hurricane that storms through the complexities and emotion of relationships in a madcap swirl of pounding glockenspiels, energetic guitars, infectious hand claps and the occasional flourish of horns. The seven person team making up Los Campesinos! play a myriad of instruments resulting in a crazed orchestral sound that is at once remarkable in its musicality but also completely lacking in pretention. This is joyous indie pop at its most sincere – a cacophony of voices, instruments and energy that engulfs you like a sweaty hug at a festival.
Fleet Foxes / Fleet Foxes
[2008: Sub Pop]
The Fleet Foxes sound is like the Beach Boys jamming with a chamber of Gregorian monks: summery folk-tinged pop songs laced with intoxicating harmonies and atmospheric reverb, so gentle they could belong in a church. A collection of songs as catchy as they are haunting, this year it was impossible not to fall for this album and this band.
TV on the Radio / Dear Science
[2008: 4AD]
Can Dave Sitek and his band of merry men do wrong? It doesn’t appear so. Dear Science is another beautifully visceral and intelligent record from TV on the Radio that refuses to be put in a category. From industrial guitar wall, to electronic jazz, to Prince-like power funk and hushed pop ballads, TVOTR have created a masterpiece of experimental music – but one that sounds entirely listenable and accessible. And they hang out with David Bowie. I’m kind of in love with them, actually.
Girl Talk / Feed the Animals
[2008: Illegal Art]
Please don’t get all up in my face just because I chose an album of - what are essentially - “mash-ups”. I couldn’t help it. This record blows my mind every time I listen to it: it is just so fun and so clever and so well done and so very, very good to dance to. I really like to turn it up loud at home and crump. And I can’t really crump because I’m extremely white, but sometimes I feel like I can crump when I listen to this. As a matter of fact, I’m crumping right now biatch.
Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke
[2008: Modular]
Kiwi Pip Brown’s alter-ego Ladyhawke created a dazzling and shameless homage to eighties-era synth-pop kitsch. You seldom come across a debut album where every song is a winner (The Strokes ‘Is This It’, Wolf Parade ‘Apologies to the Queen Mary’ make the cut), but by gosh she’s done it.
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
[2008: Inertia]
Devastating break ups have resulted in some truly beautiful records over the years, and Bon Iver’s stunning collection of stories about love, loss and regret is no exception. Understated, elegant and haunting: one man and some time alone in the mountains doesn’t often result in a work of art - usually it’s just a lot of masturbating and maybe some fishing.
Roots Manuva – Slime and Reason
[2008: Inertia]
Flying the flag for UK hip hop, Roots Manuva delivers his unique brand of grime, dubstep, outrageous beats, feral bass, dance floor tracks and honest raps in one of the most addictive hip hop records of 2008.
Diplo & Santogold – Top Ranking
[2008: Mad Decent] Last night I had a dream… I was in the world’s best night club: no line up, no cover charge, free drinks, dancing monkey’s behind the bar, and a giraffe in the bathroom (don’t even ask), hot people everywhere (I think I even saw Mary-Kate) and Diplo and Santogold were in charge of the tunes. Best night ever.
Honourable Mentions
MGMT, born ruffians, hercules & the love affair, black kids, glasvegas, little red, the herd, TZU,
dr. dog, CSS, nick cave & the bad seeds, wolf parade, my morning jacket, M83
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