Favorite 2008 Music

Posted On January 2, 2009

This isn’t everything that I purchased in the past year, but the albums that I really enjoyed and kept on my mp3 player for quite a while before moving something else onto it.

Best of the Best

#1

kingsofleon_onlybythenight1

Artist: Kings of Leon
Album: Only By the Night
Released: September 23, 2008

I don’t think it is a shocker for anyone that was in my vicinity when “Sex on Fire” came out that this would be my choice for number one album of the year. I found quite a few songs that were my current favorite song for a few weeks throughout the year, but I was obsessed with this one when it came out. I played the video non-stop on YouTube, just waiting for the album to be released. Luckily, I found the rest of the album just as great, bought all their past albums and then saw them live. It was one the best live shows I have ever been to so good thing that song came out.

Best Tracks:

  • Sex on Fire
    [myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=41543343&searchid=34f634d2-13e0-4006-a42a-efa85778f20d[/myspace]
  • I Want You
  • Closer
  • Revelry
  • 17
  • Use Somebody
    [myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=45792329[/myspace]
  • Cold Desert

#2

tvontheradio_dearscience1

Artist: TV On the Radio
Album: Dear Science
Released: September 23, 2008

TV On the Radio are a hard band to get into. I love their songs, but they aren’t very accessible. Some of their other albums are a little too much the definition of art rock. I think this is their most accessible album. There are a lot dancier, plus they have a lot of beautiful slower songs on the album too.. It is just a really good album and I’m very happy that Rolling Stone named it the album of the year, even if I didn’t. 🙂 As you can tell below, I have a hard time picking a favorite song. I almost put them all down.

Best Tracks:

  • Shout Me Out
  • DLZ
  • Dancing Choose
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7mMoc-x_v0&feature=channel[/youtube]
  • Golden Age
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0gghjczAt0[/youtube]
  • Family Tree
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkjsBTf21FY[/youtube]
  • Crying
  • Lover’s Day

#3

mymorningjacket_evilurges

Artist: My Morning Jacket
Album: Evil Urges
Released: June 10, 2008

I had heard about them for years, but they seemed to be too much on the alt country side of rock for me so I avoided them. I fell in love with “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Part 2” so I just bought the album and found it to be such a strange mix of everything. There are the rocking songs like “Touch Me”, followed by the Prince-sounding songs, like “Highly Suspicious”, and then there are the straight-sounding country songs that I actually grew to like. Me, like country? Impossible!

Best Tracks:

#4

coldplay_vivalavida

Artist: Coldplay
Album: Viva La Vida
Released: June 17, 2008

I really seem to like every other Coldplay album a lot more than the other ones. I found their first album, Parachutes, pretty good. I could not stop playing A Rush of Blood to the Head. I never fully got into X&Y, but loved this latest album right off the bat. It is very similar to their second album where I can’t stop listening to it and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get sick of it.

Best Tracks:

  • Violet Hill
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBeAP8EZ9Lc[/youtube]
  • Viva La Vida
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5TNK-TvIcI[/youtube]
  • 42
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNi26ieYmlA[/youtube]
  • Lovers in Japan
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYyN935tN7A&feature=related[/youtube]

#5

cutcopy_inghostcolours

Artist: Cut Copy
Album: In Ghost Colours
Released: April 9, 2008

I found them by going from eMusic recommendations based on other stuff that I liked. It was a great recommendation. I found out that I love this synth-pop band from Australia that sounds like they are right out of the ’80s. I still think any of their songs could be on a movie soundtrack from that decade. When I first heard it, I didn’t think it had a lot of substance, but it was fun to listen to. I have found that I am still listening to it almost every day months after I purchased it, so it seems to hold up. It just really makes me happy to listen to while I am at work.

Best Tracks:

#6

mgmt_oracularspectacular

Artist: MGMT
Album: Oracular Spectacular
Released: January 22, 2008

They are a couple of young guys that sound much older due to their influences. They sound like a mix of Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd and Talking Heads. Their songs are pretty varied so I was surprised while listening to it on shuffle on my Ipod that I would look down and find out some songs were by them since I didn’t even recognize it to be the same band.

Best Tracks:

Almost Perfect

#7

blocparty_intimacy

Artist: Bloc Party
Album: Intimacy
Released: October 28, 2008

It took me a while to get into Bloc Party. I really liked their first album by the time the second one came out and then didn’t buy that one until just before this one came out. I actually bought this one in time! I wasn’t sure what to think about the non-stop loud dance electronic force of it, but it grew on me. I have found that I like this album more than other ones that I bought at the same time so that’s a good sign! The only fault is some of the songs sound similar, but I’m still liking that sound so far.

Best Tracks:

  • Ares
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5rBgKUSbUs[/youtube]
  • Mercury
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsLYMIsXg8c[/youtube]
  • Signs
  • One Month Off
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66xxck1TV-Y[/youtube]
  • Ion Square
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Mbk4Laq9s[/youtube]
  • Your Visits Are Getting Shorter
  • Flux
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AulHrdaBGEU&feature=related[/youtube]

#8

duffy_rockferry

Artist: Duffy
Album: Rockferry
Released: May 13, 2008

She sounds like she just stepped out from the ’60s soul era. She is very reminiscent of Dusty Springfield. If  you like Amy Winehouse, you will love her and she’s much better.

Best Tracks:

  • Mercy
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2orthS3TQ[/youtube]
  • Delayed Devotion
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhAW9SlieE[/youtube]
  • Hanging On Too Long
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jsZhYyyPuI&feature=related[/youtube]
  • Warwick Avenue
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhZ5-L9znt8&feature=channel[/youtube]
  • Stepping Stone
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHvOm-o3AA8&feature=channel[/youtube]

#9

keane_perfectsymmetry1

Artist: Keane
Album: Perfect Symmetry
Released: October 14, 2008

Their first two albums were very pretty pop albums. This one is different. I really like it, but it is a departure from their first two albums. I really liked their earlier stuff, but it seemed to always be missing something on the CDs. I loved the band more after I saw them live and enjoyed the songs more. The energy from their live shows seems to come through on this album more.

Best Tracks:

#10

boysnoize_oioioi

Artist: Boys Noize
Album: Oi Oi Oi
Released: September 27, 2007

It didn’t come out in 2008, but I discovered it at the beginning of the year so I’m including it. I am not the biggest fan of electronic techno music. I really like lyrics, but for some reason I can’t get enough of this album. The band is one guy from Germany who is a music producer and has done a lot of remixes for Bloc Party, Depeche Mode, Feist and Justice. The style is very similar to Daft Punk. I discovered them from CMJ Music Monthly magazine.

Best Tracks:

#11

switches_laydownthelaw

Artist: Switches
Album: Lay Down the Law
Released: March 18, 2008

It is dancy rock music that is really catchy. I found them by their song “Drama Queen” being played on the radio, bought the album and loved it.

Best Tracks:

#12

carolinaliar_comingtoterms

Artist: Carolina Liar
Album: Coming to Terms
Released: May 19, 2008

The lead singer is from South Carolina with the rest of his band filled with Swedish musicians, even though they look like they could be from S.C. too. I fell in love with “I’m Not Over” when I first heard it on the radio. The rest of the album was a surprise with every song being really solid, melodic rock songs. There isn’t any filler on it.

Best Tracks:

#13

louisxiv_slickdogsandponies

Artist: Louis XIV
Album: Slick Dogs and Ponies
Released: January 29, 2008

They are completely stuck in the ’70s rock music and sound like they should be from England, but they are actually from San Diego. They have a gritty, dirty rock sound that I love. I think this album is a lot more polished compared to their debut.

Best Tracks:

#14

republictigers_keepcolor

Artist: Republic Tigers
Album: Keep Color
Released: May 6, 2008

They are a very melodic band from Kansas City, Missouri that I discovered when I was posting what new CDs came out each week. While I was listening to their stuff, I thought it sounded good and bought it. Apparently they have been played a lot of Gossip Girl, but I don’t watch that show, so I would have never heard of them besides randomly stumbling across them.

Best Tracks:

  • Buildings & Mountains
    [myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33300019[/myspace]
  • Golden Sand
  • Feelin’ the Future
    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh84XYFC4bo[/youtube]
  • The Nerve
  • Fight Song
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2 Comments
  1. hyp

    Wow, I wish the people in Kings of Leon could know what a compliment it is for you to say it is one of the best shows you have seen.

    Switches is the only album on here I’ve heard all the way through and I really like them. This year I was way behind the pack. I found some stuff I hadn’t listened to in 10 years or more and really got into it again. I also discovered Franz Ferdinand who I now love. I really like the last TV on the Radio album and now realize I should get the one you reviewed as well.

  2. velveetahead

    Franz Ferdinand album comes out this month sometime so I’m sure they will be the list at the end of the year!

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