Top 50 Albums of 2008

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Top 50 Albums of 2008

1.) Flying Lotus - Los Angeles [Warp]
Los Angeles has topped my best of 2008 list since I first herd it mid year. From start to finish not a second is wasted. No one else in hip-hop or electronic music for that matter pushed things as far forward as Steven Ellison.

2.) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes [Sub Pop]
Upon first listen I was unimpressed with this Seattle collective chalking them up as nothing more then a re-tread of the Laural County/70's sound. I gave then another chance after some time off and it turns out I could not have been more wrong. This album encapsulates what music in 2008 really was. Making old new again. Many bands have try to pull this sort of thing off and many with great success, but never has it sounded so right as the Fleet Foxes debut.

3.) Hold Steady - Stay Positive [Vagrant]
With Stay Positive the Hold Steady nail it again. Every time these guys put out an album its a winner. This time they rely less on the Bruce Springsteen worship and move on to a much greater line up in influences. Craig Finn is the best lead singer/song writer in America.

4.) Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust [XL]
Sigur Ros or Victory Rose through us a curve ball. This time we don't have to wade though 6 mins of into to get to the good stuff. You could even say that this is a pop album. It might take a few times through the record to get used to the change, but I love it. And you got to love an album with Naked Scandinavians on it.

5.) The Walkmen - You and Me [Gigantic]
A great album.

6.) NOMO - Ghost Rock [Ubiquity]
Listen to song 4, lose your shit. Repeat as nessacary.

7.) Black Milk - Tronic [Fat Beats]
Best Hip-Hop album of the year by far. Black Milk has always been known for his J-Dilla inspired beats but on Tronic Milk has grown to be an MC. Tronic has some dull moments, its a hip-hop album that is to be expected. Long Story Short, Detriot stand up!

8.) Girl Talk - Feed The Animals [Ilegal Art]
Gregg Gillis + 322 songs = Head Fuck. Amazing

9.) Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago [Jagjaguwar]
"The Wolves (Act I and II)" Best used of Auto Tune ever. Lil Wayne, Kanye and T-Pain you got nothing on Justin Vernon.

10.) Wale - A Mixtape About Nothing [Bootleg]
Wale makes a mixtape about Seinfeld. Does anything more need to be said?

11.) Frightened Rabbit - Mightnight Organ Fight [Fat Cat]
These Scottish Indie Rockers put out 2 great albums this year, also check the live version.

12.) Peter Broderick - Float [Type Records]
Modern Classical at its best. I love me some piano music.

13.) The Fun Years - Baby, Its Cold Inside [Barge Recordings]
The warmest and most intiving "drone" album ever recorded.

14.) Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too [Smalltown Supersound]
Three songs of Scandinavian goodness.

15.) Air France - No Way Down [Something In Construction]
If you listen to this album and don't end up with a smile on your face you have issues.

16.) Blitzen Trapper - Furr [Sub Pop]
Just a complete mess of an album.

17.) Fennesz - Black Sea [Touch]
Christian Fennesz can do no wrong.

18.) Minilogue - Animals [Cocoon Recordings]
2007 was a year full of minimal house/techno masterpieces, Pantha du Prince, Gui Boratto, Ricardo Villalobos and The Field. 2008 was not. Minilogue feels like it should have come out last year. What sets this album apart from the rest though is the second disc of Ambient songs. Great stuff.

19.) Helios - Caesura [Type Records]
The second year in a row that Keith Kenniff breaks into the top 20. Kenniff also released a very good modern classical album as Goldmund in 2008 titled"The Malady Of Elegance." Great stuff from a Portland Native.

20.) Neon Neon - Stainless Style [Lex Records]
I Told Her On Alderaan & Raquel are pure 80's gold

21.) Dungen - 4 [Subliminal Sounds]
Great live band or greatest live band ever?

22.) Erykah Badu - New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War) [Motown]
It was a quite year for Madlib but he shins yet again on "The Healer." R.I.P. J-Dilla

23.) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair [DFA Records]
Disco

24.) Deadbeat - Roots and Wire [Wagon Repair]
Broken Beat, Dub, Dub-Step, Tribal

25.) Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles [Last Gang Records]
Chip Tune

26.) Lykke Li - Youth Novels [LL Records]
Pop

27.) Lil Wayne - Carter 3 [Cash Money]
Mainstream Rap

28.) TV On The Radio - Dear Science [4AD records]
Indie, Electronic

29.) Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna [Warp Records]
Indie, Big Beat, Electronic

30.) 2562 - Aerial [Tectonic]
Dub-Step, Techno

31.) Balmorhea - River Arms [Western Vinyl]
Modern Classical, Movie Music, Chill Out

32.) Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line [Barsuk Records]
Indie Rock

33.) Fucked Up - The Chemistry Of Common Life [Matador]
Indie Rock, Punk. Metal

34.) Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista [Fonal Records]
World, Folk, Electronic

35.) Byetone - Death Of A Typographer [Raster-Noton]
Minimal, IDM

36.) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lay Down In The Light [Drag City]
Alt-Indie

37.) Karl Hector & The Malcouns - Sahara Swing [Now & Again Records]
World, Afro-Funk

38.) Hauschka - Ferndorf [130701]
Modern Classical

39.) The Very Best - The Very Best Mixtape [Bootleg]
World, Africa, Mixtape

40.) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [Columbia]
Rock

41.) Q-Tip - The Renaissance [Motown]
Hip-Hop

42.) iTAL tEK - cYCLiCAL [Planet Mu]
Dub-Step

43.) Black Keys - Attack & Release [V2]
Rock

44.) Eero Johannes - Eero Johannes [Planet Mu]
Skwee, Beats, Electronic

45.) Ø - Oleva [Sähkö Recordings]
Minimal, Drones, Electronic

46.) Shed - Shedding The Past [Ostgut Tonträger]
Minimal Techno, Dub

47.) Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night [RCA]
Radio Rock

48.) Glowworm - The Coachlight Woods [Post Dog Productions]
Post-Rock

49.) No Kids - Come Into My House [Tomlab]
Indie Pop

50.) Distance - My Demons [Planet Mu]
Dub-Step