My Favorite Albums of 2008
I’ve been thinking about this list for the past few weeks and trying to narrow down my favorite albums of 2008. There were lots of albums that I listened to for a little while, but didn’t really keep my attention past a handful of listens. I really wanted this list to only include those albums that I listened to religiously this year.
I was just looking back at my Top Albums of 2007 post and realized that I still love about half of those albums and the rest haven’t been listened to much at all this year. I’m sure at least a few of the albums below will suffer that same fate.
So, here goes. These are my favorite albums of 2008 and hopefully a bit of an explanation of why they made this list. I’m also including a video of my favorite song off of each album. Enjoy.
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant ep
Fleet Foxes was everywhere this year. They put out both an ep and full length album in 2008 and both are incredible. The Fleet Foxes self-titled lp is not only one of my favorite albums of 2008, but one of my favorites in quite a long time. Both albums feature beautiful harmonies and a sound that is very 2008, although it probably also could have fit in well in the late 60s or early 70s.
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
It was really hard to choose my favorite song from For Emma, Forever Ago. Throughout the summer and fall, once I finally gave Bon Iver a chance, I couldn’t stop listening to this album on repeat. The second For Emma ended, I needed to hear it again. From the falsetto vocals to the light acoustic strumming, Bon Iver’s album really stuck with me this year. His 2009 Blood Bank has already leaked and is also quite fantastic. I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for 2009.
Wye Oak - If Children
How about a little love for Baltimore’s own Wye Oak? I’m not including them on this list because they’re from my city, but because this album is so well done. Jenn’s voice is really beautiful and Andy is a spectacle to watch play live. He plays drums with his right hand and feet while playing the bass lines on a keyboard with his left hand. I was really into this album, but seeing them play this summer at Golden West Cafe really cemented them as one of my favorite new-ish bands.
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
If you didn’t dance your tuchus off to Girl Talk in 2008, then you didn’t live. Feed the Animals was the soundtrack to nearly every dance party in the summer of ‘08. It’s pretty much impossible to pick out a favorite song, but I do have favorite moments. Warning: this entire album contains large amounts of explicit language.
Temple of the Dog | Lil’ Wayne
Radiohead | Kanye West | Blackstreet
Cranberries | MIA
Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse
My good friend Mike sent me a link to stream the Bowerbirds album some time this spring and I haven’t stopped listening to them since. Hymns for a Dark Horse was one of the early favorites to make my list. I’m really anticipating great things from this band in the future.
Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
I pretty much love everything Sigur Ros has ever done. With that said, their 2008 album was a bit of a departure from their typical sound. This album could be considered to be more “radio-friendly”, if you can call any song sung in Icelandic radio-friendly. What stands out to me about this album is how uplifting and joyous many of the songs are. Listen to the song below and I guarantee it will raise your spirits and fill you with at least a bit of joy.
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Let’s be honest, Stay Positive is no Boys and Girls in America and there are some less than amazing songs on this album. However, Stay Positive did provide me with many tracks for my running playlists and is a very solid album.
There were a few other albums I debated putting on this list, but after further consideration, they really didn’t have the impact on 2008 for me that the above albums did. In the end, I decided that a shorter, stronger list was better than trying to fill in a top 10 just for the sake of doing it.
So, what were your favorite albums of 2008? What are you really looking forward to being released in 2009?