Monday, December 29, 2008

Music Monday: Favorite Albums of 2008



(I'd love to do an all-local list here, but the reality is that North Idaho CD releases are few and far between, and although I'd offer my moral support local musicians of any and all genres, many local releases just aren't really my cup of musical tea. However, in 2008 one regionally produced album rose to the surface for me: The Shook Twins' "You Can Have the Rest." Mellow, golden harmonies from Sandpoint's own Katelyn and Lori sit atop the loose, light funk of the newly expanded band and the songwriting is original, clever and catchy. It's a light-the-candles and incense red wine classic. Hear previews and order at CDBaby.)

Anyway, it's that time of the year again to look back on everything else that crossed the Get Out music radar and made us go "boum boum" in 2008, internationally speaking.

1. TV On The Radio – Dear Science (4AD)
2. School of Seven Bells – Alpinisms (Ghostly International)
3. Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
4. Hercules and Love Affair- Hercules and Love Affair (Mute)
5. Crystal Stilts – Alight of Night (Slumberland)
6. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend (XL)
7. Magnetic Fields – Distortion (Nonesuch)
8. Beck – Modern Guilt (Interscope)
9. M83 – Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
10. The Breeders- Mountain Battles(4AD)
11. Bloc Party – Intimiacy (Atlantic)
12. Deerhunter – Microcastle (4AD)
13. Stereolab – Chemical Chords (4AD)
14. The Cure – 4:13 Dream (Geffen)
15. The Kills – Midnight Boom (Domino)
16. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colors (Modular)
17. Sigur Ros- Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (XL)
18. David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen
Today (Todo Mundo)
19. Duffy - Rockferry (Atlantic)
20. Hot Chip – Made In The Dark (Astralweks)

I created a playlist/mix CD including selected tracks from the above list so as Happy New Year present for y'all, I've made a downloadable zip file containing all the mp3s plus cover art. Enjoy!

Tracklist of "New Golden Olives: 2008 in Review" is as follows:

01 Of Montreal - Nonpareil Of Favor
02 Vampire Weekend - Campus
03 The Breeders – Night of Joy
04 Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
05 Magnetic Fields – Please Stop Dancing
06 Gang Gang Dance – Blue Nile
07 Beck – Replica
08 Deerhunter – Nothing Ever Happened
09 Bloc Party – Trojan Horse
10 Stereolab – Fractal Dream of a Thing
11 The Cure – The Real Snow White
12 Crystal Stilts – Crystal Stilts
13 School of Seven Bells – Chain
14 TV On The Radio – Love Dog
15 Hercules and Love Affair – Raise Me Up
16 Ladytron – Kletva
Download "New Golden Olives"
(Right-click and "Save As...")

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's a pretty good list, though surprised not to see Fleet Foxes on there as they've made pretty much every list out there. Not that I'm complaining or anything...

You should also check out The Notwist's "The Devil, You + Me", The Helio Sequence's "Keep Your Eye's Ahead" and The French Kicks' "Swimming" - all excellent albums from an otherwise lackluster year in music.