Top 100 Albums of 2008

LOL@generic indie list. The list is final. I always wanted to make a top 100 so yeah. all of these albums i rated higher than a 7. So I do like them all. It's not one of those 'forced' list. Although I admit some of the ordering isn't as solid as they should be. I failed in my mission to include pictures. I suck. anyways, happy new year everyone.

100. The Walkmen - You & Me
This album should be higher, I messed up.
Favorite Song: In The New Year

99. Common Market - Tabacco Road
Smooth man.
Favorite Song: Gol'Dust

98. Augustana - Can't Love, Can't Hurt
If you don't treat them on the same level as other music from Primetime Dramas, they make good music.
Favorite Song: Hey Now

97. Sunny Day Sets Fire - Summer Palace
I got this mixed up with the 90s emo band, but hey, this is still some nice music.
Favorite Song: Stranger

96. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Early on in the year, I liked it. Just a good listen.
Favorite Song: Going On

95. Absentee - Victory Shorts
Voice reminds me of someone, o well. Nice music with his deep voice is interesting.
Favorite Song: Bitchstealer

94. Valencia - We All Need A Reason To Believe
Good pop punk this late in the decade? you bet.
Favorite Song: Where Did You Go?

93. Polarkreis 18 - The Colour of Snow
This album makes me feel so cold.
Favorite Song: Allein Allein

92. The New Frontiers - Mending
Now this belongs on the radio.
Favorite Song: Mirrors

91. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
Insects making music when no one is watching
Favorite Song: Dance. Dance. Dance

90. Children 18:3 - Children 18:3
How fun is this album?
Favorite Song: All My Balloons

89. Russian Circle - Station
Almost metal, but it has that crisp post rock sound.
Favorite Song: Verses

88. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Man, I loved this album the first time, but it kinda faded away from me. Too bad this might be the last album from the great David Berman.
Favorite Song: Suffering Jukebox

87. What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us
So in my early days of discovering music, I always wondered what if a band never released any albums and just released singles until they had enough 'hits' to make a greatest hits album. That's how I felt about this album.
Favorite Song: For The Birds

86. Rise Against - Appeal To Reason
Pretty straight forward rock.
Favorite Song: The Dirt Whispered

85. Tilly and the Wall - o
It's hard, I feel that compared to their other albums, it's going downhill. Yet, the music is so fun, it's like who cares.
Favorite Song: Alligator Skin

84. P!nk - Funhouse
Never cared much for her, but I found her hooks to be really catchy whether it's her uptempo or ballads.
Favorite Song: I Don't Believe You

83. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
I used to joke about him because I couldn't understand the hype. But it took me maybe 10 listens to finally like it.
Favorite Song: Dr. Carter

82. The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
Album had a lot of energy and kept me engaged.
Favorite Song: Salute Your Solution

81. Chad Perrone - Wake
This guy is hilarious. First half of the album is so good.
Favorite Song: Awake in the Morning

80. Longwave - Secrets Are Sinister
First track is so good.
Favorite Song: Sirens In The Deep Sea

79. Pale Young Gentlemen - Black Forest (Tra La La)
Yes, needs more folksy music.
Favorite Song: Coal/Ivory

78. Fall Out Boy - Folie à Deux
So they borrowed riffs from the greats. I don't know, but I found it to be a good album.
Favorite Song: Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes

77. This Is Ivy League - This Is Ivy League
Reminds me of Simon & Garfunkel. It's really lighthearted so I enjoyed it.
Favorite Song: The Richest Kids in Town

76. The Envy Corps - Dwell
A nice packaged indie rock album.
Favorite Song: Wires & Wools

75. Justice - Planisphère
It was a crime of me to not have this band in my top 25 last year.
Favorite Song: Planisphère (Part 1)

74. The National - The Virginia EP
For a B-sides album, these were great left overs. The first 3 could be used for Boxer II.
Favorite Song: Santa Clara

73. Halves - Haunt Me When I'm Drowsy
Haunting album. wish the production was clearer.
Favorite Song: May Your Enemies Never Find Happiness

72. Anberlin - New Surrender
The voice doesn't bug me as much as their past albums.
Favorite Song: Disappear

71. Sun Kil Moon - April
This guy never stops being sad. Thanks.
Favorite Song: Lost Verses

70. Miaou - All Around Us
A nice instrumental album from Japan.
Favorite Song: Hello World

69. Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers
For some reason, I thought she sings about female shit, but her stuff is good. Love it.
Favorite Song: Medicine Wheel

68. Micah P Hinson - Micah P. Hinson & The Red Empire Orchestra
A nice alt-country album. Kind of like Silver Jews.
Favorite Song: Tell Me It Ain't So

67. Marnie Stern - This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That
Holy shit this chick is crazy.
Favorite Song: Rular

66. Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
Tropical punk? Yeah, that's right. The album is kind of a blur. Quick tracks that bleed together.
Favorite Song: Bear Face

65. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
More of the same. It's great that a band can continue having albums of the same caliber.
Favorite Song: Sequestered In Memphis

64. Giants - Old Stories
Just good instrumental music.
Favorite Song: Whispered Ears

63. Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
Her voice is amazing.
Favorite Song: I Don't Know

62. The Accidentals - There Were Wolves
Feels like these guys live in cabin and making music was the only way to keep warm. A really mellow album with winter vocals.
Favorite Song: Illuminated Red

61. Marit Larsen - The Chase
Hell yes. She makes pop music the way it's suppose to be.
Favorite Song: The Chase

60. Jon Foreman - Limbs and Branches
Technically a complication album, but whatever. Switchfoot got boring, but Jon Foreman's stuff is so much real.
Favorite Song: Your Love Is Strong

59. The Week That Was - The Week That Was
Instruments are so good.
Favorite Song: It's All Gone Quiet

58. Deerhunter - Mircocastle
First 5 are yes. I find it hard to give the album repeated listens.
Favorite Song: Little Kids

57. Right Away, Great Captain! - The Eventually Home
Really stripped down album that does a good job of being a reflective narrative.
Favorite Song: Father Brian Finn

56. Good Old War - Only Way To Be Alone
Catchy acoustic-rock music. The first 3 are must listen.
Favorite Song: Looking For Shelter

55. Dr. Dog - Fate
Sounds like a 60s cover band.
Favorite Song: The Rabbit, The Bat And The Reindeer

54. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
Noise!!!!! Pulsing!
Favorite Song: Sweet Love for Planet Earth

53. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
An electropop album that sits well with me. Flows together nice.
Favorite Song: Lights and Music

52. Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
Kinda country, but not fully. I found her words to shine more than they appear. Very easy to listen.
Favorite Song: Alicia Ross

51. Balmorhea - Rivers Arms
This band makes lovely landscape music. Something feels like it's growing and the air is so crisp.
Favorite Song: Barefoot Pilgrims

50. Yasushi Yoshida - Little Grace
Just an easy listening album. Really nice during rain season.
Favorite Song: Permanent Yesterday

49. White Hinterland - Phylactery Factory
Her music is like ballet. So floaty. So dreamy
Favorite Song: Hometown Hooray

48. Jordan Hull - Jordan Hull
This guy has amazing skills at melodies. Mostly acoustic, but it fits the sound so well. It's like someone from the 60's was unfrozen.
Favorite Song: Ballad of a Sinking Ship

47. Why? - Alopecia
Weird at first as the vocals are kinda rap, but the music is rock. The sound is really interesting.
Favorite Song: The Hollows

46. The Narrative - Just Say Yes
6 songs, the first 4 are amazing. Male/female duo who fills the gap for each other. It's nice music. The piano is good. The melodies are good.
Favorite Song: Castling

45. Hey Rosetta! - Into Your Lungs
I never finished re-writing my review for this band. lol. Anyways, I mainly like them cuz the dude's voice is so passionate and all of the songs fit together, so as a whole, it comes out as a solid indie rock album.
Favorite Song: Black Heart

44. The Weepies - Hideaway
Hell yes, I love matching outfits. Male/female vocals that are so adorable.
Favorite Song: Antarctica

43. The Middle East - The Recordings of The Middle East
I'm confused, did this band break up?
Favorite Song: Blood

42. Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness
I can't listen to this all the way thourght. But the first time was one hell of a jounrey.
Favorite Song: Bloodhail

41. Goddamn Electric Bill - Topics For Gossip
This music is a lot refreshing. Sometimes it's misty, sometimes it'll be stripped down. This guy comes up with some clever stuff.
Favorite Song: The Shallows

40. The Mae Shi - HLLLYH
Almost 8-bit like, but so frentic.
Favorite Song: Kingdom Come

39. Thursday/Envy - Split
I downloaded for Envy, but Thursday stole the show. Because it's a split, it's missing that 'album' completeness. I'm left with wanting more of both.
Favorite Song: Pure Birth and Loneliness

38. sgt. - Stylus Fantasticus
Different from their mini-album, but I still love how sharp the music is. All these melodies attacking the center. Good stuff.
Favorite Song: 銀河を壊して発電所を創れ (translate: Destroy the galaxy, Create the power plant)

37. Hello Saferide - More Modern Short Stories From Hello Saferide
This album was love at first sight, then I got distance towards it. It's indie pop that treats it right and the flow of the entire album is sound.
Favorite Song: 25 Days

36. Animal Collective - Water Curses
Only 18 minutes, that's not fair! I like how their EPs aren't just b-sides. This one is full of underwater exploring.
Favorite Song: Water Curses

35. Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
An important album in my musical history. Hip-hop was something I couldn't grasp, but this album shits on that. Such good music.
Favorite Song: Dreamer

34. Stars - Sad Robot EP
More bands should just release their shit as soon as it's finish. Stars surprised me with this EP and if their full length kept this direction, I'm in for a treat.
Favorite Song: A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife

33. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)
haha, at once it was my top album of the year, but then Liz said it sucked. Anyways, I just like that it's full of different genres all compacted. They even do soft songs right.
Favorite Song: When Water Comes To Life

32. Yann Tiersen - Tabarly
I love this guy. It's less European and just feels right at home in my head, like it's my soundtrack. The piano is so smooth.
Favorite Song: 8 mm

31. Library Tapes - A Summer Beneath The Trees
It's the minimalist kind, but there's enough melodies in whatever instruments that allows me to visualized the music in my head. Extra strings, extra piano notes, extra guitars. Stuff like that.
Favorite Song: Pieces Of Us Were Left On The Tracks...

30. Jakob Dylan - Seeing Things
I discovered The Wallflowers after they stop being radio favorites, so I never experienced them while still praised. I honestly felt the band got dry, but this solo album surprised me in how simple, but pleasing the songs were. Good acoustic music from a guy not concern about what critics want.
Favorite Song: Valley Of The Low Sun

29. Brooke Waggoner - Heal For The Honey
Late discovery! Anyways, I love pop music. You should check her out if you like fairy tale magic.
Favorite Song: Lungs Speed, Lungs Sped

28. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
This EP was instant love, the self-titled took time to grow on me. I think the songs here are better as stand alones.
Favorite Song: Mykonos

27. Air France - No Way Down EP
Open spring house music. So sick. No better.
Favorite Song: Collapsing at Your Doorstep

26. La Dispute - Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair
So aggressive, I like it. Reminds me of mewithoutYou.
Favorite Song: Said The King To The River

25. The Indelicates - American Demo
Another male/female duo and they aren't the prettiest, but the music is so sarcastic and catchy.
Favorite Song: If Jeff Buckley Had Lived

24. She & Him - Volume One
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward teaming up to make this retro album that feels like a bunch of cover songs from the 50s, but Zooey wrote them all except for three. Please don't confuse her with Katy Perry.
Favorite Song: This is Not a Test

23. YUI - I LOVED YESTERDAY
Jpop, lol. I mainly like her because her music is pop/rock and she doesn't sound like a bimbo.
Favorite Song: Daydreamer

22. Jukebox the Ghost - Let Live and Let Ghosts
A band from DC that plays Piano Pop that's just really bouncy. At times, they remind me of Queen and The Mountain Goats. As a whole, the album felt like a rock opera.
Favorite Song: Hold It In

21. Taylor Swift - Fearless
I always been aware of her singles, but Fearless surprised me in how there were no filler tracks.
Favorite Song: You Belong With Me

20. Tamas Wells - Two Years In April
Another singer-songwriter type, but his voice is so floaty that it makes the album a pleasant listen. I could hear his music being the soundtrack for the next Juno.
Favorite Song: The Day that She Drowned, Her Body Was Found

19. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
Solo album from The Dresden Dolls. I don't really think of them as songs as she breaks away from the mold. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but the ballads are amazing in how intense her feelings reach.
Favorite Song: Ampersand

18. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
11 fun songs that vary, but remain solid.
Favorite Song: M79

17. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
A straight forward indie rock album. At first listen, it might sound like a rip off of "In the Aeroplane over the Sea," but this band took that sound and scattered more spontaneous energy.
Favorite Song: Drain The Blood

16. Maybeshewill - Not For Want Of Trying
Post-rock with some electronics. They don't make you search for those precious moments. "He Films The Clouds Pt. 2" and "Not For Want Of Trying" is the best 1-2 punch of the year.
Favorite Song: He Films The Clouds Pt. 2

15. Horse Feathers - House With No Home
His voice is weathered. The music is folksy. And when it happens together, it's cool, but the parts where it's separated feel the most detailed.
Favorite Song: Helen

14. Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
This mixtape kinda blew my mind. I love his usage of the Seinfeld clips and everything just flowed extremely well.
Favorite Song: The Kramer

13. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
If you haven't heard this album yet, where have you been? This band is the biggest breakthrough artist of the year. The harmonies are so smooth.
Favorite Song: Your Protector

12. Lost in the Trees - All Alone in an Empty House
Why so short dang it. The vocals are kind of what you expect with indie bands, but the music and lyrics caught my attention.
Favorite Song: Song for the Painter

11. Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
Awesome house music. Brilliant stuff. I don't know how to write about it, but I remember having my mind blown.
Favorite Song: Where You Go I Go Too

10. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
Male/female vocals that bursts with shouts and screams, but can be highly sentimental as well. The album is filled with great moments of joy.
Favorite Song: Knee Deep At ATP

9. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Other than The Beatles, Sigur Rós is the only other band that amazes me when I hear someone disliking them. Their music is headphone magic. This album showcases a new direction, but remains epic.
Favorite Song: Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

8. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down In The Light
This album helped me grow musically towards Folk music. At first, I just wanted to see what the hype was, but the hooks started to reveal itself and with more listens, the deeper it got into me.
Favorite Song: Missing One

7. The Cast Before The Break - As Your Shoulders Turns on You
All of their songs are cool, but the way they finish a song is ridiculous. This band simply rocks harder than what you paid for.
Favorite Song: Understanding the Universe

6. TV on the Radio - Dear Science,
Their past 2 albums were overrated. This album is their most consistent.
Favorite Song: Dancing Choose

5. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
Her music is mostly acoustic folk and her technique alternatives between the bass string with the lower 3 strings. Still, it's her old soul voice with her self-directed lyrics that makes her so enchanting.
Favorite Song: Failure

4. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Is Punk Rock even the right words? It's more like nostalgic catchy blues-rock.
Favorite Song: Here's Looking At You, Kid

3. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Gregg Gillis is the man. 53 minutes and not once does it get boring.
Favorite Song: N/A

2. Moving Mountains - Foreword
Their instrumentation's can be compared to Explosions in the Sky, but the vocals are thunderous. Perfect mix of everything I enjoy in music.
Favorite Song: Lights & Shapes

1. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Every album released this year either had to grow on me or they faded away. Except this one. Literally each song on this album took a turn at being my favorite.
Favorite Song: Fast Blood