20. MGMT “Oracular Spectacular”/19. Bon Iver “For Emma, Forever Ago”
Whilst both of these albums were STAPLES of my angst driven atypical college kid attitudes, these were both published LAST YEAR. Unfortunately I must disqualify both these albums. If not for this outdate, both would probably take #2 and #3 because I’m not really sure how many times I’ve listened to “Skinny Love” while not crying (pshhh) and just had too many goddam good memories listening to “Electric Feel” “Time to Pretend” and “Kids”
Delay of game, 3 month penalty, still first down.
Ok to the countdown
Let me first say that this year in music kinda sucked (a lot). I was really unimpressed by what came out of 2008, but this probably just goes back to my theory of good politics=mediocre culture. That’s not to say it didn’t have its peaks, because when a good artist hit in 2008, they hit HARD. Especially, ESPECIALLY the debuts. Oh god the debuts were solid
18./17. Blitzen Trapper “Furr”/Ra Ra Riot “The Rhumb Line”
I noticed very little between the two albums, musically. Both were constantly on and flowing during study time. Both were solid and deserve some praise. Dap.
16. Ssion “Fools Gold”
My initiation into sophomore year. From experience, the sound of an initiation album kind of prefaces the environment I’m about to live in for the next year or so. This was odd because this album is FUCKING CRAZY and this year has been far from it. Never before has mediocrity and constant stress been prefaced with fucked-up-edness
15. Tobacco “Fucked Up Friends”
This album has no words and fucked up beats. Listen to “Hairy Candy”. You’ll get it.
14. Albert Hammond Jr. “Come Te Llama?”
I do my very best (well… maybe not my VERY best) at trying to hide my prejudice against anything non-Strokes. However Albert delivered a stronger punch this time around and I spent many summer days absorbing fiction, drinking, and listening to what could be considered my “Summer Album.” Feed me, Jack…
13. Okkervil River “The Stand Ins”
Really there is not a single song that isn’t solid on this album. Really that is the only reason I didn’t like it more, or less, for that matter.
12. Jamie Lidell “Jim”
Jamie Lidell is German. I don’t get how the fuck he’s so good at R&B. But the parts of me that still want to be ignorant and blind love this and rank it at its own #1 spot.
11. Jay Reatard “Matador Singles ‘08”
With a last name like Reatard one would assume that his stronger abilities shine trough with his ability to make ironic statements. For some reason this works. Almost every track is less than 2 minutes, they go nowhere, and his production quality is comparable to my friends trying to rap into a boombox. But this year was fucked up, and through the transitive property of rock it works.
THE TOP TEN
10. The Cool Kids “The Bake Sale”
The ONLY rap to give a damn about this year was The Cool Kids. For some reason Chicago seems to be the only place making it right anymore, and well, fucking Kanye lost his mind this year. The Cool Kids are the only guys I know that make poor fun.
9. The Hold Steady “Stay Positive”
The Hold Steady elaborated on a genre that you cannot fuck up, if, and only if, you are The Hold Steady. Bar skanks seem appealing, acid seems mildly enjoyable, and when they said “We’re gonna build something this summer” I believed them, and did exactly that.
8. My Morning Jacket “Evil Urges”
I’ve never felt more like I was watching The Ten Commandments via all-over-the-fucking-place songs. Not more than 2 songs matched on this album. At one point they’re thanking me and then next they’re talking about sexual preference towards librarians (which I totally understand). The whole time I had no idea what the fuck was going on, making it enough avant garde to stand and familiar enough to love.
7. No Age “Nouns”
It made me love fuzztone. No one has been capable of doing that to me. Ever.
6. Beck “Modern Guilt”
I don’t like Beck. I don’t like most of his music. His pretentiousness is so thick you could drizzle it on pancakes. But I love this album. I spent many nights jamming and cleaning toilets at a state park to this album, and “Gamma Ray” helped me survive that fate I chose.
5. Starfucker “Starfucker”
Almost nobody knows who Starfucker is. The FCC hates this band but I love them. The only truly Portland native band I know of worth a damn, Starfucker plays some of the best electopop and too many nights were spent with this music circulating.
4. She & Him “Volume One”
It’s at least 90 degrees driving through Mill Plain. The car is overheating and so you’ve got only a hot breeze rolling past your face. That girl from the Elf movie is just being so fucking chipper about heartbreak, confusing your emotions, and M. Ward is just chilling. He’s just there to stare at Zooey’s pretty face.
3. Vampire Weekend “Vampire Weekend”
Vampire Weekend has been in the top five of everything this year. Nobody didn’t like this album, and they were under the hipster magnifying glass every step of the way. Vampire Weekend was like the Barack Obama of music criticism. Numerous times did they get railed for lack of experience and ability to work a crowd, and they fucking came out on top. I’m happy for them, and the next time they do an “Oxford Comma” style music video I pray to god that I’m in it.
2. Fleet Foxes “Fleet Foxes”
This is the only band I saw live on this list. When they showed up they were all baked off their asses (this cancelled out because I was drunk as well). They honestly just seemed like a bunch of folkies out of Seattle who liked to get high. But they moment they hit the first chords you sank because dude had some fucking pipes. It seems very apparent that they just stumbled upon success. But when you can sink “Oliver James”, make it look easy, and then make Bruce Springsteen jokes the whole time, you definitely have my t-shirt money.
THE BEST ALBUM OF 2008
1. King Khan & The Shrines “The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines”
I went through a garage rock phase this year. Not sure how it started. But King Khan I’m pretty sure helped. Every single track had a theme for 2008. “Torture” was drunk. “Welfare Bread” was love. “I Took My Lady to Dinner” was lust. Everything is ironic. Everything is inappropriate. Everything is hedonistic. Nothing made sense. Thus my national anthem for 2008 was “The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines.”
“…You don’t have to pay your bills anymore now. You just have to eat my welfare bread.”
Happy New Year, kids.
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