My Favorite Albums of 2008

I'll be the first to admit that I did not keep up with the indie music scene very well this year. I partially blame this on the fact that I've spent the last 6 months apart from my beloved radio station, the Current. I've resolved to begin listening to it online more often. I've never done a "Top Albums of [Insert Year]" list, but this year I felt like it. There were a lot of good albums put out this year, and I'd probably have more to tell you about if I'd been paying attention. It's not a coincidence that most of these were released before June of this year. So here they are, my top albums of 2008, in no particular order:




Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons...

I've never been a fan of rap, but indie rap I can handle. I got to see Atmosphere live in May of this year, and even though I initially went for Ben, I ended up enjoying a lot of the music. There's no doubt that Slug is a lyrical genius, which is all the more reason to pick up this album. This is probably as far as my rap fandom will take me... so all in all the fact that I enjoy this album says a lot about it.



Radiohead - In Rainbows

What a catchy album. I've heard bits of Radiohead here and there over the years, but passed them off as overrated. I heard the first single off of this album and decided to give it a chance. It's one of those albums that I have to listen to all the way through, and the songs flow together very well. What can I say? It was just time for me to become a Radiohead fan.



MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

These guys are weird, and I like it. Their music is more upbeat and much different than what I'm used to. It'll be interesting to see where this band goes, because they are still young and have a lot of strange and interesting creative energy. This is an album with a lot of good singles on it.





Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

The story goes that Justin Vernon locked himself in his cabin in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for three months, and that this album is a result of that. The album has all the elements of a dramatic break-up; it's beautiful, tragic, romantic, and nostalgic all at the same time. The emotion he pours into this album seems slightly reminicent of Elliott Smith to me. If I did, per say, put my top albums of 2008 in order, this just might end up on the top of the list. It's breathtaking.

Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning

I was introduced to Liam Finn when I saw him perform live, opening up for Laura Veirs at the Echo in L.A. in May. He's an unlikely opener for her, as his music has a lot more energy. His live performance was impressive, so much so that I bought the CD. Once again I found each song just as good as the last, and once again it's one of those rare CDs where I rarely skip a track. Liam Finn has the kind of sound that lends itself to obscurity, so I expect that I'll need to make an effort to keep up with his music. And if I can, I'm going to make sure I can catch another live performance in the future.

Devotchka - A Mad and Faithful Telling

I'd heard a few of Devotchka's singles on the Current before catching a live performance on a random college radio station on my way from Missouri to MN. They remind me just a bit of the Arcade Fire in that they beautifully pull together an array of instruments. Violin, accordian, sousaphone, and trumpet are just a few of the instruments included in the ensemble. The music is unique and well put-together. I'd be interested to see a live performance just to see how the instruments mesh together on stage. Overall a very worthy album-- I'm looking forward to the next release.