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The 50 Best Albums of 2008

Adam Steel

Last updated: Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

1. 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, Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern has made two albums in the last two years, and she has already been named one of the world’s greatest guitarists (next to Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett and Joni Mitchell) by Venus Magazine. Her unique finger-tapping-style playing is incredibly intense, especially when accompanied by her vulnerable yet squeaky feminine voice and the Fiona Apple-esque title—a stellar sophomore effort from an indie-princess-in-waiting.

2. Asking For Flowers,, Kathleen Edwards
Not since Sarah Harmer before her has a female artist so gracefully captured the true essence of the northern folk tradition. In an album replete with Canadian imagery, like tracks “Alicia Ross” – about a murdered Markham, Ontario woman, and “Scared At Night”, Flowers is easily Edwards most accessible LP; equal parts Stompin’ Tom Connors via Loretta Lynn via Bruce Springsteen.

3. Hercules & Love Affair, Hercules & Love Affair
The perfect amalgamation of house, disco and r&b—New York-based Hercules & Love Affair came virtually out of nowhere to produce one of the sleekest dance records in years. Antony Hegarty, Nomi Ruiz & Kim Ann Foxman—three completely distinct vocalists—managed to harmonize beautifully over Andy Butler’s samplings, on lush, standout tracks like “You Belong” and “Iris.”

4. Vampire Weekend,, Vampire Weekend
How do you incorporate African rhythms and instruments to a rock and roll record and NOT have it compare to Paul Simon’s Graceland? This proudly preppy New York quartet have managed to do just that, as well as amassing substantial sales (for an indie outfit) and impressing critics all across the board with their highly infectious and intelligently composed debut.

5. Robyn, Robyn
Remember 1997’s “Show Me Love?” Well, Robyn has definitely matured lyrically but continues with her excellent grasp for synth-pop hooks and high-energy dance tracks. Though originally released in 2005 in her native Sweden, her fourth album hit shelves in North America this April; she also accompanied Madonna on a few dates on the summer leg of her Sticky and Sweet tour.

6. Third, Portishead
It is hard to believe that trip-hop—a mid 1990’s London-originated subgenre of acid jazz, downtempo and house music—still manages to sound as fresh and relevant on this record as it did in it’s heyday. Beginning with their landmark debut Dummy in 1994 and a self-titled follow up in 1997, Third was an eleven year process that more than lived up to every expectation.

7. Saturdays = Youth, M83
Lush orchestration, rich sonic textures and wistful songs about cemeteries and clouds make up the bulk of this French duo’s fourth release—a haunting work of ambient art.

8. Seventh Tree, Goldfrapp
Alison Goldfrapp is a diamond-studded chameleon. On the duo’s fourth album, production and lyrics are rooted much more in ambient “Brian Eno / Richard D. James” territory, a pleasant transition from the usual cabaret disco glam that we know and love them for.

9. Crystal Castles,, Crystal Castles
Two Toronto hipsters: one boy + one girl, make insane electro dance that makes you feel as though you are stuck in the last thirty seconds on level three of Super Mario. Although at times scathing and brash, the majority of the sounds on Crystal Castles are poignant, inventive and beautiful—the basis of what a good electronic album should sound like.

10. The Midnight Organ Fight, Frightened Rabbit
A dark and brooding mix of soft, wistful acoustic and hard-edged rock and roll, this Scottish quartet release an exceptional LP with lyrics so frank and honest, they shoot straight for the heart and leave a bloody trail of carnage and tears.

11. Songs In A&E, Spiritualized
After a near-fatal bout of pneumonia, Jason Pierce put forth this eerie collection, titled it A&E (Accident & Emergency ward, where he spent most of 2005), and dedicated it to the Royal London Hospital staff that saved his life. The majority of the lyrics deal with death and dying, without sounding too pessimistic or depressing; solemn, hymn-like hallelujahs make up the rest.

12. In Ghost Colors,, Cut Copy
Glitzy, up-tempo melodies and new wave electro-beats encompass Cut Copy’s dancefloor staple In Ghost Colours—one of the best pop albums Australia has ever produced

13. Microcastle, Deerhunter
Following up a brilliant—and short—career of ethereal, shoegaze-y, ambient punk rock recordings, these Atlanta natives pull out all the stops on this third album of equally sublime sounds and words.

14. Where You Go I Go Too, Lindstrom
Prolific Norwegian DJ Hans-Peter Lindstrom creates an album of stratospheric proportions—. Containing only four tracks, two of which clock in at over 15 minutes in length, Where You Go… is European electronica at its best.

15. Something For All Of Us, Brendan Canning
Broken Social Scene founder Brendan Canning goes solo, with the help of some familiar friends, to produce an eclectic debut of indie rock gold.

16. Santogold, Santogold
Philadelphia’s Santi White spent 2008 touring with M.I.A. and Bjork, collaborating with friend Mark Ronson, and collecting “best new artist” awards—she more than earns her place on this list, and so does her self-titled debut of indie pop / punk / synth / new wave / art rock—a fabulously slick and sleek production.

17. Welcome To Mali, Amadou & Mariam
Known as “the blind couple from Mali”, Amadou & Mariam have been making music together for more than 35 years—both professionally and as husband and wife. Universally acclaimed, this visually-impaired duo make writing and performing Afro-pop music look easy—so well respected, they have played shows at Coachella and Lollapalooza in years past, sharing the bill with performers who’s artistries pale by comparison. You don’t need to understand the language to fully appreciate the magic these two can create.

18. Just A Souvenir, Squarepusher
Surreal jazz-fusion—Souvenir can best be described as the kind of background music you would hear in the elevator of a hotel run by mad scientists and drum machine inventors

19. Dear Science, TV On The Radio
Though not as enjoyable an effort as 2006’s Return To Cookie Mountain, the eclectic New York indie supergroup incorporated doo-wop, shoegaze and indie electro on this excellently crafted mixture.

20. Bits, Oxford Collapse
Brooklyn trio, with penchant for legitimately good indie pop sounds and lyrics, follow up 2006’s Remember The Night Parties, with a unique collection of guitars, drums and car sounds—by far the year’s ultimate hipster patio-party soundtrack.

21. Distortion, The Magnetic Fields
Although difficult to follow up 69 Love Songs, Stephin Merritt creates a triumphant cacophony of guitar fuzz, melody and noise that is both beautiful and corrosive to the ear.

22. Stay Positive, The Hold Steady
It’s hard to imagine Brooklyn’s The Hold Steady releasing a bad album—because they haven’t. Not once. Album #4 is another example of what indie rock is supposed to sound like—brooding, loud and deep, yet poignant and meaningful. Lead singer Craig Finn claims that Positive revolves around “adult” problems and the ability to mature gracefully. Mission accomplished.

23. Little Honey, Lucinda Williams
The ninth studio album from alt-rock royalty Lucinda Williams is not as strong as 1998’s Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (very few albums are), however Little Honey is definitely her best LP since.

24. Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, Atlas Sound
A haunting solo effort by the only artist with two albums on this list, Deerhunter’s Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox) delves into dark territory to produce this horrifyingly beautiful ambient trip.

25. Acid Tongue, Jenny Lewis
With help from boyfriend Jonathan Rice, Elvis Costello and Zooey Deschanel, indie queen Jenny Lewis’s sophomore solo effort makes like a sweet, harmonious trip to the California coast, followed by a beachside, acoustic campfire jam session—nothing acidic about this record.

26. The Week That Was, The Week That Was
A superb blend of electronic beats over heavy rock bass, with the occasional xylophone, make UK artists The Week That Was one of the great idiosyncratic talents of the year.

27. New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War), , Erykah Badu
Neo-soul queen returns to the mic and delivers a (typical) beat-heavy, rhythm & blues / funk masterpiece. Political and pointed, the lyrics are a new venture for Badu, whose earlier tracks about loser boyfriends and bag ladies prove no match for this so-called New Amerykah.

28. London Zoo, The Bug
Drawing influence from grime, hip-hop and electronica, London-born producer, journalist and musician Kevin Martin has been in the game for well over a decade—this time around, he dabbles in dub reggae to create one intense record.

29. Jukebox, Cat Power
The indie world’s favourite gravel voiced chanteuse brings her usual hard edge interpretation of rock classics to Jukebox, her eighth album in a near flawless catalogue. Ms. Power’s rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” is one of those rare covers that actually work on the same level as its predecessor.

30. Intimacy, Bloc Party
More electronic-sounding than earlier efforts, Bloc Party’s third LP takes some getting used to at first, but is ultimately a beautiful and brash revelation. Loud guitars eclipse poetic lyrics about lost loves and broken hearts without ever sounding cheesy or convoluted.

31. The Rhumb Line, Ra Ra Riot
After releasing a stellar debut EP last year, New York indie pop group Ra Ra Riot have made names for themselves with their infectious and smartly written tracks and unique choice of instrumentations. Pure perfection: a cover of “Suspended in Gaffa” by Kate Bush.

32. Los Angeles,, Flying Lotus
Expectations were high for the follow-up to California DJ Steven Ellison’s awesome debut 1983 (2006)—failing to disappoint, this year’s effort proved absolutely stunning. Experimental hip-hop is not for everyone, yet the brilliance of this record must at least be sampled before the listener can pass judgment.

33. Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill, Grouper
The best ambient record in years, Portland noise artist Liz Harris is astounding, vocally, on her third release. To those who find it difficult to get into, wait for a cloudy, gray (yet dry) afternoon before going out, alone, into a vacant field and lying, face-up, on the land. Tears will ensue. Trust.

34. Keep Your Eyes Ahead, The Helio Sequence
A superior release from Portland, Oregon duo that playfully balances the best of wistful folk rock and weighty lyrical poetry.

35. Fleet Foxes,, Fleet Foxes
Describing their earlier records as “baroque harmonious pop jams,” Seattle based-Fleet Foxes alternatively sound like Appalachian mountain men on this folk-rock American masterpiece.

36. I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, Martha Wainwright
With synth production by Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, and vocal contributions from brother Rufus, chanteuse Martha Wainwright’s sophomore disc is a stunning mix of folk, pop and rock (soon-to-be) classics.

37. Hurricane, Grace Jones
Don’t call it a comeback. Miss Grace Jones returns with her tenth album—her first in twenty years—just as scary as ever. Enlisting help from Wendy Melvoin (Madonna, Prince) and British rapper Tricky, this album is full of eerie sounds, hard beats and bizarre, purely Grace, man-eating lyrics.

38. Never Never Love, Pop Levi
Weird sounds from an even weirder character. Former Ladytron guitarist Pop Levi’s sophomore release is, sonically, all over the place—but in a good way.

39. Quaristice, Autechre
One of the forefathers of IDM and electronic music, England’s Autechre releases their ninth record of groundbreaking computer-generated ambient beats, reminding every pseudo-electronic band of today how it is properly done.

40. All I Intended To Be, Emmylou Harris
Album number twenty-one from the silver-maned goddess of country is as beautiful as ever, with gorgeous reinterpretations of older tracks by songwriters such as Merle Haggard, Tracy Chapman and Kate & Anna McGarrigle. I cannot say enough about the sheer genius of Emmylou Harris—listen to …Intended before channeling her back catalogue.

41. Welcome, James PantA truly bizarre album of hip-hop beats that are reminiscent of late 1980’s New York City club-land, not much is known about the origins of James Pant. Certainly, Welcome will be a difficult task to follow.

42. Lust Lust Lust, The Raveonettes
Danish duo Sune Rose and Sharin Foo are magic on their fourth LP of neo-psychedelic noise rock. Standout tracks like “Hallucinations” and “Black Satin” are totally engrossing.

43. Nouns, No Age
Following last year’s “Weirdo Rippers,” art-punk outfit No Age are making a lot of noise, much to the pleasure of their sizeable, and ever-expanding fan base. Fast-paced and sonically obscure, Nouns is unlike any record on this, or any 2008 list.

44. For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver
Recorded in a remote cabin deep in the Wisconsin wilderness, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon creates stark, ghostly noises on this indie-folk gem

45. Exit, Shugo Tokumaru
Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru makes delightful indie pop sounds on his third record, which reportedly incorporates over 60 different musical instruments—all in one.

46. Love Is Overtaking Me, Arthur Russell
Arthur Russell died of AIDS in 1992—a collection of rare recordings was finally released this year, to the delight of fans and critics who could never forget the brilliant songwriter behind them. Originating as a disco artist in the 1970’s, Russell eventually grew to immerse himself completely in many genres of music throughout his short career and life. Love… is a beautiful portal into said career—and life.

47. Offend Maggie, Deerhoof
San Francisco foursome quickly released a stellar follow up to last year’s unbeatable Friend Opportunity—full of the usual crunchy guitars and Satomi Matsuzaki’s catatonic wails.

48. The Devil You And Me, The Notwist
The sixth release from German indie rockers The Notwist is a wistful, teary-eyed record full of lament and sorrow concerning everything from relationships, death and the planets. Definitely not to be listened to whilst driving.

49. Chemical Chords,, Stereolab
The latest LP from legendary post-rock / electronic supergroup sounds utterly frantic and exciting—trombones, Moog keyboards and xylophones have always exemplified their sound, however, album #9 is just as groundbreaking as their mid-1990’s contributions.

50. Flavours Of Entanglement, Alanis Morissette
In one of the year’s most surprising albums, the former fire-breathing priestess of rock is still angry—and, yes, it’s because of a man—however, this time around she enlists the polished production skills of Guy Sigsworth (Madonna, Bjork, Imogen Heap) to channel that rage through a unique blend of harmonious balladry and electronic-infused radio-friendly pop.

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