It’s about that time again folks, and I’m happy to report that I’ve been working on my “best music of 2008” list for almost exactly one whole year. That is, I created a “Best of 2008” playlist in iTunes last January and have been slowly filling it up with great songs as I listen to them. The new technique has helped me keep track of the really good stuff that would have otherwise gotten away from me. The list that follows is, unfortunately, not ordered. I have a couple of favorites towards the end, but it was just too hard to rank these songs properly.
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - “Modern Mystery”
A real toe-tapper from these indie pop young’uns, on the level of top-shelf Jimmy Eat World. Part of the reason you’ve never heard of these guys is because their name is just impossible. Even the friggin’ acronym – SSLYBY – is unwieldy! That said, I think it’s poetic that their Wikipedia image is of them in concert in Moscow, although they really hail from Missouri. Check out a handful of their live performances on Infinitube, particularly this .
Ladytron - “Predict the Day”
Electropop at its most unapologetic, Ladytron has been kicking ass in this subgenre since before the breakthrough Witching Hour record and the song everyone knows—“Destroy Everything You Touch”. Velocifero isn’t quite as jawdropping as that 2005 record but “Predict the Day” certainly stands out. Check out various Ladytron concert videos on Infinitube.
Sigur Ros - “Gobbledigook”
In terms of musical arrangement, these Icelanders and their unspellable album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust are at the very top of my 2008 list. The way the various instruments overlay each other at the beginning of “Gobbledigook” is a remarkable achievement in and of itself. “Vio spilum endalaust” is another humdinger (you’ll pardon the lack of dieresis). Various music videos on their official website. (Gobbledigook features a group of nudists rather prominently, so you won’t find it on Youtube.)
Chairlift - “Bruises”
I first started listening to Chairlift in late July, just about a month before Apple used “Bruises” for the new . I fully expect these guys to be huge next year. (Hey, if , right?) Various Chairlift live performances on Infinitube.
Pete and the Pirates - “Knots”
These boys from Reading are exactly the right kind of raucuous. Rowdy without being discordant, exuberant without being annoying, Pete and the Pirates are my personal favorite band of 2008. Other great tracks from their near-perfect debut album Little Death include “Ill Love”, “She Doesn’t Belong to Me” and “Mr. Understanding.” Check out their various live performances on Infinitube.
MGMT - “Kids”
MGMT is the only artist on my list that you could call “dancey,” and with good reason: “Kids” sports what is possibly the best riff of the year. “Electric Feel” and “Time to Pretend” are also must-listens. How can you not love a band that dresses like hippies in this day and age? Check out MGMT live performances on Infinitube.
+/ - “SnowBlind”
Seeing +/- (or {Plus/Minus} to search engine bots) perform this absolutely brilliant song live last month was my third best musical moment of 2008 (#2 being the Eraserheads singing “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong” at the Fort, and #1 being Death Cab for Cutie doing “Photobooth” at the Esplanade in Singapore). That said, I was standing less than 5 feet away from the stage during the +/- gig here in Makati, so it was a vastly more intimate performance.
Ra Ra Riot - “Dying is Fine”
This band from Syracuse, NY only formed in 2006, although you wouldn’t think that just by listening to them. Their songs are glittering pop gems that are simultaneously jovial and urgent; their debut album The Rhumb Line is an undeniably beautiful piece of work. Check out the , and various gig recordings on Infinitube here.
The Cure - “Underneath the Stars”
4:13 Dream got some fairly mixed reviews, with more than a few critics calling the Cure’s first album in 4 years a rambling mess. Although I’m not enough of a Cure fan to know where to position Dream in their 13-album canon, there are too many memorable tracks on this album for me to simply write it off. “Underneath” is the 6-minute opener, and it unwinds like smoldering coil. (.)
Army Navy - “Saints”
A long time ago, there was this band called Teenage Fanclub, who sang my favorite song of all-time . I never found another band that could recreate the particular brand of unabashed nice-ness that this song seems to evoke, but Army Navy comes pretty damn close. (Army Navy live performances on Infinitube.)
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Other releases I really enjoyed this past year included the Brendan Canning-led Broken Social Scene album, the Raconteurs’ Consolers of the Lonely, Bon Iver’s , and the Dodos’ psychedelic-folk album . A lot of year-ender lists also rank The ‘59 Sound and Fleet Foxes very high as well, although I never got as into either of them as I was expecting. Still, they’re all worth checking out if you want to get a preview of what other bands will be sounding like in 2009.
See you all in the new year!