2008 - The Year in Music

Favouritest Albums

I could have left all the other rubbish out and just devoted this entire review to music. Like last year, there was so much fantastic music that it was impossible for me to make a short list. So, here we go, in no particular order:

M83 - Saturdays = Youth : I can’t understand how this manages to sound new and old at the same time. I really love this album.

Portishead - Third

Santogold - Santogold : This and M83 were my most-listened albums of 2008.

The Presets - Apocalypso

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing : The album I sing along to all the time. Not in the shower though because I never wash.

Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes : From the first moment I heard them I knew it was going to be a keeper.

Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs : I didn’t love this album at first, but it grew and grew and grew. Here’s hoping for a Postal Service release in 2009! Also, Ben Gibbard engaged to Zooey Deschanel is complete AWESOME!

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours : And because they are Australian they spell colour correctly.

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

TV On The Radio - Dear Science

Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

Coldplay - Viva la Vida : I realise it is cool to despise Coldplay and consider them overly generic pop-rock, but I don’t care. I like the tunes.

Ladytron - Velocerifo

Lenka - Lenka : And listening to Lenka led me to Decoder Ring who are my new favourite artist.

Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular : Even though the songs were everywhere, I never got sick of it.

MIA - Kala : Technically from 2007 but whatever.

Mstrkrft - The Looks

New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom : Possibly from 2007, but I listened to it a lot this year.

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend : although I do wonder what the next album will be like.

Burial - Untrue : I predicted that I’d end up loving this album when I first heard it at the end of 2007.

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling

Favouritest Songs

Portishead - The Rip
The Ting Tings - That’s not my name
Santogold - Lights Out
MIA - Paper Planes
Does it offend you yeah? - We are rockstars
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Falling Slowly
M83 - Kim and Jessie
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Ladytron - Ghosts
Yeasayer - 2080
MGMT - Time To Pretend
Mates of State - Now
Death Cab For Cutie - I will possess your heart
Estelle - American Boy
Kanye West - Love Lockdown
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Jason Segal - Dracula’s Lament (from Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

I had a thing for female vocalists this year. My favourite moment is two minutes fourteen seconds into Portishead’s “The Rip” where the acoustic guitar fades into electric and she holds the impossibly long note.

Favouritest Lyrics

Easy. The entire lyrics to Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

Bestest Lyrics that just keep repeating

“And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums” - The Ting Tings — Great DJ
“Now, now, now, now, now now. Now, now, now, now, now now. Now, now, now, now, now now.” - Mates of State — Now

Mostest Mesmorizing Music Video

Beyoncé - Single Ladies

I wish I could dance like that. See also: my exposé on Beyoncé’s demonic appearance

Music Video That Made Me Want To Stay Home Forever

Justice - Stress

Favourite Music Video

Justice - DVNO (which I always sing as “DINO” for fun!)

Justice certainly do amazing videos. Last year’s D.A.N.C.E was brilliant too.

Next, my year in movies.