Best of 2008 – The Obligatory Post

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Here it is, my obligatory “Best of 2008…” countdown. Hit the link below to download the whole compilation in countdown order.

Dirty Dozen: Best of 2008 – a compliation by Tigers Walk Behind Me

I listened to a lot of really great music this year. More than ever I really believe if someone claims “there just isn’t any good music coming out now” well, they just aren’t listening.

And, here we go.

12. Red of Tooth and Claw by Murder by Death

If Johnny Cash and Tom Waits wrote murder ballads while drinking whiskey at a 19th century carnival you might get a little something like this. The imagery of these songs carry throughout the album, weaving a dark, ink-mottled, tar-smelling rag of Americana.

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11. Hlllyh by The Mae-Shi

Roaring guitars, tight backbeats, sung/yelled choruses, and soaring, idealistic lyrics made this noise-rock gem one of my favorites of the year. I wanted to dislike it, I really did, but I couldn’t help myself.

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10. In the Future by Black Mountain

Nasty guitars will crush your eardrums while dirty organ lines pull you into the sky. Just try not to imagine yourself as a barbarian running across the open, unforgiving plains, rushing to destroy your enemy while you listen to this track.

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9. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend

Here’s a record that suffered from it’s own hype. It came out to much acclaim early in the year and quickly went from obscurity to ubiquity. Still, the catchy West African-inspired sounds and pretentious, ivy-league lyrics combined to make a tight, smart, most enjoyable record.

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8. Don’t Be a Stranger by The Moondoggies

The spirit of The Band is resurrected by this outfit from Seattle. Great hooks get good airtime on the album’s short tracks, and christian imagery abounds. In short, there was no way I wouldn’t like this record. One of the most underrated of the year.

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7. Microcastle by Deerhunter

Here’s a band I’ve neglected for too long. I can’t help but trace a line from my grunge favorites like Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins through more recent acts like Modest Mouse ending with this album by Deerhunter. This is a band that should be getting radio play over My Chemical Romance.

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6. Fate by Dr. Dog

Straw hats, tight harmonies, songs about animals, and lush, Beatle-esque arrangements make this a pop pleasure from start to finish. Never mind the horrible band name.

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5. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! by Nick Cave & the Badseeds

I’m late to the Nick Cave party – this is the first of his albums that I’ve listened to. But I’m hooked. I know he’s Australian, but the sparse, dirty-like-an-hourly-rate-motel arrangements and Cave’s wild rants make me think of him as a profane, apocolyptic, American prophet – a modern day John the Revelator to Dylan’s John the Baptist.

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4. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

I mentioned elsewhere that I think Fleet Foxes might be the standard-bearers for a new soft-rock movement. Their lush harmonies and English folk song sound are undeniably beautiful. They made a record that can’t be ignored. My only complaint is the lack of soul – the indescribable groove and heart that Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard launched onto the airwaves. But enough complaining. The album is an artistic masterpiece.

3. Everything that Happens Will Happen Today by David Byrne and Brian Eno

Only Brian Eno could do such a symphonic electronic album. And only David Byrne could sing such quirky, personal lyrics. This is a pop/rock album without an extra note or word. Subtlety is valued over volume. The end result is a rumination on life with a view from middle-age unlike any I’ve heard before.

2. Parc Avenue by Plants & Animals

This is my vote for most underrated album of year. Driving guitar rock, smart lyrics, effortless harmonies, and complex arrangements that make me think The Beatles or Queen or the smart end of The Beach Boys are what made this such an enjoyable album for me. I’m looking forward to hearing more from this band.

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1. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver

This was easily the album I listened to most this year. I also know that technically this was a 2007 self release that was just made widely available in 2008. I only found it after the wide release so I’m calling it a 2008 album.

Bon Iver ventured outside the traditional pop/rock/folk framework and assembled an abstract folk sound unlike any I’ve ever heard. The fragile falsetto vocals are backed by haunting guitars and cluttered sound collages. Like the album art, the specific lyrics and images that make up this album can be hard to discern but the feeling and meaning are unmistakable.

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