Spencer's Top Ten (And Then Some)

2008 was . . . different.  All right, let’s be honest; with two important exceptions 2008 was horrible.  Luckily, seeing as how this is a music blog, one of those exceptions was music.  2008 was a great year for music, but it was certainly different than 2007.  2007, for me at least, was the year of old favorites - Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Sunset Rubdown and Of Montreal all released fantastic albums.  2008, on the other hand, was a year of new bands, new sounds and, for me at least, a little branching out. So without further ado, here are my top ten albums of 2008:

#10 The Ruby Suns – Sea Lion

A minor debate is raging across the internet as to whether the moniker “new-primitivist” is a genre, sub-genre, movement, or merely an adjective. As far as I can tell, the phrase first cropped up in Pitchfork’s review of The Dodos “Visiter,” in which the reviewer compared that album to those of other new-primitivist bands like Animal Collective, Yeasayer and High Places.  The review doesn’t, however, tell us what new-primitivism is except mention that it involves “locomotive percussion [which] is every bit a lead instrument as [the] guitar. . . .”  That’s a pretty broad definition upon which to hang a genre, or even a sub-genre; regardless, when I read that review I had a moment of clarity in which all these wacky, chanty, tribal-sounding bands I was getting into suddenly had a label – they were new-primitivist.  Long story short – I love new-primitivism.

It should be no surprise, then, that several new-primitivist bands show up on my end-of-the-year lists.  Sea Lion is merely the first of many.  The song you will probably be most familiar with is “Oh, Mojave,” which is used as a jingle in recent Windows commercials.  The first time I saw one of those commercials I think I had an aneurism – “they’re playing the Ruby Suns in a commercial?   They’re playing the RUBY SUNS in a commercial?”  Don’t let that be your only exposure to the band.

What makes Sea Lion great is that it is very much a global (in that it borrows instruments and sounds from around the world), but remarkably unpretentious, album.  Indeed, the songs exude a kind of warm, gentle optimism.  Like so much of the rest of this list, Sea Lion will take a while to grow on you, but it will be worth it.

# 9 Department of Eagles – In Ear Park

Bart already had a great entry on this album, so I don’t know if I need to elaborate.  Suffice it to say that In Ear Park came out of nowhere toward to end of the year to displace some other great albums on my list.  I’m glad it did.

# 8 Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

This one actually got a limited release in 2007, but its mainstream release was in 2008, so I’m including it.  Justin Vernon, the sole member of Bon Iver, apparently wrote and recorded the album while living for three months in a Wisconsin cabin and recovering from the breakup of his previous band, the breakup of a relationship, and mononucleosis of the liver.  What can I say?  Heartbreak and loneliness make for great music – you can almost hear the cold winter wind blowing through Vernon’s sparse, haunting melodies. Listen to this album, but bear in mind that it will make you depressed; luckily you can listen to the next album to cheer you back up again.

# 7 El Guincho – Alegranza

I don’t recall where I first heard of this guy (probably from Dave); regardless, I went to his Myspace page and listened, entranced, to the few songs he had looping on the embedded player.  I knew I had to have this album. Unfortunately, the only place selling was a record store in NYC that was charging way too much for a single CD.  Of course, I bought it, and almost immediately had the buyer’s remorse.  I think that colored my perceptions of the full CD when I finally listened to it because I recall being somewhat underwhelmed.  But then I kept on coming back to it – I don’t know that any other 2008 album has, in the end, as much staying power as Alegranza.  I’m listening to it right now and loving it all over again.

If For Emma, Forever Ago, is winter, then Alegranza is summer.  Tropical rhythms and beats are looped over Spanish chanting and samples to create a layered, sophisticated tableau of sounds.   Imagine an island Animal Collective or Panda Bear album and you’ll begin to appreciate Alegranza; and in a year without an Animal Collective or Panda Bear release it was a welcome alternative.  I dare you to listen to this and not bob your head along.

# 6 Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours

Way back in April when I did my post on the Unicorns (I never did do my promised Islands follow up) (not that anybody noticed) I solemnly declared that “new new wave has come and gone.”  I was a fool.  And a liar.  Two albums would soon be released that would show that there was still plenty of nostalgic, electronic goodness to be squeezed from the seemingly withered teat of the eighties (too far?); In Ghost Colours was one of them.

In Ghost Colours is pure, unpretentious electronic pop.  These guys aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel, but they are perfecting it.  It’s amazing how, in the right hands, the same sound you’ve heard hundreds of times can seem fresh and innovative.  It isn’t deep music, but you’ll be too busy dancing to care.

# 5 Girl Talk – Feed the Animals

Girl Talk is Greg Gillis, a former biomedical engineer who creates “mashup” music by taking hundreds of samples from hip-hop and pop songs and combining them to create a twisted, dizzying stream of constantly evolving music.  Although I’m generally not a fan of hip hop, I’ve loved Girl Talk from the moment I heard his previous album, Night Ripper.   As such, Feed the Animals was one of my most anticipated albums of 2008, and I was not disappointed.

What separates Girl Talk from other hip hop artists, for me at least, are both its mutability (the song you’re listening to now is not the song you were listening to thirty seconds ago) and its (for lack of a better word) catchiness; I’ll get loops of Girl Talk songs stuck in my head for days.  Be warned that Girl Talk gets pretty filthy at times.  After all, Gillis pulls most of his samples from modern rap samples, and he doesn’t pull any punches when deciding to use a particular song.  Whether you think Girl Talk is genius or just a guilty pleasure, there’s no denying the raw, visceral appeal of his music.

#4 Vampire Weekend – S/T

I’m always amazed by how quickly the collective opinion of the internet can swing from “hotly anticipated” to “over-hyped and over-played.”  Vampire Weekend is a perfect example of this – some early leaks of their debut album got everyone in a frenzy, the album dropped, was HUGE, and almost immediately hipster kids became disdainful.  Whatever.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that a band’s success may actually correlate with its quality; shouldn't great bands become popular?  Vampire Weekend certainly deserve their ensuing popularity, as they crafted one of the most engaging, listenable albums of 2008.

The members of Vampire Weekend first met when the four of them were attending Columbia, and an Ivy League influence permeates their music – two of their main musical influences are African pop and classical music, and many of their songs deal with the travails of academic life.  What makes Vampire Weekend work is that they never take themselves too seriously; their songs are sung with a certain winky cheekiness, so you’re never sure whether they’re celebrating the upper-crust lifestyle or skewering it instead.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the music itself is playful, uptempo American pop wedded to African drum beats; it’s complex and erudite without being esoteric or inaccessible.

I know they hate this comparison, but Vampire Weekend really reminds me of a Graceland-era Paul Simon.  Graceland is one of my favorite albums of all time, so it should be no surprise that I love Vampire Weekend, no matter what the internet says.

# 3 Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer

Again, Bart did a great write-up of this album, so I’ll spare you my own musings.  I will say that separately Spencer Krug (Sunset Rubdown) and Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs) can do no wrong, so when they get together and write a Wolf Parade album it’s almost automatically a thing of beauty.

# 2 Crystal Castles – S/T

England’s Crystal Castles is definitely a love ‘em or hate ‘em kind of band.  Imagine distorted female chants, crackles and wails played over electronic drum beats and eight-bit boops and beeps.  Now imagine that same thing, but imagine it as a sort of pulsing, neon worm that burrows deep inside your brain and refuses to leave.  That’s Crystal Castles.

From all reports, Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, the two members of Crystal Castles, belong to that seemingly ever-expanding group of individuals known as “douche bags who write great music” (see also, Islands).  Here that label seems particularly appropriate as it would be impossible for nice people to make music this glitchy and sneeringly over the top. Listen to "Love And Caring" (one of the stand out tracks) and tell me the people who created that song weren’t total jerks.  I’m glad people like this exist, because without them we wouldn’t get music this audacious and daring.  I’m also glad, however, that they live far, far away.

#1 The Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride

I’ve been staring at this screen for the last half hour trying to put my love for the Mountain Goats into words.  I’m having a hard time, so I’ll leave it at this: John Darnielle (the lead singer and for a long time only member of the Mountain Goats) is the greatest singer/song writer working today; "September 15, 1983" is one of the most moving songs I’ve ever heard; and Heretic Pride is the greatest album of 2008.

The Best of the Rest (in no particular order)

#11 The Dodos – Visiter

According to Pitchfork, they’re new-primitivist, so I must love them.

#12 Born Ruffians – Red, Yellow and Blue

A new-primitivistish band, although less abstract and more poppy than most bands of that ilk.

#13 F*ck Buttons – Street Horrrsing

At times, this album crosses the line into pure noise; but no other band that I know of taps that primal part of the human brain as well as these guys.

#14 M83 – Saturdays = Youth

Remember up above when I said two excellent new new wave albums came out in 2008?  This was the other one.   An airy, ethereal tribute to John Hughes movies.

#15 TV on the Radio – Dear Science

You don’t need me to tell you how excellent this album is; I’m sure you’ve all heard it before.

#16 Russian Circles – Station

Sort of a metal inspired post-rock.  Intense stuff.

#17 This Will Destroy You – S/T

Just straight up, really good post-rock.

#18 Los Campesinos – Hold on Now, Youngster

Like Architecture in Helsinki, these guys drift into twee territory at times; however, also like Architecture in Helsinki, it’s impossible to listen to them and be sad.

#19 Okkervil River – The Stand Ins

A worthy, almost as good follow up to 2007’s The Stage Names.  "Lost Coastlines" is one of the best songs of the year.

#20 Islands – Arms Way

Bart summed it up for me.  Great band, great album.