15 Best Albums 2008

This list was hard to put together. So many great records were released that I had to cut at least 10 from the list, including the aforementioned In Rainbows, the David Byrne/Brian Eno collab Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's happy-slappy EP The Suns Ain't Shining No More, Beck's latest Modern Guilt, Erykah Badu's great but not phenomenal New Amerykah Pt. 1, and efforts by Cat Power, She and Him, Deerhunter, Portishead, Black Milk, Foals, Fleet Foxes, The Gutter Twins, Jenny Lewis, Nine Inch Nails, and Gnarls Barkley. All these albums are worthy of accolades, praise and repeated plays, but the bar was high this year. I chose the best of the best-- albums that will be part of my collection for years to come, songs that I'll pass on to like-minded fiends (and by fiends I mean other music junkies like me).

And with that, I give you my favorite albums of 2008.

15. Q-tip - The Renaissance

Best tracks: Dance on Glass, Gettin' Up

14. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
Best track: S.A.D. Light

13. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Best track: Oxford Comma

12. Rafter - Sex Death Cassette
Best track: Love Time Now Please

11. Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida
Best track: Cindy

10. El Perro Del Mar - From the Valley to the Stars
Best track: Glory to the World

9. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Best tracks: Electric Feel, Time to Pretend

8. The Roots - Rising Down
Best track: Rising Down

7. The Fireman - Electric Arguments
Best track: Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight

6. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
Best tracks: Gallery Piece, Touched Something's Hollowed

5. Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Best track: Grounds for Divorce

4. The Dodos - Visiter
Best track: Red and Purple

3. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Best track: Skinny Love

2. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Best track: I have a soft spot for Love Dog but I'll choose Halfway Home

1. Deastro - Keepers
Best tracks: Light Powered and Child of Man, Son of God

An honorable mention goes to Department of Eagles' fantastic record In Ear Park, which would be number sixteen if my list had gone that far. The song No One Does it Like You is one of my top five songs of the year.