What Are The Best Records Of 2008?

Well, where the hell did that go? Yep, somehow it’s the middle of November and 2008 only has about 6 weeks left to go. With that in mind I’ve been thinking about putting together a Best of 2008 list but because I’ve spent so much of this year buying & listening to records that came out years, if not decades ago, I’m worried that it might be a bit short.

Certainly, releases by The Streets, Paul Weller, Estelle, José James, Erykah Badu, J.A.M and Jamie Lidell have meant that I’ll look back on 2008 as a good year for music, whilst tracks by artists such as Wylie, Wicked Devil & Dizzee Rascal have made me wish that I could still go to a club without wondering if there’s anywhere I could sit down with a nice glass of wine. So, to make up for this rather poor record of buying new releases, I thought that I would invite suggestions for other albums or singles that deserve to be on my list. I’ll then try to get hold of any records suggested and listen to them before January 2009.

14 comments

  1. I’m not sure if you’ll appreciate these suggestions (not sure if this is really the genre you were looking for), but right now I am just loving the following two albums:

    Black Kids – Partie Traumatic

    Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke

    Let me know what you think 🙂

  2. Great idea; I’ll put my thinking hat on and come back with some of my favourites – I have to check if stuff I liked was actually released this year.

    In the mean time, let me know if you ever want to go out for a sit down and a nice glass of wine. 🙂

  3. Curse the official CD version of In Rainbows being released on 31 Dec 2007…nothing beaten that album this year – and there will not be one to do so for some time.
    Goldfrapp’s Seventh Tree album was a decent album.
    Sigur Ros með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, I’m loving right now.

  4. Ok so here you go:

    1. Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit – Alarum
    2. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires
    3. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
    4. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
    5. Neon Neon – Stainless Style
    6. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
    7. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
    8. The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
    9. Glasvegas – Glasvegas
    10. Late of The Pier – Fantasy Black Channel

  5. Thanks guys – In Rainbows was released in the US on January 1st, so that’s good enough for me.

    I’ve heard bits of the Fleet Foxes and liked it a lot; Elbow is obviously excellent but the others I’m going to have to research – looks like I’ve got a lot of listening to do before the end of the year!

  6. Just downloaded Friendly Fire, Fleet Foxes, Neon Neon, Vampire Weekend, My Morning jacket & Late Of The Pier. emusic.com ftw!

    Also, it is just me or does this list suggest that the biggest trends this year was for eponymous album titles?

  7. The Cool Kids – The Bake Sale
    Q-Tip – The Renaissance

    Unanimous acclaim for these two albums – both bring you back to the early 90’s era of hip hop, where production and lyrical flow is K.I.S.S

  8. Friendly Fires is now a definite for the list: what an album!

    Fleet Foxes I’m not loving as much as I have other stuff by them I’ve heard: a bit like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young but lacking balls.

    Think Vampire Weekend is gonna take a few listens: feels a bit ‘wacky’.

  9. Mr Tip’s solo efforts have generally left me a bit cold but I’ll check this out.

    If you’re all about production and rhymes with a Golden Era feel I would strongly recommend Ohmega Watts’ The Find from a couple of years back: a real undiscovered classic.

  10. I know it’s late given there’s only a few days left before the year is over, but if you get a chance, have a listen to the album Apocalypto by The Presets… one of my fav’s of the year… lots of synthesisers with a somewhat dark retro dance feel.

    I like it, but I have some strange taste’s in music, so even if you don’t think it’s worthy of the ‘best album of 2008’ it’s definitely worth a listen.

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