MUSIC MONDAYS: THE BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR, AS A MIX

I love to read top 10 lists, but I loathe creating them. Deciding the top 3 albums of the year is one thing but how do you mark one album "7" and another "8"? Too tough. So I decided to start an Alex tradition. For those in the know, you may recall that I love to make mixes. Some folks have even told me that I’m pretty damn good at making them. So here is Alex’s "2008 Best of the Year mix." This isn’t a novel idea but I’m putting a bit of a spin on it. These aren’t my eighteen favorite songs. In some cases the songs may be my favorites of the year but more specifically the albums from which I have snipped them are my 18 favorite albums of the year. The order of songs on the mix has nothing to do with which of these 18 albums I like best. It’s a mix. I’m thinking flow and feel and all that. So here we go…

HONORABLE MENTION ALBUMS THAT DIDN’T MAKE MY LIST: These three albums all almost donated a song to my mix, but didn’t quite make the cut.

1. My Morning Jacket- Evil Ways. Very enjoyable, well conceived in certain areas but wildly unfocused in others (ahem, Highly Suspicious).

2. Mystery Jets- Twenty One. A perfectly solid album that I listened to for two weeks and then stopped. I didn’t remember this album even came out until James reminded me last week. Then I was like “oh maybe I should add that to mix.” But no. It remains off.

3. The Walkmen- You & Me. Quality melancholy sounds. But it’s never good when almost every song has you thinking “Is my CD on repeat? Cause Track 8 sounds just like Track 2 sounds just like Track 6.”

And now the real mix, which I have titled O HATE. Get it, 08. Oh Eight. O HATE. Uh-huh, you know you love it. Cause isn't a best of list just a way to hate on other albums? Maybe that's a stretch. But people love to hate on each other's best of lists. So that makes sense.

And another note, iTunes is stupid so if you’re using it or any other stupid program, please save this as a playlist and make sure it runs in the following order for optimal listening.

1. Sigur Ros- "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" from Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

What at first seems like a shockingly upbeat album from Sigur Ros soon recedes back to their regular glacial chill. Now with Iceland’s dead economy, I can only imagine their songs will become even more depressing. This tune is as joyous as it gets though. Not Sigur Ros' best album but still gorgeous and with these few early diversions, less like one long song.

2. M83- "Kim & Jessie" from Saturdays = Youth

Oh the eighties are back. But this is the infectious eighties, not the shitty eighties that makes pretty much any movie created during the time period completely unwatchable now. And this particular song makes me feel like I’m in DONNIE DARKO. Not that that was actually made in the eighties. You know what I’m saying though.

3. Spiritualized- "Sitting On Fire" from Songs in A&E

The album where J. Spaceman almost died. A&E refers to the Brits' ICU, not the Bounty Hunter channel. For a full on report about the horrifying awesomeness of this album, check my post from when it came out.

4. Hot Chip- "Touch Too Much" from Made in the Dark


Not as good as The Warning, but a solid balance of danceable beats and beautifully reedy vocal lines abound. The sequencing of tracks could be improved, especially towards the end, but that’s just me being a grouch at this point.


5. Ne-Yo- "Fade Into the Background" from Year of the Gentleman

I met Ne-Yo a couple years back. He’s a nice man. Or should I say a nice “Gentleman.” This album shows you can sing R&B and still be classy. As far as mainstream R&B goes, this is definitely the best as far as songwriting goes. He writes all the damn songs, give him a point for that alone. Let’s hope it wins all the many Grammy’s it was nominated for.

6. TV On the Radio- "Love Dog" from Dear Science

Maybe the best album of the year. I could’ve picked any number of tunes from it. This one in particular has a lovely balance of harmony, melody and instruments. Most reviews will mention how this album is SO 2008. This song isn’t the most 2008 of the bunch, but it still feels current to me.

7. Calexico- "Man Made Lake" from Carried to Dust

All my money down, there’s no better band to listen to while driving through Arizona at dusk. I’d rather listen to Neil Young’s Doom Trilogy in this situation but that’s one man, not a band. This is such a dreamy southwestern album. I can taste the cactus needles with every note.

8. Bon Iver- "Lump Sum" from For Emma, Forever Ago

I first heard of this band after reading reviews of the next band’s album. Sort of the flipside to the neo-Americana coin. It’s folk music, woods music, but also soul music in its own special way. They rock out harder live but on record it’s a perfect dose of the wilderness…

9. Fleet Foxes- "Blue Ridge Mountains" from Fleet Foxes

… Just like this album. As the title of this song may suggest, these guys are into the whole scenic thing. It’s hard to believe that they are like 21. This is some rather traveled music.

10. Vampire Weekend- "M79" from Vampire Weekend

I wanted to hate these guys, especially after friends of mine told me that at the concert the drummer was wearing a Phish shirt. But about six months after the release, I gave in. It’s a damn good, tight, to-the-point, economical but musically sophisticated album. Even if I would probably get great pleasure from kicking these guys’ popped-collar asses.


11. Okkervil River- "Starry Stairs" from The Stand-Ins

The sequel to last year’s slightly better “Stage Names.” Lyrically, Will Sheff is pretty much the best out right now. And this song has a great horn line, even if you aren’t into the whole Okkervil aesthetic.

12. Lambchop- "Popeye" from OH

I remember when these guys were pretty big, both in terms of band members (once they had like 16 people in the band) and in terms of popularity. Never big like Green Day or John Tesh, but respectable. A couple years back I saw them at the Troubadour and the place was nearly empty. Now that’s a feat. Anyway, this is an album after that tour and it’s a real gem. Country-soul anchored by Kurt Wagner’s unmistakable baritone. If this is enough to put you to sleep just wait till the breakdown.

13. Department of Eagles- "Waves of Rye" from In Ear Park

I’m a huge Grizzly Bear fan. So imagine my surprise when Jen told me about a spin-off band that sounded just like them. Damn near a new Grizzly Bear album out of nowhere. This particular song isn’t the obvious choice from the album but I think its quite indicative of the DoE’s penchant for building vocals and impressive instrumental palettes.

14. Portishead- "Hunter" from Third

And one of the great 90’s bands has returned. With a bang mind you. You can tell this album is Portishead but it’s about as far from “trip-hop” as one could get. More like sci-fi chamber almost-pop hop? Beth Gibbons has been known to make people crash their cars after hearing her call.


15. Erykah Badu- "The Cell" from New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)

Probably the most underrated album of the year. I love Ms. Badu and I was convinced that she would never come out with another album again. But then she drops this banger. It’s like taking her debut Baduizm and remixing it with Funkadelic's Maggot Brain. Trippy, relevant and catchy as that disease in OUTBREAK.

16. Hercules and Love Affair- "Hercules Theme" from Hercules and Love Affair

Come on now. Songs don’t get more exciting than this. It almost defies words. Those horns, those feline back-up vocal noises. This album is so varied in its 90’s dance homages. Plus, it has Antony (a sorta sometimes transsexual) and a real deal transsexual as guest vocalists. You can’t beat that.

17. Of Montreal- "Wicked Wisdom" from Skeletal Lamping

Like every song on this love it or hate it album, this tune is 8+ songs in 1. Parts of this particular track will stay in your head for weeks. The live show is about as insane as it gets (see my post about it) and the more you listen to this album the more the chaotic song snippets coalesce into a deliberate whole.


18. Beach House- "Heart of Chambers" from Devotion


Horror music. They’re from Baltimore too. Makes sense. I can imagine any of these songs playing as Omar walks down the street with a shotgun. This album, like their last one is the soundtrack to that sensation people get a second before they fall asleep but while they’re still awake. That falling sensation. But if that sensation were actually pleasurable.

And thus concludes songs from Alex’s favorite albums of the year.

Oh, you wanna hear the mix too? Okay

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2ccgby

Remember to put it in the correct order if your iTunes tries to do otherwise!