That's it. The end. 2008 is coming to a close, and what a wonderful/crazy/stupid/[insert adjective] year it has been. As always, there was a ton of music put out in 2008, and Voilà! is here to do that music justice.
Voilà! has been active and seen a whole year of music, officially. And this is the second run through of the best songs in a year for our humble site. Scrummaging around for some of the neatest music you can find may be a little cumbersome and difficult, but was it ever worth it! We found some unbelievably great stuff this year; 2008 was quite a zinger of a music year. From the latest kings of dance and pop trying to take their place on a thrown, some Chicagoan-Hollywood lovers kicking and screaming from the top, to marching bands who have you celebrating happiness, 2008 has left a defined mark on the music world. This is just some of the awesomeness we all collectively experienced through our speakers.
All of the following albums/bands are in no particular order - we're just going with the flow - but all made their mark specifically in the last 365 days. Just like last year, (when possible) I'll provide the link to buy the album from the well respected folks at Insound.com, in my opinion, one of the best music purveyors on the net. But in these tough economic times, you may want to send your money to a more "renowned" business. Never fret, because most of the music that made our list can probably be found on Amazon.com! But, before we begin, let's have a short review over how Voilà! handles our Music Wrap-Up.
Here's how it works:
The Top 10 - The best 10 albums of 2008.
The Bottom 10 - The best 10 albums that didn't make the Top 10. Hence, Bottom 10.
Obscure Recommendations - Some more obscure or interesting albums released in 2008 that were worthy of mention.
Best Bands of 2008 - The best of the best that Voilà! found over the year.
Best Bands For 2009 - The best new bands you should really pay attention to starting January 1st.
Top 10:
[the best of the best]
Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - "I see a mansard roof in the trees," where Blake got a new face, but nobody cares about an Oxford Comma because the kids don't stand a chance. Let's face it folks, Vampire Weekend took the world by storm with their debut self-titled album. With a slew of dorky-collard-shirt indie-pop mixed with an African tinge, these New York cats have Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa'd their way from near obscurity to international notoriety. The album itself is packed with songs that will keep you drawn in and listening again and again the whole way through. This album is borderline perfection, and it would be a tragedy to not hear it.
Moonbeams by Throw Me The Statue - Can a band be filled with such deliciously tasty creativity and music to the point where they are too addicting? Throw Me The Statue certainly tested those waters with their debut Moonbeams. Follow this pop rainbow and you'll find yourself at the big pot of musical gold at the end. With songs like "Lolita," "About to Walk," "Your Girlfriend's Car," and "This Is How We Kiss," there's a song for everyone. With lo-fi aesthetics and teeth rotting sweet melodies, Moonbeams should not be missed.
Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie - Death Cab celebrates a decade of playing wondrous music with a brand new album! Narrow Stairs takes all the bubblegum pop of contemporary Death Cab and mixes it with their old school stylings; a mixture of Something About Airplanes and The Photo Album. Narrow Stairs is a perfect representation of the ever evolving, ever involving, ever intriguing, ever exciting musical spectrum Death Cab for Cutie is known for.
Come Into My House by No Kids - There's a unique something in the air. An unmistakable something that's drifting in from Western Canada. I promise it's not a North American cold front. It's in fact No Kids, and with their bubblegum pop that emulates all forms of music with irresistible intrigue that No Kids display on their debut Come Into My House, you won't be able to turn away. Come Into My House is an album that will draw you in, and one that may never let you free again. Embrace it with open arms, and you'll be bathed in the most pleasant of sounds, I promise.
The Muslims by The Soft Pack [formerly The Muslims] - Good ol' homecookin'. Well, at least in a musical sense. That's what The Soft Pack is great at, and when they were still known as The Muslims, they released their self titled debut LP, filled to the brim with some wild, vibrant, fun, cranky, crazy, cool collection of songs. Recorded very simply, The Soft Pack emulates something like The Strokes if they recorded in a basement. The shocker here is The Soft Pack makes The Strokes look silly. With a crisp, lucid, minimal style, The Soft Pack's debut album is organic rock 'n roll, without all the unnecessary gimmicks and additives.
Bam Bam by Bam Bam - One of the biggest break out bands to land a stage at SXSW 2008, Bam Bam's debut self-titled release is off the chain. With a tremendous presence, a colourful array of intensely dynamic songs, and a unique take on indie rock with a Mexican perspective, Bam Bam is an unprecedented presence on this year's Top 10. Their debut album is on your required listening list, no matter what language you speak or country your from. There is nothing that compares.
Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust by Sigur Rós - How do you top something so awe inspiring as Sigur Rós' album Takk..., which garnered the Icelandic ensemble international acclaim from literally all over the world? Well, if Heima, now the #1 documentary on IMDB doesn't do it, how about a brand new album? Stripping away the orchestral wildness of Takk..., Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust presents Sigur Rós as they were meant to be seen: poignant, grandiose, and beautiful beyond comprehension.
Pop-Up by Yelle - Les personnes de français a arrive, et ils est prepare à détruire les personnes du États-Unis! Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme. Or maybe that's just crappy French (which it is). But regardless, the French have indeed begun to take the States and the world by storm now that French rapper Yelle has left a trail of adoring fans in her wake across the planet. She released Pop-Up to a wide range of success, and the fast paced, bass thudding beats on Pop-Up, along with the catchy, promiscuous, raunchy French lyrics easily earn her a spot on anyone's best music of 2008.
When The Music Starts by Mount Righteous - I could give a brief summary of Mount Righteous, or about their debut album, When The Music Starts. I really could. I could tell you about how their marching band-esque attitude gives them a personality like no other, or how their eclectic, vibrant songs bring happiness and joy out of your heart, and make it tangible. But that wouldn't do them justice. So, I'll let Mount Righteous explain: "When the music starts, we all get together. And we dance, and sing, and love one another. It's a gorgeous thing, the feeling it brings. Freedom is finally mine."
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Bottom 10:
[the albums that almost made it]
Hold On Now, Youngster... by Los Campesinos! - Debut albums from great bands can almost be a shoe-in for best-of-this-year lists, and Los Campesinos!' debut is no exception. The kooky characters from Wales present a truly unique, fast paced, eccentric critique of pop-culture in their debut Hold On Now, Youngster..., which sent these boys on the fast track to success internationally. C'mon, if you aren't addicted to "You! Me! Dancing!" yet, you need to listen to some different music.
Youth Novels by Lykke Li - Her name may be tricky, but her hips and the music will never lie. The entrancing debut from the Swedish indie-pop sweetheart Lykke Li is pure golden with gorgeous melodies orbiting unprecedentedly perfect rhythms boiling down every emotion into a foot tapping, hip wagging dance. Whether you love her for her lively fashion, her many collaborations, or that silky sweet voice that draws you in like a siren, Lykke Li's debut Youth Novels will entrance you with a hypnotic beauty that is unparalleled.
We Brave Bee Stings and All by Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Ms. Thao Nguyen, along with her diligent compadres in The Get Down Stay Down, definitely set a new standard for contemporary folk music. With a strong emphasis on blues and distinctive uniqueness in musical improvisation, We Brave Bee Stings & All raises the bar for all their peers. Thao's raspy voice, along with her conceptual lyrics, and The Get Down Stay Down's interesting instrumentation, We Brave Bee Stings and All is a must hear from 2008.
At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade - To be unique, they say, you have to march to the beat of your own drum. Obviously nobody considered how Wolf Parade would "Beat Your Drum" if they were given the chance. Now on their sophomore LP, the anglophone Montréal quartet Wolf Parade have been tearing their way through the music scene with the release of At Mount Zoomer. Taking all you love from Apologies to the Queen Mary and multiplying it by four, At Mount Zoomer brings a maturing view of a wild band.
Pershing by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - There was a dilemma this year. Two of the biggest pop albums made a release invariably at the same time, Moonbeams by Throw Me The Statue, and Perishing, by Someone Still Loves You... What do you do?! Perishing is a tidal wave of fun-lovin' and jubilance! Perishing may be down here on the Bottom 10, but it is identically synonymous with Moonbeams on the Top. It's all a matter of taste, my dear readers; don't count Perishing out; it's a must hear.
Fate by Dr. Dog - If there was probably a stand-out band that just about everyone could agree on for 2008, in the independent music scene, it might easily be Dr. Dog. The Philladelphia boys struck a chord across the mainstream media with We All Belong, and followed their success up with Fate. Fate presents a significantly matured and diligently crafted sound, progressive and textured, a work that leaves you begging for more.
Folie à Deux by Fall Out Boy - They've got the haters tugged in tow, and pride themselves in the derision. With the debut of Infinity On High, Wentz turned these guys into Hollywood superstars rather than rough 'n tumblin' Chicago boys. But if you take out all the MTV drama, when you look at these guys objectively, their latest release with Folie à Deux is actually a pretty grand album. Folie à Deux is an anthemic release, filled to the brim with pop-rock jams that beg to be compared to Take This To Your Grave day, along with quirky influence from Stumps' extensive music taste (listen for Prince or Costello) Fall Out Boy scores a casual goal. At least here, anyway.
Partie Traumatic by Black Kids - An expansive celebration of the keyboard, Black Kids' debut LP launched them into a land of critical acclaim. This album is vibrant and draws back to Hot Hot Heat's Elevator in both music and vocal styling. What sets Black Kids apart is their vibrant uniqueness - a flavour that can't be replicated any other way. If you like dancing, this album is for you.
'The Very Best' Mixtape by Esau Mwamwaya - How in the world did this end up in the Bottom 10?! I'm really at a loss here, friends. Malawi vocalist Esau Mwamwaya, along with Radioclit, have crafted themselves a huge collection of amazing remixes of wonderful artists including Architecture In Helsinki, Vampire Weekend, and M.I.A. They're almost all sung in Chichewa, and I haven't the faintest what Esau might be saying, but isn't it just FABULOUS?! There is no reason this should be in the Bottom 10; this is in fact, one of the best albums of the year.
Broken Social Scene Presents: Something for All of Us... by Brendan Canning - It can't be a year without Broken Social Scene, right? The Canadian supergroup is still having a blast with their eclectic Broken Social Scene Presents series, which still has last.fm users scratching their heads as who to list the artist as. This year, co-founder Brendan Canning gets his shot at a feature album, with Something for All of Us..., and pulls out all the stops for his re-introduction. If you haven't heart "Church Under the Stairs" yet, what have you been doing all year?
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Obscure Recommendations
[some folks who made enough noise to be heard]
Weepy by Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Acoustic EP by Motion City Soundtrack
Cars by Now, Now Every Children
A Good Day by Priscilla Ahn
The Bedroom Covers by The Morning Benders
The Bake Sale by The Cool Kids
Texas by PlayRadioPlay!
¿Cómo Te Llama? by Albert Hammond Jr.
Seaside Rock by Peter Bjorn and John
Colin Meloy Sings Live! by Colin Meloy
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed by Los Campesinos!
Sad Robots EP by Stars
Uroboros by Dir en grey
Jingle Spells 2 by Various Artists
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack by Various Artists
Who Killed Harry Houdini? by I'm From Barcelona
o by Tilly and the Wall
Loyalty to Loyalty by Cold War Kids
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Best Bands of 2008
[the ones Voilà! watched closely]
Bam Bam
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
Priscilla Ahn
The Soft Pack (formerly The Muslims)
Yelle
No Kids
Ohbijou
Peachcake
Mom
Mount Righteous
Best Bands For 2009
[the ones you should start watching closely]
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
The Je Ne Sais Quoi
Dirty Skirts
Now, Now Every Children
Via Audio
Wax On Radio
Lite
Eisley
Mount Righteous
The Scene Aesthetic
Malajube
1 comment:
Be sure to mention decemberists in 2009, their album comes out in march!
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