2005: #1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois; #2. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
2006: #1. Mogwai - Mr. Beast; #2. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
2007: #1. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover; #2. Handsome Furs - Plague Park
In the three previous years of this blog, members of Canadian band Wolf Parade have dominated my album of the year charts, gathering 4 of the top 6 slots. Wolf Parade came out with its second album this year and it's no surprise to find it at the top of my 2008 list, continuing an absolute dominance that no artist has come close to equaling. Given that Handsome Furs, Swan Lake (a third band for Spencer Krug), and Sunset Rubdown are all coming out with new albums in the first half of 2009, it seems likely that this dominance will continue. On the downside, if I had to rank all six of the albums previously released by WP/SR/HF/SL, Wolf Parade's 2008 release would only rank higher than Swan Lake's 2006 debut album, the only album from Spencer Krug that hasn't charted in the top 2. But even though At Mount Zoomer didn't quite reach the heights of the collective recordings of Spencer and Dan from 2005 to 2007, it was still good enough to win my 2008 album of the year and that's impressive enough.
1. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
- Every song on the 9-track album is good (fully six of them showed up on my Top 100 songs of the year list) and many are great. I have a detailed review of the album here. While Spencer's songs on the album ended up being a little disappointing (at least compared to his Sunset Rubdown and previous Wolf Parade output), Dan's contributions made up for it, with the scorching "Language City," the brilliant opening burst of "Soldier's Grin," and the wonderfully understated "The Grey Estates." The lengthy ending track that both Dan and Spencer sung on, "Kissing the Beehive," had some detractors among fans but ultimately, I loved it and it helped propel the album to the top of this chart.
2. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
- This Toronto three-piece with roots in rural Alberta have spun together a brilliant pastiche of pop gems and hard-rocking indie classics, 13 tracks that have stunned and amazed me in the month since I picked up the record. They remain shockingly unsigned, so you can't even buy the album at Amazon, but I'm pretty sure that won't last long. Anyone anywhere who hears "Four Night Rider" and doesn't fall in love doesn't know what actual music should sound like. My full reviews are here and here.
3. This Will Destroy You - s/t
- This Will Destroy You are the first American band on this list, an instrumental post-rock four-piece from San Marcos, TX, who released an EP, Young Mountain, in 2006, and followed with their debut self-titled full-length in January of this year on Magic Bullet Records. For an album released in January to still be on my iPod playlists in December is pretty damn shocking and pretty damn impressive. They released a split EP Field Studies, with the band Lymbyc System, later this year, which falls further down the chart. A very impressive debut for the band. 2008 was a great year for post-rock.
4. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
- Sigur Ros returned with a quickly written, recorded, and produced album this year that at least approximated the spectacular wonder of Takk... if not quite living up to the memorable heights of () or Agaetis Byrjun. The second half of the album is a bit of a let down after a gorgeous first half, but other than that, this was a great album.
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
- "I was following the, I was following the, I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats, with scarves of red tied round their throats, to keep their little heads from falling in the snow, and I turned round and there you go; and Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime"... Plus, they had 4 other songs from this album in the top 100 of the year. A wonderful debut full-length.
6. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
- Okkervil River finished 6th on the album charts in 2007 with The Stage Names, 10th in 2006 with Black Sheep Boy Appendix, and 15th in 2005 with Black Sheep Boy. So they have been steadily moving up every year, an impressive feat. In retrospect, though, Black Sheep Boy was clearly their greatest album (I hadn't yet fallen in love with it when I did the 2005 list I guess) and The Stand-Ins is arguably their worst, at least of those four. But it's still one hell of a solid effort and a big reason why Okkervil River was far and away my most played artist of 2008. Three incredible songs, all in my top 30 of the year, from a band that just keeps moving up the charts of my favorite artists of all-time. Well done, Will.
7. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
- John Darnielle released another great album in 2008 filled with beautiful, understated melodies and depressingly wonderful lyrics. He's released an absolute plethora of music this decade, from the downright devastating to the quietly majestic and almost every song he crafts is a wonder in indie rock genius.
8. iLiKETRAiNS - The Christmas Tree Ship EP
9. The Notwist - The Devil You and Me
- The last album by The Notwist came out in 2002, a beautiful, understated affair called Neon Golden, but for whatever reason, it's been a long time since they've been relevant in indie rock circles, and despite a generally favorable response for this year's release, they didn't exactly light up blog circles with The Devil You and Me. I think listeners are really missing out, though, as this is an absolutely wonderful album, with wonderful tracks like "Gloomy Planets," "Alphabet," "Gravity," "Handson Us", and of course, first single "Good Lies." An excellent effort.
10. The Walkmen - You & Me
- The Walkmen have released a lot more albums than the Notwist in the last few years, as You & Me is their fourth album since their 2003 (?) debut, but I haven't paid attention to them since their second album, a disappointing affair that included only two good songs (in my opinion) and the rest of their output has been disappointing. But much like The Notwist, The Walkmen have come out with some of their best work in years in 2008 but were kind of ignored or forgotten in blog circles. Again, it's a shame. This is a just a really great album.
11. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
12. Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams
13. Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling
14. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
15. Belle & Sebastien - The BBC Sessions
16. Wye Oak - If Children
17. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
18. Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling
19. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
20. The Decemberists - Always the Bridesmaid, Vols. 1-3
21. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
22. Saxon Shore - Luck Will Not Save Us From a Jackpot EP
23. Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
24. Pants Yell! - Alison Statton
25. Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning - Something for All of Us
26. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
27. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
28. The Dodos - Visiter
29. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)
30. Goodnight, Sleep Well - The Recovery EP
31. Shearwater - Rook
32. Conor Oberst - s/t
33. Stars - Sad Robots EP
34. Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
35. Deerhunter - Microcastle
36. Damien Jurado - Caught in the Trees
37. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
38. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
39. No Age - Nouns
40. Talkdemonic - Eyes at Half Mast
41. Laura - Yes Maybe No
42. Hammock - Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
43. This Will Destroy You & Lymbyc System - Field Studies
44. Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom
45. The National - The Virginia EP
46. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
47. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
48. Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
49. Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live!
50. The Diggs - ctrl-alt-del
Weak.
I knew this was going to be album of the year. I was waiting for the contest.
Posted by: LegFuJohnson | December 23, 2008 at 02:03 PM
I'm glad you're paying attention, but economy-based budget cuts have eliminated the contest this year.
Posted by: Bill | December 23, 2008 at 05:14 PM
Great List Bill!
Naturally I agree with your number one. I couldn't find anything better in 2008.
And I love the RAA album the more I listen to it.
I thought the Plants and Animals album might have ended up higher.
Merry Christmas!
Posted by: wayne | December 23, 2008 at 07:36 PM
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Posted by: Mark Teixeira | December 24, 2008 at 01:13 AM
so happy to see TWDY at #3
Posted by: ark | December 26, 2008 at 04:42 PM
hmmmmmmm....Gotta disagree with you on th. Zoomer was one of the biggest dissapointments of the year for me --- I didn't think there was anything on it that came close to I'll Believe in Anything, Grounds For Divorce, or Songs and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts.
You should check out Deerhunter's Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.. I was surprised not to see it on your list.
Posted by: jeffort23 | December 29, 2008 at 12:12 PM