MFR's Top Ten Best Records of 2008
Well, to paraphrase the title--albeit the edited form of its full-length quotation--this is it, and that is that. Here are MFR's top ten albums of 2008. You'll find records that expanded and refined previously developed approaches to great success, veteran acts continuing their creative winning streaks, promising debut albums, and groups who redefine genres with a single blow. Take a look at the records we selected, then comment by adding your own. Once again, the top ten:
1) Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Download: Frightened Rabbit - "The Modern Leper"
Download: Frightened Rabbit - "Fast Blood"
2) Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
Download: Fucked Up - "Twice Born"
Download: Fucked Up - "No Epiphany"
3) Deerhunter - Microcastle
Download: Deerhunter - "Nothing Ever Happened"
Download: Deerhunter - "Never Stops"
4) M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Download: M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
Download: M83 - "Graveyard Girl"
5) Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing
Download: Fuck Buttons - "Sweet Love For Planet Earth"
6) Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Download: Deerhoof - "Offend Maggie"
Download: Deerhoof - "The Tears of Music and Love"
7) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Download: Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"
Download: Fleet Foxes - "He Doesn't Know Why"
8) Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
Download: Ponytail - "Celebrate The Body Electric (It Came From An Angel)"
9) Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
Download: Mates of State - "My Only Offer"
10) Marnie Stern - This is it...and That is That
Download: Marnie Stern - "Transformer"
Download: Marnie Stern - "Shea Stadium"
Ian's Top Ten:
Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Mates of State - Re-Arranger
Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
Sloan - Parallel Play
Why? - Alopecia
Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
Jon's Top Ten:
Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
M83 – Saturdays=Youth
Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
Ponytail – Ice Cream Spiritual
Marnie Stern – This is it…and that is that
Shearwater – Rook
Wale – The Mix-Tape About Nothing
Deerhunter – Microcastle
Seun Kuti and Fela’s Egypt 80 – self-titled
The Dodos – Visiter
Honorable Mentions:
High Places – 03/07-09/07
The Walkmen – You and Me
The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
TV on The Radio – Dear Science
The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
Stay tuned for tomorrow, where we do our local best-of for 2008!
Labels: 2008, Albums, Frightened Rabbit, Fucked Up, Top Ten
posted by MPLSFR at 7:36 AM
8 Comments:
most of these bands sound the same
Seun Kuti and Fela’s Egypt 80 – self-titled is terribly overlooked,great record.
Anon 11:39 -
How, exactly, do you figure (aside from all of them being under the ostensible umbrella of indie rock?). Do Frightened Rabbit sound like Fucked Up? Does Ponytail sound like Marnie Stern? (well, maybe vocally). Does Fuck Buttons sound like M83? Or Mates of State?
Oh, and expect more hip-hop on tomorrow's list.
Jon Jon -
Holy mother of God, yes. Love that album. Love it, love it.
Hmm... sorta woulda liked to see the High Places album (not the compilation) on hear more prominently. Have you heard it? Totally the best arranged avant pop album I have heard in forever. I have been recording music for like 15 years, and have absolutely no idea how most of the music was made or recorded. Out of this world.
Anon 2:34 -
No, I haven't heard it, and I've been kicking myself for it! I plan on picking it up, along with the new Animal Collective, on LP as soon as I get a little more money in the bank. But I am highly enamored of the compilation, and your endorsement of the full-length sealed the deal
Jon
Good to see Frightened Rabbit getting some love. That album is beautiful, and has gotten better the colder its become. Hope they come through Minneapolis again sometime, since I missed their Entry gig. Great list, all solid records. 2008 was a year filled with a lot of great records, perhaps not the 'Brilliant' record that will stand out for years to come, but a lot of substantial releases from bands that hopefully have long careers.
"2008 was a year filled with a lot of great records, perhaps not the 'Brilliant' record that will stand out for years to come, but a lot of substantial releases from bands that hopefully have long careers."
I think you touched on something there, mainly why 2008 got a rap for being a bad year in music. It's because a lot of the so-called best albums of the year were sorely overrated (including one on our list--running a blog's got compromises, folks), and a lot of the best albums of the year weren't, as you say, "brilliant". But hopefully the likes of Ponytail, Fuck Buttons, Seun Kuti, etc, will step up their artistic game in the years and produced something utterly mindblowing.
2009 is off to a great start already. Animal Collective? Andrew Bird? Wow.
Totally fucking agree with you on Ponytail. I feel like that record got grossly overlooked
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