2008 Top 10

Since I don't really have any inspiration to write something longer I'll post a top 10 to start things off. I didn't really keep up with new music in '08 as much as usual - the last few months I was mostly listening to 1960s jazz and Brazilian music - but still, like every year, there were new releases I really liked. Will try not to overlap with Jonny too much, because consensus and repetition are boring. I'll also add a short blurb/URL.

In no particular order:

1. Times New Viking - Rip it off (Matador). Extremely lo-fi indie-rock, sounds like Sebadoh recorded through a mic in a trashcan in a homeless guy's ass. Crusty aesthetic works for me, adds something to the great choruses and riffs, probably wouldn't be feeling it as much if it was cleanly recorded. I like the noise. Link.

2. Studio - Yearbook 2 (Information). A collection of remixes of other artists' songs done by this Swedish duo who had an awesome album called West Coast out last year. "Balaeric" which means it sounds like an 80s "dub remix" on the flip of a 12" by Fleetwood Mac; soft 4/4 kicks, synth washes, guitar licks and flourishes abound. There's a Kylie tune on it! Link.

3. D.Lissvik - 7 Trx + Intermission (Information). One half of Studio, mining a similar groove but maybe with a bit more of a krautrock and world music influence and without any vocal cuts. Link.

4. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III (Universal). Greatest rapper alive! Well maybe not, but this album is fire.

5. The Bug - London Zoo (Ninja Tune). Two of the best tracks on this, "Poison dart" and "Skeng" came out as singles in '07 and there's a few snoozers on here, but still a great album. Kevin Martin's gloomy industrial take on dancehall works well with the vocalists he's picked here. Link.

6. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (The Social Registry). I was a lot more in to this release than anything Gang Gang Dance had brought out previously. There's some house influence in here, touch of dubstep/grime, tracks full of ideas, hooks, and rhythms. They even manage to pull of a Tinchy Stryder cameo without it sounding too contrived. Link.

7. Lindstrom - Where you go I go too (Smalltown Supersound). Jean-Michel Jarre meets Giorgio Moroder at an epic techno party on a beach. Link.

8. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino). Not released until January the 20th, 2009 but leaked all over the internet on Christmas day, albeit in a low quality version. This is a vast improvement over their last album, Strawberry Jam. They've added a more kinetic feel in places with big electronic kick drums. Hippy drum-circle techno. Link.

9. Ricardo Villalobos - Enfants (Sei es drum). Probably the best of 2008's releases from Chilean-German minimal techno superstar Villalobos. Essentially just a loop of a few notes of piano and a few bars of children chanting lifted from a song by Christian Vander, of frogprog outfit Magma, with a bit of percussion thrown over it. Still genius.

10. Headhunter - Nomad (Tempa). Bristol dubstep-producer making Berlin techno influenced dubstep. More interesting, to me, than a thousand wobbly bangers. Link.