Zito's Top 50 Albums of 2008

50. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
49. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
48. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
47. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
46. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
45. Little Joy - Little Joy
44. Albert Hammond Jr. - Como Te Llama?
43. Islands - Arms Way
42. Quiet Village - Silent Movie
41. Black Keys - Attack & Release
40. Subtle - Exiting Arm
39. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
38. Four Tet - Ringer EP
37. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
36. Man Man - Rabbit Habits
35. Mason Proper - Ollie Oxen Free
34. The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
33. School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
32. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
31. Pattern Is Movement - All Together
30. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
29. Stephen Malkimus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
28. King Khan and the Shrines - The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines
27. DJ/Rapture - Uproot
26. High Places - High Places
25. Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
24. Women - Women
23. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
22. Evangelicals - Evening Descends
21. Stereolab - Chemical Chords
20. Clinic - Do It!
19. The Ruby Suns - Sea Lion
18. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
17. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
16. Los Campesinos! - We are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
15. Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
14. Xiu Xiu - Women As Lovers
13. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
12. The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
11. Nomo - Ghost Rock

10. El Guincho - Alegranza!
For the first time since Panda Bear’s magnificent Person Pitch, an album that focuses on samples and loops triumphs. Alegranza! Relies heavily on repetition and tropicalia samples from Latin artists in order to craft a fun and exciting variation on the original song. El Guincho is also influenced by tribal chants and rituals, as heard in Cuando Maavilla Fui and Buenos Matrimonios Ahi Fuera. However, his efforts especially shine on his singe Palmitos Park. The vocal harmonies and driving drum beat allow this song to be a very danceable and catchy tune. Making one wonder, why isn’t this song played more often at dance clubs?

9. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
This album is probably one of the most talked about and praised efforts in the independent music community. These four recently graduated students from New York put out an outrageously catchy and contagious album that draws influences from Afro-beat, reggae, pop and rock. What impresses me the most about this album is how beautifully the string arrangements. staccato guitar, smooth keyboard, melodious bass and simple drums mesh together. And how songs like “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” and “M79” seem to effortlessly draw a listener in with their emotionally charged vocal harmonies. Other songs such as their big single “A Punk” rely on an extremely poppy and up beat tempo that are instantly classics. So all in all, good job on the record Vampire Weekend, lets see if the newly found fame doesn’t get to your head.

8. Portishead - Third
This album has a very menacing, eerie and at times inaccessible sound. The samples, minor keys and Beth Gibbons’ voice make it very hard to enjoy this album at first listen. However, the persistent listener will be greatly rewarded for their efforts. After eleven years Portishead has delivered something that could be used as a score for a horror movie. Even though this album seems impossible to appreciate, I have found its subtle beauty and thrive on its darkness. Songs such as “The Rip” and “Hunter” have this unique brilliance that I have yet to find in any other album from this year.

7. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Cut Copy has done something that seemed to be a popular trend this year. And that was to recreate the 1980s pop sound. They have not only recreated 80s pop but they through in some modern samples to create a different kind of pop sound. The songs in this album flow very well into each other but still have their own identity. Songs like “Life and Music” and “Hearts of Fire” set up a perfect dancing environment and continue to impress me with each additional listen.

6. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
TV on the Radio continue to follow the trend of putting out an album that is better than the previous. They are able to mesh funk, hip-hop and indie rock all into one original piece of work. But what really makes this album special is their ability to put write a ballad that isn’t cheesy or overbearing.

5. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
Los Campesinos! have done something that is very hard to do. That is put out two albums in a year and have both of them be a great success. Their first release, Hold on now Youngster uses a variety of instrumentation such as distorted guitar, violin and glockenspiel to mix with their Twee and post punk influences to weave a troubled yet bright album. The combination of infectiously catchy melodies, high pitched screams and Gareth’s lyrics about ex-girlfriends and relationship problems makes this album one of the front runners in the indie pop world.

4. The Dodos - Visiter
In this album, The Dodos explore the art of freak folk. Much like Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs their music is shaped with samples, rim shots and acoustic guitar. However The Dodos approached the ways of folk a bit differently making their album more accessible (but not better of course :)). This is mostly due to Meric Long’s smooth and Paul McCartney-esq vocal style. The work of The Dodo’s especially shines in their single “Fools”. The song is up tempo and layered with different guitar, piano and reverb soaked vocals. Which in turn, earns this album the title of best Folk album of the year.

3. No Age - Nouns
With Weirdo Rippers in the back burner, No Age was bound to deliver a quality album. “Nouns” is very simple with only a guitar, drums and sampler but its sound is very big and dynamic. Its harder rock songs like “Teen Creeps” and “Sleeper Hold” are chalked full of well developed melodies and tasteful breakdowns. Whereas songs like “Keechie” and “Impossible Bouquet” explore a more ambient sound in which the moods shift effortlessly. Making No Age a force to reckoned with in the independent music scene.

2. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Another 1980s revival album of 2008 is M83’s Saturdays=Youth. This album really takes shoegazing to the next level. Anthony Gonzalez crafts dream like vocals with female harmonization to set a nostalgic mood. The instrumentation on this album is based mostly on fuzzy synths, piano, electronic drums and lightly distorted guitar. Which gives it that nearly authentic 80s sound.

1. Deerhunter- Microcastle/ Weird Era Cont.
With a double disk release, Deerhunter snatches up the number one spot on this countdown. Microcastle ventures into a more accessible state, more so than their previous album Cryptograms. The tracks “Agoraphobia”, “Never Stops” and “Nothing Ever Happened” are all songs that could gain radio play and could bridge the gap from indie to mainstream in my opinion. Then on Weird Era Cont. the ambiance heard on Cryptograms returns and satisfies all ghost rock lovers out there.