2008, Albums, Top 10

Last week I summarized my Top Ten albums of last year (here and here). The man behind the curtain performed some magic on many lists, and came up with a final list of ten, summarized in the video below, in which, as per usual, the game was stepped up.

(If you didn't know, you can watch YouTube clips in HD (button in bottom right corner of video frame) and full screen (second button in bottom right), its totally worth it in this case (although I should mention there is some exposed human anatomy on one of the album covers that some may want to skip (time 2:45 thru 3:07)))



Almost as fun to watch as it was to make!

If you dislike funny videos (or don't have 9 minutes), here is the final list in text form:

10 Of Montreal Skeletal Lamping
9 Cut Copy In Ghost Colours
8 Beck Modern Guilt
7 Sigur Ros Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
6 The Dodos Visiter
5 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
4 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
3 TV on the Radio Dear Science
2 Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
1 MGMT Oracular Spectacular

What were your favorite albums of last year?

Top 10 Albums of 2008; Part Two

10 Why? Alopecia
9 She & Him Volume One
8 The Walkmen You & Me
7 Department of Eagles In Ear Park
6 Plants and Animals Parc Avenue

Without further adieu...

5 The Dodos Visiter



4 TV on the Radio Dear Science



3 Beach House Devotion



2 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes



1 Deerhunter Microcastles



These lists are always an effort in futility, just because it is impossible to hear everything. Since I submitted my list, I've heard several albums that I'm pretty sure would have made my Top Ten. I feel really good about my Top Four this year, but the rest of the list was pretty difficult to put together.

The aggregate list should be out soon. I know I'm excited...

Top 10 Albums of 2008; Part One

Shortly after I started this blog last year, I posted about the aggregate Top Ten list that a group of friends puts together. This has been going on for several years now and is a source of great fun that also serves as an introduction to unheard music. For those who don't like to click links, the basic idea is that a bunch of people submit their ten favorite albums and then those individual lists are combined into an overall top fifteen.

Last year we had three promotional videos to entice people into submitting their lists and this year we had one.



Since I am not so good with words like some of my other friends (you know who you are), I will present my list with only a youtube clip of one of my favorites from each album. In my opinion, this wasn't a year with many standout albums, but lots of solid ones. The list below is pretty varied, so if one band/song doesn't strike your fancy, click on and maybe something else will.

Also please note that I didn't pick any of these bands for their ability to make good videos (or videos at all).

10 Why? Alopecia



9 She & Him Volume One



8 The Walkmen You & Me



7 Department of Eagles In Ear Park



6 Plants and Animals Parc Avenue



Check back tomorrow for the top five.

2007, Albums, Top 15

I posted earlier about my favorite albums of 2007 and about a friends' yearly attempt to provide a compiled list of acquaintance's favorite albums. Here is the final product. Pretty cool video featuring locations around Lincoln.



For those who can't wait for the whole video (or don't care to) here is the final list:

1 Radiohead In Rainbows
2 Menomena Friend and Foe
3 The National Boxer
4 Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha
5 Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
6 LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver
7 Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
8 St. Vincent Marry Me
9 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
10 Feist The Reminder
11 The Shins Wincing the Night Away
12 Wilco Sky Blue Sky
13 Iron & Wine The Shepherd's Dog
14 Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala
15 Okkervil River The Stage Names

Top 10 Albums of 2007

Really belated, but hey, I just started this blog. I like music, a lot. My friends and I are what my wife and others would call music nerds/snobs. Every year, a group of us get together and send our individual top ten lists to our friend Jeremy, who then compiles them. This year, the group was considerably larger, and correspondingly the promotional aspect was further emphasized.






What a bunch of weirdos.

Anyway, here are what I considered to be the top albums of last year.

1 Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
2 Animal Collective Strawberry Jam
3 LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver
4 Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala
5 The National Boxer
6 Menomena Friend and Foe
7 New Pornographers Challengers
8 Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
9 Okkervil River The Stage Names
10 Blitzen Trapper Wild Mountain Nation

I'll post an update when the composite list comes out. What was your favorite album this past year?