To try and express how much new music I’ve enjoyed in 2008, I’ve gone overboard and come up with a Top 75 albums.
The final order is a bit arbitrary, of course, and though I’ve been fiddling on and off with the placings for about a week now, it’d be pretty silly to call this definitive. Maybe think of it best as 75 recommended albums, negotiated into some kind of order for a bit of added drama.
I can say with moderate conviction, though, that my favourite – certainly my most played – reissue of the year was Suarasama’s “Fajar Di Atas Awan”, that my favourite compilation was “Love Is Overtaking Me” by Arthur Russell, and that my favourite album of the first fortnight of 2009 is that damned, elusive Animal Collective one.
I’ve blogged on the vast majority of these over the past 12 months, and I’ll try and add some links to the original pieces; in the meantime they should be fairly easy to locate in the index if you’re interested in reading more. If you’ve a moment, post your 2008 favourites at the end (don’t feel obliged to come up with 75, obviously) and I’ll try and crunch them into a chart in January.
Thanks. Here’s 75-51. . .
75 Stereolab – Chemical Chords (4AD)
74 The Fall – Imperial Wax Solvent (Sanctuary)
73 Greg Weeks – The Hive (Wichita)
72 Zomes – Zomes (Holy Mountain)
71 Sunn 0))) – Dømkirke (Southern Lord)
70 Amadou & Mariam – Welcome To Mali (Because)
69 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Lie Down In The Light (Domino)
68 Hot Chip – Made In The Dark (EMI)
67 Peter Walker – Echoes Of My Soul (Tompkins Square)
66 REM – Accelerate (Warner Bros)
65 Inara George With Van Dyke Parks – An Invitation (Everloving)
64 Lambchop – OH (Ohio) (City Slang)
63 The Heads – Dead In The Water (Rooster)
62 Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue (Rough Trade)
61 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Sunday At Devil Dirt (V2)
60 Philip Jeck – Sand (Touch)
59 Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid – NYC (Domino)
58 MV + EE With The Golden Road – Drone Trailer (Di Cristina)
57 Black Taj – Beyonder (Amish)
56 Bird Show – Bird Show (Kranky)
55 Neon Neon – Stainless Style (Lex)
54 Be Your Own Pet – Get Awkward (XL)
53 Chairlift – Does You Inspire You (Kanine)
52 Fucked Up – The Chemistry Of Common Life (Matador)
51 The Breeders – Mountain Battles (4AD)