what I couldn’t stop listening to in ‘08, mostly

After much headache and deliberation, I’ve made a list/mix of my 41 favorite tracks, which just happens to be two cds of music.

Some came late in the year (I learned about Horse Feathers and Rural Alberta Advantage from Anthony Gonzalez’s — of M83 — top 10 albums of 2008 posted on BrooklynVegan), some just had to be there (yes, I’m talking about the Hold Steady and the Mountain Goats) and some were just too hard to ignore no matter how I tried (that’s you, Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend). Though it’s a pretty broad stroke, there are some great albums that didn’t quite fit the mix (yeah, Mister Buckingham and Miss Hatfield, I’m talking about you) and some that were just too jumpy (M83 and Times New Viking).

Also, I was tempted to add a few re-releases (Whiskeytown and Pavement, I’m looking at you) and less tempted by others (Liz Phair, three measely tracks? That’s all you can dredge up for Exile in Guyville? Shame!), but I resisted this year.

Part one:

1. Astronautalis – 17 Summers
2. Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band – Danny Callahan
3. Colour Revolt – Moses of the South
4. Okkervil River – Singer Songwriter
5. Dr. Dog – Uncovering the Old
6. the Black Keys – So He Won’t Break
7. Wolf Parade – Soldier’s Grin
8. the Morning Benders – Crosseyed
9. the War on Drugs – A Needle in your Eye #16
10. the Mountain Goats – Autoclave
11. Jukebox the Ghost – Under My Skin
12. Nada Surf – Beautiful Beat
13. Tokyo Police Club – In A Cave
14. Elvis Costello & the Imposters – American Gangster
15. Shearwater – Century Eyes
16. Destroyer – the State
17. Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood
18. Cloud Cult – Everybody Here is a Cloud
19. the Features – Lions
20. British Sea Power – Atom

Part two:

1. Ezra Furman & The Harpoons – We Should Fight
2. Bon Iver – For Emma
3. Department of Eagles – Herring Bone
4. French Kicks – The Way You Arrive
5. Fujiya & Miyagi – Pterodactyls
6. Vampire Weekend – Ladies Of Cambridge
7. Islands – Creeper
8. Marah – Angels On A Passing Train
9. Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts – Say goodbye
10. Leona Naess – Shiny On The Inside
11. Sia – The Girl You Lost To Cocaine
12. Horse Feathers – Albina
13. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Sink Ships
14. Iron & Wine – Arms Of A Thief
15. the Walkmen – In the New Year
16. the Jealous Sound – Turning Around
17. the Laughing – Paradise
18. the Constantines – Trans Canada
19. No Age – Ripped Knees
20. the Hold Steady – Slapped Actress
21. The Rural Alberta Advantage – In the Summertime
22. Calexico – Contention City