Probably my last post of 2008 so let me say: I very much appreciate all the divergent thoughts, rants, complaints, praise of all things musical that have been posted here in the last year. Even though my own contributions have been sporadic, and occassionally cruel or mocking (sorry, Stu), I have always enjoyed coming here and reading about what you’ve loved, loathed, or reflected upon this year. Please keep posting!

Okay, albums. I estimate with the number of downloads I get from emusic (90/month), buy from itunes (another half dozen), get from the odd torrent (another handful), and buy in cd form (again another handful), I've probably listened to 80-90 albums this year. Some of these are jazz and classical issues and the odd pop album from previous years but I would guess that around 3/4 or 60-70 of these were 2008 releases. Why do I mention this at the outset?

Well, mostly to put this whole list-making exercise in perspective. I haven't come anywhere close experiencing even a fraction of all the music released this year, certainly when compared to what the average music critic experiences each week. But I still think it’s a good enough sample size to allow me to truly separate ‘Best’ from the ‘Rest’.

My filter:

1) I keep going back to the album and playing it over and over
2) When I’m listening to the album in the background, I frequently stop what I’m doing in the foreground just to listen and admire
3) I start creating playlists in itunes that includes these songs for year-end compilation cds because I feel I have to share them with my friends
4) I will, or at least attempt to, sing this song in the shower

Here then are the discs of 2008 that satisfied 3 or more of the above conditions:

• Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
• Hauschka – Ferndorf
• Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
• Ben Benjamin – The Many Moods of Ben Benjamin
• The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
• Deerhunter – Microcastles
• Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping
• Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
• Pete and the Pirates – Little Death
• The Walkmen – You & Me

The next five:·

• TV on the Radio – Dear Science
• The French Kicks – Swimming
• Au – Verbs (perhaps a good accompaniment to No Age’s Nouns)
• Ida – Lovers Prayers
• Adele – 19

Worst of 2008

• Steve Malkmus – Real Emotional Trash (subtract the first two words and the title sums it up)·
• Portishead – Third (and yet it appears on most of the best of lists I’ve seen….why???)
• Mercury Rev - maybe one or two salvagable tracks off of 2 discs (one instrumental)?
• Coldplay -Vida La ...even the title goes on forever and annoys me
• Catpower – Jukebox – really really really bad covers of songs that don't need to be covered again by anyone ever (New York?)

Released in previous years but only discovered in 2008:

• The Microphones – The Glow Part 2 (hat tip to Brian for the suggestion)
• Odd Nosdam – Level Live Wires (hat tip to Derek for the suggestion)
• The Acorn – The Pink Ghosts
• Jason Palmer – Songbook
• Etudes - Geri Allen w/ Charlie Haden, Paul Motian

Artist of the Year:

Bradford Cox, of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound. Deerhunter released 2 albums this year, Microcastles and a second album of more electronic stuff

Hope Santa brings you some nice music this week and Happy New Year!