It doesn’t matter who’s puttin’ ‘em out — TIME, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Rolling Stone — I love to see what music and films make critics’ best of the year lists. And admittedly, I enjoying feeling “on it” when I see my tastes coincide with theirs (come on, you do this too, right? It’s like, when you’ve read a book Oprah picks for her book club and then secretly give yourself a high-five.)
My friend Melanie sent an e-mail request out to some of her pals (myself included), asking us to compile our favorite songs/albums of 2008, burn ‘em to a disc, and she’d coordinate a swap of the tunes. Isn’t that a fabulous idea? It’s like a chain letter for the ears.
In putting mine together, I thought, heck, why not post some here. So, if you’re up for some new tunes, here were a few of the artists who caught my attention in ‘08. My ears look forward to what’s ahead in ‘09.
1) Kings of Leon — “Use Somebody” (the band won’t allow you to embed their music vids, so if you want to see it, go here)
These guys have been around for a few years but they were a major ‘08 music discovery for me. The first time I heard this song, I was just wowed. And every song off their new album, “Only By the Night,” is crazy good. Try getting “Sex on Fire” out of your head after you listen to it. It’s music that stays with you. And as a kick-start to my 2009, I’ll be seeing the band perform in Indy this January. HELLO NEW YEAR 
2) Fleet Foxes — “White Winter Hymnal”
This band has such a throw-back sound. They’ve gotten some comparisons to the Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel … but I find their work to be pretty unique. There is no one else out there right now making this kind of music. And the video is worth watching alone for the Claymation.
3) Laura Marling — “New Romantic”
If you like Regina Spektor or Feist, chances are good you’ll like Laura’s sound. Her debut album, “Alas I Cannot Swim” has been playing on my computer non-stop in recent weeks. The craziest thing about her talent? She’s 18. If she keeps it up, I can’t wait to hear what comes next.
4) Bon Iver — “Skinny Love”
This guy (Justin Vernon) has a back story that reminds me of one of my other favorite musicians, Ray LaMontagne. He stumbled across a music career making his ‘08 debut album, “For Emma, Forever Ago” while secluded in a cabin in Wisconsin. I’ve been playing “For Emma” a lot lately as it has a sound that makes a perfect soundtrack for a bleak winter day. Oh, and as you can see from the video, Justin’s a bit more Paul Bunyan than Mick Jagger … it suits him and you know, for some reason, I find that way more sexy.
5) Santogold — “L.E.S. Artistes”
I have my friend, Jon, to thank for this fantastic musical find. The first time I heard this, a group of us were cruising in his convertible and he told us he’d dubbed it “the song of the summer.” I couldn’t agree more, but that hasn’t stopped me from listening to this one long after the snow started falling.
6) City and Colour — “Sleeping Sickness”
Something had to give for me in ‘08 and I’m sad to say it was guitar lessons. I’ve struggled for 3 years to learn how to play a beautiful instrument my husband gifted me for X-mas one year and it’s official — I kind of suck. But I have my fabulous rocker of a guitar instructor, Chris, to thank for introducing me to City and Colour. Chris has performed with the artist, whose band title is a twist on his own name (Dallas Green…get it? He’s Canadian though, so cut him slack on that ‘u’ in there). Before Chris and I parted ways, I learned to play this song and it became a bit of a summer anthem for me. The whole album, “Bring Me Your Love,” is pretty fabulous.
7) Coldplay — “Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love”
This isn’t the song I gave Mel from the band’s ‘08 album, “Viva La Vida/Prospektor’s March,” but it ran a close second. There are two kinds of people: those who hate Coldplay. And those who love them. I happen to fall into the latter category and celebrate their entire catalogue, “Viva” being the latest addition.
8 ) Vampire Weekend — “Oxford Comma”
I’m pretty sure I first saw these guys on SNL at the start of the year, and was wowed by them right away. Such a fun, quirky sound. Their whole album, “Vampire Weekend” is just fun to have on while you’re making dinner or getting ready to go out.
9) TV on the Radio — “Golden Age”
Admittedly, this is one heck of a weird video. But this song has such a great, funky beat. If I have it on while I’m in the kitchen, I inenvitably start to dance. It’s hard to get that sound out of your head. And apparently I’m not the only one who thinks as such — their ‘08 album, “Dear Science” was at the top of a lot of year-end lists. Since I just discovered them, it’s still getting a lot of play on my iPod.
10) John Mellencamp — “Sweet Love”
I have a soft spot for this guy — representing us Hoosiers from Nick’s part of the woods — how could I not? His ‘08 album, “Life, Death, Love, & Freedom” contained some of the best material he’s done in ages. This song was a personal favorite.
What about you guys? What were some of your favorite songs of the year? Bless you if you made it to the end of this post — as you can see, I’m as passionate about music as I am photography.
And speaking of photos, I’ll bust some images out for my next post — if I tackle music, I have to tackle my favorite images of 2008, right? It’ll give me something to do while Nick spends his New Year’s watching football
