2008: The Crappening (updated again on 12/28 I keep remembering things I forgot to add)

I spent a good amount of this year catching up on some of 2006 and 2007's albums that I didn't grab the first time around. 2006, in particular, was an awesome year for music. I finally listened to "The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists, "The Loon" by Tapes n Tapes and "Boys and Girls in America" by the Hold Steady. I also bought "Boxer" by the National, one of '07s best records.

Though it can't compete with the last two years, music fared better than film in 2008, and did do an OK job fulfilling its most useful purpose — distracting me from everything happening outside my front door. Some of my favorite bands released overhyped and underwhelming records (My Morning Jacket, Black Keys, Beck, Kings of Leon) but the year stayed afloat thanks to a handful of promising debuts. In fact, 2008 churned out the best crop of indie freshman in recent memory. Haunting folk by Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver hung like a thick fog, slowing down my daily chores with heavy reverb and timeless harmonies.

Vampire Weekend succeeded in reinventing the wheel, making ska and African rhythms sound fresh 25 years after art-damaged kids and popsters alike turned the same trick.

And, with the year's best singles, MGMT brought danceable Psychedelic glam-rock into dorm rooms everywhere.

Favorite albums:

1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Youtube video is the track "White Winter Hymnal"

2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Youtube track is "Cape Cod Kwasa Kwasa"

3. Bon Iver - For Emma, forever ago

Youtube video is "Skinny Love"

4. The Walkmen - You and Me

Youtube video is "In the New Year"

5. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Video is "Play Your part (Pt. 1)"


6. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Video is "Time to Pretend"

7. Dr. Dog - Fate

Video is "The Breeze"

8. Deerhunter - Microcastle

Video is "Agoraphobia"

9. Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Video is "Furr"

10. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

"Solute Your Solution"

11. Black Keys - Attack and Release

"I Got Mine"

12. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
"Beg Waves"


13. Hold Steady - Stay Positive

"Sequestered in Memphis"

14. TV on the Radio - Dear Science

"Dancing Choose"



15. Black Mountain - In the Future
"Wucan"

Biggest Disappointment:

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Moderate Disappointments:

Beck - Modern Guilt

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

Kings of Leon - Only By the Night

Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak

Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty

Albums yet to be fully digested that could possibly make the list:

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

Portishead - Third

WHY? - Alopecia

Spiritualized - Songs in A and E

Magnetic Fields - Distortion

No Age - Nouns

The Knux - Remind Me in 3 Days
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue

Albums I didn't even get to:

She and Him - Vol. 1

The Kills - Midnight Boom

The Bug - London Zoo

Randy Newman - Hearts and Angels

Q Tip - The Renaissance

People Under the Stairs - Fun DMC

Heralded albums that I could give two shits about:

Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair

Fucked Up - Chemistry of Common Life

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

FILM

2007, and 2006, were probably the two strongest years of the decade for film. Last year had prestige films actually worthy of prestige in "No Country for Old Men," "There Will be Blood" and Zodiac, a comedy classic in "Superbad" and a good comedy in "Knocked Up."

2006 was worth it of not just for "Children of Men" and "Pan's Labyrinth." Admittedly, I didn't see many of this year's films, spent most of my Netflix que catching up on classic and obscure old movies. But, 2008 did have two of the strongest summer blockbusters in recent memory with "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E." Other than that, the year was grim.

Favorite films of '08

1. Wall-E

2. The Dark Knight
3. Burn After Reading

4. Tropic Thunder

... and that's it

Best comedy that wasn't Tropic Thunder

Role Models

Biggest surprises

The Bank Job

In Bruges

The Foot Fist Way

Guilty Pleasure
Hitman

Disappointments

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
W

Yet to see
Slumdog Millionaire
Pineapple Express
Man on Wire