Hiya! Short explanation first. Kunk’s best albums of the year posts start now. Top 20 albums will be shared in 4 days and will be followed by the 40 best tracks+remixes on the last day. The list isn’t totally personal nor is an official list of our blog but balanced somewhere between it. It’s really hard to decide on the criteria of bestness: close to the heart, banging the dancefloor or both? Well, we don’t live in a perfect world. Nevertheless, I had to choose some things so I chose to mention some favourites in every aspect of the word. Take it as a list of artist that I thought deserved to be mentioned among the bests. Naturally, I had to leave out a lot of stuff.

Since I’m only capable of putting together a list from 20 to 1, I have to mention a few albums that are left out. During this great struggle, I felt like I have to regulate my chaotic music-listening habits. I could put together something like 40-21 but that’d be a pain in the ass. So I’m just gonna act like I was easy-going and casual and mention a couple of artists now. Many electronic stuff couldn’t make it to the top 20. Like The Presets. They made an awesome album, full of darkness and evil-evoking tribal-dance stuff, still, somehow it started to bore me. Or The Whip. Great singles and they are on the most loveable side of their genre. Their debut, unfortunately, isn’t that exciting after a couple listens. There’s Ladyhawke who is cute and bringing back the 80s as we like it but it seems it’s not enough for a superb album, only a great one. I’m not doing justice to Late of the Pier. Obviously, we really love them and nearly everything that came out from the guy is pure gold, only to listen to it for more than a couple songs in a row, it can’t keep up the energy. Hercules and Love Affair should’ve been on the list too, I don’t have a proper explanation for leaving them off, maybe personality disorders. Sebastien Tellier made one of the best ‘concept albums’ this year but it’s somehow too funny to give it a number and put it in a list. Or how do you put the playful electro-pop of Air France in a list? Also, The Black Ghosts album didn’t get in cause I realized it’s much better for a dancefloor than for listening at home but still, their debut is more than promising.

So as you can see, I left out a lot of stuff that we usually blog about or rule the HypeM charts. Of course, I had to rape my weirdo side too and leave some records out from the ‘weirder’ genres to make room for my pop-y choices. I really loved the No Age’s fresh dirty and experimental sound. Much like Times New Viking, they keep up the noise of the 90s and the spirit. Gang Gang Dance consistently keep up their accomplishments and reach for something interesting with every album. The Notwist’s melancholical charm is undeniable on The Devil, You + Me. Brooklyn’s Love as Laughter is very very close to my heart still and with every album. I don’t think I need to mention Stephen Malkmus and Real Emotional Trash to anyone with a little interest in US indie rock. And, staying in the US, this years Castanets album beautifully keeps your mind on the border of dream and nightmare sounds. Nine Inch Nails, one of the greatest stuff of all times, deserves a shout out too for the amazing The Slip. The Mae Shi and Forward, Russia! are somehow similar and somehow made great records on the experimental-shouting-screaming edge of indie music. The Young Knives are one of the bands who still have courage and balls to go on in the non-NME era, and Superabundance is worth a lot of listens.

Fleet Foxes are left out on a very determined purpose. That album is a theatrical piece of overhyped shit.

Best Albums of 2008: 20-16

20. The Teenagers - Reality Check

The severe criticism that hit the debut of The Teenagers is, of course, understandable. On the other hand, we think they made one of the funniest, wittiest and totally danceable weirdo/postmodern pop record of the year.

The Teenagers - Starlett Johansson [zshare] // [ysi]

19.  Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Underrated once again, DIOYY is heavy, fierce and full of energy. I don’t know, I kinda like when someone makes serious fun of electronic music by ridiculing it with making a banging electro-rock album. Screams and chainsaw guitars are the most enjoyable part of this electronic post-punk explosion.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? -  With a Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You) [zshare] // [ysi]

18. Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire - Lost Wisdom

A beautiful folk-pop record with infinite sadness and the desperate impression of “everything will be allright”. Mount Eerie originates from the legendary Microphones, Julie Doiron is a Canadian singer-songwriter with a haunted voice and her guitarist Fred Squire. Lost Wisdom is deep in mourning for something none of us totally gets but the music is evoking it in the most adequate way.

Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire - Lost Wisdom [zshare] // [ysi]

17. Hot Chip - Made in the Dark

Hot Chip’s new album is better than the debut. Colourful and diverse, Made in the Dark set an awesome new direction for this band. Disco and melody, sometimes broken, sometimes smooth, perfect for clubbing. Slower songs are on the other hand create a great atmosphere and make the record enjoyable for a long time.

Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor [zshare] // [ysi]

16. The Sea and Cake - Car Alarm

Hailing from Chicago, The Sea and Cake are among the many post-rock bands of the 90s, like the legendary Tortoise. Their new one, Car Alarm is smooth indie-pop with underlying twists: experiments in rhythm, structure and noise. Surfing on the noisy guitars, vocals are like Thurston Moore and the whole record meant to be a river of sound that you could listen to all day long.

The Sea and Cake - Weekend [zshare] // [ysi]

Back tomorrow…

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 5:19 pm and is filed under best of 2008, mount eerie, dioyy, the sea and cake, folk, pop, the teenagers, indie, electro, experimental, hot chip.