Paste Magazine // Top 50 Albums of 2008
TV On The Radio at 50? I would reverse #1 with #50. The She & Him album is worthy of the list, but #1 seems high. It’s hard for me to imagine why The Raconteurs are not ranked in the top 50. Thoughts?
Omissions: The Black Keys, The Raconteurs, Deerhoof, Department of Eagles,
Head Scratchers: She & Him at #1, Lil’ Wayne
PASTE MAGAZINE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2008
50 TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Interscope)
49 Sandra McCracken - Red Balloon (Towhee)
48 REM - Accelerate (Warner Bros.)
47 Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim (Astralwerks)
46 Lykke Li - Youth Novels (LL)
45 M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
44 Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers (Zoë)
43 Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner)
42 Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings & All (KRS)
41 The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave (Gravitation)
40 Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)
39 The Dodos - Visiter (Frenchkiss)
38 Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp)
37 Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - A Larum (Lost Highway)
36 The Bridges - Limits of the Sky (Verve)
35 Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg and Curse (Fat Possum)
34 Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
33 Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
32 Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
31 The Walkmen - You & Me (Gigantic)
30 I’m From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini? (Mute)
29 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)
28 MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
27 Liam Finn - I’ll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
26 Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy (MCA Nashville)
25 Mugison - Mugiboogie (Ipecac)
24 Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking? (Mad Decent)
23 Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
22 No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)
21 The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
20 Hot Chip - Made In The Dark (Astralwerks)
19 Gentleman Jesse and His Men - Introducing Gentleman Jesse and His Men (Douchemaster)
18 Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs? (Atlantic)
17 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - Lie Down In The Light (Drag City)
16 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (ATO)
15 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Mute)
14 Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim (Kemado)
13 Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart (Waterfall/RCA)
12 of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
11 The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (Vagrant)
10 Deerhunter - Microcastle (Kranky)
09 Lucinda Williams - Little Honey (Lost Highway)
08 Sun Kil Moon - April (Caldo Verde)
07 Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
06 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
05 Okkervil River - The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar)
04 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
03 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)
02 Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (XL)
01 She & Him - Volume One (Merge)
MP3: She & Him - You Really Got A Hold On Me (Live KCRW Jan. 2008)
ROLLO & GRADY’S TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2008 (CLICK HERE)
November 28th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
it seems that the powers that be want a gentler tomorrow in rock.
sup with that?
November 28th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
[...] Him’s M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel grace the cover for winning Paste’s album of year award. I don’t agree with the pick, but they explain their decision in the issue. Look for features [...]
November 29th, 2008 at 12:46 am
I don’t get it, either. It was a lovely album, and perhaps even memorable, but I don’t think it’s #1. I’d have picked Frightened Rabbit, Fleet Foxes, or Vampire Weekend.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Nat:
You’re going to hate my list. I don’t care for Vampire Weekend, they are not on my list. Fleet Foxes are in my Top 20.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:35 am
It’s probably because Paste magazine is generally laughable. I know. I know. You like it. But I was given a gift subscription last year, and I would have been happier with Cooking Light. Paste’s reviews are not bad - and neither are their interviews - but when they try to be “cool” and “creative,” they come off sounding like my mom trying to sound like a barista at Starbucks trying to sound like a barista anywhere else trying to sound like a clerk at Urban Outfitters. Confused? Exactly. I agree with your reversal, by the way.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Hi Grandpa:
I respect your opinion. The problem is the internet is killing print publications. So they try to become something that they are not. Look it what happened to Rolling Stone and Spin. The economy is going to crush advertising revenues. Your going to see some of the true indie magazines going out of business in 2009. I have subscriptions to about ten music magazines, but I get 95% of my music information from other blogs. Blogs have a pulse on current musical trends in every market in the world. One magazine cannot compete against 8,000 to 10,000 real-time blogs.
Side note: I’ve met some of the people from Paste, they’re good guys. They are trying to ramp up their online offerings. They should steer clear of the She & Him #1 picks. I have a feeling that they will be the only publication to choose them.
Take Care