It has now been 2.5 years since I moved out of Seattle for the Golden State. I've slowly drifted out of the NW music culture, so sometimes I wonder if I know what to say on TIG these days.
Combine that with the fact that I was so distracted from music for a lot of 2008, this year's "best of" lists were especially difficult. Heck, I don't even think I can make a Best of NW music list this year, not because there was insufficient music, but because I just missed so many of those important-but-not-well-known releases that make these lists. I did enjoy Fleet Foxes, Common Market, Colin Meloy live, Malkmus and the like, but really, that isn't a "Best of the NW" list but rather a list of albums I liked that happened to be from the NW.
That being said, I did get a last minute music revival for the year. Maybe it was the election being over (and the good guys winning), maybe it was finally getting a faculty position after many years of trying (lets just say Erik will be moving east in 2009), maybe 2008 just didn't mesh with me musically. Who knows? However, there was a lot of great music anyway, and here are my top 20 (for your praise or fist shaking). Feel free to read the full commentary.
- The Walkmen – You & Me
- Portishead – Third
- Los Campesinos! – We are Beautiful, We are Doomed/Hold On Now, Youngster …
- Hercules & Love Affair – Hercules & Love Affair
- TV on the Radio – Dear Science,
- Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
- Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
- Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
- Hot Chip – Made in the Dark
- Deerhunter – Microcastle
- Ratatat – LP3
- Xiu Xiu – Women as Lovers
- Bloc Party – Intimacy
- Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
- Bonnie "Prince" Billy – Lie Down in the Light
- Shearwater – Rook
- Maus Haus – Lark Marvels
- Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
- Coldplay – Vida la Vida
- Reefer – Reefer