The Tape

Willie’s 25 Favorite Songs of 2008

Written by willshoob on Sunday, 14 of December , 2008 at 6:58 pm

A fun little countdown of my 25 favorite songs of 2008… Enjoy!

Pwnd
25) “Pwnd” is my favorite song from The Mae Shi’s latest album, Hillyh. A spastic blend of infectious melodies and raucous instrumentation, The Mae Shi have found a place in my heart with they’re insanely hectic, yet surprisingly catchy songs. “Pwnd” features a lot of screaming, but sometimes that’s a good thing, especially in The Mae Shi’s case.

DLZ
24) I along with many other people consider TV On The Radio’s “Dear Science” the best album of 2008. It’s filled with fantastic songs, one of which you’ll find a little bit later on this list. Anyways, “DLZ” just beat out “Dancing Choose” to make it into the top 25. “DLZ” features a different side of Tunde. It features an attacking, biting side to him that isn’t featured too much on the album. It’s contrasts very nicely with the chorus, which is melodic and beautiful. It has a similar format to “Dancing Choose”, actually.

Wedding Bell
23) Beach House created a masterpiece in “Wedding Bell”, the first track off of their fantastic album, Devotion. This song has such an enchanting feel to it. It immediately takes over your mood and you all of a sudden become happy, no matter what your mood was previously. It features soft vocals, and a really nice sort of harpsicord line that makes you want to just stroll.

No Matter What
22) I ain’t dead. That’s how you can sum up all of T.I.’s latest album The Paper Trail. These three words come from my favorite song off the album, “No Matter What.” T.I. made this album to show everyone that he’s not dead, even though he’ll be going to jail in a few months. This song is one of the first T.I. songs to date that has some real meaning to it (see “Live In The Sky”, “Dead and Gone”). This is truly a great song.

T.I.- No Matter What

Við spilum endalaust
21) Sigur Ros just make beautiful music. “Við spilum endalaust” is just a beautiful song. I have absolutely no idea what he’s singing about, but all I know is that when he says something that sounds like “it’s bigger than” and the horns come in, I get the chills. The combination of his voice and the arrangement of instruments makes this song such a great one.

Lost Coastlines
20) “Lost Coastlines” is the single off Okkervil River’s latest disc, The Stand Ins. This song really took all my attention, and left me wondering what the rest of the album sounded like. This is such a fantastic song. His voice is really soothing and calming. It makes me want to ride a boat down a river, but get out and run around once in a while as well. The subtle use of a shaker and a tambourine really do wonders for the way we perceive this song.

Okkervil River- Lost Coastlines

Shove It (Feat. Spank Rock)
19) Santogold exploded onto the scene with her singles “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Creator.” While I do enjoy both of those songs, I really love “Shove It”, which features one of my favorite MCs Spank Rock. I love how the song starts off sort of mellow, and then once the kick drum and hand claps come in, it gets a little crazier. I’ve probably had this chorus stuck in my head for the majority of ‘08.

Knocked Up (Rodeo Remix Feat. Lykke Li)
18) This next song is probably the most obscure on my list. Lykke Li did a fantastic remix/cover of Kings of Leon’s “Knocked Up”, and it’s been one of my most played songs for as long as it’s been out. I wouldn’t necessary call it a cover, more of a collaboration or remix because Lykke Li adds such a dynamic element to an already great song.

Kings of Leon- Knocked Up (Lykke Li vs. Rodeo Remix)

Great Expectations
17) “Great Expectations” by Gaslight Anthem, emerged to be the only song of 2008 labeled under “pop/punk” on this list. I found this band sort of by accident, but it turned out to be a very, very happy accident. Taking influences from Bruce Springsteen and the early New Jersey punk scene, The Gaslight Anthem make music like Bruce Springsteen would, if he were on acid all the time.

Roxxanne
16) “Roxxanne” by The Knux, is a fantastic ode to the classic Police song. The Knux were in my opinion, the best new band of 2008. Mixing ever genre out there, they made a catchy, interesting song in “Roxxanne.” This is another one of those songs that’s been stuck in my head for a long time.

Tengazako
15) You’d think that every “Paper Planes” remix or cover would be beaten to death by now, but that previous statement is completely false! It wasn’t false, until The Very Best (Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit) covered it, and coincidentally made it their very own. I absolutely love this cover/remix/original piece of work, even though it’s not in English. Their version is called “Tengazako”, by the way.

The Very Best- Tengazako

14) I just found out that “I Woke Up Today” was released in 2007, so here’s something different. It’s Tunde Adebimpe (TVOTR) singing a classic Neil Young song as he says his vows to Rachel, from the movie Rachel Getting Married. I haven’t seen it yet, but I am eager to, even if only to see this scene. I’ve heard from various people that it’s tremendously beautiful and moving.

Tunde Adebimpe- Unknown Legend

Wrestlers
13) Although Hot Chip’s Made In The Dark disappointed me, one song, entitled “Wrestlers” did not. A quirky “love” song that talks about throwing coins and body slams, is quite catchy and enjoyable. A little bit reminiscent of Bret and Jemaine, although any funny song by people with an accent will get that comparison.

Embrace The Martian
12) Kid Cudi released one of the best albums of 2008, even though it was a free mixtape. He presented me with the hardest choice on this list, having to break down my four favorite Kid Cudi songs, into just two. I decided that “Embrace the Martian” was my second favorite Kid Cudi song, just because the beat is so fantastic. Crookers really did a great job giving this electro beat a hip-hop sort of vibe.

Real Estate
11) Cadence Weapon released Afterparty Babies in 2008, which I personally believed was one of the most underrated albums of the year. My favorite track off the album is “Real Estate”, which is a metaphor for the floundering hip-hop game. My favorite line really shows this metaphor… It goes: “Just bought a house can’t deal with the space, just bought a beat can’t deal with the bass.” It happens to be the first line of the song.

The Harrowing Adventures Of…
10) “The Harrowing Adventures Of…” is a nice twist for the normally fast paced, spastic Tokyo Police Club. I know a lot of musicians who couldn’t pull of a glockenspiel, handclaps, and an acoustic guitar all in the same song. It’s pretty ironic that the 2 minute indie pop boys ended up writing this fantastic song.

Buriedfied
9) Somehow, up and coming indie rocker Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson was able to get guys from Grizzly Bear and TV On The Radio to produce his debut album. I don’t know how he managed to convince the two to help produce his album, but they did a fantastic job. “Buriedfied” is the stand out track. A mellow acoustic guitar song, that picks up towards the end and by itself shows how he convinced Kyp Malone and Dan Rossen to help out on this fantastic album.

Skinny Love
Bon Iver picked a bad year to write a strikingly beautiful song. “Skinny Love” falls just short in my opinion, for the most beautifully written song of 2008. I would reveal the most beautifully written song, but then I’d also be revealing my favorite song of 2008, and that’s not fair to anyone. If this song were made in any other year, it would easily be the most beautiful song of 2008. Oh well.

Daylight
7) There is absolutely nothing wrong with Matt & Kim’s “Daylight.” Released on Green Label Sound as a single, this song features a fantastic piano line, and a terribly infectious chorus. I can’t make out half the words he’s saying, but that’s the way I like it. This song really needs an accompanying dance.

The Butcher
6) Final Fantasy is an absolute genius when it comes to arranging and writing music. “The Butcher” was released on one of his many ep’s this year, and is a breathtaking song. I love when the snare drum and horns kick in. It really adds another dimension to the song. The lyrics to this song are also absolutely amazing. My apologies about the album cover.

Winona
5) Totally Michael used his music to express his undying love for America’s favorite criminal, Winona Ryder. “Winona” is filled with witty lines, all revolving around the love of his life. My favorite is probably “I’m not a high class retail outlet, but I’d love for you to steal my heart.” I think that that line is absolutely genius.

The Prayer
4) Who would have guessed that Kid Cudi would rap over Band of Horse’s “The Funeral” and make it absolutely fantastic. Kid Cudi sampled this song in “The Prayer” a song that revolves around death and making your mark before you die. I love the line “Make my words important so if I die today, if I slip away, the last thing you remember won’t be about some apple bottom jeans with some boots with the fur.”

The Kramer
3) Wale made one of the most creative albums of 2008, with his mixtape A Mixtape About Nothing. On “The Kramer” he proves his album title wrong, as he dissects the racial conflicts in America today. The song starts off with Kramer verbally abusing a fan, and ends with him apologizing to “Afro-americans.” The line “Could no longer tell the difference between -a and -er” is probably the smartest line I’ve heard all year.

Wale- The Kramer

Sleepyhead
2) I really have no idea what makes “Sleepyhead” by Passion Pit so fucking fantastic. It may be the pounding bass drum, the synth that sounds like you’ve been sprinkled in fairy dust, the shrieking vocals, or the synth that is all over the place. Or maybe the combination of all of these elements created a perfect song. I feel like I want to both break something and dance when that synth comes in after the chorus.

Passion Pit- Sleepyhead

Family Tree
1) Were laying in the shadow of your family tree
Your haunted heart and me
Brought down by an old idea whose time has come
And in the shadow of the gallows of your family tree
There’s a hundred hearts soar free
Pumping blood to the roots of evil to keep it young

Category: Miscellaneous

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