Gretchen's favorite albums of 2008

I posted my list on my facebook page- but Mark wanted to link to it, so I am re-posting here. He convinced me that it relates to our adventures in Cergy because I listen to my ipod 3 hours/ day during the commute from Paris to Cergy. Good point.

I am calling this a list of my 25 "favorite" albums of 2008 because I don’t feel like I can say they are the “best" of 2008. You see, I am sure there are hundreds of albums that came out this year that I have not heard yet which are just as good- maybe better. I don't feel that I have that kind of authority- I am just a fan of good music who likes to make lists.

I always enjoy the process of making my list at the end of the year- however, I don’t usually post it. I don’t post it because I am not very good at the album descriptions that usually accompany these kinds of lists. I rank the albums by how much I like them. It is that simple. I know how much I like an album because I generally listen to it more than the others. For me, the test is whether I can listen to album no matter what kind of mood I am in. Those are the ones that get the most play- and end up on the list.
The really good albums put me in an even better mood after listening to them.

Mark encouraged me to post this and I think he will have one coming soon. His will likely have clever descriptions.

My top 25 Albums (Sans descriptions)
1. Fleet Foxes- ST
2. Of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
3. Deerhunter- Microcastle
4. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
5. Beach House- Devotion
6. Bonnie Prince Billy- Lie Down in the Light
7. Blitzen trapper- Furr
8. Department of Eagles- In Ear Park
9. Black Kids- Partie Traumatic
10. Hercules and Love Affair- ST
11. Vampire Weekend- ST
12. She & Him- Volume 1
13. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
14. Portishead- Third
15. Mountain Goats- Heretic Pride
16. Okkervil River- The Stand Ins
17. Cool Kids- The Bake Sale
18. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks- Real Emotional Trash
19. Friendly Fires- ST
20. Sigur Ros- Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
21. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
22. Ghostland Observatory- Robotique Majestique
Honorable Mentions:
23. The Smiths- Sound of the Smiths
24. REM- Murmur (Reissue)
25. Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective- Watina*

* This album actually came out in 2007, but I didn’t discover it until this year- and Andy Palacio passed away this year- so I added him here as an HM.