Last night, Jeremy was working on his top ten albums of 2008 for that paper and I decided to make my own. It's not in any order, it's just a list of albums and movies I enjoyed in 2008. *Not everything on my favorites of 2008 came out in 2008.
Janelle Monae - This bitch is awesome. Janelle Monae is like a female Andre 3000.
Jeremy describes her music as Prog-R&B. I knew I loved me some Prog, but I had no idea it could be like this. Her album (more of and EP, really) is called "Metropolis: The Chase Suite" and listening to it really is like listening to a symphony (the first five songs anyway). Her myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae) has a six minute "short film" for the song "Many Moons." It's all about a robot who falls in love with a human and so must be destroyed. The entire album flows seamlessly through the movements and the theme (yes of robots in love in the future) is carried well throughout. There is an ARIA! Monae's amazing, soul-insprir(ing)ed voice floats for the most beautiful 1:35 of 2008, this is one case where I'm ok with an auto-tuner. I know it sounds super geeky and lame, but it truly is an amazing, fun album.
Katy Perry - I know I already wrote about her, but I really, really like this album.
MGMT- Their album "Oracular Spectacular" was a good friend this summer. I really like their blend of like the Scissor Sisters and freak-folk. (this is based on my limited understanding of that term) It's great pool-side mp3 player material and not bad make out music either (more m.o.m. later). I like the spaceyness of it, it's just great to relax to, and maybe a little dancing to "Electric Feel."
Okkerville River - Thier 2008 album "The Stand Ins" is a companion to last year's "The Stage Names" and I've decided that 2007's album was better. When Jeremy first introduced me to Okkerville, I wasn't really feeling it, you know? But over the years I've gotten to really like Will Sheff's voice. The songs on "The Stage Names" sound so happy and fun, but if you listen to the lyrics, they're absolutely heartbreaking.
Black Mountain- As I said in "Reasons I will always be my 14-year-old self," I love really great classic rock. Black Mountain's "In The Future" is more like a worm hole to the past. The album came out early last year but I really got in to it after we moved to San Antonio. The very first song "Stormy High," makes me think of Janis Joplin and sex. This is grade A make out music. 100% Approved for foreplay.
The Dodos! - That's my !, not theirs, thier name is just The Dodos. Their album "Visiter" from this year is really great reading or bubble bath music. Kind-of folky, kind of like Animal Collective but less with fewer personalities, though no less character.
Department of Eagles - "In Ear Park" This trippy '60s throw-back album feels like that time I was sitting in the grass across the street from the entrance to Niagara Falls in Toronto when I was a freshman in high school. It was in May so it was warm but it's way up north so it was more like spring than summer, just humid enough, clear and sunny with a light breeze. I think colors are brighter in Canada, that's how I remember it anyway.
M83 - "Saturdays = Youth" This album came out right at the beginning of the summer I think. This is more of 2008's great make out music. I reccomend it for pool-side reading.
Human Highway - "Moody Motorcycle" This is my token "indie" album.
So here are other albums/artists I liked, but can't think of anything to say about them:
Vampire Weekend
Can
True Stories by the Talking Heads (the movie and the album)
Fleet Foxes
First Aid Kit (get ready for them in 2009)
MOVIES!
Some of the movies I liked in 2008 (short list, I can't think of a lot right now)
Synecdoche, NY - Absolutely brilliant, but as Jeremy pointed out, it may not have great rewatchability.
Pineapple Express - Of course :)
Space Chimps - Monkeys in Space!
HellBoy 2 - Seriously, I watched this every day for a week.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Oh yeah, Warner Brothers made enough money off of The Dark Knight to postpone the release of HP5. Thanks a lot, Batman.
So I know this kind of petered out here at the end. I lost the steam and never really got it back. Hopefully when school starts back I'll get a surge of creativity. Have a great 2009!
Love,
Lauren
