Best of 2008, Part One

From 7/7 Show
2008 is just over halfway crossed off on our calendars, meaning its time for my mid-year best-of list. It has been an interesting year in releases. Often I would think an album was top 10 worthy, but there was no clear number 1 or really even a clear top 5. For this reason, I have a feeling this list might shake up quite a bit by the end of the year.

I intended to do a Top 15, but once in the studio I realized I had listed two #12's. Whoops.

A recording of the show may be up in the near future if I deem it acceptable. I included myspace links for each band if you would like to get more familiar with their music.

Top 16 Albums of the Year Thus Far
16) Wolf Parade / At Mount Zoomer (myspace)
Language City

15) Bonnie "Prince" Billy / Lie Down in the Light (myspace)
Missing One

14) Hercules & Love Affair / Hercules & Love Affair (myspace)
Hercules Theme

13) Mates of State / Re-arrange Us (myspace)
My Only Offer
The Re-arranger

12) Girl Talk / Feed the Animals (myspace)
In Step
Hands in the Air

11) Dodos / Visiter (myspace)
Fools

10) Jamie Lidell / Jim (myspace)
Another Day
Little Bit of Feel Good

9) Port O'Brien / All We Could Do Was Sing (myspace)
I Woke Up Today
Stuck on a Boat

8) Born Ruffians / Red, Yellow & Blue (myspace)
Foxes Mate for Life

7) State Bird / Mostly Ghostly (myspace)
I Saw the Light
The Golden Glowing Mask

6) Titus Andronicus / The Airing of Grievances (myspace)
My Time Outside the Womb
Arms Against Atrophy

5) Los Campesinos! / Hold On Now, Youngster (myspace)
You! Me! Dancing!
Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats

4) Man Man / Rabbit Habbits (myspace)
Hurly / Burly
Top Drawer

3) Envelopes / Here Comes the Wind (myspace)
Smoke in the Desert, Eating the Sand, Hide in the Grass
What's the Deal?

2) Vampire Weekend / Vampire Weekend (myspace)
A-Punk
M79

1) Cut Copy / In Ghost Colours (myspace)
So Haunted
Feel the Love

Honorable Mention - some of these I just didn't get to spend enough time with, so you might expect to see a couple of these climb my charts by year's end
Beach House / Devotion
No Age / Nouns
M83 / Saturdays=Youth
Mae Shis / HLLLYH
Notwist / The Devil, You + Me
Crystal Castles / Crystal Castles
Quiet Village / Silent Movie
Santogold / Santogold
Spiritualized / Songs in A & E