Simon's Top Albums of 2008

Three words; hardest year ever. With downloading music (guilty as charged) at its optimum, this was the year that settling into anything became that much harder. Okay, so you get your main stayers, but even that becomes harder as you attempt to point your attention to as much material as humanly possible.

I usually only compile a list 25, but this year it's been stretched out to 30 plus honourable mentions. Not enough, you say? Well sorry, but that's all the heart can take. I thought a paid job was stressful?

Anyway. Enjoy, criticize, do what you like. I'm just glad the rigmarole is over...

1. The Constantines - Kensington Heights [Arts & Crafts]

2. TV On The Radio - Dear Science [4AD/Interscope]

3. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia [Sub Pop]

4. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash [Matador Records]

5. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? [Rough Trade]

6. Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight [V2/Yep Roc Records]

7. Dead Meadow - Old Growth [Matador Records]

8. Boris - Smile [Southern Lord]

9. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era. Cont [Kranky/4AD]

Simon's Top Songs of 2008

These are in no paritucular order. My album list did enough in terms of frying the brain, so to even consider a numbering system for individual songs would be a nervous breakdown waiting to happen. Think of this more of a mixed tape. Anyway, here you are:

Cut Copy – Heart on Fire
Grouper – Heavy Water/I'd Rather be Sleeping
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – Bells of Creation
Spiritualized – Soul on Fire
Mercury Rev – Dream of a Young Girl as a Flower
Atlas Sound – Bite Marks
Mogwai – Thank You Space Expert
Deerhunter – Never Stops
Boris – Next Saturn
The Gutter Twins – God's Children
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Trouble
Weezer – Pork & Beans
TV On The Radio – Crying
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – More News From Nowhere
Growing – Innit
Bon Iver – Flume
Okkervil River - Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed On The Roof Of The Chelsea Hotel, 1979
Constantines – Trans Canada
Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart
The Grey Daturus - Answered in Negative
Sigur Ros – Festival
The Drones - I Am the Supercargo
Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning – Hit the Wall
Melvins – The Smiling Cobra
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Baltimore
British Sea Power – No Lucifer
A Silver Mt. Zion & Tra La La Ban – 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons
Daturah – Vertex
Destroyer – Introducing Angels
M83 - Graveyard Girl
Tapes 'N Tapes - Conquest
Portishead – Ripchord
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer
Bob Mould – Very Temporary
The Kills – Hook and Line
Fuck Buttons – Sweet Love For Planet Earth
Beach House – Turtle Island
Shearwater – Century Eyes
Secret Machines - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Ladyhawk – S.T.H.D.
Tricky – Council Estate
Red Sparrowes - We Left the Apes to Rot, But Find the Gang Grows Within
My Morning Jacket - Smokin' From Shootin'
Mudhoney – The Lucky Ones
No Age – Cappo
Animal Collective – Street Flash
The Walkmen – The New Year
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Cobwebs
Conor Oberst – Souled Out
The Fall – 50 Year Old Man
Earth – Rise to Glory
The Mars Volta – Metatron
Glasvegas – Ice Cream Van
The Helio Sequence – Halelujah
The Dandy Warhols – Do You Love Me?
Gregor Samsa - Jeroen Van Akon
The Hold Steady – Magazine
Harvey Milk - Decades
The Black Angels - Doves