My Favourite Albums Of The Year

My top ten albums-of-the-year are:

1. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend



Should I or shouldn’t I sorta paraphrase Depeche Mode. Ah, fuck it: “When I hear Vampire Weekend, I go out of my head. I just can’t get enough. I just can’t get enough.”

2. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours



Vertiginous synths and caffeinated beats and contagious songs! Oh my!

3. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Of these illustrious ten records, Fleet Foxes’ fantastic debut will probably be the one I revisit most often as the years tick by. For now though, it’s third on my list.

4. M83 – Saturday = Youth

Anthony Gonzalez = electronic alchemist.

5. Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue

Not a single miss on this Polaris-nominated album. Makes me question whether Caribou was the right choice for this year’s award.

6. Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree

I remember playing “A & E” in a continuous loop for like an hour and wishing for my intense infatuation to last forever. It died down after awhile, but I still love it. Also, the lovely “Some People” melts my insides.

7. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

I’m always a sucker for these lo-fi, achingly gorgeous, highly personal albums.

8. El Guincho – Alegranza!

Energetic guys from Spain who channel some of Animal Collective’s spirit (the multi-part harmonies and playful arrangements) but give it a Western European spin. Worth of that exclamation mark (if only I knew what Alegranza meant…or for that matter El Guincho).

9. The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

I gravitated toward this record because I liked the band’s name. Turned out to be kismet.

10. Rah Rah – Going Steady

There must be creative germs in Regina’s drinking water! Like Library Voices, this is a provincial neighbour you need to be familiar with right NOW!

And a few EPs I absolutely loved:

1. Parachutes - Parachutes

Parachutes opened for Sigur Rós in Minneapolis back in September. I was enchanted throughout by their not-exactly-dissimilar-to-Sigur-Rós sound, and am eagerly awaiting their full length debut. The YouTube video below (of YouTube quality) would probably break my heart…if Goldfrapp hadn’t already melted it (veiled Flight of the Conchords reference for ya).



2. Library Voices – Hunting Voices

Some self-plagiarism: There must be creative germs in Regina’s drinking water! Like Rah Rah, this is a provincial neighbour you need to be familiar with right NOW!


Still to come this week: my favourite songs and favourite shows of the year.

Infinite Playlist: Painting Over 2008's Silence - My Favourite Songs Of The Year