My Old Kentucky Blog Albums of 2008 : Senior Superlatives

2008 was an exciting year in many ways. Of course the socio-political climate gave many of us something be excited about, but I was pretty charged up looking back on 2008 and all the quality music it produced. In today's disposable, no attention span world, there were a lot of bands with a lot of staying power and a lot of bands that might buck the internet darling/burn-bright-burn-out trends.

We here at MOKB are taking a slightly different approach to our "Best Of List" this year. Not everyone is on board, but not everyone is me. Like your average high school year book (because this whole indie music blog world is just like high school anyway right?!), we're picking our "Senior Superlatives" of 2008. I don't necessarily like ranking things and just because an album is picked, it doesn't necessarily mean it is a "Best Of" album, but a lot that were picked are. Most all of these were our favorites, order be damned. Anyway, you'll get the drift pretty quickly I'm sure.

Before we get into it all, I've also gone ahead and put together a playlist of songs from some of my favorite albums of 2008. You can only embed 50 at a time I guess, but there are far more if you go visit the playlist on Lala. Again, no importance given to order. All these albums could make a case for yummy goodness that you should look into.

Also, we'd love to see your favorites of 2008 in the comments or if you think of any funny Senior Superlatives you'd like to share!

Most Likely To Wear Flip-Flops Year Round...or What's so great about a shower anyway?!

No...just kidding. I really loved all three of these albums to the point of dirty, stinky, sweaty, lovin'. We both needed a shower afterwards...many times...until chafing set it.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Port O'Brien - All We Could Do Was Sing
Fleet Foxes - S/T

Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
Port O'Brien - Sour Milk/Salt Water (live on The Laundromatinee/MOKB SIRIUS XM Blog Radio)

Best Rock n Roll Will Never Die...or Most Likely To Lead A Protest...

These bands are proving that slap your ass and punch-you-in-the-mouth-rock is still alive and well in the indie world.

White Denim - Exposion
The Black Keys - Attack & Release

Which leads us to... Dangermouse for Prom King...

Dangermouse produced the first two and both deserve a place on the "Best Of 2008" list. His own personal project with Cee-Lo Green, Gnarls Barkely's sophamore release The Odd Couple, didn't quite pack as much punch, but it did release one of the best singles of the year in Who's Gonna Save My Soul?.

The Black Keys - Attack & Release
Beck - Modern Guilt
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

The Black Keys - I Got Mine (Live at The Crystal Ballroom)

Which leads us to... Dan Auerbach for Junior Prom King...

If it were a head-to-head, this dude probably only lost by a couple votes, and only because he was working with lesser-known artists. He's heir-to-the-thrown we'll say. Next year could be all his with his solo/band project coming out. He produced some serious up-and-coming talents that released in 2008.

Hacienda - Loud Is The Night
Jessica Lea Mayfield - With Blasphemy So Heartfelt
Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride

Hacienda - She's Got A Hold On Me
Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride

If You Have a King, You Gotta Have a Queen...

Come on, she's amazing.

Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad

Best Album from a Pregnant Lady Not Named Mathangi Arulpragasam...

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)

Most Likely to Rock it at a Skating Rink and Knows How to do the Pee Wee Herman...

Also known as "This woulda been just as cool when Don Johnson was cool".

M83 - Saturdays = Youth

M83 - We Own the Sky (Maps remix)

Best Dressed...

Or Most likely best consumed in small doses. Or Most likely to eventually incite hipster rage. Vampire Weekend continued their rapid accension in 2008. People want to hate, but it's just simply an entertaining record. Sure African and Calypso have been mixed with pop music for years. That's what the white man does, steal it, and try to make it better (or at least sell).

Vampire Weekend - S/T

Best Change Of Pace or Most Opinionated...

Also the best "love-to-hate" or "hate-to-love". Auto-tune fan or not, Kanye released an excruciatingly honest effort that shows his continued ability to flip the switch yet still keep things interesting and remain at the top of the hip-hop heap.

We were pretty late to the game on Why?, but this album was a great genre-blender that just never stopped with the catchy suprises.

Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
Why? - Alopecia

Best Breakout or Transfer Student Of The Year...

My favorite session of the year by far. Creativity runs rampant with these guys and thus everything they do from now on deserves attention...because it will be good. This album had some serious obession tracks on it (the ones you listen to five times in a row, before you realize what a fan boy you are and switch to something else so as not to fully admit your bromance for said male artist(s).) Anyway, after years of being on the undercard (to some pretty amazing bands at least), these boys moved up a weightclass and started to throw with the big boys.

Dr. Dog - Fate

Dr. Dog - The Old Days
Dr. Dog - The Beach (live at VIBES on MOKB/SIRIUS Blog Radio)

Best Don't Call It A Comeback...

The Walkmen needed a comeback album and they made just that. They changed things up a little too, slowed them down but kept it boozey.

The Walkmen - You & Me

The Walkmen - In The New Year

Best Use Of Other People's Music or Most Likely To Steal It and Say It Louder...

Always a guaranteed party...the sheen of the schick is wearing off, but that doesn't make it any less fun to dance to. Maybe also winner of "Best Attempt At The Radiohead Album Selling Schitck".

Girl Talk - Feed the Animals

Girl Talk - Set It Off

Most Likely to go to Jail for Stalking Andre 3000 and or Big Boi...

Smart, funny and reminiscent of a time when I couldn't get enough Outkast...now with more genre blending!

The Knux - Remind Me In Three Days

Just as Best in 2008 as it was in 2007 (or earlier) or Those Kids That Failed Health Class and had to Come Back for a Second Senior Year...

We loved these albums last year and they all saw re-release or U.S. release this year. Some others probably fit here, but we may not have really discovered them until this year, so we won't put them here. If you put any of them on your lists, a-ok with us. We love 'em still.

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Santogold - S/T
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Bowerbirds - Hymns For A Dark Horse
The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain
Robyn - Robyn

Bon Iver - For Emma (live on The Laundromatinee)

Best Side Project...

We loooove the first two and enjoyed the third enough for it to make this list. Little Joy's album, if we were ranking numerically, would be in my top three for sure. School of Seven Bells would be Top Ten probably too...I don't know if it counts as a side project or not really, but love it just the same.

Little Joy - S/T
Human Highway - Moody Motorcycle
Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park
School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms

Little Joy - No One's Better Sake
Department Of Eagles - No One Does It Like You
Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park

Worst Use of the Internet (but made great music!)...

Seriously Bradford, stop. Breathe. Edit.

Deerhunter - Microcastle

Best Mixtape...

It was a good year for mixtapes...especially free ones. I'm probably forgetting a couple there were so many I liked.

Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking

The Very Best - Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best (get it free)
The Cool Kids - That's Stupid (get it free)
Kid Cudi - A Kid Named Cudi (get it free)
Various Artists - iHeartComix Remixed

Most Likely Watched Too Many Episodes of Yatch Rock or Best Freakout Your Fans and Critics...

Still the best live show in town. I wasn't as freaked out by some of the songs (I love Highly Suspicious) on Evil Urges as much I was bored. Still, no reason to trash the whole thing...some great things happening on it.

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Best Double-Penetration....

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Best Euro Imports or Most Likely to Confuse You While Talking...

Lykke Li - Youth Novels
El Guincho - Alegranza!
Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart

Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance
El Guincho - Palmitos Park
Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook

Best North-Of-The-Border or Most Likely to Wear Long Undies in 6 ft. of Snow...

Wolf Parade - Mt. Zoomer
Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplanes
Candy-Coated Killahz - It Factor

Wolf Parade - Call It A Ritual
Chad VanGaalen - City Of Electric Light

Best South-Of-The-Border or Most Likely to Invent a Newer, Better, Margarita...

Juana Molina - Un Día (Argentina)
The Nortec Collective Presents Bostich + Fussible - Tijuana Sound Machine

Best Legs...

No, we know were being uncool...these girls have great racks too. Oh, yeah, they made a pretty awesome album to boot.

Vivian Girls - S/T

Vivian Girls - Where Do You Run To

Best Good Ol' Boys...

The lines between what is Country and Alt-Country seem to be blurring more and more, and that's a good thing.

Justin Townes Earle - The Good Life
Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
The Felice Brothers - S/T
Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles

Justin Townes Earle - Hard Livin' (live on The Laundromatinee)
Langhorne Slim - Restless
Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles - Restless (live on The Laundromatinee)

Most Likely To Be On An Episode Of COPS...

I think I watched one of the dudes in O'Death smoke what must have been ten "J's" throughout the course of one night. He just kept pulling them out of his hair. It was like magic. Sweet, sticky magic. Maybe the most rawkous set I saw all year...way awesome.

O'Death - Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skin
Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08
King Khan and the Shrines - Supreme Genius of King Khan
T.I. - Paper Chase

O'Death - Lowtide
Jay Reatard - See Saw

Most Ready For The Floor...

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
The Presets - Apocalypso
Crystal Castles - S/T
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark

Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire

Best Luck...

With the way Vivian Girls blew up this year, you might have thought their former drummer, Frankie Rose, made the boner choice of the year when she picked Crystal Stilts over Vivian Girls. Luckily she didn't (make a boner move). Crystal Stilts is every bit as good if not better...and have loads of good things ahead of them.

Crystal Stilts - Alight Of Night
Crystal Stilts - Shattered Shine

Best Avoidance of The Sophomore Slump...

OK, honestly we couldn't think of anything clever for Mason Proper, but it still rings true. This was definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. Loads of staying power and criminally ignored.

Mason Proper - Olly Oxen Free
Mason Proper - Lock and Key

Class Procrastinator...

Drum roll please.....

Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

Best Local (Kentuckiana/Cincy Triangle)...

I really felt there was some great talent coming out of the triangle this year.

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - The Whole Fam Damnily
The Watson Twins - Fire Songs
Ben Sollee - Learning to Bend
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos - Animal/Not Animal
Matt Bauer - The Island Moved in the Storm
Daniel Martin Moore - Stray Age
Pomegranates - Everything Is Alive
Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down In the Light
DM Stith - Curtain Speech EP
Totally Michael - S/T
Grampall Jookabox - Ropechain
John Mellencamp - Life Death Love & Freedom
THUNDERS - Sympathetic Osscialations EP
The Seedy Seeds - Count The Days

Matt Bauer - Sheltering Dark
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - Worn Out Shoe
DM Stith - Just Once

My Old Kentucky Blog Best Of 2008...

Others releases we really liked this year...or (at least) Honorable Mentions

Silver Jews, TV On The Radio, High Places, Gang Gang Dance, The Dodos, Delta Spirit, Titus Andronicus, Elbow, The Rosebuds, Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down, Deerhoof, Ra Ra Riot, Ladytron, Neon Neon, Friendly Fires, Foals, SSLYBY, The Ruby Suns, Quinn Walker, No Age, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Frightened Rabbit, Women, Spiritualized, Beach House, Jukebox The Ghost, Catfish Haven, Megafaun, Raphael Saadiq, Atmosphere, Delta Spirit, Tobacco

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