Top 10 Albums of 2008, extended version

I really get into doing this. Making time to sit and wander back through all my favorite music from the last year, giving things I'd dismissed another chance, scrambling to get hold of albums and tracks that I'd been meaning to get but hadn't and didn't want to not have on my list if they were kickass, etc.

I think it's good for me. I can tend to move through music fairly quickly, always on the lookout for new stuff to play on the show, and I don't give many things the time or spins they deserve. So I get to hang out with them again for this. And since I can never get a list down to 10, there's a whole lot beyond #10 worth noting.

Also, I'm going to post lists that other people send me, so send it along if you want it here.

And without further rambling, here it is, my Top Ten Albums of 2008, and a whole lot more.

Top 10 Albums of 2008

1. TV on the Radio ~ Dear Science
2. Deerhunter ~ Microcastle
3. Why? ~ Alopecia
4. The Rural Alberta Advantage ~ Hometowns
5. Frightened Rabbit ~ The Midnight Organ Fight
6. Deerhoof ~ Offend Maggie
7. The Hold Steady ~ Stay Positive
8. Flying Lotus ~ Los Angeles
9. The Dodos ~ Visiter
10. Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid ~ NYC

If my top 10 were a top 20, or If those other 10 albums hadn't come out
Los Campesinos! ~ We Are Beautiful We Are Doomed
Hammock ~ Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
Alias ~ Resurgam
High Places ~ High Places
Sera Cahoone ~ Only As the Day Is Long
Dosh ~ Wolves and Whistles
Vivian Girls ~ Vivian Girls
Fuck Buttons ~ Street Horrrsing
The Sword ~ Gods of the Earth
Little Joy ~ Little Joy

Ass-stompinest non-list-makinest records
Tapes n' Tapes ~ Walk It Off
The Black Angels ~ Directions to See a Ghost
The Raveonettes ~ Beauty Dies EP
The Cops ~ Free Electricity
Nomo ~ Ghost Rock
Okkervil River ~ The Stand Ins

Local flava
Invasion ~ How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Madness
Kris Doty ~ Smoke In the Mirror

08s dance traxxx
Crystal Castles ~ Crystal Castles
The Orb ~ The Dream
Thomas Fehlmann ~ Lowflow
Ratatat ~ LP3
Cut Copy ~ In Ghost Colours
Brazilian Girls ~ New York City

Poptabulous, craptacular
Deastro ~ Keeper's
Fujiya & Miyagi ~ Lightbulbs
Jamie Lidell ~ Jim

From the sophisticates
James Blackshaw ~ The Cloud of Unknowing
Anathallo ~ Canopy Glow
School of Seven Bells ~ Alpinisms
Calexico ~ Carried to Dust
Stereolab ~ Chemical Chords
Atlas Sound ~ Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel

Brilliant yet disposable
Vampire Weekend ~ Vampire Weekend
Santogold ~ Santogold
Ra Ra Riot ~ The Rhumb Line
Hot Chip ~ Made In the Dark
The Raveonettes ~ Lust Lust Lust
Crystal Stilts ~ Alight of Night

The old faves produce, but come up a little short
Iron & Wine ~ The Shepherd's Dog
The Helio Sequence ~ Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Spiritualized ~ Songs in A&E
The Walkmen ~ You & Me

Returns to form
Obits ~ 7"
Portishead ~ Third
REM ~ Accelerate
James McMurtry ~ Just Us Kids

File under Saturday morning songs
Robert Plant & Allison Krauss ~ Raising Sand
Ray LaMontagne ~ Gossip In the Grain
Fleet Foxes ~ Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver ~ For Emma, Forever Ago
Belle & Sebastian ~ The BBC Sessions

The best of the sleepiest
Brightblack Morning Light ~ Motion to Rejoin
Desolation Wilderness ~ White Light Strobing

More freak than folk, and all the better for it
Women ~ Women
The Ruby Suns ~ Seal Lions
Au ~ Verbs

Notes from the continued divergence of hip-hop
Reefer ~ Reefer
Koushik ~ Out My Window
Restiform Bodies ~ TV Loves You Back
Roots Manuva ~ Slime and Reason
Madvillain ~ Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix

Best of bleeps and bloops
Autechre ~ Quaristice
Tobacco ~ Fucked Up Friends

Repacked Leftovrz
Animal Collective ~ Water Curses
Four Tet ~ Everything Ecstatic Part 2

V/A's greatest
Until the Ice Melts (Texas electronic music comp)
Matador Intended Play, Fall 08