The Best of 2008

Hi Folks! Once again it's time to sum up the past year. The most interesting events in 2008 would be... G'n'R finally released Chinese Democracy and the world economic crisis striked even the music industry :) And yes, we had a plenty of good releases to enjoy in 2008...

In 2008, the number of music submissions to Indie Surfer increased substantially, so I was not able to check them all and answer to them. I'll try in the future to find some way to cover as much submissions as possible, but it will also depend on my free time. So, if you're a music promoter or you have a band, I encourage you to send your submission to Indie Surfer and I'll do my best to check them out.

The albums included on the 'Top 100' list are Indie Surfer's choice of the best albums in 2008. All the albums in the selection are recommended for your listening, so try to check them out (if you already haven't) or at least check the artist myspace page. If you have your favorites not included on the list, please feel free to mention them in the comments.

The Indie Surfer's winner of 2008 is Fleet Foxes' self-titled release, followed by Bon Iver's 'For Emma, Forever Ago' and 'Dear Science' from Tv On The Radio. All those three albums are special in their own way, so any of them could lead the list. I hope the next year will bring us more rocking and less experimental albums, so be sure to check the Indie Surfer Blog, it will try to keep you up to date.

Top 100 Indie Albums of 2008
100. Beck - Modern Guilt
99. Joan As Police Woman - To Survive
98. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
97. Marnie Stern - This Is It & I Am It...
96. Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom
95. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
94. The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
93. Evangelicals - The Evening Descends
92. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
91. Mystery Jets - Twenty One
90. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
89. Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
88. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Sunday At Devil Dirt
87. The Rosebuds - Life Like
86. Little Teeth - Child Bearing Man
85. The Kills - Midnight Boom
84. Constantines - Kensington Heights
83. The Killers - Day & Age
82. Fucked Up - Chemistry Of Common Life
81. The Little Ones - Morning Tide
80. Delays - Everything's the Rush
79. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
78. Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams
77. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
76. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
75. The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans
74. Dr. Dog - Fate
73. The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
72. Eagles Of Death Metal - Heart On
71. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
70. Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
69. Islands - Arms Way
68. Calexico - Carried To Dust
67. Wild Beasts - Limbo, Panto
66. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
65. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
64. The Dutchess & The Duke - She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke
63. Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
62. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
61. Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
60. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
59. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
58. She & Him - Volume One
57. Deerhoof - Offend Magie
56. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
55. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
54. Nada Surf - Lucky
53. Magnetic Fields - Distortion
52. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
51. Adam Green - Sixes & Sevens
50. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
49. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
48. Women - Women
47. The Breeders - Mountain Battles
46. Hot Chip - Made In Dark
45. Sun Kill Moon - April
44. Shearwater - Rook
43. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
42. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
41. Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
40. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
39. M83 - Saturdays = Youth
38. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
37. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
36. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
35. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair
34. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
33. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
32. The Walkmen - You & Me
31. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
30. Bound Stems - The Family Afloat
29. No Age - Nouns
28. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
27. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
26. The Plastic Constellations - We Appreciate You
25. Sigur Ros - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
24. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
23. Why? - Alopecia
22. Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow And Blue
21. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
20. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
19. Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
18. The Music Tapes - Music Tapes For Clouds And Tornadoes
17. Beach House - Devotion
16. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)
15. Little Joy - Little Joy
14. Portishead - Third
13. Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
12. Santogold - Santogold
11. Times New Viking - Rip It Off

10. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!


9. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular


8. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins


7. Foals - Antidotes


6. Deerhunter - Microcastle


5. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight


4. The Dodos - Visiter



3. Tv On The Radio - Dear Science


2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago


1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes



Top 10 Hip-Hop/Rap Albums Of 2008
10. The Game - LAX
9. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
8. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
7. Black Milk - Tronic
6. T.I. - Paper Trail
5. The Roots - Rising Down
4. Nas - Untitled
3. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
2. The Cool Kids - Bake Sale
1. Q-Tip - The Renaissance



Other Genres/Top Albums
The Bug - London Zoo
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War)
Shugo Tokumaru - Exit
Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali
Grace Jones - Hurricane
Juana Molina - Un Dia
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
Robyn - Robyn


I expected more from (or 'do it better next time'):
Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Ceasars, Cat Power, Razorlight, The Black Kids, ...


Note: Finally, I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll continue posting at the beginning of 2009. Have a nice time during holidays...