oh sleepy heart, what do you say? should we keep thumping?

[Okay. Making lists. I love lists, but not usually when it comes to selecting favorites myself. I tend to avoid this sort of thing in an endeavor to preserve a fluid, intertextual catalogue of the cultural commodities I enjoy. Or more accurately, I don't like to commit to personal favorites lists because for some reason I presume that mostly-pointless personal rankings release some measure of ultimate significance and value into the ether [they don't], and I fear committing to something I probably won't agree with forever. Which, now that I think of it, is kind of similar to the reasoning behind why I've never kept a diary... But that's for another time, or another of those uninteresting-except-to-me anecdotes I might tell you in person, perhaps over some of those more classic, respectable drinks I've promised to start ordering at more classic, respectable establishments in 2009. Or maybe instead of resolving to order more classy drinks I should resolve to tell less uninteresting-except-to-me anecdotes...]

Okay. My favorite 8 albums of 2008:

1. Okay – Huggable Dust song!
2. Mount Eerie – Lost Wisdom song!
3. Portishead – Third song!
4. Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust song!
5. Anathallo – Canopy Glow song!
6. Quiet Village – Silent Movie song!
7. Santogold & Diplo – Top Ranking (A Diplo Dub) song!
8. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park song!

And, since a lot of the music I enjoyed in 2008 was not released in 2008, my favorite previously-released rediscoveries of 2008:

1. The Cranberries – Stars [The Best of 1992 – 2002] (2002) - song!: Though I am FULLY aware of just how creepily this fact might be interpreted, I am going to admit that in 2008 I did, should the need arise, plot a hypothetical wedding reception playlist composed entirely of Cranberries songs.
2. Grizzly Bear – Yellow House (2006) song!: You know how sometimes everybody is talking up something, and you just don’t get what all the fuss is about, but then after awhile, all of a sudden, you do?
3. Bear Vs. Shark – Terrorhawk (2005) song!: Continuing, always continuing, to lament the dissolution of one of the most exciting and inspired-yet-underrated[?] bands I can think of – even as I cross some of my most-sought live performances off of the ‘see before I die’ list, I think BvS shows will always rank high amongst the favorites/most memorable.
   

[Okay. As far as 2008 goes, two things. 1. I really liked a lot of other albums a lot, too, including list darlings Bon Iver, m83, and Fleet Foxes (but not the Hold Steady, who– and I readily expect a lot of flack for this sentiment – I have only ever been able to appreciate whilst silly and in a rowdy bar. Perhaps I just need to give it a few years?), but again, an actually accurate and comprehensive auditory 2008 roundup is just too overwhelming, so ‘8 of 08’ it is. 2. I was really disappointed to find out that Holy F*ck, my favorite of the recent onslaught of F*ck-titled bands that I STILL feel inappropriate fully typing in something my mother might read, as well as the Besnard Lakes – two of my original favorite ‘8 of 08’ selections – ACTUALLY were released in 2007. Where the f*ck have I been?!]