TOP MUSIC of 2008
I finally have a bit of downtime to look back at the tracks and albums that made my soundtrack in 2008...the year started slow but by late summer, tons of great new acts popped up...the 80's came back full force...yet again...Miami Vice type of synth courtesy of France and Australia and a new, dancier Debbie Harry (or is it Stevie Nicks?) from New Zealand...

TOP 20 TRACKS

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# 20 - 'Kids' - MGMT

Yeah yeah, it's original hipster bait and I think the lyrics are about the environment and all that...but you can also sing along, which is what really matters here ...

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#19 - 'Rapture' DatA

The dance electro outfit borrows Sebastien Grainger from 'Death From Above' for a cool, early 80's inspired dance tune....'We could never be friends, I'll love you until the end'

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#18 - 'Certified' Calvin Harris

The first song sans lyrics of the list. Loved this guy's tongue in cheek electro album last year. This track was a standout.

#17 - 'In My Arms' - Teddy Thompson

Country? Well, sort of, in a more pop, handsome and less white trash kind of way. The lyrics hit home...I really need to shape up or I'll be that single old gay uncle in a few years...

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#16 - 'In Her Eyes' - Paul

Now I'm holding hands with Demi Moore ...or is it Rob Lowe?...Romantic, lyric-less, movie soundtrack stuff circa 1985, only made by a Frenchman in 2008 - Loved this!! Hard to find...el.bow.s or hype Machine can help you find it...

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#15 - 'Work' (Freemasons mix) - Kelly Rowland

Destiny's Stepchild gives us a better single than Beyonce has since 'Crazy In Love'...The Freemasons radio mix helped immensely. Huge hit abroad but US ignored it...their loss.

#14 - 'No one's Gonna Love you' - Band of Horses

Ah, the ghosts of relationships past. They're persistent and give you a good scare every once in a while. Indie, sure, but unafraid to pull at heartstrings. 'Things start splitting at the seams now and everything starts stumbling down'.

#13- 'Don't be on With Her' - Miami Horror

Now I'm now riding up to a neon lit bar, on a Mustang in South Beach with the folks of Miami Vice. Super fun dance tune...excuse me! where's that Tequila Sunrise I ordered?

#12 - 'Overpowered' Roisin Murphy

She left the band Moloko and became a reveered electro dance diva everywhere but in the US (what do those yanks know about good music??)...great song. All her videos this year have been breakthrough.

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#11 'Just for Tonight' - One Night Only

Anthemic, Killers inspired danceable pop/rock from the UK. Pure Guilty Sugary fun.

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#10 'Alina's Place' - Frederik

This one sort of reminded of of 'Always on Sunday', that melancholic HBO promo song from back when 'Sex and the City' and 'Six Feet Under' ruled. These guys are Scandinavian and I have to say I don't understand the lyrics but it's beautiful and haunting nonetheless.

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#9 - 'Paris is Burning' - LadyHawke

'Tell me the truth is it love or just Paris?' mmm...aren't they the same thing? The best new act of last year. From New Zealand. This is her signature track.

#8 - 'Bruises' - Chairlift

Everytime you fall in love with a difficult someone, it's like falling down and getting all bruised up...totally. Forget the fact that Apple used it in some Ipod nano commercial and you'll appreciate this simple great totally uplifting pop tune.

#7 - 'Electric Feel' - MGMT

When you take away all Hipster pretension, this is just a really cool New Kids on the Block song, with much better lyrics of course...addictive, breezy summer tune.

#6 'Back of the Van' - LadyHawke

She sounds like Stevie Nicks at her solo best - Sexy, synth laden ... I feel like I'm seventeen again.

#5 - 'Heartbreaker' - Metronomy

I think these guys started by remixing everything from GoldFrapp to Midnight Juggernauts...about a guy begging his best friend to break up with his bitchy heartbreaker of a girlfriend. This one is sure to keep you moving... Their videos are pretty cool & innovative too

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#4 - 'Use somebody' - Kings of Leon

This proves you don't have to come off as a total douche bag to do anthemic arena rock properly (hello, Nickelback?')

#3 - 'Break the Ice' - Britney Spears

From her best album so far 'Blackout'. She was obviously so mentally bloated with Cheetos and cheap beer at the time that some cool producer came in and told her exactly what to do. The results are sexy and dark. Too bad she's gone back to Disney Brit on 'Circus'...baby voice and all. I'd rather remember her like this: slightly bloated, with shaved head & bad wigs and giving us unrestrained stripper pole anthems...well done!

#2 - 'A&E' - Goldfrapp
It's like that bottle of scotch you clutch on the saturday morning after a bad breakup...What the hell is 'A&E'? Beautiful stuff from one of my favorite bands. Too bad the rest of the album was such a sleeping pill.

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#1 'Sweet Disposition' - Temper Trap

From Down Under. This is exactly the kind of stuff I unapologetically love...big, anthemic choruses and the ability to lift you up up up even if for only three minutes. Have no idea what the hell the lyrics are...but it broke my heart into a million pieces...what's that fleshy stuff hanging from my shirt?!

...And Finally, the albums...

FAVORITE ALBUM 2008

#1 LadyHawke - LadyHawke

Just like Robyn last year, this album has so many potential hits (already big hits outside the US) that you don't know which one to listen to: 'From Dusk til Dawn', 'Back of the Van', 'Paris is Burning', 'My Delirium' are already singles. It's 80's revival but feels very current...

#2 Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

Genre defying, pop, electro, indie, rock...whatever. Cool band from Brooklyn with super catchy tunes that remixers all over the world had a feast with.

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#3 Hard Candy - Madonna

'Confessions' had two brilliant standout songs: 'Hung Up' and 'Get Together'- 'Candy' had none...but all were uniformly very good pop tunes that radio should have eaten up but they were too busy playing one loooong Bland & B song by T-Chris-Yo-West...'Heartbeat' is fantastic!