Best of 2008 – Adam Sherwood

Note: all of the Vinyl Press writers will be posting their “Best of 2008″ lists sometime in the next week. Adam Sherwood continues.

This year in music has been an eclectic one. The majority of the new albums I picked up were from relatively new and untested artists, but as always, some bigger names came through with innovative and impressive new material. Possibly the best side project I have ever heard was Department of Eagles, from Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and his NYU roommate, while the new effort from Dark Dark Dark displayed gothic storytelling and haunting Americana-inspired orchestration. As always there was no shortage of phenomenal live shows at Cat’s Cradle, my favorite was Calexico, but I was also lucky enough to cross state lines and see a show at Washington University in St. Louis, which boasts an intimate underground venue with great atmosphere. The most disappointing efforts, in my opinion, came from more established artists who seem to have forgotten what made them in the first place. Here’s to more new and wonderful tunes next year.

Best Albums of 2008

1. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
2. Dark Dark Dark – The Snow Magic
3. Calexico – Carried to Dust
4. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
5. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter III

Best Songs of 2008

1. TV on the Radio – “Stork and Owl”
2. Calexico – “Victor Jara’s Hands”
3. Department of Eagles – “No One Does It Like You”
4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “What’s Missing Is”
5. Foreign Born – “Union Hall”

Best Live Shows of 2008

1. Andrew Bird @ Memorial Hall, Fall
2. Calexico @ Cat’s Cradle, Fall
3. Deerhunter, Times New Viking, Lake Inferior @ Cat’s Cradle, Fall
4. Broken Social Scene w/ Land of Talk @ St. Louis, MO, Fall
5. Wilco @ Koka Booth Amphitheater, Fall

Biggest Disappointments of 2008

1. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
2. The Streets – Everything is Borrowed
3. Ben Folds – Way to Normal
4. Kings of Leon – Only by the Night
5. Beck – Modern Guilt

Highest Expectations for 2009

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
2. Grizzly Bear – [TBA]
3. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
4. Beirut – [TBA]
5. Wilco – [TBA]