2008 was a year of great music! My top record picks, in no particular order are:
- Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
- Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
- MGMT – Oracular Spectactular
- Lykke Li – Youth Novels
- Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
- Santogold – Santogold
- LadyHawke – LadyHawke
Astonishingly, these are all debut releases. It’s also super-happy-fantastic to see Pip Brown, aka, Ladyhawke, taking on the world and ripping up dance floors everywhere (that’s my usually latent Kiwi pride coming out).
I also enjoyed discovering a few other musical acts such as Pharoahe Monch, who I first saw at the Splore Festival in February (“Simon Says” is now one of my anthems). The Chemical Brothers were an act I revisited – they played in February, complete with awesome AV – leading me to systematically go through their archives. The architecture geek in me nearly died when I saw this wire frame fly through. Warning, loads of flashing, not suitable for sensitive types:
However, my favourite live experience had to be seeing psychedelic rockers Little Bushman playing with the Auckland Philharmonia. It was magical and something I will never forget. It was like being in an aural cavern of sparkling jewels and I was a greedy miner. Harps! Timpani! An organ!
What were your musical highlights of 2008? When did the shivers run down your spine to your toes? When did you fingers click uncontrollably? When did you wish your brain recorded video?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s cool, I agree with all of your choices. But then I looked at my Top 25 Most Played on iTunes and realised I had mostly been listening to Rihanna, Madonna, Ne-yo, Coldplay and Robyn this year. Such a pop whore!
Little LJ, I really liked Robyn too! Especially her videos – she is so sassy <3
When I was about 13 I used to have Pharoahe Monch’s Simon Says on repeat constantly- and its still a favourite of mine! I found out about the Splore appearance after the fact unfortunately. Was feeling rather gutted. Fleet Foxes this thursday??
Oh yes! I’m with you on your musical choices, especially Lykke Li and Fleet Foxes. But I must say Ladyhawke is probably my absolute fave release. I saw her in December and she was fantastic.
P.S Thanks for your comment on my blog. I will compile a list of top places to visit Hong Kong when I get back home :)
OH!!Seeing MGMT live was spine tingling.
The new Ratatat release was fantastic…
Vampire Weekend rocks my socks so hard. I challenge anyone not to dance to A-Punk. No really, it’s *impossible*
*Inapropriately dressed, drunken, 19 year old girls: “Simon Says SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” (On repeat).
I agree with all your choices, well, the ones which I’ve heard anyway.
One song which has been doing terrible things to my emotion as of late has been Shapeshifter’s When I Return (live). It’s digital homesickness.
ooh we share the same taste..
I say for 2008 for me it was.. M.I.A, The Teenagers, Fred, Crystal Castles, Cut Copy, Lykke Li..
xx-LJ from SOS!
I saw the Teenagers (and Metronomy!) last night – hilarious-good-extreme! They’re on the list but it was sooo big already ;)