The Best Sounds of 2008

2008 has been rich in good music. This year opened with Radiohead selling their album, In Rainbows, at whatever price buyers saw fit. Dolly Parton released Backwoods Barbie, proving once more her limitless talent and sense of humour

Foals won themselves plenty of fans with their album Antidotes and Vampire Weekend followed suit with their eponymous debut, whilst The Black Keys struck again with Attack and Release. Wolf Like Me by TV On The Radio became everyone’s favourite rock single and Elbow put the cherry on the 2008 cake by rightfully winning the Mercury Prize with their fourth studio album, the poignantly excellent The Seldom Seen Kid.
But what has been Open writers’ favourite single/album of 2008? We’ve asked them, and here’s what they said.


Loma-Ann Marks, Editor
Ting Tings – Great DJ (Columbia Records)
Without hesitation, my best single of 2008 is Great DJ by the Ting Tings. Early this year, it was inescapable, playing on what seemed like every radio station in the land.  And it cropped up all over the telly as the soundtrack to a slew of programme trailers and teasers. Yet it's one of those songs that gets better each time you hear it:  easy without dumbing down; mass appeal but with indie credibility. It's a great track for getting ready, for going out, for coming home. My second place is That's Not My Name by the same Manchester duo, but the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums get me every time.
www.youtube.com/

Jo Gifford, Pictures Editor
Alphabeat - Fascination
Stepping aside from my indie rock roots my single of the year has to be Fascination by Alphabeat, for no other reason than the sheer toe-tapping feel good factor with a cheeky Europop gloss. It's cheesy, it's girly, but it's a goodie.
http://uk.youtube.com/

Stef Bottinelli, Sound Editor
MGMT – Time to Pretend (Columbia Records)
With a 70s psychedelic sound that feels like tripping on acid with friends in a field on a sunny, cleverly funny yet melancholic lyrics, Time to Pretend by MGMT must be the single of the year for me. This song feels like the end of high school, one last chance for carefree fun before the total loss of childhood innocence.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XVnRzEjpUmE


Vera Brozzoni, Big Screen Editor
Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (Lies Records/Last Gang Records)
My favourite album this year was the self-titled debut by edgy Canadian dance duo Crystal Castles. Ethan Kath apparently creates his unmistakable sound patterns and drum loops using his vintage Atari PC.  He's a superb noise wizard who takes the genre of electro-dance to the extreme, filling the sound carpet with unpleasant but addictive buzzes, squeaks and pops. Goth teenager Alice Glass provides haunting vocals, constantly distorted by Kath’s machinery. Surely one of the most distinctive bands around, their tracks are terribly DJ friendly and provide the perfect sound to the coolest parties. They fully blossom onstage though: Kath's hieratic, motionless figure contrasts with Glass’s monkey dance and crowd surfing.
www.youtube.com/


Art Sleuth
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl (Capitol Music)
The most memorable single of the year for me is probably 'I Kissed A Girl’ by Katy Perry. It sticks in your head whether you like it or not. The song is totally and unashamedly 100% pop. It doesn’t hide under a guise of sophistication like so much 'pop' out there.  Its rather suspect lyrics probably have the power to shock someone out there too, which is what gives it the edge. Thank God we can still shock someone in 2008!
www.youtube.com/


Joseph Ewens, Contributor
Nicole Atkins - Neptune City (Columbia Records)
Nicole Atkins’ album, Neptune City bursts at the seams with engaging pop sensibilities, layered over deep dark undertones. At the heart of the machine is Nicole Atkins' voice, sometimes soaring high above the string section and sometimes tucked neatly into introverted melancholy. Inspired by the films of David Lynch, Atkins has crafted an album which explores a complex emotional universe, while (unlike Mr. Lynch) always remaining joyously accessible.
www.youtube.com/


Laura Balfour, Contributor
Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago (4AD)
Justin Vernon's nine-track debut, For Emma Forever Ago, is easily this year's best album.  The Bon Iver singer recorded this masterpiece in a remote cabin in Wisconsin and then released the album independently.  The heartfelt melodies and nostalgic tone hark back to a lover's loss.  I was lucky enough to see the band live at The Apollo last weekend and their closing performance of Wolves was electric, as the crowd of some 2000 fans chanted 'What might have been lost' over and over again.  It is refreshing to hear an album that was written, produced and performed by one man and his basic recording gear, a testament to the power of good music.
http://uk.youtube.com/


Sophie Khan, Contributor
Honey Ryder -  Numb (Honey Ryder Recs)
Numb is my single of 2008. Taken from Honey Ryder’s debut album Rising Up, it’s a mix of rock and indie with edgy lyrics which stick in your mind.  You may not have heard of them but once you hear their style you’ll be hooked and like me wanting to hear more.
www.honeyryder.co.uk