December 1, 2008

The 2008 Pitchfork Readers Poll



Today marks the opening of "The 2008 Pitchfork Readers Poll," which runs until this Sunday, December 7.

The Pitchfork folks make it easy: Most of the better albums of the year are listed, saving you the time and effort it'd take to, for example, Google Cat Power's Jukebox to see if it was released in 2008. Just so you know, it was.

Perhaps to get indie-fan favorites Animal Collective on the list, or because a compilation of songs recorded in a given year with the subsequent compilation in mind probably should qualify, "albums" like Animal Collective's Water Curses EP and Jay Reatard's Singles '08 are included in the list. If my memory serves me correctly, though, the latest installment of Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series - Tell Tale Signs - was overlooked. Since there's a space for the voter to write in an "other" album, one could (read: I wish I would have) write it in.

My list:

1. High Places - S/T
2. Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
3. Jay Reatard - Singles '08
4. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
5. Cat Power - Jukebox

If I had a do-over, I'd bump the EP off the list (really, it's good, but it's not a complete album, is it?), and put Tell Tale Signs in its place (I know, it's also not an album proper, but it boasts a 27-song tracklist as opposed to AC's four).

Honorable mention:
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Ratatat - LP3
Man Man - Rabbit Habbits (actually, I can't believe this one didn't make my list. Hey Pitchfork! Can I haz a do-over?)
Juana Molina - Un Dia
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

Now, go vote! And post your list here!

4 comments:

Jeremy said...

And how could I forget...

Sleepingdog - Polar Life
The Dodos - Visiter
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Flight
Fleet Foxes - S/T
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Deerhunter - Microcastles
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

Maybe it wasn't such a bad year for music after all...

Ben Stein said...

Oh I am such a super loser without any good knowledge of contemporary music. I did not even get the Dylan album. I hate my own stupid head.

Did Abe Vigoda really release an album?

d said...

My top five...I didn't even sweat it

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
She & Him - Volume One

Jeremy said...

Great list, D!

And nice job not sweating it!

ps - Also, I forgot about Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow, and Blue