The Top 31 Songs of 2008

In years' past, I have made it a point to post my songs and albums together in one long, tedious, and confusing list.  This year, I've simplified the process just a little bit.  Don't get cocky, I did it mostly for myself - but you can still be grateful.  Below you'll find my Top 31 Songs of 2008 in one glorious list.  I've even sprinkled it with some commentary because, well, this is a blog after all.  Enjoy the list and be sure to tell me what your #1 (or Top 5 or 31) are.

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#31: "Got Your Number" by Nadia Oh - It should be known that I fully understand that Nadia Oh is without an ounce of verifiable talent. It should also be known that I'm a sucker for good production and a catchy tune. And my standards have dropped significantly this year. Obviously.

#30: "The Score" by Chris Walla

#29: "Boracay" by The Little Ones

#28: "I'm Amazed" by My Morning Jacket

#27: "White Composition" by Darker My Love

#26: "Dark Leaves From a Thread" by Destroyer

#25: "Crisis 1 & 2" by The Dears

#24: "Walking" by The Dodos

#23: "Valerie Plame" by The Decemberists - Who would've thought that one of the most hilarious, catchy tunes of the year would be from a collection of mediocre songs brought to us by The Decemberists?

#22: "Triphallus, to Punctuate!" by Of Montreal - It's two songs in one, and both songs are equally enchanting, exciting, and lovable.

#21: "Souled Out!!!" by Conor Oberst

#20: "Jager Yoga" by CSS - The title doesn't sound fun at all. The song does.

#19: "Cath..." by Death Cab for Cutie

#18: "Get-Well Cards" by Conor Oberst

#17: "Kill the Director" by The Wombats

#16: "Courtship Date" by Crystal Castles - I've only just recently started listening to Crystal Castles, but I can confidently say that their debut album is one of the coolest things to happen to electronic music in a while. This song is my favorite from the record.

#15: "Txt Me Yr Love" by Wallpaper - If you listen to one song on this list, make it this one. But come on, just listen to 'em all!

#14: "Couleurs" by M83 - I don't care which country you're from, that's an incorrect way to spell "colors."

#13: "Id Engager" by Of Montreal

#12: "Grapevine Fires" by Death Cab for Cutie

#11: "Bye Bye Bye" by Plants and Animals - The best "Bye Bye Bye" since JT had Jheri Curls.

#10: "The Devil, You & Me" by The Notwist - One could make the argument that this is the greatest song The Notwist has ever written. I might be inclined to agree.

#9: "Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend - The first several times I listened to VW's debut, this one just didn't stand out among the afro-pop stylings of "Mansard Roof" or "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." After a year or so of letting it sit, this one is the stand-out for sure!!

#8: "The Escapist" by The Streets - Mike Skinner's latest is a fun romp through the ususal, though it lacks a bit of the emotion that I enjoyed from his previous record. "The Escapist," however, is more than enough reason to pick up this album. The rest of the songs ain't bad either.

#7: "The Re-Arranger" by Mates of State - The "Biggest Disappointment of the Year" award may go to the Mates' newest record, but you simply can't deny the heart put into the title track.

#6: "Market Girl" by Headlights - It started the year as one of my favorite tracks and showed more resiliency than any other song on this list. Do yourself a favor and check out this catchy tune.

#5: "To Pluto's Moon" by My Brightest Diamond - Shara Worden is a genius - we all knew that. But "To Pluto's Moon" is not only her crowning achievement of 2008, but perhaps her entire (brief) career. It's hard to imagine her being able to being able to top such an honestly heartbreaking song.

#4: "Dita Dimone" by Pop Levi - If 2008 has done anything for me, it has reaffirmed my love for pop music. This list, and others to come, are filled with great pop music. This just happens to be one of the best songs of the year, not to mention one of the best pop tracks.

#3: "Ill Willed Person" by Jaymay - Early on, "Sea Green, See Blue" was my favorite. Nowadays, I simply can't get enough of Jamie Seerman's "other" track. "Ill Willed Person" is such an emotional and truthful song that you simply can't hate it.

#2: "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes has been this year's IT band, and I feel that a lot of that hype is undeserved. While putting together a solid album, the band has also revealed a lot of flaws and gaps in creativity. This song, however, is one thing that they did right; very, very right.

#1: "Kim & Jessie" by M83 - It was my favorite song of 2008 when it released. It is my favorite song of 2008 now. It will probably be my favorite song of 2008 in 2009, 2010, and pretty much every moment until the world ends in 2012 (the ancient Mayans' call - not mine). The simple truth is that Anthony Gonzalez has a masterpiece on his hands. I simply could not get enough this year.

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Now the big question is "When will that albums list be up?"  The good news is that it's compiled and ready to be go.  That bad news is that I'm not telling.  :)

Go ahead and enjoy that tense anticipation.