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• December 29, 2008
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Sound Waves

Press play for our top 20 albums and downloads of 2008.


Drawing by Aaron Bickner. Courtesy of the artist.

You know, sometimes we feel a little torn—on one hand, we think some people have become way too obsessed with end-of-the-year lists, ranking their favorite things into some arbitrary order of how good they are compared to another. On the other hand, we love making lists ourselves, debating them, and finding out about new stuff by looking at, yes, other people's lists. In the spirit of indulgence, we decided to put together our top 20 albums of the year along with a favorite track from each to give you a little hint of why we all love these albums so much. Hopefully, you will, too. And, consider these free downloads as our new year's gift to you.



1. Beach House—Devotion
"Wedding Bell" [MP3]
Based on number of times played, Beach House's second album tops our list by a mile. But this album is more than just addictive—the way that Victoria's voice, her keyboard, and Alex's guitar come together is one of the purest joys in pop music today. Buy this album




2. Portishead—Third
"We Carry On" [MP3]
We're not sure if this was a Portishead reunion or if they never really disbanded. All we know is that there aren't any other bands that have changed their sound this much and this late in the game but can still turn out a classic album. Buy this album




3. M83—Saturdays=Youth
"Kim & Jessie" [MP3]
Since their debut, very few bands have been so good at getting emotion out of synthesized music as M83. With this record they have gone from having a great sound to really making great albums. Buy this album




4. Hercules and Love Affair— Hercules and Love Affair
"Hercules' Theme" [MP3]
Reviving New York's weird disco tradition, Hercules and Love Affair delivered a perfectly constructed debut. It's a cliche to say a great dance album can be appreciated at home too, but we urge you to exclusively listen to this in a club. Buy this album




5. The Walkmen—You & Me
"In the New Year" [MP3]
These guys are just one of those great New York rock bands that keeps doing their own thing and making great albums. We tend to like their over-the-top rock songs, but the quiet tracks on this record are definitely worth a listen, too. Buy this album




All MP3s are for sampling purposes only. Please go out and buy the artists' records. If anyone would like for us to remove a track, please email us at feedback@refinery29.com.

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