2008 just flew by, and as this is being written a new year is only a few days away from turning the current into history. Hopefully all of your are enjoying your holidays while they last, and as a treat for you we have scoured our playlists and created a this list to reminisce about some of the songs that played a part in making this a great year for music!

A-punk by Vampire Weekend (from Vampire Weekend)
When a group of preppy Ivy League students come together and make cheerful indie pop, it is bound to go wrong. Vampire Weekend are the exception that confirms this rule, and their self-titled sophomore record has been playing pretty much non-stop on my iPod since it was released.

Boy In A Magazine by Socratic (from Spread The Rumors)
The first band I interviewed for Silent Sound Waves was Socratic, and in a way it marked the true beginning of the site. Boy In A Magazine is also one of the most catchiest songs of the year, no doubt!

Caves by Jack’s Mannequin (from The Glass Passenger)
One of the most fantastic songs released this year, Caves is the closing track of Jack’s Mannequin’s The Glass Passenger, and it is Andrew McMahon’s way of sharing his experience with cancer. Hearing it still makes me see a light even in the darkest of situations.

Dancing Choose by TV On The Radio (from Dear Science)
Versatility is the most fitting words I can think of to describe TV On The Radio, and Dancing Choose is a testament to that fact. It opens with rapping and eventually fades from the most catchy beat you’ll ever hear into a hypnotizing chorus. Quite possibly the coolest song of 2008.

Either Way I’ll Break Your Heart by Augustana (from Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt)
I’m not quite sure what it is about Can’t Love, Can’t Hate and Either Way I’ll Break Your Heart that is so appealing to me, but in my book it is one of the most underrated albums of the year, and this song is one of the pinnacles of the album.

Flume by Bon Iver (from For Emma, Forever Ago)
” I am my mother’s only one, it’s enough ” - Although technically self-released by Justin Vernon last year, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago has been the supreme ruler of my iPod all through 2008. Each and every song from the album could have been on this list, but in the end the best opening track of the year grabs a spot.

Grapevine Fires by Death Cab for Cutie (from Narrow Stairs)
Narrow Stairs is not my favourite Death Cab album, but Grapevine Fires makes the top five of individual songs, easily. One certain line from its lyrics epitomizes everything I love about Ben Gibbard’s songwriting: ” The wake-up call to a rented room sounded like an alarm of impending doom ” - So poetic and illustrating as only Gibbard can be.

Headphones by I’m From Barcelona (from Who Killed Harry Houdini?)
Some may claim I overemphasize lyrics, and I’m inclined to agree, but how could I not fall in love with this little tune from the Swedish group as they appeal to hesistance to go outside my appartment door without my headphones on?

In The Valley of the Dying Sun by House of Heroes (from The End Is Not The End)
House of Heroes is one of my favourite new discoveries of 2008, and their album The End Is Not The End is a very refreshing take on pop/punk rock, and In The Valley Of The Dying Sun is arguably its biggest aural experience. It has so many different elements, yet it feels completely coherent.

Joy Ride by The Killers (from Day & Age)
Initially Day & Age threw me off a bit, and especially the fact that lyrics differ so much from the easy-to-relate-to ones I’ve come to expect from The Killers. After a few listens though the album is revelead almost as good as I had hoped for, with several a slew of quality singles just like we’ve come to expect from Brandon Flowers and the rest of the group.

Keep Eye On Other’s Gain by Bonnie Prince Billy (from Lie Down In The Light)
You have singer/songwriters, and then you have singer/songwriter-machines, and Bonnie Prince Billy is definitely an example of the latter. With a new record already confirmed for 2009, fans of “the prince” are as satisfied as they come.

Lenders In The Temple by Conor Oberst (from Conor Oberst)
The Bright Eyes frontman now gone solo is in what can only be described as a less enviable position, with critics always drawing parallels between him and Bob Dylan. Or maybe that’s a really enviable position to be in? I’m not sure to be honest, all I know is that his self-titled record which came out this year was a great one, and Lenders In The Temple one of my favourite songs of the year.

Mannen I Den Vita Hatten (16 År Senare) by Kent (from Du & Jag Döden)
This Swedish song, which title translates to ” The man in the white (graduation) hat (16 years later)“, didn’t actually come out in 2008, but there’s still a good reason why it’s on my list. Kent gave me the best live experience of the year, and while ‘08 hasn’t been a great one for me personally, I don’t think I’ve been closer to dropping a tear or maybe two during the year than I was when they played this song.

Not Your Concern by The Hush Sound (from Goodbye Blues)
I love The Hush Sound. Their classic, poppy approach to music sits perfect with my tastes, and I often find myself listening to their records when I want to cheer myself up a bit. Not Your Concern was one of many great songs from their album Goodbye Blues, which came out early this year.

Oh No, I Tried by Right Away, Greay Captain! (from The Eventually Home)
No list documenting the year of 2008 would be complete without a tune from perhaps my favourite artist, Andy Hull. The Eventually Home is one of my most played records this year, and I could have picked any song from the record as I love all of them, but Oh No, I Tried made the cut on account of the letter O being lackluster when in comes to good songs of 2008.

Pull the Stars by Stickboy (from Pointing at Clouds)
Our first article in the fresh waves column featuring Stickboy is actually one of the most popular posts here at Silent Sound Waves, and I even got a personal thank you for the article from Craig (Stickboy) himself after he read it. The entire Pointing at Clouds iTunes album is fantastic, but Pull the Stars edges it as my personal favourite.

Quiet Houses by Fleet Foxes (from Fleet Foxes)
If anything, Fleet Foxes snatches a place on the list documenting the year of 2008 in music as the critics’ undisputed favourites. While I certainly agree that their self-titled record is great, I think there have been other, similar folk-pop acts that have been equally great and such could have gotten a taste of the attention pool Fleet Foxes have been swimming in during 2008.

Rockferry by Duffy (from Rockferry)
She is the unlikely welsh, classic, fifties inspired blonde girl who conquered the world this year, and has the “Tom Jones is her father!!!” rumours to prove it. Her voice is amazing, and her songwriting skills are excellent, and her topping the lists around the world proves that there’s hope yet for the general music audience.

Starry Stairs by Okkervil River (from The Stand Ins)
With their fifth (or sixth, depending on how you count) album, The Stand Ins, Okkervil River finally have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the indie/folk -rock genre. Starry Stairs is a great example of how music really can be universally appealing, because both my father and my kid sister actually loves this song.

The ‘59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem (from The ‘59 Sound)
Only reason this song made the list over any of the other ones on the album was because by putting it here, it’s like I’m reserving one spot for the entire record, which in all honesty was fantastic. An unexpected triumphant parade march from a band much better than their first records indicated, so let’s just hope their next one lives up the standard they’ve now set for themselves!

Use Somebody by Kings of Leon (from Only By The Night)
One of the better songs from an overall decent but at the same time largely disappointing record in my eyes. Kings of Leon had me at their feet after Because of the Times, but Only By The Night unfortunately fails to take me to  the same heights.

Victory at Monterrey by Albert Hammond Jr. (from ¿Cómo Te Llama?)
While most fans are hoping that 2009 will be the year we’ll get a new album from The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. has been making a name for himself during their hiatus. Victory at Monterrey is a cool song from a cool record from a guy that puts on a cool live show.

Weekend Wars by MGMT (from Oracular Spectacular)
Two modern day hippies paired up and made an odd sounding, surprisingly good record. No matter what people might tell you, Weekend Wars is the greatest song from an album chock full of hits, and that’s the fact.

X-Y-Z by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban (from Coldplay & Jay-Z mashup album Viva La Hova)
To be honest this song only made the list because there was a short supply of songs from 2008 in my collection that started with an X. Still, Viva La Hova was one of the more interesting curiosities that came out this year, and the fact that Chris Martin actually endorsed it made it even better.

You Got Growing Up To Do by Joshua Radin (from Simple Times)
Joshua Radin is one of those songwriters that always seems to be able to find the words to put a nostalgic spin on the most mundane feelings, and Simple Times which came out this fall further strengthens that argument. Love, friendship and vegetable cars are all subjects covered on the album.

ZZZZZ by The Cab (from Whisper War)
This could easily be the title of every song on Whisper War, and I think that says all that needs to be said about the album.

There you have it. Our little walk through the musical year of 2008 in the shape of songs that are all worth remembering. Do you have any special memories from this year that you would like to share? Any songs or albums from the year gone by that make you feel a little mooshy inside? Share it with the rest of us by posting a comment!

/ Posted: Dec 27, 2008
/ Written by: Lars-Christian
/ Category: Feature Articles
/ Artist(s): Albert Hammond Jr, Augustana, Bon Iver, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cab, Conor Oberst, Death Cab for Cutie, Duffy, Fleet Foxes, Gaslight Anthem, House of Heroes, Hush Sound, I'm From Barcelona, Jack's Mannequin, Joshua Radin, Kent, MGMT, Okkervil River, Right Away Great Captain!, Socratic, Stickboy, The Killers, TV On The Radio, Vampire Weekend