Top of the First
Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 by Popdose StaffA number of weeks ago one of the Popdose writers came up with the idea of having each writer rank their top ten favorite albums that were released during the first half of 2008. Someone bitched that ten was too many, so the number was reduced to a minimum of five. A week later, just about everyone had shared their lists, we all patted each other on the backs, and that’s the way it stayed through most of the month of June. Eventually, someone pointed out that nobody had written the actual post, and that the site’s editor-in-chief hadn’t been included on the original e-mail, so his own picks were then added. And finally, one intrepid soul spent an inordinate amount of time figuring out how to add tables to a WordPress post, and the end result is what you see in front of you. Enjoy! (Zack Dennis is the intrepid soul in question. The rest of us will brag for him.)
| Taylor Long | |
| 1. Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs
This is the most interesting album the band has released in years. It not only shows a revision of old techniques, but it finds them exploring new territory. Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks. |
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| 2. Dengue Fever, Venus on Earth
Bands appropriating sounds from other countries’ genres and styles have been everywhere this year, but Dengue Fever’s psych-surfer take on Cambodian pop has an air of legitimacy since their lead singer is actually from Cambodia. |
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| 3. Kidz in the Hall, The In Crowd
The Kidz from Chicago find more things they can do on their sophomore release. The In Crowd is your one-stop shop for hot soul beats, dance tracks, soulful crooning, and clever throwdowns. |
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| 4. Hercules and Love Affair, Hercules and Love Affair
I have a very tumultuous relationship with dance music. Hercules and Love Affair is changing everything. Whatever you think electro-dance pop is, everything that it has been up until now, Andy Butler turns it on its head. |
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| 5. Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down, We Brave Bee Stings and All
Thao Nguyen knows how to write a pop hook, and she knows how to have a lot of fun. Those things go well together. |
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