Before I announce the result of the Irish vote this week, let’s have a look at the greater picture. It’s another list! Here are my top 30 albums of 2008.

• 30. Minotaur Shock – Amateur Dramatics
• 29. Pivot – O Soundtrack My Heart
• 28. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrsing
• 27. She and Him – Volume One
• 26. White Denim – Workout Holiday
• 25. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
• 24. Jamie Lidell – Jim
• 23. Fight Like Apes – And the Mystery of the Gold Medallion
• 22. R.S.A.G - Organic Sampler
• 21. Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke

• 20. Clark – Turning Dragon

  

  2008 was the year Chris Clark let rip with some real bone-crunching, distorted glitchy rave-ups. Turning Dragon was like some grimey journey through the seedist club known to man.

  Key track: New Year Storm

• 19. The Vinny Club – Rocky IV Reckyrd

  

  Vinny’s solo project away from the furious bass duties for Adebisi Shank was a 26 minute triumph of computer-generated fun. The film of the title informs each 8-bit workout with song titles, samples and theme. It’s the sound of an Atari throwing shapes on a dancefloor.

  Key track: It’s Not You It’s OF

• 18. The Jimmy Cake – Spectre & Crown

  

  The Jimmys’ third and best album, a welcome return after five years of silence. Spectre & Crown ebbs and flows wonderfully through Herculean orchestral passages of melody and cadence, leaving an indelible chronicle of nine musicians contributing to a singular and necessary vision. The production is immaculately precise yet organic, the music epic yet controlled; brimming with piano, accordion, clarinet, trumpet, bass and saxophone.

  Key track: Jetta’s Palace

• 17. Cadence Weapon – Afterparty Babies

  

  Rollie Pemberton’s second album took us on a journey of his hometown Edmonton, on the way he recounted tales of his friends, failed club nights, hairdressers, tattoo artists and underage youth cliques all set to bouncing dancefloor-orientated hip-hop beats.

  Key track: In Search of the Youth Crew

• 16. Little Joy – Little Joy

  

  Fabrizio Moretti, the drummer from the Strokes hooks up with some friends in LA to make an album of sunshine-infused folk-pop and manages to surpass all other Strokes-related material since Is This It?. Little Joy is the perfect name for these little nuggets.
  Key track: No-one’s Better Sake

  More..»