hazim's totally most awesome albums of 2008!

hazim and the new asymptotes
hey. hazim here...again. There are a LOT of new stuff (like albums and singles and movies) coming out at a fast rate. I don't know how to keep up with them all, really. Most of them are, of course, trying to cash in on the spending power of holiday-ers. Some do a rushed job (Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce is as fierce as a one legged blind lamb) and some are awesome (Kanye West did a great job with his by the way), while some make you sigh and wish they would try harder because you're such a fanboy, you'd love anything by her, but you wish she'd just push the limit a little bit (Dido...sigh....just sigh....). So, this here, post, since it's already almost December, and my birthday's next week (that doesn't have anything to do with anything-just to remind you...hehe) is cus I'm bored. And I love listing things anyways (that's why I read Blender)...is about my picks for the totally most awesome 25 albums of 2008. I don't care really give a crap for credibility. I put Fujiya And Miyagi over Amadou and Mariam. And Lady Gaga's on the list. Soooo? I just love lists.

Wowee. Like I said, crap to credibility. I love this album. You should love it too, especially if you love pop at its shiniest. This is jittery jolting punk pop punctuated by Josephine's well placed chirping and yelping. But as happy as it sounds, negativity is prominent ("I don't want to walk my neighbor's dog and I don;t want to lend a cup of milk") and schizophrenics reign supreme. Sex is evident, and so is hate but for it to be mediated through such a chirpy joyful sounding album The Raveonettes would be envious of is just plain weird. And exciting. this is the kind of antsy restless music The Tings Tings have been trying to nail.
Beth Gibbons could make the "Happy Birthday" song sound depressing. In my opinion, even Kate Bush has nothing on her when it comes to dreary beautiful voices. Their hiatus left a crack in which the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Nina Persson, Dido, and Jem tried to crawl through, but nothing could fill the void. They were either too eager to please the charts (Jem..uhuh) or too unimaginative to do anything more than just sing (Dido...sigh). So, here it is. Portishead's return to form. Their first album in a very long time serves up more depression in the form of darkness ("Hunter"), bleakness ("Machine Gun") and more darkness (everything else here). Only the gentle "Deep Waters" offers a light of hope, but even that get consumed in the beautiful depression that is Third, Portishead's most accomplished most fully realized album to date.
Peter Brewis tones down the new wave and spit shines the acoustic on his concept album, one which is certainly much much much more ambitious and rewarding than the one his brother released earlier this year (that would be David Brewis' project School of Language). Vibraphones jab at the production as Peter disses wussies in swooping choruses ("Scratch The Surface") and you forget he ever had a brother.
While M.I.A was busy hitting the charts (her single "Paper Planes" managed to reach the top 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100), her buddy Santogold was busy chewing genres and kicking away boundaries herself, spitting out Tegan & Sara pop better than Tegan & Sara themselves (the catchy breathy "Lights Out") to independent stuttering anthems ("L.E.S Artistes"). Throughout it all, she retains her posture and pop sensibility, prouncing around like a lady too good for you. Where M.I.A lacks in melody and mainstream, Santogold delivers. Billboard Hot 100 sees you Santogold 2009!
Dance music can get really monotonous and repeptitive, especially when it comes to all the Euro trash that's floating about on the charts nowadays about half of them manage to make their way to the top 10 of the UK charts). Cut Copy make it an art, offering swooping moody music that leaves you wondering what to do-move your feet, or let it move YOU. There's the catchy addictive "Lights & Music" with a chorus that sounds ridiculous on paper but works wonders through Dan Whitord's knowing voice. "Hearts On Fire" has the cutest accompanying music video ever, and "Far Away" is just as far away and dreamy as the title suggests.
Sign of the Apocalypse: When superstar Beyonce's previously insignificant little sister whips up an album full of smart witty and fun that's heaps more enjoyable than anything Beyonce's released this year. That's the case here, where Solange ditches the bland R&B Aaliyah wannabe-ism of her debut and delves into her own wicked weirdness, hopping skotch on the catchy "Sandcastle Disco" and stomping heels on "I Decide". Vocally, she'll never top Big Sis, but lyrically, she's a hundred degrees stronger and her own honest quirky personality makes this all the more endearing.
Leaving the glitter ball behind and walking into the woods, Goldfrapp, led by the charismatic and awesome Alison Goldfrapp, have a go for a new sound. While Christina Aguilera is busy trying to catch up on the old sounds they used to make, she's left that behind in her Bjork-ian quest for weirdness. She finds it in Seventh Tree, its sound pure and relaxing. Like lying on an easy chair on the beach with a cool breeze sipping on a cool lemonade while watching the sun set. Lyrically, the darker sides of Goldfrapp are very much evident, but hidden under layers of lush guitars and sensuous piano, you hardly notice it at all.
You can only hope critical acclaim doesn't boggle Guy Garvey's mind, cus that might just ruin his band's future projects. Here though, on The Seldom Seen Kid, he lets go, immersing himself in his own growling ("Grounds For Divorce") and getting all dreamy and escapist-like on "Weather To Fly". The Mercury Prize might just turn them into Keane so enjoy this while you can.
Scotland has produced Franz Ferdinand and Shirley Manson. And now they've come up with Attic Lights, True, lyrically, it's a bit muddled, trying to figure out what they mean and what they're saying even. But these catchy pop songs show a lot of promise. Most might take it their country-pop-rock as cut copies of other bands' work from Blink 182 to even The Strokes, but for right now, I'll enjoy it as what it is, a solid album made by restless young people for restless young people.
The Decemberists have provided history of music before, but their way was a bit boring and preachy. Fleet Foxes present music of past generations in a much nicer enjoyable package, their self titled album. But even with all the instruments, the flutes, guitars, and drums, the most prominent remains Robin Pecknold's constantly shifting voice. From falsetto to deep, from spooky to dreamy, he's arguably the most important part of the band. Expect him to do a Gwen in 2010,yeah?


In which The Hold Steady get even more introspective an America-loving, led by Craig Finn. They retain their reputation as the critics' darling and hit the top 50 on the US albums charts.
In which a rerelease makes me look at an album by Liam Hayes with more interest and muse at his honesty and genuineness.
In which Shugo the real King Of Japanese pop, comes up with something, while not comparable to his past works, is just as beguiling with its chirpy tweaks and fluffy choruses about holidays.
In which a stupidly named band (The Dodos? seriously?) combine kick ass steady drumming with kick ass steady acoutsic guitar and Meric Long's kick ass vocal delivery into one big metal pop album Metallica should really try to copy one day. College kids with droopy spiky hair, look no further.
In which a previously unlikeable egotistical maniac sheds his hard exterior to show his vulnerable side. All that techno can't hide the heartbreak, Kanye. here's a tissue and your Grammy. Now boast, dammit, boast!
In which a snarky Swedish pop tart (not named Robyn) makes mock-ups of popular chart songs in her own experimental instrumental detailed ways- and hopefully send Robyn back to obscurity.

In which Santogold and Diplo team up to remix and rearrange their own work into something more wild and vibrant than ever thought possible.

In which a group of color coded obviously manufactured girls form a pop group and trundle over saggy representation from the Sugababes and Girls Aloud to become the new SugaLoud...or The Saturdays. Whichever. Noone asks me MY ideas for names for girl bands.
In which the princess of moody piano pop (forget Vanessa Carlton) splits her personality down into two CDs more successfully than Beyonce has done. One part smart, knowing, and mournful (Elephants), and the other, ferocious angry with teeth bared (Teeth Sinking Into Heart). Sasha Fierce.Take notes.
In which a bunch of outcasts produce urgent uncertain foot pounding gut wrenching guitar punk pop rock modelled after an angry Radiohead. Forget Trent Reznor. remember only Bradford Cox.
In which three Australian instrumentalists with not really nice voices manage to make a nice album with handclaps ("Pursue") and futuristic sounding perfection that is really pop in disguise (aren't most things like that?). Battles. Gawk.
In which English Electronic outfit get more detailed in their work, and less wordy to hit us with an album full of ridiculous rhymes (Knickerbocker with Lena Zavaroni) and even more ridiculous electronic soundscapes.
In which Mali gos global and M.I.A pales in comparison to two extremely gifted people-that's Amadou & Mariam-duh-who leave their ears and hearts out open to experiment and try new sounds from all over the globe. Results are nothing but exceptionally crafted masterpieces in an album full of nothing but highlights. World music has never sounded as refreshing and modern.
In which a random unknown names herself Lady Gaga as if she's already so huge as Madonna, and drowns herself in her own world dirty, sexy, money. And surfaces with an album more enjoyable and more hard hitting than Hard Candy will ever be.
In which an album with neither cats or French people try very very hard to be different bungling up traditional pop song structures for a beautiful mess of high pitched technology tweaked songs meant to soundtrack Muppets:Lost In Space 3.