Music Banter - 2008-Best of the year

With about 6 hours to go i'm fairly sure this is my definitive top 5 of the year...

5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

All killer no filler, a ballsy yet fresh blues album that carried on where Grinderman left off. Dudes still got it.

4. Santogold - Santogold
http://www.independent.ie/multimedia...ld_181408t.jpg

About a dozen genres thrown into one yet still a beautifully accessible pop album. Hyped by nearly everyone everywhere with good reason.

3. Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.
http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/covers/02026.jpg

The most soulful music of the year for me. Fine lyrics, a wry delivery and a ton of tunes. Best album name by a mile too.

2. The Kills - Midnight Boom
http://funkysouls.com/img/The_Kills-..._Boom-2008.jpg

More Velvets style rock n' roll but in the form of an easily digestable album, which i've been dying for them to do. Attitude and hooks by the handful.

1. Fucked Up - The Chemisty Of Common Life.
http://www.matadorrecords.com/phpThu...jpg&w=250&q=90

Like a breath of fresh air. All the best punk bands broke free from the stereotypes and did something new and Fucked Up are no exception. An album packed full of heavy riffs, ambient interludes, bongos, shoegaze breakdowns... you name it. It works and it all forms into an album that deserves all the praise in the world in my eyes.