It suddenly struck me a few weeks back, that it was time to check out other people’s end of the year music lists and get up to speed on this year’s happenings in the music world. I rarely, if ever during the year, actively search out new music until just about around this time. The process usually has been done entirely through a certain television show’s list here in Sweden called Musikbyrån, something that became quite a institution for me the last few years, but alas the show is no more. However, even with the absence of my beloved Musikbyrån this has been a phenomenal year, one in which I’ve gotten through by simply scouring various lists on Amazon.com and the internet to dig up the appropriate amount of music to get me by until next year’s top list time. Here folks are my top 5 albums of 2008!

1.   Vampire Weekend – by Vampire Weekend

Why? If Wes Anderson was a musician he would front for this band and I can’t stop listening to it. Not to mention exclaiming randomly “Blake’s got a new face!” at least 10 times a day.

2.   Fleet Foxes – by Fleet Foxes

I half expect to wake up one day after an evening of listening to Fleet Foxes with precisely the scene that one Amazon.com reviewer states, “imagine a pastoral choir overwhelming a sweeping folk-rock band, in the middle of a sunlit forest in the spring.”Only in my reality someone would probably be roasting a squirrel on a spit over an open flame. MMM gamey!

3.   In Ghost Colours – by Cut Copy

If these guys could get their hands on a Delorean, a flux capacitor and just have the balls to take that baby up to 88 miles per hour they could go back and rule the 80s with an iron synthesizer.

4.   Low Vs. Diamond – by Low Vs. Diamond

In an alternate universe, running parallel to this one, Gwyneth Paltrow had Chris Martins baby, borne as a full grown rock band said baby released a CD that same year alongside good old Dad’s that quite simply was superior in every conceivable way. Coincidentally this same thing happened in yet another universe only this time it was Brandon Flower’s spouse who had the baby.

5.   Santogold – by Santogold

Tegan and Sara combined with M.I.A. equates to an interesting mesh. The NY Times says it best in describing Santogold, “Singing in a haunting, sensual wail…she adds a layer of softness to an unusual mix of synthesizers, dance hall rhythms, and percolating new wave”. Crazy good, and not soon to be found on the outskirts of my play list.

Seems to be a staple of any blog to have a rundown of the writer’s favorites from the previous year, so without further a due I present my 2008 favorites in film!

Being a film major and a person who tends to take in a fair amount of films each year this is a tough category with some fierce competition. Those at the top are deserving of their place there and worth every bit of critical and existential praise a learned man can muster.

1.   The Wrestler (2008) – Not difficult to set this as my number one, grew up with wrestling, Bret “The Hit man Heart” was my hero, and the sharp shooter, as my little brother well knows, was my finishing move. Two great performances given by Jesus, Mickey Rourke and Mary Magdalene, Marisa Tomei punctuated by a Springsteen song, written specifically for Mickey Rourke’s resurrected career. The sum of The Wrestler’s parts are simply stunning.

2.   I’m Not There (2007) – The topic of my second semester essay in Film studies and easily one of my top films of the year. Beyond having Uncle Bob as its subject material, its complexity involving postmodern themes and play on identity were enough to make any modernists head come clean off.

3.   Låt den rätte komma in/ Let the right one in (2008) – I’m not normally a fan of Swedish films, even after having lived here for 8 years. They tend to be fairly dark, realistic and depressing albeit technically brilliant, just not my cup of tea. Let the right one in displays what I would call a progressive restraint in being technically brilliant, capturing the essences of its setting but also weaving together a sublimely dark and unconditional love story as its shinning light.

4.   Slumdog Milliionare (2008) – One part popular game show, one part Mega Cities (2005) overall a tremendous way of telling a simple love story. Nice to see another appropriate use of M.I.A.’s paper planes other then Pineapple Express’s (2008) beloved trailer!

5.   Milk (2008) – I like the word, I like the substance (that is barring those occasions when I’ve drank too much of it early in the morning). Sean Penn should win an Oscar for his role, not to mention James Franco for his moustache! Somewhere someplace in a lounge he is teasing it!