Kendall's Favorite 50 Songs of 2008: Part 1

SSDT: Come for the music, stay for the pictures of Samuel L. Jackson's floating head.

Two weeks ago, I wasn’t planning on making any end of the year lists. Why? Because I don’t listen to full albums often, I have the memory of a 72 year old stroke victim, and the whole process of choosing the better song out of two equally good songs and then choosing the BEST song out of a larger list of better songs is too daunting. Plus I’m lazy. But then my friends over at We Wore Masks asked me to put a little something together and of course I obliged. I’m too nice. So here it is, Kendall’s Favorite Songs of 2008 list.

In it, you will mostly find danceable indie pop, straight dance music and smatterings of raps songs thrown in to reaffirm my Blackness. What you won’t find are remixes. Rummaging through the thousands of remixes that came out in 2008 to determine which Cross The Dancefloor remix was “the best” would have been far too time consuming. I couldn’t do it, I would have drove myself crazy. So I made the stipulation that all the songs included in the list must be in their original form. So in the end, what I’ve compiled is by no means a strict comparison of “the best” songs of 2008, it’s simply my favorite songs released in 2008 (that I could remember). Hope you like it.

First up are my “Dance” picks. The picks are pretty straight forward except for Butter and Rombo by The Bloody Beetroots. I’m aware these songs were floating around in 2007 but those versions were early drafts, my picks are the final Rombo EP versions. Check back tomorrow for “Australia” which is now a music genre.

Dance

The Bloody Beetroots – Rombo [YSI]
The Bloody Beetroots – Butter [YSI]
Justice – Planisphere Parts 1 through 4
The Golden Filter – Solid Gold [YSI]
The Phantom’s Revenge – Moondancer [YSI]
Surkin – Chrome Knight ft. Dave 1 [YSI]
A-Trak – Say Whoa [YSI]
BURNS – Make Love [YSI]
Beni – My Love Sees You [YSI]

Australia

Miami Horror – Summerfest ’86
Miami Horror – Make You Mine
Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars
Ladyhawke – Dusk Til Dawn
Ladyhawke – My Delirium
Cut Copy – Hearts On Fire
Cut Copy – Far Away
Cut Copy – Out There On Thin Ice
Empire of the Sun – Walking On A Dream
Empire of the Sun – Standing On The Shore
Empire of the Sun – Swordfish Hotkiss Night
BMX – WAR

Hip Hop

Kid Sister – Get Fresh
T-Pain – Can’t Believe It ft. Lil’ Wayne
Lil’ Wayne – 3 Peat
The Count & Sinden – Hardcore Girls ft. Rye Rye
Wale – The Kramer
Young Jeezy – Put On ft. Kanye West
Kanye West – Street Lights
Dizzee Rascal – Dance Wiv Me ft. Calvin Harris
Herve & A-Trak – Roll With The Winners
Lil’ Wayne – Let The Beat Build
Kid Cudi – T.G.I.F. ft. Chip The Ripper

B-More

Debonair Samir – Freaky Girl

Indie Rock

Metronomy – Heartbreaker
Magistrates – Make This Work
Ghostland Observatory – Freeheart Lover
Boy Crisis – L’homme
Bloc Party – Mercury
Starfucker – German Love
Black Kids – Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)
Cansei De Ser Sexy – Move
The Ting Tings – Shut Up and Let Me Go
Tokyo Police Club – Tessellate

Indie Pop

Priors – What You Need
Lykke Li – Breaking It Up
Lykke Li – I’m Good I’m Gone
The Twelves – Works For Me
Little Boots – Meddle
NERD – You Know What
Sam Sparro – 21st Century Life