Every year Pitchfork comes out with its' much anticipated Top 50 albums of the year list. Some years have been fantastic as far as content and correct ranking (2005, 2007 are the recent ones that comes to mind). Then some years, like this one, I feel like flying to Chicago, hunting them down (I'm pretty sure most of the writers look like this mongoloid, who probably want to make love to their hero ,who they look like, while listening to the most tragic hit single the music industry has ever had infiltrate its' sacred fortress of respected indie-crossovers) Um, wow, not sure where that came from... but, like I said! Flying to Chicago and hunting down the PF hipsters to slap them across their round woeful faces! That would be my reaction to the 2008 Top 50 PF Albums of the Year list!
Yes, this year they have stuck to their "Oh shit! We were barely paying attention this year!" formula. A formula only I may dissect, because I have read them for so long, and know their cunning and malevolent ways:
Top 50-41
This spot is saved for the giddy kid in all of them! This is for the cool art, the radical colors, the pretentious photographs, essentially the "Hey, I like the cover too much for the music to ruin this for me!"albums that they haven't really listened to, but figure they should give a shout-out for the visual stimulation that they have provided. Some years, an album the PF staff know that they should like (because it's actually musically solid) but really just don't, make this tier. This year it's David Byrne & Brian Eno 'Everything That Happens Will Happen Today'.
Top 40-31
This is usually the experimental junk. Albums they really want to like because they are so edgy and forward thinking, but just plain don't. This is usually peppered with noise-rock and electronica. When they have no real basis for any decision they are making, they will throw in legends who have released albums this year. Apparently 2008 was especially confusing and off-base, because they put two: Arthur Russell and Nick Cave.
Top 30-21
This the tier that we (the people who follow music) finally start recognizing artists. This is crunch time for the PF writers, this is where the obligatory names need to start showing up, they can't just make up pretentious bullshit now! This is where artists who have made stellar albums in past years, who then follow up with sub-par offerings this year, land... Hold Steady, I'm looking at you! This is also the resting place for albums that should be higher on the list, but aren't, because they released their album in the first 6 months of 2008, so therefore fall out of a fickle hipster's mind in December (Flying Lotus, Atlas Sound). Also, in their never-ending attempts to touch base with the hip-hop genre, they start throwing in picks to make them look like they pay attention to things other than indie (note: Kanye West).
Top 20-11
Again! Time is of the essence! This tier is usually the early-year darlings. The ones where you once saw daily news of their happenings and tours in the PF news feed any time before late spring. Though, since it's the end of the year, it discounts the quality of the music they've made... you know, just slightly, so they drop to here. In February, I knew what the Crystal Castles were eating for lunch, in December, they're #15... ouch. (Also, I should note that The Walkmen 'You & Me' is astounding, and deserves way higher than #19.) You will also note that more hip-hop titles abound here as well (You guessed it! They are trying really, really hard to fit in with other genres... well, one other genre).
Top 10-1
Crunch time kids! Usually, they get the top 10 albums in there, just not in the right order. Often times, they concede defeat to the revolting trend-band of the year (Vampire Weekend, oh how I loathe thee), and throw them in mid-pack. This year they have the good band that has released a stellar-album (Portishead) at #2, then they usually do the most popular album from their respective genres, as follows:
Collaboration: Hercules and Love Affair
Electronica/Post Rock: M83
Electronica/Dance: Cut Copy
Punk: No Age
Hipster Favorite (Even though this album isn't very good): TV On the Radio
Experimental/Punk: Deerhunter
Nod to Classic Rock: Fleet Foxes
Keep in mind that these are all interchangable! It's all about the nerd that has the best argument in the boardroom in regard to order, but you will always find this collection in the PF Top 10.
I also can't help but note that in order to get #1 with Pitchfork in the past two years, you need to have your album art resemble Hieronymus Bosch's work, but you know... hipper:
2007 PF #1: Panda Bear 'Person Pitch':
and
2008 Fleet Foxes 'Fleet Foxes'
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1 comment:
I'm all about the Fleet Foxes!!
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