Music

Rock and pop albums
1. Elbow
The Seldom Seen Kid Fiction
It’s about time Elbow got the recognition, status and free ice creams they deserve. Although, to be honest, even we’re surprised that this came out top of the tops in our poll.

2. Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend XL
The preppy Brooklyn Afrobeat-indie-pop-‘Gracelands’-tribute outfit’s debut remains a stereo favourite.

3. Fucked Up
The Chemistry of Modern Life Matador
Hardcore punk is reinvented once again, and takes a culturally relevant, viscerally exciting new shape.

4. Fuck Buttons
Street Horrrsing ATP
Obscene names obviously give you an in-built advantage at Time Out Mansions, although these post-rock-electro-types couldn’t be more different to their sweary competition. Feature continues

5. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!! Mute
Another slab of goth-blues brilliance, this time injected with a dose of post-Grinderman libidinousness.

6. Portishead
Third Universal
The idle Bristolians’ unexpected comeback didn’t try too hard to show that the band had ‘taken a journey’ – and was all the sweeter for it.

7. Hot Chip
Made in the Dark EMI
Melancholy acid-pop masterpiece from the perennially exploratory outfit.

8. Radiohead
In Rainbows Self-released
It was free! It introduced the phrase ‘doing a Radiohead’ into popular culture! And, best of all, the songs were their finest since ‘OK Computer’. Actually, best of all, it was free. Until this year, that is. Stupid 2008.

9. Wildbirds And Peacedrum
Heartcore The Leaf Label
Leftfield, folk-pop twosome for fans of Feist, Fiery Furnaces and flipping good music generally.

10. TV On The Radio
Dear Science 4AD
Adding a welcome smattering of tunes you can whistle to their renowned pop-skronk was a good idea.

Jazz, roots and folk albums
1. EST
Leucocyte Act
Esbjörn Svensson’s posthumously released psychedelic skronk jam was a patchy affair, but contained some of the celebrated pianist’s greatest flights of fantasy.

2. Kasai All-Stars
In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic Crammed Discs
Million-piece Congotronic ensemble coined the album title of the year, and the music more than lives up to its enticing promise.

3. Aaron Parks
Invisible Cinema Blue Note
Parks rivals Robert Glasper for conjuring exciting new rhythms, as well as melodies, from the old Joanna.

4. Amadou & Mariam
Welcome to Mali Because
The loveable Malian duo release more irrepressibly infectious romps across the genre divides.

5. Matana Roberts
The Chicago Project Central Control
The most impressive release yet from Magazine man Barry Adamson’s label/collective/movement.

Gigs
1. My Bloody Valentine
Roundhouse, June 21
Opinion is divided on whether this was a triumph despite or because of the Gitmo-standard noise levels.
But the reformed and revitalised shoegaze icons utterly justified their legendary reputation.

2. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
Hammersmith Apollo, May 7
The worst thing you can say about Cave’s shows are that they’re slightly predictable in their consistent aceness.

3. Leonard Cohen
Royal Albert Hall, November 17
Cohen’s O2 residency was one of the year’s great events, but this relatively intimate show framed Len in fittingly elegant surroundings.

4. The Final Terror/TrioVD/Led Bib
Vortex, August 1
All right, so this was one of our own gigs (part of the On The Up Festival, to be precise), but it was really, really good. Particularly stunning was TFT’s jazz-noise assault on P-Funk.

5. Stevie Wonder
O2 Arena, September 11
Even ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’ sounded good. Actually, maybe there was a gas leak.

Tracks
1. Ladyhawke
Dusk til Dawn Island
Another sleeper hit – although as we’ve been spanking the single all year, that may be a lack of foresight on our part.

=2. Grace Jones
Williams' Blood Wall Of Sound
Leave it to ultimate diva Jones to pull off a career-high single at the age of 60. Our favourite is the Aeroplane mix (now officially available on all formats).

=2. Santogold
LES Artistes Warner
One of the year’s most talked-about acts, and rightly so for once. This was a welcome addition to radio playlists.

3. MGMT
Time To Pretend SonyBMG
Will go down as one of the iconic tracks of 2008. Mind you, an older mix was released in 2007 and it’s coming out again in 2009, so maybe not.

4. Estelle
Wait a Minute (Just a Touch) Atlantic
Estelle’s abstinence anthem didn’t catch the same heat as ‘American Boy’, but it’s arguably the more memorable tune.

5. The Pity Party
Yours, That Works Self-released
A tense, febrile and ultimately ecstatic psych-drone classic which won the LA two-piece a lot of fans. None of whom work for record companies.

6. Estelle
American Boy Atlantic
The feelgood hit of the summer announced the breakthrough of a (hopefully) enduring London talent.

7. Ben Allison And Man-Size Safe
Little Things Run the World Palmetto
Existentialist double-bass odyssey from the inventive US jazzman.

8. Keane
Spiralling Universal/Island
Once upon a time, the appearance of Keane in our annual ‘best-of’ would be a portent on a par with the ravens abandoning the Tower of London. But this single’s really good.

9. MGMT
Kids SonyBMG
A shock double entry for Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Van Wyngarde, with arguably the popular choice for anthem of the year.

10. Florence And The Machine
Kiss with a Fist Moshi Moshi
Disproves Andy Capp’s thesis that domestic violence is never entertaining.