By J. Maggio, December 2008
2008 was a mixed bag musically, as well as in general. That being said, it is always fun to celebrate the holidays geek-style: by making pointless lists. Consequently, here is my pick for the best recordings of 2008.

10. “Breakin’ Dishes” - Rihanna
Even if this song is not as good as some of her 2007 singles, that self-imposed standard is a pretty high mark. Rihanna takes a simple pop number and places a kind of urgency that can only be found in these kinds of blissful moments of ephemeral happiness. I listened to this over and over on election-day, expecting the eventual outcome, but fearing the worst. (Thank God Polk County doesn’t decide the election for the state or the nation.) I would certainly break dishes with Rihanna, with or without her umbrella.
9. “Big Fight” - Phoebe Killdeer and the Short Straws
Like a jazzy Cat Power, or Bjork if she embraced her pop side, Phoebe Killdeer fronts the Short Straws like a classy femme singing in a Kurt Wiell cabaret. Nightmarish and cutesy at the same time, Killdeer and the Straws show the listener another route to tonal darkness. In a word: lovely.
8. “Teen Creeps” - No Age
Like any fan schooled by Sonic Youth and Sebadoh, I am a sucker for short blasts of distortion tied to a nice hook. No Age sounds like Yo La Tengo in their lo-fi moments, and “Teen Creeps” is their magnum opus. Sometimes all you need for a great song is two minutes and a loud guitar.
7. “7 Things” - Miley Cyrus
Shut the hell up! This tune is incredible. Sure, it is dumb, but it is dumb in that “fuck what a good tune” kind of way. I would take this tune any day over “Achey Breaky Heart,” or whatever that song is. (Someone should invent a Rickroll with that song.) Sue me.
6. “Little Bit of Feel Good” - Jamie Lidell
Lidell continues his alternative universe situated in Alabama circa 1966. If you’re bored with your Stax box set, check out this great track by Lidell.
5. “Lovely Allen” - Holy Fuck
Imagine Mogwai doing Europe’s “The Final Countdown” and you’ll have some idea of Holy Fuck’s sound. And, really, “Lovely Allen” builds to what is possibly the most purely beautiful musical moment I heard in 2008.
4. “Leavin’” - Jesse McCartney
This is the great Justine Timberlake song that JT did not release this year. McCartney shed the Radio Disney trappings of his past and released a song that can get both hipsters and soccer-moms dancing. JM doesn’t wear the post-MJ crunk as well as Timberlake, but McCartney has a knack for sweeping melodies—and this is by far his best.
3. “Stay Positive” - The Hold Steady
The best track on a pretty damn good album, “Stay Positive” sounds like a call-to-arms for the fading-tattoo set. As new bands become old bands, and new ideas become stale, The Hold Steady urges aging hipsters to “stay positive” and embrace the change. Good advice and a great song.
2. “Dance Wiz Me” - Dizzee Rascal
I am not even sure this is hip-hop any more. It is a kind of hip-hop that might be discovered by Marvin the Martian or Benjamin Linus. Talking fast, skipping some beats, and playing the jester, Dizzee likes being a step ahead of his listening audience. Dizzee’s best track since “I Luv U” is also the best hip-hop track of the year. Maybe we should build a fucking tunnel between London and New York, instead of a fence between Mexico and Texas.
1. “Singer Songwriter” - Okkervil River
This is my favorite song of 2008, and it is a nearly perfect pop-rock tune. The Okkervil River is one of those quiet indie-rock bands who just get better and better with each release. If I were making a list of my favorite albums of 2008, the Okkervil’s full-length would battle the Hold Steady’s for number one. Specifically, “Singer-Songwriter” sounds like a reflection of all the great albums released in 1965 or 1966. The track would fit nicely on Between the Buttons, Face to Face or Rubber Soul. Also, the lyrics are excellent; they offer a scathing critique of “sophisticated” arty young women with trust funds and “good taste.” If you’ve ever hung out among artists, then you know one of these annoying chicks. (The only reason they pretend to read Zizek instead of being part of the Sarah Palin fan club is their parents’ hard work and good sense. Take these birds out of Soho and it is totally “Alice Doesn’t Live Hear Anymore” territory.)  Okkervil River captures the song-writer’s frustration with this faux-art-chick in an exquisite moment of pop-music ecstasy. “They gave you wealth; too bad they didn’t give you much else,” sings the chorus. Ouch. But the “ouch” sounds so good.