Great Singles of 2008

It never fails to amaze me how the best songs that come out in a year rarely make it to the radio. I'm no supporter of the underground movement nor am I obsessed with 'indie' bands, whatever the term 'indie' might mean, but it is true that the Top 40 radio is, for the most part, dominated by garbage club rap. Either way, good music tends to find its audience, even if it's via YouTube. Here are some great singles from this year, some with great videos.

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

M.I.A. was the critic's darling of 2007, and she very much deserved it. Kala was an incredible album, full of absurdities and unorthodox beats. The best cut by far and the best of three singles released is "Paper Planes," which is unique in having a chorus composed nearly entirely of gunshots and cash register sounds. It's one hell of a song, not to be missed, even by those who don't like hip-hop.

Radiohead - Nude


Radiohead's In Rainbows is already considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Rob Sheffield - for once in his career - hit the mark when he said that In Rainbows contained "No wasted moments, no weak tracks; just primo Radiohead." One of those great moments was the slow and lamenting "Nude," the great Chili Peppers-esque song that they are not talented enough to write. What makes "Nude" and In Rainbows so fantastic is while there are no outstanding and obvious influences, the subtleties are there, and while it sounds nothing like Radiohead has ever attempted, it is unmistakably them.

R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious


The return of the R.E.M. we know and love was a triumphant one, and early reports of their just-starting tour have been incredibly good. That being said, it is hard to imagine a sonic song like "Supernatural Superserious" being any better than it is, but I've yet to see R.E.M. live, so I refuse to say it's impossible.

Hot Chip - Ready For the Floor


Although Made In the Dark is not a perfect album, it still has incredible works. For a while "Shake A Fist" was my favorite from the batch, but the disco-influenced electronica song "Ready For the Floor" is such a beautiful song that I've already changed my mind.

The Raconteurs - Salute Your Salution


The Raconteurs have before them the opportunity to be the greatest rock band on the planet. With Consolers of the Lonely they took one step closer, but they're not quite to that point. They have already shown a great ability to hone their craft, and with their third release we hope that it becomes even more evident. The first single was "Salute Your Salution," a rollicking song with a simple video; scenes from the studio.

Other notables:

Feist - I Feel It All
Feist hit it big with "1234," which exposed her to everyone who has a TV thanks to an Apple iPod commercial. As good as that song is - actually, it's classic - she has several other songs that are absolutely amazing (Mushaboom, Now at Last, My Moon My Man, etc.), and one of them happens to be "I Feel It All." The video is cute, nothing mind-blowing, but at least the song is great.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
These guys have been around forever, and still it's almost like they're unknowns. Anyway, this is, simply put, a track that Beck would wish he had thought of first, because it'd be a smash if it was by someone Americans instantly recognized.

The Black Keys - Strange Times
The video is a bit idiotic. Funny, yes, but idiotic. The song, however, is beautifully mixed by the Keys' new producer, "Danger Mouse" Burton. It's an experiment for sure, but what a thrilling experiment it is.

Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart
Nerdy is in, and that's a good thing for Death Cab, who may have already written the best song of 2008. Overdrawn at eight minutes, once Ben Gibbard's vocals come in, the song kicks into gear, making it an irresistable song to sing to in the car.