48. Fleet Foxes - English House (2008)

Unlike most heavily-hyped bands over the last few years, Fleet Foxes deserved every bit of praise they received in 2008 and so much more. Honestly, it really doesn't sound to me like there's any way that this music was created during a time that I was even alive. Actually, I really can't even figure out when this music was made. It seems to have come out of some alternate dimension where everyone speaks in harmonies.....and it's beautiful. Even if this band is unable to top the music they've made so far for the rest of their career, the Sun Giant EP and the self-titled album that followed are enough to insure that Fleet Foxes will be spoken of in reverent tones for many many years to come.

40. The Dodos - Walking (2008)

This simple little song kicks off one of the most overlooked records of the past few years. Led by a great banjo riff, this track conveys a power light years beyond it's construction. Singer Meric Long's vocals match perfectly with the female background singer's, and Long rises and falls with a brilliant sense of urgency. The whole album, entitled Visiter is a gem, and if you haven't heard it, it should be sought out as soon as possible.

20. Beach House - Gila (2008)

Everything Beach House does is slow. From the dreamy, stretched out vocals of Victoria Legrand, to the languid, drugged out instrumental sections created by Alex Scally, the band is never in a hurry to get their point across. Every word Legrand sings, especially on this song with the word "Gila", seems to be about 10 syllables long and last about 10 seconds. This is some of the best cold, rainy day music there is, as the quiet and reflective songs just fit the mood perfectly. The band has released two albums thus far, and Legrand was featured on Grizzly Bear's great song "Two Weeks" from earlier this year, as well as featuring on another Grizzly Bear song for the New Moon soundtrack. Everything they've done is highly recommended.

19. Gang Gang Dance - House Jam (2008)

At the start of their career, Gang Gang Dance made extremely difficult music. It was all a lot of art noise, which is all well and good, but sometimes you just need a beat or something to latch on to. With their last couple of albums, however, the band has done just what I hoped they would. They started to include more of a pop sensibility into their music while still remaining extremely artistic, and this song is the apex of that change. House Jam is where everything finally came together, and it sounds like a mix of sounds from the 80s with something that could only come from the present. You can find this song on their 2008 album Saint Dymphna, which is also very good.