2008

It's almost 2010, but here is my 2008 mix, late of course, but why not keep this thing up? I had kind of a busy year, what with getting married and publishing two books (yes, I'm bragging), but I'm back now and ready with what is actually a pretty good mix considering 2008 was not a great year for music. Fortunately, '09 is shaping up much better, but enough of that, onto the list!

A lot of R&B again, no surprise considering that the genre continues to dominate charts, even into 2009. Great songs from Beyoncé, Ne-Yo, Usher, and Estelle, plus some old-school soul from one of the many British singers Amy Winehouse paved the way for, Duffy. Fortunately, we only have one convicted domestic abuser on the list, with Chris Brown's "Forever," which was originally meant to be a jingle for Doublemint gum. "Forever" is one of two tracks on this mix that will forever be associated with a television show for me: the Chris Brown song was heavily featured in the wedding of Pam and Jim on the Office (which took their cue from the actual wedding that hit it big on YouTube). The other song is "DLZ" by TV on the Radio, which was used at the end of a particularly intense episode of "Breaking Bad," a show which should be ESSENTIAL viewing for all five people reading this plus everyone else who is alive.

Kanye West again dominates the list with three songs, while Lil' Wayne has two, but the real story here is a slight revival of rock music from the likes of Vampire Weekend, Kings of Leon, and sorta kinda MGMT and Portishead (who, with Third, made the best record of 2008). And yes, that is a Coldplay song. Don't knock it, it's good, and they are still the biggest rock band in the world, even if that title doesn't mean what it once did.

Two artists to single out here, though, are Pitchfork favs Bon Iver and Hercules and the Love Affair. The former deserves every bit of praise he has received for his excellent 2008 indie folk record, For Emma, Forever Ago, and "Skinny Love" is a strong and memorable single. The latter, in this writer's humble opinion, is a tad overrated, but it's hard to hate on "Blind," with vocals from Antony from Antony and the Johnsons. A great dance song, and a good keystone for this mix which rates as one of the more enjoyable of the second half of this decade. Hope you like it:

1. Time to Pretend - MGMT
2. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
3. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyoncé
4. Closer - Ne-Yo
5. Blind - Hercules & Love Affair
6. Love in this Club Feat. Young Jeezy - Usher
7. Forever - Chris Brown
8. Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z and T.I. feat. Kanye West and Lil Wayne
9. Lollipop (ft. Static Major) - Lil Wayne
10. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
11. DLZ - TV on the Radio
12. L.E.S. Artistes - Santogold
13. Livin Your Life (Feat. Rihanna) - T.I.
14. American Boy (Ft. Kanye West) (Prod. By Will.I.Am) - Estelle
15. Mercy - Duffy
16. Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon
17. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
18. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
19. The Rip - Portishead

It's like you waited your whole life for this one link.