Perhaps this could best be described as preppy indie-pop at its best! I’ll admit Vampire Weekend
The first song I fell hard for was probably Oxford Comma, which highlights their playful use of melodies and lyrics that are both lighthearted, and just so much fun to listen to (although, I have to call them out for “hating” on the bears in Provincetown during the otherwise amazing track Walcott… why no love for the bears?!). The strumming guitars, the bouncy drum beats, and the great vocal styles of the lead singer really come together to make this a truly fantastic album; and the use of airy instruments amongst the pop beats, like the violin and the flute, really are a treat for the ears. When I listen to this album, I can’t help but conjure up images of the early nineties, and parties filled with the “cool kids”, with their popped collars and oh so cool Tommy Hilfiger cords and white shoes. Vampire Weekend’s northeastern roots are clear and present in the lyrics, and their debut is definitely the type of soundtrack you would hear at the preppy kids’ pool party on the last weekend of the summer.
It is practically impossible not to listen to this album and get a smile on your face, and sit there bopping your feet about. With influences like Peter Gabriel worn proudly on their sleeve, these guys have made a truly fun-filled energetic indie-pop album that doesn’t have a bad track on it. I am glad that they chose a pretty unique name in Vampire Weekend (even though they are way less Vampire, and way more Weekend); because after a reader’s suggestion (THANKS!!), it was the main reason I checked them out in the first place, and it brought me to one of my favorite acts of 2008. Even though I heard this album very early this year, its airy, upbeat, fun songs maintained their quality listen after listen, and the album firmly stayed amongst my favorites of this year. Note: yes Virginia… this is the first of the five starred records of 2008; and it only gets better from here on out!
Sparkle Factor: 
Stand Outs: Oxford Comma [audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_37_vampireweekend-oxfordcomma.mp3]
Mansard Roof, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Campus, The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance, Bryn.
Now, I am sure than more than a few of you were expecting this; so don’t act surprised that Britney (the only other album released this month that did so) made my year end list. I for one, was filled with trepidation about Britney staging another “comeback” so close to last year’s failed attempt, but after hearing Womanizer, I knew that she wasn’t playing around this time. The song, albeit annoying to some, has everything that is necessary to be a pop hit; and it was. In fact, Womanizer was only Britney’s second number one single, after the massive pop classic Baby One More Time, and if that isn’t indicative of a comeback, I don’t know what is. 
I must say that I almost forgot about Blackout; not only is miles above Blackout, but Britney managed to actually sing on this album, and it sounds like she did way more than phone it in (which is what was wrong with much of Blackout, and why it didn’t really serve as a real comeback). She picked top producers, like she always does, but this time, they gave her hit after hit to fill her record to the brim with radio-ready pop singles. Seriously, this may be the most single-heavy album of her career; this record is put together with the style and swagger of a greatest hits record. 
I don’t know why, but initially, I didn’t get into this album. I listened to it once, even liked it, but I moved on; which I think may have been partly because of all the hype that I saw about it. For a while, you couldn’t go in a Starbucks without seeing something about Sia’s album, 
plastered about, which I think put me off of it for some stupid reason. Months passed, and one day, I decided it was time to give the album another go (after all, I DID like it). After ONE listen, I almost kicked myself; I had been ignoring one of the best records of the year all this time… for no reason! The soul, the emotion, the deep sentiment, the aching melodies; all of it captured my attention on the second go ’round, and I have since realized that I was a fool for forgoing it initially.
I have to say, that I was completely surprised by this one; I really expected to see at least one fellow girl group, either the Sugababes or Girls Aloud, on my year end chart again this year. Yet, it was the Saturdays, with their stellar debut album, that took the cake this year. From their first single, If This Is Love, they caught my attention with that catchy, oh-so-pop, girl-band sound that I love so much, that again, I usually expect to come from the aforementioned Sugababes and Girls Aloud. However, for whatever reason, neither really delivered with their albums released late this year; and in my opinion, neither one comes close to the bar that was set very high by the Saturday’s surprisingly brilliant debut, 
While I have kind of liked P!nk since she burst onto the scene with her hip hop tracks and trademark pink hair, it wasn’t until her last album until I really considered myself a true fan. One of my favorite things about her, is how she entered the music business as one thing (what they wanted her to be), and she forcefully transformed herself into what she is (which is what she wanted to be in the first place). The shift from hip hop to rock and roll has been an interesting journey, musically, and has given her the chance to try out lots of different things. I will say, that as she has progressed as an artist, I really think P!nk has only grown, and refined her music in the process. Perhaps it is fitting that So What ended up being her first solo number one hit, given that she has really come into her own with her previous album, and even more so with her current release, 
Well, last year, it was fellow UK band the Kaiser Chiefs that made this list with their blend of punk-pop-indie rock; but this year, the Infadels are the ones that turned out a more fantastic album in the genre. I mention the Kaiser Chiefs here, because there are many songs on the Infadels’ album, 
that really remind me of what I love about the Kaiser Chiefs; with an additional electronic component, that seems to be oh so hip and cool right now. Initially, it was their single, Free Things for Poor People, that brought me to the Infadels, and it was so catchy that I wanted to see if they had anything else worth listening to. Well, I saw the colorful cover of 
This is one of those albums that I had such high hopes for, that no matter what was on it, chances are, it would have let me down; except, it didn’t. The news that they had released a new single a few months back made me extremely excited, because there hasn’t been so much as a peep from the Shiny Toy Guns camp since way back in 2006, when they released the THIRD iteration of their amazing debut, 
I LOVED We Are Pilots, and it ended up near the top of my records of the year for 2006, so needless to say, I was pretty excited about a follow up being released this year.
I was sort of confused. Having seen them live, I knew that they were much “harder” than their debut record let on, but the song seemed way too “metal” after my initial listen. However, after I gave it a few listens, it really started to sink in, THIS was the essence of Shiny Toy Guns; just more layered, and much more energetic (much like their live show). After listening a couple of times, I was HOOKED to this amazing track, and I saw what I loved in Shiny Toy Guns in the first place; the electronic rock is clear and present on Season of Poison, only they have turned the amplifier up to 11 this time around. 
Oh. My. Gay!!11!!1 Seriously, if Same Difference were an inanimate object, they would either be sprinkles or glitter… I can’t decide which. They are gayer than butt sex; and that is why I LOVE them so much.
In case you have never heard of them, this brother and sister duo made a splash on last year’s X-Factor, proving that they were everything that was great about cheesy, bubble gum pop. Show after show, they harnessed their effervescence and bubbly personalities, and sang cheesy hit after hit, making them favorites on the show. Well, they didn’t end up winning, but that doesn’t mean that people like me stopped following them; I had to see what would come up next from this talented pair.
What a breakup record this is!! On 
Rachael is musically letting blood from an aching, burning heart, and on this double album, she has made an amazing piece of painful, but beautiful music. Whispers of broken promises, mournful tales of love lost, and embittered warnings to stay weary of love permeate this album, and are all perfectly paired with Rachael’s beautifully acoustic and raw musical style. On some songs, you can practically feel the ache in the way she twists the guitar’s strings to force out the chords, and the accompanying vocals only strengthen the perception that this woman has endured some emotional pain. It isn’t often that emotion is so perfectly expressed in song, so to hear Rachael master it so beautifully is chill inducing at times. 
Here’s the most basic thing I can say about the Weepies: basically, if Paul Simon would have teamed with a woman instead of Garfunkel, you would have the Weepies. However, with that being said, they bring a freshness to the sound pioneered by Simon and Garfunkel, and with 
they have made a fantastic and warming record that is a treat for the listener. The first song on the album, Can’t Go Back Now, instantly captured my unwaivering attention because of the simplicity, and immense beauty of the song; sometimes, the simple things really are the finer things in life.