Best of 2008 Soup, Chris: A–M

We're spending the semester's last two shows looking back at our favorite songs from our 2008 shows—from A to Z, of course. This week we'll each tackle A–M, and next week we'll finish off with N–Z. Here's my A–M list, with links to each song's original blog entry:

A: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, "Stand in Silence"
B: Black Nite Crash, "Losing Kind"
C: "Carnies," Martina Topley-Bird
D: Dodos, "Fools"
E: "Ether," Gang of Four
F: Future Sound of London, "Papua New Guinea"
G: "Gamma Ray," Beck
H: "Hummingbird," Born Ruffians
I: "I Woke Up Today," Port O'Brien
J: Joy Division, "She's Lost Control"
K: The Kills, "What New York Used to Be"
L: "Love Me Already," Black Kids
M: M83, "Graveyard Girl"

OK, so I didn't play "Graveyard Girl" during an official Alphabet Soup show—that was Brittany—but I did play it when we hosted the Film School/Airiel in-studio event. And M83's Saturdays=Youth is one of my five favorite albums of 2008 (No. 3), so I needed to represent it on my list.

The rest of my top 5 albums will be heard in due time; the only other one that makes today's list is Black Kids' Partie Traumatic (#4 on my list). Snicker all you want, but it's energetic and fun. It's brilliant pop. Take it from the campus's biggest Cure fan: your music preferences don't always have to be depressed and/or mad.

That being said, it wouldn't be a Christopher Clair list without Joy Division—although Japanese Motors' "Single Fins and Safety Pins" nearly won out in the J slot.

Other songs that just missed today's list: Airiel's "Red Friends"; Raveonettes' "Aly Walk With Me"; Be Your Own Pet's "The Kelly Affair"; and Explosions in the Sky's "Memorial."

Next week, my list will kick off with one of those songs that Jack from "Lost" loves so much, as well as a selection from my favorite album from 2008....(here's a hint: it will be the Third song I play)

Best of 2008, BJ: A-M

A: Animal Collective, "Fireworks"
B: B.R.M.C., "Ain't No Easy Way"
C: Cat Power, "Silver Stallion"
D: Dr. Dog, "The World May Never Know"
E: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, "Our Hell"
F: Fruit Bats, "Magic Hour"
G: Gorillaz, "Dirty Harry"
H: Holland, Jolie, "December, 1999"
I: "I," Andrew Bird
J: "January," Headlights
K: Kodacrhome, "Paul Simon"
L: Langhorne Slim, "Restless"
M: Metric, "Empty"

Since this is our first year of Alphabet Soup, I decided to go through my year in music. If you were to run into me on the street and ask to what was I listening, I'd tell you these musicians. If you don't know them, click on the links where you can find one or many personal explanations for their greatness.