It's really tough to select "top albums" of 2008. This past year seemed to have a lot of strong singles but not so many really strong albums. As such, my best of list is a mixed bag of singles, tracks of full albums and, yes, even some albums. For now, I have left it as a work in progress but I'll finish it up by the time 2009 rolls in.

Best Compilations:
Besides there being a lot of really great singles, there were also a lot of great comps passed around this year. My favourite from the year is still one of the first ones to come out in 2008 but I think some honourable mentions are warranted.
First Place
BIPPP - French Synth Wave 1979-85
Honourable Mentions
Perfect As Cats: a tribute to The Cure
Love and Circuits: A Cardboard Records Compilation

Best/Worst Genre:
Was it just me or did dubstep really start making it big this year? I had not listened to dubstep before 2008 even though I know it was around. I must say, it has it's ups and downs. It's some really neat stuff - bass-y and danceable. On the other hand, it suffers from being a little monotonous when not done well, like any dance-floor genre I suppose. For me, I found Burial to be one of the best artists associated with Dubstep, even though he's not the most danceable of the bunch. Benga released Diary Of An Afro Warrior which I found to be pretty nice for it's range of instrumentation and dynamic qualities.

Best Tracks and Singles:

Polly Scattergood - I Hate The way
This track is right up there with the emotional power of My Brightest Diamond. The track is arranged to build up to this awesome, striking bridge packed with so much pain and joy. I really can't stop listening to Scattergood. She reminds me slightly of Regina Spektor but throw in some really interesting samples of nature an keyboard effects and you've got some wicked stuff!

My Brightest Diamond - Inside a Boy
What a thrilling and beautiful track this is. Hearing Shara Worden's incredibly heartfelt vocals moved me so deeply. I had to go back and find her 2006 album Bring Me the Workhorse. While her entire album A Thousand Shark's Teeth (2008) is as well written as Inside A Boy, this particular track stands out from the rest with exceptional beauty.

Four Tet - Ringer
No matter where I listen to Ringer, I feel like I'm in a dream. The song has a really spacey feel while still being able to describe terrestrial beauty and experience.

IAMX - The Alternative
There are actually a few tracks I enjoy off IAMX's 2008 release entitled The Alternative. Unfortunately I also find the style of more than half the songs somewhat annoying. The title tracks is one of the songs I really enjoy. It's got a really great attitude that makes it more than just a dance floor hit.

A Girl and a Gun - Beep
Beep is such a raw and gritty song. This blog-world find stood out from a lot of the others. As far as I can say, it's not like much else you'll hear played at clubs but can totally stand up against any heavy music. It's not industrial and it's definitely not any sort of techno or house. It's just a lot of fun ridden with angst.

Cazals - Somebody, Somewhere
I've been rocking out to the dozens remixes of this track, but the original is just as good. Sure, it's brit-pop with emphasis on the pop, but it's a song with such a great message that it can't be ignored. I feel great every time I hear any version of it.

My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2
Branching out from the folk-centric feel, My Morning Jacket presented Evil Urges. The album isn't all my bag of chips but this track in particular stands out for me. The opening lines - "If you touch me, well I just think I'll scream 'cause it's been so long since someone challenged me " - have got stuck in my head so much and I have to grab my iPod and put it on. But the quality of this song starts way before Jim James even croons. The simple melody eerily creeping in is just as enrapturing. It sends chills down my back!

Honourable Mentions
Grouch - Artsy
Elegant Machinery - Feel The Silence

Best Albums:
Top Ten
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
I felt this album got overplayed when it first came out, but after giving it a couple months sabbatical and listening to it again I still think it is one of the best electronic album of the past few years. The incorporation of the ever more popular VGM (video game music) style with modern electro is done so well. I love being able to dance and feel like I'm in my very own version of. The album itself has a good variety of tempo and styles that I think help broaden the appeal to more than just the techno and techno-geek crowds.

Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair
It's about time we heard some really classic sounding disco with a modern edge. I absolutely love this album for the solid beats and beautiful melodies. To boot, Antony makes a guest appearance on Time Will.

Adele - 19
This lady sure struck me with awe. Adele brings her soul-filled UK stylings to shelves with her debut album. While she's been compared to Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash I find Adele's songs to sound far more enduring then her British counterparts'.

M83 - Saturdays = Youth
I've found M83 an innovative band to explore the history of. From post-rock to shoegazer to electro pieces, M83 seems to have dipped into it. Saturday = Youth beautifully recalls some late 80s experiments with simple sequencers but also shows a lot of similarity to ambient electronic bands like Hammock. I loved listening to this album before going to bed or whenever I needed to mellow out. A great compliment to any beautiful sunset.

Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
Yes, this album is a guilty pleasure, but so are most of my entries in this best of 2008 list. The songs are so clean and simple and the vocals have that dash of punk resurrecting a sort of Johnny Rotton feel. It's pretty raw and that's why I like it.

The Teenagers - Reality Check
I put The Teenager's album on here because there's not a song on this album that doesn't make me laugh. It reminds me of why I loved Peaches - really absurd and tres faux pas. The three twenty-something band members Dorian, Quentin and Michael have a great sense of humor. Oh wait, and they're french. I am a huge sucker for french accents. If you like Serge Gainsbourg, you'll want to check these guys out and even if you aren't you should listen to Homecoming and see what you think.

Fixmer/McCarthy - Into The Night
French Techno artist Fixmer meets Industrial superstar McCarthy from Nitzer Ebb to put out a a couple of albums this year. With McCarthy's voice backed by danceable loops, this album isn't to be disregarded. The style is a little indescribable, but it is one thing for sure - amazing.

Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07
I love artists who have that raw punk energy. Jay Reatard stars in that category this year. His place in my heart matches Andrew W.K.'s place from 2007. His classic rock 'n' roll style makes him the perfect soundtrack for a party.

Honourable Mentions
Man Man - Rabbit Habbits
Robots in Disguise - We're in the Music Biz
The Kills - Midnight Boom
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
Yelle - Pop-up
Natalie Portman's Shaved Head - Glistening Pleasure
Zeigeist - The Jade Motel