The breakthrough of the Fleet Foxes, the coming of age of TV on the Radio or the return of Portishead: 2008 was a rich year for rock, pop and the electronic music scene. Here is a selection of the 10 best albums of the year. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes : The revelation of the year. The Seattle five-piece burst onto the scene with their inventive, sweet-sounding music that draws from 1960s pop, gospel and folk. TV on the Radio, Dear Science : A third album from the avant-gardiste New Yorkers that propelled them from cult heroes to stardom, with a distinct sound that mixes ambient, electro, Afrobeat, hard guitar riffs and handclaps. Kanye West, 808s & heartbreak : The American rapper established himself as the king of hip hop with his fourth album that borrows from the sounds of the 1980s but still manages to push his genre forward. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago : American Bon Iver (alias Justin Vernon) recorded his first album in his father s remote cabin in the woods of north Wisconsin after enduring a traumatic break-up. A stark album conveying loss and loneliness. The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age of the Understatement : Britain s Alex Turner, singer from Arctic Monkeys, and Miles Kane from The Rascals produced a sumptuous, groove-driven album stealing unashamedly from the late 1960s. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular : Wacky young American duo Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser produced a playful record of psychedelic rock/electro-pop featuring standout hit Kids on French TV. Portishead, Third : After a decade-long hiatus, the British trio from Bristol returned with a bristling, experimental album that moved them on from the trip-hop scene that made them famous in the 1990s. Santogold, Santogold : America s Santogold (alias Santi White) beat stiff competition from singer Erytkah Badu as the best female artist of the year with her cross-over album mixing rock, hip hop, reggae and electro. Sebastien Tellier, Sexuality : The eccentric Frenchman produced his now-trademark mash-up of R n B, electro, pop, and existentialist angst in his fourth album, produced by one half of Daft Punk, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend : Leading a pack of US indie rock bands taking an interest in Afrobeat in 2008, these smart Ivy League graduates made a rich record featuring catchy guitar riffs, keyboard and string arrangements.
