The L.A-based visual artist Megan Whitmarsh loved Ratatat and Tauba Auerbach. They Might Be Giants, not so much.

What was the best album of 2008?

Ratatat LP3 (XL). Their songs give me deja-vu. They feel nostalgic and resonant, and yet also modern. It sounds like Vietnamese restaurant music meets Trans Am.

Who was the worst artist of 2008?

I don’t know… I hate to be mean. They Might Be Giants came out with a new record–their sound has always annoyed me. The record is for kids, but I have kids and I still don’t want to hear them. There are lots of cool things for kids to listen to like Free Design’s Songs for Very Important People, the Vince Guaraldi Trio, Shirley Ellis, etc. without having to hear throwaway songs about monkeys and birdhouses.

What was the best style trend of 2008?

Clothes with real things printed on them, like pens sticking out of pockets and cameras or chains strung around necks, fake pockets and plackets and buttons on dresses. An update of the “tuxedo t-shirt” that makes clothes feel like costumes.

What was the worst style trend of 2008?

“Limited edition” anything. People waiting in lines overnight to buy a pair of sneakers or a toy that has been mass produced, except they only made a few thousand instead of a few hundred thousand. People should make stuff their own or make their own stuff rather than pay inflated prices for what is essentially hype.

Who was your favorite visual artist of 2008?

It’s a tie between Tauba Auerbach and Providence, Rhode Island artist C.F. Tauba’s work is weirdly handmade and yet kind of perfect. Conceptually, it contains both simplicity and depth. It’s math-centric, meditative, repetitive, and great-looking. C.F.’s idiosyncratic universe is both beautiful and ominous, containing bits of a medieval past and an apocalyptic future.

Best of 2008
Drop the Lime
Abe Vigoda
Bradford Cox
Andrew Jeffrey Wright
eLZhi
Cut Copy
Fucked Up
Evidence
Vivian Girls
Matt Furie
dj/ Rupture
Telepathe
The Death Set
Holy Ghost
Mochipet
CTRL
Plump DJs
Jose James
Worship Worthy
Peter Beste
Hercules and Love Affair
Magda
The Alchemist
DC Recordings
Megan Whitmarsh