Best Albums Of 2008

[Green P1]

It was a boring year for me. Over the summer a buddy randomly called and told me I needed to checkout this band called the Foxboro Hot Tubs that was playing an impromptu little show at the Palladium. Thats really been about it for me. Geez I've gotten boring

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[Cerebus]

This thread reminds me of:

[Guest JohnDenver]

Since I don't feel like I have much time or energy to fit into a scene and keep up with new releases... they filter to me later. OK time is slow. Sometimes I get it within a year..

How I read this topic: Top albums discovered (by me) in 2008 (not nearly enough to fill 20)

The Avett Brothers: Emotionalism

The Everybodyfields: Plague of Dreams

Sunny Sweeney: Heartbreakers Hall of Fame

Dale Watson: To Terri with Love

John Prine: Standard Songs for Average People

Kasey Chambers: Rattlin Bones

Two Dollar Pistols: Hands Up

The Handsome Family: Last Days of Wonder

...

[FirefightnRick]

I love great harmony groups, regardless of what type of music it is. And I'm an instrumentalist myself and am fascinated by the pro's, especially those whose instruments are their own voices, literally! Here's a group who does both....."Naturally 7". They use no actual instruments but make the instrument sounds with their voices. The first video is their version of Phil Collins' "Feel It(In the air tonight). The second video is them performing it in a Paris subway car. Because of the sound of the subway car it's difficult to hear them clearly, but because it's live without any mic's or anything you really can appreciate their talents, and the people on the subway start out ignoring them but are all digging them by the end of the video. The third video is of them in concert showing off their individual "Solo" talents prior to opening for Micheal Buble' this year. The wife went with some girlfriends of hers to see Buble' this summer in Grand Prairie and called when these guys got on stage. She said "Rick, you gotta hear this!". Great stuff, wished I had gone.

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Rick

[PerryG2480]

Disappointments:

Jack's Mannequin - "The Glass Passenger"

The follow up to "Everything in Transit" just could not measure up to one of the most sinfully catchy pop albums I've ever heard. For what it's worth, Jack's Mannequin still trumps most pop music being heard on the airwaves these days.

Kings of Leon - "Only by the Night"

I hate to call this a disappointment; because again, KOL are so much better than 90% of the modern rock out there currently (Nickelback, Hinder anyone?). But compared to older material, this just isn't as good. To be fair, it's good to see them getting some recognition as "Sex on Fire" has reached number one on the modern rock charts...and deservingly so.

Honorable Mentions:

Nada Surf - "Lucky"

Remembered by many for the gimmicky 90's song "Popular," Nada Surf has since gone on to create some surprisingly decent albums. The most recent one is no exception with memorable harmonies and solid indie rock jams. Better than Death Cab in my honest opinion.

Frank Turner - Love Ire & Song

With a little more exposure in the States, this guy could be huge. Sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric, almost always vulgar...this is some of the most instantly enjoyable music I've heard in a long time.

Local H - 12 Angry Months

In my ongoing journey to further my musical tastes, I've encountered my fair share of pretentious and inaccessible music. At the same time, some of my all-time favorite albums took 10 or more listens to finally sink in. Sometimes, however, you just want to effing rock without having to analyze stuff. Local H has quickly become one of my outlets for raw, unadulterated, often angry, pure rock music. Seeing them live didn't hurt either.

The Top 10:

10. Sun Kil Moon – "April"

“I feel oh so near, when morning doves appear. And ghosts of April ring, echo the refrain. Soon finding a place, in these lost verses.” Mark Kozelek (of Red House Painters fame) along with guest vocal appearances from Bonnie Prince Billy and Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) creates a stunning audio landscape that you can literally sink into. I spun this record while driving home one evening and realized that I didn’t remember actually driving for about twenty minutes or so (not necessarily a good thing I guess). Granted, it’s mellow and soothing throughout. However, these three-guitar anthems and haunting acoustic ballads comprise one of the most hypnotic listening experiences of the year.

9. The Airborne Toxic Event – Self-titled

“And it starts sometime around midnight. At least that’s when you lose yourself for a minute or two.” This debut really came out of nowhere and caught me off guard. Although the lyrics can be a little depressing with themes of self-loathing, drunken mistakes, and love lost, the music is truly pop rock at its finest. With comparisons to The Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, The Clash, and even U2, this band will be around for a long time. I, for one, am looking forward to hearing more from these guys.

8. Fleet Foxes – Self-titled

“The sound of ancient voices ringing soft upon your ear.” Fleet Foxes themselves describe their sound as “baroque harmonic pop jams,” and I couldn’t have put it any better. This group from Seattle is made up of members that can all sing. In fact, they can all sing well. Their harmonies take us back to the days of the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Sweeping and lush, the folkish pop sounds this group creates are like a breath of fresh, forest in the fall, air in today’s music scene. Highly recommended.

7. Annuals – "Such Fun"

“Say you love me, and show me some fun. Tell me that life don’t weigh a god damn ton.” This is probably the most aptly titled album on my list. “Such Fun” is exactly that. Infectious song structures and melodies over sometimes chaotic chord progressions and time signature switches made this release one of my most spun discs of the year. Think of a much more accessible Animal Collective with traces of The Arcade Fire and Okkervil River. Acid-tinged sunshine indie-pop-rock…sounds good to me.

6. Jenny Lewis – "Acid Tongue"

“I went to a cobbler to fix a hole in my shoe. He took one look at my face, and said ‘I can fix that hole in you.” I was first introduced to Jenny Lewis on The Postal Service’s “Give Up.” Immediately, I had to know who the female voice was on these tracks. Soon thereafter, I really got into Rilo Kiley (the band that Jenny currently fronts). This girl can do no wrong in my opinion. She did the aforementioned electro-synth-pop with Ben Gibbard in the Postal Service. She’s done brilliant indie-pop rock with occasional country influences with Rilo Kiley. She teamed up with the Watson Twins (with an appearance from Conor Oberst thrown in) for the beautiful country pop record, “Rabbit Fur Coat.” Hell, she was the girl in the 1980’s classic Nintendo movie, The Wizard! Jenny expands her versatility even further with “Acid Tongue.” It’s part jazzy blues, and it’s part folky rock. With a couple of exceptions, the tracks on this album are satisfyingly raucous, sultry, and beautiful. In my opinion, she’s our generation’s Joni Mitchell…I mean, Stevie Nicks…wait, I mean Janis Joplin…or was it Loretta Lynn?

5. Okkervil River – "The Stand-ins"

“And every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide, well we have lost our way, nobody’s gonna say it outright.” The second part of this staggered double release (last year’s critically acclaimed “The Stage Names”); “The Stand-ins” picks up right where its predecessor left off. A short instrumental intro is followed by one of the year’s best tracks of any genre, “Lost Coastlines.” Okkervil River graces us with some of the most charged and energetic indie rock that the industry has to provide (not to mention some of the coolest album art to be found anywhere). Hailing from the great state of Texas, this band’s last two releases have catapulted them into the indie stratosphere alongside such greats as the Decemberists and My Morning Jacket.

4. Conor Oberst – Self-titled

“Victory is sweet, even deep in the cheap seats.” Being a huge fan of Oberst’s work in Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos, I knew I was going to enjoy this disc before I ever heard a single note. While not exactly groundbreaking or innovative like some of Conor’s earlier work, this collection of songs does not disappoint in the slightest. Recorded in Mexico with the backing of the Mystic Valley Band (an extremely solid group of musicians in their own right), the album consists mainly of alt-country and folk rock jams. Previous comparisons to Bob Dylan (while exaggerated) have once again come to the forefront with this latest batch of material. Hey, if you’re going to imitate, at least imitate the best! In his past compositions, Conor has taken us through an intimate tour of his psyche, at times leaving out not even the most mundane disturbing detail. While records such as “Fevers and Mirrors” and “Lifted…” are artistically superior in many ways, this latest incarnation delivers on the most basic of levels. Good, enjoyable, music without much pretense. I never thought I’d say that about any Oberst project, but it’s refreshing.

3. She & Him – "Volume One"

“Cried all night, ‘til there was nothing more. What use am I as a heap on the floor?” As my fellow music snob so eloquently put it: “The mold has been broken!” The mold you ask? Actresses who think they can sing crossing over into the music industry. Broken you say? Shattered by one Zooey Deschanel. The second cast member from Almost Famous to grace my list (Mark Kozelek), Deschanel teams up with M. Ward to create a recording generously dropped on us from sometime in yesteryear. Anyone who witnessed the cinematic masterpiece Elf (ha!) can attest that Zooey can definitely sing, as proven by her deadpan yet adorable character’s song in the shower. She shows her chops here on a sweetly addictive series of old-timey country/pop/soul gems, including two well-executed Beatles covers. For fans of the undeniable pop sensibilities of a simpler time in music. Those who choose to ridicule us for enjoying it…feck you!

2. The Gaslight Anthem – "The ’59 Sound"

“You can tell Gayle, if she calls, that I’m famous now for all of these rock and roll songs. And even if that’s a lie, she should’ve given me a try.” While The Gaslight Anthem might not be famous for all of these rock and roll songs, they ought to be. A driving punk rock sound sporting clear Springsteen and Clash influence, “The ’59 Sound” is nothing that I would ever hear coming from my grandfather’s radio. After two or three times over, I thought that some of the songs were formulaic and sounded way too similar. After six or seven spins, the melodic intricacies began to separate the tracks while still creating an extremely cohesive aural experience. What’s sad is, these guys played Edgefest here in Dallas and got less than half an hour to show their stuff. Gotta make room for Staind and Seether I guess! Seriously though, whether you live for the sounds of The Boss and Petty or you get your kicks from Alkaline Trio and Jawbreaker, you cannot go wrong with this album. Once again, highly recommended.

1. Bon Iver – "For Emma, Forever Ago"

“There's a black crow sitting across from me; his wiry legs are crossed. And he's dangling my keys. he even fakes a toss. Whatever could it be that has brought me to this loss?” The cold and dreary imagery that is conjured up in this record is nothing short of astounding. Bon Iver, from “bon hiver” which is French for “good winter” is a perfect name for this Justin Vernon project. The time of year could have seriously contributed to my decision to make this my album of the year. Hauntingly beautiful falsetto skates across wintry acoustic accompaniment on an album that has given me more goose bumps than any northern wind ever could. Sure, this has been the trendy pick this year; and yes, the music has appeared on television shows such as Grey’s Anatomy. But hey, good music is good music. And “For Emma, Forever Ago” is my musical summit for 2008.

Edited December 16, 2008 by PerryG2480

[Cerebus]

Local H - 12 Angry Months

In my ongoing journey to further my musical tastes, I've encountered my fair share of pretentious and inaccessible music. At the same time, some of my all-time favorite albums took 10 or more listens to finally sink in. Sometimes, however, you just want to effing rock without having to analyze stuff. Local H has quickly become one of my outlets for raw, unadulterated, often angry, pure rock music. Seeing them live didn't hurt either.

Local H is GREATNESS live, Weezer live level good. I didn't even know they had a new album out.

Also, they made a Britney Spears song bearable... that should win them some sort of Nobel Prize:

CYAIguDS1cE

[PerryG2480]

Love the cover of Toxic! And yes, they were really good live. Definitely check out the latest album.

[UNTLifer]

Troubador by George Strait.

[PerryG2480]

Since we actually had some interesting musical conversation going on the other day...and since football talk is a waste of time, I don't care about the NFL (except my dominating fantasy team) and the men's hoop team has a week off...I figured I'd throw out my top 20 albums of 2008...I always compile a list like this, then burn a bunch of CD's with a song from each and give them as X-Mas presents:

1. April by Sun Kil Moon

2. Missiles by The Dears

3. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

4. Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket

5. Consolers of the Lonely by The Raconteurs

6. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver

7. Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

8. The Last Tycoon by Peter Moren

9. Stay Positive by The Hold Steady

10. Attack & Release by the Black Keys

11. Stalk that Myth by Bowery Boy Blue

12. The Stand Ins by Okkervil River

13. Portland Cello Project by Various Artists

14. Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie

15. Canopy Glow by Anathallo

16. Rook by Shearwater

17. Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea by Silver Jews

18. Forfeit/Fortune by Crooked Fingers

19. Modern Guilt by Beck

20. Keep Color by The Republic Tigers

Thoughts? Your additions? Haiku?

I've seen The Dears' album on lots of end of year lists, but I haven't heard anything by them. RIYL?

[Censored by Laurie]

I've seen The Dears' album on lots of end of year lists, but I haven't heard anything by them. RIYL?

Missiles is the Dears' third studio album...they're a Canadian band whose frontman Murray Lightburn is oft called the black Morrissey...for both his vocal style, and presumably his tempermental nature (Missiles was made with only two remaining members of the band that put together their previous two albums, Lightburn and his wife).

Their first studio album, No Cities Left, is still my favorite of theirs, rich, haunting and dark...highlighted by this awesome music video:

Their second album was poppier and more approachable...maybe too much so as Grey's Anatomy decided to pick up one of their songs:

This most recent album is by no means approachable...it took a couple of listens before it really clicked with me b/c my first thought was that they were attempting to go back to their sound from the first album and missed the mark. Unfortunantly, the one truly weak song on the album is the one they picked as their frist single.

And since this got re-hashed...I'd like to add the ne Black Tie Dynasty to this list...probably up somewhere in the top 10. BTD is a band from Ft. Worth that has managed to perfect a Smiths meets Peter Gabriel 80s sound with out being cliche.