Please excuse all typos, grammatical errors, and the grievous mis-use of commas. What can I say? I'm much too impatient to be an effective proofreader.
-Justin
This list is separated into three categories:
1. Top 25 of the year - My favorite new music from 2008 - arranged ALPHABETICALLY
2. Honorable Mentions - Other stuff released in 2008 (after all you have to stop somewhere) and would recommend to the curious.
3. Reissues - Everything old is new again! Older stuff reissued in 2008 either sporting significant changes (extra tracks, better sound etc.) or debuting for the first time on CD.
Top 25:
- Blitzen Trapper - “Furr”
Melodious indie folk rock (sometimes louder than at other times) whose title track is worth the admission alone (although the rest of it is pretty great too!) - Lindsey Buckingham - “Gift of Screws”
Calling Buckingham the weirdest member of the 70's- 80's Fleetwood Mac line up is true if a bit disingenuous - more like it's resident musical genius. "Screws" uos the ante from 2006's lovely "Under the Skin." Oh yeah...and the guys is pretty good guitar player too... - Deerhunter - “Microcastle/Weird Era Continued"
Atlanta's resident musical weirdo Bradford Cox releases the third full-length Deerhunter album (he is also responsible for the equally wonderful music falling under the Atlas Sound monicker). An aural, Nyquil induced, psychedelic fever dream - with catchy melodies. - Bob Dylan - “Tell-Tale Heart - Bootleg Series volume 8”
Should a series of outtakes from the last two decade be listed among other new music - yes, when it is Dylan. Two discs (three if you shelled out for the superdeluxe edition) proof that Dylan has been artistically alive again since 1989. - The Fireman (Paul McCartney & Youth) – “Electric Arguments”
The third unlikely collaboration between Paul McCartney (perhaps you've heard of him) and Youth (big time produce and former member of the grindingly heavy Killing Joke) is a winner. The first two were experiements in ambient electronica, but here we have McCartney on vocals rocking out and pushing himself beyond his usual comfort zones. Ahhh...there's life in the old boy yet! - Fleet Foxes - “Fleet Foxes”
What do you get when you combine Beach Boy harmonies, Buffalo Springfield folk-rock and a healthy dose of the contemporary (a less pretensious My Morning Jacket)? You get Fleet Foxes that's what you get - sumptuous, gorgeous and altogether addictive. Great debut from a promising new band. - Robert Forster- “The Evangelist”
Except for Dylan, Forster may well be the most literate and talented songwriter on this list. With the Go-Betweens, and now by himself, Forster crafts exquisitely emotionally detailed songs. Inspired by the untimely death of his longtime collaboration (in the Go-Betweens) and close friend, Grant McLennan has created not only a poignant celebration of a man's life, but also the varities of emotional experience assocated with death (without ever beein morose or sappy). - Frightened Rabbit - “The Midnight Organ Fight”
A more rough and tumble Belle and Sebastians - these emotionally charged Scots craft a thoroughly engaging album of indie rock/pop. - F$#!ed-Up - “The Chemistry of Common Life”
Early 80's inspired hardcore punk imbued with enough musical imagination to make it interesting - Husker Du's 1984 masterpiece "Zen Arcade" is (sonically speaking at least) not an unfair reference point. - Gentleman Jesse - “Gentleman Jesse”
Along with Nuggets-worshipping garage rockers the Black Lips and Deerhunter (see #3 above) Gentleman Jesse seem to have revitalized the Atlanta music scene. Anyhoo - Gentleman Jesse are a delightfully "rough-around-the-edges" power pop band obviously in love with late 70's releases for the Stiff Records label (home of Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Ian Drury and Wreckless Eric to name but a few). If you don't like this album then I'm not sure what you are doing even reading this list. More fun than a barrel of rabid monkeys. - Gary Louris - “Vagabonds”
Jayhawks frontman writes lush and literate pop songs with a hint of twang and a whole lot of mid-60's flourish. As much as I love the Jayhawks - and I do believe me - I think this may be the best thing he has ever released. - Stephen Malkmus – “Emotional Trash”
Malkmus continues to move away from the skewed indie rock of his former band (Pavement) and wander into weird, intermittently psychedelic rock with (sometimes) long guitar solos - which would be completely annoying if the guy wasn't such a great, and utterly distinctive, guitarist. - Marah – “Angels of Destruction”
This came out very early 2008, but remained on my iPod throughout the year (in fact it is still on there). At first it didn't do much for me - it felt much less focused than their previous release -the wonderful "If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry" - but a funny thing happened somewhere along the way and I found myself lost within this racous, beat poetry inspired, feverish album.
Except for one misguided attempt at over commercialism, these guys continue to bat 1000. - Okkervil River – “The Stand Ins”
Austin's folk-rock wonder kids, Okkervil River, originally planned last years release "The Stage Names" as a double album, but instead issued them separately and thus "The Stand Ins." Will Shef writes damned good songs here, as he did on it's companion, and it would be difficult to say which was better, so let's just comprimise and say they both are great. - Old 97’s – “Blame It On Gravity”
While that jackass Ryan Adams gets all the critical hurrahs and rock snob props, the Old 97's, to quote Rodney Dangerfield, "don't get no respect." Pure guitar rock manna here folks - a rhythm section tight as a duck's back, a smoking guitar player, and a pin-up worthy frontman who also knows how to write smart songs with more hooks than a butcher's meat locker. Maybe one day the world at large will discover how great this band truly is, but until then all I can do is to urge you to buy their albums - especially this one. - Pete and the Pirates – “Little Death”
These Englishmen sound like they emigrated to 1980's New Zealand and released this album on that country's legendary Flying Nun label. They have the rough hewn guitar jangle and pop smarts of hallmark Kiwi bands like the Clean and the Bats, but also their own, unique personality. "Little Death" contains my one of my favorite songs (and certainly my favorite song title) of 2008: "Come On Feet" which kicks off with a pleasing Byrds-like jangle and ends with classic Who power chords...true guitar bliss. - Plants and Animals – “Parc Avenue”
The weird and wonderful "Parc Avenue" is one of those albums you don't listen to so much as enter. Free flowing, acoustic based and profoundly beautiful - you won't come out the other side disappointed at all. - R.E.M. – “Accelerate”
Wow. After years of decline, and a truly bad album (2005's "Around the Sun") I thought it was all over for R.E.M. - a band I have loved since I went to college in the early 80's (yes, I'm old). Which makes "Accelerate" such a visceral pleasure - and the best album they have released since "Automatic for the People" in 1992 - as well as their most rocking since 1988's "Document." Seriously. I have come back to this album throughout the year and its appeal has not dulled a bit. Although not a step backword stylistically, Berry, Buck and Stipe do seem to remember what made them so wonderful in the first place. Gone are the meandering keyboards and lifeless, by-the-number folk-rock pop songs - and back are the angry, righteous songs, roaring Buck guitar and (their secret weapon - missing in action the last few albums) Mike Mills' smooth and utterly complimentary background vocals. For his part Michael Stipe remembers what it is to be the singer of a rock band and not an international celebrity. A "back to their roots" album that actually moves the band forward. They're back boys and girls! - Ra Ra Riot – “The Rhumb Line”
Ra Ra Riot fall in somewhere between the Go-Between lush guitar pop and a less morose Death Cab for Cutie...both good things. Inspired by the death of a bandmate the band has written an insistently catchy indie pop album that instead celebrates life. - Jay Reatard – “Matador Singles 08”
This collection of singles - all released in 2008 on the Matador label - capture the essence of what makes rock so life-affirming. Short bursts of amateurishly recorded, super-melodic, punk-pop songs with hooks galore and an unbridled enthusiasm that you could only miss if you were dead. - Sigur Ros – “Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust”
Though no mindblowing like 1999's "Ageatis Byrjun" Iceland's Sigur Ros have crafted an alluring and beautiful pastoral that is quite easy to get lost inside. Perfect listening for a sunny day in a meadow full of flowers. - Sloan – “Parallel Play”
The best band to every come out of Halifax, Nova Scotia (and quite a few other places as well) this is Sloans upteenth release - and like 2006's "Never Heard the End of It - shows the band back in full-fettle. The hooks are everywhere - and the pure power pop songwriting is as clever, and quirky, as ever. - TV on the Radio – “Dear Science”
TV on the Radio are a bizzaro, rock-soul-funk-noise band with a restless spirit and seemingly limitless artistic palette. "Dear Science" is stunning to listen to - rich in detail yet completely engaging as an overt rock album too! Love the horns. - Vampire Weekend – “Vampire Weekend”
Easily the most purely joyous CD I heard all year. Despite the inevitible popular back lash the band suffered a few months after their self-titled debut nothing came close to "feel-good-music-with-brains" all year. Yes - they are definitely Talking Heads fans (not a bad thing at all) they also, apparently, like South African soweto, the Feelies and polo shirts. - Well-Wishers – “Jigsaw Days”
Jangle power pop at it's very best. I just discovered this band - only to find out they had three previous albums (all great) of melodic guitar based rock and roll that finds a comfortable slot somewhere between the Byrds and Bob Mould's Sugar.
Honorable Mentions:
Foxboro Hot Tubs, Gnarls Barkley, Grand Archives, Hold Steady, Islands, Mudcrutch, Randy Newman, Pugwash, Raconteurs, Stereotypes, Shearwater, Kelly Stoltz, Paul Westerberg, Whigs, White Denim, Wolf Parade, Wombats
Reissues:
- Blue Ash “No More, No Less”
- Buzzcocks “A Different Kind of Tension”/ ”Love Bites” / “Another Music in a Different Kitchen” (reissues of the Buzzcock's first three - and best - albums)
- Pavement “Brighten the Corners" – Deluxe Nicene Creedence Edtion
- R.E.M. “Murmur – Deluxe Edition”
- Starling Electric – “Clouded Staircase”
- Dennis Wilson – “Pacific Ocean Blue”
- Warren Zevon – “Warren Zevon Deluxe Edition”
