It's mid-December and no more notable releases are coming out in 2008, so it's that time to review. Here are some of my favorite albums of 2008:
20. Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark: They add a female member and an electric piano, but you still know what you are getting: multiple songwriters, at least 15 songs per record, a few alt-country gems, and the rest are consistent (which I think is the best word to describe this band).
19. Ryan Adams - Cardinology: Speaking of consistent, Ryan delivers his best record since Heartbreaker. It was a good year for alt-country.
18. Walkmen - You & Me: Dark, haunting, and beautiful in a self-loathing romance kind of way, this is 2008's soundtrack for urban alienation.
17. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins: Now adding Motown influences to the mix, they add another solid effort that proves that they are just getting started. "Lost Coastlines" is one of the year's most irresistible singles.
16. Wolf Parade - At Zoomer Mountain: Even better than their great debut album - they sound more like a band than a project now, and their songs are cheery and catchy while having psychotic vocals and lyrics. These guys are going to be around for a while.
15. REM - Accelerate: They're back! After a decade of daunting irrelevant records, REM deliver concise garage rock with punk riffs. I hope they stick to the plan for a few more years.
14. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend: A solid debut that reminds me fondly of the Strokes debut (let's hope the comparisons end there). Although I hope the indie/world music trend doesn't catch on, it's nice to hear a band with some new ideas.
13. Gaslight Anthem - '59 Sound: How this catchy punk record escaped commercial success escapes me - think a cross between the Goo Goo Dolls and the louder end of Bruce Springsteen. Give it a try and it will grow on you.
12. Opeth - Watershed: Hasn't it been a few years since we've had a great prog-metal epic? Haunting, dynamic, and technically astounding (as is any Opeth album), this album is a new level for them, and an easy place to start for metal non-enthusiasts.
11. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue: Jenny finally delivers a consistently solid album and she does it without the help of Rilo Kiley. The title track is a gorgeous acoustic tale of drug use and "Jack Killed Mom" is a perfect White Stripes rip-off. Will Rilo Kiley match this one next year?
(I'll move on to the top ten in a few days.)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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