Lots of great stuff came out this year. I've heard people complain about how light the year has been, but to that I say you're not looking hard enough. I could have easily done a top 20, but I'll make it tough and stick with ten. But before the big ten, here are some warmup lists...
What I missed last year
5. Parts & Labor - MapmakerA unique blend of cacophony and melody. Usually noise rock gets interpreted as aggression, but Mapmaker dishes out epic songs of positive energy.
Listen to:Vision of Repair
4. Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History in RustPost rock is a rather thin genere. All you really need is one post-rock band. They're almost all the same. For me, it's Godspeed You Black Emperor. Do Make Say Think has nudged their way onto my iPod though, thanks to their beautiful mellow suites. Really makes time fly by at work.
Listen to: The Universe!
3. Kenichi Asai - Rod Snake Shock ServiceAsai is just busting at the seems with rock music lately. Over the past two years he's released two solo albums, and two albums and an EP with his band, Sherbets. I could have picked any of them, but I like the pacing of this album the best.
Listen to:Fixer
Listen to:Fixer
2. Hideki Kaji - Towns & StreetsHe and Cubismo Grafico have been performing CPR on Shibuya-Kei's corpse for the past three years. Bless them.
Listen to:Painting And Splashing
1. Radio Caroline - ExtremesI was blown away by this lengthy EP supported by former Thee Michelle Gun Elephant bassist, Ueno Koji. Since then, I've checked out their full lengths, and have been disappointed. But I can still come back to this release, and enjoy every second of it.
Listen to:Just Like Maria
Best music videos of 2008
("wtf American bands? Make better videos" edition)
Polysics - Pretty Good
Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Fujisawa Loser
Zazen Boys - Weekend
Hot Chip - One Pure Thought
the pillows - Tokyo Bambi
Bottom 5
Biggest dissipointments of the year
5. Zazen Boys 4While parts of this album are very good, it wasn't the all out funk masterpiece that last year's EP hyped it to be. Only 9 tracks, and three of them filler, I can't help but feel underwhelmed.
4. WeezerI always aim my expectations low with Weezer, but this is just soul crushingly bad. It's really sad because the band is experimenting more than ever, but just don't have the talent to make anything of it.
3. Less Than Jake - GNV FLAMore disappointed in myself than LTJ here. I should love this comeback album, but have grown bored of the sound.
2. More Modern Short Stories From Hello SaferideAnnika Norlin's songwriting takes a very depressing turn, and goes from delightfully awkward to just plain uncomfortable.
1. Be Your Own Pet - Get AwkwardThe album that was so awful, it broke the band up.
-------------------------
Best album covers of the year
-------------------------
Flashback: Best albums of 1998
I went to my first concert in 1998, The Warped Tour. I remember discovering a lot of bands there. Since then, I've been trying to find new stuff any way I can. So here is a look back ten years ago, knowing what I know now.
10. Cake - Prolonging The Magic
Cake is a band that is impossible to put a label on. All of their albums are so clever and unique. Also, the Freudian "When You Sleep" is one of my favorite songs ever.
Listen to:Satan is My Motor
9. Fear of Pop - Vol. 1Ben Folds and co. get as ridiculous as they please to be under the anonymity of this made up band. Mostly known for the WIlliam Shatner spoken word performance, "In Love", the rest of the album is just as strangely enjoyable.
Listen to:I Paid My Money
8. Jets To Brazil - Orange Rhyming DictionaryI've always liked this more than Jawbreaker. No, I don't want to fight about it.
Listen to:Resistance is Futile
7. At The Drive-in - In/Casino/OutThis album marks ATDI's first step into becoming the legendary band it is seen as today. They never get quite as loud or surreal as they will in Relationship of Command and Vaya, but the album is captivating all the way through.
Listen to:Chanbara
6. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - Gear BluesAll out rock and roll power
Listen to:Smokin' Billy
5. Less Than Jake - Hello RockviewThe album that got me through high school. Both fun, and introspective. Vinny's songwriting was at its peak here.
Listen to:Last One Out of Liberty City
4. Refused - The Shape of Punk To ComeThe title was unfortunately misleading. No hardcore punk album today is mixed quite like this one. Hi quality sound has never sounded so intense.
Listen to:Refused Are Fuckin' Dead
3. Buffalo Daughter - New RockTippy beautiful krautrock way ahead of its time.
Listen to:Great Five Lakes
2. Rocket From The Crypt - RFTCIt is impossible for Rocket From The Crypt not to rock. They proved this by releasing the greatest party album ever. Only John Reis can pull off a song called "Dick on A Dog" and not sound stupid.
Listen to:Break it Up
1. Reel Big Fish - Why Do They Rock So Hard?Go on, hate all you want.
Go on....
I still love the fuck out of this album.
Listen to:Somebody Hates Me
OK, finally, here is the 2008 top ten. yay and stuff
10. The Night Marchers - See You in MagicJohn Reis
Listen to: In Dead Sleep (I Snore ZZZZ)
9. The Slackers - Self MedicationTheir best effort in years, and most eclectic ever.
Listen to: Dont Forget The Streets
8. Asian Kung-Fu Generation - World World World2008's hardest working band started off with a bang, by finally finding a compromise between simple powerful pop-punk and the fiddling of indie rock. I never saw such a good album coming.
Listen to: Night Diving
7. The Mae Shi - HLLLYHAn insane (perhaps too insane at parts) concept album about how insane religion is.
Listen to: Pwnd
6. Marnie Stern - This is it And I Am it And You Are it And So is That And He is it And She is it And it is it And That is ThatThere is a warehouse of ideas inside Marnie Stern's head, it's just a matter of presenting them in the right way. She accomplishes this with a collection of songs that sound like pure madness on the surface, but upon closer inspection, are pure genius.
Listen to: Ruler
5. Foals - AntidotesA rare blend of post-punk and post-rock. All the best parts of the UK new wave movement, and none of the rubbish. Also of note, the cleanest, and best produced album I've heard in a long time.
Listen to: Two Steps, Twice
4. Vampire WeekendTheir attitude transcends the yuppie indie snob stereotype into fun parody. Great album to play at a party and do the Carlton dance.
Listen to: Oxford Comma
3. capsule - MORE! MORE MORE!As much as I want to hate this group for going techno, and as embarrassed as I am to show everyone that I love this album.... I can't help it. This album deserves to be heard. The songs are more colorful and full of energy than anything I've heard all year.
Listen to: more more more
2. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional TrashMalkmus doesn't need any frills or gimmicks. This is nothing more than good old classic rock played to perfection.
Listen to: Out of Reaches
1. Hot Chip - Made in The DarkReleased at the beginning of the year, and nothing has even come close to compete with it. It's like if Kraftwerk went to a disco, and for some reason Barry White made a cameo as well. Brilliantly composed electronic pop art.
Listen to: Out At The Pictures
