20. Beck - Modern Guilt
By a simple calculation, this should've been a Beck album I didn't like. Completely disregarding his earliest few albums, I've have flip-flopped between Beck albums from 1998 on.
Mutations? Yep.
Midnite Vultures? No.
Sea Change? Heck, yeah.
Guero? Meh.
The Information? Surprisingly, yes (as a complete body of work, at least). So, see... I shouldn't have been a fan of
Modern Guilt. And at first I wasn't. But after a number of spins, a lot of the songs started to grow on me and I realized that this was a solid album. The approach Beck took is a bit different (particularly after the last album, which admittedly had a bit too much filler), and presented a nice, little album. Musically, Beck seemed to be channeling some classic 60s tunes (or at least much of the album has sort of a vintage feel) for much of the album, and when that sort of thing is done right it can be pretty great. There are a few small stumbles, which only appear to be bigger because of the length of the LP, but overall Beck delivered a short and sweet body of work here.
19. Sleepercar - West Texas
Sparta's Jim Ward's "alt-country" side project really doesn't focus too much on the country. Sure, it has its big share of twangy moments, but maybe because one knows it's Sparta's lead singer who used to be in At the Drive-In that it doesn't really seem completely saturated in
country music. Think more along the lines of Bright Eyes ("End of a Year") or a straightforward My Morning Jacket song. Regardless of what sort of label you put on the music, it's all very well put together. Admittedly I'm not a big Sparta fan, so it might upset some fans if I told them to their face that I enjoyed this album more than any of their albums. But there you have it: Sleepercar is better than Sparta.
18. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
My interest in this album steemed from Mark Lanegan's involvement. His gruff vocals always intrigued me on Queens of the Stone Age's music (not much of a fan of any of his solo work or with Screaming Trees). As it turns out, his pairing with Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers is a match made in heaven, despite that much of the music sounds like it comes from somewhere far darker. Honestly, the music they've done together here probably appeals to the side of me that enjoys Queens of the Stone Age for the very same reason. But sometimes pairings like this don't always work. Sometimes the idea is better the result. Thankfully, that is not the case here.
17. Nada Surf - Lucky
I've held a special place in my heart for Nada Surf since the release of their stellar 2002 album
Let Go. Its poppy melacholy rock tunes were unmatched. That love affair continued with the release of
The Weight is a Gift, which took me longer to warm to, but resulted in some of the finest moments of the band's career ("Do It Again" was my favorite song of that year), even if a couple songs fell flat.
Lucky might be the first album that begins the slide down the slippery slope. It just seems like Nada Surf is getting a tad too comfortable in the role that people expect. It would be nice to see them pull some surprises, and while there are times I like to play it on the safe side (just look at my list from last year!), I guess I was just hoping for a little bit more from Nada Surf. I don't want to get completely down on the album though. After all, it is my #17 pick! It certainly has its moments of sheer excellence ("See These Bones"), beauty (the end of "Weightless"), and for good measure they decided to throw in a more ambitious tune like the dark "The Fox," which is something I'd like to see more from the band. In the end,
Lucky proves that the tried and true method works, but you also catch a glimpse that's there might be something more there, too. Here's hoping.
16. Andy Yorke - Simple
I don't really want to have the focus of this entry be who Andy Yorke is related to. I suppose it is inevitable though. But Thom Yorke's brother offers a far more sensible piece of work than his brother has in a long time. What it comes down to though is that Andy Yorke is clearly the singer/songwriter type, who released a fantastic singer/songwriter album this year. His vocals are rich and warm, the production is clear, and much of the music is deceivingly full sounding. In other words, this might be the sort of album Thom Yorke might make if he wasn't so set on being always so out there and weird all the time. That might be unfair to both parties, but I'm glad we have Andy Yorke to release this type of an album.
15. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Ah, yes. Coldplay! Perhaps the biggest band in the world that makes millions cheer and just as many vomit. Remember the simpler days of "Yellow" though, when the song was big but the band wasn't. Those songs were good, they were why I became a fan, and that's what I've held on to all these years. After the release of
X&Y, I got a little disillusioned myself. Coldplay definitely started to believe they were the biggest band in the world by that point, and the music started to suffer. I reluctantly looked forward to this album, and despite knocks against it from music elistists and snobs who have an account on blogspot.com, I really enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It's not wildly different than people who don't know better say it is, but it is
just different enough that it doesn't quite feel like they're doing the same old thing to me (like it felt they were doing on
X&Y). And for me, that's enough.
14. Starflyer 59 - Dial M
Despite being the one and only full-on Christian act I like, Starflyer 59's dreary and dreamy rock/pop can still be quite hit-and-miss, and Jason Martin and company's last album,
My Island, failed to impress me much. Like many artists who have been around awhile (heck, look at what I said about Nada Surf), it seemed like maybe their/his music was getting a bit too comfortable. Thankfully,
Dial M feels much more inspired than the last album. While most of the album coasts along without ever laying out any hugely astounding moments, it does a very good job when it's all played out and after I've finished listening to it I sometimes find myself thinking I could listen to it again right away. Starflyer's better music has always had that effect on me. The music might not always be easy to get into either (this one took a couple listens for me to start to appreciate it), but once it does the rewards are everlasting.
13. Arizona - Glowing Bird
Arizona came to my attention last year and have seen been one of the more pleasant bands to listen to since the summer of 2007. If you've read anything I've ever said about them in the past, you will know that my love for their song "Splintering" is nearly unmatched. Just how much that song elevates the rest of their last album,
Welcome Back Dear Children, is amazing. However, it's generally not the type of song the band is known for (if only more people knew about them!), and generally they stay on that more familiar road on
Glowing Bird. No big rocking numbers to be found this time out (except the end of "You Were Right"), but "Splintering" and the other few songs like it on the last album were a bit of a fluke anyway. But with pleasant vocals, interesting arrangements, and use of unconventional instruments (a guzheng?), Arizona deliver yet another unique listening experience.
12. Guillemots - Red
Guillemots'
Red is sure to be the black sheep on my list this year. I'm not wholly convinced Guillemots know what type of band they want to be. On the first four songs alone they ape Muse, Justin Timberlake, any typical modern day Britpop-rocker you might want to name, and Wham!. It definitely makes for an interesting album, even if there might be some out there that think it's just too much. Never one to shy away from bombast and pomp, what Guillemots aimed to do with this album intriguing me way much more than it confused or alienated me. A lot of people might not have thought it worked very well, but I thought it was really fun to listen to.
11. What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us
The only disappointment found in What Made Milwaukee Famous' follow-up to their outstanding debut was the fact that it took nearly four years for them to release an album that wasn't nearly as varied as that debut. Musically,
Trying to Never Catch Up was all over the map, but it still all worked and felt far more cohesive than most albums that scattered do. The musical direction is on a far clearer path this time out, as WMMF sticks far closer to sounding like Spoon than they did on their debut even though that's when the accusations started. Quite a few tunes didn't adhere to the formula then, but this time more seem follow it. Sure, there is one exception with "Resistance St." which is far more aggressive than the other eleven songs on the album. Still, if you're going to follow a proven formula, follow one that works. WMMF write some really catchy tunes that always seem to stick with me, and a few songs transcend just plain catchiness and leave an actual emotionally-punched impact.
10. Earlimart - Hymn and Her
Less than a year after releasing the beautifully lush
Mentor Tormentor, Earlimart released an album to prove that extra time to write and record albums can be overrated sometimes. The duo of Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray don't offer anything new here really. Many of the songs could've possibly been pulled straight from
Mentor Tormentor's recording sessions and audiences wouldn't have been the wiser. These songs don't just feel like throwaway tracks, and with a shorter tracklist and running time,
Hymn and Her is far more concise. It could even be a better album. While it doesn't reach such great heights like its predecessor did with "Happy Alone," "Answers and Questions," or "Don't Think About Me," it cut down a lot on the filler, too. That probably makes it a more engaging album. Regardless, Aaron and Ariana continue to impress, and as long as they keep making such pleasant music like this I certainly would welcome another album in 2009.
9. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
If you go two entries back in my last.fm journal, you will see me noting that there wasn't a single music discovery for me this year that wasn't a new band. That was only half-right though, as I became a big fan of Copeland's music well over two years after first listening to them. I always found them decent enough, but a recent opportunity arose to see them live, and I decided to give their music a better shot at becoming something I truly really enjoyed (besides "The Last Time He Saw Dorie"). And it worked! I fell in love with their 2006 album
Eat Sleep Repeat, and I eagerly awaited the concert and this album. Aaron Marsh remains the best part of the band, as his somewhat effeminate vocals aren't completely degrading to the male gender, and aren't quite as whiny as many of his counterparts in the genre you might lump him in with come across. He sings with such passion and emotion that you can't help but sing along. And while Copeland might not really be keen on making fast rock numbers anymore, they do seem to be more and more convinced they should be making beautifully heartfelt music. It's what those most of those supposed counterparts don't have the nerve, ambition, or straight-up talent to do.
8. Paper Rival - Dialog
R.I.P., Paper Rival. After a couple of EPs and one LP, you will be missed. It's a shame you had to be a casualty of the record industry recently. You delivered one of the best debut albums of 2008, even if your lead singer felt somewhat disillusioned by its release. Like Copeland and Straylight Run and Brand New, you transcend the genre you might be put in by some people by proving there are some people out there willing to take some chances and deliver something unique to their targeted audience. Your album delivered straight-up rockers like "Are We Brothers?" and "Swimmer King," that might deceivingly have gotten you pegged as "another one of
those type of bands" when in reality there was clearly something far more special going on. And then you could turn around and deliver a swaying lullaby like "Cassandra," and prove that growing up in Tennessee gave your even more to offer. Here's hoping you guys continue to make music in your separate directions, because talent like yours would surely be wasted if it isn't heard by people in the years to come.
7. The Hush Sound - Goodbye Blues
The Hush Sound's last album was sort of an overlooked gem of 2006. I really enjoyed it, but the numbers of listens I gave the band never really reflected it. Luckily, the band might've benefitted from an earlier release this year with the solidly entertaining
Goodbye Blues. Much like the similar Straylight Run, the Hush Sound just gets better with each subsequent album. While they haven't yet quite delivered their masterpiece, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they do someday. While lead singing duties were previously split between Bob Morris and Greta Salpeter, Greta takes over on most of the songs this time. Normally I wouldn't applaud such a move, but her capabilities as a singer have matured so greatly that it really was the best move the band could make. And while her strengths as a singer might overshadow Bob Morris so much more on this album, his songs are solidly fun to listen to in their own right. And with short and sweet songs that are instantly infectious, this album is one of the easiest to listen to repeatedly... and one of the best.
6. Lovedrug - The Sucker Punch Show
Lovedrug better watch out, because they just might become one of my favorite bands. Three albums released, three albums that make it into my top 10 for the year in which each was released. The year and a half turnaround between releases was a pleasant surprise this year. Lovedrug shifted slightly in musical direction on this album, sounding far more aggressive and dirtier than they used to, resulting in a weird Muse meets Queens of the Stone Age concoction. Even on the more lighter songs, lead singer Michael Shepard is spouting lines like "You're a slut." What happened, Michael? Still, no Lovedrug release would be complete without singing about angels or their fallen counterparts, and Shepard continues to stay focused on his favorite subject on a song here and there. And while this album doesn't really have these great huge sprawling rock epics like "Black Out" or "Pushing the Shine," it lacks any filler that the previous two albums had as well. That makes all three albums pretty much even to me, which is a rare feat to achieve for a band (and one that has changed line-ups a few times to boot).
5. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Everytime I see
Evil Urges in my #5 spot, I have to wonder why it's there. It just doesn't seem like top 5 material to me. But once I erase the weird and completely out-of-place genre exercise that is "Highly Suspicious," I really didn't enjoy much else more than this album. It might not be as adventurous as their 2005 album,
Z, or as sprawling and indebted to Neil Young as everything else prior. But I think it had me hooked while I was listening to it during a sunset in an unfamiliar place. It just sounded so
perfect for that moment. Ever since then I've been completely sold, and am one to think it really doesn't sound
that different for the band. It's just more streamlined and accessible than anything they've ever done. But there's some real gems on this album, mostly found in their ballads, which surprisingly makes up nearly half of the album.
4. Weezer - Weezer (The Red Album - Deluxe Version)
What a whirlwind ride it's been being a Weezer fan in the 21st century, even if one such as myself became a fan in 2001. After being lambasted by pretty much everyone for
Make Believe, you would think that it was all over for the band. If the band wasn't going to quit, than everyone would quit on them (I actually liked most of it though). And yet, Weezer soldiered on and took three years to release what is definitely the best album they have released this decade. But is that saying much of anything? Absolutely. After being written off with the release of
Make Believe, it seems like Weezer are finally free of having to live up to something. This album is a complete abomination compared to their 90s work, as is most of their work from the 2000s. But what matters the most now is that it just doesn't matter anymore. And Weezer seems to have fully embraced this fact, even when they hit close to Blue/Pink territory with songs like "Dreamin'" or "Pig" (on the deluxe version, which is definitely the only version of this album to listen to). This is the only album Weezer could've made at this point in time. Unlike the other post-2000 albums, they couldn't have done anything other than this. And that's what makes it nearly flawless.
3. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
What is easiest the biggest surprise on my list is that Elbow, a band I had not given much consideration of since the first half of 2006, managed to release my third favorite album of 2008. I enjoyed their last album, 2005's
Leaders of the Free World quite a bit when it was first released here in the U.S., but I quickly forgot about it and wrote them off as a band who released one album (out of three) that I sort of enjoyed but probably wouldn't follow any further. But the band was definitely at the top of their game on this one, making a beautiful album full of sprawling, spacial aural journeys that wrap around Guy Garvey's poetic words, which make the album the best lyrical one of the year. They might get lumped in with bands like Coldplay, or Snow Patrol, or Keane, or [insert name here], but Elbow showed they are much, much deeper than all of those bands put together. They are a great band that put out the album of their career (so far) in 2008.
2. Blood Red Shoes - Box of Secrets
Say hello to the highest charting debut album I've had yet! What began as a random click of a link to an illegal download of their debut album has lead this to this: my #2 spot on this year's list. At first I didn't think much of what I was hearing. After three songs, I deleted the album from my hard drive, only to find it still saved in my temp folder. I decided to give them another shot, and it became one of the best decisions I made regarding music this year. What makes this album so great? Perhaps it's the charming British boy/girl vocals, or the propulsive guitar and drum work ("I Wish I Was Someone Better," "It's Getting Boring by the Sea"). Or the relentless energy that each song exudes. Whatever
it is, Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell have it, and together they create a sound bigger than any duo in rock music does. Sure, it gets a little repetitious ("ADHD"), but when an album is rocking this hard, should we really care?
1. The Stills – Oceans Will Rise
What began as my most anticipated album of 2008 ends the year at my #1 spot. Unlike a lot of fans of the band, I didn’t hate the Stills’ last album (I ranked it #7 out of 15 notable releases in ‘06), but I did take certain issues with some of the choices the band made for the album (Dave Hamelin taking lead for most of the album, for instance). Luckily, the Stills seemed to have heard fans’ overall disappointments and for the most part ditched the sound they were going for on that album, and returned to the brooding, more serious sounds found on their magnificent debut. While this album doesn’t quite reach that level of greatness, it’s all definitely in the same vein. It’s just bigger and shinier. So what happens when one of my favorite bands releases an album that doesn’t disappoint in any real significant way and has some really, really great songs found on it? It becomes my #1 pick of the year. It might not be all that surprising, considering that it was was my most anticipated. But it was the most satisfying release of the year for me.
Earlimart
