The Best of 2008

As Justin alluded in his Best of list, this year was totally the year of awesome pop-punk. Indie rock is as dead as emocore as far as I'm concerned. How do I know this? Just take a look at the genres of the shows on the schedule at Chain Reaction. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE LISTED AS 'INDIE.' DONE.

20. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster.../We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed



Basically, Los Campesinos! are either destined for greatness in the post-C86 scene or they're never going to put out another good album. At first, they seemed sort of gimmicky. They played songs about twee pop and pop music in general and they had a xylophone player and a violin player. It was some sort of self parody joke, but in the end, they were just a good band with a self-aware sense of humor. Both full lengths released this year were exciting, sonically interesting and decent in length, which is terribly difficult to do. Though the first LP contained a few songs that they had released on EPs released in 2007, they fit very well with the rest of the album and were wonderful singles. The second album, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, was a darker affair that seemed more thought out and more heavily medicated (Ritalined) than Hold On Now, Youngster. Either way, the hooks on the albums are amazing and can't be stopped, even though they're an NME band (I think... they're from Wales or something, which doesn't help).

19. Moscow Olympics - Cut the World



It's good to know that shoegaze has penetrated all the way into the Philippines. I have no idea if this band is part of a scene there or what; all I know is that this is the best shoegaze album of the year and it's from the Philippines.

18. Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances



There are so many things to be said about this album. I knew I loved it when I first heard it, but the more I listened to it, the more I realized its genius. There are like six or seven dudes in the band and I think they're in the band more for group vocals and set dressing than anything else. They literally have four guitars and two keyboards on the stage, along with your standard rhythm section. Earlier I compared the album to the Desaparecidos album, and I won't retract that statement, however, I believe that the best part about Titus Andronicus is the fact that they're actually trying to sound juvenile, rather than coming off as too eager and amateurish in attempting to write songs about capitalism being evil. In the self titled track "Titus Andronicus," not only is the refrain "Your life is over" screamed over and over, there is a very subtle part at the end of the first verse where the dude says "Fuck everything, fuck me." This album was definitely made for the 14 year old in all of us that suddenly reappeared in our 20s.

17. The Mae Shi - HLLLYH



The Mae Shi were one of the early Smell bands that came into the internet's collective consciousness pretty early on. They played tons of shows and were one of the noisier bands. When their new songs leaked on a few blogs two years ago, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What I had known of the Mae Shi was the opening set for the Ozma reunion show a few years back. I hated them. They weren't noisy because it was a conscious choice, it seemed like they were noisy because they didn't want to be playing music at all. The two songs I heard were "Lion and the Lamb" and "Run to Your Grave." I knew that if these were even the only two songs on their new album, they were going to be huge and they deserved it. Those two songs were pop gems and their synths actually sounded great, whereas on their old albums, they didn't. What I've learned about the Mae Shi is that they spend a great deal of time on their electronics and on this album, it really shows. My only gripe with the album is that it is too short. There are a few noisy punk songs which are focused and coherent and one song that is almost 12 minutes long, which is their own dance remix of a melody from the album. The rest of those songs, however, are great. Side note: they also released the best cover of the year of Miley Cyrus' single "See U Again" and it sounds incredibly expensive just because of their brilliant recording and electronics.

16. AU - Verbs



Basically, Animal Collective just met their match. I know some people actually like that band, so I will acknowledge that Au and Animal Collective are different in that AC is more electronic driven whereas Au is more organic, but you have to admit that they are a bit alike. Anyways, Luke Wyland really hit his stride with this album. He collected a bunch of great musicians to play on his songs and it really shows. The end of the album drags a little, but the "All My Friends"/"Are Animals" suite pretty much rules everything, especially if you've seen it live. If you know what I'm talking about, then you know why this album is great.

15. Boris - Smile



Boris has to be one of the best metal bands of all time. They've proven in a few short years that they can pretty much do anything well. They've done drone, psych, thrash, and now they're doing the Melvins shtick, which means they've got everything important covered. The one thing all of their songs have in common is that if you listen to them loud enough, they will crack your skull wide open. Their songs are just that brutal. Also, Michio Kurihara is basically a part of Boris now, seeing as he tours with them, playing not only on the songs off of their collaboration album, Rainbow, but on all the songs they play live. If you take one of the greatest Japanese metal guitarists and add him to the lineup of one of Japan's most exciting metal bands, you get pure gold.

14. Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams



From what I'm getting from other people's lists, they didn't like this one NEARLY as much as they liked Rubies. I liked Rubies fine, but I felt like this one was really good. Maybe I didn't have the absolute Dan Bejar fever in 2006, but now I'm a believer. His New Pornographers songs were what really hooked me, then I heard the excellent This Night. I then took on Rubies, but I was completely intimidated by the nine minute songs. I mean, I get that Bejar's got a lot of lyrics, but damn dude, your songs in the New Pornographers weren't more than like four minutes so keep it clean. Trouble in Dreams has got a little of that going, but it's not over the top. It's the album for those of us who weren't convinced that Bejar could do it without AC Newman standing over his shoulder. Just listen to the first four songs and think about the fact that each one is under four minutes and seems to be just about perfect in length. There are hooks, beautiful guitar parts and wonderful synth sounds, which is everything I could hope for.

13. Annie - Don't Stop



This is the best album of the year that you won't hear this year. It got shelved after Island Records in Europe wasn't satisfied with it, then subsequently dropped her. Annie was in the middle of rerecording a bunch of songs for the album, as well as doing a few new ones when the news came down the river. The album leaked months previous and a lot of people knew it was going to be an absolute gem. There are a lot of great pop moments on this album that Madonna will never be able to attain again, not just because she's old, but because she's really out of touch. Annie just gets it. One of the more hilarious notes about this album is the credits in the liners for the guest guitar work by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. All the songs that he plays on require such minimal guitar experience, it is ridiculous. I hope for his sake that he phoned the parts in, however I figure that he worked really hard on recording some of the most bland, danceable guitar tracks on the market today, just like the rest of Franz Ferdinand's catalogue. Anyways, solid album.

12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!



This was basically the sequel to Nick Cave's 2007 side project album, Grinderman. It's super dirty, beyond funny and absolutely brilliant musically. Even though Cave is one of the best arrangers and composers, his biggest asset is probably Warren Ellis. If you listen to the chorus for the title track, "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" you will notice that beautifully distorted mandolin track. God, if that isn't one of the coolest sounds, I certainly don't know what is. If this were a Johnny Carson joke, the answer would be, "Hell yes, Nick Cave is one jive motherfucker." What's the question? "Does Nick Cave's new album prove that he is the coolest cat making music today?"

11. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia/Adorata EP



This is the creepiest album I heard this year. According to Jennifer, the T-Bone Burnett album was much scarier, but I stand by my claim. Just look at the album artwork while thinking about Mark Lanegan and tell me you're not scared already. The songs included on the album are so beautifully terrifying, they will creep into your dreams. I promise that if you really listen to the album at least twice, at least one of the songs will be in one of your dreams. It probably won't be a good dream, but it will be there and it will be beyond vivid. You will wake up sweating and out of breath. You will wish there is an episode of Will and Grace on television so that you can get your mind off of "The Stations" or "Idle Hands" (which has one of the worst videos ever). Basically, Dulli and Lanegan decided that they were going to rip Tom Waits' dark stuff really hard and substitute guitars and strings for whatever Tom Waits uses. Dulli and Lanegan also released a wonderful accompanying EP this year called Adorata, which not only has equally creepy artwork, but equally great songs, but in this case, mostly covers with two Gutter Twins b-sides. There's a Primal Scream cover and a Jose Gonzalez cover (beating the fact that both Dulli and Lanegan are bigger in Europe than they ever will be here into the ground), but the real standout is the duet on "St. James Infirmary." God, that song is beautiful when it's sung by a dude with a great voice.

10. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins



Last year, I said that Will Sheff was probably the next great American songwriter, in line behind dudes like Jeff Tweedy and Ryan Adams. This album pretty much proves it. It could have easily been a throwaway album because it was meant to be the second disc to The Stage Names' first. What surprises me the most is the departure from the Okkervil River formula. As much as I love the band, I understand that their biggest fault is the fact that their "big" songs all sort of sound the same. There isn't a "For Real" or a "Our Life is Not a Movie..." on this album. The first two songs on the album actually sound a lot like Smiths songs, which is extra weird and awesome.

Also awesome is the series of videos the band did with other artists covering the songs off of The Stand-Ins:



9. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride



John Darnielle can turn a phrase better than almost anyone else still in the game. He is by far one of the most literate lyricists I've ever heard and somehow he's one of the most prolific at the same time. He had time to write a 33 1/3 book about Black Sabbath IN CHARACTER. Dude has so many EPs and weird singles that I've never even heard of and keeps putting out more. He released two companion EPs for this album/tour and I haven't even had the time to listen to them, though I know they're great. The album is in the style of his later LP work, meaning less lo-fi, and also incorporates a few beautiful string arrangements. The video attached above is for the first song on the album and is one of the most creative videos this year for one of the best songs.

8. No Age - Nouns



I really wanted to hate this album and I got away with it for a while. It seemed really mediocre in comparison to the shiny bits of Weirdo Rippers, but then I realized that it was because they had made a fully coherent album that worked together. This is exactly why I hate No Age. They seem to do everything ALMOST perfectly. The songs are good, but sometimes just a bit too short and not as rewarding as they could be. The songs are a little lackluster, but are a wonderful piece of the puzzle. The most frustrating part about them is seeing them live. They can't figure out how to put on an engrossing live show to save their lives. Maybe it's because of their complex electronics/loop setup, but stopping in between songs for two or three whole minutes without saying anything at all is a bit much. Anyways, this album totally grew on me the more I listened to it. I look forward to seeing them on MTV more.

7. Off With Their Heads - From the Bottom



I almost put this band towards the top of my list just because of what they are, however they put out a wonderful album full of pop punk surprises. It's gruff on the outside, but damn if it isn't just like any other manic depressive on the inside: fucked up, confused and harsh. These Minneapolis dudes have been catching more press over the past few months and it's not because the dude sounds like a pop-punk Dicky Barrett. Anyways, this album is everything you could hope for and a little bit more. It's pure, grade A, grass fed punk rock and it is a beautiful thing. I can't wait to see them when they come around at the beginning of the next year.

6. Vampire Weekend - s/t



The Feist album of 2008. You absolutely can't stop these dudes. They're not selling iPods, but they're basically selling college, white sweater vests and Topsiders the same way. My favorite part about the band is their keyboard player, who is just a bro. There was one particular interview on pitchfork.tv where the band was interviewed and played in the English Honors Society frat house or something and the band dynamic is more than apparent. The whole time, the dude who obviously writes all the music seems way uncomfortable with everything while the keyboard player dude is basically throwing up the superfinger while blasting a Natty Ice 30. This album is blowing 18 year old minds everywhere while their dads are totally pissed that they're somehow still uncool. The songs are catchy beyond belief. Just you wait until they make a biopic about Vampire Weekend in 30 years.

5. Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings and All



Everyone keeps saying, "Oh it's like a boring You Are Free era Cat Power copy," but this album is so much more than that. It's a paean to childhood summers without being a seasonal album. Every single song on this album is a gem. The best part about this album is the band. Thao's songwriting is super strong and she's a very skilled guitar player, but her backing band is even better. The Get Down Stay Down is made up of three ultra talented guys who are some of the SQUAREST DUDES IN THE WORLD. They play so well together and it really shines with Tucker Martine's production. If Thao puts out another album like this, you can expect her to be sign to a label much bigger than Kill Rock Stars, but all signs point to "will not try to be a pop star."

4. Vivian Girls - s/t



The Vivian Girls were probably this year's most enigmatic act. They put out a bunch of 7"s in 2007 and 2008 and were one of those bands everyone talked about, but no one had actually heard. At the beginning of the year, the band toured and released their full length ONLY on limited press vinyl (500 copies), which means it sold out ridiculously quick and it wasn't immediately repressed. The album is one part Jesus and Mary Chain, one part B-52s, one part Go-Gos and 100% Black Tambourine, which makes for wonderful music. The production is super lo-fi without sounding cheap. It's hazy and dreamy without losing that punk rock grrl feel. They continue to put out 7"s and will tour a ton. I am just disappointed that this band is from Brooklyn and is somehow related to Crystal Stilts.

3. Algernon Cadwallader - Some Kind of Cadwallader







This band completely makes me think of sophomore/junior years of high school. It just makes me think of how my mind was blown when I discovered Cap'n Jazz and Braid for myself. You make anything math-y and angular and you have my heart. End of story.

2. Jason Anderson - The Hopeful and The Unafraid





Jason Anderson has done it again. 2007-2008 were so completely productive for him. I can't seem to believe that he released so much music over the last two years (a few full length albums, a few free albums and a little over a hundred songs from his "Song A Day" project), and yet he still hasn't lost it. Dude writes some of the most epic, wonderful, beautiful songs about life and friends and generally getting stoked. These albums remind me that we have amazing capacity and if we've got friends, what else do we need? "El Paso" is easily one of the most Springsteen songs J. Anderson has ever written and it's great. It's like seven minutes long and I think it's basically a 14,000 word essay on living life to it's full potential. If you listen to it once, listen to it again, but very carefully the second time. The words this man is saying will change your life.

1. Good Luck - Into Lake Griffy







Hands down, this is the best album of the year. Nothing really came close to this album. There isn't a weak spot on the album. If you don't know, Good Luck is Ginger Alford from One Reason, Matty Pop Chart and Mike from the k-10 Prospect and they've come together to form the best pop punk band I've heard in years. The album is full of hooks, has super positive lyrics co-written by Matt and Ginger and is recorded perfectly, which is to say that it sounds like someone spent money on recording it. It's amazing to listen to what happens when three of the most toured musicians write songs together. The most surprising part about the album is how great the guitar playing is on the album. Matt's guitar parts are crisp and well played, but also incredibly technical. Ted Leo would be totally jealous of some of the guitar parts on this album. Opener "How To Live Here" is absolutely the most perfect opening song. It's such a fast song and is brilliant pop. Lines like "Yeah, everyone feels alone/maybe more, maybe less/maybe this year or next year/or when they grow old/but what a bogus affliction!/it's the human condition." are the reason why they are the best at what they do. They've really covered a lot of ground on this album, and if they ever decide to record another album, it will definitely be hard to top songs like "Come Home", "Pajammin'", "1001 Open Hands" or the "Stars Were Exploding"/"Bringing Them Back to Life" suite, which is essentially two versions of the same, short song, but with two very different effects. The first is a full bodied, pop punk version of the song sung by Ginger and the second is a more sparse version sung by Matt. Diehard Jawbreaker fans criticized Blake Schwarzenbach when he started Jets to Brazil because his lyrics were so simple, but those people were really missing out on the truth in simplicity. These songs have that exact same quality. This band has set the bar.