2009 End of the Year Lists
Mammoth Press Staff
Reviewed by: The Staff [Wed, December 31, 2008 @ 9:24:10 PM]
John-Michael Bond – Review Editor/All Around Stuff Guy
I was shocked to find so much stuff on my end of the year list that I didn’t write about this year. There are times when reviewers feel the need to write about what is coming in, not what they care about, and I’m going to do a better job this year of writing about the music I really care about. Expect reviews of everything below that wasn’t reviewed soon. Thanks for reading this year.
15. Valencia – We All Need a Reason to Believe : It seems like no one is playing this kind of pop punk anymore. Everyone’s started wearing neon and writing shitty dance pop songs drenched in false irony. Valencia doesn’t pander to trends though. After vocalist Shane Henderson ‘s acoustic solo project Promise of Redemption, full of songs about the aftermath of the death of a significant other, I worried the band would never make another record. We All Need a Reason To Believe is simply a continuation of those themes and the hope that made the Promise of Redemption album so uplifting. These aren’t whinny songs about loss, these are passionate songs about learning to live in the present while honoring the past. Few records have been so gut wrenchingly personal and joyfully optimistic at the same time.
14. Braindrill – Apocalyptic Feasting : The only death metal album this year that matters. Sure they imploded and broke up and then reformed with new members, and who knows if they’ll be able to ever live up to the technical jigsaw puzzle of Apocalyptic Feasting. It doesn’t matter. Even if this remains the sole document of the band Braindrill kids from Norway to Florida better start taking some serious fucking notes.
13. Defeater – Travels : They changed their name from Sluts shortly before the release of Travels. Thank god, because people need to be talking about the music on this disc and not a silly band name. It isn’t just the rock and roll tones that wash over these hardcore anthems, or the nihilistic story line that would have Bukowski smirking, or the black and white photography in the booklet that perfectly frames the whole package. Nope. Defeater matters for not just picking up the torch of American Nightmare and running with it, but for taking the fire they set and burning their own trails. Look for their Bride 9 debut next year, it’s sure to be a killer.
12. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrsing : This is hardcore. Dissonant, Furious, and it makes you want to dance. This is also ambient. Beautiful, swelling, and peaceful. Street Horrsing is a gurgling brook full of sharks. Congratulations Fuck Buttons you’re the only techno act outside of Aphex Twin that matters.
11. Bayside – Shudder : I haven’t given up on Alkaline Trio yet, but damn it they seem to have gone over to the really dark side of goth, and not for the better. Thankfully Bayside is still kicking around. Shudder continues the band’s streak of unstoppable power pop records and even manages to toss in their first use of the “forbidden beat!” (If you don’t get it buy some Bad Religion records) I have a sneaking, and sad, suspicion that this band is never going to be playing the arenas I feel they so justly deserve, but hey neither did the Smoking Popes. Yeah I just mentioned Bayside and Smoking Popes in the same breath. These guys have earned it.
10. Deerhunter – Microcastle/New Era Cont : The weirdest Beatles record ever. So unstopably good that even its accidental leaking by the band’s front man couldn’t mar its release. The fact that they gave away a bonus disc (New Era Cont) with the package that was better than most bands official releases only cements their position as one of indie rock’s few justifiably hyped bands.
9. Polar Bear Club – Sometimes Things Just Disappear : I lost countless hours to this record. Most of the time a band’s listed influences are total bullshit meant to give them a false sense of depth. In this case Polar Bear Club actually means it when they say they love old emo, hardcore, and Third Eye Blind. Yeah, Third Eye Blind. It never feels like it should work, leaving the listener with the impression that at any moment things will fall apart and the band will dreadfully embarrass themselves, but it never does. Cynics say music like this doesn’t exist anymore. Next time you hear someone talk about how good emo was back in the day give them a dose of Polar Bear Club.
8. The Dodos – Visitor : Freak folk sucks. Someone needs to cut Devendra Banhart’s guitar strings and release an electro magnetic pulse around any 4 tracks he might be doing demos on. The Dodos however don’t play freak folk. They play forward thinking folk. Soft guitars and vaudeville percussion (shoes with tambourines attached and trash can lids) make for one of the most subtle yet complex records I had the joy of hearing this year. People mourning the death of The Postal Service should quit moping. Visiter is just as good as Give Up and you wont have to incur anymore jokes about listening to techno.
7. Tim Barry – Manchester : The closest thing you’ll hear this year to Neutral Milk Hotel is from an artist who probably doesn’t own any of their records. Protest folk with unexpected moments of blaring horns and gentle fuzz. It sucks Avail isn’t very active anymore, but at least we’re still getting classic material out of their vocalist.
6. Lemuria – Get Better : A pop punk record that was good enough to win over the cynics at Pitchfork and judgmental crust punks in countless basement shows. More than just mere Superchunk worship, songs like “Pants” are almost painfully earnest and hearing Sheena Ozzella sing someone “gave her butterflies” in her stomach has assuredly made every boy (and girl) whose heard her earn a few of their own.
5. The Gaslight Anthem – 59’ Sound : The Gaslight Anthem isn’t going to save rock and roll. (That’s for The Hold Steady). Thankfully I don’t think they want to. This batch of unassuming classic rock songs has just enough punk energy to win over the back patch set, but more than enough heart to become my Mother’s favorite record of the year. It’s cool to hate on this record, and this band (shit Pitchfork gave it a 8 and didn’t even put it in “Best New Music,”) but it takes a cynical soul to not see the joy in good old fashion rock and roll.
4. Lil Wayne – Carter III : Greatest rapper alive? I’ll have to see the cat battle it out, but on a track? Yes sir. Bat shit crazy metaphors, beats that would make the Wu Tang wet, and the balls to go off for eight minutes about anything that happened to be on his mind when he was recording. In short he took everything that made him the Mixtape King and put in on the most anticipated rap record of the year. This year also saw his weakest release since his early days, but let’s just write off Dedication III as the product of exhaustion.
3. The Hold Steady – Stay Positive : Warren Zevon. Bruce Springsteen. Craig Finn. I stand by my review.
2. Paint it Black – New Lexicon : Still the best band in hardcore punk. If this really is their last full length (they’re threatening to start just releasing singles) it’s a hell of a good bye. Oktopus’ mastering and collages of samples (from previous songs on the record) gives these aggressive rage fits moments of peace, but even without that added dose of innovation New Lexicon set a new water mark for the genre.
1. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend : This record is fluff, but it’s amazing fluff. This year millions of jobs were lost, the country got even more divided by an election that saw people on both sides of the aisle saying unforgiveable things about each other, and that was before the candidates really started going at it. The economy is failing, and our president is still on fucking vacation after taking more vacation than any other president in history. I needed this record in 2008. Like non-other it provided me the burst of sunshine to get through an intensely dark year. I think it did that for a lot of people, which is how it earned this number one spot.
Honorable Mentions: These albums are all worth your time, money, and ears. They just weren’t as good as the ones above.
The Mai Shi – HLLYH
Janelle Monae - Metropolis: The Chase Suite EP
Life Long Tragedy – Runaways
Lords – Fuck All Y’all Mother Fuckers
No Age – Nouns
The Tallest Man on Earth – Shallow Graves
Blacklisted – Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God
Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
Gnaw Their Tongues – An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood
Ben Sailer's Second Annual End Of The Year List: 2008 Edition
I never really know what to think of these kinds of lists. It's nearly impossible for me to put the ten or so albums I most enjoyed listening to over the last year into any sort of real order, but I can definitely say I liked all of these records and I'd recommend checking them out.
1. Moving Mountains - Pneuma
It's debateable whether or not Moving Mountain's powerful debut record, Pneuma, was actually the best album released in 2008, but according to my iTunes player it was far and away the one I listened to the most. While not necessarily earth-shattering or original by any means, there is just something about this CD that really resonated with me. Gorgeous atmospheric indie rock in the vein of The Appleseed Cast. Worth looking into if that description even slightly interests you.
2. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Chances are you don't need to be told why this album is great. You already know. While The '59 Sound took a little longer for me to fully absorb than the band's debut, Sink Or Swim, it's still an impossibly good album; easily one of the best of the last decade, let alone year. I'll be playing this for my grandkids someday.
3. Thursday / Envy - Split LP
When I first heard Thursday and Envy were doing a split together, I pinched myself to see if I had died. The Envy half is characteristically awesome, as the band simply does not write bad songs, while the Thursday material renewed my interest in a band I assumed had fallen off the musical map. A required purchase for fans of either band.
4. United Nations - s/t
Much like the Thursday / Envy record, this was entirely unexpected. Who ever would have thought that members of Thursday, Glassjaw, Converge and The Number 12 Looks Like You would join forces and form a grindy 90's screamo supergroup? I sure didn't, but I'm glad they did. There aren't enough bands playing this kind of music these days.
5. Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling
This was the first time I'd ever really given Mogwai my full attention despite having first heard of them years and years ago, and I wish I'd checked them out sooner. Epic and absorbing would be appropriate adjectives to use here.
6. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Not only did The Hold Steady put on one of the best shows I've seen in a long while, they also put out a damn fine record that I didn't know I should have been excited for until it came out. Much like The '59 Sound, Stay Positive has an immediately timeless feel to it. These aren't just songs; they're anthems to live by.
7. Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just Disappear
Tight and deceptively complex post-hardcore that's melodic without being too poppy, and gritty without sounding like they're from Gainesville. Quality goods for sure.
8. Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps - Backyard Tent Set
This as-of-yet unsigned singer/songwriter from Minneapolis deserves to be huge. Simple folk-pop songs with powerful hooks and honest lyricism. That description probably doesn't make Backyard Tent Set sound particularly original, and maybe it isn't. It doesn't matter. There are a lot of acts out there doing similar things to what Caroline Smith is doing, but most of them aren't as good.
9. Genghis Tron - Board Up The House
This is the only band I've ever heard threaten to "peel your skin off with a knife dipped in shit" at a show. They deserve a place on this list for that quote alone.
10. Torche - Meanderthal
This was not at all what I expected it to be like. Torche's Meanderthal is a massively melodic rock record that could easily hang with the Foo Fighters or Queens Of The Stone Age if it were given a chance. It's a lot better than that last sentence makes it sound. Really.
And that concludes my list for this year. See you in 2009!
Dietrich May – Reviewer
I often try to figure out why exactly I read year end lists. Most of the time I end up disagreeing with what the people who wrote them have picked and think that my choices were much better. This is my first time writing one and as I am compiling it I realize that most of the people who read mine are probably going to disagree with it just as much as I would disagree with theirs. Even though this may be the case I still enjoyed taking the time to think about what actually came out this year and what I have enjoyed the most. The two things that I hope to accomplish with this list is to introduce the readers of this site to me, considering this will probably be the first published piece of mine, and also to introduce the readers to some new music. I understand that not everyone likes the same music as me but I do hope that I can introduce some music to people that they would have never come across before. The order of this list would probably change if I wrote it tomorrow but just know that these are some of my most listened to and most enjoyed albums of the entire year. Enjoy the list and have a Happy New Year!
Honorable Mentions: Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend , Good Luck Into Lake Griffy
10. Radiohead In Rainbows
I’m willing to bet a lot of people forgot this album came out this year, and technically, it didn’t. The free release came out in 2007 but the actual physical release was in 2008 so I am going to count it. This album seems to have been overshadowed but the unconventional methods in which it was first released and I can definitely see why. Radiohead and their management seemed to change the way that music could be released in the new digital age and that was exciting for everyone in the music scene. That is great and all but their new album is what I’m writing about and I think it is a really good album. It seems as though it is a natural progression from their last one and definitely deserves to be on this list. Partially because of how good it is and also because of the means in which they released it.
9.Ohtis If This Country Had A Heart, That's Where I Was Born
Ohtis is an awesome local group from around my parts and their new album blew me away. Part folk, part gospel and all around rock n’ roll are thrown into this album to make a cool sound. Also, for whatever reason every time I listen to this it makes me want to listen to Neutral Milk Hotel which is never a bad thing.
8. Olehole Holemole
If These arms are Snakes and Every Time I Die had a baby together this what they would sound like. I thought that last time I listened to them. Next time I do I probably won’t. But I will still think it is a really catchy album with an awesome punk undertone. I really like the lyrics and way that the singer delivers his vocals. I randomly bought this album and am definitely glad that I did. The packaging is fantastic and it accompanies an equally fantastic album.
7. Pale Young Gentlemen Black Forest (tra la la)
Think Arcade Fire with more strings and probably less instruments and maybe a more British influence. Okay, so maybe these guys don’t really sound like the Arcade Fire but they do have a sound that I would liken to them. This album took me by surprise, I thought it was okay at first but by each subsequent listen it grew on me more and more and eventually, obviously, I thought this release was good enough to garner a spot on my top 10.
6. Sigur Rós Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Beautiful. That describes every Sigur Rós album though. It is easy to tell when a Sigur Rós album is playing and that is not a bad thing. Their sound has changed slightly on this album and they seemed to have gone with a more upbeat sound this time around. It is still very dynamic and I still cannot understand what they are singing. That is probably because it is being sung in Icelandic. Not that it matters anyway, just as My Bloody Valentine used their vocals as more of another instrument than to convey the lyrics Sigur Rós does the same thing. One of the songs is even sung in English this time around and I cannot tell what they are saying. The music as a whole is incredibly beautiful and I was once again blown away by this group.
5. Dillinger Four Civil War
I still cannot believe that this record is out. I consider these guys to be one of the best modern punk bands out there and their newest album ceased to disappoint me. I have not listened to this album as much as I had hoped to this year but it is enough to hear how good it is. The guys in this band know how to write a good album and also have fun while they are doing it.
4. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
This album really takes me away. It makes me feel as if I am a true mountain man living in a cabin on the side of a mountain. The lyrics create great imagery and accompany the music well, allowing me to get carried away with the great melodies.
3. La Dispute Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair
Man! This album is like camping… in tents! Seriously, I have never been so caught up in the lyrics of an album before. They are about love, loss and despair and it seems to focus on two different couples experiences. The lyrics are beautiful and really drew me in. The writing ability of this group is great and I am impressed every time I hear their music. It is hard to describe what it is exactly about the group that makes them so great but just read the lyrics and I guarantee you will be drawn into their music instantly. It also gets this years award for longest album title!
2. Okkervil River The Stand Ins
I am so glad I heard this album. The album art is the first thing that caught my attention about this release and once I heard the music it drew me in even more. “Lost Coastlines” is probably the best song I have heard all year and the rest of the album follows suit with the interesting storyline intertwined with great instrumentation. I think this year I realized I really like bands who incorporate strings along with a rock sound. Okkervil River wrote such a great album that I immediately went and got all of their other ones and I highly recommend you do the same.
1. The Gaslight Anthem '59 Sound
For anyone that knows me this is not a surprise that these guys are so far up on my list. I am a big fan of the Gaslight Anthem and have been for a while. They combine all of my favorite things so what is there not to like about them. The band is not trying to break new ground with their music but just put a twist on the music that they all love. I think they pull off the combination of soul, jazz and rock very well on this album and I have enjoyed listening to it numerous times this year.
Jake Cary – Reviewer
Teenage Bottlerocket - Warning Device
Nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary, just the most fun album of the year. Songs about girls and monsters are present, as are countless homages to the days of the punk music from 53rd and 3rd
Thursday/ envy - Split
Another album that seemed to take forever to come out (See Civil War, the somewhat unlikely joint effort between these two bands manages to collect some of the best work from both of these musical behemoths. If nothing else, this one should get you incredibly excited for both of the bandsʼ next full lengths.
Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just Disappear
This is, if memory serves, the most raw album I have ever heard.. Singer Jimmy Stadt sacrifices the lining of his throat to deliver the most passionate delivery of the year. Pair that with flawless technical delivery on all fronts and you get one of the best albums of 2008. Call it what you will (hardcore, post-hardcore, emo), just make sure you give this a listen.
Dillinger Four - Civil War
With their first proper release since 2002ʼs Situationist Comedy D4 proved that stagnant does not equal dead. Some of the catchiest songs of their entire catalogue can be found on this album that shouldnʼt be passed up by any fan of pop-punk.
The Gaslight Anthem - The ʽ59 Sound
If all of the good things said about this album havenʼt convinced you to pick it up yet, this blurb certainly isnʼt going to convince you. However, those that have listened to it know that Iʼm not lying when I cite the polarizing, driving lyrics of lead singer Brian Fallon as some of the best in recent memory.
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
When youʼve got one of the most beautiful voices in the world it really doesnʼt matter what youʼre singing about, but please donʼt tell that to Jenny Lewis. She manages to compliment her voice with completely genuine, heart-wrenching lyrics about love and loss. Also, drug romp See Fernando is the best sounding song on vinyl Iʼve ever heard.
OʼDeath - Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin
If this album was going to be in a bin, it would be alt-country (although I have never seen an alt-country section in a record store), but sticking a genre tag on this band does not even come close to describing their sound. Part Defiance, Ohio, part Murder by Death, mostly awesome, this is an album that everyone looking to expand their musical horizons should pick up.
La Dispute - Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair
This band seems to draw endless comparisons to Mewithoutyou. Now, if you likeMWY youʼll probably like La Dispute. However, even if you donʼt like MWY (I tend to find them kind of boring), this is still a record to get. Passion seeps out of songs that read more like poetry than lyrics and the complexity of the musicality is absolutely breathtaking.
Bridge and Tunnel - East/ West
Everything just adds up on this release. The music is crisp and well delivered, the singing is full of life and the lyrics cut straight to the bone.
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Albums That I Didnʼt Include on my List Because the Only People that Listen to Them Live Within 50 Miles of me, but that Would Have Taken the Number 10 and 5 Spots Respectively:
Harder to Fall - It All Becomes So Clear
Ohtis - If This Country Had A Heart, Thatʼs Where I Was Born
Best Songs of the Year
10. The A.K.A.s - Knives of 45ʼs
9. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
8. Pegasuses-XL - Marathon Mansion
7. Thursday - As He Climbed the Dark Mountain
6. 31 Knots - Compass Command
5. Murder by Death - Rumbrave
4. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
3. Austin Lucas - Go West
2. Okkervil River - On Tour With Zykos
1. Bridge and Tunnel - Night Owls
Casey Clague – Reviewer/Soon to be Editor of Content
These albums are basically interchangeable for #s 10-6:
Vampire Weekend—S/T
Portugal. The Man—Censored Colors
Bon Iver—For Emma, Forever Ago
Beck—Modern Guilt
Kings of Leon—Only by the Night
5. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks—Real Emotional Trash
Malkmus and his merry band of Jicks return and pick up right where Pig Lib left off—sprawling guitar jams with Malkmus’ patented, hyper-literate (albeit often nonsensical) lyrical ramblings. This time, Malkmus has recruited former Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss to add a dose of bombast to the Jicks’ brand of early ‘90s-style guitar-rock. Man, can she throw it down. The result is less quirky than Malkmus’ last effort (2005’s Face the Truth, an album recorded primarily sans Jicks), relying more on drawn-out musical free-for-alls than the bells and whistles of electronic blips and tricky production. Lyrical content includes tales of a hopscotch aficionado falsely accused of homicide, and a dragonfly with a sweet tooth. From anyone else, this would seem overly whimsical, but Malkmus’ status as an indie-rock elder statesman and a string of near-perfect albums proves he can do no wrong.
4. Polar Bear Club—Sometimes Things Just Disappear
This record reminds me of a time when Initial Records still existed and emo wasn’t a four-letter word. Polar Bear Club takes the driving and complex arrangements trademarked by D.C.-area post-hardcore groups, adds an articulacy and novelistic approach to lyricism and tops it off with an ability to intersperse melody in all the right places.
3. Dillinger Four—Civil War
After six years with no new album, Dillinger Four almost became a sad addition in the book of “Bands Casey Used to Really Love”. Fortunately, D4 didn’t suffer the fate of so many groups that return after a long hiatus. Instead of a bland retread of prior glories, Civil War is a triumphant reminder of Dillinger Four’s validity. It showcases all of the band’s strengths—biting and clever socio-political commentary, catchy rhythms, propulsive pop-punk—and adds a maturity and willingness to slow down the pace not seen on their previous three efforts.
2. Frightened Rabbit—The Midnight Organ Fight
Until I heard The ’59 Sound, this record by Scottish band Frightened Rabbit was number one with a bullet on my year-end top ten. Had this write-up been completed on a different day, one when I was particularly bummed out, the positions could easily have shifted. Maybe I should have flipped a coin or left it a tie. Regardless, The Midnight Organ Fight is a refreshing take on the rainy-day hymns previously made popular by bands like Arab Strap, and to an extent, Oasis. Frontman Scott Hutchison and company traffic in a moving and poetic blend of gray-tinged, mid-tempo indie-rock and slow and gloomy lost-love ruminations. On paper, it doesn’t register as a major shift from traditional indie sensibilities. What really separates Frightened Rabbit from the other sad sacks is Hutchison’s inexplicable ability to wear his heart on his sleeve and have listeners more concerned with the color pattern it leaves on the shirt than the unnerving concept of vital-organ-as-fashion-accessory. It’s a shameless and brutal honesty that will ultimately define and sustain this band’s career.
1. The Gaslight Anthem—The ’59 Sound
Bruce Springsteen, classic cars, Tom Petty, sailor tattoos and girls named Mary, Virginia, and Sandy are invocations that should give more than a hint of the nostalgia present on this New Jersey quartet’s second full-length. And while that feeling is prominent and moving, there’s something more important about The ’59 Sound—the cleansing breath it has given the punk genre. The songs present here are the very definition of “catchy”. They are invigorating and anthemic and pull off the rare feat of making the listener feel like part of an insular world, despite being extremely accessible and effortlessly identifiable.
Best E.P. (tie):
Ted Leo/Pharmacists—Rapid Response
The Gaslight Anthem—Senor and the Queen
Biggest Disappointment:
The Breeders—Mountain Battles
Damn, this is just one directionless record. Coming from one of the most revered artists in independent rock music makes it that much more excruciating.
Biggest Disappointment Runner-Up:
My Morning Jacket—Evil Urges
2005’s amazing Z was the first record by My Morning Jacket that really separated them from the Americana crowd. It was a stark departure from their Neil Young- and Wilco/-indebted farm rock, but garnered critical and commercial praise for its boundary-pushing aesthetic. After the release of Z, Rolling Stone went as far as to call My Morning Jacket “America’s Radiohead”. Unfortunately, this time around (and unlike their British so-called counterparts), Jim James and company proved unable to throw a dozen eclectic genres into a magician’s top hat and pull out a solid record. And really, “Highly Suspicious”, funny though it is, should have been a hidden track. It’s like an uncoiled spring jabbing out of an already uncomfortable mattress.
Juan(reviewer)’s Top List for 2008 of bands that the typical scenester will probably hate…but I don’t care.
No particular order. No discernible pattern. Just random releases that I dug on 2008.
Helms Alee – Night Terror
Chaotic. Beautiful. Grotesque. Cathartic. Mind-blowing.
Clouds – We Are Above You
Any time I put this record on, I can’t help but envision a beer-soaked basement where an old-school punk show just broke out. It’s snotty. Rebellious. Good times. THE party record of 2008.
The Fall Of Troy – Phantom on the Horizon
Finally! The band properly recorded the nearly-mythical Ghost Ship demos. It was well worth the wait.
Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
Yes. You’re reading it right. So what that it took 13 years to finally come out? So what that it has no real relevance in today’s metal scene…heavy or not? It’s Guns N’ Fuckin’ Roses!!! Glad to have you back Axl…even if you’re playing with people I don’t know. Well, I do know…but that still makes it funny.
These Arms Are Snakes – Tail Dove and Swallower
Post-hardcore madness at its best. Why these guys are not bigger and more well-known is beyond me. I guess some people would rather listen to crappy bands like HeavyHeavyLowLow instead of good music like TAAS.
Minus the Bear – Acoustics
I was skeptical when I first heard about this release. How can MtB pull off an acoustic record when they’re so proficient with the guitar effects and finger-tapping technique by Dave Knudson? But you know what? The songs performed acoustically work. Took the band to a new level in my mind.
Blacklisted – Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God
This is the record that renewed my faith in hardcore. I was bored for so long with hardcore and a lot of heavy music. I immersed myself in other genres looking for something new. But after hearing Blacklisted, I re-discovered the intensity in hardcore that I had long lost faith in.
Narrows – s/t 7”
The pedigree of this band is too long to list. But the talent and intensity of all members show in these recordings. Just a taste of what is to come when their full-length drops in 2009.
Metallica – Death Magnetic
I’m an old-school Metallica fan…from back in the days of Master of Puppets…so the band progressed and evolved. Some call it selling out. Some call it natural. The band that was the biggest secret of all headbangers in the 80’s blew up in the 90’s and became a household name. All I have to say is that I am glad they released this album. It’s a harmonious marriage of their old-school, speed metal frenzied sound and their more “pop-oriented” sound…whatever the hell that may be. Welcome home Metallica…I missed you.
Jason Epstein- Reviewer
Best Albums of the Year-
In Flames - A Sense of Purpose
Riff-tastic and melodic. In Flames delivers again!
The Offspring - Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
While not an all out success, the first half of the album makes up for the second with incredible sing-alongs and powerful musical momentum.
Pennywise - Reason To Believe
An awesome skate-punk masterpiece.
B-52s - Funplex
These old guys and girls still know how to keep the party going.
Scars on Broadway - Self Titled
This System of a Down off-shoot shows strength in songwriting with some of the strangest and most satisfying music of the year.
Rise Against - Appeal To Reason
Although a bit on the poppy side, this new Rise Against album brings a batch of great new songs to their already stellar catalogue.
Metallica - Death Magnetic
A real treat for old Metallica fans with thrash-inducing, mind-exploding metal that immediately hooks you in.
Alkaline Trio - Agony and Irony
A great major label debut with soaring choruses, well-written lyrics and the classic Alkaline Trio sound to back it up.
H2O - Nothing to Prove
After 7 long years this re-birthed punk/hardcore band still has what it takes to keep you head-banging and singing along.
Last of the Believers - Paper Ships Under a Burning Bridge (EP)
This brand new hardcore punk rock band’s EP is seriously catchy and hard-hitting stuff. “Throwing Matches” is definitely one of the best songs of the year.
Honorable Mentions- While not the best of the year, these held their own just fine.
Protest the Hero - Fortress
Hybrid-maniacs Protest the Hero bring it down hard and unpredictable with this collection of insane songs.
The Gaslight Anthem - The ’59 Sound
A 50’s style rock sound that soothes the soul and eases the mind.
AC/DC - Black Ice
Although this sounds like extremely similar songs one after another, they collectively make a kick-ass rock fest of sound.
Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
A surprisingly intricate and agreeable mix of ballads, rockers and electronic sounds. Maybe Axl isn’t such a jerk after all.
Less Than Jake - GNV FLA
A concrete return to their ska-punk days of yore (you know, the 90s) that should bring some Losing Streak fans out of the woodworks with fresh renewed interest.
The Living End - White Noise
On this album The Living End’s blend of intricate guitar work, strong vocals and galloping beats stay tried and true.
Various Artists - Maiden Heaven (Iron Maiden Tribute)
This great compilation does great modern renditions of classic Maiden jams, including tributes from bands like Metallica, Trivium and Coheed and Cambria.
Weezer - The Red Album
With a mix of weird experimentation and hook-laden pop rock tunes this is a good album but not a top contender.
Disappointments – While most of these weren’t at all bad albums, they didn’t live up to my expectations either.
The Damned - So, Who’s Paranoid?
Some songs are good old rock, some are drawn out bore-fests…a step or two down from their last album Grave Disorder
Goldfinger - Hello Destiny
With guitarist Charlie’s return we were promised something that not only sounded like, but rivaled the Goldfinger self titled record. This is not it.
Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vol. III and IV: Air and Earth
Even worse than Vol. I and II, this bogs down, waters down and dumbs down Thrice’s style into a mostly unlistenable collection of muzak.
Anti-Flag - The Bright Lights of America
Although a good album, its folksy-experimentation and lack of Anti-Flag style punk rock hint at a less than exciting future direction for the band.
Millencolin - Machine 15
Solid, catchy pop-punk tunes that all follow styles that are too parallel and too familiar.
Albums of the Year – Adam Pugh
My picks are from almost every genre this year. I love a diverse range of music and hopefully the following list will represent my tastes in such a way that they amuse, and even confuse many of you. As I reflect on 2008, I am realizing that coming up with 10 best albums was not a challenge at all. It was almost as if they found me and made me realize their greatness through each successive listen. I hope you check a few of them out, and maybe find a real gem that you can call your own. Happy New Year!
1. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
Standout Track - Now
I caught this duo in a small club in 2001 and was blown away by their full sound, tongue-in-cheek humor and love for each other. It was hard to stay away from these magnetic people who made such wonderful music. Now on album number 5, the Mates get a little more serious by employing lovely cellos and piano accompaniments, easily making it into this top 10 list.
2. Soul Embraced - Dead Alive
Standout Track - Everything Reminds Me of You
After a 5-year hiatus to work on other projects, Rocky Gray and Co. return with a vengeance on Dead Alive. The group hits it off fierce and does not let go until the final beat of the title track. It is as if they are trying to tell the world that no one really does it like they can. They have the groove, the riffs and the guts to bare it all for their Lord and Savior.
3. Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea
Standout Track - Ships
Tyler Ramsey has a soft, weathered voice that is able to convey emotion unlike any other. His sparse and timely guitar-work is often the blue sky in a sun-filled day, more of a background that helps to reveal the beauty surrounding it. A Long Dream… was a wonderful way to start this year, and continues to set the course for folk music.
4. Leeland - The Opposite Way
Standout Track - Count Me In
There cannot be a more passionate rock group together right now that is convinced of its message and filled with this much excitement. The group writes about spiritual subjects that belie main songwriter, Leeland Mooring's 20-years. They have melodies that soar to the skies and will reach out and grab you. You cannot listen to this album without getting involved emotionally, which is exactly the point.
5. Damien Jurado - Caught In The Trees
Standout Track - Coats of Ice
Why this man has never earned more recognition I am not sure, but he is my favorite folk-secret. I saw Jurado perform most of this album live in San Francisco this year, and even met the quiet, unassuming songwriter. His stories are woven between guitar strings, and the melody is the bind that keeps it all together. He is a solid performer by himself or with a group, and is able to communicate his music easily, quietly and with great passion. He is a true artist.
6. Muse - H.A.A.R.P. (Live)
Standout Track - Knights of Cydonia
Some bands just cannot pull off their music live. Either they cram too much into an album that is not easily reproducible, or they are just not any good. Muse crams in a ton of music onto an album and makes it sound and look effortless in the process. They are in top form, jumping from piano, to guitar with the greatest of ease. Serving up mostly tracks from Black Holes and Revelations, the band blasts out of your speakers with more energy than the Energizer bunny on Red Bull. This live record will define their career.
7. Scattered Trees - Songs for my Grandfather
Standout Track - Cigarette
I love secrets. This is one of mine. A small group that has written 13 wonderful songs that will surprise you and even make you wonder why you have never heard of them before. Well now you have. Check out their brand of folk-rock that will on one hand make you want to smile and other times cry. Scattered Trees will be quickly growing out of its anonymous status into much bigger shoes sometime very soon.
8. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Standout Track - Gobbledigook
Starting with one of the best songs I never could have imagined this group writing, Sigur Ros get happy on their latest release. The band's past is filled with beautiful and dense orchestrations that can only be described as melancholic and morose. I heard a leak of the opening track and was immediately hooked and had to hear the rest of it for myself. I must say, I was not even slightly disappointed in the direction they decided to go with this album, and you won't be either. Now, if only I could pronounce the name of the album, I would be all set…
9. Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Separation
Standout Track - Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home
Just when I think I have this band pigeonholed into some emo/screamo cliché, they go and change it up on me. It has happened on the past 4-albums the group has put out. You would think I had learned by now. Throwing in more change-ups than a major league pitcher, this group ends up ditching the harmonies for rocking harder with each new release.
10. Adele – 19
Standout Track - Right as Rain
This is one of those albums I heard some murmuring about late this year, so I picked it up, thinking it would be just another wimpy commercial release. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a very talented vocalist in Adele. Her voice is soul. Her passion and music make Amy Winehouse look like a strung-out junkie…oh wait… If you love soul, this is for you.
11. The Welcome Wagon - Welcome To The Welcome Wagon
Standout Track - Up On a Mountain
This is really my number one album of the year. Sneaking in right at the wire earlier this month with its release, The Welcome Wagon wants you to jump onboard and go along for the ride. You will hear that Sufjan Stevens had a lot to do with this release, and his fingerprints are all over it, but the material is the group's own. Comprised of a minister husband and a chorister wife, they keep the songs folky and low-key. Many of them rightly are about their Lord and Savior, which are sung with a deep passion and reverence. There is nothing cheesy or preachy about this record. The more I hear it, the more it draws me in and wants me to love it. The lyrics are wonderful mental pictures that are clearly drawn and sketched with beautiful music. It is as unassuming as a Presbyterian Church, but once inside you will see it is filled with surprisingly wonderful music and a message to boot.
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