It’s that time again folks. A time for reflection and introspection. A time to separate the wheat from the chaff. A time of stress and frustration. It’s time for me to give you my top ten records of 2008. I’ve dreaded having to write this post because I always feel that I haven’t listened to enough. I worry about having enough indie cred to back up my more mainstream picks. I second guess my choices and evaluate them over and over again. It can be a baffling ordeal, but it is worth it in the end. So after much debate, here are my favorite records of 2008.
1. Butch Walker- Sycamore Meadows
After trying too hard on The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let’s Go Out Tonites, Butch Walker lost his house in the California brushfire. He emerged one year later with some of the best songs of his entire career. The thing that really put this record over the top for me was its simplicity. It’s just Butch, his band and some songs. After pretending to be Mark Bolan for awhile, Butch finally sounds like he has come home.
Key Tracks: “The Weight of Her,” “Closer to the Truth, Further From the Sky,” “ATL”
2. Los Campesinos!- Hold on Now Youngster!
I was really apprehensive about this record. When an album gets universal acclaim, I immediately become suspicious. Is this band really good, or is everyone just trying to be cool? I eventually succumbed to the hype machine and ate my words. Hold on Now Youngster! is so good that it is impossible to describe without succumbing to pretentious rock critic clichés. Unfortunately, I am quite weak-willed, so I will indulge myself. The working class Welsh accent of Gareth Campesinos is counterbalanced by the sweet girlish vocals of Aleksandra Campesinos. I’m going to stop before I get any worse.
Key Tracks: “Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats,” “Please Don’t Tell Me to Do the Math(s),” “My Year in Lists”
3. The Gaslight Anthem- The ’59 Sound
I had a feeling I would like this record. After all, I’m a sucker for songs about dead-end kids trying to bust out of their Jersey towns. I love anthemic vocals with big choruses. I immediately feel kinship with a band if they reference Elvis and Miles Davis. However, I did not expect to be blown away by it. In the chorus for “High Lonesome,” lead singer, Brian Fallon mentions that he “kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis.” I thought it was a clever line, but I was completely unprepared for what he had to say next: “I kinda sorta wish I was someone else.” The matter of fact delivery won me over. The ’59 Sound is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had this year.
Key Tracks: “High Lonesome,” “The ’59 Sound,” “Miles Davis and the Cool”
4. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
The moment I heard Jenny Lewis’ solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, I fell in love with it. Acid Tongue was harder to warm up to. I was expecting a sequel, so the harder rocking songs put me off a bit. The great thing about Acid Tongue is that you get something new out of it with every listen. It sounds like it was recorded in a couple of nights, which is becoming exceedingly rare.
Key Tracks: “Acid Tongue,” “Godspeed,” “The Next Messiah”
5. The Supersuckers- Get It Together
There’s not much to say about Get it Together other than the fact that it rocks from start to finish. It’s almost become taboo to release a record with unironic guitar solos, which is exactly what the Supersuckers have done. The best thing about Get it Together is that it showcases the band’s rock and country side, so you get a really complete portrait. Hopefully the next album will continue in this direction.
Key Tracks: “Sunset on a Sunday,” “Breaking Honey’s Heart,” “When I Go, I’m Gone”
6. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals- Cardinology
This is the line that has appeared in every Ryan Adams review since Gold in 2001: (insert title here) is not as good as Heartbreaker. With Cardinology, Ryan Adams has finally stepped out of the shadow cast by his debut. Adams’ greatest asset and detriment is his ambition. He has always tried to make his Big Artistic Statement, which often led to uneven records. This time it’s not about ambition, it’s about the songs. The Cardinals are the perfect backing band for Adams. They don’t overshadow the lyrics, but never fade completely into the background. They are exactly what a backing band should be.
Key Tracks: “Cobwebs,” “Fix It,” “Crossed Out Name”
7. Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
I greeted The Rhumb Line with a fair amount of skepticism. They seemed like they were the epitome of indie-rock pretension. Once I heard the album, I understood what all the fuss was about. The songs are really pretty without being too cute. The lyrics are smart without being self impressed. The thing that surprised me the most was how hard rocking the songs were. It doesn’t rock in the traditional sense, but the strong backbeat is firmly in the rock n’ roll tradition. At times it’s almost danceable.
Key Tracks: “Can You Tell,” “Run My Mouth,” “Dying is Fine”
Rise Against- An Appeal to Reason
An Appeal to Reason would have been ranked much higher if not for the production. It’s way too clean for such a politically outspoken band. Despite my dislike of the production, I understand why the band used it. The bright production makes the radical content of the record much more palatable. An Appeal to Reason is full of hard-driving guitar riffs and big choruses. More importantly, lead singer Tim McIlrath has a voice that drips with passion and conviction.
Key Tracks: “Collapse (Post-Amerika),” “Long-Forgotten Sons,” “Hero of War”
9. The Hold Steady- Stay Positive
Stay Positive is exactly what it advertises. It is an exceedingly upbeat record in extremely bleak times. It’s impossible to listen to “Constructive Summer” and not feel inspired. Craig Finn has learned how to sing and his lyrics have become streamlined. The result is a very accessible, but still sounds like the Hold Steady of old. Mark my words, this band will be huge.
Key Tracks: “Constructive Summer,” “Sequestered in Memphis,” “Joke About Jamaica”
10. Metallica- Death Magnetic
This will probably be my most controversial pick in my top ten. My heart leaped when I heard the “DUH-DUH-DUH-DUNTAH!” at the beginning of “That Was Just Your Life.” It’s not Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, but who cares? Metallica is thrashing again. We, as metalheads should be rejoicing. The “DUH-DUH-DUH-DUNTAH’S” are back! Isn’t that what we wanted in the first place?
Key Tracks: “That Was Just Your Life,” “Broken, Beat and Scarred,” “The Unforgiven III”
Other Albums That Saw Heavy Rotation in 2008:
Bob Dylan- Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 9
Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
Conor Oberst- Conor Oberst
Drive-By Truckers- Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
She and Him- Volume One
1969- Maya
Testament- Formation of Damnation
Jay Retard- Singles 06-07
David Bowie- Live in Santa Monica, ’72
The Wildhearts- Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One
Elvis Costello and the Impostors- Momofuku
So there you have it. Feel free to fill up my mailbox with pithy remarks telling me what horrible taste I have.