2008 Pt. 2: Power And Glory (20 - 1)

(40 to 21 is in the previous post, which can be found here if you want to avoid any glimpse of the following)

20. Dr. Dog - Fate
I'd only ever heard "My Old Ways" from a previous album, which was an ultra-catchy sugary pop song. Thankfully, they've de-sweetened their hooks for Fate. Lots of great arrangements, harmonies, musicianship. Classic sounds.
Favorite Song: "Uncovering The Old"

19. Deerhunter - Weird Era Cont.
I am into this. Microcastle, notsomuch. I am not able to understand how they are perceived as anything more than a servicable indie band. Not bad by any means, but they certainly don't seem elite to me. Good noise jams here, a few neat tricks.
Favorite Song: "Dot Matrix"

18. French Kicks - Swimming
Easily their most mature album, which probably would sound scary to most people who consider them to be the epitome of boredom. But I also think it's their best. They've avoided the NY school altogether and made an album of 12 swooning, romantic songs. These dudes yearn!
Favorite Song: "New Man"

17. Wavves - Wavves
Beachgothweedsurf. Cover art is awesome, great hand-drawn art in general, really. Great job of naming a song after one's own band. Also by Wavves: the "BEACH DEMON/WEED DEMON" 12". Sold!
Favorite Song: "Wavves"...but also "WEED DEMON"

16. The Sea And Cake - Car Alarm
I am already guilty of undervaluing this terribly. My greatest listening regret was not appreciating this more. As I slowly grow to fully love this album, I am realizing it's probably in the same league as Everybody, which was my favorite 2007 album this year. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens with Car Alarm next year.
Favorite Song: "Window Sills"

15. Lemuria - Get Better
3 piece emo/pop/punk throwback from Buffalo, 1 of 2 non-local bands I went to see live in '08. Took a little time to embrace, very earnest and blue. "Mechanical," "Dogs," and "Buzz" are all totally great. This is like the resurrected ghost of Elizabeth Elmore, who is still very much alive.
Favorite Song: "Mechanical"

14. The Walkmen - You & Me
Very similar to Swimming, in fact I had a hard time thinking of one without the other. Actually you could read #18 again and it would be entirely true for this as well. Maybe less yearning. I used to listen to this on summer a.m. walks with Iris and it was kinda perfect.
Favorite Song: "Red Moon"

13. caUSE co-MOTION - It's Time! Singles & EPs 2005-08
Too short to be really substantial (15 minutes), but it is a blast. Clean punk with distinctive guitars and good hooks. A very quiet voice inside of me whispers that it maybe occasionally vaguely reminds me of Enema Of The State. I hate my past.
Favorite Song: "Which Way Is Up," "Say What You Feel," "This Just Won't Last," I'm pretty sure this album is all the same song.

12. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
There was a cluster of indie albums that I got around to at the same time, some of which were also "D" bands (Deerhunter, Dept. of Eagles...). I associated them with each other and thought they were mostly similar (this is a disturbing trend, is it my fault or the internet's?) I actually forced myself to sit down and listen to each album individually at work and this was clearly the best. Way more classic rock than I originally detected, sometimes good emo chords, and like 5 truly great songs. Less zany than Friend Opp, not as tuff as Runners 4, but a better album than both. Probably the best and funniest artwork of the year.
Favorite Song: "Offend Maggie," "Family Of Others"

11. The Breeders - Mountain Breeders
Apparently, Kim Deal never does anything wrong and is the coolest person in music. This album feels really glossy, both figuratively (the guitars on "Overglazed") and literally (the physical sleeve is slippery). Gorgeous off-kilter ballads and experimental pop ideas thrown together without needing to be fully fleshed out. "Spark" is my favorite noise track that is not at all noisy. "Night Of Joy" is sexual and glorious and one of the best tracks of the year.
Favorite Song: "Night Of Joy"

10. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night / Crystal Stilts EP
I like the way I see Crystal Stilts as a band. I don't really know that much about them, so I sort of idealize them as mild NY 30 year olds. At first, I thought they were better than they actually are because of my excitement. Then I thought they were less good than they actually are because of initially overvaluing them. Then, I actually focused on the songs and realized that Alight Of Night is a great album. The EP is mentioned here because it sounds better. If the full length would have had the EP's production...hooo boy...Please Stilts, don't get any cleaner. Let your long hair flow!
Favorite Song: "Departure"

9. The Week That Was - The Week That Was
Field Music was cleanly bisected in a remote scientific laboratory this year by the Fightin' Brewis's, which resulted in TWTW and School of Language. SoL seemed to focus on rhythms and structures, while Peter Brewis proved that he is The Craft Man. He was able to retain much of what was, to me, the soul of Field Music, found in the melodies and string sections of "The Airport Line" and "The Story Waits For No One." It's unmistakably 80s-influenced, but in an uncharted way (Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush). Yeah, it's missing a little zip, but I can live in a Field Music-less world as long as P.B. is not split in half.
Favorite Song: "The Airport Line"

8. Koufax - Strugglers
This pretty much dropped out of the sky and into my lap. One day in August, I thought "I wonder what Koufax has been up to?" I found a version of this to listen to while I went out to mow the lawn and I wasn't baffled so much by the opening track "Any Moment Now," as much as I thought I had downloaded something else altogether that had been mislabeled. As Strugglers progressed, it revealed itself to be a bolder, fresher, more measured update on their earlier work, each of the first 9 songs representing a different shade of the band's colorful spectrum. The songwriting is precise, but the lyrics really show the most growth (espcially "Roll The Dice," which is almost moving, something I never thought I'd say about a Koufax song). This was almost completely overlooked, possibly because it was put out on a nu-emo label, but it's a great and wonderful surprise.
Favorite song: "What I'm Sayin'"

7. Nada Surf - Lucky
Another album that took me a long time to pin down. Initially, I thought the songs were good, but it felt lukewarm overall. "See These Bones" is actually a really good indication of this feeling; it's awesome, but it's not really something that makes me that excited. It never achieves the coherent feel of The Weight Is A Gift or Let Go, but the high points of the album carry it to a greater status. The album actually features two of the best songs of the year ("From Now On" and "Are You Lightning?" - the second half of which destroys me) and a few songs that are also pretty great ("Beautiful Beat," "Weightless," "Ice On The Wing"). But there are also bad songs for the first time (the last two tracks). As a whole, it eventually started to develop a kind of feel that was recognizable and comfortable in the familiar NS way. And also, this list is starting to look like 2002. (EMBARRASSING!)
Favorite Song: "From Now On"

6. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
I love this album so much. Its great conflict seems to be over pretense; the abstract Malkmus wordplay vs. classic rock regression and earnestness. It seems totally self-indulgent in the most rewarding and endearing way, like he's sharing something that he loves. Great guitar work, on a whole other level from anything I've ever hear from him before. One of my favorite moments on record this year comes at the end of the second chorus in "Hopscotch Willie" (after the pause, the one note solo). Over the last six weeks, "Out Of Reaches" eeked out Favorite Song of '08 over "From Now On." The wurlitzer in the break, the double guitar solo...when it's gets to the outro and he sings "I know the tide will turn," I am Real Emotional Trav.
Favorite Song: "Out Of Reaches"

5. Women - Women
I'm not sure if I forced this or not, but it went from a pile of babble to avant-garde masterpiece. Even the noise tracks ("Woodbine," "January 8th") went from being minutes of static to an intense micro-study of sound. I read about someone losing their mind recently and thought about what it would sound like; "January 8th" came to mind, but I couldn't place where I'd heard it. When I traced it back to this album, it only served to add another dimension. All of this is to say nothing of the incredible pop songs ("Black Rice," "Group Transport Hall," "Cameras") and Chad VanGaalen's adventurous reinvent-the-wheel kind of production. This is the best of the weird.
Favorite Song: "Black Rice"

4. Javelins - Heavy Meadows
I know it's a little dubious to put a friend's band so high up on one's list, and believe me, I had to do some serious soul-searching about this. But here's the thing: I didn't have to do this. Heavy Meadows earned its way to this point. It's a true album in a way in which they haven't been made for a few years. There's a concrete beginning and a true end, there's album tracks, singles...it covers all of the bases a great 35-40 minute album should. More than anything, it's colorful and it's original. "Roman Saints" is gorgeous, half odd-time shoegaze, half delicate jazz. And the "Heavy Meadows"/"The Pounding" combo is perfect. Amazing album, friends or no.
Favorite Song: "Heavy Meadows"

3. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Maybe this is the closest thing to a consistent album that they can make. Side A is flawless, containing a continuation of Wild Mountain Nation-style jams in the first two tracks, the 70s piano pop of "Saturday Nite," and a perfect little folk song in the title track. The second half drops off a bit ("Love U" is flat out terrible), but there are still quiet gems to be mined like "Stolen Shoes + A Rifle." My favorite song is probably "God + Suicide" which has the spirit and feel of "Futures & Folly," along with the aversion of the word "and." When this band is at their best, they are capable of writing the perfect song.
Favorite Song: "God + Suicide"

2. No Age - Nouns
God bless these dudes, for they are the ideal. Scene-builders, DIY label owners, and JAM FIENDS. I don't understand how something so atonal and blurred can be so lovable. Nouns is fun ("Teen Creeps"), poppy ("Here Should Be My Home"), and often complex ("Things I Did When I Was Dead"). It seems like the singles that were compiled on Weirdo Rippers were great practice for a full-length. They figured out what worked and how much focus was necessary to make a great album. Like I've heard about 100 times before, it is a pretty amazing time where an album like Nouns can be so Zeitgeist-y.
Favorite Song: "Teen Creeps"

1. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
For all the times I've mentioned how I can't explain why I like something, I know exactly why I love this. I've come to the conclusion that what I love about rock and roll is the raw, untamed spirit of punk and soul. I've come to realize that they're really the same thing; the punk part is obvious, but have you ever seen Otis Redding in Monterrey Pop? It is wild! Jimi Hendrix lit his guitar on fire and Otis still blew him off the stage. I suppose talent is really the only variable. When Otis screams, it sounds technically great. When Milo Auckerman opens his mouth, it's mostly wretched. But they feel equally urgent. What Vivian Girls have done on their self-titled album is bridge the gap. You can even hear it in their voices; the actual sound and tone of their voices are classically great, but when they sing, they're wild and messy. They spend 22 minutes walking (running?) a serious of punk/soul tightropes, and it's exhilarating. I was excited from the first time I read about them because of how great Shop Assistants are, but the songs on this album turned out to be light years better than any of the bands used as referenced points. Two weeks later, I was certain it was the album of the year for me.
Favorite Song: "Where Do You Run To?"

2008 Pt. 1: Consolation Prizes

I can't imagine liking more albums than I did this year, it was easily the most enjoyable and productive (whatever that means) year as a music fan I've ever had. I listened to just over 100 albums from 2008, which means I found 100 albums to be interested in. A few were duds, but there was a lot to love. I found myself embracing new trends of fuzzed out JAMC-style 80s pop that seem to be so popular right now without worrying about trend-hopping. It seems like a perfect mix for me: elements of punk, lo-fi, VU druggie stuff assualting structures of pop songs that would've been great even if they were left alone. The ambiguity makes for a much more fascinating listen. And it's indefensible; if you think it's boring, I have nothing to say. You'd be right, it's total drone that doesn't really go anywhere. But I love it and it makes sense to me. One man's trash, blah blah blah...

I really didn't hate anything this year. If I knew it was something I wouldn't like, I avoided it. Absolutely everything was overrated, I think that's just the way things are going to be from now on if something is worth hearing. I was let down on a selfish, personal level by two albums, being...

R.E.M. - Accelerate
Somewhere in the middle of 2008, I realized that R.E.M. is my favorite band (another one of those "don't ask me to explain" things). There was some buzz that this was going to be "rockin'" and a return to form. I allowed myself some hope, and was entirely let down. It just sounds like another post-millenial R.E.M. album that I can pick up in the dollar bin in a few years. The single was alright though.

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
I realize they were trying to move forward and everything, but jeez...I mean, on the whole, it's not that much of a departure, but the title track and "Highly Suspicious" were offensively bad. I don't know if it's Advanced or what, but I can't even begin to understand what they were thinking. "H.S." (which is by far the worst track of the year) is such a hideous stain that I can't listen to the rest of the album without feeling haunted by it's awfulness. Trying new things is great and everything, but when it doesn't work out, and especially when it doesn't fit in with your album, save it for the b-sides.

Also, notes on two other albums that should be somewhere on the Top 40 list...

Nodzzz - S/T
I just heard this for the first time about a week ago and it is frequently perfect. It could have been literally anywhere on my list. However, I don't have any perspective or experience with it, and have yet to come down from the honeymoon. But it is shockingly awesome.

Fleet Foxes - S/T & EP
I've only recently got over hating this. I thought they were a My Morning Jacket cover band, faux-authentic, overhyped, etc. I guess they are all of those things still, except now I like it.

I planned on doing a Top 40 list, but when I tried to to explain some of the lower-ranked albums to a friend, I realized I didn't really care about some of them. But because it's already written, I'll post it anyways. Just don't ask me anything about Cut Copy because I haven't listened to that album since, like April.

40. The Clientele - That Night, A Forest Grew EP
I love their sound. They're like a Sea And Cake thing where all of their stuff is good and consistent, but to a lesser extent.

39. Silver Jews - Lookout, Mountain, Lookout Sea
2nd half.

38. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
I said don't ask!

37. Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park
I used to think this was great, but it really wore thin for me. "No One Does It Like You" is a jam.

36. High Places - High Places
Wins award for Most Original, almost sounds like World music. Almost.

35. Air France - No Way Down EP
Avalanches-y type electronic ambience. Sort of like a dream; No, better.

34. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
2 great songs, 2 terrible songs, everything else is somewhere from good to forgettable. It's official, take that Q!

33. My Teenage Stride - Lesser Demons EP
Read about them in MRR, great update on Buzzcocks-style pop-punk.

32. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
No comment.

31. Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
My favorite AC besides "Fireworks." Way to come down off the drugs, guys.

30. Glorytellers - Glorytellers
Acoustic Karate. Hmmm, that sounds interesting on a few levels...

29. Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
Spazzy clean neon yelp punk. Seems like it should be better. I think they have it in 'em.

28. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
You know how I know I'm gay? Great singles!

27. Tyvek - Future Junk 7"
Just looking for a way to fit them in. This is three of their weaker songs, but the band is just so awesome.

26. The Ergs! - Hindsight Is 20/20, My Friend
Singles collection of the best pop-punk band going. The genuine-ness of the "Hey Jealousy" cover led me to my newfound love of New Miserable Experience. That seems weird.

25. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
Apparently, Isaac Brock is a killer producer because he seems to have made the difference for these guys. These songs are pretty good, but it is no ATTQM.

24. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
More specific than Boys And Girls In America, and probably the right step to take after the best album they could possibly make. I love "Joke About Jamaica."

23. Title Fight - Kingston 7"
I loved this like crazy for the first half of the year. Reminds me of jogging. They will be the ones to inherit the throne of All American Rejects.

22. The Radio Dept. - Freddie And The Trojan Horse EP
I bet they like New Order!

21. The Anniversary - Devil On Our Side (Rareties And B-Sides)
The anticipation! I looked forward to this maybe more than anything. I had heard a lot of the older songs, but was really surprised by the new ones. Why don't I listen to this more?

20 to 1 in a few.