This is my second "Best Of 2008" Music list, the first being here. There are a few more reflective lists planned, and some old reviews I wrote, then onto to a bi-weekly series which I need to title yet. This is the 10 Best Albums released prior to 2008 that I heard for the first time last year. Some albums I heard in February, some a couple weeks ago.
Last I will discuss why some albums were left off my previous list. As usual feel free to compliment my choices or tell me I am fool. Or argue amongst yourselves. Music is intensely personal, so he can't help but disagree. Just don't cross that line and start attacking people.
First some housekeeping, when I get new music I make sure to listen to it at least twice before making a judgment about it, and when possible I try to put a couple days in between listens.
Best From Years Past
1. Owen "At Home With Owen" (2006) This rivals ANYTHING for best album He is Chicago's answer to Conor Oberst. (Why does Chicago have such great music?) Has has been writing since 12, to Conor's 13. While his live shows are weird due to his penchant for Fat Tire and Jameson, this is as perfect and as endlessly listenable as they come. "Bad News", "Sad Waltzes", and "Bag of Bones" are probably the best start to an album, and alone would be a hell of an EP, the last 5 songs are just icing on the cake.
2. Of The Opera "Study Natural Law" (2006) This is one of my favorite powerpop albums ever, but it is how intellectual it is that speaks to me the most. A Literate and ethereal work of genius "Afraid of Awakening" and "1909" would rival any two consecutive tracks for storytelling.
3. The Wombats "Proudly Present...A Guide To Love, Loss, and Desperation" (2007) If you like catchy brit-pop then this is for you. Maybe the strongest all-round album on the list. "Let's Dance to Joy Division" "Lost in the Post" "Kill the Director" and "Moving to New York" are all worth a listen. Really the only thing holding this back is that the songs sound the same
4. The Cribs "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever" (2007) - Another entry from England, what do the Brits know that we don't? Must be the water. "Be Safe" carries the later part of the album and stands alone in the world of spoken word/singing songs "the light inside you shines like an unarmed walrus, like a diamond mine". Other than that "I'm A Realist" and Brit pop abound.
5. Maps "We Can Create" (2007) Thematic and airy, almost reminds me of Statistics (Denver Dalley), this is surely an album for Superman when he feels like enjoying the view from up high. Give "You Don't Know Her Name" a listen you won't regret it.
6. Klaxons "Myth of The Near Future (2007) "Golden Skans" is quite the catchy song, don't listen to this if you want to listen to another song in the next couple days. The Klaxons are so good they got a genre of music named after them. "Altanis to the Interzone" and "Gravity's Rainbow" also merit hearing, if you don't have time for the whole album. Oh yeah did I mention they won the Mercury Prize for British/Scottish Album of the Year?
7. We Shot The Moon "Fear and Love" (2007) A nice mellow rock album, "Hope" sets the tone of the album and in light of this Obama guy might be my song of the year. "Sway Your Head" is a great song, and "Please Shine" is motivation distilled, if you want to be uplifted listen to it. In fact most of this album made my "good mood" playlist.
8.Dustin Kensrue "Please Come Home" (2007) "I Knew You Before" and "Pistol" are are pretty damn good start to an album, if I have ever heard one. The rest of rest of album is just plain old guitar folk, squared. And there is something about Dustin's voice that is lost on those Thrice albums, you can see where the "Air" and "Earth" discs come from.
9. Bat For Lashes "Fur and Gold" (2006) "Horse and I" and "Tahiti" speak to me the most. A great female vocalist. Oh and "What's a girl to Do" is good too...
10. Noze "How To Dance" (2006) - O the French! Who else could write a dance-pop song (Love Affair) about getting ready in the morning including "brush my teeth" and "clean my nose". Or maybe techno songs about making food (Kitchen) where he sounds like an angry retarded pirate. All of which are glorious. For those that enjoy Justice or Chromeo.
Left Off My Other List
TV on The Radio "Dear Science" - Yeah, it was a good album, but there was almost no progression from "Cookie Mountain". While some would be fine with that, I am not. If you don't keep moving forward, why make new music?
Portishead "Third" I did not hear
As for Metallica and Guns N Roses, if I wanted to hear mediocre stadium rock I would listen to the radio.
The Hold Steady "Stay Positive" - For some reason I just could not get behind this one, maybe it was the hype machine
Radiohead "In Rainbows" Good, but released in 2007
Fleet Foxes - As big a fan as I am of the Saddle Creek bands and the Omaha scene, it just didn't speak to me.
Coldplay and Snow Patrol both only had a couple a great songs, not nearly enough to make the list.
Death Cab For Cutie "Narrow Stairs" just missed the cut. For those interested my first draft of that top 25 had 46 albums, so something had to give.
With my intention to make this a bi-weekly (at least) as stated earlier, with one edition on Sunday, I need a title. I was thinking "Music For Kossacks" if Unitary Moonbat is okay with it. "Music Notes" was my other idea, and while I like puns it seems too cheesy.
So here is what I have on tap, some more "Best of 2008" stuff: Songs, Writers, Videos, A "Purely Progressive" Edition, and a "Missed the Cut" version with stuff I just recently got to listen to. Then are track-by-track reviews of my 10 favorite albums from last year. That should take us until February, at which point my new music reviewing will start, and I'll explain that then.
Update 3.24pm Central: "Hope" by We Shot the Moon mentioned above was just on CNN...weird. And for those that claim being "old" this is an old friendly list I believe. And yes Bon Iver is brilliant.