Mike's Top Ten Best Albums of 2008

EDIT: If you got here via Largehearted Boy welcome-- please look around the site and also check out our growing Best of 2008 lists:
Dan's Favorite Songs
John's Top Ten Albums (despite his rant)
Mike's Top Ten Songs of 2008

Alright, I was gonna wait til it was closer to the time I would be home, but Hypem forced my hand by doing their annual poll of top ten posts. So here is my list for this year's top ten albums (best songs of the year will follow soon). I hope to see everyone else's lists on here soon-- we can debate them at Xmas. Also, hope you like the color change-- I had to agree with Dan the black just didn't look right...

First the honorable mentions: there were a couple albums out there that won't make my list due to the fact that they aren't my style, but they were definitely interesting listens. Those would be the 8-bit sound (new to me) of Crystal Castles self-titled debut, and the spastic dance-a-thon of Girl Talks Feed the Animals. Great albums for the party inclined music seeker.

I also enjoyed Conor Oberst's first solo outing, and the new Death Cab album. The new Okkervil River album The Stand Ins wasn't bad, but not nearly as complete as last year's The Stage Names. The Streets put out a new one that had a few catchy songs, but he still didn't bring it like on his first two albums. These were all hanger's on, but didn't do quite enough for me.

Finally, honorable mentions purely because I didn't get to hear as much of them as I wanted to-- Seven Mary Three, Filter, Ryan Adams, Beck and The Presidents of the United States all had new albums this year, but I never really got to sit down and listen to them. Hopefully after Xmas I'll have a little extra spending cash to pick them up and give them a full listen.

And now my actual Top Ten Albums of 2008


10) Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
As much as I didn't want to bite off on this album, it's hard to deny it's likability. I've been a KOL fan since Aha Shake Heartbrake, and while this one doesn't have as much swamp rock to it, they've traded up for arena rock, and this is a nice introduction to the band if you hadn't heard of them before.


9) The Whigs - Mission Control
A spare garage rock, power chord banger of an album, this trio from Athens, GA bring back the 90's alt-rock feel and combine it with a little southern twang. Rockers "Like a Vibration" and "Right Hand on My Heart" are standouts, but dreamier songs like "Sleep Sunshine" balance the album nicely.



8) TV on the Radio - Dear Science,
TVOTR have moved a bit towards the mainstream from their former hazy trip-hop, but don't let that fool you. These guys still have a sound that is off the wall. This album has added more funk elements to their sound, and it's a catchy listen from start to finish.

7) Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creations Dark
Songs like "That Man I Shot," "Two Daughters and a Wife," and "The Righteous Path," show why Patterson Hood is one of the best songwriters in music today. The album is a bit long at 18 songs, and there are a few clunkers in there, but this album survives on the strength of some great songs throughout.

6) Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Well, I wished this album would have been higher, but the Saturday/Sunday split of the songs really makes this album hard to sit through in one sitting. Definitely a strong outing from the Adam Duritz and the Crows though, with the strongest songs being, surprisingly, their rockers rather than their soft songs. The first half of the album is a winner for sure (songs like "Cowboys," and "1492.")

5) Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious
While M. Doughty from the Soul Coughing days may be gone, fans of that band can still hear bits and pieces of that great band in the newest solo effort from Mike Doughty. The album is still a bit overproduced and contemporary, but it's hard to deny that Doughty can turn a phrase and write a tune. Upon repeated listens this album's songs shine, especially "Fort Hood," and "I Got the Drop on You." If you loved Haughty Melodic you will love this, and if you liked Soul Coughing, you may need to give this one some time, but it will eventually win you over.

4) The Black Keys - Attack and Release
The Keys have moved out of the garage and into the basement as producer Danger Mouse takes the duo out of their blues rock comfort zone into a ghostly, psychodelic romp. Though not as successful at this than they are at straight rock, this album has a great flow start to finish and the song "I Got Mine" wins the Riff of the Year (try learning it yourself-- it's hard to stop playing it).

3) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
These guys were blowing up on The Hype Machine when I first discovered it, and eventually I was curious. Glad I was, because they're debut is awesome. I love Paul Simon's Graceland, and this album owes its existance to that one. The Afro-pop beats and Ivy League lyrics make for a great repeated listen.

2) Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
This one has been on my short list since January when I was in Japan and had a CD alarm clock and put the Paste sampler in it. I woke up to the song "Skinny Love" every day for about 2 weeks before I realized how great a song it really is. The album has such a strange feeling of coldness (recorded in a cabin in Wisconsin in the middle of winter) and yet an amazing warmth (walls of vocals, steady rhythm guitars) that has made it my most played of the year... but that wasn't enough to make it my....



#1 Album of the Year!
Sun Kil Moon - April
Incredible. What else can I say about this one? Mark Kozelek has a way of writing songs that find a way to penetrate your soul. I'm serious. I love this album, and while it takes some time (74 minutes to be exact) I feel like I just watched an amazing movie when I'm done listening. If you don't own it, buy it. Your rainy days will never be the same.


Please feel free to add your list in the comments section below!