tenessential
Albums Of 2008
Alternative Press - Editorial Intern on 6/4/09 @ 12:52 PM - altpress.comAnother year goes into the record books, and another record goes into our iTunes library: 2008 had plenty of killer albums that our editors played into the ground. Discs from Anthony Green, Underoath, Person L, Death Cab For Cutie, Ben Folds, Torche, Ceremony, Amanda Palmer, the Mars Volta, the Hold Steady and dozens more were wedged inside our soundsystems for absurdly large chunks of the past 365, but when it really came down to it, the following 10 albums are the ones that dominated our playlists-and our lives-this year. -Scott Heisel
[JP] Jason Pettigrew, editor in chief
[RL] Rachel Lux, managing editor
[SH] Scott Heisel, music editor
[TJK] Tim Karan, associate editor
[JG] Jennifer Grathwol, copy editor
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Flogging Molley Float (sideonedummy,2008)
Lucky clovers, they’ve done it again! With their fourth proper studio full-length, Float, celt-punks Flogging Molly have distilled the ruckus and revelry of St. Patrick’s day into 11 rollicking-good tracks. Okay, so it sounds an awful lot like their 2000 debut, Swagger-and 2002’s Drunken Lullabies, too. Not to mention 2004’s Within A Mile Of Home and 2006’s Whiskey On A Sunday. But to be fair, those are all damn good discs, too. If it ain’t broke... [JG]
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Future Of The Left Curses (TOO PURE/BEGGARS BANQUET,2008)
Future Of The Left were born from the ashes of noisy British acts such as McLusky and Jarcrew, but their penchant for guitar molestation, grimy basslines and noose-tight drumming distinctly takes its cues from the early-’90s American underground (Fugazi, Shellac, the Jesus Lizard). Add singer/guitarist/heckler destroyer Andy Falkous’ deliciously dark ruminations, season with the occasional synth line and voila! The soundtrack to your next bone dislocation. [JP]
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The Gaslight Anthem The ’59 Sound (Too Pure/Beggars Banquet,2008)
The most hyped band in punk rock since Against Me!, New Jersey quartet the Gaslight Anthem took the hardest left turn they could think of with their hotly anticipated sophomore album, unplugging the distortion pedals and spending much more time focusing on the craft of traditional (and dare we say, Springsteen-esque) songwriting. Packed with memorable melodies and sublime storytelling, The ’59 Sound is the kind of album you and your dad can agree on-and that’s not a bad thing. [SH]
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Jack's Mannequin The Glass Passenger (Sire,2008)
Ever since Andrew McMahon graced the cover of AP 234, our Most Anticipated Albums Of 2008 issue, I had been stoked to hear The Glass Passenger. It’s been a long time coming (Everything In Transit was released three long years ago), but in the interim, McMahon managed to kick cancer and keep an amazing attitude about life. The disc is chock full of uplifting, layered and super-catchy tunes; when I sing along, it makes me feel equipped to handle anything, anywhere, anytime. [RL]
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Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground (Bombs Over Bellevue/Suburban Home,2008)
The older you get, the more you appreciate unusual instrumentation. This project from Gatsbys American Dream alumni Kirk Huffman and Kyle O’Quin jams every instrument you’ve ever heard of into an unclassifiable, intelligent mini-symphony that maneuvers between musical time periods as quickly as it steps in and out of genres. The end result is an epically eclectic album that sounds more like what the Beatles would be playing today if they were still around than what the actual Beatles would probably play. [TJK]
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The Matches A Band In Hope (Epitaph,2008)
If I could change only one thing about 2008, it would be the three-and-a-half stars that accompanied my review of A Band In Hope. It definitely deserves more. How do I know? The disc came out in March, and it has never left rotation in my iTunes. This is a band who live for their craft, and they truly put together an engaging, diverse and entertaining disc with a little something for everyone. It shouldn’t be missed. [RL]
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Norma Jean The Anti Mother (Solid State,2008)
The easy way out would be to say Norma Jean went from sounding like Botch to sounding like Thrice. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with sounding like either of those bands, the comparison doesn’t do The Anti Mother enough justice. In addition to ducking in and out of brutality and beauty (especially on “Self-Employed Chemist”), the album benefits from some killer collaborations with Saosin’s Cove Reber, Deftones’ Chino Moreno and Helmet’s Page Hamilton. This is the most ambitious and addictive album of Norma Jean’s career. [TJK]
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Polar Bear Club Sometimes Things Just Disappear (Red Leader,2008)
You know when you’re driving somewhere with the stereo loud, and then you get to your destination, but the music you’re blaring is so good that you wait a few extra seconds before turning the engine off so as to squeeze a few more bars into your brain? Multiply that feeling by, I dunno, 42, and you’ll get how I feel about this album. It’s a miracle I’m not permanently living in my car, given how long this absolutely spectacular post-hardcore masterpiece has been lodged in its stereo. [SH]
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Portugal. The Man Censored Colors (Approaching Airballoons/Equal Vision,2008)
As wild and unpredictable as any grizzly bear (or child of Sarah and Todd Palin) you might find wandering the backcountry of their native Wasilla, Alaska, indie darlings Portugal. The Man handedly caged an ambient aural menagerie on Censored Colors, their third album in as many years. Violin, trombone, trumpet and frontman John Baldwin Gourley’s unmistakable vocals combine to make “the land of the midnight sun’s” most illuminated export. Shine on. [JG]
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These New Puritans Beat Pyramid (Domino,2008)
In England, there’s a scene of iridescent bands whose members aren’t old enough to drink in bars. These New Puritans are the best of the bunch; their debut disc, Beat Pyramid, forges an alloy of sharp guitars, alluring samples, lyrical non sequiturs and regimented beats that recall elements of Britain’s rich post-punk history and early industrial rock, all delivered with a moody tension that conveys undiscovered nuance with each new listen. No swooped hair, lip rings or tats: just pure sonic adventure. [JP]
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If I'm not mistaken, you guys called Underoath's "Lost In The Sound Of Separation" 'the first perfect album of 2008.' Yet, it did not make this list.