Best of 2008

I apologize in advance for not having a totally punk rock list. My bads!

Top 20 Albums of 2008?!

#20. Cetus - These Things Take Time

April 29 on Five Point Records

After one nasty episode, I've sworn off reviewing my friends' bands. It's harder to be critical and any critiques I do make generally get blown out of proportion. There's also that whole "conflict of interest" thing. I'm going to have to fudge that rule this year, though, because my pals in the metal/hardcore act Cetus dropped a full-length that grinds my bones, melts my face and openly mocks my mother. Drummer Matt Buckley serves up double bass-laden machine gun beats at ludicrous speeds while dual guitarists Evan Williams and Matt Hollenberg lay down a thick buffet o' riffs. Frontman and lyricist Erich Kriebel espouses on topics ranging from societal oppression to pooping, all with a scream that's heavy yet intelligible. It's clear Kriebel puts effort into his lyrics, and the fact that he takes the time to enunciate is greatly appreciated. So, here's the full disclosure: My friends are really talented.

#19. Billy Bragg - Mr. Love & Justice

March 3, 2008 on ANTI-

While his guitar strum is a little mellower these days, Billy Bragg remains a brilliant, pointed lyricist, when he wants to be. "O Freedom" is easily one of his best political anthems in years, expertly summing up post-9/11 hysteria in just over four minutes. Oddly enough, though, it's the "love" half of Mr. Love & Justice that sticks out more, hook-wise. Opening number "I Keep Faith" is a gentle, midtempo tune about fidelity, a topic that creeps up again on tracks like "I Almost Killed You" and "M for Me." Mr. Love & Justice is a catchy lil' think-piece for the politically adept.

#18. Bridge and Tunnel - East/West

September 1 on No Idea Records

While I never got to see Latterman live, I've caught drummer Pat Schramm's new band Bridge and Tunnel a few times, and I like to think the passion is comparable. Guitarist Rachel Rubino and bassist Tia Meilinger always look so ecstatic to be making music, while frontman Jeff Cunningham fulfills the role of the fearless leader. As for Schramm, he bangs the drums hard, which is always a plus. Together, B&T takes on some weighty topics – consumerism and imperialism – while building a sense of community with listeners.

#17. Anti-Flag - The Bright Lights of America

April 1 on RCA

Anti-Flag might be from the majorly uncool side of the commonwealth, but at least they turn out top-notch punk jams. The Bright Lights of America expands on the band's sound by adding just about every instrument ever. "Good and Ready" is flush with bells, strings and a freaking children's choir. It's like a Menzingers/Beach Boys mash-up. "Tar and Sagebrush" goes for a more stripped-down approach, and a bluegrass vibe to boot. Frankly, either way works for me.

#16. Patti Smith and Kevin Shields - The Coral Sea

July 11 on PASK

Bless these two music legends for hooking up. This live double set collects two presentations of Patti Smith's epic poem and commemoration of her late friend, the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and his quest to see the Southern Cross constellation before he dies. Smith's poetry lives and dies with her every breath. One moment, her reading is direct and mechanical, but outbursts of burning emotional anguish erupt throughout. It's painful yet moving. My Bloody Valentine mastermind Kevin Shields improvises guitar parts for both shows, adding texture. Shields brings that swirling, otherworldly guitar tone MBV fans love, reacting to and enhancing Smith's speech patterns. The Coral Sea is arguably the most difficult record on this list, but its analysis of the human spirit is breathtaking and mind-bending.

#15. Nada Surf - Lucky

February 5 on Barsuk

Nada Surf 2.0 has been steadily turning out airy indie rock for years now, but Lucky is such a thrillingly reliable record that any accusations of uninspired songwriting seem beside the point. From "See These Bones" to "The Film Did Not Go 'Round,'" Lucky is catchy and pleasant. It doesn't improve on the formula from the band's well-regarded Let Go album, but it does propagate its virtues: Solid pop musicianship and heartfelt lyrics go a long way.

#14. Ghost of the Russian Empire - The Mammoth

May 13 on Thirty Ghosts

Between 4:13 Dream, Secret Machines, and The Mammoth, 2008 was a nifty year for spacey rock arrangements. The Mammoth was a pleasant surprise hit for me, boasting propulsive yet ethereal tracks one after another. Striking a sonic pose somewhere between Pink Floyd and Mogwai, the record manages to sound epic without being self-indulgent. The songs feel tight yet wholly natural -- open yet not spread out the point of redundancy.

#13. M83 - Saturday Nights = Youth

April 14 on Mute

Things Saturday Nights = Youth reminds me of:

Mew's dreamy yet propulsive brand o' rock. "Pretty in Pink." Grave rubbings. Rain. Angst. Cocteau Twins swirling and churning and bubbling. Living in my car. Sleeping. Listening to "I Know It's Over" by the Smiths on repeat when I was 17. And uh…keyboards, I suppose. "Kim & Jessie" is the hit, but "Graveyard Girl" is the secret success.

#12. The Cure - 4:13 Dream

October 28 on Geffen

Even a merely solid Cure album is better than most. Like Nada Surf's Lucky, 4:13 Dream is a dependable record. It doesn't surprise me much, but it guarantees a strong balance between infectious pop songs like "The Only One" and "The Hungry Ghost" and more drawn-out rockers like "The Scream" and "It's Over." After the forced-sounding The Cure in 2004, it appears that Robert Smith and his bandmates have settled into a nice songwriting groove. While it's not as giddy as Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me or as dissonant as Pornography, 4:13 Dream is an airy, pleasant collection that succeeds at reminding us why sad people like the Cure so dang much.

#11. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

May 13 on Atlantic

After Plans' soft indie pop leanings, Death Cab for Cutie opted to flex a few muscles for major label release #2, Narrow Stairs. The record doesn't fully hit its catchy, rocking stride until track three, "No Sunlight," but the warm-up to that point is mighty fine, too. The second track and lead single, "I Will Possess Your Heart," feels out a groove -- four minutes of it -- before it gets to the actual song. Plans was a focused collection of love songs, and that's cool, but Narrow Stairs explores so much more room without sacrificing memorable hooks. I wish all indie rock bands could have half the successful streak of albums ol' Death Cab has going.

#10. The Kills - Midnight Boom

March 10 on Domino

Up until now, I've been a Kills fan because I loved Allison Mosshart's former band, the pop-punk outfit Discount. With this year's Midnight Boom, however, the band finally dropped its PJ Harvey blues rock imitations for something quite different. The Kills dramatically altered their garage band sound, programming beats based off of schoolyard chants and telephone dial tones. Hand claps and dial tones abound, resulting in a record that sits at a variety of lunch tables; it's bluesy yet electronic, dark yet poppy. The whole dang album is stuffed with hooks -- cuts like "M.E.X.I.C.O.C.U.," "What New York Used to Be" and "U.R.A. Fever" are relentless dance-rock gems.

#9. Secret Machines - Secret Machines

October 14 on TSM Recordings

Normally, when bands splinter into factions, the results are questionable (Mars Volta + Sparta At the Drive-In, yes?). So what made guitarist Benjamin Curtis' departure from Secret Machines so beneficial for all involved? Secret Machines' new line-up ended up writing the band's best album. And Curtis is now doing time with the similarly droning, similarly great School of Seven Bells. After hearing Secret Machines, I'm not going to press the issue too hard. This, the band's third full-length, further mines the expansive stoned-out prog-rock they're known for. But there's so much more added to color that style -- hints of glam rock and new wave abound -- resulting in an ambitious, moody record stuffed with ambient melodies and John Bonham beats.

#8. Static Radio NJ - An Evening of Bad Decisions…

September 9 on Black Numbers

Ya know what, it's been like a year since the last Lifetime record. I could really use a shot of New Jersey melodic hardcore / pop-punk. Oh hey, members of the up-and-coming New Jersey melodic hardcore / pop-punk group Static Radio NJ. Whatcha doin'?

"Oh, you know, just bein' awesome. Getting' ready to tour Europe. Writin' catchy songs that are shorter, louder and faster."

Oh, you mean like Kid Dynamite?

"Yeah, you could say that. Hey, you wanna get some taquitos from Trader Joe's and watch 'Big Trouble in Little China'?"

Boy would I!

#7. Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords

April 22 on Sub Pop

For a joke band, Flight of the Conchords sure do write awfully great songs. Their self-titled U.S. debut boasts a variety of styles, from French discothèque pop on "Foux Du Fafa" to socially conscious Marvin Gaye-style R&B on "Think About It." The music is smooth and catchy, expertly crafted so as to elevate it above novelty. The band has complained in the past that fans have started singing along instead of laughing at these joke songs live, but the duo has only itself to blame for cranking out such infectious numbers. I mean, have you heard "Bowie"? It covers spacey hippie Bowie, glam rock Bowie and Let's Dance Bowie perfectly. It has lines like "How far out are you, man?" "I'm pretty far out." "That's pretty far out, man!" So good.

#6. Paint It Black - New Lexicon

February 19 on Jade Tree

Where CVA was a quick and hook-filled hardcore jam -- thanks to co-vocalist and Loved Ones frontman Dave Hause -- and Paradise snapped ligaments like Slim Jims, New Lexicon aims for a more atmospheric vibe. That doesn't mean the disc grinds less -- it's still a stool-kicker. However, the band tempers down the blistering bits with instrumental compositions by co-producer Oktopus from alt-rap group Dälek. For the most part, it works. Unlike, say, the Mars Volta circa Frances the Mute, Oktopus' ambient pieces never overwhelm the rock. Rather, they enhance it by adding a basis for comparison. Punk and hip-hop were born in the same urban settings; it's nice to hear a band try to glean something new from the two.

#5. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

July 15 on Vagrant

Looking back on 2008, I find that my favorite albums were a lil' stylistically conservative. A lot of these albums were either holding patterns or slight tweakings. And yet, I don't feel one bit let down by 2008, because these bands all developed sounds that work, clam flammit. So while the differences between the Hold Steady's earliest and latest records may due more to recording budgets than songwriting sessions, there's little to hate about the result. Stay Positive will likely garner whatever Bruce Springsteen comparisons that the Gaslight Anthem didn't already call dibs on this year, but listening to Stay Positive, I hear so much more history than that. Sure, frontman Craig Finn covers old E Street topics like women, small-town desperation and the occasional road trip, but his lyrical rhymes bear a playfulness more akin to Joe Strummer's work. Delivered with Elvis Costello's voice and Thin Lizzy's guitars, the Hold Steady drills for everything great about '70s rock and cuts through all the bullshit excess. Cuts like "Constructive Summer" and "Stay Positive" give me reasons to wake up for work, if only because they guarantee a good morning commute.

#4. Flogging Molly - Float

March 4 on SideOneDummy

Flogging Molly's sound is easy to generalize -- Irish-y, like the Pogues -- but the intricacies that separate each of the band's albums are numerous. Their latest effort, Float, is neck-and-neck with Swagger for being the best Flogging Molly album. Swagger sounded raw and unbridled, thanks to Steve Albini's production and Dennis Casey's searing guitar. Plus, it's Flogging Molly's studio debut, so it has the advantage of being first. But Float might be the album that better represents Flogging Molly's musical background as a whole. While its guitar and drum sounds aren't as thunderous, Float offers 11 infectious Celtic-folk ditties. The concept of the band has always been based on that style, and it's shown in its purest form here. The punk influences are gone on this outing, leaving one of the flat-out best Celtic albums of the last eleventy billion years.

#3. Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

March 24 on Geffen

"This is a list of what I should've been but I'm not" goes the first line of the chorus to "Cowboys," one of 14 songs on Counting Crows' Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. It's been nearly six years since the group's last album, the somewhat directionless Hard Candy, and this line and its accompanying music are important because they assert the following: Frontman Adam Duritz is still really good at writing really depressing songs, Counting Crows are a great American rock band even though everyone thinks they're sad bastards, and Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is much better than a lot of people will probably give it credit for. Hearkening back to the band's best effort, Recovering the Satellites, Counting Crows once again dig deep and find a concept album about drinking, alienation and sloppy make-outs (and "streetwalkin'," if you've heard the goofy "Los Angeles").

#2. Less Than Jake - GNV FLA

June 24 on Sleep It Off

"Surviving is my best revenge."

2008 was unquestionably the shittiest summer I have ever faced. I kicked off the season by graduating from college and promptly losing all societal value. You know who wants to hire a guy with a BA in English? Call centers and the U.S. Army. About a month after my graduation, my cousin was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in his leg. The cancer soon spread to his ribs and lungs. While my cousin was lucky to be diagnosed early, he still had a long road ahead of him and we were all feeling pretty grim.

Two weeks later, GNV FLA came out. Like an old friend come to cheer me, the record offered me 14 ska-punk songs like the kind I used to find on Hello Rockview and Borders & Boundaries. Is GNV FLA a pandering retread after the utter failure that was In with the Out Crowd, Less Than Jake's last album? I don't care. This record enveloped me in its anthems while I dealt with losers, kings and fucking medical diagnoses I didn't understand. Taken solely as a lyrical reading, a song like "Abandon Ship" shouldn't make me feel better -- it's about failing, hard. But throw in a fast punk rock beat, horns and a bitching guitar solo, and top it all off by singing those bitter words as loudly as possible, and it becomes an exorcism. My college pals and I are still struggling to find our footing, but at least my cuz is on the mend. As for Less Than Jake, well…thanks, guys. Months later, I still put this record on some nights and just drive around, singing.

#1. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

February 19 on 4AD

On Heretic Pride, John Darnielle finally united the fury of his early work with the full studio/band experience of his more recent 4AD era, and the result is pretty gosh dang awesome. Not only does the music feel as propulsive as those hissingly lo-fi days, but Darnielle has switched back to impersonal story telling after a two-album stint detailing life with, and the death of, his abusive stepfather on The Sunset Tree and Get Lonely. There's so much to discuss about Heretic Pride, like the subtle wisps of Jamaican music in tunes like "New Zion" and "Sept 15, 1983," or the Mountain Goats' stance on sea monsters in "Tianchi Lake." There's the orchestral indie rock of "Lovecraft in Brooklyn" and "In the Craters on the Moon." The best song, though, is the title track. "Heretic Pride" is of the "you better play this live for the rest of your career" caliber. A story about a heretic about to be executed for, ya know, heresy, the narrator finds joy in his situation, which leads to the best lines of the entire album: "I feel so proud to be alive / I feel so proud when the reckoning arrives."

Darnielle is great at writing affirmations, and this song is one of them. "Heretic Pride" is just that: pride and ecstasy over never breaking under societal norms, always standing for what one believes in, even finding meaning in death. And that's what being into punk rock has always meant to me.

This list has constantly been in flux. In fact, it's only presented in this order because it's due, not because it's ready. But one thing will not change: Heretic Pride is my favorite album of 2008. Nothing tops the emotional resonance I feel from this record. Nor does anything else sound as catchy to me. Heretic Pride dropped in February, and I still spin it like it just came out. Nothing catches hold of my imagination so firmly.

Top 10 EPs of 2008

2008 Mixtape

Side A