My Favorites from 2008

A bunch of my favorite bands released albums this year, but all in all, it was a pretty disappointing year in new music for me. There were only a few albums that really came out of no where to hit heavy rotation.

1. TV on the Radio - Dear Science - Far and away my favorite new album of the year. I had always liked a song here any there on their previous albums, but they finally put one together that was great from start to finish.

2. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight - I am a sucker for thick Scottish accents and walls of sound. This album does both of them quite well and will stay stuck in your head for quite a while.

3. Woven Hand - Ten Stones - Continues the trend of more instrumentation with Woven Hand albums. It doesn't have the stand out songs that some of the previous albums have had, but it stands up well as a whole.

4. Why? - Alopecia - Not as good as Elephant Eyelash, but I still enjoy a little white boy hip hop more than I figure I should.

5. R.E.M. - Accelerate - It turned out to be a really good R.E.M. album. The first R.E.M. album in a long time I have kept in constant rotation.

6. The New Year - The New Year - A little more upbeat than anything they have ever done. I don't think it will stick with me quite like The End is Near, but it is quite an enjoyable album.

7. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line - This is a fun one. I don't listen to enough music like this these days.

8. The Notwist - The Devil You + Me - My token electronicish album of the year. Germans with some good beats, but not forgetting that melody is important.

9. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride - It isn't their best, but it is still full of songs that sound fun until you listen to the lyrics...and then you are sad.....and then you laugh.

10. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia - Brooding supergroup of sorts consisting of members of bands I never really cared about before. The album got a lot of spins when I wanted something really depressing.

I'd imagine if I rethink this list in a few months, things will change quite a bit. I have picked up quite a few 2o08 albums in the past month or so that I am liking. Maybe I'll even start liking the Fleet Foxes album that everyone else seems to think is the year's best.

Best Shows:
1. Bob Dylan at the House of Blues - This one had everything stacked against it. I was going by myself. I had to take my camera back to my car once I got to the door so I lost my place in line. I had heard that he was sometimes just plain awful live. I had to jump at the chance though, and I am glad I did. He wasn't much for talking, but he looked like he was having a lot of fun up there.

2. TV on the Radio at the Lakewood Theater - Glad my buddy was interested in seeing them. I would have skipped them again had he not wanted to go. I don't know that I'll be skipping them when they come back through.

3. Woven Hand at Lola's - The best Woven Hand show I have ever seen. So much intensity from such a small band.

4. Over the Rhine at the House of Blues - I had always wanted to see them in a smoky bar rather than a cornfield. I finally got my chance this year minus the smoke.

5. Danielson at the Granada - What more can I say....It was Danielson.

6. New York Dolls at the Granada - One of the few shows I have been to in a while that I have been the young guy at. They may only have two remaining members, but they tore it up. Many overweight former glam rockers, now accountants were enjoying this one, and so did I.