Top 20

1. Conor Oberst » Conor Oberst

I found myself listening to this record more than any this year. I really like the laid back feel of it, yet it maintains some of the catchiness he crafted on Cassadaga.

2. Kings of Leon - Only by the Night

I thought I was going to hate this, but despite the huge change in sound, I still love KoL. Once you get under the hood, they’re still pretty much the same, it’s just a lot slicker, groovier and much more accessible this time around.

3. Joy Electric – My Grandfather, The Cubist

Ronnie Martin struck gold with this album. It’s the epitome of what I believe he’s been working towards on the past few albums. From start to finish, I love this album as a whole. It’s an experience.

4. Millencolin – Machine 15

15 years, still fresh. They prove once again why they are my favorite pop punk band. I really hope I get the chance to see them live at some point in my life.

5. Starflyer 59 – Dial M

Two Martin brothers in the top 5? Completely unintentional and unexpected. What can I do though — they both wrote excellent records. Dial M differs from the “SF59 formula” a bit but it works.

6. House of Heroes – The End Is Not the End

Worth the long wait. They prove why they are one of my favorite bands. It’s packed with some of the catchiest songs I heard all year.

7. Ruth – Anorak

Sorry, Ruth, I expected this to be a dud. But what I got was a perfect indie pop record. The lyrics are beautifully simple and the melodies are basic yet the whole album is perfectly crafted and executed.

8. Ludo – You’re Awful, I Love You

New band of the year 2008. I had heard some of their stuff before, but this was the first Ludo album I purchased and quite possibly the “funnest” album of 08. If these songs don’t make you smile…

9. The Gaslight Anthem – The ‘59 Sound

This album was a pleasant surprise. It sounds like a rougher, less bombastic Sam’s Town which is a good thing. It’s not quite as gritty as Gasoline Heart.

10. No Use for a Name – The Feel Good Record of the Year

This record was a “grower.” At first I thought it was just ok, but as the year progressed and I kept spinning it I realized how good it actually was. I personally think it’s the best NUFAN record in quite sometime. The past few have been enjoyable, but this is the first one in a long while that I feel is complete and nearly fillerless.

11. Children 18:3 – Children 18:3

This came out very early in the year, but it held its own. It’s nice to see a punk band back on the Nail.

12. Run Kid Run – Love At the Core

I feel like these guys get overlooked on Tooth & Nail. Bands similar to them like Hawk Nelson and The Almost get all the attention, but RKR is the one writing the excellent songs. I have nostalgic ties to their debut album as well as Side Walk Slam, but I have to be honest – this album blows their prior work out of the water.

13. The Showdown – Back Breaker

I didn’t expect them to follow in the path of Temptation Come My Way, which I loved. I also didn’t expect to like their new album as much as I did this one. I think it’s a perfect combination of their first two records. The only thing they could have done was add a bit more melody into it, then I probably would never have shut up about how good it is.

14. Street Dogs - State of Grace

I think this is the best Street Dogs album to date. It got some mediocre reviews due to the inclusion of some slower songs, but I think that’s exactly why this album is so good. The slower moments break up the album so it doesn’t all mesh together.

15. The Foxglove Hunt – Stop Heartbeat

Ronnie Martin is obviously a hero of mine. But a lesser known fact about me is my love for Fine China. What do you get when you take the pop sensibilities and vocal stylings of Rob Withem and add in the synth genius of Ronnie Martin? You get the best pop synth album of 2008.

16. Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads

Mark Ronson couldn’t ruin them.

17. The Classic Crime – The Silver Cord

This album is very good. The only thing that weighed it down for me was the concept. Sometimes I wish they would have dropped the concept altogether and just written an album of songs. Other than that, it’s excellent.

18. Inhale Exhale - I Swear…

Didn’t expect to like this one as much as I did since I wasn’t a huge fan of the first album.

19. Coldplay – Viva La Vida & Prospekts March EP

No matter how big Coldplay get’s, no matter how good their songs are, it’s still not really that cool to admit that you like them. Personally, I don’t like their first 3 albums — but I absolutely love this one. It starts with the cover. So simple, yet genius. Take a Delacroix painting and splatter your album title on it. Then put a twist on the Coldplay formula – add in some elements of less-mainstream pop/shoegaze-ish elements – and you have a winning album.

20. Brave Saint Saturn – Anti-Meridian

This album is good. Even though I feel like who they are makes it a bit better, if I had know clue who this band was I still believe I would have liked it. The lyrics are so moving.

Honorable Mentions (HMs)

Jonezetta » Cruel to be Young
The Killers » Day & Age
Alkaline Trio » Agony & Irony
Lovedrug » Sucker Punch Show
Crash Rickshaw » The Unknown Clarity
Less Than Jake » gnv fla
Once Nothing » First Came the Law
The Offspring » Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Corey Crowder » Gold & the Sand
Snow Patrol » A Hundred Million Stars
The Academy Is… » Fast Times at Barrington High
Weezer » The Red Album

Top 3 EPs

1. Gasoline Heart » What Now?
2. The Avett Brothers » Gleam II
3. Emery » While Broken Hearts Prevail

Biggest Disappointments

Showbread » Anorexia » could a record have been any more disappointing? I love Showbread and hope the next one is back to what they do best. Don’t get me wrong, Nervosa is decent and the concept is really cool… it’s just that the songs really don’t work at all.
Anberlin » New Surrender » weak sauce describes this album. It’s so safe – it’s sickening. But there are a handful of songs that redeem it slightly. I still couldn’t deny I was let down. I was expecting Top 20. It was tough to put it on this list because it’s not so bad that I hate it, but everytime I (rarely) listen to it I always think “Oh, what you could have been New Surrender.”
Destroy the Runner » I, Lucifer » I misfiled this CD in April and haven’t felt motivated to look for it since. What does that say about it?
We Shot the Moon » Fear and Love » just didn’t work that well. Jones is a genius for writing songs that don’t sound like this. Hopefully the solo CD will give some of the kind of songs this one lacked. Also, the album art for this is atrocious.
Number One Gun » The North Pole Project » without a doubt, the worst album of 2008. Too bad Jeff was forced to use the name “Number One Gun” because this album nearly tarnishes the glowing memory I have of the excellent band they once were. I still love their other albums, this one just felt a little like b-sides. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a total Negative Nancy. That’s why I usually don’t put “Biggest Disappointments” on my list.

I posted a “Songs of the Year” list which can be viewed here.