The point, I guess, is this: there's a fairly big difference between the better albums in a given year, and those that will penetrate your heart and mind over the long haul. Bottom line is, you never can tell. Critics spend way more time being "wrong" than they do being "right," but it's all a moot point in the end. (I mean because it's ultimately a matter of opinion... not because we're all going to die someday.) So why bother? Two reasons, I guess. The primary motivation behind this yearly ritual is the genuine hope that some of you will rush out and purchase one or two of these, and that you will enjoy your purchases. Simple enough. The second reason is more complicated, and it involves the fundamentally self-obsessed impulse at the heart of all criticism (and, more immediately, at the heart of blogging in general). Let's face it, there's a real "look how smart I am" (okay, "look how smart I think I am") aspect to the whole thing. Who really gives a shit what some twat with a cable modem, too much time on his hands, and a lofty opinion of...his own opinions thinks? Well, you're reading this, so I guess you do. But you see my point.
Aaaanyway, assuming you made it past the long-winded impromptu essay...
Here are albums 35 through 16...
Once you get past the overblown opening track, this bombastic three-piece will proceed to rock you with great abandon. Also, the bassist looks exactly like Geddy Lee. Too bad she's a she.
I wish I could take credit for the best live-show description of the year: "Blue Man Group for hipsters." (Both Caleb and Kim came up with that.) Yes, The Knife has made the transition from fun, house-inflected music to a more blatantly European, Sprockets-inflected sound, but that's not all bad. Despite the fact that they have produced the ultimate soundtrack for your asymmetrical haircut, there's something deeply entertaining about their utter weirdness.
It's another Cat Power album. Call me when she makes a bad one.
These guys broke up this year, which is a total bummer. One of the vanguard bands (along with Asobi Seksu, Serena Maneesh, etc.) in the triumphant 2007 resurgence of shoegaze. "He's a Deep Lake" was probably my favorite non-single track of the year.
Beck. See Cat Power above.
As with any Bob Pollard project, a lot of this album is not so great. But the good songs kick the crap out of anything else around.
"Love Is Stronger than Witchcraft" (mp3)
Okay, so this was a disappointment. But that's only because I had such high hopes. "Goin' Against Your Mind" was one of the best opening tracks of the year, too.
The more I listen to this, the more I love it. So maybe this will be my favorite album of 2008.
"Province" (mp3)
I'm not sure if this album was loathed, ignored, or doomed by some subtle form of punk-funk backlash. Were they blatantly trying to cash in on the dance-floor success of "House of Jealous Lovers?" Yes. Definitely. But what's wrong with an entire album of can-shaking indie-dance rollerskating jams? Have you checked for a pulse lately? Who outlawed fun? Answer: Pitchfork did.
Art-damaged Japanese dudes with a hard-on for stoner metal? Where do I sign?
The mellowest Lips album ever. Wayne's definitely going soft in his old age, but I like their hippie-dad-who-gets-you-stoned vibe.
Okay, if I'm being all "objective," this album wasn't exactly shit-hot. Hamilton Leithauser is falling in love with his own crooning, and his occasional Dylan impressions are downright irritating. Also, Matt Barrick is one of the best drummers around. Can you please let the guy go off from time to time? So why is it up here? Many of the songs are great, and I still love this band too much for them to appear any lower. A sentimental pick.
Without question, the most insidiously twisted "mainstream" album of the last decade. Not that this is mainstream by any stretch of the imagination. The Drift is so disturbed and avant-garde it makes Boris and The Knife look like The Monkees and the fucking Partridge Family. One song features a percussion track consisting of sticks hitting a slab of meat. I am not making this up. I can't really explain why I like this album so much. In part it's the consistency of Walker's vision. There are no aimless, meandering soundscapes, there's no ridiculous goth posturing, and despite the high warble of his voice, there are no trips into dramatic self-parody. You get the distinct impression that you are traveling into a genuine maelstrom of despair. Trust me, it's well worth it.
"A Lover Loves" (mp3)
...and then at the opposite end of the spectrum you have Wolfmother. This airbrushed, Sabbath-nicking slab of 1970s nostalgia would be pure kitsch if it weren't for good ol' guitar chops. I don't need originality. Hell, I'm a rock 'n' roll fan; originality has no place in rock 'n' roll! And these Aussie freaks rock the hell out. (Plus, best album cover of the year.)
Ever have a crush on a shy, bookish indie girl who wore horn-rimmed glasses and cardigan sweaters? Well if she was a band, she would be Camera Obscura. Luckily, there's way more to this other literate Scottish band than twee vocals and wallflower melodies. Tracyanne Campbell's lyrics are every bit as scathing as they are adorable.
Okay, Joni Mitchell meets Bjork meets Kate Bush meets Fairport Connection. Only with lots and lots of harp. And Van Dyke Parks adds a ton of lush string arrangements and his trademark goofy sonic flourishes. Seriously, that album cover says it all. When the woodsprites gather to drink pixie piss out of buttercups, this is what they rock out to.
Three really hot ladies make an album of diabetes-inducing '60s girl pop. They have great voices and the hooks are flawless. I don't know what else there is to say.
Planning on a road trip through flowing, golden fields anytime soon? Well here's your soundtrack. A lovely slice of 1970s FM radio, only weirder and sadder.
You may have heard by now... I love this band, and their continued (semi)obscurity puzzles and enrages me. Like quirky tempos? Four-part harmonies? Staccato beats and chiming guitars? Like early Gang of Four and XTC? Then buy their albums so I can get some sleep!
B&S's "reputation" as miserablists in the Morrissey tradition was never deserved in the first place, but who knew they had such a party album up their sleeves?? Jesus Christ, it seems like every other song has the word "sunshine" in the title.
"We Are the Sleepyheads" (mp3)
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