2008. What a year. In my life, it sucked. I had some of my biggest ups and worst downs of my life. This roller coaster is finally coming to an end and for that I'm grateful. Just to be alive and another year older at this point in time sometimes seems like a miracle. In music, it wasn't awful, I just wish I had a better chance to check out some of the more hyped releases of the year. I usually don't enjoy them as much as other people anyway.
To my closest friends, without you, I am nothing. You make life worth living, and I am where I am today because of you. To everyone new in my life, I welcome many wonderful years of friendship. To everyone I have lost touch with, I intend it mend that.
To Detroit and its outlying areas, you dying breed, your broken edifices may discourage some, but I know the truth. Your people know what it feels like to be in a depression, and we as a people will live on. Even if we have to relocate for a period of time. As for the bands, lets make this a 2009 to remember.
30. No Harm Done - Escape (Think Fast!)
29. Punchline - Just Say Yes (Modern Short Stories)
28. Able Baker Fox- Voices (Second Nature)
27. Counting Crows - Saturday Nights And Sunday Mornings (Geffen)
26. Carpenter - Law Of The Land (Smallman)
25. Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Capitol)
24. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
23. Scream! Hello - Everything Is Always Happening (Red Leader)
22. Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux (Island)
21. Paint It Black - New Lexicon (Jade Tree)
20. Living With Lions - Make Your Mark (Blackbox)
19. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow (Fueled By Ramen)
18. Bayside - Shudder (Victory)
17. Why? - Alopecia (Anticon)
16. Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead (Fueled By Ramen)
15. Alkaline Trio - Agony And Irony (Epic)
14. Pompeii - Nothing Happens For A Reason (Eyeball)
13. Matt Pryor - Confidence Man (Vagrant)
12. Smoking Popes - Stay Down (Appeal)
11. Man Without Wax - Anchor (Eyeball)
10. Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors (Equal Vision)
09. She & Him - Volume One (Merge)
08. This Town Needs Guns - Animals (Big Scary Monsters/Sargent House)
07. The Loved Ones - Build And Burn (Fat)
06. Panic At The Disco - Pretty. Odd. (Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen)
05. Lemuria - Get Better (Asian Man)
04. Dear And The Headlights - Drunk Like Bible Times (Equal Vision)
03. Good Old War - Only Way To Be Alone (Sargent House)
02. Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just Disappear (Red Leader)
01. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound (SideOneDummy)
Highest Honorable Mentions
31. Paper Rival - Dialog (Photo Finish)
32. Lydia - Illuminate (Linc Star)
33. City And Colour - Bring Me Your Love (Vagrant)
34. Cavalier - How To Grow Your Brain (Independent)
35. This Is Hell - Misfortunes (Trustkill)
Honorable Mentions Right Away, Great Captain! - The Eventually Home (Favorite Gentleman) Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground - Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground (Bombs Over Bellvue) That Was Something - BEARS! (Oort) Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger (Sire) Sleepercar - West Texas (Civil Defense League) Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell (Saddle Creek) Tiger Lou - The Loyal (Eyeball) Death Is Not Glamorous- Soft Clicks (Run For Cover) Mates Of State - Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk) Jet Lag Gemini - Fire The Cannons (Doghouse) Koufax - Strugglers (Doghouse) Static Radio NJ - An Evening Of Bad Decisions (Chunksaah) The Morning Of - The World As We Know It (Tragic Hero) The Scenic - Find Yourself Here (Victory) Zox - Line In The Sand (SideOneDummy)
Top EP's Of The Year 01. Balance And Composure - I Just Want To Be Pure (Independent) 02. The Gaslight Anthem - Senor And The Queen (SABOT)
03. The Weakend - Tornado Days (Independent)
04. The Wonder Years - Won't Be Pathetic Forever (No Sleep)
05. The Cool Kids - Bake Sale (C.A.K.E.)
06. This Time Next Year - The Longest Way Home (Run For Cover)
07. One Small Step For Landmines - If You Could Get Over Me (Civil Devense League)
08. Fireworks - Adventure, Nostalgia, and Robbery (Run For Cover)
09. Monument Monument - Sleep Well When You Get There (Independent)
10. Stars - Sad Robots (Arts & Crafts)
Most Disappointing Albums Of 2008 01. Lovedrug - The Sucker Punch Show
02. Anberlin - New Surrender
03. Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty
04. The Matches - A Band In Hope
05. Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt
06. Anthony Green - Avalon
07. The Killers - Day & Age
08. The All American Rejects - When The World Comes Down
09. Alive In Wild Paint - Ceilings
10. Houston Calls - The End Of An Error
Albums I Missed (Or Didn't "Get" Until Now) In 2007
The Menzingers - A Lesson In The Abuse Of Information Technology
Attack In Black - Marriage
Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
Crime In Stereo - Is Dead
Broadway Calls - Broadway Calls
Albums From 2007 I'm Still Obsessed With
Ride Your Bike - Bad News From The Bar
The Swellers - My Everest
The Gay Blades - Ghosts
The Gaslight Anthem - Sink Or Swim
Paramore - Riot!
One Small Step For Landmines - One Small Step For Landmines
Broadway Calls - Broadway Calls
Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - Living With The Living
Eisley - Combinations
Cassino - Sounds Of Salvation
Albums Your Parents Will Love
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Good Old War - Only Way To Be Alone
Counting Crows - Saturday Nights And Sunday Mornings
Carpenter - Law Of The Land
Panic At The Disco - Pretty Odd
Up And Comers To Watch In 2009 01. The Swellers
02. Lemuria
03. Good Old War
04. Why?
05. Polar Bear Club
Best New Band Of 2008 01. Good Old War
02. Polar Bear Club
03. Living With Lions
04. Lemuria
05. Man Without Wax
Best Lyrics Of 2008 01. Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem)
02. Ian Metzger (Dear And The Headlights)
03. Jimmy Stadt (Polar Bear Club)
04. Ryan Ross (Panic At The Disco)
05. Goodman, Arnold & Schwartz (Good Old War)
Best Vocals Of 2008 01. Zooey Deschanel (She & Him)
02. Thomas Dutton (Forgive Durden)
03. Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy)
04. Brendan Urie (Panic At The Disco)
05. Sheena Ozzella (Lemuria)
Best Unsigned/Small Label Band
Balance And Composure
No Harm Done The Agent
Truth Is
Take Notice
Best Live Show I Saw In 2008
Polar Bear Club
The Gaslight Anthem
The Swellers
MXPX
Hardest Working Band Of 2008
The Gaslight Anthem
The Swellers
Bayside
Best Record Label
Sargent House
Most Underrated Band
Polar Bear Club
Good Old War
The Swellers
The Gaslight Anthem
Dear And The Headlights
Worst Breakups 01. The Ergs
02. Paper Rival
03. The Weakend
04. Bangarang!
05. Fiore
06. 2*Sweet
07. The Wildbirds
08. Ambitions
09. Folly
10. Morning For The Masses
Best Reunions 01. The Get Up Kids
02. Race The Sun
03. Face To Face
04. Recover
05. Slick Shoes
Worst Band Of The Year
Metro Station
Millionaires
Plain White T's
Band Of The Year 01. The Gaslight Anthem
02. Polar Bear Club
03. Lemuria
04. Good Old War
05. Portugal. The Man
Most Anticipated Releases Of 2009
30. Title Fight
29. Circa Survive
28. Reubens Accomplice
27. Green Day
26. Saves The Day
25. Ace Enders
24. Bright Eyes
23. I Am The Avalanche
22. The Gay Blades
21. Agent
20. Kiss Kiss
19. Eisley
18. One Small Step For Landmines
17. Crime In Stereo
16. Paramore
15. Jimmy Eat World
14. The Wonder Years
13. Set Your Goals
12. Ted Leo And The Pharmacists
11. Weakerthans
10. As Tall As Lions
09. Cursive
08. This Time Next Year
07. Kevin Devine
06. Moneen
05. Broadway Calls
04. Fireworks
03. Fun
02. The Swellers 01. Brand New
Predictions For 2009
A 90's resurgence will begin to take place.
There will be a slight increase in cd/digital sales.
There will be some other band influenced to write a musical
Brand New will bring sex to my ears once more.
The '59 Sound will become the 2009 Sound (AKA we'll see some Gaslight ripoffs next year)
Best Songs Of 2008
Polar Bear Club - Convinved I'm Wrong
The Gaslight Anthem - The Backseat
Good Old War - Coney Island
Lemuria - Pants
Dear And The Headlights - Saintly Rows (Oh Oh)
2009, You Son Of A Bitch
If you suck, I will come and drag you out of whatever crevice you were halfway hiding in and beat you to a bloody pulp. I'm not kidding. No more deaths, no more layoffs, no more struggling economy, and most of all, no more broken men.
RIP DML 2/21/52-3/18/08 i love you mom<3
Polar Bear Club love, Brand New as your most anticipated, and awaiting KD, Moneen, and STD? Excellent list. Sorry to hear about a lot of loss this year.
you my friend rule. Thanks for the Record Label acknowledgement of Sargent House, that means a lot to us and good ear on picking up on TTNG so early on! we are excited to be releasing that album here in the States.
you my friend rule. Thanks for the Record Label acknowledgement of Sargent House, that means a lot to us and good ear on picking up on TTNG so early on! we are excited to be releasing that album here in the States.
The musicianship on that record is just flawless. It also helps that Good Old Wars' harmonies kept me singing pretty much the entire year. I'm looking forward to a stellar 2009 from you guys!
Another staffer disappointed by A Band In Hope, what gives. I fell head over heels for this album the moment I heard it, and I need to know what it is you dislike about it?
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