My money soon ran dry and I was forced to take drastic measures.  You’re looking at probably the only music blogger who has sold most his cd’s.  And oddly enough, it really wasn’t that hard considering it’s all on my computer, and not having money makes you realize physical possessions are just that.  So, if you bump into me anytime soon, don’t ask to see my cd collection, just ask to borrow my external hard drive.

But that’s not the point of this rant honestly.  Sure, I had to sell stuff to get by, but right when I was at my wits end, everything suddenly worked out.  I had a few interviews with a new shoe company opening here in Springfield, Tradehome Shoes, as an assistant manager training to have my own store, and I ended up beating out over 300 people.  300 people!  When I couldn’t even beat out a high schooler for a job talking about video games.  Add to this great news the fact that phase 2 of Lemondrop is underway.  It’s super secret, our super secret website here, but basically Lemondrop is expanding to be a non-profit and going beyond just music to be a music, film, and art entity.  THAT I am super excited about and will tell you about later in the summer. (put your email in and you’ll get updates frequently as we unveil them!)

But I just wanted to thank all of you for sticking with me, even though I gave no explanation for my post every four or five days style lately, I’m pretty sure all will be back to normal now that I’ve got another job.  And not just another job, a REAL job.  Ooooh.  I’ve been meaning to revamp the Perch for a long time now, so here in a month when I get a paycheck or two in, I’m going to pay someone to make it look great and be more functional.  Then, my friend, the Perch will one heck of a blog. That I promise.

It goes without saying that I’ve got a mountain of music to choose from for future posts, so check back soon and I’ll do my best to get back to the way the Perch used to be, and the reason you came back time and time again in the first place.

The moral of this rant;  even if you lose your job and become the only music blogger in town who had to sell nearly all his cd’s, in the end, you’ll find a way through.  And as long as you’ve got great people around you, most times when it does all get figured out, it’ll end up even better than before it all went to crap.  That, my fellow readers, is a mantra I can stand behind.  See you back here soon!

Well, this is it.  The ten albums that represent the cream of the crop for my 2008.  I think it’s hilarious that it’s March and I’m finally to my top 10, but better late than never I guess.  Enjoy the final installment of my list!
10.  Why? – Alopecia

Why? have always been a strange band.  Never conforming to any set genre, at times sounding hip hop, and other times sounding purely experimental.  It seemed no matter what they would release, I would almost always enjoy it, but definitely always be left intrigued.  And it’s no different with their new one, Alopecia.  Songs like “The Vowels Pt. 2″, “The Hollows”, and “Fatalist Palmistry” all sound unlike anything you’ve heard, yet are still catchy and feel oddly familiar.  It’s fun to follow Yoni’s stream of consciousness lyrics, where he just states lyrics like “I’ve only played chess once in my life, and I lost”, only to burst back into the chorus.  It’s a strange, yet catchy album from a strange band and one I suggest you give a chance.  Plus, how can you pass up an album called Alopecia, which is the medical term for hair loss.

A Sky For Shoeing Horses Under [mp3]

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9.  Owl City – Maybe I’m Dreaming

Winner for guilty pleasure of the year for sure, Owl City’s latest was an album I just couldn’t get enough of.  Mae meets Postal Service was the description I always gave, and the reactions were usually on one extreme end of the spectrum or the other.  Fans of Postal Service and Mae loved the idea of combining the two, and ended up loving this album even more.  Others simply gave me the, “eh, it’s got the Postal Service sound, if they were more emo”.  Either way, I fall in the former category and I’m sure many of you will like this album as well.  Whether you want to tell your friends about it or not.

On the Wing [mp3]

Saltwater Room [mp3]

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8.  Phantom Planet – Raise the Dead

What a surprise this album ended up being.  I’ve always been a big fan of Phantom Planet, but their last album, while still really good, seemed to slightly let me down.  It grew on me over time, but I didn’t like it initially because of the whole “we’re bad ass rock stars” attitude I got from some of the songs.  In other words, less pop more rock doesn’t work for me when it comes to Phantom Planet.  Luckily, Raise the Dead came out of nowhere and returned Phantom Planet to their rightful sound.  You can’t beat the background vocals from a bunch of kids on “Leader”, the return of a fan favorite and secret live track from The Guest in “Do the Panic”, and the amazingly fun to sing verses of “Dropped”.  I was getting a little worried about Phantom Planet, but Raise the Dead took care of those worries in a big way.

Leader [mp3]

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7.  Annuals – Such Fun

I didn’t know what to expect from this follow up album from Annuals.  Their last album was numero uno on my list in 2006, so there were obvious high expectations when I got this one in the mail.  I’d been listening to Kenny Florence’s side project Sunfold, which is basically Annuals under a different name, and was scared his side project may eclipse his main band’s follow-up, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but after my first listen to Such Fun, I not only enjoyed it even more than Sunfold, I simply couldn’t stop listening to it.  It felt bigger than Be He Me, and seemed like a much more complete album through and through.  If you haven’t heard Annuals, and better yet if you haven’t seen them live, then get to it.  They’re one of the most fun and unique bands around, and after this album, one of my favorites as well.

Springtime [mp3]

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6.  Honey Claws – Honey Claws

There’s really no denying how much I enjoy this album.  I’ve probably shared this Honey Claws album more than any other album in ‘08.  Of course, it’s so weird, I only had about a 40% success rate, but that’s fine with me.  If you don’t remember me talking about them, they’re basically a hip hop version of Animal Collective.  Some of the songs are pure Animal Collective, but most feel like Animal Collective does hip hop.  It’s one of the most interesting albums this year, and even if it’s not your cup of tea, everyone has to listen to this album at least once.

Shout Out [mp3]

Ambulance [mp3]

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5.  Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line

The main reason I looked further into Ra Ra Riot was because of their backstory.  They lost their drummer in a freak drowning accident after a show and finished the album in his honor, with a lot of the songs being written originally by the drummer.  That alone had me thinking, hopefully I’ll like the music, but I like these guys already regardless.  Well, Welcome Wagon may have featured Sufjan, but I think Ra Ra Riot became my Sufjan for 2008.  No, they really don’t sound anything like him, but it’s fun, upbeat, orchestra rock that I loved for obvious reasons.  Top notch drums, good lyrics, Arcade Fire sounding guitar, and two string players.  That’s a band recipe you know I’m all about.  And I’m guessing most of you that heard The Rhumb Line in ‘08, feel the same as me.

Dying Is Fine [mp3]

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4.  Detektivbyran – Wermland

If I was ranking bands rather than albums, then Detektivbyran would be #1 for 2008.  I love these guys.  Anders was more than happy to answer my email interview questions, and they’ve continually kept in touch with me over the past few years.  Wermland is Detektivbyran at their best I’d say.  “E18″ is still my favorite song of theirs, but this one felt like their most complete album to date.  And add the fact that they experimented a bit with their sound this time around, with tracks like “Life/Universe”, which is Amelie meets Top Gun in all the best ways.  I’ll always be a fan of the guys in Detektivbyran and I’m really glad to hear their sound is only getting more and more polished as time passes.  Here’s looking forward to their next one.

Om Du Moter Varg [mp3]

Neonland [mp3]

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3.  Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Ah Sigur Rós.  What can I say anymore.  Anything they come out with I absolutely love.  This one in particular though came out with very little marketing and completely slipped past my record label running, blog writing, part time job having, busy self.  Which is admittedly a crime against good music, but I caught it about a week before it was supposed to come out and was listening to it half and hour after I even knew it existed.  Needless to say, the severe lack of preparation to hear this album left me almost numb to the first listen.  Like, well, that was new Sigur Ros.  Hmm.  But further listens found Sigur Ros being their most carefree and playful yet.  I soaked it in and loved it, some people I talked to later didn’t quite like it as much.  I’m more the overwhelmingly happy type, so an overwhelmingly happy Sigur Ros album doesn’t phase me.  This new album was a pleasant surprise and one you can listen to and know the band had a good time recording.  Nothing too serious, epic as usual, and still vintage Sigur Ros. 

Gobbledigook [stereogum link]

Inní mér syngur vitleysingur [mp3]

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2.  Somone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Pershing

There’s obvious biases when it comes to Boris Yeltsin.  They’re from my current town of Springfield, MO.  I see them around town all the time.  Heck, anyone that gets coffee regularly see their lead singer working there.  Them signing to Polyvinyl basically just meant someone was putting their album out there and putting them on tour.  Nothing else about the guys from Boris Yeltsin changed in the least.  And that’s something I’ve come to truly admire.  Completely genuine guys that were even nice enough to hang out with me all night after one of their shows when I was living in Seattle.  So, I couldn’t wait to finally hear their new album, one that was full of songs us in Springfield had heard countless times, but never heard recorded, and one that they had been holed up for three months recording in a relative’s basement.  The anticipation killed me, but the final album that resulted was truly mind-blowing.  Not in any epic kind of way, just seeing how far our hometown band had come.  The songs were polished, and their unique form of unique, summer pop had reached another level on Pershing.  “Modern Mystery”, “Some Constellation”, and “Heers”, could all crack my top five songs of the year.  The album as a whole itself just flows from start to finish, which led to more listens throughout the year than I could count.  I couldn’t be prouder that my #2 album ended up being from a hometown band, and I know the minute I’d tell them where they were placed on my 2008 list, they’d all just laugh and tell me I was ridiculous.  Be humble all you want guys, but Pershing is one of the best releases of the year and they deserve all the praise that comes their way.

Some Constellation [mp3]

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1.  Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)

It honestly was a toss up between this Cloud Cult album and Boris Yeltsin’s release.  Sigur Ros was really the only album to come even close to these two albums, so when making my list, I just put those two album on top, then went back and worked down my list from 50-3.  I put Cloud Cult at #1 over Pershing mainly because it was the first album of the year to truly impact me and just keep hanging around.  Most will give me the big “No way are they #1!” speech.  And some might give me the whole “it’s not their best” schtick.  But when making a list of top 50 albums that affected me most, this one kept topping the list, no matter how many times I changed the albums below it.  It’s all vintage Cloud Cult, from the subtle use of electronics over string landscapes to Minowa’s always interesting, if not sometimes downright weird, lyrics.  There’s no denying that this is a Cloud Cult album.  I still think Happy Hippo is their best album, and this one may have a skippable song (what Cloud Cult album hasn’t had at least one instrumental or weird song you just skip?), but with songs like “No One Said It Would Be Easy”, “Everybody Here Is A Cloud”, the amazingly lush string-filled “When Water Comes to Life”, and “Journey of the Featherless”, it really doesn’t matter if you skip a song.  The rest of the album is just as good as those four songs and each songs is so full of amazing orchestration that has become a staple of Cloud Cult’s sound.  Picking a #1 album for any year is a hard choice, because you know that’s the pick that most likely will be scrutinized the most, but most of my readers have read countless posts over the years that have me gushing over the newest Cloud Cult album, so it should come as no surprise to most of you.  I won’t know until after I post this if anyone else is on the Cloud Cult train with me, but at the least I hope that this album making #1 will pique peoples’ curiosity enough to check out this amazing album if they haven’t already.  It’s my favorite album of the year for good reason, and I can only imagine what their next album is going to sound like. 

Everybody Here is a Cloud [mp3]

When Water Comes to Life [mp3]

Hope you enjoyed the list!  It was a long, long time coming.  Regular posts continue next week.  See you back in a few.

20. Welcome Wagon – Welcome to the Welcome Wagon

My obsession with all things Sufjan faded a while ago with a lack of anything new on his front, so the excitement just wasn’t there when I heard he produced a new album for his married couple friends in Welcome Wagon. Of course, my buddy Dylan told me it’s basically Sufjan’s Seven Swans rehashed, and I became a little more curious. Multiple listens later and I’ve got an album that does its part as Sufjan filler for now, but definitely gets me excited to finally hear more new Sufjan. Whenever the heck that’s going to be.

Sold! To the Nice Rich Man [mp3]

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19. The Envy Corps – Dwell

It seems like I’ve been putting songs by the Envy Corps in my Perch Mixes forever now. This Iowa quartet sounds straight out of the UK, and released an EP in 2006 that got them an opening gig for the Killers and opened a lot of people’s eyes. 2007 found them releasing another EP with songs that eventually made it onto Dwell, but a stroke sidelined their guitarist and the band and forced them to delay the album to 2008. So, it’s no wonder I feel like I’ve been posting their songs in mixes forever. Songs from Dwell have been floating around on EP’s since 2006. Either way, I was glad to finally see the full-length released and it sure didn’t disappoint.

Wires and Wool [mp3]

Rhinemaiden [mp3]

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18. Langhorne Slim – Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles

Langhorne Slim was one of those grab bag artists for me that arrived in the mail and made it onto the promo pile, waiting patiently for me to listen. I finally gave it a chance, and from the violin riff on the first song, I knew I would like this album. It feels like music from a fun bar band you look forward to dancing to at the end of every week. Langhorne’s voice is unique sounding with that carefree wail I identify now only to him. This wasn’t an album I expected to hear and put on my year end list, but there’s always those few suprise picks that throw a wrench in your normal listening routine.

Spinning Compass [mp3]

Hello Sunshine [mp3]

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17. Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons – Cabin Ghosts EP

The problem with EP’s are that when they’re really good, you’re left eagerly waiting for more than the six or so songs you’re given. And it’s even worse if half of those songs are live performances. Such is the case for Cory Chisel’s EP. It’s a great introduction to probably my favorite singer/songwriter of 2008, and I can’t wait for his upcoming full-length. While he doesn’t exactly sound like Joshua Radin, I can see him all over shows like Scrubs and other prime time shows’ slow scenes. His songs simply have that feel to them. If you’re looking for good rainy day music, or even just another great singer/songwriter to add to your collection, Cory fits that bill perfectly.

Home in the Woods [mp3]

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16. Dodos – Visiter

If I had to imagine what kind of music dodo birds might play, I think it wouldn’t be too farfetched to say it’d sound a lot like the songs on Dodo’s Visiter. A strange mix of energetic acoustic guitar with all kinds of percussion that comes together in some kind of controlled chaos that have me picturing a band of dodo birds playing wild and carefree as they march right off a cliff none the wiser. That could just be my crazy imagination, but listen to this album and tell me you don’t at least kind of picture that. Dodos have a sound unto themselves and as hard as I tried, I really couldn’t find any other band to compare them to. But that doesn’t really matter in the end finding comparisons. It’s unique and it’s great. ‘Nuff said.

Fools [mp3]

Jodi [mp3]

Ashley [mp3]

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15. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Our local indie DJ crew, Black Box Revue, played “We Are Rockstars” all the time during their Friday night weekly indie dance party, but I never knew who it was. Once I found out it was Does It Offend You, Yeah?, I looked further into them, never expecting more than a decent dance album from a band with a ridiculous name. What I found was an album, that besides the opener and “We Are Rockstars”, was not what I expected at all. If anything, it sounded more like Chk Chk Chk meets the Cure, or any 80’s sounding indie dance band. I was a great surprise that was only diminished by the fact that I wished they would have just made up their mind. Either be super beat heavy dance tunes, or do the dancable Cure route. I’m hoping for the latter for their next album, but as far as dance albums go, this one took over our dance parties and is still a frequent player even today.

Dawn of the Dead [mp3]

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14. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

This gentle, other-wordly album came out of nowhere for nearly everyone and if someone says otherwise, they’re probably lying. Holed up in a remote cabin in Wisconsin for three months, Justin Vernon crafted For Emma, Forever Ago in complete isolation. It’s a story most bloggers and industry pros could only dream about, and one of the main reasons it took so long for me to finally look into Bon Iver. It’s not his fault everyone jumped on that isolation story and ran way too much with it. That’s one of my main turn-offs as a blogger; blogger hype. But having friends that loved the album made it impossible to ignore, and after plenty of listens, I can safely say it’s an amazing album. It’s just a damn shame bloggers nearly wet themselves about the backstory and don’t focus mainly on the music. Maybe I’m just bitter about all the follow the leader blogger stuff, but push that aside for a second and you have For Emma, Forever Ago. The year’s best album for road trips, naps, reading, Sundays, and damn near any other relaxing situation you may find yourself in.

Skinny Love [mp3]

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13. Sunfold – Toy Tugboats

Sunfold is the side project of Annuals’ guitarist Kenny Florence. Most of you know of my love for Annuals, so when I found out their guitarist had a side band, which also was made up of nearly all the members of Annuals, my curiosity definitely peaked. It was basically a new Annuals album under a different name, right? Not quite. The range of genres Kenny covers throughout the album is pretty amazing. From Annuals sounding rock to laid back piano lounge jazz, you never really know which direction the next song will go the first time you listen through the album. This hurts the album a little in consistency, but I got over it. I honestly thought this side project may outshine Annuals upcoming album to be released later in ‘08, but alas, that new Annuals album barely edged it out. Which, when you think of it, means we got two special albums from the Annuals crew last year, and that’s never a bad thing.

Sara the American Winter [mp3]

Shrinking the Sphere [mp3]

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12. Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s – Animal! / Not Animal

The back-story and rumors surrounding the release of this double album make it interesting enough to make the list regardless of the music. If you haven’t heard the story, basically the band wanted to release one set of songs and their new label wanted another set. Rumor has it the lead singer marched to the main offices of the label and threatened to leak the album if they didn’t find a compromise. That’s all rumor I can’t prove, but regardless, the compromise ended up being this double album in which the label released the songs they wanted, which the band cleverly titled Not Animal, meaning not the songs we wanted, and the band’s selection of songs was released on vinyl and for download as Animal!. I think having to digest all these songs hurt it in the end for me, as the stand-outs for each are great and would’ve been better suited as just one album. But, it’s right up there with their other releases and remains vintage Margot, which is a sound I’ll never grow tired of.

A Children’s Crusade on Acid [mp3]

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11. Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight

Frightened Rabbit took the crown with this release as my new favorite rabbit band, which used to be White Rabbits. That may be the only two rabbit bands I know, but they’re still both great none the less. The thing I like most about Frightened Rabbit is the fact that they’re Scottish and there’s no denying it. Scott Hutchison’s voice is Scottish through and through, but their music doesn’t really have a set sound to it. The combination really works for them. “Modern Leper” was the first song I heard from this album, and remains one of my favorite songs of the year. I didn’t know if the rest of the album could match up with that first song, but it does a pretty dang good job of it. If you’re looking for a different take on the usual rock song, then Frightned Rabbit do the trick.

Modern Leper [mp3]

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30.  Shugo Tokumaru – Exit

In the most recent Paste Magazine, the editor had given the a task to one of his writers to listen to Shugo’s latest album for four days and document the dreams they had as a result.  The reason: His latest album is full of songs he wrote based on recent dreams he had been having.  It was a novel factoid I didn’t know before, so I dove back into Exit to see for myself what kind of dreams this multi-instrumentalist has in his head.  What I found was childhood landscapes and bright optimistic worlds full of every instrument under the sun.  If you’re not familiar with Shugo’s music, it’s definitely in a world of its own.  He plays every instrument on his albums, and it’s some of the most upbeat stuff you’ll hear.  Someone introduced Shugo to me a while back describing him as the Japanese Sufjan.  I guess because of the multiple instruments.  I didn’t see it and I still don’t, but if you’re ever feeling down, pop this album in and tell me it doesn’t cheer you up.

Parachute [mp3]

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29.  Wild Sweet Orange – We Have Cause to Be Uneasy

Wild Sweet Orange impressed me right out of the gate with their Whale EP in 2007.  So, understandably enough, I couldn’t wait for their full-length.  And it didn’t fail to impress.  “Ten Dead Dogs” is a great song to start if you’re looking into them briefly, but I’d recommend checking out the whole album.  It’s a new take on indie folk and a refreshing new band in general.

Ten Dead Dogs [mp3]

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28.  Anathallo – Canopy Glow

It’s really a shame this album was released so late in the year.  Floating World remains one of my favorite albums released in the past few years, and while Canopy Glow is a great follow-up, it didn’t quite reach the Floating World status.  Of course, I wasn’t expecting it to,  but the downtempo nature of this album was a little surprising when their last album sounded like a marching band does rock.  Still, it’s a welcome change to their usual style, and it’s new Anathallo.  That’s all that really matters, and if you haven’t heard Anathallo yet, well, what are you waiting for.

The River [mp3]

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27.  Apollo Sunshine – Shall Noise Upon

I’m not going to lie.  Apollo Sunshine is one of my all time favorite bands.  Katonah ranks up there with my favorite albums of all time, and their self titled was just as good in a more rockin sort of way.  So, when Shall Noise Upon finally made it to me after some wait, I was disappointed.  Apollo Sunshine goes psychadelic?  At first, I was baffled.  Noise replaced pop, fun lyrics turned dark, and the upbeat optimism was strangely replaced by, well, I wasn’t sure what.  But, after a while I got over my confusion and gave it another chance and found a lot to enjoy.  It’s definitely different than their previous stuff, and the lack of their usual pop charm irks me a little, but overall I’ll give this new one my thumbs up and hope that next time they cheer up again and get back to their pop ways.

Singing to the Earth (To Thank Her For You) [mp3]

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26.  Ray LaMontagne – Gossip in the Grain

I can’t say I was a Ray fan before this album.  But then again, I can’t say I ever looked into him before now.  But, having friends that are big fans of him seems to make not listening to this new album nearly impossible.  But this time around I’m not complaining at all.  I sure missed the boat eh?  But I’m glad I caught his music later than never.  I’m usually not the biggest fan of the pure singer/songwriter like Ray, but this album is great.  The ode to Meg White was one of my favorite musical moments of the year and thanks to this new album, I can say I’m officially a fan.

Meg White (link to Stereogum stream)

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25.  Dr. Dog – Fate

Dr. Dog apparently have been around for a while.  I’d heard of them, but hadn’t heard a lick of their music until now.  My roommate threw me a copy of their latest album and I put it on out of curiosity.  By the time I’d had ample listens and found that I really liked the album, a promo copy arrived in the mail.  Oh the irony.  But that just kept me listening to this album that has a certain “timeless” aspect to it that makes me feel like I could be listening to this album 20 years from now.  It probably should have made it higher on the list, but I’m fine with it cracking the top 25.

Army of Ancients [mp3]

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24.  Emiliana Torrini – Me & Armini

I’ve become quite fond of Emiliana over the past couple years.  She’s cute as a button and her music simply cheers me up.  The Fisherman’s Woman was a great album, and this new one is no different.  As a whole though, I must admit she lets loose this time around.  More full band action, more drums, bass, and guitar, and more energy in general.  It’s a welcome change from her downtempo, rainy day style of her previous album.  “Jungle Drum” is undeniably fun and I’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t smile when they first heard the her rum-pum-pum chorus.  Heck, I’ve yet to meet anyone that didn’t smile the whole time they were listening to this album.  So, all you grumpy pants people out there.  Do yourself a favor and get some Emiliana happiness in your life.  You won’t regret it.

Jungle Drum [mp3]

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23.  Metermaids – Nightlife in Illinoise

The same roommate who introduced me to Dr. Dog gets credit for this gem as well.  Do you like Sufjan?  Of course you do.  Ever wonder what a Sufjan/hip hop mashup would sound like?  Of course you have?  Well, Metermaids have provided that very thing.  I never thought I’d say we need some hip hop in our Sufjan jams sometime, but after hearing this mash-up, I’m giving that another thought.  Plus, just like the Amplive Radiohead remixes earlier on this list, Metermaids have made this album available for free as well.  So, all you Sufjan fans out there know you won’t be able to resist downloading this asap after reading this.  And, even though I enjoyed Welcome Wagon, Sufjan’s unofficial return to the music scene as their producer, slightly more than this, I almost think this is a more fun way to fill Sufjan’s absence until his next album.  Whenever the heck that will be.

Download the album for free

No Matter What You Will Feel The Illinoise Or We Will Punch You In The Mouth [mp3]

The Zombies Will Eat Your Brains Out But Will Leave Your Ears And Fingertips [mp3]

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22.  The Verbs (Redux) – S/T

Another LemonDrop band, and one I feel pretty proud of taking in and having join the LemonDrop family.  Most of you have heard of them through this blog and my LemonDrop ramblings, but this was one of the first albums I got to see recorded from front to back.  And even though I know every word of every song, whether I wanted to or not, I feel safe in saying this was one of my favorite albums of the year.  It’s classic rock brought back in a new and refreshing way, and as our time marketing the songs has proven, songs like “Champagne Bottles and Chandeliers” and “Lady Grey” are ones that everyone enjoys.  Like the Spacetones before, I’m not putting one of our bands on my list for selfish reasons, I truly love this album and feel everyone should hear it.  It’s great, and even now, after hearing it 400 time or so, I still play it every now and then and enjoy every minute.  Here’s looking forward to their upcoming album in the Spring, which they’re recording with the same person that recorded Boris Yeltsin’s Pershing.  I’ll let you know when we start working with that album.

Champagne Bottles and Chandeliers [mp3]

Lady Grey [mp3]

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21.  Bombadil – A Buzz, A Buzz

Bombadil sent me their album personally, and that always earns points in my book.  The fact that it’s fun and great to boot wins double points as well.  Bombadil have that Irish rock band vibe to them, but without sounding too much like an Irish rock band.  If that makes sense.  It makes me want to dance and drink, but I can also listen to it while doing something completely boring and not dance or drink-like and still enjoy it immensely.  If it weren’t for the band, I wouldn’t have heard their great album.  So, here’s a big thanks to Bombadil and hopefully they release a follow-up soon.

Johnny [mp3]

Rosetta Stone [mp3]

40.  The Knux – Remind Me in 3 Days

The Knux came on the scene this year as a welcome fill-in during Outkast’s absence.  The first couple listens kept my attention, but it wasn’t until after a few more listens that I heard the Knux unique style that separated them from Outkast.  It’s essentially nerd rap, with the two Knuckleheads (what Knux is short for), rapping about everything from Dungeons and Dragons to their adventures at the coffee shop.  It’s not fair to keep comparing them to Outkast, but the fact that they pull it off for the most part says a lot.  Definitely one of the most fun hip hop albums of the year.

Bang Bang [mp3]

The Train [mp3]

Cappuccino (Remix) [mp3]

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39.  The Weepies – Hideaway

The Weepies were a strange band for me all year.  I’d consider them mood music, but I was almost always in the mood for them.  Not in the sense that they transcended moods and could be listened to at any time.  I just seemed to always turn to them when I was relaxed, and it fit perfectly.  There’s ice as far as the eye can see here, and it yet again seems to be the perfect album to listen to.  Songs like the title track and “Antarctica” are a few of the year’s best, but I can guarantee early in the year I’d be surprised to hear myself say it.  I guess what I’m trying to say is Hideaway wins for most unlikely album to win me over this year.  Ha, I realize none of that probably made sense.  I’d recommend just giving this album a listen for yourself and I’m sure most of you will find a lot there to enjoy.

Wish I Could Forget [mp3]

Antarctica [mp3]

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38.  Nada Surf – Lucky

I’d never really been too big a fan of Nada Surf before this album.  It wasn’t because I didn’t like them, I just never felt the urge to look any deeper into them than what’d I’d heard briefly from their previous albums.  “See These Bones” changed all that for me this year.  I fell in love with that song, listened to Lucky most the year, and then went back and listened to their previous music as well.  I’d recommend this new album for “See These Bones” alone, but if you’re like me, hearing that song will undoubtedly make you curious to hear more, and while nothing quite reaches the great level “See These Bones” did for me throughout the rest of the album, most come close, and that was enough for this album to make my list.

See These Bones [mp3]

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37.  M83 – Saturdays = Youth

M83’s Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts was an album I have always enjoyed.  The follow-up albums were just as good and before long M83 became on of my favorite bands.  The theatrical feel to each album was something unmatched by any other band.  It sometimes seemed way over the top, but I loved M83 for that.  Enter their new album, Saturdays = Youth and you find an album that’s more playful, less theatrical, and fitting to its name.  Saturdays were always meant for the child in us.  It’s a day we get to be free from all the stresses in our lives, and M83 capture this feeling well throughout the new album.  It’s not my favorite M83 album, but any long time fan will be plenty happy taking another journey with M83.  This time through their childhood.

Kim and Jessie [mp3]

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36.  Amp_Live – Rainydayz (Radiohead Remixes)

Now this is something I can stand behind.  I love any Radiohead remixes, especially hip hop ones, and this remix album by Amp_Live is simply great.  It made my list for the remixes obviously, but I also really like the back story of Amp_Live battling with the powers that be to get the remixes out there and finally succeeded.  If you’re interested, the album has been made available for free download over at his site and I highly suggest you head over there asap and check it out.  Guest spots include Del the Funky Homosapien and Chali2na from Jurassic 5 to name a few.  Radiohead fans alike should take to this album with open arms, and I imagine most of you will like what you hear.  Plus, you should download the album regardless to support Amp_Live’s valient efforts against the cease and desist police, which he overcame and ended up being featured in everything from Rolling Stone to the New York Times.

Download the album for free

Video Tapez (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien) [mp3]

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35.  The Spacetones – Moon Tunes

The Spacetones, as most of you know, are one of the bands on my record label, LemonDrop Records.  I debated whether to put our bands on my list, as it may seem a selfish act on my part, but I decided to include the albums on our label that I feel would make my list regardless of my affiliation with them.  Moon Tunes is one of those albums.  Tommy P, Casey, and DJ Geej are good friends of Charlie and mine and I enjoy every second we work with them.  They’re fun and super funny guys and that can be seen during their great live shows.  If you enjoy fun, danceable hip hop, then the Spacetones’ new album should be up your alley.  We’ll be pushing this album even more throughout the beginning of this year as we unvail our new website, but listen to “Simply What It Is” and decide for yourself.  As always with our albums.  If you enjoy it, head over to the LemonDrop store and download it for whatever price you want, with the bands getting half of it.

Simply What It Is [mp3]

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34.  Kings of Leon – Only By the Night

I almost left this album off my list out of pure spite of having to hear the two singles over and over and over again on every damn jukebox we ever came across at bars.  Seriously people.  Do you have to play “Sex On Fire” every time you come close to a jukebox.  That being said, I can’t knock the band itself for their songs being seriously overplayed in bars.  Only By the Night is an amazing album and deserves all the credit it has been given.  “Sex On Fire” and “Use Somebody”, back before all the bar jocks and sorority chicks heard them, were instant favorites of mine.  If I could somehow get over the fact that I’ve heard those two songs probably 500 times each, then this new album could have easily made it a lot higher on the list.  I’m sure they’re not complaining though.  The jukebox royalties alone have to have them loaded beyond belief.

Sex on Fire [mp3]

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33.  Girl Talk – Feed the Animals

This one is cursed almost as much as Kings of Leon were last year, suffering from severe overplaying of the albums everywhere I ended up partying.  I’m talking to you Chris.  Chris’ obsession with Girl Talk kept me from ever playing the album the whole way through on my own, since everytime I was with him, I heard the album, but much like Kings of Leon, I can’t knock Girl Talk for something he has no control over.  The pure skill that goes into making each Girl Talk song is almost incomprehensible, and as a slight audio geek who really pays attention to the production of albums, I can only imagine the time and effort spent mixing and mashing all the parts to each song.  This newest album finds Greg Gillis, the man behind Girl Talk, at the top of his game, and here’s to seeing what crazy stuff he comes up with for his next one.

Gillis explains his song making technique

Interview over at Grooveshark

Set It Off [mp3]

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32.  Notwist – The Devil, You + Me

If I rated these albums based purely on anticipation, this album would be #1 by a mile.  Six years in the making, The Devil, You + Me landed almost unexpected in my lap and before I knew it, I was listening to a new Notwist album.  Six years makes you forget a lot of the reasons you enjoyed the band in the first place.  Neon Golden was a classic and one I still listen to to this day, so when I sat looking at the new album on my computer, I was almost scared to play it.  Luckily, the new tunes ended up being pretty dang good.  Not quite up to par with Neon Golden, but it’s new Notwist, and I’ve yet to find a Notwist song I didn’t at least sort of enjoy.  If you’ve yet to hear the Notwist, start with Neon Golden, then once you experience the calculated greatness that is that album, then move on to this new one, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy as well.

Good Lies [mp3]

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31.  Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All of His Friends

After X&Y, you couldn’t convince me for anything I’d be putting their follow up on my year end list, but what do you know, here it is.  Viva la Vida surprised me in every way and I can’t believe I’m saying right now that I’m a fan again.  From the great title track single, to the string parts in “Yes!”, there was plenty on this new album I found to be vintage Coldplay.  Only on a much grander scale this time around.  It’s hard to tell if I’d get any grief for putting Coldplay on my year end list this time around, but most people I’ve talked to that had a similar falling out because of the boring X&Y seem to be in the same boat as me, being pleasantly surprised at the improbable return of a band I once truly loved.  Now, I’m not quite a smitten as I used to be, but I’m happy to say I’m a fan once again.

Viva la Vida [mp3]

Viva la Vida (White Duke Remix) [direct download link from their site]

50.  Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

I loved Elbow’s last album, Leaders of the Free World, with songs like “Mexican Standoff” and “Station Approach” staying among the top songs of the year most of 2007.  So, admittedly I had high hopes for Elbow’s latest release.  Did it disappoint?  Not necessarily.  I just think it was one of those albums I knew from the start wouldn’t top it’s predecessor since I enjoyed it so much.  That being said though, this new one tried its hardest to win me over, and it did for the most part.  A few more songs like “Grounds for Divorce” and this would have been much higher on the list.  As it stands, it still makes the list, albeit barely, but it’s a worthy album none the less and should be heard by all.

Grounds for Divorce [mp3]

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49.  Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride

If you would’ve told me the latest Mountain Goats album would barely crack my top 50, I would have broken out into laughter…and maybe cried a bit too.  But alas, there lies the rub.  “San Bernardino” stands out as one of my favorite Mountain Goats songs yet, but the rest of the album falls into most of the Mountain Goats cynics’ favorite description, “it all sounds the same”.  Blasphemy! I’d usually yell at them, but this time around it was either too much Mountain Goats too soon since the last album, or it simply did all just sound the same.  Who knows, but while this new album didn’t quite hit the mark, songs like “San Bernardino” do more than keep me a fan.

San Bernardino [mp3]

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48.  Grand Archives – Grand Archives

I almost didn’t listen to this album.  I’d heard the back story about how Mat Brooke left Band of Horses to form this band, but their self-titled album literally sat in my 2008 folder for months before I randomly just played it on a whim.  I still don’t know why I chose to listen to this album at that time, but I guess I can thank my lucky stars I did.  It’s the perfect summer album, and even though I caught it late in the year when things were getting dreary and cold on me, it was still a welcome ray of musical sunshine that I just happened to stumble upon.  Lucky me I guess.

Torn Blue Foam Couch [mp3]

Miniature Birds [mp3]

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47.  Decomposure – Humidity Patient Guide

Decomposure is Caleb Mueller’s band, project, experiment.  Whatever you want to call his musical endeavors, one thing is inherently clear.  His music stands alone and nothing quite matches its uniqueness, ambition, or energy.  For those of you unfamiliar with his music making process, he basically makes his beats and base song structures from found sounds around the house or out in nature, such as the crash of pans or the falling of tree limbs and cuts and pastes all those sounds into a musical collage which leads to songs once the melody is added.  At Home and Unaffected was the album I first became a fan of, then Vertical Lines A proved to be just as good, so when this new album came out of nowhere and landed in my lap, I couldn’t have been more excited.  What I found was an album even more experimental than his previous efforts, which, for Caleb, that’s saying a lot.  The album is available in two forms.  The original 50 minute seamless album that flows from one song to the next, or in 12 excerpts for those of you who want to jump to the best songs.  It’s quite the feat I must admit, but it may be a little too much on the experimental side for me to play it over and over.  It may not end up being your cup of tea, but he’s giving the album away for free at his website, with an option to donate $5 if you want.  Considering how much effort must go into his albums, the fact that he’s letting everyone hear it for free wins me over in a big way and should convince all of you to at least go download it and give it at least one listen.  I guarantee you won’t hear anything else like it.

Download the album for free over at his label’s site

Excerpt 1 [mp3]

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46.  Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

I’m not the biggest Vampire Weekend fan.  I’ve read a few interviews with them and they irk me the wrong way for some reason.  Slightly pretentious I guess.  But there’s no denying this album had plenty of shining moments, and I can’t knock them off my list simply because I’m not a fan of their interviews.  “Oxford Comma” was the track that got them on the map, but for me, it was “Walcott” and it’s great string breakdown that won me over.  I probably listened to that track on repeat more than any this year.  And I can’t forget to mention the string intro to “M79″ as well.  We’ll see how their follow-up matches this one, but all qualms aside on my part, this debut was deserving of most the praise it got this year and here’s looking forward to another one.

Walcott [mp3]

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45.  My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

I recently read a review of Evil Urges while looking info up for this list and the writer compared them to Radiohead.  The point was backed up well, showing how MMJ have built a cult following throughout the years, have an amazing and intense live show, and can be quite mysterious at times just like Radiohead.  I can see that to a degree.  They’ve kind of become the classic rock revival Radiohead.  Focusing much more on epic guitar riffs and going from quite to really loud, MMJ have become the Godspeed of rock.  With great singing of course.  Evil Urges follows Z with a solid effort that doesn’t top Z, which was one of my favorites and made it high on that year’s year end list, but I didn’t expect this new one to top the previous great effort, and the fact that they gave us pretty much more of the same is a very good thing in this case.

I’m Amazed [mp3]

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44.  Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

#1 album of the year, eh?  I’ll admit to not spending as much time with this album as it appears I should have, but much like Grizzly Bear, I have to be in the mood to listen all the way through this album.  And, with albums like My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges there for me to listen to, sounding essentially the same as this Fleet Foxes album, I tended to turn to those over this one.  But, once I started seeing it all over year end lists from magazines to blogs, I sat down and truly gave this one some serious listens.  And it really is a great, soothing album for fans of Band of Horses or My Morning Jacket’s slower songs.  I doubt this will be a long runner in my collection over the years, but it’s good background music for around the house tasks, long drives, or napping.  Still, I don’t know what all the hooplah was about and even as I give it more listens, I still sit a little baffled wondering how it got #1 on so many lists.  But, here is sits at #44 on my list.  Not #1 by any means, but hey, it made the list and that’s worth noting.

White Winter Hymnal [mp3]

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43.  Ratatat – LP3

It’s pretty fitting Ratatat’s 3rd LP is simply titled, LP3.  It can be argued that it’s the third LP of pretty much the same.  Fans of Ratatat will see no problem with that fact, but there’s always sceptics that say Ratatat albums all sound the same.  With a few songs on Classics, and even more evident on this new album, Ratatat’s sound is evolving and I think that’s a very good thing.  “Mi Viejo” finds Ratatat playing mainly classical guitar and perhaps mandolin, having an almost Desperado sound to it.  “Shempi” is one of their most upbeat dance songs as of late, and “Mumtaz Khan” adds more groove than normal and almost finds itself in instrumental hip-hop territory.  All in all, this is another Ratatat album, so most of you know what to expect.  But, it’s different from their previous albums to make it a stand-out album this year.

Videos for Shempi, Mirando, and Flynn
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42.  Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

The anticipation for this album was high for obvious reasons.  Being a big Death Cab fan, reading reviews touting this as the album that could scare away their fanbase, or cement them as indie rock pioneers, made me more than confused as to what it would ultimately sound like.  “Bixby Canyon Bridge” starts the album off on an epic note, showing Death Cab’s newfound chops for rocking out, and I thought I knew what to expect based on that opener.  Then came the 8-minute “I Will Possess Your Heart” and I started to understand why those reviews were saying they didn’t know how fans would react.  The song is good, but was the overwhelming winner for most skipped on the album throughout the year.  The rest of the album brought back memories of the old Death Cab days.  Days of The Photo Album and Something About Airplanes.  Only much more produced.  I ended up really enjoying this new release, but it took awhile to get used to it, and for a Death Cab album, that’s pretty surprising.

Your New Twin Sized Bed [mp3]

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41.  The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

In a time of musical experimentation, some experiments work, and some don’t.  Radiohead decided to give people about a week’s notice before they threw their new album on the net for all to download and people went nuts.  When the Raconteurs decided to follow suit, doing no promotion for their new album and giving fans a week of notice before it was released, the results didn’t exactly match Radiohead’s success.  That’s a shame, because the album is really good.  I saw the Raconteurs back in Seattle when I was interning at Sub Pop and have been a big fan ever since.  You can’t really knock a band that has both Jack White and Brenden Benson.  I’d have to recommend “Rich Kid Blues” over any track on this album, as it’s one of my favorite tracks of the year, but the whole album is full of White Stripes sounding songs mixed with Brendon Benson songs.  It’s the same formula that got them big in the first place, and the story is no different this time around either.

Rich Kid Blues [mp3]

Lost Coastlines [mp3]

Ben Folds
Way to Normal

I may get grief for even mentioning this album among my honorable mentions list, but I will always be a Ben Folds fan.  Rockin’ the Suburbs will remain my favorite Ben Folds’ solo album and I highly doubt anything he makes from now on will dethrone that album, but Way to Normal does a good job of returning to that carefree Ben Folds I know and love.  Songs for Silverman was good, but in that “he’s all grown up, has a kid, and wants to sing about it” kind of way.  This new album is him singing about falling off stage in Japan during a show, singing about F’ing in Effington, and simply enjoying life and everything that’s thrown his way along the journey.  Ben Folds may have become a guilty pleasure out of nowhere for some reason, but I’ll always be here in support of the man behind one of my favorite bands ever, Ben Folds Five, no matter how cheesy his music may get.

You Don’t Know Me (ft. Regina Spektor) [mp3]

The Black Keys
Attack and Release

From the first time I heard “Strange Times”, I had a feeling this album would grow on me and become an eventual year ender.  But with each listen, I found the album never matching that track as a whole, which is a shame, because that song is just great.  As it stands though, I’m left with one of my favorite tracks of the year, surrounded by funky, gritty rock tracks that try to match the quality heard in that song, but not quite getting there.  I still recommend it whole heartedly, but I’m looking at 50 albums that beat it out hands down.  Still, fans of straight-up guitar & drums rock will be plenty satisfied.

Strange Times [mp3]

Islands
Arm’s Way

I really enjoyed Islands’ last album.  This one didn’t affect me near as much.  “The Arm” is great, and many other tracks fit my love for strings in music mold, but in the end I kept getting half way through this album before turning to something else instead.  I’m sure this will end up being one of those albums I go back to next year and enjoy a lot more, but as it stands, my lack of interest led to a lack of listens, and no album can grow on you if you never give it a chance.  We’ll see if I turn back to it in ‘09 and change my mind.

The Arm [mp3]

Sebastian Grainger
Sebastian Grainger & the Mountains

I’ll give my roommate Ryan all the credit on this one.  We share music all the time, and he threw this cd my way a while ago, touting the fact that it’s one of the guys from Death from Above, so of course I was going to check it out.  I enjoyed it immensely, but couple the fact that it’s just an EP, and that I only caught it at the end of the year, and I just couldn’t include it on my top 50 list.  So, here this little indie rock dance EP sits.  Honorable indeed, and well worth a listen, but not quite enough to stand out among the crowd for any further praise.  I do look forward to any full lengths he’s bound to release in the future though.

American Names [mp3]

Hot Chip
Made in the Dark

I like Hot Chip to an extent.  None of their albums have ever held me for any extended time and made me want to come back for more.  I read all the reviews and Pitchfork praise, but each album was good for a couple songs.  And this new one falls in the same boat for me.  “Ready for the Floor” is easily one of the best dance songs of the year, so that alone gets this album at least mentioned in the Honorable year end category.  Every Friday at Black Box’s dance party for months on end that song was played, whether it was the original or the countless remixes out there.  If anything, that song should be heard by everyone, as it defined our dance parties, but as an album, I just couldn’t get into it as much as everyone else.  But that’s how the dance party goes sometimes.

Ready for the Floor [mp3]

Stark Raving Calm
FleshNectarAsphaltAdrenaline

Most of you remember me mentioning Stark Raving Calm here at the Perch numerous times.  They’re my good friends, and even though that should affect my view of their music for obvious reasons, I’m still happy to be able to confidently put their latest, and last unfortunately, album on my year end list.  The first thing you’ll notice is that their music doesn’t fit the Perch mold musically, being a lot harder than most things I post.  But after seeing their evolution as a band these last few years, always further refining their already amazing skills at each member’s respective instrument, all of our friend group were floored when we finally heard this final release.  It’s a shame they had to break up, with two of them moving to Seattle and the other two also leaving town, but I’m glad I got to see their last few live shows and see arguably the most musically skilled band Springfield has had in quite some time.  Their music isn’t for everyone, but anyone that has seen them live can back my statements up.  Here’s to hoping Brad and Jason start something up again in Seattle.

A Systematic Collapse [mp3]

And the rest that are worth mentioning, but didn’t quite make the list for various reasons:

Andrew Bird – Soldier On (Tour EP)
The Apples in Stereo – Electronic Projects for Musicians
Cadence Weapon – Afterparty Babies
Chris Walla – Field Manual
Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty
Constantines – Kensington Heights
David Ford – Songs for the Road
Dosh – Wolves and Wishes
Headlights – Some Racing, Some Stopping
Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
Johnny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood
Flight of the Conchords – S/T
Hauschka – Ferndorf
Likki Li – Youth Novels
Man Man – Rabbit Habbits
Minus the Bear – Acoustics
Muse – HAARP (live from Wembley Stadium)
Peter Bradley Adams – Leavetaking
She and Him – Volume One
Subtle – ExitingARM
Sun Kil Moon – April
Ryan Adams – Cardinology
Unwed Sailor – Little Wars
Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

But, I’ll probably go into more of that detail later when I get to writing my list, but for now check out Pitchfork’s year end list and let me know what you think.  I don’t know a lot of the albums on this list, because of me being so busy I’d say, but there’s some a completely agree with, and others I don’t at all.  But isn’t that what year end lists are there for?  I am happy for Fleet Foxes though, if only for the fact that they’re on Sub Pop, and I have a bias for Sub Pop bands now since I interned for the label.  But yeah, enough rambling.  Let me know which albums on the list you agree with and which you can’t believe even made the list.  (the more opinionated the comments the better)

Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2008

List after the jump

Honorable Mentions of ‘08 So Far (in no particular order)

•  Andrew Bird – Soldier On (tour EP)
• Chris Walla – Field Manual
• Constatines -Kensington Heights
• Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
• Does it Offend You, Yeah? – You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into
• Dosh – Wolves and Wishes
• Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
• Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. – Searching for the How’s and Why’s
• Headlights – Some Racing, Some Stopping
• Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead
• Hot Chip – Made in the Dark
• Islands – Arm’s Way
• Kenna – Make Sure They See My Face
• Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles – S/T
• M83 – Saturdays = Youth
• Man Man – Rabbit Habbits
• Matt Costa – Unfamiliar Faces
• Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride
• Muse – HAARP (live from Wimbley Stadium)
• My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• The Notwist – The Devil, You + Me
• Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
• Stark Raving Calm – FleshNectarAsphaltAdrenaline
• Subtle – ExitingARM
• The Black Keys – Attack and Release
• The Envy Corps – Dwell
• The Weepies – Hideaway
• Vampire Weekend – S/T
• Why? – Alopecia
• Wolftron – Flesh and Fears

Biggest Disappointment of ‘08 So Far

•  Magnetic Fields – Distortions

All kinds of people are praising this for its homage to the older days of heavily distorted stuff like My Bloody Valentine and stuff like that, but I was never into that.  I’m all about the 69 Love Songs Magnetic Fields with fun little love songs.  I’m sure some of you liked this one, but considering I’ve loved both 69 Love Songs and i, this one was just disappointing for how long I waited for it.

Biggest Surprise of ‘08

• Panic at the Disco – Pretty.Odd

This one’s grown super old to me at this point, but going from crappy emo punk dance hybrid that all the 14 year old girls loved, to a pretty good Sgt. Pepper’s tribute, surprised the heck out of me.  I won’t be recommending this one to anyone, but I’ll give them props for saying screw you to all their emo fans and making a decent album full of strings, horns, and decent rock songs.  Show me another album by them that’s similar and I might actually care about the band.  As it is now, I’ll just leave it at a simple, well that’s something, and happily keep this one tucked way back in my collection.

Biggest Non-surprise of ‘08

• Weezer – Red Album

Besides the second song, which is pretty dang epic for Weezer with choirs and whatnot, this one is just barely a step above their previous album.  To think, I used to be the biggest Weezer fan, but ever since Matt Sharp left Weezer, the band’s John Lennon in my opinion, writing all the weird songs, they’ve just gone further and further downhill, with Cuomo continuing to be unable to break out of writing anything but sub-par radio friendly love songs.  Tis a shame indeed.

Albums I’m Listening to at the Moment

• Sigur Ros – Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
• Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
• Gotye – Like Drawing Blood (really good stuff, I’ll be talking about it here soon)
• Jakob Dylan – Seeing Things (listening out of pure curiosity)
• Jim Noir- S/T
• Unwed Sailor – Little Wars

That’s the half-year wrap up.  I’d link all the music to their myspaces, but that’d take an insanely long time.  Who do you think I am?  A magician?  Hope you find some music you like from the bands above.  That’s what I’ve been listening to so far this year, and if you usually agree with my recommendations, then this should be a mini-goldmine for you.  Happy hunting friends and good luck looking all this up!

5. Dodos – Visiter

Dodos came out of nowhere for me. They made Pitchfork’s best new music, which has become a very hit or miss thing for me anymore, and after listening to the song Pitchfork had featured, I went ahead and checked them out. Am I ever glad I did. Dodos’ music is a strange blend of acoustic guitar and percussion of all kinds. I can’t say I’ve heard anything quite like this album, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. It’s a great, and very unique, sounding album that I honestly didn’t expect to hear this year. If that doesn’t get you interested in this album, I don’t know what will.

Fools

Jodi

4. Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight

I heard “The Modern Leper” a while ago and waited rather impatiently for their full length to finally be released so I could hear more. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint. Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish band, sounding somewhat like Snow Patrol minus the recent sappiness and commercial sound of recent Snow Patrol stuff. I used to really enjoy Snow Patrol, so I’m glad I’ve found a band that I have no problem replacing them with. The lead singer’s strong accent may get in the way of some of the songs for a few of you, but the lyrics are really well written and I rarely notice the accent anymore. That is, of course, unless I’m purposely singing in a Scottish accent with him. That’s always a good time.

The Modern Leper

Good Arms vs. Bad Arms

3. Phantom Planet – Raise the Dead

I’m not going to lie. I didn’t expect to have a new Phantom Planet album on any top lists this year, but I just had to put this new release on the list. I enjoyed it at first, but then it just kept growing on me. “Leader” is one of my favorite Phantom Planet songs in quite a while, with the kids choir in the chorus putting it over the top for me. Many reviews touted it as the best Phantom Planet album yet, and while at first I was very skeptical to back those statements, I will agree that it’s right up there with any of their releases, being one of their most consistently good albums the whole way through. If you’re a Phantom Planet fan, there’s no reason you shouldn’t give this new one a listen. If you’re still on the fence with this band, you may want to give Raise the Dead some solid spins and I bet you’ll be surprised by how much you end up liking it.

Dropped

The Leader

2. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yetsin – Pershing

The other three albums on this list could easily be swapped out by other releases so far this year that I’ve enjoyed immensely, as they aren’t locks on the list by any means, but the top two stand above the rest by a mile. Boris Yeltsin’s latest release finds them sounding their most polished and professional yet, leaving behind their attic recording set-up for a much more professionally recorded sound. I’d heard most this album live over the last few years, since they’re from here in Springfield, but I had no idea the new album would end up sounding this good. Both this album and Cloud Cult’s at #1 have stood above the rest of 2008’s releases consistently despite both being released very early in the year, and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve shelved these albums for a few weeks while listening to all the new music that comes my way, only to pull them back out and putting them right back on repeat and enjoying them as much as ever. If you’re looking for an album you can listen to all summer, look no further than Boris Yeltsin’s Pershing.

Modern Mystery

Some Constellation

Heers

1. Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)

It depends on my mood at the time which album, this one or Pershing, is my #1 at the time, but one thing is for sure, I love this album. I was always somewhat hesitant to put Cloud Cult up there with my favorite bands, sticking my “favorite” label on them, but this album pretty much made it undeniable. Cloud Cult are one of my favorite bands. Each album is full of strings, great lyrics, catchy melodies, and Chris Minowa’s unique vocals and the songs just keep getting better and better with each new release. I almost didn’t catch this new album because most Cloud Cult albums have a few years in between releases. But Feel Good Ghosts was released in record time after The Meaning of 8 and it felt like Christmas came early for me once I heard that. The opener “No One Said It Would Be Easy” had me grinning from ear to ear upon first listen, and by the time the album was done, I knew this wouldn’t easily be dethroned this year. If you’re a fan of orchestral elements in your songs, you won’t find too many albums better than this one. It’s too early to say if Feel Good Ghosts will make my top spot by the end of the year after another six months, but I hope it does end up getting dethroned by another album, because quite frankly, if that happens, that would be one heck of a good album. Until that album comes along, I’ll just keep this new Cloud Cult album on repeat and let it continue being the soundtrack to my summer.

When Water Comes to Life

Journey of the Featherless

No One Said It Would Be Easy