Best Albums of 2008

Yeah, I realize 2008 is a ways back, but it took me a while to purchase some of these, and I've been busy with school. So, following up on last year's best-of list, here are my favorite albums of 2008, sorted in descending order of heaviness of course...

Torche - Meanderthal :: Torche's second full length. Just think if Sabbath and Helmet had a lovechild. Heavy, yet amazingly melodic anthems.

Clouds - We Are Above You :: Psychadelic metal, with a strong harcore punk influence. Former members of Cave-in playing music that sounds like it would have been from their first garage band. 

Suicide Note - Empty Rooms :: They continues to evolve, yet retain their hardcore roots and incorporate a spectrum of influences. They amazingly find originality in a genre where it should no longer exist. Hard to explain, you'll just have to listen.

Young Widows - Old Wounds :: Sounds like a mix of everything Steve Albini has ever had his hands on. Oh, except the the song 'Delay Your Pressure' which sounds suspiciously a lot like Escape Grace's 'The Siren City'. Don't get me wrong, the album is a refreshing direction.

The Night Marchers - See You In Magic :: Half of Hot Snakes. Sounds like Rocket From the Crypt without the horns, which I actually prefer.

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive :: If Bruce Springsteen was in a punk rock band (emphasis on the rock), this would be them. I wasn't a fan of the two recent albums, but this one makes up for it.

CSS - Donkey :: Wild Brazilians. I'm not sure I can describe this in words, but I'll try: Zany, aggressive, guitar and synth heavy pop songs sung in broken English. Trust me, it works.

Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains - S/T :: From the talented half of Death From Above 1979. Smooth, catchy rock songs.

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer :: I got out to see them live this year. WP are probably my favorite active 'indie rock' band right now. This album took a little getting used to, but if you listen through the quirky melodies once, you'll be hooked.

Nada Surf - Lucky :: Not their best album, but still solid rock record, as usual.

Vampire Weekend - S/T :: Catchiest album of the year. This is an ESPN instant classic. 

Conor Oberst - S/T :: Folksy acoustic songs, more country than most Bright Eyes albums. The more stripped down the music the more obvious it is how talented a songwriter Oberst is. 

Honorable Mention (good, but haven't listened enough to form an opinion):

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

Ninja Gun- Restless Rubes

Best EP's:

Obits - One Cross Apiece :: The other half of Hot Snakes. If only Rick Froberg sang for the Night Marchers.

Cutman - Big Deal :: Punk songs about bulldozers and vans.

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PS - I'm on Lala and Last.fm