Best of 2008

Best of 2008: Aubin's picksAubin's picks (2008)
staff picks

Reviewer Rating: 5

Contributed by: AubinAubin
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Published on December 31st 2008.gh-artwork { background: url('/images/icons/albumborder.gif'); padding: 5px; float: left; margin-right: 0px; border: none} .gh-name { font-variant: small-caps; border-bottom: 1px solid #C5C5C5; width: 400px; padding: 1em 0 0em 7em; } .gh-label { font-variant: small-caps; padding-left: 7e.

Aubin is a news editor, reviewer, and the founder of Punknews.org. - ed.

Looking back at 2008

Next year, Punknews.org will turn 10. It's hard to believe that we're still here, and even harder to comprehend everything that has happened since 1999. If you remember, '99 was the midst of the first Internet boom; major events like the dot-com bust, the 9/11 tragedy and Sarah Palin weren't even on the radar. Fugazi and Kid Dynamite were still together. Hell, Kanye West hadn't even released an album yet and now he can't seem to stop.

You might have seen the Punknews.org history page, but I can promise you that 2009 will bring some of the biggest changes and improvements to Punknews.org in ages. But before we go there, we should probably look back at 2008.

Along with music, the amount of compelling creative works in 2008 has been outstanding; we got Fallout 3 and Fable 2 in video games, movies like The Dark Knight, Wall-E and Slumdog Millionaire and books like The Graveyard Book and Lush Life. With that in mind, let's look at the best albums of 2008.

Best of 2008

20. Flying Lotus: Los Angeles

Warp

While much of the genre hype this year revolved around Girl Talk, the real star of hip-hop-influenced experimental music was certainly Flying Lotus. Like DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, Flying Lotus creates an elegant and relaxed record that fuses hip-hop beats, cinematic instrumentation and dub tempos.

19. Transistor Transistor: Ruined Lives

Level Plane

While I enjoyed Erase All Names and Likeness, it really didn't explode the way Ruined Lives does. Lives is a intense and aggressive take on the kind of post-hardcore that Gravity Records and Level Plane specialize in.

18. Russian Circles: Station

Suicide Squeeze

While the post-rock/metal pool has become a little crowded since Isis and Pelican blew up, there is clearly a great deal of untapped potential left in the genre, as evidenced by Station. Trading in the slow build-to-climax of their contemporaries for evolving variations on a theme; Station is as hypnotic as it is cathartic.

17. 31 Knots: Worried Well

Polyvinyl

Like 2007's The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere, 31 Knots' songs are deceptively simple but effortlessly explore ideas and experiments. Usually, "experimental" is code for meandering everywhere but where you want them to go, but 31 Knots graciously invites you along.

16. Capsule: Blue

Robotic Empire

Haunting and memorable hardcore equally influenced by Black Flag, the Melvins and Explosions in the Sky.

15. Bloc Party: Intimacy

Vice

Sure, they're incredibly serious about everything, but this record is undeniably fun to listen to. With thumping beats and distinctively British inflections in any word, the band really does follow in the path of their heroes in Wire and Gang of Four.

14. These Arms Are Snakes: Tail Swallower and Dove

Suicide Squeeze

These Arms Are Snakes occupy their only little place in music; like Fugazi and At the Drive-In, the music has undeniably evolved from punk and hardcore, but their melodic, rhythmic and creative sense is unparalleled.

13. This Will Destroy You: This Will Destroy You

Magic Bullet

I'll be honest, TWDY is not doing anything spectacularly new. The band occupies a precarious place directly between Pelican and Explosions in the Sky, but what they lack in uniqueness, they more than account for in songwriting. Few instrumental albums have the sweeping power of This Will Destroy You; it's haunting, beautiful and heavy. Listen to it while reading Cormac McCarthy's Road and you'll understand.

12. Metallica: Death Magnetic

Elektra

I didn't see it coming. Every year, an established band promises a return to form after a number of disappointing albums and Metallica has had a lot of those. Yet, here we are in December 2008 and I'm still enjoying Death Magnetic. It's not Master of Puppets or ...And Justice for All but it'll remind you why you loved Metallica and that's worth something.

11. The Hold Steady: Stay Positive

Vagrant

I guess this is growing up.

10. Off with Their Heads: From the Bottom

No Idea

Miserable, misanthropic, melodic and memorable.

9. Verse: Aggression

Bridge Nine

A stunning political hardcore record. Barely contained vocal fury layered on creative and complex arrangements. For all the attention given to "experimental" and "chaotic" hardcore bands, it's easy to forget that some of the best hardcore comes down to songwriting, not gimmicks.

8. Protest the Hero: Fortress

Vagrant

A union of Strung Out, the Mars Volta and Dragonforce with all of the good and none of the bad. Just compelling, progressive punk and metal.

7. Defeater: Travels

Topshelf

This one came out of nowhere; I dug it up after a positive review on this site and was blown away by what I heard. Highly intelligent and creative hardcore with a powerful narrative and diverse and memorable songwriting. Hopefully their signing to Bridge Nine will bring them some of the attention they richly deserve.

6. The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound

SideOneDummy

This has been a big year for the Gaslight Anthem, and it is fully deserved.

5. Dillinger Four: C I V I L W A R

Fat Wreck Chords

All the hype and anticipation for a new Dillinger Four record started to run together in 2008. After years of waiting for a new record, I started to wonder if I had just gotten used to the waiting and started to wonder if any record would satisfy us. Well, I'm happy to say that C I V I L W A R satisfies completely. Songs like "Clown Cars on Cinder Blocks" and "Americaspremierefaithbasedinitiative" are among the best songs written in 2008, period.

4. No Age: Nouns

Sub Pop

Unlike many of the bands crushed under the inevitable indie rock hype steamroller, No Age are actually done a disservice by the hype machine. Swirling distortion and feedback combined with an undeniable pop sensibility, No Age are the heirs of Sonic Youth and Hüsker Dü.

3. This Is Hell: Misfortunes

Trustkill

Recorded like a independent metal album, but undeniably hardcore in bend, This Is Hell's Misfortunes is a flawless modern hardcore record. The final two tracks, "Memoirs" and "Last Days Campaign" create 2008's best hardcore epic.

2. TV on the Radio: Dear Science

Interscope

Like nothing else released this year, TV on the Radio continue to confound expectations and encourage creativity. More accessible than Return to Cookie Mountain and yet more comfortable with stylistic shifts and musical experimentation, Dear Science cover everything from the Beach Boys to Fugazi.

1. Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life

Matador

I tried to explain Fucked Up to someone and realized that Fucked Up isn't Black Flag or the Fugazi; they're the Who. Just like the Who aimed to stretch the vocabulary of rock'n'roll, Fucked Up want to create a new one for hardcore. Songs like "Black Albino Bones" and "Royal Swan" stretch hardcore to the point of breaking, but push it forward rather than abandon it. Not since the Refused has any band played so fast and loose with the "rules" of hardcore while creating more opportunities for those who follow.

Honorable Mentions

Parts & Labor - Paint It Black - Polar Bear Club - Mogwai - La Dispute - Deerhunter - Rise Against - Nine Inch Nails - Girl Talk - Shorebirds - Suicide Note

Most Anticipated

Thursday - P.O.S. - Leathermouth - Appleseed Cast - Black Lips

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

JonDreamy (February 20, 2009)

I haven't heard any of these things so no star. Sounds wild though.

AnalCabbage (January 5, 2009)

This is probably this year's best list.

SilentStorms (January 4, 2009)

Oh and that Russian Circles LP was fucking awesome. Aaaaaand I bought that Capsule Disco dealy, but I'm in Korea so I'll have to deal with it when I cum back. I'm looking forward to that! Score is for Pelican/Russian Circles/Finger of God/Disappearer/The Autumn Project/ Severe Anus.

SilentStorms (January 4, 2009)

My list doesn't agree sequentially, but goddamn, that's that's the best list I've seen. Holler to Protest and Transistor, who I would put at my one two. Great review!

mpc (January 4, 2009)

I picked up Flying Lotus - Los Angeles after seeing this list and being compared to the almighty DJ Shadow... I think I've listened to this CD 6 times in the last 2 days. It really reminds me of a strange hybrid of DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, and Autechre.

Ravnos (January 2, 2009)

I can't even listen to TWDY based on their name alone. It always reminds me of the idiotic hardcore kids who would post that shit on message boards whenever some shitty sound-alike metalcore band played, and whether this band is using the name ironically or seriously, it turns me off of them either way. I know it sounds stupid, but either sense is indicative of a mindset that I'd like to see buried.

I also wanted to comment on seeing Death Magnetic on the list. I personally don't think it merits being in this year's top 20 (a matter of opinion, disagreement is welcome), but I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. You're right that it doesn't really compare with their classic albums, and some of the songs are about a minute too long, but I'd probably rate it above the Black album personally, and I think that if this had come out 15 years ago, the shock of Load/Reload wouldn't have been so bad and Metallica fans could have enjoyed them on their own merits.

And for the record, I liked about half of those two albums, and if Metallica could have exercised better judgement in track selection, they could have wound up with one really solid record instead of two mediocre ones. There are about 10-12 really good songs between them, but nobody wants to listen to the filler to get to the killer.

ashtraymonument (January 1, 2009)

glad to see someone realized how awesome that verse record is

killingthedream3 (January 1, 2009)

real glad to see defeater's record on here...just bought it recently and was pleasantly surprised...i think verse is one of the best bands out right now and was really happy with their new album as well

ding_dong (December 31, 2008)

No Paint it Black!?!?

Wait.... Metallica over Paint it Black!?!?!??!?!??!

JackingItSoHard2LISTS (December 31, 2008)

JackingItSoHard2LISTS

xote (December 31, 2008)

Finally a list that didn't make me cringe!!!

Hopefully the rest of the editors have good lists.

My faith is back.

GlassPipeMurder (December 31, 2008)

glad to see Protest the Hero on there. really dug that album.

chokingvictim (December 31, 2008)

glad to see ruined lives and nouns on here, great records.

banal242 (December 31, 2008)

I figured Aubin's number one would be the latest from Rites of Spring or something.