dischord.org » Top Albums for 2008

This year was pretty fucking great for music.  Here’s a quick list of my favourites, but don’t read too much into the order:

1. Transistor Transistor – Ruined Lives.  Everything these guys have ever put out is stellar.  They’re one of the few hardcore bands that I can take seriously – their sound is sincere, they can hold a melody, and they’re nothing short of bad-ass live.  The closing track on this album is killer and up there with the likes of Malady.  I can’t say enough good things about these guys so I’ll stop here.
2. Git Some – Cosmic Rock.  I found out about this over at C-zine where they described it as being “…like a really drunken, fat fucking Drive Like Jehu is staggering around, bumping into things and knocking shit over”.  Not far from the truth, although it reminds me an awful lot of Karp at times as well.  So yeah, I just mentioned two of my favourite bands in the same paragraph, not hard to see why I like this band so much.
3. The Night Marchers – See You In Magic.  It’s pretty close to call this one and ‘Ruined Lives‘ for my favourite release of 2008.  Ask me again tomorrow and I’ll have probably changed my mind.  This is classic John Reis, although if I’m honest out of all his projects without Rick Fork I still prefer the Sultans.
4. These Arms Are Snakes – Tail Swallower and Dove.  You can’t really fail to be sucked in by the opening song on this release.  And it’s all so polished.
5. Crystal Castles – Self Titled.  Yes, I’ve added this after the fact.  I downloadedpurchased this on a whim right at the end of the year and I’ve been listening to it pretty much non-stop ever since.  Fucking brilliant, don’t let the hype surrounding this put you off as it’s totally deserving.  If you’re a sucker for anything 8-bit / chiptune related then you’ll love it.
6. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing.  ATP this year for me was a disappointment on many levels, but mainly because of the scheduling.  It seemed like the bands I really wanted to see, with the exception of Les Savy Fav, were billed for the Sunday night after we had to leave.  On the flipside, we saw the best weather of all of summer while we were there and on the Friday, whilst stood outside drinking beer and deciding who we should watch, we heard something pretty special coming from inside one of the buildings.  We wandered in to catch these guys playing the last half of their set and it pretty much made up for the bands I was going to miss on the Sunday.  I promptly purchased a CD and a t-shirt and that was that.
7. Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling.  I’m not a huge fan of Mogwai, I don’t go crazy for everything they do but I do like the odd song.  While I like most tracks on this album, it’s up here mainly because this was the soundtrack to alot of the driving I did whilst in Southern California this year.  I’ve got fond memories of watching the sunrise and listening to this on the drive back to Hollywood after dropping a couple of friends off of mine down at an airport near Anaheim.
8. No Age – Nouns.  Another new discovery for me.  In an amusing coincidence, a couple of months after getting into them I was in LA at a party just across the street from the cover of their ‘Weirdo Rippers‘ album.  I’d have never have known otherwise.
9. Dead Child – Attack.  It’s metal, it’s cheesy, but done in a masterful way.  Turn your brain down and the volume up.

Honorary mention:  Obits – One Cross Apiece / Put It In Writing 7″.  This is, hands down, the best thing I’ve heard all year.