The Best Albums of 2008 (so far)

*****EDIT: THIS IS THE OLD VERSION OF MY BEST OF '08 LIST.  THE NEWEST LIST CAN BE FOUND here.  THANKS FOR STOPPIN' BY!.*****

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    Can't sleep and don't feel like doing any cleaning, so why not waste some time finally posting this mamma jamma.  Usual rules and caveats apply: this list comprises all of the albums I've heard so far this year.  Also, reissues are not eligible but pretty much everything else is.  Rock yonder McFuckbox/etc.

11.) Robert Pollard - Superman Was a Rocker -- for me, the year 2007 is the line of demarcation dividing the "good" part of Uncle Bob's career and the "crappy" part and this record does nothing to disprove that theory.  To recap, with the exception of a couple of good archival releases (Fading Captain retrospective Crickets and the two-disc Live From Austin), I've enjoyed nothing the man put out over the last year.  As someone who was pretty much obsessed with GbV and Bob's releases for quite some time, I'd love to see a return to form -- or at least serviceability -- but this is an unmistakably shitty record.

UM, HI AGAIN.  SORRY TO BE SO OBNOXIOUS, BUT TO REPEAT, THIS IS THE OLD VERSION OF MY BEST OF '08 LIST.  THE NEW LIST CAN BE FOUND HERE (54 ALBUMS LISTED!)

10.) Black Mountain - In the Future -- O-VER-RA-TED!  Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!  Boring, passionless, cliche-riddled retro "hard rock" manufactured for people who don't actually like the genre. 

9.) Various Artists - Disco Not Disco 1974-1986 -- Seriously, how high was I when I downloaded this?  If you like your disco spare and unadorned by glossy production values, give this a shot.

8.) Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel -- Obviously this suffers in comparison to the dynamic, harrowing journey charted by Bradford Cox' "other" band on Cryptogram, but this one is just too samey, druggy and tossed-off sounding. 

7.) Dead Meadow - Old Growth -- With the exception of the standout opening track, "Ain't Got Nothing (to Go Wrong)" this album is fairly mediocre.  Sure, they seem to have mastered the art of the slowish boogie groove, but I wish they'd mix it up and just rawk the fuck out every so often.

6.) Dub Trio - Another Sound Is Dying -- One's enjoyment of this wordless collection of heavy prog riffs and breakneck tempo shifts relies exclusively upon one's enjoyment of music by that description.  But, like last year's Fucking Champs album, unless you're the type that gets dazzled by crunchy chops, it does seem to drag a bit towards the end.

5.) Magnetic Fields - Distortion -- Pop songs with clever lyrics and an obvious nod to Jesus and Mary Chain aesthetics (as freely admitted by Magnetic Fields' mastermind Stephen Merritt prior to the album's release).  I love the female-sung songs (especially "California Girls" and "Drive on Driver") but the male-sung baritone numbers are a bit tough to swallow. 

4.) Goes Cube - Not What You Thought -- Yup, I like this one.

3.) Blood on the Wall - Liferz -- Fun-as-hell garagey punk that'll have you bouncing your ass up and down whether seated or standing (from experience).  Personally, I prefer this to Awesomer -- it's more consistent, and "Junkeee Julieee..." is their best song yet.  Very enjoyable and delivered with a goofy, playful sense of humor that emphasizes a willingness to unabashedly wear their influences (Pixies, Sonic Youth, etc.) proudly upon their sleeves.

2.) Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust -- Another Jesus and Mary Chain "influenced" (to put it lightly) record, this one is blisteringly loud.  Lust Lust Lust was my preseason pick for album of the year, and there are several *perfect* songs on this one ("Dead Sound," "Hallucinations," and "Aly Walk With Me" among them), as well as a clever nod to former Raves' producer/prolific girl group contributor Richard Gottehrer with "I Want the Candy."  I still need to spin this one a lot more before reaching a final verdict on its relative awesomeness, but even without fully appreciating the album's second half (yet), this is pretty fucking great. 

1.) Times New Viking - Rip It Off -- What is it about Ohio lo-fi bands?  Delivered with first take immediacy and uncanny melodicism, Rip It Off sounds like nothing I've heard since Guided by Voices moved out of the basement about a decade ago.  And like No Age's Weirdo Rippers, listening to the youthful joy that this album exudes makes me feel somewhat lecherous -- fuckin' shit, I wish I was a decade younger.  Buyer beware: if you don't like hiss and feedback, you're not going to "get" this, but then again if you don't like hiss and feedback you're probably better off picking up a Kings of Leon record or some WIlco (or some other slick yuppie bullshit) anyway.

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STILL TO COME IN '08:

Howlin' Rain - Magnificent Fiend [March 4]
Birds of Avalon - Outer Upper Inner [March 18]
The Kills - Midnight Boom [March 18]
Witch - Paralyzed [March 18]
Under Byen - Siamesisk EP [March 27]
Black Keys - Attack and Release [April 1]
Breeders - Mountain Battles [April 8]
Tapes N' Tapes - Walk It Off [April 8]
Boris - Smile [April 29]
Portishead - Third [April 29]
No Age - Nouns [May 6]
Russian Circles - Station [May 6]
Futureheads - This Is Not the World [late May]
Oxford Collapse - BITS [August 5]
Metallica - unknown title [August?]
Boris - Mabuta No Ura soundtrack [when?]
Jay Reatard - compilation of '08 Matador singles [when?]
Stone Gods - Burn the Witch [already released in the UK, who knows if there's a US release date]
Mogwai [Summer?]
Beck [Summer?]
MBV????
Early Man???
A Place to Bury Strangers live album???
Wolfmother???
Yeah Yeah Yeahs???
Crippled Black Phoenix???
Hull???
Praxis???
Gil Mantera's Party Dream???
Scars on Broadway [Daron from System of a Down's new project]???
Seventh Void???