MishMash Contributors - Best Of 2008

Top 20 Songs of 2008, in the order I would play them.

1. "Anything 'Cept the Truth" - Eagles of Death Metal
Come ON, would I ever have a list that didn't include EoDM on it? I think not. For 4 years this band has held the lead position on my Personal Music Radar, I've photographed them more times than I can count, and Jesse and Brian know how to rock the 'stache in a non-70's-gay-porn kind of way...hmmmm...well, ok, Brian knows how to rock the 'stache in a non-70's-gay-porn kind of way. Sweet guys. Sweet music. Sweet live shows.

2. "You On the Run" - The Black Angeles
Psychedelic badassery at its finest. This is my driving song. I put this on repeat and I drive and drive and drive.

3. "Sent To Destroy" - Combichrist
If you've never seen this band live, you're missing out. Joey Letz is the most amazing drummer I've ever seen. His style is so unique and theatrical - and he can be dangerous if you're standing in close proximity! But that's half the fun.

4. "Rape Upon Rape Upon Rape" - Manufactura
Crunchy and methodical with perfect beats I can zone out to.

5. "Radio Maniacs" - Bloody Social
This single landed in my inbox and has been in heavy rotation ever since. It's got a QOTSA vibe to it, which is what initially drew me in.

6. "Drop" - Modulate
Very similar to Combichrist - so of course iLike.

7. "Between Two Worlds" - Endif
Nice noise that's good to work to. Or drive to.

8. "Highly Suspicious" - My Morning Jacket

9. "Paper Planes (Diplo Street Remix)" - M.I.A.
Not the sort of thing I'd usually go for, but when I found myself with a dead iPod on a packed 405 and was forced to go radio, this song caught my attention and wouldn't let go.

10. "Snuff Machine (Die Krupps Remix)" - Hardwire

11. "Formula 409" - Electric Six
Dick Valentine rules. Just don't expect him to tell you what he does with his bonus.

12. "Coming Home" - The 88
I love The 88. They're rad city. I stood on a freezing cold street corner in Beverly Hills and subjected myself to the asinine ramblings of Nicole Richie, some chick singer whose songs made my ears vomit, and the lamest display of fireworks in the whole entire history of lame displays of fireworks just to see The 88 play a free 20 minute show. I wish frontman Keith Slettedahl would bring back his 'stache though!

13. "Atomic Heels" - Secret Machines
Secret Machines drummer Josh Garza telling me I was "going to shit myself" from drinking too much coffee is definitely one of the most amusing statements made to me this year. The Secret Machines entire new (self-titled) album rules.

14. "After Hours" - We Are Scientists

15. "Rusty Nails From Hell" - Wumpscut

16. "Go Square Go" - Glasvegas

17. "Waiting for the Rapture" - Oasis
So what if I haven't truly enjoyed anything they've released since 1997. Whatever. I'm still a fan and I dig this song.

18. "Talk Radio" - The Dandy Warhols

19. "Goin' Down" - Spindrift
I should be a millionaire. "I'll give you a nickel if you get up and change the channel." The very thought of Spindrift evokes childhood memories of old Clint Eastwood movies. Before cable TV and remote controls existed, on Sunday mornings my father would offer me a nickel to entice me into getting up to physically change the channel to some old spaghetti western. It would take at least a dollar to get me to do that these days.

20. "Arsenic On the Rocks" - Aesthetic Perfection

Top 20 Songs

1. “Valium Skies"- The Verve (I don’t mind if you cry, either.)

2. "Pioneer To The Falls"- Interpol (First heard it at Coachella. It floored me then even before I knew the back story. Still floors me now.)

3. "Soul On Fire"- Spiritualized (Come on…it’s Spiritualized!)

4. “I Got Ideas”- The Whigs (You got ideas, thick vocals, a fun song and some ass kicking drums.)

5. “For Heaven’s Sake”- Thriving Ivory (“Make every door you walk through a living work of art.”)

6. “Whoa Mule”- The Black Crowes (A raga-flavored, folky hymn of beauty and promise.)

7. “Oh Josephine”- The Black Crowes (The quintessential country ballad. Dueling guitars, organ, sadness. Beautiful)

8. “Science Killer”- The Black Angels (The thudding bass line frames the awesome spookiness.)

9. “Violet Hill”- Coldplay (This says a lot since I’m not a fan of Coldplay AT ALL!)

10. “Put In A Little Gas”- Colourmusic (It’s just hard to explain this stuff but suffice to say that it makes me drive faster than I should.)

11. “This Ship Was Built To Last” -The Duke Spirit (The slow drag mid way through is kind of sick. “Worry no more when love leans against the door”.)

12. “All I Wanna Do”- Jamie Lidell (Don’t be fooled by the nerdy, English look; this man is proper soul. A male Amy Winehouse minus the crack and the crazy)

13. “Consoler Of The Lonely”- The Raconteurs (Benson and White should just get married.)

14. “Panic”- The Stills (I tune in to the lead guitar and practically forget that there’s a message to this music.)

15. “House of Cards”- Radiohead (The best endorsement to having an affair EVER!)

16. “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” - Radiohead (The music’s jiggy; kind of like a puzzle. Plus a reminder that a night out at the club can be fraught with emotional peril.)

17. “Manhattan”- Kings of Leon (Reverent and playful in honor of the land and who we stole it from.)

18. “Vegas”- Sara Bareilles (From the woman who told you she won’t be writing you a love song comes an ode to dream chasing. If I just lose 10 pounds (move to NYC or Vegas, etc.) life will be perfect. Not.)

19. “Cath” - Death Cab For Cutie (This song’s drums made me by the album but there’s more. If your life is going through the motions, then this song is you.)

20. “Be Giving”- Nico Vega (Nothing short of a song bullying you/me/we to do and be better. And it rocks yet grooves something fierce!)

Top 20 Songs

1. "Single" - New Kids on the Block & Ne-Yo
Yes, I just had to put them on my list. Despite some of the criticism regarding their reunion comeback, I am all for them! Some good boy band songs to swoon to have been missing for a while, until "Single" came out. This song surely filled that void. It was nice to go gaga for these guys all over again (especially Joey McIntyre)!

2. "Womanizer" - Britney Spears
Speaking of the commemoration of comebacks, I had to put good ol' Brit Brit on my list, too! This song used to be a guilty pleasure of mine. But you know what? Though I do make fun of her, deep down inside, I do dig her music - I can't help but wiggle and shake to it.

3. "Lust" - The Raveonettes
Nice psychedelic sounds you can rip your clothes off to. Way too hot. Enough said.

4. "Science Killer" - The Black Angels
Another psychedelic treat, but this one has a more mischievous and raw sound. I can see why The Black Angels are often compared to Velvet Underground because like the iconic band, these angels are hypnotizing.

5. "Buzzin" - Shwayze
When I first heard this song on the radio, I thought to myself, "What a great song for the summer." It's going to play at all the parties and BBQs, and I was right. Something about mixing raps with an acoustic guitar is irresistible.

6. "You Got Me" - One Block Radius
Yet another summer anthem by one of my favorite groups. The message goes beyond a guy expressing his loyalty to his girl, but it also serves as a "thank you" from OBR themselves to all the fans (new and old). Awww how sweet.

7. "I Owe You a Love Song" - Shiny Toy Guns
This band is known for mixing electronic and "glam goth" sounds, but this song takes a different approach, and it's my favorite because it reminds me of a lovey dovey New Wave track from the 80s.

8. "Human" - The Killers
Though I liked the second album "Sam's Town," I'm an even bigger fan of the first and this track is reminiscent of "Hot Fuss."

9."House of Cards" - Radiohead
I don't wanna be your friend/I just wanna be your lover/No matter how it ends/No matter how it starts. With lyrics like that fused with spellbinding melodies, how can I not be hooked to this song? I always find myself in a trance when I listen to this.

10. "Shut Up and Let Me Go" - The Ting Tings
This UK act has catchy, peppy and hip oozing out of its pores. Every time I hear this song I feel like bobbing my head from side to side. Yes, even in my car where people can see me. I have no shame. This song makes me feel invincible!

11. "Damnit Anna" - The Morning Benders
I commend these guys for having such a kick-ass debut album. Not that I'm biased or anything (because they ARE from the Bay Area), but really these guys are fresh. Their music reminds me a lot of 1960s rock. I love how this song incorporates the tambourine because I like to shimmy to it.

12. "I Get Around" - Dragonette
Just as I said in my on-camera interview with this group (what a pleasure it was to meet them and to see them play live), this act knows how to bring on a sweaty dance party. Dragonette is officially one of my favorite acts, and this song has "hot sex" written all over it.

13. "She Loves Everybody" - Chester French
I see a recurring theme here: sexy songs. Chester French definitely brings just that in this track. Who knew that two dorky-ivy-league-looking dudes can make such smooth tunes?

14. "Spazz" - N.E.R.D.
I've always been a fan of N.E.R.D.; their music is innovative and it doesn't matter where I am, I always get hyped listening to them. This track unleashes the Dorkus Spazmosus in me. Hands down.

15. "Pogo" - Digitalism
I'm pretty picky when it comes to electronica, but German act, Digitalism, does an exceptional job in bringing good beats to dance to, but not the annoying type of house music that leaves you with a blaring headache. I judge electronica by asking myself, "Can I listen to this song in a setting other than working out?" My answer when it comes to this track: "Hell yes I can! I picture myself driving, working, cleaning and havin' a party to this!"

16. "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" - Black Kids
One of my friends introduced me to this song and I've been hooked ever since. It's melodically simple, but it leaves me satisfied because its sound is also rich...if that makes any sense. In simpler terms, this song is awesome!

17. "Anyone Else But You" - The Moldy Peaches
I first heard this song on the "Juno" movie soundtrack. It sounds like a guy and a girl improvising on an acoustic guitar and even if they were, they sure in hell, did a wonderful job doing so. The lyrics make me giggle, but it also brings out the old-fashioned sappy side of me.

18. "I Feel It All" - Feist
I love Feist. Her voice is soothing. In fact, her music is usually chill, cool and serene, but this particular song is happy and bouncy. It makes me want to skip through the city and dance with complete strangers.

19. "Mr. Maker" - The Kooks
Coming from their sophomore album "Konk," this particular track is poppier than the indie-sounding material of their first album, but hey, that's fine by me. I like The Kooks, which means they can do whatever the hell they want. But seriously, I like this song because it reminds of my summer days at the beach.

20. "Electric Feel" - MGMT
This song actually turned into an inside joke between me and two friends, but besides that, "Electric Feel" falls under my "sexy songs" category. If I were to ever have a song play every time I enter a room, this would definitely have to be my theme song. You best believe I'd make it known whenever I make an appearance!

In lieu of a top 20 songs, I've come up with a top three and two music-related event/destinations that are incredibly cool (well, cool to me.)

5. "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon
If you listen to this song it has no right to be cool. For some reason, there's something about it that's just plain catchy. It reminds me of the 80's, but not the 80's that everybody else remembers. When I listen to it, I picture some upstart young punk winning over the cool kids of the school by having to kick ass or buy the hot girl after she spilled some kool-aid on her mother's suede jacket. In other words, it's got that great 80's underdog vibe to it, so much so that I could see it at the end of the Karate Kid or Band of the Hand or any other feelgood flick of that era.

4. Rockband 2
Any game that gets your fingers bleeding while playing Ace of Spades by Motorhead as your friend vomits their esophagus can't be all that bad... in fact, it'll make you forget the fact that in a few days you'll be back at work crying in your cubicle.

3. "Red Moon" by the Walkmen
When you first listen the album, "You & Me", it feels like it was recorded in a garage. When you listen to it again, you find yourself picking out every instrument, vocals and random thunk of equipment as you realize the clarity of this album is what truly makes it a masterpiece. The songs are ethereal and beautiful and will have you wanting to pop this into player the next time you're in the mood for some sweet, sweet loving... even better if you have a significant other.

2. Stinkers Bar in Silverlake, CA
As far as I know, this is the ONLY truckstop themed bar in the U.S. (or at the very least, Los Angeles.) Just click over to their myspace page and the immediate grind of "Black Betty" tells you that you're in for a pork rinds and beer bellyfull of a good time. Sure it's not new music, but it's ass-kicking music regardless. Get there early when they're still playing the best trucker-anthems of the 70's and early 80's as they tend to switch over into Alternative in the wee hours (Queens of the Stone Age are still good, but they're no C.W. McCall.)

1. Best song (and album) of 2008... The Majority by Mammal
An Australian rock/punk/funk band led by former Full Scale frontman Ezekiel Ox. The song may have actually been in existence prior to their CD release, but for 2008 it's a damn good political statement on who the real minority is (hint, it's not us, it's not them, it's those "in charge.") Hopefully we'll be seeing a tour in the States.

Top 15 Songs, in reverse order to make things more dramatic...

15. "Courtship Dating" by Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
Amid a flurry of plagiarism claims and cries of theft, Crystal Castles finally unleashed its debut album to the masses this year and while it may not have been the 8-bit music revolution's answer to The White Album it did contain several choice cuts with "Courtship Dating" being my favorite of the lot.

14. "Birds by Emiliana Torrini" by Me and Armini
Is there another more unassuming superstar-in-waiting this generation than Emiliana Torrini? This year she appeased fans of her two previous outings with "Me and Armini," a collection of 12 songs that span genres once left untouched by Torrini as diverse as reggae to the avant garde. "Birds" is perhaps the most traditional track on the album but has the greatest resonance in my mind.

13. "Strange Overtones" by David Byrne and Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
The best album either of these two pioneers has produced in many a year, "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" reminds us why we gave them so much slack during their more forgettable (and in Byrne's case regrettable) works in the first place.

12. "Sophisticated Sideways Ponytail" by Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, Glistenning Pleasure
This perhaps the goofiest and most nonsensical song on my list but also one of the more entertaining. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, or NPSH as they are affectionately referred to by fans and... themselves, is one to watch and this track proves it.

11. "Godspeed" by Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue
Rilo Kiley front woman Jenny Lewis returns with a solo collection of popular favorites and a few originals. Godspeed showcases Lewis at her most tender and soulful.

10. "Can't Wait Too Long" by Brian Wilson, That Lucky Old Sun
The sheer fact that Brian Wilson continues to write and record music is worthy of note alone, that said music manages to be this good is both admirable and inspiring.

9. "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today" by She and Him, Volume 1
A beautiful, simple song by a great new band.

8. "Deep Blue" by Ladyton, Velocifero
Ladytron's fourth long player is an evolution of the sound first heard on "Witching Hour" only with greater depth. Deep Blue feels like a song from the early part of this decade without sounding tired or unoriginal, a rare feat for a genre as derivative as electronica.

7. "I'm Outta Time" by Oasis, Dig Out Your Soul
Oasis' latest album may have fallen short of the Gallagher brothers ambition to set the world ablaze but one can't ignore the quality of the writing among the tracks on Dig Out Your Soul. Liam's ballad I'm Outta Time feels like a song he's been perfecting since his writing debut with Little James off 2000's Standing On The Shoulder of Giants. The John Lennon idol worship comes full circle in this track when his rock and roll hero suddenly makes an appearance midway through in a moment that is both haunting and touching.

6. "I'm Gonna DJ" by R.E.M., Accelerate
I decided to go with the less obvious choice for favorite song off R.E.M.'s latest and go with the one tune that illustrates the band's youthful spirit which still shines brightly after all these years. Great work boys, now please don't make us wait another 4 years for the next one.

5. "I Take All The Blame" by Tegan and Sara, I'll Take The Blame (EP)
At the risk of offending fans of all the other artists on my list, I will go on record as saying Tegan and Sara are the songwriters of their generation. Last year's The Con was by far the best album of the past decade and solidified itself as a timeless work that easily ranks among the best albums of all time. Here they continue their stellar output by releasing a 4 track EP featuring two tracks left off The Con, "One Second" and "I Take All The Blame." Either one could have easily fit on this list but I decided to use my iTunes play count to split the difference.

4. "My Baby..." by Juliana Hatfield, How to Walk Away
Contrary to popular belief, How To Walk Away is not the best album Juliana Hatfield has produced in years but rather another in a strong series of releases that have spanned an entire career. My Baby... is by far the most heartbreaking song she has written not merely because of it lyrical content but also because Hatfield's voice lends an air of tragedy to the proceedings that only age and experience can bring.

3. "Move" by CSS, Donkey
2008 saw the transition of CSS from those weird kids you'd like to party with to band most likely to rule a small country. Their latest, Donkey, is a mature effort laced with dance floor anthems, the best of which being "Move." They truly are the embodiment of the title of Coca Crystal's old New York public access show "If I Can't Dance You Can Keep Your Revolution."

2. "Why So Serious?/I'm Not A Hero" by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, "The Dark Knight" Soundtrack
There has been much heated debate over the somewhat non-traditional score for the film "The Dark Knight." Some have complained about its apparent lack of proper themes for its characters, I however consider it to be emblematic of it film, with the hero and villain cues being prime examples of the film's desire not to portray these comic book characters as merely caricatures but as something more. It is the perfect summation of the Joker and Batman characters depicted in director Christopher Nolan's film. Two sides of the same coin forever locked in an eternal struggle of good and evil, right and wrong, anarchy and order.

1. "Little Person" by Jon Brion, "Synechdoche, NY" Soundtrack
The film "Synechdoche, NY" was released this past fall with little fanfare and has failed to garner an audience worthy of its vision and ambition. While the film itself may polarize, I have a sneaking suspicion that the original song from the film will go on to become a standard in the same vein as God Give Me Strength from the little seen "Grace of My Heart." With Little Person, Jon Brion has written a new classic for the ages, a song that is equal parts beautiful and heart breaking all at once that also happens to be the best thing I heard all year.

In compiling this list I realized… 2008 wasn’t the best year for me, our economy, and the world in general. It brought great progress, and also great disappointment. Perhaps this is why my list leans so heavily towards pop, which actually surprised me quite a bit. Anyway, I’m bracing to be mocked, but here goes in no particular order my top 20 songs of 2008.

1. "Mercy" by Duffy from Rockferry
This is one of the most infectious songs I have heard in some time. The minute it came on the radio I knew I would listen to this for years, and the full album is just as good.

2. "31 Today" by Aimee Mann from @#%&*! Smilers
This is probably Aimee’s best album since Bachelor No. 2, and this song I think might just sum up 2008 for me. Depressing? Yes, but also truthful.

3. "Hollow Man" by R.E.M. from Accelerate
This is R.E.M.’s best album in 10 years. This track in particular is a stand out. Not only is it poignant but it also rocks.

4. "Hot N’ Cold" by Katy Perry from One Of The Boys
Yes, disposable pop, but it’s catchy as hell and a lot of fun.

5. "Spaceman" by The Killers from Day & Age
They glam boys from Vegas are back with a great solid album that still has them tweaking their signature sound.

6. "Fascination" by Alphabeat from This Is Alphabeat
This Danish band is like cotton spun sugar, and I love it. The best pop album of the year hands down and so much fun.

7. "Funhouse" by P!nk from Funhouse
Say what you want about Ms. Alicia Moore, but she has pipes that just won’t quit. This album may not be as strong as I’m Not Dead, but it still rocks. Plus, this song talks about evil clowns, and that holds a certain resonance for me. Clowns=creepy.

8. "Happiness" by Goldfrapp from A&E
This song is just one of a handful of standout tracks from his album. Gorgeous, fun, and upbeat.

9. "Sing A Song" by Jenny Lewis from Acid Tongue
A great track from the Rilo Kiley lead singers second solo album. A wonderful mix of folk and rock.

10. "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay from Viva LA Vida
I hate Coldplay, I would rather gargle glass than listen to Coldplay, yet here they are surprising the shit out of me with one of the best songs of the year. I still hate these pretentious fucks, but I love this song.

11. "Shut Up and Let Me Go" by The Ting Tings from We Started Nothing
This is one of the greatest dance songs of this year. Unique and danceable at the same time. A perfect mix.

12. "Into The Nightlife" by Cyndi Lauper from Bring Ya To The Brink
The 80’s queen scores with this killer track from her comeback album. This easily is her best track in the past 20 years.

13. "With Every Heartbeat" by Robyn from Robyn
Do you remember that Show Me Love song from the early 90’s? This is the same artist just all grown up. A kick ass song, a killer track, and bonus points for her being Swedish. I love the Swedes, don’t ask me why.

14. "5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale from Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
A simply, silly, yet utterly catchy track from this folk-Pop group. I dare you not to smile while listening to it!

15. "Take Back the City" by Snow Patrol from A Hundred Million Suns
This is the standout track from Snow Patrol’s new album. It’s rocking, with great lyrics.

16. "It’s Alright" by Dar Williams from Promise Land
This is the Folk hipster’s best track in years. Pop, upbeat with that tinge of remorse and sadness. The great thing about this track is that it’s also hopeful. Perfect for the times we are living in.

17. "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles from Little Voice
Yes, this is a basic pop song. I heard a quote somewhere that writing a good pop song is harder than writing 15 “meaningful, deep songs.” This is simply fine crafted pop.

18. "Chinese Blue" by Travis from Ode To J. Smith
Travis returns with a hard rocking album that sounds tighter than anything they’ve released in quite a while.

19. "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield from Pocketful of Sunshine
Probably the earliest release of the year on this list. I didn’t discover it until halfway through 2008. It grew on me after a longtime. Take me away to a sweet escape!

20. "Not As We" by Alanis Morissette from Flavors of Entanglement
Probably the most depressing song on her new album but also the most exquisite. That old adage about breakups leading into great music factors into play here.

21. "The Cheapest Key" by Kathleen Edwards from Asking For Flowers
Okay, I know this is 21 songs, but this is a stellar track from a woman with wisdom beyond her years.

22. "Shinola" by Dolly Parton from Backwoods Barbie
Okay, 22 songs, but this is a total guilty pleasure. It’s Dolly, you gotta love her!

Top 20 Songs

20. Jay Reatard - "Oh Its Such A Shame"
Jittery punk with a melody.

19. MGMT - "Kids"
The karaoke version at the Hollywood Bowl was great!

18. Vampire Weekend - "A Punk"
Best song to use the "oi oi oi" phrase in ages!

17. Barry Louis Polsar - "All I Want Is You"
Favourite track from the soundtrack to 'Juno'.

16. Ra Ra Riot - "Suspended In Gaffa"
Best Kate Bush cover since the Futureheads.

15. Johnny Flynn - The Box
Folky Billy Bragg type magic!!

14. Weezer - Pork N Beans
Met the band and got to jam on this song with them. Undeniably catchy.

13. My Morning jacket - "Highly Suspicious"
This song is just one of a handful of standout tracks from his album. Gorgeous, fun, and upbeat.

12. She & Him - "This Is Not A Test"
We love you Zooey!!

11. Ben Kweller - "Fight"
The man can do no wrong.

10. Okkervil River - "Stand Ins One"
This band deserves to be huge.

9. Glasvegas - "Go Square Go"
The best Scottish fighting song this year.

8. The Raconteurs - "Consoler Of The Lonely"
Jacks back y'all!!!

7. The Black Keys - "I Got Mine"
Blues guitar licks never sounded so cool.

6. Delta Spirit - "StreetWalker"
Great Motown sound with a gritty voice!

5. David Ford - "Song For The Road"
This is the Folk hipster’s best track in years. Pop, upbeat with that tinge of remorse and sadness. The great thing about this track is that it’s also hopeful. Perfect for the times we are living in.

4. Dead Confederate - "The Rat"
Swirling organs and psych-grunge guitars. What's not to love!

3. City & Colour - "The Girl"
Love how it goes upbeat in the second half

2. Airborne Toxic Event - "SomeTime Around Midnigh"t
Great song and I got to be in the video!!!

1. Frightened Rabbit - "Backwards Walk"
Best band and album of 2008 bar none!!

Top Ten Songs of 1988

10. "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" – Billy Ocean
Featured in License to Drive. Makes me think of Corey Haim, which in turn, makes me happy.

9. "She’s Like The Wind" – Patrick Swayze
Last time I watched Dirty Dancing I was alarmed at the mix of 1960’s music and then-contemporary music. An odd choice. But Swayze’s ballad just lights my heart on fire. Dance, Johnny Castle, Dance!

8. "Kokomo" – The Beach Boys
Yet another movie hit, this one from Cocktail. This song is as cheesy as it gets and that’s what so great about it. Plus, it taught the general public about such vacation spots as Aruba and Montego.

7. "Hold On To The Night" – Richard Marx"
I’ve grown to appreciate awful heart wrenching power ballads in my old age. I don’t know what this song is about, but it wrenches my heart.

6. "Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard"
You can’t not rock out to this song. The drums, the vocals, it is simply awesome. And I just picture drunken 15 year olds on their boyfriend’s shoulders at the concert flashing the band. Classy!

5. "The Way You Make Me Feel" – Michael Jackson"
I fully enjoy Michael Jackson and am not ashamed to say so. This song is one of his finest, although it always freaked me out in the video because I thought the girl was LaToya and the fact that he was chasing his own sister was troubling.

4. "Sweet Child O Mine" – Guns N Roses
This song is pretty universal. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like it. (And if they don’t they are tasteless). So much potential, and now…Dr. Pepper and Chinese Democracy. Ahem.

3. "Make Me Lose Control" – Eric Carmen
Another hit off of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. If you haven’t heard this one in a while, give it a listen. Surprisingly toe tapping.

2. "Hands To Heaven" – Breathe
What a gloriously depressing song! This song chokes me up every time. I re-discovered it this year. Seek it out.

1. "Hazy Shade of Winter" – The Bangles
Hands down the best song of 1988. They took a fucking Simon & Garfunkel dirge and turned it into the most rocking girl band song of the decade. The fact that it headlined Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero didn’t hurt none either. Rock!

Top 20 Songs

1. My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges"
The whole album is amazing and they just keep getting better

2. Katy Perry, "I Kissed A Girl"
Oh C'mon, you know you love it!!

3. Lordi, "Bite it Like A Bulldog"
Never had heard of them before my interview with them, but now I am hooked!

4. Kid Rock, "All Summer Long"
When you are from Missouri, you will jump at any chance to reminisce about whiskey out the bottle, drinking by the dock...

5. MGMT, "Youth," "Electric Feel"
The whole album is hands-down one of the best pop albums I have ever heard.

6. MIA, "Paper Planes"
Just a feel-good song with great beats...that is until the bullets ring out and people duck.

7. Darius Rucker, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It"
OK, M'Lou will kill me, but this is "Hootie's" first country release and I freakin love it!!! [Ed. note: Yes, Katie! Be prepared to die!]

8. Antony & Johnstons, "Another World"
His voice is inspirational and the lyrics match that energy!

9. Fleet Foxes, "White Winter Hymnal"
They are trippy and make you feel like you are alone in the desert on peyote, in a good way.

10. Weezer, "Pork N' Beans"
A fun new one from Weezer who is WEIRD in concert apparently ;)

11. The Decemberists "Valerie Plame"
They are wholesome and amazing-inventive instrumentation!

12. Lil Mama feat. Chris Brown & T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose"
No, it's not wrong. Yes, listen to alone.

13. Rhianna, "Take A Bow"
If you have ever been dumped, listen, cry, repeat.

14. Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
A passionate new artist whom I adore.

15. Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk"
addictive riffs that make you want to tap tap tap your foot all day long.

16. David Archuleta, "Crush"
I love him and I love this song!

17. Taylor Swift, "Love Story" Peaches
She is amazing and I love this song in paticular because it is hopelessly romantic and fun!

18. Hercules and Love Affair, "Blind"
Antony and his new spinoff band are more upbeat and remind me of clubbin' in the UK

19. Santogold, "L.E.S. Artists"
She is great and has that poppy '80's feel with modern rustic guitar riffs.

20. She & Him, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"
M. Ward is amazing and Zooey Deschanel shows us that actresses CAN sing!!

Top 20 Songs

1. School of Seven Bells "Half Asleep"
2. M83 "Kim & Jessie"
3. CSS "Rat Is Dead"
4. MGMT "Time To Pretend"
5. The Ting Tings "Great DJ"
6. The Kooks "Always Where I Need To Be"
7. Hot Chip "Ready For the Floor"
8. Spiritualized "Soul On Fire"
9. The Long Blondes "Nostalgia"
10. Ladytron "Ghosts"
11. The Legends "Seconds Away"
12. Does It Offend You, Yeah? "Dawn of the Dead"
13. British Sea Power "Atom"
14. Black Kids "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You"
15. Attic Lights "Never Get Sick Of The Sea"
16. Vampire Weekend "A-Punk"
17. The Submarines "You Me and the Bourgeoisie"
18. The Raveonettes "Young and Beautiful" "Blind"
19. The Duke Spirit "My Sunken Treasure"
20. Glasvegas "It's My Own Cheating Heart"

Top 20 Songs

1. "Monster" by One-Eyed Doll
2. "It's a Lie" by Fiction Plane
3. "Thinkin' About Cops" by Slightly Stoopid
4. "Freeze" by Pepper
5. "Psycosocial" by Slip Knot
6. "Immigrant Punk" by Gogol Bordello
7. "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.
8. "Situations" by Del tha Funkee Homosapien
9. "Gimme Some" by Grupo Fantasmastalgia"
10. "Fried Chicken" by Mike Truth and the R
11. "World Town" by M.I.A.
12. "Fight" by One-Eyed Doll
13. "Hold Up" by The Raconteurs
14. "Move" by CSS
15. "Little Girl" by The Supervillains
16. "No Cocaine" by Slightly Stoopid
17. "Heartbreak Armegeddon" by DragonForce
18. "Unstoppable" by Santo Gold
19. "Laser Reyes" by Bukue One
20. "The Unforgiven III" by Metallica

Top 20 Songs

1. “AM Tilts” by The Matches
…Because I just really love the lyric “We can’t kiss with grins like this.” I love the sound of this song and the fact that it randomly goes crazy at the end. I love the all around creativeness (is that a word?) of The Matches. In short, I really, really like The Matches.

2. “Going Back/Going Home” by Butch Walker
…Because of the stripped down sound this entire album has. I love the way Butch Walker writes. His lyrics are intelligent and sometimes add in some subtle humor. This song is about feeling at home somewhere that’s not technically your home, and I think that’s relatable.

3. “Stay Out” by Hit The Lights
…Because this was the soundtrack to the random road trips I went on with my friends this summer. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to drive with the windows down, hug your friends, and as the band says, stay out all night.

4. “Life Is Looking Up” by Forgive Durden
…Because Thomas Dutton, the man behind Forgive Durden, went out on a limb and just wrote a musical when he made this new album. It’s a great story and I can’t enough of this song in particular.

5. “Body Like Mind” by Ace Enders & A Million Different People
…Because I pretty much love anything Ace Enders does. His music is thoughtful, not just thrown together, and I like that.

6. “Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)” by Jack’s Mannequin
…Because my favorite songs that Andrew McMahon puts out, whether they were with Jack’s Mannequin or Something Corporate, are always the ones where the main focus is just the piano. This song is just beautiful.

7. “Dance or Die” by Family Force 5
…Because it was the first song that sold me on the band. You can’t help but move a little when your hear this.

8. “Big Chomper, Big Chomper” by Dr. Manhattan
…Because it has this unexplained power. I don’t even know half the words but I just make noises to the melody and it kind of works. It’s that song you just move around randomly to, and don’t even know what just happened when it’s over.

9. “Do The Panic” by Phantom Planet
…Because I love the feel of the song. It’s got a simple melody and rhythm, but that’s what makes it work. Not to mention I love any song with meaningless babble like “Bop Bop Ba Bop Bop Shadoobiedoo,” because it’s so damn catchy. It’s a shame they broke up. Phantom Planet, you will be missed by this kid.

10. “Alicia Amnesia Live” by Butch Walker
…Because it’s a live recording, which I really love. Plus, I find it amazing that Butch Walker can get the whole crowd to do two separate melodies and sound like a choir.

11. “Fuego” by Murder By Death
…Because of Adam Turla’s voice. He could make the ABCs sound eerie and completely badass. This song makes me feel like I’m in an old western with outlaws and gunslingers. I absolutely love this band’s sound.

12. “Holiday” by Valencia
…Because these guys work really hard, and I think they deserve to be mentioned in any way possible. This is my favorite song from their new album. It’s just a great pop-punk song. listen to alone.

13. Bada Bing! Wit A Pipe! by Four Year Strong
…Because this song pumps me up and makes me jump in place wherever I am. Simple as that.

14. “Spread The Rumors” by Socratic
…Because every Socratic song feels like it’s a story. I love singing along to this song, and I think that earns it a spot here.

15. “Work In Progress” by Set Your Goals
…Because I didn’t like this band at first, and then I heard this song, and I can’t stop listening to it. It’s only two minutes long, and yet it’s the most powerful song I’ve heard by them.

16. “Dig My Own Grave” by New Found Glory
…Because the band brought back their original bounciness that I fell in love with when I was thirteen. This song made me really excited for what they’re going to do next.

17. “Stranglehold” by The Pink Spiders
…Because it’s got a dancing quality to it, but not the nightclub dance style, the rock n’ roll dance style. It makes me feel like I should be hanging out with greasers and wearing a leather jacket, dancing in a way that would be considered so outrageous at the time. Does that even make sense? I don’t know, but that’s what I see when I hear this song.

18. “Don’t Trust Me” by 3OH!3
…Because it’s completely ridiculous. Everything about 3OH!3 is completely ridiculous. But I can’t seem to get enough of it. And if you lived in my apartment, and saw the equally ridiculous dance moves that my roommates and I bust out in when this song comes on, then this would be on your list, too, if only for humor’s sake.

19. “Birthday” by Quietdrive
…Because I just recently fell in love with this band. This song is the perfect clap along, sing along song, and I can’t get over the lyrics. It’s a different sound for them from what I’ve heard, and I just love it.

20. “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & Wine
…Because even though it was only released as a single in 2008, I had to sneak it in. The lyrics read more like a poem that you can’t figure out, but that’s what I like about it. Plus, the girl in me loves how pretty and romantic it sounds, and that’s enough for me.

The best record of 2008, and of the century thus far, is The Hold Steady’s masterpiece “Stay Positive”. Brilliant songwriting, tunes full of grit and emotion, and an overall ethic that shows these lads are the best motherfuckin’ rock n’ roll band on the planet, cement the unequivocal truth that “Stay Positive” is the brightest light the dismal musical landscape has seen in too many years. Raise a pint, gentlemen (although I’m sure you’re way ahead of me on that one), and please give us another catalog gem. Tomorrow, preferably.

19 more great records that came out this year:

1. All The Saints- “All The Saints”
Like Interpol, but with actual ideas

2. Architects- “Ruin”
Dense, dark, and artistic, but somehow still a metal-core record

3. The Cure- “4:13 Dream”
Robert’s miserable again, and I’m happy

4. Death Cab For Cutie- “Narrow Stairs”
Am I supposed to not like these guys? Fuck off

5. Fuck The Facts- “Disgorge Mexico”
Utterly brilliant and utterly devastating

6. Genghis Tron- “Board Up The House”
Unique; it’s nice to be able to say that, eh?

7. Gojira- “The Way Of All Flesh”
As heavy as the Japanese lizard they’re named after

8. Leviathan- “Massive Conspiracy Against All Life”
This guy is completely insane, but most geniuses are

9. Melvins- “(A) Senile Animal”
Nuff said, bitches

10. Meshuggah- “Obzen”
Their best record yet puts their numerous imitators to shame

11. Metallica- “Death Magnetic”
It doesn’t suck donkeys, which is a victory in itself

12. Nachtmystium- “Assassins”
Pop meets Black Metal? Somehow it works

13. Nine Inch Nails- “The Slip”
Trent’s pretty much using his Pro Tools cookie cutter, but the moments are true moments

14. Portishead- “3”
Damn, we missed you

15. Rihanna- “Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded”
The absolute best Pop star of the modern era; that’s not saying a lot, but still…

16. R.E.M.- “Accelerate”
Probably their best record ever, which is saying a hell of a lot

17. The Toadies- “No Deliverance”
Not their strongest offering, but having them back is sweet enough

18. Trigger The Bloodshed- “Purgation”
Brutal, disgusting, abrasive, and yummy

19. White Chapel- “This Is Exile”
If I was going to murder prostitutes, this is what I’d listen to while I did it

Top 20 Songs

1. "Today's Lesson" Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
As a bassist, I find the bass line of this song absolutely infectious. Coupled with the gritty organ and the sexy vocal poetics of Nick Cave (the master), this song easily slips into my top songs of 2008. Put it on and be prepared to "have a real cool time." Nonetheless, keep an eye out for the sandman.

2. "I'll Be Glad" Bonnie "Prince" Billy
I have a soft spot for Will Oldham and songs like this help reinforce and nurture that soft spot. After every listening of this song, I think my heart opens up just a little bit more. Highly recommended for those weaker moments in life.

3. "Omael" Secret Chiefs 3
Aahhh, the sound of brilliantly controlled and colorful insanity coupled with some of the most competent musicians that I have ever heard in my life. Essential for your next house party or "spirit journey."y

4. "Here is What is" Daniel Lanois
When Daniel Lanois and Brian Blade get together, you can expect to be floored. Lanois perfectly captures something of a "spiritual romanticism". There is something intimate and timeless about this song. This is it. No need to keep searching. Bring your loved ones closer.

5. "Top Drawer" Man Man
This band was described to me as "Tom Waits meets The Muppets." That description comes close. This song, in particular, grooves with the best of them, with an insanity that will have you happily bouncing around the room while spilling your wine everywhere. You know who you are.

6. "The Hula Maiden" Neil Hamburger
There is something so atrocious about the way Neil angrily and soulfully croons the chorus, that it ends up, oddly, not having a bad effect on me, but spins around into an unspeakable moment of beauty. Thank you Neil, for such a pleasantly confusing listening experience.

7. "Satanic Unicorn Orgy"  Otto Von Schirach
While, in my opinion, nothing will ever top Mr. Von Schirach's disgusting "Pukology," this comes close. Insane Miami bass satanic perversion by the master of the genre. Shake your zombie booty.

8. "Omens and Portents II" Earth
I listened to this song while stuck in a traffic jam in Indiana over the summer. On the curb was a dirty doll that someone had discarded. In the background, power lines. Everything seemed to slow down and this was the perfect sound track for such a dreamlike moment.

9. "The Smiling Cobra" Melvins
The Melvins prove that they can still kick your ass in the "rock-n-roll" department. Two drummers make this song come alive. Here's an original haiku: Buzz with lion hair/My earholes ringing pounding/the smiling cobra."

10. "Snow" Kevin Drumm
I have written many articles while listening to this piece. From outside the window, my neighbors hear a strange sine wave hum. Its beauty attracts and pulls them to the window. Looking in, they are repulsed to see the face of a monster, an unshaven beast, typing away with reckless abandon.

11. "Where is the Puzzle" Bonnie "Prince" Billy
I told you I had a soft spot for this man. I listened to this song for three weeks straight in July. It helped to brighten an otherwise dreary and humid summer. The lyric, "bliss comes with confusion" puzzled and me (and still does). Suddenly, everything made sense...I think.

12. "Say Aha" Santogold
Being cut off from most new music, I'm happy that this crept into my horizon. This is really good "pop" music. While it does of course hold many "retro" undertones, it leaps forward creating future possibilities and setting a great standard for authentic and exciting popular music.

13. "Home" David Byrne & Brian Eno “The Slip”
What a marvelous melding of musical minds. For me, this song both encompasses one searching for a "home" and, at the same time, longing for a forgotten place called "home." I think a lot of us can sympathize with this feeling.

14. "Sea Plains" Willits + Sakamoto
Another collaboration of magnificent proportions - Christopher Willits and Ryuichi Sakamoto. This track provides a rich pallette for imagining, thinking, dreaming and so on. If we could hear the sound of underwater electricity wrapped in a warm blanket, it would probably sound like this.

15. "Set Me Free From This Wicked Game" DJ C
Thank goodness for geniuses like DJ C. This man is clearly able to see the interconnectedness of things. This mash-up featuring, among others, Chris Isaak and The Supremes, recreates both artists and opens up a new kaleidoscopic musical space.

16. "Such a Joke" Vivian Girls
If I ever make a surf movie, I want this to be the opening theme. The only thing missing is a "Ventures-esque" lead guitar line. Someone recently told me that, "simple is best." While I stand to disagree, that expression fits nicely with this song. Sometimes the "simple" can be extremely vivid.

17. "Christopher Columbus" Asva
I had the awesome chance to do a remix for Asva and am thrilled about the new album, "What You Don't Know is Frontier." This track knocks me flat against the wall and, quite frankly, destroys 99% of all music ever created, ever. Welcome to the afterlife.

18. "Let's Reggae All Night" CSS
For me, two words best describe this song: "ultra-sexy." Let's hit the dance floor. I see you checkin' me out.

19. "Hate" Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock
Do you want your whole perception of what "music" could be transformed and challenged? Are you prepared to feel uncomfortable and vulnerable? This song will affect you. Do not take this lightly. Things will never be the same again...

20. "Freak Style Ooza" Sensational
I'm not sure that this is a "2008" song, but, as it is at this time, unreleased and featured on his Myspace page, I'm including it here. This song has the trademark Sensational flow: thick, surreal, confusing, groovin', natural, smokey, and real. Keep it situational.

Top 10 Songs: My random assortment of awesomeness- enjoy!

1. "In The Hospital"- Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires, the pop-disco-Euro-dance phenom that exploded on the scene this year. All I know is that I can't get it out of my head and it every time I listen to it, I shake my ass. 'Nuff said.

2. "Sex on Fire"- Kings Of Leon
OMG. Caleb Followill's achingly sexy voice reminisces about a night of hot...well, sex and it kinda makes you wanna be there with him.

3. "Little Bit" (CSS Remix)- Lykke Li
Swedish meatball with a girly voice, funky dance moves and a sweet song about pining for boys. I hear ya girl...I hear ya.

4. "Electric Feel" (Justice Remix)- MGMT
Yep, I'm on the MGMT train and I'll be damned if I get off. Add the genius of Justice et voila! C'est manifique.

5. "Love Lockdown"- Kanye West
When I heard Kayne West's forth album would be mostly singing and mostly Auto-Tune, my first reaction was, "WHA?!!" Then I heard Love Lockdown and found myself transported to Kanye's universe filled with heartache and longing. It's a hauntingly beautiful song.

6. "Stepping Stone"- Duffy
Forget the fact that she's a cleaner, sober (for now) and blonder version of Amy Winehouse. Forget the fact that her live appearances feature her dancing like a remote controlled Barbie doll. Forget all that and listen to her debut album, "Rockferry" and I dare you not to become a Duffy devotee. "Stepping Stone" is a "you done me wrong for the last time" anthem for women everywhere.

7. "Paper Planes" (DFA Remix)- M.I.A.
Paper Planes is one of those songs that brings out the music elitist in me. I was listening to the entire album, Kala, for quite some time and Paper Planes emerged as my favorite song right away. When I heard the DFA remix, I went crazy for it and it blasted out of my car on many occasions. So, imagine my surprise when the (highly overrated) movie, Pineapple Express featured Paper Planes in it's trailer and all of a sudden it was a hit. "Man, I've been listening to that song for months!" I grumbled to anyone who would listen. In that moment I became the cliched music snob I had always detested. Oh well.

8. "You'll Find A Way" (Switch & Sinden Remix)- Santogold
Santogold has been able to produce amazing music, lend it to various companies for commercial use and still come out as a cutting edge artist. I love her swagger, her style and her refusal to play the game any other way than she sees fit. I wish I could rock those 80's fashions she's so fond of, as well, but me and neon leggings just don't mix.

9. "Sincerely, Jane"- Janelle Monae.
Janelle Monae is the future of music. That is all.

10. "Closer"- Ne-Yo
You thought you could escape this list without one pop song? Ha! Closer is an amazing tune by a very talented artist. I resisted his charms for a while, dismissing him as another Usher wannabe but homeboy stands on his own 100%. I first heard this song on (ahem) "So You Think You Can Dance" and I was hooked. Every time I hear it, I feel very happy.

Making this list was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and in the end it is undeniably biased towards songs that were popular after September (when I got my iPhone and the best App ever: Shazaam). It was hard because I kept wanting to include songs released earlier that were big for me in 2008, but the only way for me to get down to 20 songs was to be militant and cut out songs like the 2007 Matchbox Twenty’s “How Far We’ve Come” and the 1980s Michelle Shocked’s song “When I Grow Up,” which I discovered thanks to that great Kaiser Permanente Commericial.

But enough about the woulda, coulda, shouldas. Here (in no particular order) is my list of the Top 20 Songs of 2008.

1. “Ground Zero” – Chris Cornell Feat. Timbaland
ABC used this song to promote the hell out of it’s new show Life On Mars, but while the show’s ratings are mediocre, this song is most certainly not. Chris Cornell is amazing, but when fused together with Timbaland the unlikely duo produce a sound different than anything else out there right now.

2. “My Drive Thru” – Santogold, Julian Casablancas, N.E.R.D, produced by Pharell
This song is my favorite collaboration of the year, each artist brings their unique and different sound to this feel-good song that makes me, as Santogold says repeatedly in the song, “just wanna dance.” A bonus: check out this (and any other Santogold) video, they are music video art…but not until you finish reading my list!

3.“Just Dance” – Lady GaGa
I have to admit I was a little slow to jump on the GaGa bandwagon. I wasn’t hooked until I caught a live performance by the Tish graduate at Spider Club a few months ago. She danced her ass off and STILL sang live. This first single and her follow-up “Poker Face” are pure techno-pop fun, and really do make you want to “Just Dance.” Sound familiar? Well its no coincidence that GaGa and Santogold remind me of each other. If you like one, you’ll probably like the other.

4. “Shake It” – Metro Station
I don’t think any other song this year has made me want to jump around my bedroom like an “emo/punk” tween (very weighted quotation marks there) more than this one…did I just admit that out loud? Their other single, “Seventeen Forever” is also worth checking out, but “Shake It” is the one you’ll remember months into 2009.

5. “Butterfly” – Jason Mraz
Jason has found his groove again. I was a little concerned after his over-produced second studio album (Mr. A-Z), but the folksy, toungetwisting, wordplaying master (and my favorite artist I have yet to see live) is back with his new EP, We Eat. We Drink. We Steal Things. I love the whole album, but this song, with its old-school use of horn instruments, is my favorite. Also check out the more serious side of our usually light-hearted singer/songwriter/chill-guy on the track “Love of A Child.”

6. “Human” – The Killers
Brandon Flowers described this song to Rolling Stone as “Johnny Cash meets the Pet Shop Boys.” I don’t know if that’s entirely accurate, but whatever inspired Flowers and the rest of The Killers to create this modern-yet-80s-throwback kind of sound, I’m all for it.

7. “American Boy” – Estelle Feat. Kanye West
This was my song of the summer. Kanye (as a person) usually leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but Estelle shines in her first foray across the pond, and the chorus will get stuck in your head for days.

8. “Beating My Heart” – Jon McLaughlin
Before this song, most of you (if any of you) who had heard of McLaughlin would probably not admit to seeing his performance of the Academy Award nominated “So Close” from the movie Enchanted. I actually did not even realize that was the same person until a friend of mine pointed it out, but however you feel about the schmaltzy scene in which McLaughlin performs in Enchanted, this song deserves a listen, or at least a read; the lyrics are sure to get you out of any relationship squabble.

9. “That’s What You Get” – Paramore
Confession time, this song is a worthy song, but it really is a placeholder for what I would have put here: their more popular single “Misery Business,” which came out in 2007. So sue me, I found a loophole to my “strictly 2008” rule.

10. “Youre Gonna Go Far Kid” – The Offpring Ne-Yo
The Offspring has always been a band that I forget I like, and with this single coming from their first new album since 2003, I guess I can’t be blamed. You can almost feel their pent-up desire to release their creative juices through the energy exuded in this single. If you liked the more fun stuff from Green Day’s American Idiot, you’ll love this.

11. “Live Your Life” – T.I. Feat. Rihanna
Any song that can sample the Moldovian group O Zone’s “Dragostea Din Tei” (you might know it as “Numma Numma”) deserves to be on this list. ‘Nuf said.

12. “She’s Got A Way” - James Hunter
Hunter got his start in professional music late in life thanks to an artist you may have heard of before…Van Morrison, anyone? The 46-year-old former back-up singer for Morrison is a throwback to another era. The late ‘50s/early ‘60s sound of his latest album, The Hard Way, is right up my ally, but “She’s Got A Way” is definitely my favorite.

13. “Hot N Cold” – Katy Perry
This is another one that got me jumping around my room in the morning, Katy got her start doing religious music, but her decision to go more rock-pop is one that I gave thanks for this Thanksgiving. “I Kissed a Girl” was her pop-culture phenomenon, but this song proves she’s got staying power. “UR So Gay” is also a fun listen.

14. “Warwick Avenue” – Duffy
Entertainment Weekly described Duffy as “Amy Winehouse with hygiene,” and this haunting yet fun single is just one example of how the Brits know how to fuse the old with the new. In this single she evokes memories of Lulu singing “To Sir With Love.” Duffy has also begged us for “Mercy,” but make sure to check out my favorite, “Delayed Devotion.”

15. “Many Moons” – Janelle Monae
Monae is a Grammy-nominated singer that I am ashamed to say I had never heard of before a few months ago. Shazaam helped me identify “Many Moons” a few weeks ago and now I can not get enough of her urban/alternative sound. She’s another one I would lump in the Santogold/Gaga category, but with more soul.

16. “So Obvious” – Runner Runner
In full disclosure, I was introduced to this SoCal rock/pop/electro group by a friend of a band member, but she gave me their EP, Your Greatest Hits, long before I started working with MishMash. Runner Runner has been compared to Metro Station, and they certainly capture the same fun energy, but Runner Runner is far more electropop. “So Obvious” is the stand out, but all of Your Greatest Hits is definitely worth a listen.

17. “You Got Me” – One Block Radius feat. Fabolous & Baby Bash
This alternative hip-hop group puts together another great fusion of sounds (if you couldn’t tell by the songs above, I like funky mash-ups). I think the song is at its best during the chorus but the whole thing is a good time.

18. “So What” – Pink
I have always been a fan of Pink, and a Pink spurned is a Pink I like even more. “So What” is her first solo song to go to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and deservedly so. This post-divorce single kicks every emo “You broke up with me after 2 weeks” song in the ass. It says, “you know what, this sucks, but I’m gonna suck it up, and be a rockstar doing it.” … Ok, so she’s a better lyricist than I am, but I guess that’s why I’m a reporter and not a lyricist.

19. “Better In Time” – Leona Lewis
OK, shoot me, I have a very eclectic taste in music that happens to include schmaltzy pop. I also like country…ok now you actually do have permission to shoot me. But don’t discard Lewis’ talent because she got her start on the U.K.’s version of American Idol, she has the vocal chops to out-sing any American diva (without oversinging). “Bleeding Love” (which btw was written by Jesse McCartney?!) was her bigger hit, but this was the song I could not get out of my head for weeks.

20. “If I Were A Boy” – Beyonce
So by now you’ve probably realized I lumped all my top 40 pop divas together at the end of the list so at least I didn’t lose my credibility after song #2.

Funny thing about this song, when I first heard it I didn’t think it was Beyonce. Its not what you would expect from the dance song diva, but that’s why I find it so appealing. The lyrics are heartfelt and (sorry guys, I’m admitting it) accurate to how men treat the ones the love sometimes. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” may have started a copycat YouTube craze, but this song showcases a more chill Beyonce…whom I refuse to call “Sascha Fierce.”

So that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it (had to get a country reference in there somewhere). Here’s to hoping for an even better list in 2009. Happy New Year, MishMashers.

Top 10 Albums

1. Senses Fail- "Life Is Not A Waiting Room"
They never fail to put out a CD that's awesome from the first song to the last.

2. The Matches- "A Band In Hope"
You cannot judge The Matches until you see them perform. This CD is like their performance, nothing short of amazing.

3. 3OH!3- "Want"
Listening to them while walking gives me the sudden urge to push the person next to me down to the ground and run away.

4. Family Force 5- "Dance Or Die"
This CD makes me feel like I'm in a dance club, minus the creepy guys.

5. Jack's Mannequin- "The Glass Passenger"
I believe Jack's Mannequin heals the soul and Andrew McMahon is a lyrical genius.

6. Bring Me the Horizon- "Suicide Season"
There's nothing like going to a BMTH show and taking out all your aggression after a long week of preparing for finals.

7. The Pink Spiders- "Sweat It Out"
I can't listen to this CD without dancing.

8. Hit The Lights- "Skip School, Start Fights"
They have anthem-like songs that bring out the man in everyone singing along.

9. E For Explosion- "Reinventing The Heartbeat"
It's a mellow CD that helps me breathe a bit easier.

10. Lil Wayne- "Tha Carter III"
It's my guilty pleasure.

My favorite tracks from this year, with a strong leaning towards dance music and danceable music. Note: even though Radiohead is up for a 2009 Grammy for In Rainbows and the radio-single and physical album release is calendar-dated for 2008, I count it as a 2007 album. It’s a good thing too, because not having to give up slots to “Reckoner” and “House of Cards,” (and probably “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” and “Nude”) frees up a lot of real estate. Anyway, here’s my top 20, in the order I thought of them, which is obviously a ranking of some kind.

1. “Lights and Music” — Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours
I don’t think any song, for better or worse, defined 2008 more than this cut for me. This sophomore record is longing, it’s danceable, it’s made from parts cobbled from New Order, the Rapture, the Cars and a bunch of other shit you love. Aussie Dan Whitman’s hands-in-the-air crescendo chorus is just cheesy enough to be immortal.

2. “Crimewave (Crystal Castles vs. HEALTH)” — Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
Despite a year filled with accusations of stolen samples and album art, the CC showed up, ran out of gum, and decided to kick ass instead. Chiptune buccaneer Ethan Kath and hot freak Alice Glass’ sharply weird, The Knife-aping cut could either destroy a party or send it into the stratosphere, depending on how cool your friends are.

3. “Couleurs” — M83, Saturdays=Youth
You know that track you always imagined, the one that’s the good part of every house cut, strung together perfectly with no sucky? Stop dreaming, Little Nemo. Breakfast Club fetishist Anthony Gonzales has delivered a soaring-yet-intimate dance track that’s as floor appropriate as it is headphone friendly. We can now resume gazing at our shoes as we dance our asses off.

4. “Shuv It (Disco D Blend)” — Santogold and Diplo, Top Ranking
Life is good for Diplo. Another year, another ambiguously-ethnic hottie whose record sounds way better after the Mad Decent/Hollertronix reimagining. Don’t shove your hope where it don’t shine yet, M.I.A., you made my list too. On this cut, though, Diplo masterfully coats the already dirty, though more spelling-capable “Shove It” in another layer of dubby grime.

5. “Shempi” — Ratatat, LP3
Build on a buoyant organ loop and some snake-pit percussion, this Eastern-flecked jam takes the Ratatat boys out of their comfort zone, to great effect. An album highlight from a (relatively) challenging third outing.

6. “Charlotte” — Booka Shade, The Sun and the Neon Light
Merziger and Kammermeier have caught some flak from my esteemed colleagues at Resident Advisor for cutting a “album” that’s not particularly dance-y or single oriented. A fair criticism, until you get to B-side incendiary device “Charlotte,” that’s a vocodered jimmy-jam of the first order. If this don’t make your booty move, your booty must be deceased.

7. “Paper Planes” — M.I.A., Kala
Jeer if you want. She has more records than the KGB, ando year-end list would be complete without unspellably-named Maya Arulpragasam’s iconic four-gunshots-and-a-cash-register ode to violently-obtained lucre. I dare you to request this song at a wedding.

8. “Square 1” — Paul Kalkbrenner, Berlin Calling OST
For me, this track epitomizes what good European techno is about—immaculate construction, boogie-friendliness and, well, warmth. You can practically feel the warm e-fuzzies spreading out from your stomach when you hear this track. Doesn’t hurt matters that the film is super tight, either.

9. "Love Lockdown" — Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak
We looked away for a minute and Kanye went and made a techno record, WTF? From his fakey-autotune moans to the sparse, spooky titular 808 beats, it's clear he's taking a left turn from confessional pseudo rap into confessional pseudo electronic r&b. Points for thundering tribal drums and a dope video.

10. “Free Will Sacrifice” — Amon Amarth, Twilight of the Thunder God
“Thor, Odin’s son, protector of mankind, ride to meet your fate, your destiny awaits / Thor, Hlodyn’s son, protector of mankind, ride to meet your fate, Ragnarok awaits,” sings golden-maned Swede Johan Hegg. And I couldn’t agree more. I mean, I have a hard time resisting cheesy-as-fuck Viking-themed Scandinavian black metal, but Amon Amarth’s “Free Will Sacrifice” is so extra anthemic that I can help but do a little air-Mjolnir whenever it comes up on my iPod.

11. “Cobrastyle” — Robyn, Robyn
Another Swede on the list. I debated whether I could count this as a 2008 release, but it’s too good to pass up. Robyn’s kickass 2006 self-titled took two years to make it to the U.S., but it was well worth the wait. Her foor-on-the-floor cover of the Teddybears’ cut is goofy as fuck and unbelievably catchy that I had to pick it, but the whole record is saccharine-sweet awesome, a bit like Annie. Konichiwa bitches.

12. “Time To Pretend” — MGMT, Oracular Spectacular
The sound that launched a thousand Gossip Girls, MGMT (formerly pronounced “The Management”?) really took over this year and inundated mall-goers with their cheerfully arch debut record. And fair enough…at least most of the hype is deserved.

13. “Another World” — Antony and the Johnsons, Another World EP
It was a big year for the UK’s Antony Hegarty. He lent his gender-bending Nina Sim-Moan to the excellent (though absent from this list) disco romp Hercules and Love Affair, and still managed to cut this little toss-off that might be the most devastating song of his utterly devastating oeuvre. As usual, he’s contemplating death, lamenting “I’m going to miss the animals / I’m going to miss you all.” It’s Antony less theatrical, more frank, and no less lovely for it.

14. "Ruthless City" — Morgan Geist, Double Night Time
When Metro Area techster Morgan Geist teams up with night-driving miserabilist Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys fame, you can guess there's going to be some unrequited 80s love underpinned by some funky synthesizer work. Double Night Time does not disappoint.

15. If I Can’t (featuring Jake Shears)” — Luomo, Convivial
Finnish mastermind Sasu Ripatti’s Luomo pseudonym gave birth to a new kind of art-house vocal house on debut “Vocalcity.” On this fourth album in the series, the man glams it all up with surprising vox guest Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters. The result is a distinctly pop song that hasn’t lost Luomo’s trademark meticulous programming and breathy-sexy treatment of truncated vocal loops.

16. “Family Tree” — TV on the Radio, Dear Science
It’s almost always a bogus strategy to pick the overlooked track on an acclaimed album as your critical favorite, but in this case, I’m not fronting. This staid, romantic B-Side finds Tunde Adebimpe recollecting on the “sacred so-and-so” shared with a lover. If TVOTR are this generation’s Talking Heads, this is their “Totally Nude,” the moment where all the paranoid observation of absurd modernity evaporates, revealing, tellingly, respect for beauty and joy at simply being alive.

17. “Half Asleep” — School of Seven Bells, Alpinisms
Sometimes good music is as simple as the algebra you learned in school. To whit: (Cocteau Twins + Imogen Heap) x M83 = 7 Bells. With its shoegaze fuzz, soaring girl vox and stumbly percussion programming, it’s not the most intellectual or lasting record in the list, it has sure spent a shitload of time on repeat for me, and in a year marked by the-same-but-worse records, here’s one that’s the same, but prettier.

18. “The Long Way Home” — Lindstrom, Where You Go I Go Too
First admission: I had to pick one track, but this album, comprised of three seamless tracks, one a half-hour long, another about 10 minutes and this closer clocking in at 16 minutes, must be listened to as a contiguous experience. It’s really a narrative of unfurling keyboards, synth pads, drum suites and so on. It’s a perfect primer for someone you know who doesn’t love electronic music: let Lindstrom show ‘em what a perfectly paced, epic-scaled album can sound like in the hands of a master producer.

19. “Brand New Start” — Little Joy, Little Joy
Like a trip to Kokomo with the Strokes, Fabrizio Moretti’s vanity project finds the Brazilian drummer trading his skins for a guitar and teaming up with wine-woozy crooner Rodrigo Amarante and Nico-esque GF Binki Shapiro for a swingy, Caribbean/Latin-inflected record that is as sweet, compact and delicious as a lime in your coconut.

20. “Love Me Already” — Black Kids, Partie Traumatic
But wait, you say, wasn’t that the record that got the sad-faced pugs picture on Pitchfork? The biggest disappointment of the year indie broke down? Yeah, dude, except when you forget all the hype created by the superior Wizard of Ahhhs EP, Partie Traumatic is a pretty damn good, if criminally self-aware dance-rock record. Best line: “My father, he told me ... you can’t treat women like hotels.”

…and some bonus sour grapes:

Five Most Overrated Albums of the Year:

   1. Fleet Foxes (emperor’s new clothes here, WTF?)
   2. Bon Iver (for girls)
   3. Vampire Weekend (Paul Simon’s douchebag nephews)
   4. Times New Viking (No.)
   5. Katy Perry (The old homophobe double standard of girls-kissing-girls-is-hot, but boys wearing H&M scarves is “so gay.” Please die already, Katy.)

Five Things That Kinda Sucked But Shouldn’t Have

   1. Autechre, Quaristice
   2. Matmos, Supreme Balloon
   3. Squarepusher, Just A Souvenir
   4. Portishead, Third
   5. Bloc Party, Intimacy (oh, wait, of course this sucked. Bloc Party have the tragic condition of putting out a genre-defining debut record and then releasing only steaming piles of dung thereafter, or as I like to call it, Nas-syndrome.)

*Co-opted by the looping Urban Outfitters store soundtrack. No longer eligible for best of 2008 lists? That said, “Crimewave” seems to conjure up pleasant feelings towards lightweight hoodies that would look good under a vintage blazer…

Top 20 Songs

1. “Indestructable" – Disturbed
This song is practically interchangeable with any other track on the CD. The album as a whole is possibly Disturbed’s finest work and the catchiest metal sing-along this year. All metalheads out there are going to have the urge to crucify me as I tell you that Disturbed falls in the same category as Testament, a band who’s music gets better every passing album. I hesitantly embraced 10,000 fists as the refined sound of their work, but I have to say that the added unrestrained bite that Indestructible delivers pushes this album as one of the best in their career.

2. “Shockwave" - Black Tide
Open oven, insert head. Close Garage, Start Car, Wait Patiently. This band just had the Bar-Mitzvah yesterday and already played the mainstage at Ozzfest, and one of the stages of Mayhemfest. What was I doing at their age? …. I should just move along right now, or start drinking heavily. I could mention Motley Crue’s new album and Guns N’ Roses, and by the end of this I might, but just to set a tone here, if this were the 80’s these kids would be surrounded by sex and cocaine. They would be the most unstoppable musical force ever. Seriously, this album is in the vein of the legends of metal and they’re only kids, I CAN’T FIGURE IT OUT! Call me a bitter bastard, but the pure raw talent this band displays is nothing short of inspiring. Stay tuned in 09 for more from the Playground Bunch.

3. “The Chosen" - Unearth
What’s more awesome than an awesome song, how about 10 awesome songs (11 words with the awesome bonus track) on one awesome CD? Want more? How about one awesome CD release party right here in Los Angeles? Ok, now that I officially sound like an ass, let’s talk this album. Unearth’s quality is rock steady and consistent. The album felt like it just picked up after their last, and the one after that and so forth. Like ACDC their consistency is probably their greatest asset: “loved em last time? You’ll love em more now.” Plus, my song, the Chosen is on the album, and though it is being pushed as a purely legitimate song, I will somehow always believe it is about friendship and getting together with people and having a good ol’ time………. And Meatwad from Aqua Teen.

4. Chiron - All That Remains
This is one of the strongest contenders for my album of the year. Luckily these numbers, next to band and song title: all meaningless. However, this one deserves special recognition as the glorious leap forward of this band. It is impossible to listen to “Fall Of Ideals” now without recognizing this as the direction the band was already laying the seeds for. I could tell you how every song on this is beautifully arranged. I can tell you that Phil is possibly singer of the year. I can tell you how Oli and Mike’s are guitar geniuses. I can point out that Jeane is cute in a nerdy way. I can also point out that Jason used to play in Diecast on the “Breaking Down Blue Skies” album, which automatically vouches his awesomeness. However I’m going to end by saying this band will be remembered and cherished decades from now my The League Of Metal Historians and anyone who got to see them this year should drop to their knees and thank god for the opportunity.

5. Bloodmeat – Protest The Hero
There is a part of me that just wants to throw up my hands and nominate this CD not only as album of the year, but possibly album of the decade. Ok it has one strong rival, Kizaea, the album they wrote before it but follow me here. This band’s writing style is unique and all unto their own. I was introduced to their singer and in one of the best interviews of my career my level of respect for these guys soared. The degree of their artistic integrity is intangible. Rody promised that if the next album cannot kick more ass than Fortress he would quit, he refuses to release the same album again for the sake of releasing an album. I certainly wouldn’t want to see Protest The Hero vanish from the scene, but I have to commend him on maintaining a high level of artistic integrity, and see this as a challenge this band is going to have to overcome.

6. Sand and Snow - Light This City
Anyone who knows me long enough knows I love this band, anyone who knows me longer than that would like me to shut the fuck up about how awesome they are and put something else on my ipod. This band keeps the same epic fury in their stage show that they bring in their albums, and despite their heavy death metal influences, they preserve a traditional Thrash foundation. For all the praise I can give this band on how their sound has evolved, and the direction they have explored with this release, the point I am struggling to bring you is that this is the band to root for. Some great people, really passionate about the songs they write, and genuinely interesting people to meet and talk to. I hope this is one of those bands that fans of the genre will still be reminiscing about 15 years from now.

7. Too Much Too Young Too Fast – Airbourne
Nicest guys EVAHR!!!! I met them in New York at Roadrunner Records, and asked them to sign my copy of their album, one I had bought, and the one they named “#1.” The first CD they ever sold in America! Other less worthy fans of Airbourne: SUCK IT! I think our days are little brighter because of this album, with anthems like “Runnin Wild” and “Cheap Wine and Cheaper Women.” For what Airbourne does, they do it AMAZINGLY! Granted, the first time you heard this on the radio you probably thought it was AC[lighting bolt]DC, and this band cannot write this music without drawing the comparison. But screw any criticisms this brings, it’s nice to have an album that’s just fun to listen to.

8. Twilight Of The Thunder God - Amon Amarth
Watch The Music Video for this……. I’m not kidding…….Go on, youtube it…… On a new window, PLEASE! There, watch it, I’ll wait right here with a magazine………. EPIC RIGHT?! Ok, yeah probably half the actors in it were part of the same high school Dungeons & Dragons club, but c’mon how high are your standards? Really? I was not the warmest to the niche of Viking Metal. At first I mostly viewed it as something cool for people who are way too anglo to be cool any other way. Now I feel that it is still cool for people who are way too anglo, but given conditions as they are, Amon Amarth is the best sample of this Metallic niche. I use niche endearingly. I used to think this was an odd experiment, then I saw every other Viking metal band. Plus I reserve the more hateful word “gimmick” when referring to “Pirate Metal.” Not to pick on anyone’s (namely Scurvy’s) feelings, but this idea was never going to take off until you performed with parrots on your shoulders, replaced a few hand with hooks and Dressed like Johnny Depp. Amon Amarth to their credit have a sound that is unique and seem to take this ancient lifestyle seriously. There is no doubt in my mind that they use the words plunder in everyday conversation. Granted I have never interviewed them, but neither have a lot of people, which preserves their image of being Nordic Bad Asses. This much in the same way fans of Behemoth believe they sacrifice a goat on their tour bus before every show, and couldn’t possibly be four dudes with bad skin hanging out playing XBOX. Back to Amon Amarth; bottom line, what I have always found incredible about this band is the one word you can understand of their lyrics. Specifically the weirdest word that deserves to be in a metal album: “odin,” “Thunder God,” “Valkrie,” or “Val Hallah.” Generalization aside, yeah, it’s an amazing album, and the best Viking Metal album ever. Also, go check out the cover art…. Go check it out and then come back and read my next one.

9. Children of Bodom – Blooddrunk
Kudos Alexi Leiho, you rocking Finnish metal dwarf. I took photos for this band one time, no flash permitted. While taking burst shots on one side of Alexi, he looks down, sees my camera and gives me the finger. METAL! “Blooddrunk” is a really impressive album on all accounts, and actually was the runaway smash of 2008. Their genre is still loosely defined, but all in all they are pure solid Metal Goodness. Varied influences come together to form an energized powerfest of fury that is their sixth studio album. “Follow The Reaper” is arguably their best work, and “Are You Dead Yet?” was a glorious entry in their catalogue… come to think of it… Like Testament as well, Children Of Bodom is another one of those bands whose work gets better by the CD. Long live the reign of Bodom’s Children.

10. Our Common Grave - Beneath The Massacre
Ok, I have to PG this up. I passed on what would have been a trip to a “full-service” Thai massage parlor to see this band play 4 songs. Granted I didn’t know it would only be 4 at the time, that’s just how many they got in before the show was broken up. For this to make sense you have to keep in mind that this band demolishes everything when they perform, and the show I am referring to ended in a bar-fight. The most glorious bar-fight I ever seen. People fighting people against the bar, while they fight back, and people ON TOP of the bar fighting people next to the bar. Ultimately the show gets cancelled when a guy is face-down in a pool of his own blood (thank god he walked/got drug out of there by the end and appeared to be breathing). One of my top 3 concerts of the year.
So what does this have to do with the music? In sensationalist Headline form: Beneath The Massacre is murderous music. A good murderous…

11. Sea Of Treachery – Purging Of The Wicked
Ok, ok, I want to say it’s for the Paramore cover…… but, technically it’s not part of the album. Can you blame me? Before you speak, don’t judge me! So it’s an awesome band with an awesome cover and I buy their awesome CD to find it MIA. CRAP! But then something amazing happened, I listened to the rest of the album. It was quite possibly the most punishingly br00tal album I had heard all year. Cripplingly aggressive, yet managed to pull off a cover of Misery business in their spare time….. nice!

12. Breath to Dominate – Kataklysm
I listen to this band and forget that they are a couple of dudes who happen to be from Chicago, Illinois. I like to think they are the perfect in between of American and European Death Metal, but by this point I might be talking straight out of my own ass. I was deeply impressed when I was properly introduced to this band at New England Metalfest. Epic is the word that comes to mind, anyone who has ever seen their CD cover monster would verify this. Come to think of it, this band has brought me laughs too, like when I found myself in a CD store in Paris and I found their album for sale for 25 Euro, the same album I bought in America for 13 bucks. The sad part for anyone doing the conversion right now, you know that’s selling over there, probably selling better than it is in the US, only bringing me back to the thesis of internationality that this band possesses.

13. Tip Of The Iceberg - New Found Glory/International Superheroes of Hardcore
I can’t decide which I like better: the side-stunt old-school hardcore styles of the ISOH, or the new heavier edgier direction of NFG. It’s a conundrum to be sure. At New England Hardcore and Metal Festival someone in the crowd made the comment, I thought it was a joke: “So apparently New Found Glory is a hardcore band now.” It seemed like a fun joke at the time. Week later in the aisles of Newbury Comics I notice a New Found Glory Album with a big Bridge 9 sticker on it, needless to say “Odd.” So two members swap and they are this phenomenal oldschool hardcore band, singing about how Madball has their back. A friend of Madball’s is a friend of mine, and I welcome this side project with open arms. Naturally their hardcore album should be my main focus, but they offered a New Found Glory EP with the album. THE DIRECTION THEY TOOK WITH THE THREE ORIGINAL SONGS ON THIS EP IS THE GREATEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN FOR NEW FOUND GLORY! I say this in all caps hoping that their mainstream label hears this and takes this into consideration when releasing the full-length in 09. NFG is still pop-punk, but with a heavier/harder sound. PERFECT! It’s adding onto what made this band great, and really sets them apart from the other mainstream pop-punk out there. Let’s face it, every pop-punk band is now going to be thrown into the ring being compared to either Green Day or Fall Out Boy. Here is New Found Glory’s chance to break away from the shadows of those two pop-culture icons and have a great sound all to themselves.

14. Declaration - Bleeding Through
Thank God this album was awesome. I had heard nothing but mixed reviews, and was dreading how this album would live up to my expectations. Let’s backtrack a second: “The Truth” is possibly one of the greatest Metal albums of this decade, and my personal album of the year of 2006. Upon reveling in this album’s glory I found myself onstage with them at Ozzfest 2006 in Hartford, CT, where all the members of the band were EXTREMELY cool to me (ok, never met Scott Danough in retrospect, but he’s out of the band anyway, so screw him anyway). Declaration is a proper successor to this glorious album and takes the band in new and exciting directions. Hitting with heavier riffs and darker beat-downs, Declaration is a bold new chapter in the Bleeding Through story. Bottom line is this is phenomenal work. Now, is it better than the Truth? For a cop-out answer I have to decline reaching a conclusion like that yet. This album has passed the test on it’s own unique merits and only time will tell whether Declaration has the proper lasting power to run in step with it’s older brother. All in all, I love this band, and feel that they are often underestimated within their own scene in spite of having put out some of the best music of the genre.

15. Bad News – Ligeia
Judge this album not by what it sounds like, but rather what it doesn’t sound like. What it doesn’t sound like is ever other band at the CD store. Bad news does not sound like a typical metal album, it doesn’t sound like a typical Hardcore album, it doesn’t sound like a bastard in between, however, it is all of these things. Bad News is an absolute gem this year, a gem that may unfortunately get overlooked. But for those of us paying attention, we get to revel in it’s utter brilliance. On a personal level, I’ve been amazed by this band’s live performance, but felt the album, the only one at the time being “Your Ghost is A Gift,” lacked the same ferocity for the most part. Bad News does not try to be the most insanely br00tal album ever, but it is guilty of being the most diverse. None of the songs sound the same from any other song on the album. Songs like “Bad News” are paired by the more reflective tones of “I’ve Been Drinking,” and mixed up with the thrashier tones of “Teenage Wasteland.” Of course it is impossible to forget the album’s finale, “Hoodrat,” which can be described as charmingly vulgar. I mean that endearingly. Each song can be a part of it’s own album, and I can’t stress the mixture Bad News provides. If I had to rank, which thank god I don’t, but if I did, this would be in my top 4 albums of the year.

16. The Ancient Covenant - The Faceless
The only downside to having worked at a radio station throughout college and having gotten to know most if not all the record labels is that nothing really surprises me anymore. Having gotten, listened, and reviewed nearly every album kind of makes me feel like I know all of my Christmas gifts in advance. I’ll pause so that anyone still reading can fetch a large cumbersome object to beat me with………. Right, moving on. Literally last night I was treated to a surprise breakout of a band I would have otherwise have missed entirely, The Faceless. I was so blown away by this band’s live performance that I bought, listened, and reviewed the album on the drive from Anaheim, absolutely shocked that such a gem a crept silently under my radar. It’s exciting that I have the chance to examine a band, and moreso their most recent work, without holding it up the their previous work. Planetary Duality [as far as I can tell] is the band’s sophomore album, and delivers an extensive plethora of rhythms native to the Deathcore subgenre. Since this is not a formal review I have to be brief and seek out the root of Planetary Duality’s genius. In a short, technical prowess. Most of all in the album I’m taking notice to the technical skill, not just of the singing and guitar leads (which are incredible and highlighted well), but a lot of the bass-lines and percussion that have really shaped this album. This is going to be the band to watch in the next few years, and much more immediately in the year to come.

17. The American Dream - Walls Of Jericho
I’m going to go out on a risky limb here and declare American Dream as the Best Hardcore album of the year. There were plenty of hardcore albums that came out in 08 but for some reason Walls Of Jericho seems to be the most notable. It seems like only yesterday that I was 15 and a friend passed me the headphones after just buying “The Bound Feed And Gagged.” I promptly ripped them off 5 seconds later.

18. Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone
Alright, so this album is not the psychotic attack that “Self-titled” and “Iowa” were, but it is a step closer to form. It has been impossible to judge All Hope Is Gone in a vacuum. More prone to the Commercial success that Vol 3 was obviously geared for, yet keeping in mind that the band is composed of 9 dudes in scary masks. Many grievances could be leveled against Vol 3, but assuming you don’t have all night to hear them all, the most notable of them was the toning down of the band’s aggressive sound. “All Hope Is Gone” is not completely innocent of these charges, but the band has definitely reconnected with their style to deliver a much harder and belligerent album. For the past 4 years the band has dabbled in side projects and various other musical endeavors. I find “All Hope is Gone” to be the crucible of the separation anxiety and the culmination of what Slipknot is and should be about.

19. This Is Exile - Whitechapel
“A monkey smashing you in the testicles with a mace” – Anonymous employee of Metal Blade records. This is the unofficial press release I got about this band direct from the record label. It came 4 minutes before the band took the stage at the House of Blues on Sunset, and amazingly is the most accurate description of the band’s live show. “This is Exile,” the band’s second release landed in music stores this year, and is possibly one of the most well-composed and orchestrated albums of the year. I know a bunch of you have just run to the band’s myspace page to check this out, and half of you are now wondering what drugs I’m on to make such a claim. The answer is none. The band has a perfect unity in both their live performance and on their recorded work. This was definitely the band to behold this year.

20. Testament - Formation of Damnation
Really? You’re surprised I ended this list any other way? I only mentioned this band twice so far in this list… Yeah, so Testament, the GLORIOUS TESTAMENT! Delivering unto us, the unwashed masses, a brilliant, true-to-form Thrash album to keep us blood-thirsty through the new year. Alright, I’m done, go buy all of these albums, you can’t go wrong.

Top 11 Albums

1. Liars - "Liars"
Finally Liars live up to the promise of their first album. Enough kooky deconstructed witch songs already! This record, especially plaster casts… will grab you.

2. Metallica - "Death Magnetic"
The comeback album 20 years in the making. Taut, complex and intense like the ghost of Cliff Burton dropped by to bless the project. Probably should thank Rick Rubin too.

3. MGMT - "Oracular Spectacular"
Amazing debut start to finish. Fully realized concept, nothing extra but everything it needs. A bunch of perfect songs that make sense together. This is called an ALBUM. Apparently people don’t make these very often or it wouldn’t be so startling when it happens.

4. No Age - "Nouns"
One of the most exciting bands around. The sound of freedom and smart, disenfranchised youth. Captures the intent of ‘punk’ without falling into a single one of its trite clichés. As a thousand records a year tell us, this is not easy.

5. Last Shadow Puppets - "The Age of Understatement"
Mod throwback record with a purpose. Makes you drag out the Hollies, a black turtleneck and feel cooler than you did yesterday. Success!

6. SPC ECO - "You’re Alright/Another Day" single
Sonic perfection. Same romance inside of violent chaos as MBV. More please.

7. M83 - "Saturdays=Youth"
The only good french rock band ever delivers again. When the guitars come out it is soaring and epic as rock can be. A bit of a snooze on the synth-only songs but its ability to nose out other worthy records in the face of this fact attests to the power of its triumphs.

8. Melvins - "Nude With Boots"
Heaviosity done right. Buzz, Dale and the boys bring the onslaught just like you want them to. Turn up, crush your head with style.

9. Spiritualized - "Songs In A and E"
Jason nearly died, then we have these songs. Heartfelt and somehow more human in scale then earlier sprirtualized stuff. Very moving.

10. Ravoneottes - "Lust Lust Lust"
Darker, lusher Raveonettes. you can swim in the mystery and teasing or lay on the bed of fuzz and drift away.

11. NIN - "The Slip"– Purging Of The Wicked
Angry and crushing, Trent continues down the path laid by With Teeth. Dangerous independent ideas in tightly focused songs.

Truth be told, this is the first attempt ever by me to look back at a one year period and chronicle my favorite songs. Hell, albums would be challenging enough…but songs? “How am I supposed to pull this off” I ask myself as I plug into to Steve Job’s wonderful iTunes invention. I arrange all volumes that bear the 2008 copyright and hunker down for my most challenging homework assignment in years.

It was a pretty decent year all around for music. Why? Were artists inspired as our country had a sweeping sea-change about who would be president? Fuel prices surged, fell, surged again and everyone I know lost money this year. Through the climactic prelude to what may become The Great Depression Numero Dos, I melted my ears to bouncy indie rock, watched Bay Area metal heroes make comebacks (yes, that is plural for a reason) and was reminded to keep my switchblade close from some Garden State Greasers. So this is a little all over the place; a varied group of songs from an equally diverse group of artists. Perhaps I’m shaking the music bubble I’ve held for so many years. Cheers to that friends.

(Top 20 Songs of Oh Ate, in no particular order)

1. “Language City”/Wolf Parade, from At Mount Zoomer
One of the most underrated rock albums of the year, this long awaited sophomore effort Wolf Parade only expanded what people already knew….these guys are strange. Fans of the band’s previous releases, 2005’s Apologies to the Queen Mary and the self titled EP Wolf Parade waited patiently as Krug and his cronies rocked the house with this gem, which is the third track on the album. This is Wolf Parade at their finest.

2. “Sultan”/What Made Milwaukee Famous, from What Doesn’t Kill Us
I first heard of these guys while living in Houston circa 2005. So what did I do? I went to Rudyard’s and saw them of course! Now, this was pre-Bursak, and Lollapalooza slots, and C3 management. Great great great show. So I got their (then) self released album (since to be re-released by Barsuk) Trying to Never Catch Up and fell in love. This ditty kicks up the sawdust on floors ‘round these parts…and is a great testimony to what happens when you get a group of great musicians in the same room.

3. “Westphalia”/Ursula Minor, from Laudanum
Another newbie to me this year. Groovy all instrumental build up chock full of guitars, organs and a healthy dose of can do attitude. I like it. I want to hear more.

4. “In A Cave”/Tokyo Police Club, from Elephant Shell
Tokyo Police Club have been on everyone’s radar for the last two years or so. Their much anticipated follow up to 2006’s instant classic A Lesson in Crime, finally gives us more than six songs to go on. Truth be known, Mogus turning the knobs for these guys on their Saddle Creek debut proves to round out the sound and bombastic clatter of Crime. This song is a foot tapper that’s upbeat, sarcastic enough, and at just 2:49 follows all the classic punk-rock rule of a three-minute time limit! These guys kill the pop-punk stereotype…while making you want to dance. Only thing is…their cameo on Desperate Housewives nearly made me reconsider this one!!

5. “The Formation of Damnation”/Testament, from The Formation of Damnation
What’s this! A new Testament album!? My childhood heroes are back, with the original (and best) lineup…Alec Skolnick is back in the lead guitar position…and this track throws a one two punch of thrash-metal in your face son! I haven’t seen them since their tour for Practice What You Preach, so I was a little apprehensive at first. The Formation of Damnation is easily Testament’s best effort in a decade.

6. “Ghost Under Rocks”/Ra Ra Riot, from The Rhumb Line
How does one bounce between Testament and Ra Ra Riot? Hell if I know…but it works…I bought this on a whim because I liked the name of the band. Not such a fan of the full album, but it definitely starts strong. Clear vocals, violins, heavy base a la Ned’s Atomic Dustbin…what else could you want in a pop-rock gem?

7. “Living Well Is The Best Revenge”/R.E.M., from Accelerate
Hate to admit it, but I was just too damn young the first time R.E.M. really ruled the indie charts. I was in jr. high when Out of Time came out, but Nirvana was new…and I was young enough to buy into it all. As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to understand and appreciate the way in which R.E.M. became one of the biggest rock names ever. This kick off track to 2008’s Accelerate made me feel excited, and happy these guys still had rock to play…and things to say. Cheers.

8. “That Was Just Your Life”/Metallica, from Death Magnetic
You couldn’t have given me a Metallica ticket two years ago…this year I’m sorry to say that I missed their Texas appearances. Had one been closer, you bet your ass I would’ve been there. This opening track almost pissed me off…because Ha! I knew these guys could still play their instruments! So what the hell have the last few years…ahem, since …And Justice For All been guys! I gotta say cheers to Rob Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves) and a fuck yeah to Rick Rubin for dusting off the band to kick out some rock!

9. “Hurly/Burly”/Man Man, f
Anyone that knows Man Man by now pretty much knows what to expect. Yep, moustaches, short shorts and an impressive collection of tank tops. In the midst of the visual experience Man Man dish out, they just plain kill the genre they…er, don’t fall into. I heard someone at a party say that Man Man does Tom Waits better than Tom Waits. While I don’t know if that’s 100% accurate myself, they certainly know how to show my eardrums a good time. Hell, even my 11-year-old son loved them at the Waterloo in store!

10. “Constructive Summer”/The Hold Steady, from Stay Positive
Easy to listen rock/pop. Pianos, driving beat, back up shouts and crystal clear vocals…sometimes rock n’ roll just sounds easy, which is exactly what these guys have pulled off.

11. “Old White Lincoln”/The Gaslight Anthem, from ’59 Sound
These Jersey boys have sure gotten a lot of attention since the release of their second album The ’59 Sound. Like anything else, people either love ‘em or hate ‘em, but the soulful approach to punk rock feels like a much-needed breath of fresh air. The song is an easy listen and covers a vast array of influences, from The Cure to Social Distortion. Mix that up in a pot, let it boil over and serve with a six-pack while changing the oil in your roadster. 12. “Fits & Shadow Fights” Gang, from Zero Hits
Very interesting band that I have recently gotten into. Lo-fi production, dancy high-hats on the upbeat and an attitude that an mp3 sadly can’t deliver make this one of my favorite tracks of the year. Never seen ‘em live…but after hearing this one blasted in my face (my stereo goes to 11) you bet your ass I’ll be there.

13. “Walking”/The Dodos, from Visiter
Easy listening indie pop that throws in a banjo for good measure. Quiet, mellow, nice if you have a headache. Dual boy/girl vocal harmonies only soothe me further as I melt into the couch. Good music for a gentle lovin’.

14. “Shovel to Ground”/Colour Revolt from Plunder, Beg, and Curse
I was introduced to Colour Revolt in Dec. 2007 at Walter’s. I knew nothing about them, but they rocked the shanty venue and all 37 people there with a spirit not often seen…especially in front of 37 people! This is the full-length follow-up to their self-titled (if I remember correctly) EP, which was a-maz-ing. While the album in it’s entirety was somewhat disappointing, “Shovel to Ground” shakes with anticipation as you feel the band is going to unload everything they have at you…and the best part is they never do, but keep you wanting it.

15. “Already Down”/Awesome Color, from Electric Aborigines
Upbeat powerful guitars swarm throughout the track from the relatively new (to me anyway) Awesome Color. Like some of the other tracks listed herein, I don’t know much about these guys except the chunky songs they belt out on Electric Aborigines. Fans of The Strokes and The Hives will gravitate towards this. Go get it!

16. “Water Curses”/Animal Collective, from the Water Curses EP
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Animal Collective…until I saw them fuck shit up at The Pitchfork Music Fest 2008. The headliner for day two of the three day indie rock extravaganza did not disappoint, and I left with a new found appreciation for the noisy layers these guys lay down. Not for those with delicate ears, this single propels me into the sinister mind of AC, which conjures thoughts of a rabbit-hole full of sinister demons, swirling colors and textured air…this pulls out the inner hippie in me.

17. “Sex on Fire”/Kings of Leon, from Only By The Night
Kings of Leon have accumulated quite a following across the pond, but have yet to break through the American charts…until their release of Only By The Night. Soulful vocals, great guitar bends and infectious drum/bass work easily make this track one of my favorite of 2008…and no, the fact that your kid sister likes this track does not put a bad taste in my mouth.

18. “Bodysnatchers”/Radiohead, from In Rainbows
The only time I’ve seen Radiohead was in 2007 at The Hollywood Bowl and it was unbelievable. “Bodysnatchers” was in the first five songs they played and I knew then the new Radiohead wouldn’t disappoint. Driving drums, great vocals and a breakdown that drives the song through to completion round out this gem by everyone’s favorite band…these guys have changed rock history for the better.

19. “Aly, Walk With Me”/The Raveonettes, from Lust, Lust, Lust
Swedish duo The Raveonettes have been on my top twenty list for a long long time. The guitars sizzle with a hot, reverb and twang effect that has come to define the sound dished out by these two hotties. Now if I could just catch them live…

20. “I’ll Never Leave”/Peel, from the EP August Exhaust Pipes
Not sure if you’ve heard, but Austin has a great music scene, no matter what you’re after. One of the best kept secrets from this area is the indie-pop/rock and ruckus Peel. The band has been turning heads within the active indie circuit and has played with some of the genres heroes over the past few years. August Exhaust Pipes is the first release with their ‘new’ drummer, who has helped solidify Peel as a force to be reckoned with. Live shows are drunken, fun, and (even though the band cringes at the comparison) always leave me wanting to listen to Pavement. Keep your eyes out for these guys…and gal, they know how to show the crowd a great time.

Other Great Albums of 2008:

Nada Surf - Lucky (Barsuk)

British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade/World's Fair)

Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward (Ecstatic Peace/Universal)

Icy Demons - Miami Ice (Obey Your Brain)

Best Shows:

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears – The Mohawk

Alkaline Trio / The Gaslight Anthem – Red 7

Wolf Parade – La Zona Rosa

Rancid – La Zona Rosa

The Cure – Austin Music Hall

Animal Collective – Union Park, Chicago @ The Pitchfork Music Festival

Tom Waits – Jones Hall, Houston

This show has been coined by yours truly as The Punk Rock Formal of 2008…minus the punk rock. Anyone and everyone from the Houston/Austin/San Antonio areas came out to witness the man in all his grandeur. This show was life-changing for me…if you were there you know what I mean.