Top 10 Albums of 2008

1. Centro-matic/South San Gabriel "Dual Hawks"
Double albums are hard to pull off. Count how many truly great double albums come to mind. Not that many, right? This is
the best double album I've heard in a long long time.

2. Okkervil River "Stand Ins"
The companion piece to their last album "The Stage Names". They should have been released together and this would have been the best double album I've heard in a long long time.

3. Jenny Lewis "Acid Tongue"
Last time she was funneled through folk and country, this time it's soul, r & b and gospel and Gawd-o-mighty it's good.

4. Death Cab for Cutie "Narrow Stairs"
Their best album as far as I'm concerned. They tend to get too precious at times, but they avoid that almost completely on this one.

5. Amanda Palmer "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?"
Listen to "Leeds United", a mix of piano and cabaret singing and you will most likely be hooked. She also gets the prize for album title of the year, hell, the decade.

6. Destroyer "Trouble In Dreams"
I was a huge Destroyer fan after "This Night" came out, but my interest waned over the subsequent albums. This to me is a big return to form.

7. Hello Saferide "More Modern Short Stories From..."
Hello Saferide. I first discovered them on Cable and Tweed's blog. Annika has a great voice and the lyrics are really something special. I love it when she sings "You Stupid Fuck" three times in a row.

8. Black Mountain "In the Future"
After their first LP, I was looking forward to this one immensely and it was not a disappointment.

9. Shearwater "Rook"
Another beautiful record from this band led by Jonathan Meiburg who used to be part of Okkervil River.

10. Elvis Costello "Momofuku"
The best Elvis alive. He rarely has a clunker and this album definitely does not clunk.

Honorable Mentions:
Vampire Weekend “s/t”
Mudcrutch “s/t”
Conor Oberst “s/t”
Fleet Foxes “s/t”
Foxboro Hot Tubs “Stop Drop and Roll”
British Sea Power "Do You Like Rock Music?"

Other Awards:
Best album title: Amanda Palmer "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?"
Best Double Album in years: Centro-matic/South San Gabriel "Dual Hawks"
Best Album Cover: Shearwater "Rook"