Top "Ten" LP's of 2008

I have been meaning to get this post done for about a week now and figured that if I wrote the first sentence I would get it done, so here is the first sentence and below is my top 7 LP's from last year.

The year started out strong and took a major pit fall in late summer, there's not an album on the list that was released after June, to prove my point.


1. Gemma Ray, The Leader - I really like this album; it is the most original thing that I have heard in a long time. The sound is basically noir girl group from the 60's, I'll bet this album sounds best on vinyl.









2. The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age of Understatement - This is a collaboration of Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of The Rascals, luckily this doesn't come off as a side project which normally come across as an artist's unlistenable self-indulgence. The album falls somewhere in between a spaghetti western and a Bond movie.




3. Sia, Some People Have REAL Problems - For the most part this album is sweet R&B, kind of a cross between Norah Jones and Feist. My only complaint about this album is that I don't think that we ever really get the full power of her voice that she is possible of.







4. Air Traffic, Fractured Life - I try not to put this type of album on my list for the year but this is solid pop/punk from beginning to end










5. The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride - I am kind of embarrassed to not have heard of this band before especially since this is their 10th studio release and was produced by John Vanderslice. You have to get used to John Darnielle's voice and alot of the songs sound fairly similar but in this case that is not a bad thing






6. Vampire Weekend, S/T - For me this was my most anticipated album of the year. Unfortunately it didn't completely live up to the hype, and definitely tapers as the album goes on but in the end it is still a great debut effort.








7. 1969, Maya - This band is fronted by Butch Walker who has made his name more as a producer then a musician although he has had some songs that have become hits for many other artists from Pink to Sevendust. Considering Walker has been in, started, and broken up with so many band over the years along with all the producing I wouldn't expect a sophomore release from 1969.