It has been a minute since our last show – I decided to take a holiday break, but I will be back with an interview with Brazil next week, now on to this post:
Last year I never did this. I started to make a best of 2007 post, and left it in the drafts until October of this year. This year I am forcing myself to get it out.
Here is the think about my list. I have rules. They are simple. My best of 2008 list 126 songs currently, everything that came out this year that I rated 5 stars in iTunes. Yes, iTunes controls this list, because I only listen to music on my phone, so here it is, the top 20, in order of most listened to (note: the iTunes links are affiliate links, it would be awesome if you used them to purchase these songs if you too like them and do not own them, as it will help me pay for hosting, or at least a pack of gum):
- Fall Out Boy – “Catch Me If You Can (Proclimation of Emancipation)”
Okay, this song is awesome – it is a cover of a Gym Class Heroes song and it was part of a free mix tape promotion FOB’s latest record. It is awesome, from the Jackson Five guitar riff to the great rap from Travis of GCH – great song all around.
FOB Link - Bullet For My Valentine – “Scream Aim Fire”
This song is what Metallica should sound like. I know these guys are way younger and really wish that they where alive when Cliff Burton was in the band, but honestly – they do it better than their predecessor’s current line up ever could.
- Cut Copy – “Lights and Music”
If it wasn’t for the rules I set in place for this, this would be my top song of the year, I never skip it and it always sounds great. If you don’t have this record, get it – or at least this song, the best group, and best bass line of the year, hands down.
- Thin Fevers – “Idiot Archipelago” Yes I am in this band, and yes I listen to the crap out of our songs because I like them, so it is on the list.
- The Sword – “To Take The Black”
Ah The Sword – the new record doesn’t have the same sense of wonder of the last, but man, this song has an amazing monster riff that makes me want to get back into WoW.
- Weezer = “Pork and Beans”
Weezer has been my favorite band since my first summer off of college, I had been listening to them for a few years before, but that is when I really LISTENED to Weezer, and fell in love. “Pork and Beans” feels like a caricature of what I fell in love with, but it is still a catchy as hell tune.
- Sigur Ros – “Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur”
I don’t know how they do it, but Sigur Ros always makes me feel like I can climb a mountain with three chords.
- The Bronx – “Past Lives”
This band, record, and particularly this song, flat out rock. This is the kind of music that makes you want to back to… well, to a past life and take out your bullies.
- Nine Inch Nails – “Discipline”
Trent Reznor perfects the driving disco rock dance theme to your next underground sci-fi rotoscoped thriller.
- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – “Around The Bend”
If it is good enough for Steve Jobs, who am I to argue – this song is catchy and great, and makes The Asteroids Galaxy Tour the B52s of the 21st century, but without Fred Schneider.
- Eagles Of Death Metal – “High Voltage”
Kind of gutsy for a band that rocks to use the same title of an AC/DC song – but dang does it rock. Somehow this sounds like every other garage band, The Knack, Brainiac, and Devo at the same time.
- Airbourn – “Runnin’ Wild”
I love this band. I especially love the fact that they sound exactly like AC/DC, and that they are from Australia, and that they love AC/DC.
- Mason Proper – “Shiny”
“Olly Oxen Free” is on the top of the pile for records of 2008, great, messy, experimental rock that remains catchy in it’s sparseness. Get it.
- Monotonix – “Summers and Autumns”
See this band live before you die. All that rock with only one guitar. It makes no sense.
- Ashes Divide – “The Prey”
I know – WTF RLY?! I hated this record, but loved this song. Somehow it kept sneaking into my car stereo when I was playing on random and it stuck.
- Gentleman Caller – “Mood Ring”
RIYL rock. RIYL Pulp, RIYL if you like anything ever. Great rock from my home state of Indiana.
Gentleman Caller mySpace page
- Walter Mego – “Baby Please”
Good disco pop that will make you shake it.
- AC/DC – “Anything Goes”
I bought it at WalMart, and have mixed feelings, but this one popped up on shuffle, out of context of the rest of the album, and it thought it was something out of the early 80s, perhaps a Mellencamp song of all things… a good rocker, but not a ROCKer.
ACDC.com
- Plushgun – “Just Impolite”
I interviewed Daniel from this band over the summer, and he is poised for awesomeness beyone measure. Get this song and get this record, especiall if you like The Postal Service or Atom and His Package or Billy Idol.
- Black Kids – “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You”
Okay – I will admit – last spot was a tie with this and the new single from Third Eye Blind, and I wasn’t going to admit that I liked that…ahem. This band sounds like the Cure from ’81 and that is cool.
So that is it. There are some in there that might loose me some cred, but I am so in the red in cred that I should be in debtor’s prison.
Check back next week when I will hopefully be posting a new episode of the show!
-Brian
UPDATE: Check out my iMix on iTunes of this list: