BEST OF 2008

Key:

* = Everything here is recommended, but those with a * are buy-or-die albums, ones that you’ll regret not having heard after you’ve heard them (which of course is a logical impossibility, but you get the idea).
+ indicates debut album
(M) indicates mixtape
All are independent releases!

FULL LENGTHS

Abdominal-Escape from the Pigeon Hole
Atmosphere-Strictly Leakage
Beach House-Devotion
Biography of Ferns-Pastel Gothic (review)
Big Buildings-Wampum (review)*
Birdmonster-From The Mountain To The Sea
Black Mountain-In the Future (review)*
Bless 1-Starving Artist (street album) (review)+
Blood on the Wall-Liferz (review)*
Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago
Buckshot and 9th Wonder-The Formula (review) *
Bun-B-II Trill
Calvin Badness-Go To Your Room (review)+*
The Camp-The Campaign (review)+
Chad VanGaalen-Soft Airplane
Clipse-Clipse Presents the Reup Gang (M)
Clock Hand Strangle-Redshift/Blueshift
The Cool Kids-The Bake Sale
C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz-Freestyle vs. Written (review) +*
Damu the Fudgemunk-Spare Time (free album) (review)
Death Cab for Cutie-Narrow Stairs
Del The Funkee Homosapien-11th Hour (review)
Diacon-Panthers-Make it Feel Better (review) +*
Die! Die! Die!-Promises Promises (review)*
DL Incognito-A Captured Moment in Time (review)
Domingo-Domingo (review) +
Drive-By Truckers- Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Dungen-4
Evangelicals-The Evening Descends
Foul Mouth Jerk-Streetlight Music (review) *
Frightened Rabbit-Midnight Organ Fight (review)*
Fuck Buttons-Street Horrrsing (review)*
Gaslight Anthem-The 59 Sound
Grand Archives-The Grand Archives (review) +
The Gutter Twins-Saturnalia (review)+
Hasan Saalam-Children of God
Hayes Carll-Trouble in Mind (review)*
Hold Steady-Stay Positive (review)*
J-Live-Then What Happened
Jason Anderson-On the Street
Joe Budden-Mood Muzik 3.5 (For Better or Worse) (M) *
Johnny Madwreck-The Last Detail
Khemo Rabbit-Bad Voodoo (review)
Koufax-Strugglers
Langhorne Slim-Langhorne Slim (review) *
Last of the Shadow Puppets-Age of the Understatement
LoDeck and Omega One-Postcards From The Third Planet
Los Campesinos-Hold On, Youngster (review)+*
Ludacris-Disturbing Tha Streetz (M)
Lykke Li-Youth Novels
Marah-Angels of Destruction!
Marnie Stern-This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
Men Without Pants-Naturally (review) +*
Mike Doughty-Golden Delicious
Mr. Gnome-Deliver this Creature (review) +*
Mystery Jets-21 (review)
9th Wonder and Murs-Sweet Lord (review)*
Noah and the Whale-Advance
Nobunny-Love Visions
Okkervil River-The Stand Ins
Oneida-Preteen Weaponry
Paul Turner-Clear Blue
Pomegranates-Everything is Alive (review) +*
Priya Thomas-Blood Heron
Reup Gang (Clipse)-We Got It For Cheap Vol. 3-Spirit Of Competition (M)
Rural Alberta Advantage-Hometowns (review)*+
Rhymefest (Presented by Mark Ronson)-Man in the Mirror (M)
Santogold-Santogold +*
The Secret Machines-Secret Machines
Short Bus Alumni-Mr. T’s Revenge (review)*+
Soloman Spectrum (review) +
Spectac and 9th Wonder-The Corner of Spec and 9th (review)
Tanya Morgan-Tanya Morgan is a Rap Group (review) (M)
Throw Me The Statue-Moonbeams (review)+
Tilly and the Wall-o (review) *
Thao Nguyen and the Get Up Stay Down-We Brave Bee Stings and All
Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend +
Various Artists-KTYliens (M)
Vincent Black Shadow-More Deeper
War on Drugs-Wagonwheel Blues (review) +*
Weinland-La Lamentor
The Whigs-Mission Control
Wild Sweet Orange-We Have Cause to Be Uneasy (review) +*

EPs and REISSUES

Bell X1-Flock (reissue)*
Bella Noir-Premonitions EP (review) +
Community Gun-EP (review) +*
Dead Confederate-s/t EP (review)+*
Empty Rooms-Lacuna EP (review)
Joseph Arthur-Could We Survive EP (review) *
Joseph Arthur-Crazy Rain EP (review)
Kara Keith-Kara Keith EP (review)+
Let’s Wrestle-In Loving Memory Of
Living Legends-The Gathering EP (review)*
Masta Ace-The Hits U Missed Volume 3 (reissue)*
Pretty Good Dance Moves-s/t EP (review)+
Radars to the Sky-The Big Bang EP (review) +*
Rademacher-ERA
Tanya Morgan-The Bridge (review)
Thailand-Remote Controller (review) *
Trunks and MF Doom-Unicron EP
Tulsa-I Was Submerged EP (review)*
We The They-Shabby Road Sessions EP

TOP TEN PARTY SINGLES OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2008! (link)