TOP 7 ALBUMS OF 2008

December 21st, 2008 | Category: Adele, Peter Bradley Adams, Shane Alexander, The Raconteurs, ben folds, murder by death, taylor swift

I am going to step out onto a limb and say that 2008 has been somewhat of a down year for a dynamic music industry still trying to determine its identity in a iTunes-driven market. Outside of the rock albums on this list, the rock genre hasn’t really produced any great music this year. The Arctic Monkeys took the year off and the Foo Fighters are still touring off their immaculate 2007 release Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, which was the best album of last year.

Before writing this list, I wanted to see what Rolling Stone was naming as their top albums of 2008. Unfortunately, the magazine that used to have dignity has killed all outstanding integrity by awarding The Jonas Brothers’ A Little Bit Longer the number 40 album of 2008. Jimi Hendrix must be rolling over in his grave. They claim that TV On The Radio’s Dear Science is the #1 album of 2008…As you can see, I disagree.

My apologies for the arbitrary “7″ list. I didn’t feel like there were 10 albums worthy enough to make this list and having only five would force me to leave off albums that deserve to be featured.

Be sure to check back for the Top 10 Songs of 2008 to be released next Monday…

THE TOP 7 ALBUMS OF 2008

7. MURDER BY DEATH ~ RED OF TOOTH AND CLAW

…This album sounds like the soundtrack to a black and white, 1930’s gangster movie. Murder By Death fits into a dark, alternative-country niche that Johnny Cash himself would be a fan of. The production quality is excellent and it’s evident that a Grammy Award winning producer (Trina Shoemaker) was involved. Expect great things from these Bloomington, Indiana natives…

[TSF's full review here]

best song: “Steal Away“

6. PETER BRADLEY ADAMS ~ LEAVETAKING

…This record is folk-Americana-singer/songwriter goodness. The first track, “The Longer I Run“, is the front runner of the record and definitely worth the hard drive space for those digital down-loaders out there. Track after track, this album has a serene tone and a likable melancholy quality - good enough to relax you but not make you fall asleep…

[TSF's full review here]

best song: “The Longer I Run“

5. BEN FOLDS ~ WAY TO NORMAL

A deviation from Ben Folds’ norm, Way To Normal is a great album with some of Ben’s best writing yet. In depth review by following link below:

[TSF's full review here]

best song: “The Frown Song“

4. SHANE ALEXANDER ~ THE SKY BELOW

…Independent artists are beginning to take over the musical landscape of the modern-day recording industry and Shane Alexander is leading the way with his latest effort, The Sky Below. As I make a mental note of the sonic quality of this record mixed with the brilliant lyricism and professional instrumentation, I begin to question why an artist this respectable is independently funding his own career…

[TSF's full review here]

best song: “Amsterdam“

3. TAYLOR SWIFT ~ FEARLESS

…This album is a step in the right direction for an artist who is extremely dynamic and is almost single-handedly molding a new country/pop fan base. Fearless is a magnificent piece of pop music. It’s one of the best pop albums released since Michael Jackson’s Thriller and without-a-doubt the best female country album I have ever heard…

[TSF's full review here]

best song: “You Belong With Me“

2. THE RACONTEURS ~ CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY

Nashville’s own The Raconteurs released 2008’s best rock album and along with the Foo Fighters are becoming one of the most important rock bands of the 21st century. This album features the best opening track of 2008 (”Consoler of the Lonely”) and successfully rocks the listener hard with songs such as “Salute Your Solution” and the stand-out track “Attention” fronted by Jack White of The White Stripes fame. The Raconteurs showcase their deep roots in folk rock with great down-tempo tunes such as “Carolina Drama” and “Old Enough”.

best song: “Attention“

1. ADELE ~ 19

…This album is absolutely phenomenal. If you have ever thought about taking my word on anything, take my word on this. If you enjoy jazz or singer/songwriters with originality and an unparalleled uniqueness, Adele will not only flat your boat - she’ll drive the damn thing for you…

[TSF's full review here]

best song: “My Same“