After much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, here it is... the 10 best albums ever (released in 2008)!
Fucked-Up, The Chemistry of Common Life – Hardcore gets caught in swirling shoegaze; as beautiful and brutal as a house getting torn apart in a tornado.
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Born Ruffians, Red, Yellow, & Blue - At first listen, this kind of unabashed pop might seem a bit disposable, but it eventually reveals itself as a gem of a debut.
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Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lie Down in the Light – It's tough to make a low-key folk album this interesting, but Will Oldham does it with tunes that come together as much more than just background music.
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Wild Beasts, Limbo, Panto – Keeping it real dramatic, Wild Beasts debut a solid and polychromatic sound in the tradition of fey British rock.
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Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend – Another of this year's great debut albums, it promises great things to come from a band who does simple real well.
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Sigur Rós, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust – The Icelandic quartet spring back to relevance with a sneakily joyful album. The best since their Ágætis Byrjun.
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Ladyhawk, Shots – Dark and paranoid without being melodramatic or self-indulgent. A no-bullshit rock album for the young and the restless.
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Destroyer, Trouble in Dreams – Dan Bejar follows up his indomitable Rubies with an album that's as sweet as it is drunk.
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TV on the Radio, Dear Science – Probably their most consistently beautiful album since their debut EP Young Liars. Immediate and rousing.
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Why?, Alopecia – A tangle of hip hop and rock where every lyric is worth rewinding for and catchy hooks are everywhere. Essential for 2008 and beyond.
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It's nothing new for musicians to take a crack at Springsteen's songs, but through his resurgence in popularity and influence over the last few years even more artists are covering the Boss.
