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10 Best Overlooked Albums of 2008
Free downloads galore! Discover fantastic music that rocked us all year while remaining just under the radar.
By Peter Gaston and William Goodman 12.22.08 5:05 PM
Catfish HavenDevastator (Secretly Canadian) |
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George Hunter's voice is a truly glorious instrument, a husky amalgam of Joe Cocker's world-weary croon and Bill Medley's baritone bombast. Whether inciting a get-off-yer-bottom dance riot ("Are You Ready?") or laying his heart on the line ("Invitation to Love"), Hunter's old-soul blues exposes other rock'n'roll kings as pretenders to the crown.
Listen: Catfish Haven, "Set in Stone" |
El Perro Del MarFrom the Valley to the Stars (The Control Group) |
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Lykke Li's genre-bridging debut became an '08 breakout, but fellow Swede Sarah Assbring, a.k.a El Perro Del Mar, released a more challenging and introspective set -- and you can even "dance, dance, dance" to it. Lo-fi with sparse church organs, strings, and xylophones, this record proves Sarah is the mature atristic mainstay to Lykke's rambunctious younger sister.
Listen: El Perro Del Mar, "You Can Steal a Gift" |
Flowers ForeverFlowers Forever (Team Love) |
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In his other band, Tilly & the Wall, Derek Pressnall shares the stage with three gorgeous, tap-dancing gals, so it's not surprising that this solo foray sounds a bit more, well, manly. Fuzz-drenched rockers like "Wet Diamonds" veer sharply into aggressive garage rock, while the shocking electric riffage of "Jealous Motherfucker" is part acid trip, part barroom blues.
Listen: Flowers Forever, "Black Rosary" |
The Gaslight AnthemThe '59 Sound (Sideonedummy) |
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Frontman Brian Fallon isn't the first Jersey boy to sing about beachfronts, convertibles, and squandered romance, but his heartfelt, punk-tinged tunes might make him this decade's next best thing to you-know-who. It's not time to mimic '70s rock critic Jon Landau's famous quote about that other Jersey guy, the one about "the future of rock'n'roll," but there's a lot to admire about these emotionally earnest, musically urgent tunes.
Listen: The Gaslight Anthem, "The '59 Sound" |
The Helio SequenceKeep Your Eyes Ahead (Sub Pop) |
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By adding acoustic guitars and raspy vocals to their ambient, psychedelic sound, these Portland, OR, vets crafted their best record yet and -- thanks to layers of fizzling guitars, burbling computer-generated noises, and intricate drumming -- possibly the year's best "headphones" album. Find a pair and enjoy!
Listen: The Helio Sequence, "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" |
More after the jump >>
THE KILLS?? The Origami Llamas? Gosh.
conor oberst and the mystic valley band?
Blood Red Shoes (UK only. Still really good)
The Hush Sound
Paper Rival
Earlimart
What Made Milwaukee Famous
Arizona
Andy Yorke (UK only physical release. iTunes everywhere)
Sleepercar
good list. I really like the Gaslight Anthem and I have been obsessively following the Helio Sequence since I saw them open up for Minus the Bear. another great album I'd add here is Wild Sweet Orange's We Have To Be Uneasy
What about the Dodo's or She & Him? That fits your criteria for consideration and they were incredible albums.
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