The Red Alert's
Best Albums of 2008
Each year, the team behind The Red Alert convenes in Los Angeles and spends most of the front half of December holed up in a remote guest cottage in Topanga Canyon. The mission: to put democracy in semi-action and hammer out the annual Best Of list, as required by state and federal law. In between fistfights and surprise visits for tea by Devendra Banhart,
the list slowly begins to take shape.
2008 was a big comeback year. Chinese Democracy is now something you can actually buy. Metallica made their best record in a long time. Britney Spears did, too. None of them made our list.
Which ones did? Below you'll find the durable survivors that make up #30 through #16.
If you'd rather, you can also skip straight to the Top 15.
Warm wishes for a wonderful 2009,
The Red Alert
 30. Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long (Sub Pop)
Pacific NW cult faves Carissa's Wierd counted both Sera Cahoone and Ben Bridwell as drummers at some point during their tenure; Bridwell has gone on to front Band of Horses, and Cahoone is proving herself as a first-rate singer-songwriter. Only As The Day Is Long is long on indie-country charm. It's an unassuming album that's easy to put off your radar for a few months, but always rewards return visits. And just because it's unassuming doesn't mean it lacks an emotional punch. This isn't the last time you'll be hearing about Carissa's Wierd, incidentally, and it certainly isn't the last time you'll be seeing Sub Pop's name.
DOWNLOAD:
"Only As The Day Is Long" [via Sub Pop]
RELATED LINKS:
Sera Cahoone - The Red Alert Interview
Sera Cahoone - Only As The Day Is Long - Album Review [via Metromix]
www.seracahoone.com
 29. Rachelle Garniez - Melusine Years (Real Cool)
A veteran of the NYC scene, Rachelle Garniez releases albums on her own label, which allows her to march marvelously to the beat of her own drummer. She's had a rich career as a collaborator and ensemble member, but upon listening to the cabaret flair of Melusine Years, it's difficult to imagine her taking a backseat to anyone else's artistic vision. It's an imaginative, retro-kissed album that will hopefully introduced Garniez to a wider audience. Regina Spektor is a kindred spirit in some ways, and perhaps her success will trickle down.
RELATED LINKS:
www.rachellegarniez.com
 28. 20 Minute Loop - Famous People Marry Famous People (self-released)
A criminally and perpetually undereexposed band from the Bay Area - OK, maybe criminally is a stretch - 20 Minute Loop are masters of good old-fashioned DIY indie-rock with intellect. Poppy hooks regularly collide with unexpected turns in the road, and the harmonies between Greg Giles and Kelly Atkins are reliably dynamite. Points of inspiration include insane asylums, symbolic summer camp crafts and brutal Argentine Navy captain Alfredo Astiz (The Blond Angel of Death - who's currently making headlines again).
RELATED LINKS:
www.20minuteloop.com
 27. Ladytron - Velocifero (Nettwerk)
The writers with Velocifero on their lists agreed that it was another grower - one of those albums that you think is good upon early listens, but proves to have a longer shelf life than expected. Indeed, Velocifero may well qualify as a career peak, boosted by poppy gems like "Ghosts" and the throbbing dance floor pulse of the moody "They Gave You A Heart, They Gave You A Name." Amidst the lightly bouncing electro beats and smothering sheets of synths, there's enough gloom that Trent Reznor asked Ladytron to join him on a Nine Inch Nails tour.
RELATED LINKS:
Ladytron - Velocifero - Album Review [via Metromix]
www.20minuteloop.com
 26. The Kills - Midnight Boom (Domino)
Some purists may still be arguing over whether The Kills sold out when they went all "big label," but plenty of hipsters still enjoy getting their freak on courtesy of the funked-up lo-fi duo who garner comparisons to The White Stripes, PJ Harvey and the numerous pairings of odd couple guys and gals (Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell being another current example). With a name like Midnight Boom, you better deliver the party goods - and The Kills bring the righteous ruckus.
RELATED LINKS:
www.thekills.tv
 25. Kelley Stoltz - Circular Sounds (Sub Pop)
Kelley Stoltz left behind the bedroom for the studio on Circular Sounds, helping him add some polish to his signature: sunny, '60s-era pop songs. He's standing on the shoulders of giants here - Davies, Wilson, et al. - and making no bones about it. In any case, knowing how the songs may have been spawned won't make it any easier to get them out of your head.
DOWNLOAD:
"Your Reverie" [via Sub Pop]
RELATED LINKS:
Kelley Stoltz - Live Review - April 13, 2007
www.kelleystoltz.com
 24. Bauhaus - Go Away White (Bauhaus Music/Cooking Vinyl)
The glam, goth and punk worlds can all get behind this one: even if Bauhaus isn't in your music collection by name, they are probably there in spirit - as they're an absolute giant in terms of influence. Go Away White is their first album of new studio material since the early Eighties - and, hallelujah, it's a worthy addition to the catalog. Don't start here - but if you've already started, don't hesitate to add.
RELATED LINKS:
www.bauhausmusik.com
 23. The Billionaires - Really Real Forever (Too Soon)
Talk about a top-down summertime album. Really Real Forever focuses its Supersized indie-pop sugar rush on giant life transitions - like graduating high school. And while you probably wouldn't be listening to these pretty pop harmonies if you really were peeling out of the parking lot on the last day of school - you'd probably be cranking Lil Wayne or something - The Billionaires will be there when you're ready to reflect... whether you're looking back fondly or looking back in anger (despite Noel Gallagher's warnings).
RELATED LINKS:
The Billionaires - The Red Alert Interview
www.myspace.com/billionairesband
 22. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
Weezy was damn never everywhere in '08; he's one of the biggest draws and biggest sellers in the biz, he's a blogger for ESPN, and he just dropped a guest verse on your friend's new album. With that kind of prolific output, there are going to be some missteps - and Tha Carter III isn't clean on that count. But it's a major triumph - and remember that he was under Dark Knight levels of hype and expectation within the hip-hop world. From raunchy strip club jams to seething reflections on a deserted post-Katrina New Orleans, Tha Carter III reflects its creator: complex and hard to tune out.
RELATED LINKS:
www.lilwayne-online.com
 21. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing (Columbia)
British rockers Katie White and Jules De Martino were feeilng kicked around by the record industry and they decided to write a few songs about it with a new band. The results - "That's Not My Name" and "Shut Up And Let Me Go" - soundtracked an iPod commercial, lit up dance floors, and acted like they thought disco and New Wave were still the latest, greatest thing. We Started Nothing is an easy pick as a party starter, and its success means that the duo will have to sing about something else next time around.
RELATED LINKS:
Ting Tings - Live Review - March 11, 2008
www.thetingtings.com
 20. Ellen Allien- Sool (Bpitch Control)
Electronic music icon Ellen Allien doesn't recycle - at least when it comes to her own albums. On Sool, she goes minimalist in her collaboration with Berlin producer AGF. Allien didn't play live sets around Sool, which made good sense - it isn't a party album, nor even an album that especially lends itself well to sharing with others. Sool is a headphones album - and a wonderful, immersive one at that.
RELATED LINKS:
Ellen Allien - The Red Alert Interview
Ellen Allien - Sool - Album Review [via Metromix]
www.ellenallien.de
 19. Portishead - Third (Island)
There are a number of bands that are vaguely Portishead-esque, but there's no substitute for the genuine article. With three albums over a 14-year span, they give fans plenty of time to soak up their beguiling, seductive and sinister tracks. Over a decade after the winning combo of Dummy and Portishead, Third reinvents the band - giving them some extra teeth - and yet still delivers an echo of their enduring signature as they sign off with "Threads." Beth Gibbons is the best voice in her genre and the group's dogged insistence on avoiding a rehashing should be a lesson to all who'd dare reunite and try to get the band back together again.
RELATED LINKS:
www.portishead.co.uk
 18. Jeremy Messersmith - The Silver City (Princess)
Twin Cities singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith is an advocate of "write what you know" - and its a maxim that serves him well on The Silver City. Produced by Dan Wilson, a guy who knows a thing or two about an infectious pop melody (he was in Semisonic, i.e. "Closing Time"), The Silver City sinks its teeth into the drama of everyday life, from cheating spouses to tedious commutes. Melancholy, yes, but not brooding - and never a bore. And if you're not in the Twin Cities, you very well may score "discovery" points when you start playing him for your friends.
RELATED LINKS:
Jeremy Messersmith - The Red Alert Interview
Jeremy Messersmith - The Silver City - Album Review
www.jeremymessersmith.com
 17. The Duke Spirit - Neptune (Shangri-La)
Duke Spirit frontwoman Liela Moss is a commanding presence on stage and on record. The band has been plugging away with their brassy garage rock since '02, and Neptune was their arrival, marking Moss as a potential torch carrier for PJ Harvey and Karen O (not that either of them seem to be running out of fuel - although White Chalk didn't exactly "rock"). The Duke Spirit proved to be a band's band; a small venue show in L.A. included members of Oasis, BRMC and Silversun Pickups mingling amidst the audience.
RELATED LINKS:
The Duke Spirit - Live Review - March 5, 2008
www.thedukespirit.com
 16. Robyn - Robyn (Konichiwa/Interscope)
Yes, some of you have been listening to it since 2005. But due to the vagaries of the music industry, this crown jewel in the Swedish pop superstar's catalog didn't see its official release in the U.S. until this year. If you want hit singles, Robyn has them - but it also boasts a rare combination of consistency and adventurousness that's hard to find - in pop music or any genre. Playful hip-hop boasts, pounding house beats, disco rave-ups, piano ballads, sensational collaborations with fellow Swedes The Knife... it's all here - and it's good in any year.
RELATED LINKS:
www.robyn.com
CONTINUE ON TO THE TOP 15 ALBUMS OF 2008 |
