I've been meaning to do this for while. But now that's it's late December I thought it was the best time.

Here's mine:

10.The Measure (SA) - Songs about People... and Fruit n' Shit
To be fair to this awesome band, I haven't spent a lot of time with this record since getting it at the Fest. It has top five potential.

9.The Loved Ones - Build and Burn
Not as great as the last. Probably because of Spider's absence and I don't care for The Explosion. Still has some solid tracks. But it's also bogged down with repetitive ones.

8.Dead To Me - Little Brother
Wish it was a full length. But we'll get one soon. Title track is one of my favorite songs this year.

7.Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom
Great record with a lot of tunes that get caught in your head for days on end. The only downside is most seem too similar and run together.

6.Dillinger Four - C I V I L W A R
This one was well worth the wait. Some great anthems on there that'll sure to be classics. Wish there were more songs with Paddy singing. More of the older grit could have put this over the top.

5.Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves - S/T
I was really thrown for a loop when I saw them live. Very different from related material. But it was great to see it could be different and still be phenomenal. "Reason In My Rhyme" is my favorite song this year for sure.

4.Bridge & Tunnel - East/West
Stellar record by, why I feel is, an underrated band. I think it surpasses anything the members have done in the past. The lyrics and music on this one's a breath of fresh air. Pretty original stuff. Sometimes it get's a little too weird for me though. But it's good that they're not afraid to be different from their contemporaries.

3.Paint It Black - New Lexicon
You'll be hard pressed to find a more pissed off record this year. Some of my favorite lyrics I've ever heard are on this record that really speak to me. "God can't touch us now, we're out of his jurisdiction." "We may bend, but we will not be broken." I really like the instrumental parts between songs. Sets it apart from the rest of their work. You can tell they really set out to make this awesome.

2.The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
I know, I know, everyone on the planet's jocking this band harder than the Kentucky Derby. But I'm calling 'em as I see 'em. This records got some really really awesome songs that just kind of take you somewhere else for a while. It's almost as if they're writing about a perfect world. I honestly can't hate on it aside from the vocal effect on Brian's voice and the excessively "borrowed" lyrics.

1. Shorebirds - It's Gonna Get Ugly
While I am partial to Jawbreaker and Latterman projects. I've been looking forward to this record since the 7" came out last year. It's a raw record that goes through a shit load of emotions and takes you with it. The singer Matt just kind of throws structure out the window with the lyrics and does what he wants. And above else, that's what makes the record for me. What's that? My rhymes are too simple? Tough shit. It's almost like you're having a conversation with someone and it's being told exactly how it would be without the flowery language that hold some records back. If you don't have this you need it.

Honorable Mention goes to LaGrecia - On Parallels
It wasn't what I'd hope for and only has a handful of truly great songs. It felt like a lie. The art's awesome on it though. But I'm glad None More Black's back together.


Alright. Your turn.

Honorable Mentions:
How Dare You - "Comfort Road"
Immortal Technique - "The 3rd World"
This Is Hell - "Misfortunes"
Anchor Arms - "Cold Blooded"
Landmines - "Landmines"
Able Baker Fox - "Voices"


Tied for 10th - LaGrecia - "On Parallels" and The Gaslight Anthem - "The 59 Sound"
I listened to both of these a fuck ton when they first came out, thought they would be my top 2 for record of the year but for some reason I just stopped listening to both of them after about a month or so. There really good but I just don't find myself listening to it that much.

9. Dillinger Four - "Civil War"
Always felt like it was missing something while listening to it, I think I just expected to much. I wasn't disappointed I just wasn't completely satisfied

8. Verse - "Aggression"
I remember the first time I listened to this being just drawn in to it. Easily one of the best lyrics in hardcore today.

7. Dustin Kensrue - "Please Come Home"
Walked into my roommates room one day and he was playing this, did not expect the guy from Thrice to put out something as good as this.

6. Polar Bear Club - "Sometimes Things Just Disappear"
I was looking forward to this one the most after how good the demo and The Redder The Better was. Did not disappoint at all, amazing live show at The Fest too.

5. Glass & Ashes - "Glass and Ashes"
Don't know why this didn't get more praise, this is my favorite record to put on when I'm just laying around in my room doing nothing, I miss this band.

4. Paint It Black - "New Lexicon"
It's Paint It Black, you really don't have to say much, this was everything it was hyped up to be.

3. The Riot Before - "Fists Buried in Pockets"
This one took some time to really appreciate, it was the only cd I had in my car for awhile and that's when I realized it's a solid release start to finish.

2. Bridge and Tunnel - "East/West"
When I saw them play at the tampa pre-fest I was instantly blown away, hands down one of the best live bands playing today. Listening to this CD and watching them live just reminds me of why I love this type of music. the song from their split with Young Livers was great too, can't wait to see what else they put out in the following years.

1. Off With Their Heads - "From The Bottom"
I knew it would be hard to top Hospitals which is an amazing record, they somehow did it. The whole album is awesome, just listen to it.


Top 5 7"s
5. Battle - "Totally Fucked U.S.A."
4. Deny Everything - "Speaking Treason"
3. Dirty Money / Ok Pilot Split
2. Sakes Alive - "Act 1"
1. Young Livers / Bridge and Tunnel Split

1. Torche - Meanderthal
2. Cursed - III
3. Dillinger Four - CIVILWAR
4. Young Widows - Old Wounds
5. Ninja Gun - Restless Rubes
6. Two Cow Garage - Speaking Cursive
7. Blacklisted - Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God
8. Able Baker Fox - Voices
9. Off With Their Heads - From the Bottom
10. She & Him - Volume One


probably would've charted if i had listened to them more:
Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves - s/t
Suicide Note - Empty Rooms
Pink Razors - Leave Alive

1.) Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom
2.) The Measure [sa] - Songs About People...and Fruit 'n Shit
3.) Dillinger Four - C I V I L W A R
4.) Lemuria - Get Better
5.) The Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound
6.) Iron Chic - 2008 Demo
7.) Bridge And Tunnel - East/West
8.) The Measure [sa] - One Chapter in The Book
9.) Shorebirds - It's Gonna Get Ugly
10.) Less Than Jake - GNV FLA

I still have a long list of stuff to buy and listen to for this year still, so by the middle of January this list might change a bit...

EDIT: After listening to It's Gonna Get Ugly a few times, I decided that one had to be on here...still buying/listening. Since I'm out in the bay area for the next week and a half, I'll be visiting both Amoeba Records, so, finalized list soon, I'm sure.

I have not paid as much attention to new music this year as I suually do, so this is a pretty slapdash list... in no particular order


Paint It Black - New Lexicon
Fucked Up - Chemistry Of Common Life
Tim Barry - Manchester
Gaslight Anthem - 59 Sound
Ninja Gun - Restless Rubes
Cheap Girls - Find Me A Drink Home
Polar Bear Club - Sometimes Things Just Disappear



that's only 7...

How Dare You and Able Baker Fox are really good, but I think there are better albums I haven't heard enough yet.

if I listen to them more, I will like the Anchor Arms and Bridge & Tunnel a ton.

I haven't heard the Ship Thieves at all except for those two songs. Only heard one song by The Measure.

I don't count Crime In Stereo - Selective Wreckage as an actual album

I feel like I'm forgetting something.

that Lemuria album just feels like it came out in 2007.

This might pull Mark out of lurk mode. He does a top 10 every year and designs the packaging and mails a mix-tape to many of his friends.

I bought far too many albums to sit down and go through to pick this out, but I will say out of just memory hearing Glass and Ashes' new full length just blew me away, I hadn't been that excited about a record in a long time.

just remembered a few more while at work today

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Murs - For President

so add that to my other 7, and there's ten.

aw fuck, Bristle Ridge came out this year too, I thought that was 2007.

like I said, there are a few contenders that need more listening if I have to limit the list to 10 records.

Hot Water Music - "Till The Wheels Fall Off" is also a 2008 release. I just didn't count it since it's a collection of older songs but it was still great

Yeah, there are some bands that had comps, LP versions, and etc. that had releases in 2008 that I'm not letting myself list. So, still working on mine.

only get 8 together right now.. and before somebody screams the alst two were '07 releases.... european release dates were later...

Off with their Heads – From the Bottom
Talco – Mazel Tov
Star Fucking Hipsters – Until we're Dead
Dead to Me – Little Brother
The Loved Ones – Build & Burn
Heartbreak Stereo - s/t
A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide
Intro5pect – Realpolitik

I forgot of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping, I was so stoked as it was my first time hearing them

Alright, last second... mine is something like this:

Drag The River - You Can't Live This Way
Torche - Meanderthal
Ninja Gun - Restless Rubes
Will Quinlan and The Diviners - Navasota
Mose Giganticus - Invisible Hand, and Commander!
Austin Lucas - Putting the Hammer Down
The Tim Version - Decline of the Southern Gentleman
Liquid Limbs - Orquid
Tim Barry - Manchester

(I kept wanting to name stuff that came out late 2007, that I saw live in 2008.)

I thought the Austin Lucas came out in 2007. I could be wrong.

either way, it seems like he didn't play many songs off that album last weekend.

I definitely got it at a show last December. So yes, '07.