Top 50 Albums of 2008: #47 - 50

50. The Hold Steady Stay Positive
In 2005 The Hold Steady finished #2 in my year-end list for their release Separation Sunday . It probably should have been #1, but the following year I attempted to correct that by putting Boys and Girls in America at the top spot in my annual countdown. After taking a year off from recording The Hold Steady returned this year with their most mainstream effort to date, an album that took them from being America's Best Bar Band to being one of America's most promising young bands. People everywhere swarmed to this band, no longer stuck in just the independent music world but branching out to rock radio and frat boys everywhere. It took them from playing small clubs to huge amphitheaters before hundreds or thousands of people a night. Yeah, as a fan from way back it is a little weird to see a band I had so thoroughly latched onto grow and shift in so many ways but it's also an uplifting feeling to see so many people getting to enjoy their wonderful music. I'll be upfront with you, this is not my favorite Hold Steady album (in fact it's probably my least favorite) but it's still far better then a lot of the other crap that's been released this year.
The Hold Steady - "Sequestered in Memphis"
The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive"

49. Kanye West 808's & Heartbreak
I can't remember the last time a rapper took a chance like Kanye has on his latest record. Stepping away from hip-hop completely and attempting to redefine himself as a pop artist may be an enormous leap the likes of which we have never seen in popular music, but somehow Kanye West has made it through making one of the most compelling albums of his young career. And that's saying something when your previous three records were some of the most well respected rap albums of all-time. Now Kanye has chosen to bare his soul after an emotionally wrenching year in which he broke up with his fiance and lost his mother. The resulting album is obviously emotionally charged, but Kanye attempts to detach himself from it by running all his vocals through Autotune creating an emotionally remote point of view. It's a stark comparison, almost robotic vocals singing heartfelt and powerful words, but Kanye makes the two worlds work through the overall production and sound on the album. Obviously this is Kanye's maiden foray into the world of true pop music but from the sounds of it it won't be his last and I expect further great things from Kanye in the future.
Kanye West - "Heartless"
Kanye West - "Love Lockdown"

48. Abe Vigoda Skeletons
For the past couple of years the LA noise punk scene has bubbled just below the surface, lying like a dormant volcano precariously close to eruption. Well 2008 it finally exploded and Abe Vigoda managed to ride the wave at just the right time. Their sound isn't quite as raucous as those of Mika Miko or No Age, but they do a wonderful job of blending noise and punk with other elements of music most notably reggae and African funk. The resulting mix is something that isn't always straight forward but can be immensely fun if you stop looking at the elements and the pieces of it and just lose yourself in the speed and power of the music. It's fantastic, joyous music that makes you want to move your feet and jump around like a mad man, and I honestly don't see anything wrong with that type of feeling especially when it's being guided by such an excellent band.
Abe Vigoda - "Dead City/Waste Wilderness"
Abe Vigoda - "Animal Ghosts"

47. Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords
I think Flight of the Conchords may need to adapt the whole "4th most popular folk band in New Zealand" thing, because let's face it we all know who Bret and Jemaine are at this point. Their self-titled album perfectly showcases the songs that we laughed hysterically to on their breakout HBO show, full of not just folk music but R&B, pop, and a whole shit load of other sounds in between. And of course there is the boat loads of humor found throughout the songs, pretty much the funniest lines found in song since Weird Al (or R. Kelly, though most of R. Kelly's aren't intentionally funny I think).
Flight of the Conchords - "Bowie"
Flight of the Conchords - "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)"