Top 50 Albums of 2008: #3 & 4

4. Times New Viking Rip It Off
An album like this should have worn itself thin by now, but instead it has been worn out from excessive plays. Well it would have been, if mp3's got worn out. As it is, I have been listening to this record since January and each time I pop it on I still find myself banging my head along to each and every scratchy, lo-fi sound on the record. Going into this record some people thought the trio might just be cleaning up their sound for Matador, but obviously it was awesome to find out that they not only didn't clean up that they muddied the sound even further making those awesome little pop squalls underneath a little bit harder to perceive but all the more worthwhile doing so.
Times New Viking - "(My Head)"
Times New Viking - "Drop Out"

3. Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life
It has been a long time since hardcore really mattered in the music world. There are still pockets of hardcore lovers here and there but the music has regressed into nothing more then loud, aggro music with a screaming front man. Fucked Up don't do that kind of hardcore. Sure, they do have the screaming front man, but Pink Eye is not your stereotypical hardcore front man. They do the loud, aggressive music, but they also pair that with melodies and strange instruments never before found on a hardcore record. They are not stereotypes at all, instead they are trying to create something new from something they all adore and even though at times they may hate each other doing it they press on because they are making some really killer music. The Chemistry of Common Life has gone ahead and made an entire genre of music relative again all thanks to one band of people united in challenging themselves and willing to take a chance in their music.
Fucked Up - "No Epiphany"
Fucked Up - "Twice Born"