Hello Moggers, long time no...hmmm...not sure what to type here. Anyways, it's been a while. The Program is still around, it's just been on a bit of a sebatical. I think it's ready to come back for a new year of music, but I'm still not sure it's going to find its home on MOG. I'm pretty sure I'm going to post notes on Facebook about what we're listening to so some of our other friends can keep up with what we're listening to, but I don't think it's going to be as formal as it has been here.

Anyways, back to the reason for my post. Here are my favorite albums from 2008. What are yours?

1. Mason Jennings - In The Ever

Mason Jennings is a poet above all else. His writing is well crafted, and his music compliments without overpowering it. Highlights are "I Love You and Buddah Too," my theme song of 2008, "Fighter Girl," and "Going Back To New Orleans."

2. Dr. Dog - Fate

Think Beach Boys meets The Band. The opening lines of this album sets the stage perfectly: "Are you moving much too fast and the good times just don't last. If you're always on the go, make an angel in the snow, and freeze. Do you feel like you're stuck in time forever waiting on that line. If nothing ever moves, put that needle to the groove, and sing!"

3. Eef Barzelay - Lose Big

The album opens with a play on The Beatles' "Getting Better" as Eef sings "I can't find comfort in the fact that it could be worse." Great eclectic sounding collection of songs here with fantastic songwriting. Highlights are "The Girls Don't Care," "Lose Big" and "True Freedom."

4. Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark

Drive-By Truckers is my favorite Southern Rock band. They do an amazing job of painting an accurate picture of the south without making it look like a trailer park. And when they do sing about things as clichéd as trailer parks, they always find a way to make it endearing. Highlights are "The Righteous Path," another theme song of 2008, "Bob" and "Self Destructive Zones."

5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

I don't know how to really describe this album other than saying it sounds like folk music from the Renaissance with the reverb drenched voice of Jim James from My Morning Jacket. Very Appalachian…in a good way. There aren't many stand out tracks from this because it seems to have more of a sound that connects the whole thing. It's more of an album you listen to for the feel of the thing rather than shuffled up with the rest of your collection.

6. She & Him - Volume One

M. Ward is one of my favorite artists making music today. He lends his old school production value and creeky backing vocals to the very talented voice of Zooye Deschanel. I first fell in love with Zooey's voice, which sounds like a smoky 1950's lounge singer, in the movie Elf singing "Baby It's Cold Outside." M. and Zooey are great compliments to each other. I love their covers of The Beatles "I Should Have Known Better" and Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold On Me." The original "Sentimental Heart" is not bad either.

7. Jakob Dylan - Seeing Things

Wallflowers frontman and son of Bob, this is Jakob's first solo project, and it's great. Stripped down acoustic instrumentation lets you focus on his writing, which isn't on par with his father's early work, but is powerful in its own right. There weren't many stand out tracks here because the whole album is solid.

8. Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind

Hayes Carll has spent a lot of time in Arkansas, and maybe that comes across in his music because it feels very homey to me. I didn't want to like this album as much as I did, but with songs like "She Left Me for Jesus," I didn't have much of a choice.

9. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology

This isn't a great Ryan Adams album. But then again I'm not sure there's been a truly great Ryan Adams album since Heartbreaker. That doesn't stop me from putting him on my list every time he puts out an album though. I guess I have a bit of a fascination with him and his writing. Although most of the album's pretty great, he always finds a way to put a couple of songs in that just don't fit and make the album lopsided. I still like him.

10. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

This isn't my favorite Mountain Goats album, but it's got some great songs like "My Heart Is an Autoclave," "San Bernardino" and "How to Embrace a Swamp Creature." John Darnielle is a powerful albeit strange singer/songwriter, but if you've never listened to The Mountain Goats, you should give 'em a shot.

Runners up are:

11. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
12. Ben Sollee - Learning To Bend
13. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tounge
14. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
15. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down In The Light
16. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
17. Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces
18. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
19. Jolie Holland - The Living And The Dead
20. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
21. Old 97's Blame It On Gravity