10.

Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

Atlantic

Released: May 13

When I first reviewed this album, I thought it was disjointed, uneven, and lacking the sort of overall melodic pop sensibilities and good songwriting that Death Cab had been founded on. Undoubtedly, however, Narrow Stairs is a grower for the ages, and one that has only continued to improve with every listen. A record that is certainly challenging for those expecting a retread of Plans, but one that rewards its fans with a collection of Death Cab’s most thoughtful and innovative songs yet.

9.

Okkervil River – The Stand Ins

Jagjaguwar

Released: September 9

The Stand Ins, folk-rockers Okkervil River’s second half of a project that delves deep into the psyche of a performer, is a bipolar tableau of musicians killing themselves slowly on the road for the joy of their fans, celebrating the road and damning it at the same time. You have to give props to lyricist Will Sheff, who includes references from the Kinks to the Angkor Wat in Cambodia to French playwright Antonin Artaud in a single song (and makes it sound entirely normal to boot). Oh, and the music, a potent synthesis of pop-rock and country-influenced, rootsier sounds, is just as good as you would expect from the band.

8.

Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Sub Pop

Released: June 3

Seattle fivesome take rock back to its roots; and by roots I mean down in the country, woods, and backroads of Americana folk. After My Morning Jacket’s Evil meltdown, it’s reassuring to see a fresh band take up the mantle of good ole-fashioned country rock. Taking more of a pastoral angle than MMJ’s blazing guitar solos, Fleet Foxes is an album that calls to mind more the Appalachian Trail than the Pacific Northwest, complete with church-gathering harmonizing, various wind instruments, and frontman Robin Pecknold’s unearthly howl. Yet another of 2008’s great rookie records.

7.

The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

Warner Bros.

Released: March 25

Consolers of the Lonely takes the Raconteurs’ power-pop promise shown on their sub par debut and blows it up in every direction imaginable. The title track is a bluesy, pulsating piece of blazing guitar work, while single “Salute Your Solution” is an up tempo rocker with an unrelenting bass line and a solo that would put White’s work with the Stripes to shame. From Americana to rustic country-rock to theatrical Southern-rock operas to good old-fashioned blues, Consolers has something for everyone.

6.

The Roots – Rising Down

Def Jam

Released: April 29

The Roots retain the throne of alternative hip-hop with their eighth studio album, a record that continues this collective’s remarkable run of intelligent and socially conscious rap. ?uestlove’s beats and production as polished and stimulating as ever, but Rising Down modifies their traditional jazzy sound with murkier synths and more digital techniques that embrace a fairly dark mood. It’s appropriate for the often-political and critical lyrics of MC Black Thought, and the album as a whole comes off as a logical evolution in the sound of a band that is constantly growing.

5.

She & Him – Volume One

Merge Records

Released: March 18

Most actresses who turn toward the music realm in order to diversify their image and develop yet another revenue stream usually are predestined for failure (see: Johansson, Scarlett), but indie heartthrob Zooey Deschanel’s first album has gone a long way toward dispelling that notion. She’s not the best singer, and the lyrics occasionally veer towards the simple and sentimental, but her heartfelt vocal approach and M. Ward’s (the Him) excellent backing arrangements and occasional vocal work create a timeless album of ‘60s Brill Building pop and twangy folk that bodes well for future releases.

4.

The Walkmen – You & Me

Gigantic

Released: August 19

Few bands can produce a studio record of such vintage sound and with such vivid feeling as the Walkmen. You & Me is a veritable kaleidoscope of sounds, from the Walkmen’s signature upright piano to swelling brass to the clattering drum work on any number of songs. It’s an album, above all else, that strives to create a genuine mood in the listener for each piece. And singer Hamilton Leithauser is one of a kind; his whiskey-soaked howl is at times affecting and at others grating, but for the most part, it fits in perfectly as another emotive instrument in painting the band’s canvas.

3.

The Dodos – Visiter

French Kiss

Released: March 18

The Dodos do it all on their second album, an hour-long kaleidoscope of psychedelic folk, world music beats, and an constantly-shifting array of melodic ideas and lyrical thoughts that fairly blow one away on first listen. Drummer Meric Long’s training in the West African style of Ewe drumming pays off incredible dividends here, as his hard-driving beats and ridiculous sense of syncopation turns nearly every song into a clinic of talent. Add to that guitarist/vocalist Logan Kroeber’s mellower Ben Gibbard-ish pipes and talented strumming and you have a largely acoustic world-folk record that makes for one of the strangest and most exciting releases of the year.

2.

Everest – Ghost Notes

Vapor Records

Released: May 6

Everest’s debut Ghost Notes is as timeless as the influences it clearly draws from, namely ‘70s-era Neil Young, ‘60s pop, and contemporary guitar-rock bands like My Morning Jacket. Vocalist/guitarist Russell Pollard’s yearning vocals are perfectly suited to the band’s music, and their seemingly effortless playing belies a strict adherence to the tenets of solid melodic songwriting and hooks that latch on and refuse to let go. It’s usually easy to find fault somewhere on a band’s debut release, but Ghost Notes is a nearly flawless indie rock/country/pop record, perhaps a result of the members’ long time spent in other L.A.-area bands. Just as amazing live as it is on record, Ghost Notes is appealing, honest, and, above all, refreshing. Everest has made the debut of the year.

1.

Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst

Merge Records

Released: August 5

Bright Eyes’ frontman and songwriter continues to make his case as our generation’s Bob Dylan with his first “solo” record, an album written and recorded in a scenic Mexican town and featuring country-rock and guitar-driven folk similar to Bright Eyes’ 2007 release Cassadaga. Lyrically Oberst is in top form as usual, singing about cancer-stricken children, road trip adventures, and life in the barrios with the ease of a natural-born poet. Never has Oberst sounded so relaxed and so carefree; while some of the songs are necessarily serious, Conor Oberst is at its core a fun and relentlessly entertaining album. When you hear an unidentified female voice suddenly come in early before the chorus on “Souled Out!!!” and Conor laughs in response before launching into the chorus himself, you can’t help but to smile. A record that deserves the “best of ’08 label.”

Best of 2008 – #20-11

Honorable Mentions

Best Songs of 2008