[con]temporary music blog

I apologize for taking so long to complete this list. My computer crashed on me rendering me computerless for about a week. Yeah.

1 Copeland - You Are My Sunshine

Ahhh. My very favorite album of 2008. I loved it so much that I couldn't wait for my pre-order and bought it just to listen to it for five days until the goodies arrived and switfly gave the older copy to my sister.

It's one of the most beautiful records I've ever listened to it. From the start, Aaron Marsh's layered, angelic, falsetto entices you. (On a side note, I had a dream during spring semester 2006 when BYX had Copeland as their headlining act at UT that Aaron visited my bedroom at the apartment on 39th and brought his keyboard and sang "Brightest" to me before I went to sleep. Yes.) On several tracks, Aaron mixes two tracks of his voice harmonies with a third track of a distorted voice in the background. He says he likes that contrast. I agree.

The record combines the slower,mellow moods and tempos of Eat,Sleep,Repeat with pop sensibility which ESR was severely lacked. This makes for an absolutely gorgeous sound that some describe as "dream pop" according to wikipedia.

While I thoroughly enjoy the first four tracks (except for "Chin Up" because the guitar-driven demo was much better), I'm going to skip ahead to track four "Good Morning Fire Eater". This is where the album goes from "pretty dream pop" to "utterly majestic and engaging dream pop". The simple guitar riff in the background complements Aaron's lyrics "I'm afraid you've stopped to lick your wounds" while a drum machine goes off in the background.

"To Be Happy Now" is straight forward but the chorus is so good because of the way Aaron's voice seems to reach new heights in falsetto and then guitars come in to hush them away. "The Day I Lost My Voice ( The Suitcase Song)" is a beautiful contrast of Aaron's vocals, flute, and the first of three cameo's from Rae Cassidy who provides luscious vocals combined with some jazzy trumpets in the background. It would definitely be the apex of the album if it weren't for the following track "On The Safest Ledge".

The song is about the uncertainty of relationships and it's ravishing in Aaron's vocal melodies and the crescendo in the chorus. The chorus literally makes me feel like I'm taking a leap off a cliff but only to land in safety. Sort of like those trust exercises in camp where you fall backwards off a table into your peers arms (or I suppose like jumping off a stage into the arms of complete strangers?). Yes, all of these things. The chorus puts a tingling sensation on the back of my neck. And as if that weren't enough, Rae Cassidy lends some smooth singing to round it out.

"Strange And Unprepared" is a simple piano ballad that features the only track where Aaron takes a break from falsetto. This leads us into the only true guitar driven track on the record - "What Do I Know?" which has a great dynamic between the mellowness of this record and their rock past (In Motion).

In the vein of epic closers like "Goodbye Sky Harbor" from Jimmy Eat World's Clarity album, "Not So Tough Found Out" repeats the same lyrics for almost eleven minutes without ever leaving my attention span. It certainly becomes great background music, especially for conversation, but never quite leaves the ears. Rae Cassidy once again blesses us with her gorgeous vocals halfway in. Copeland creates the same build-up as the JEW track but with ambience instead of stacking layered electronic tracks.

2 Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Separation

Underoath continues to mature as a band since 2004's break-out They're Only Chasing Safety. The new LP follows the pattern of 2006's Define The Great Line with less-frequent sugary sing- along choruses and more hard-hitting metalcore. The first track, "", starts off with a fast drum beat and collapsing into punishing guitars while Spencer screams "I'm the desperate, you're the savior!", a snapshot of the lyrics to come. The lyrics are all written by Spencer this time around with most of them being prayers and pleas for help- help with drugs and the temptations of being in a rock band.

It's refreshing to see a band continue to write great lyrics about life without being preachy or demanding. From reading message board posts about the band, I'd say 70% of the fans are not Christians and still feel as deeply about the lyrics as I do. It's a testament to Spencer writing about things that we all experience in life and making it real.

In terms of the music, it's a steady progression from Define The Great Line towards solid metal breakdowns and even fewer of Aaron's pop-choruses save the single "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures" My favorite track musically is "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home" because it starts off with a fast guitar riff that continues through out with a really nice break for a bass solo. And then the guitars come pounding back.

What really separates Underoath from the rest of the metalcore pack are the last two tracks: "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear" and "Desolate Earth: The End Is Here".

Keyboardist Chris Dudley's contribution is most heard and felt here. His keys set the ambience that Aaron and Spencer refine with the sobering words "Good God, can you still get us home?". This leads into a hand-clapping chant of said lyrics until the chaotic end that Underoath has made a staple of. This ambience leads to the final instrumental track that could almost pass for Explosions In The Sky combined with a drum loop but with Spencer screaming in the background

"You said there was nothing left down here
Well I roamed around the wasteland
And I swear I found something
I found hope, I found God
I found the dreams of the believers"

I can't complete a review of this album without highlighting Aaron Gillespie's drumming. This is some of the best drumming I've ever heard on any record. It's not like he's doing the typical double bass pedal metal thing. There are a lot of time changes in the same song and his drumming really sets the tone. Download the free Rock Band track of "Desperate Times Desparate Measures" and try to play the drums!

Last of all, somehow I wasn't the only one that thought this album rocked. Apparently it has a 92 on metacritic.com, a website that aggregates reviews from all over the Internets.

3 Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

This album was a pleasant surprise. I'd completely written Coldplay off after the suckage that was X & Y. The only song I can still tolerate from that rubbish is "Fix You". So when I heard Coldplay had come out with new music I completely brushed it off. I heard "Violet Hill" and appreciated the new direction but didn't like the song very much. I also heard "Viva La Vida" every five seconds during the NBA Finals last summer because of that freaking iTunes commercial. I couldn't deny that it was catchy, but I didn't want to give in just yet.

It wasn't until I took the plunge and bought the album packaged with the Prospekts March EP that I truly appreciated the greatness. It's evident from the first notes that hit your ears that this was produced by Brian Eno. Those sonic landscapes have his finger prints all over it.

"Cemeteries of London" is a great true opener with what sounds like a gypsy sing-along chorus and spiritual underpinnings. "Lost!" features great use of organs - almost as if they were influenced by The Arcade Fire or something..hmm. Oh yeah, Markus Dravs of The Arcade Fire also produced this album. That would explain it! I also like the contrast between the organ and world beat instruments/hand claps that are present, but it needs like 10,000 didgery doos.

"42" is where Coldplay breaks out of their pop stereotype. We hear contemplative lyrics from Chris Martin about "living in His will" and then an instrumental intermission that starts off clean and then some distorted guitars come in. Not twenty seconds later some happy guitar and piano coming in with "you thought you might be a ghost! You didn't get to heaven but you made it close!" Was the instrumental transition a death scene? Possibly! Yay ambiguity! Coldplay is heading on the right track.

"Lovers In Japan" is pretty bland excluding the pretty "Reign In Love" at the end, but it's familiar territory for the band. "Yes" sounds like a late 60s Beatles b-side with Chris Martin opting for the opposite of his very highest falsetto range. Not gonna lie - It scared me a little the first time, but I dig it now. The lyrics are about loneliness with "Lord, lead me not into temptation, but it's not easy when she turns you on" being the highlight.

Everybody in the world has heard "Viva La Vida" by now so I won't expound upon it but to say that it's the catchiest song of the year and probably their biggest hit. "Violet Hill" works so much better in the context of the album. I still think it was odd and stupid to release that as the first song onto their Myspace. "Strawberry Swing" is pretty forgettable. The final track "Death And All His Friends" is a great way to the end the album. Starts out like something from "X&Y" and climaxes with super vocal overdubs and a return to the first track and Brian Enoness.

4 Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vol. III & IV: Earth and Air

This is the second half of Thrice's ambitious elements project The Alchemy Index. It contains the folk/blues Earth EP and the ethereal tones of the Air disc.

The Earth disc opens with the gospel blues of "Moving Mountains". The song is very reminiscent of Thrice vocalist Dustin Kensrue's solo work in style and lyrics. The lyrics are lifted from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. The very next track "Digging My Own Grave" contains piano, oboe, upright bass, and finger snaps through out providing the listener a microcosm of Thrice's instrumental adaptability and musical diversity. The song deals with doing those things in excess that eventually lead to death.

An acoustic Frodus cover and a short piano ballad follow with the highlight of the disc culminating in "Come All You Weary" This is the single Thrice chose for EPs and it's quite a bold choice. The bluesy number is one of their best songs ever because it's definitely the most inspiring and forthright in their catalog. The first verse and chorus are lifted from Matthew 11:28-30. The second verse applies Jesus' words to every day life.

The EP ends with a sonnet (just as the other 3 EPs contain sonnets with matching harmonies on the closing verse. "Child of Dust" contains deep lyrics about a prodigal son being buried. To create the audio effect, the guys (they self-produced everything) actually placed a microphone in a tin box and dropped the box in a hole and shoveled earth over it.

The Air disc opens with "Broken Lungs" a song about 9/11 and how we've blinded our eyes from the possible conspiracy theories. While I disagree with Dustin's assessment, I'm always in favor of questioning everything the government does for the sake of truth, even in the midst of tragedy. Musically, it sounds like a typical Thrice rock song with a jazzy riff thrown in between the bridge and chorus and some distortion with screaming to close out the song.

"The Sky Is Falling" features a fun drumbeat that continues through out. I never found the chorus to be appealing, but the musical diversity and honest lyrics e save the song from being a clunker.

"It's coming down it's coming down. My little girl is just baby. And I'm scared that she won't make her teens. My fear just fuels the hate machine".

"A Song For Milly Michaelson" derives it's lyrical content from a movie of the same name that I've never seen. It's very mellow, repetitive and will drive some people crazy. It sounds very much like a Radiohead song.

"Daedalus" is by far the strongest track on the album. It tells the story of Icarus (as Thrice earlier visited with their song "The Melting Point Of Wax" on 2003's The Artist In The Ambulance) but from the father's perspective. It's very touching and also features Eddie's best bass riff in five years.

As with the other three EPs, Air ends with the sonnet "Silver Wings". It's basically as ethereal as Thrice can get. When I listened to it with headphones, I literally felt like a leaf being lifted by the wind. The lyrics are from Air's perspective or the personification of air. It's Thrice meets Sigur Ros and it's enchanting.

5 Less Than Jake - GNV FLA

2008 marked the resurgence of the punk/ska stalwarts Less Than Jake. This is a redemption album for the ages. So how did they get back to their roots? They started their own record label "Sleep It Off Records" and wrote an album about their hometown of Gainesville, Florida - hence the abbreviated album title.

The album starts off with a fantastic dynamic : Roger sings over muted ska chords about his hometown as horns chime in and then BAM the rush of three chord distortion comes in with Chris belting out lyrics about Florida. It's one of my favorite transitions ever, especially because when I put the disc in my car I turned the sound up super high for the first track which seems to be mixed at a lower volume than the succeeding track. Glorious.

The third track and first single, "Does The Lion City Roar?", contains all the ingredients of an LTJ classic: lots of fast ska chords, enough brass to build an idol, Roger's backing harmonies, and an unforgettable chorus. For the most part, there's lots of great vocal interplay between Chris and Roger, "Conviction Notice", but Roger's songs steal the show.

The tracks "Golden Age Of My Negative Ways", "The Space They Can't Touch" (almost a "Metalheads" part deux) and "Devil in My DNA" are by far my favorites on the album. I just really enjoy the rhythm Roger uses with his vocal delivery. He really is suited for the faster songs. This is most evident in the album closer "Devil in my DNA" where Roger questions whether behavior is a consequence of inheritance or conscience:

"When do instructions come with a catch?
And when is self-destruction just proven as a fact?
Is it just blind faith or the family name?
Is it all by chance or completely ingrained?

Can I say its an imbalance of the chemical kind
Or is my environment my only disguise
I don't know but I'm blaming everyone else
Just as long as I never put the blame on myself "

The lyrical content is a massive step up from the trash on the previous release (which even had a song co-written with Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 that was horrid). Vinnie, the drummer and resident lyricist, writes about all sorts of things happening in Gainesville such as kids having no parental guidance and resorting to drugs in "Summon Monsters", struggling to pay bills "Conviction Notice", living off minimum wage (a classic LTJ topic) "Handshake Meets Pokerface", and the song about the infamous man who set himself on fire in an Iraq War protest "Malachi Richter's Liquor's Quicker". The underlying theme is how everything in the town has affected him, culminating in the lyrical climax on "Devil".

Less Than Jake have restored my faith in them and I look forward to more incredible releases.

6. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

I picked this album up about a week ago after absolutepunk.net featured it as a $3.99 purchase on Amazon MP3. I've been reading AP for about six years and posting there for about three so I trusted them enough to at least take a listen to the clips. Prompted by Jason's (not Tate) praise for the album, I bought it.

I didn't know you could mix punk with Springsteen like this! This is one of the most genuine releases I've heard in a while. The lyrics have got this storytelling vibe without being condescending or too vague. Like Springsteen. "The '59 Sound" is one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard. It's amazing how powerful the chorus is for a song that builds like huge distorted power chords are coming and catches you off-guard with intense vocal delivery and lyrics about pending death in a car crash.

"High Lonesome" lifts lyrics from other notable songs : "Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand". Dicky Barrett of Mighty Mighty Bosstones fame sings on "The Patient Ferris Wheel" or says "talk about it" awesomely.

"Here's Looking At You, Kid" is almost entrancing featuring just vocals and guitar. The song is about looking back at life with some truths thrown in there:

"But boys will be boys and girls have those eyes
That will cut you to ribbons sometimes.
And all you can do is just wait by the moon
And bleed if it's what she says you oughta do."

This has been the hardest release for me to write about because I don't have any precedent for them. But you should give them a good, long listen if you love music! And yes, if you don't like them you hate music.

7. Relient K - The Bird And The B-Sides

Relient K has been very good to us as fans. I think they've released something (7", EP, LP) for us every year since their debut in 2000. And this summer we got another treat with a THIRTEEN song EP (The Nashville Tennis EP) full of new tracks and a B-Sides disc.

Starting with The Nashville Tennis EP, we hear Relient K experimenting with that banjo again starting off "Where Do I Go From Here" with a pickin' of the strings and a quick transition into the fast power chords and harmonies that have made them one of pop-punk's most diverse groups this decade. Just one listen to "Scene And Herd" and you'll once again be hooked on Matt Thiessen's witty tongue-in-cheek lyrics about the supposed "scene" and it's clamor for attention. "The Last, The Lost, The Least" is their social justice anthem with lyrics about dignity and helping the least of us. John Schneck, the former lead singer of Ace Troubleshooter and bass player for RK, sings lead and wrote the lyrics and music.

Another highlight is "The Lining Is Silver" with danceable chords in the chorus and more witty/fun lyrics. The only disappointment for me was the reworking of "The Thief" from The Apathetic EP. I liked how it existed in it's stripped down form with just Matt's voice and piano.

The B-Sides disc is full of songs I already had from The Employee Of The Month EP, but there were definitely some highlights. The ode to one of the greatest ska bands ever with "Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead Or Dying" is brief and awesome and the ska version is ridiculously hilarious with the guys making horns sounds with their mouths. The best song of the entire 2-disc set is a B-Side from their 7" release The Vinyl Countdown. Carrying the same name, it displays Matty T's wit at it's best: describing our generation's complete lack of understanding for vinyl records (unless you're an indie hipster....I have lots of records so I guess I am??). The lyrics never fail to put a smile on my face:

"Cause these days kids, they are so ignorant
They have no clue what to do with their 7 inch
They say, 'It won't play, it's my CD player's fault!
I'll take it to the park and play some frisbee golf!
So, give me side A, give me side B
It really doesn’t make any difference to me
I tried to burn it like all the CD's I get
What the heck is all this melted plastic mess?!"

8. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

The indie darlings are back at it again. We've never heard DCfC rock out like this before. At first I was overjoyed and absolutely adored the album. You probably heard me lauding and claiming it to be their best since The Photo Album or something. But after a couple months of listening to all of their albums, I was brought back down to earth. Gibbard's lyrics are just as solid as ever. My favorite cut is probably the song that sounds most like a typical Death Cab song: Cath. The into is inviting and could be on just about any album they've written since Something About Airplanes. It's about a bride's regret on her wedding day. "No Sunlight" is another highlight with the happy, upbeat sounds masking the sobering lyrics about faded youth and lost ideals. The tight beats on "Long Division" create the most up-tempo song with a catchy chorus containing lyrics you could infer from the song title: "to be a remain, remain, remain, remainder!"

There are a few songs that remind the listener of Plans such as "Talking Bird" and "Grapevine Fires". I think neither of them are as heartfelt as "Brothers On A Hotel Bed" or "What Sarah Said" but they add a dynamic to the rest of the guitar-driven tracks. With that being said, my favorite track on the album is definitely the opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge". It opens with light guitars that trick the listener into believing this is just another dreamy ballad. Then the bass comes in with distorted guitars which leads into a mantra-like repetition of "a dream" that turns into a jam or what we could consider "chaos" in Death Cab standards.

Overall, I'd say the album is a tie with Plans in quality. It just depends on what kind of mood you're in.

9. Norma Jean - The Anti-Mother

I think Norma Jean took a measured step back from Redeemer. The songs just don't flow as smoothly and even less of the chaotic riffage of O God, The Aftermath is present (which is apparently a Botch ripoff). To their credit, there are some incredible tracks on this release including "Vipers, Snakes, and Actors" which features my favorite screaming refrain of the year with Corey howling at the top of his lungs:

"You wear that cross like a crown
You wear that cross like a dagger"

It's a passionate rebuke of some dude who let pride consume him. Yet, because it says "wear that cross" it makes me think of a track from Michael W. Smith's Change Your World album (you know, the one where he's all sly like George Michael on the cover) with the lyrics "Tell me why you wear your cross of gold".

Sorry for that embarrassing CCM moment.

My other favorites include "Birth of the Anti Mother" and "And There Will Be A Swarm of Hornets". It's still the same Norma Jean we all love. They just tried to evolve some more from Redeemer with mixed results.

10. Thrice - Live At The House of Blues

My favorite band of ever-time recorded a two-hour, twenty-five song set in one night. It features songs from as far back as Illusion Of Safety (Trust, Deadbolt) and the most recent release (Daedalus, Come All You Weary). The two-disc live set is a perfect introduction to the band for someone who will google or wikipedia them and see that their genre is apparently "post-hardcore". What does that even mean? There will always be hardcore roots but they've branched out to blues, electronica, folk, and stuff that has no business being tagged with a genre.

Hearing the crowd sing along with Dustin during "The Artist In The Ambulance" gave me goosebumps just as it did when I saw their headlining tour in April. It really is an incredible anthem:

"Rhetoric can't raise the dead
I'm sick of all this talking when there's no change
Rhetoric can't raise the dead
I'm sick of empty words. Let's lead not follow!"

I don't usually appreciate live DVDs, but the accompanying film of the set is stellar. It's almost like I was there, but without the emotions...

Here's a video I recorded of Dustin performing "Stare At the Sun" acoustic from the Austin show:

Honorable Mentions:

Jon Foreman - Spring/Summer EPs
Cool Hand Luke - The Sleeping House
Good Old War - To Be Alone
Alkaline Trio - Agony & Irony
Coldplay - Prospekt's EP
Dustin Kensrue - This Good Night Is Still Everywhere (Christmas album)
Lydia - Illuminate
Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty

Disappointments:

Leeland - Opposite Way
The album title accurately describes their progress as a band.

Weezer - Weezer (RED album)
Pinkerton * negative trillion

Anberlin - New Surrender
None of the songs really stood out except for "Disappear". Maybe Cities was just too good to follow up.

Brave Saint Saturn - anti-Meridian
I think I just overhyped myself. There are some redeeming songs from Reese and Co.

Most Anticipated of 2009:

1. Sufjan Stevens (hopefully a new state. the rumors point to New Jersey)
2. Mute Math
3. Brand New
4. The Ataris (back to the old sound)
5. Arcade Fire
6. The Shins
7. The Banner Year
8. Jared Hill - Lil Bro Anthem
9. MxPx - On The Cover II, new LP

Comment with your favorites, disappointments, and most anticipated of '09!