the top 10 albums of 2008

10. Search the City – A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It

good, uppity, pop punk album. one of the best bands you’ve never heard of – Christian, too.

09. Quietdrive – Deliverance

this album doesn’t really approach their last, but they’re a great band and it’s still one of the best of the year.

08. Secondhand Serenade – A Twist in My Story

one of the most emo artists I listen to, similar to Dashboard Confessional. apparently this guy is getting pretty good, and I’m glad to hear it.

07. Ivoryline – There Came a Lion

another solid pop punk record, by another solid group. this band came out of nowhere and I can’t remember how I found them, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that a friend of mine likes them too. oh hey, the band members are all Christians too (but they’re not a “Christian” band).

06. Anberlin – New Surrender

this album rounds out the trio of solid Christian music for the year. Anberlin is just a good band, I don’t have to explain anything here.

05. Empires – Howl

this band was recommended to me and boy are they great. another awesome artist that came out of nowhere. they also offer the album for free here. I expect their next release to hit the charts.

04. Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight

another band that was recommended to me. I’ve only started listening to this album in the past week but it is clearly a best-of-2008 favorite. listen to it.

03. Augustana – Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt

I checked out this album figuring it would be another easily forgotten pop record, but wow was I surprised. I listened to this, basically on repeat, for weeks. Augustana has cemented their place as a favorite band for me.

02. Jack’s Mannequin – The Glass Passenger

the old Something Corporate leader did it again. this is Andrew McMahon’s second solid solo side-project sing-along. if you haven’t heard of it yet you’ve been hiding under a rock.

01. Third Eye Blind – Red Star

any year that my favorite band releases something proper, they will probably win the top spot by default. however, this really is a good release (even though it’s a 3-song EP) so you should check it out.

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and 10 honorable mentions:

• Punk Goes Crunk
• Alesana – Where Myth Fades to Legend
• Allison Crowe – Little Light
• Archie Star – Carry Me Home
• Bayside – Shudder
• The Flobots – Fight with Tools
• Jack Johnson – Sleep Through the Static
• Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s – Not Animal
• Rise Against – Appeal to Reason
• Senses Fail – Life Is Not a Waiting Room

I would love to include the new Funeral for a Friend album, Memory and Humanity, but it really wasn’t up to par. same for Copeland’s newest, You Are My Sunshine. and to be fair, I haven’t given Death Cab For Cutie’s new album Narrow Stairs a proper listen yet (in fact, I just realized I didn’t have it, so I’m in the midst of fixing that).

I’ve heard a lot of “2008 was a bad year for music”, but I would have to disagree. either way, hopefully 2009 will be full of fantastic auditory surprises!