Built on a Weak Spot

The year 2008 is nearly to an end and already there are a number of best of lists out there flying about on the Internet that I will undoubtedly be combing through over the next two weeks or so. I don’t know if this year was as solid of a year for me musically. I get the feeling that it wasn’t, but if it wasn’t I don’t think it missed by a whole lot in comparison to last year. Despite that there were still plenty of great releases to be heard and to be newly discovered at the time. Before I get to the actual list though I want to thank everyone that has left comments and/or sent e-mails supporting BOAWS. So again, thank you very much! Now here are the 20 records I enjoyed the most this year.

20. Mouthbreather – Thank You for Your Patience
[Kiss of Death]
Buy It!
I was sad to see Wow, Owls! go when they called it quits a couple years back or so. However, the debut record from Mouthbreather makes up for that loss for the most part. The band, which contains former members of both Wow, Owls! and The Setup, took a bit getting this one out with only a demo in the meantime to stew over. The wait was worth it though and Thank You For Your Patience falls onto the list as one of the best post-hardcore records I managed to hear all of this year. Check this out for those that are seeking and inspired and old-school vibe to the genre. It’s a very well done record from this Richmond, VA outfit.

Mouthbreather – Best of Seven [MP3]

19. Five Dollar Priest – Self-Titled
[Bang!]
Buy It!
What happens when you gather up Ron Ward, Norman Westberg, George Porfiris, Patrick Holmes, and Bob Bert? Apparently this record is what you get, a bluesy garage rock inspired sound laced with a bit of NYC no-wave. It carries a bit of seediness and delivers with a nice helping of attitude thanks in part to the antics and over the top vocals courtesy of former Speedball Baby member Ron Ward. It’s definitely a throwback of sorts, but a welcome one.

Five Dollar Priest – Fingered [MP3]

18. Lavodrama – Zurich
[Bcore]
Buy It!
This band flew completely under my radar last year which really burned me considering they release material on one of my favorite labels and draw their sound from plenty of my favorite bands. Thankfully they released this EP so I could give them props on this years list. No, I didn’t slot them here solely for that purpose, Zurich definitely deserves to be here as it’s a rather well done piece of Dischord era post-hardcore in the area of Jawbox or Kerosene 454 maybe. Either way if you’re into bands on Bcore then you’re probably either already all over this. If not, you definitely should be. Check out their excellent full-length from last year as well that was also released through the label.

Lavodrama – Dear Friend [MP3]

17. Putiferio – Ateateate
[Robot Radio]
Buy It!
This is one of two releases from the Robot Radio label to make the list this year. At times I think I enjoy this album for its pure oddness. There isn’t really one good way to describe what Putiferio do as they merge electronics, noise, and math-rock to create an album that is largely unpredictable. Just to drive the point home they inserted a thirteen minute track smack dab in the middle of the album that flexes each and every one of their muscles. At least on their next record I’ll certainly be prepared for anything.

Putiferio – Carnival Corpse for Servers [MP3]

16. Valina – A Tempo! A Tempo!
[Trost]
Buy It!
I found out later this year after I wrote about A Tempo! A Tempo! on the blog that this will be released in the US of A in ’09 through Joyful Noise. I think the website said March, but that was awhile ago. Anyway, it was released somewhere in the world this year so here it sits. This is probably my favorite album that they’ve released yet, although whenever I play it on anything other than my home stereo the drums seemingly tend to be a bit too much for an ordinary speaker or headphone. That’s what I love about it though; it sounds powerful and contains a thick punch. As for the music itself, this is Valina at their best merging math-rock and post-hardcore with a swagger to some of the tunes that I don’t think I can really recall on some of their past releases.

Valina – Eye’s a Window [MP3]

15. Witch Hats – Cellulite Soul
[In-Fidelity]
Buy It!
I really hope Australians weren’t the only ones that enjoyed this fine release as Cellulite Soul deserves to be heard on a much larger scale. Reaching back into the depths of post-punk and with a dark Birthday Party-esque slant the band has ultimately developed a rather refreshing sound. Anchored by solid pounding bass lines and gnarled barbwire sharp guitars, this is sort of post-punk record I can fully back.

Witch Hats – Hellhole [MP3]

14. Torche – Meanderthal
[Hydrahead/Robotic Empire]
Buy It!
I imagine this one ended up on a lot of lists this year. It’s no surprise however as Torche manage to merge, dare I say, pop and the bottom heavy sludge of some of the members previous outfit Floor. I will admit I wasn’t much of a believer in the band to begin with. I remember listening to their first album and it leaving me a bit cold. It wasn’t until I saw them in concert earlier this year that I felt I probably should hop on the old Torche bandwagon and check out Meanderthal. Obviously I am very glad I did, as this album rocks in a completely unexpected but heavy way. It’s weird and really interesting at the same time to hear something that can remain this heavy while being this upbeat. It doesn’t seem likely, however Torche have pulled it off and to much more convincing effect than I would have ever imagined.

Torche – Across the Shields [MP3]

13. Young Widows – Old Wounds
[Temporary Residence]
Buy It!
Their first album Settle Down City, while pretty damn good, was basically one large nod to Jesus Lizard. They returned this year now on the Temporary Residence label with their second album Old Wounds. While still mining the past with such influences flowing from the big JL to AmRep to Big Black, Old Wounds ultimately sounds like a band that has decided to expand a bit on what they were doing previously and the results have paid off in a big way for them. Old Wounds rocks in that lumbering full of attitude way that just isn’t as commonly heard these days. If you’re a fan of what indie/noise-rock used to be, then I urge you to check out Young Widows.

Young Widows – Old Skin [MP3]

12. We Versus the Shark – Dirty Versions
[Hello Sir]
Buy It!
I sadly didn’t get around to mentioning this record on the blog earlier this year, but I imagine it had plenty of other positive things said about it elsewhere. This was actually the first time I’d listened to We Versus the Shark, I’d probably seen their name bandied about but never acted upon it as I sometimes tend to do unfortunately. Thankfully I gave Dirty Visions a whirl this year and was pleasantly surprised by what this record was offering. This is one spazzy blast of post-hardcore that I imagine if you’re already a fan of some of the bands on Hello Sir, then this will probably quench your thirst if you’re craving more.

We Versus the Shark – I am the Contempt Machine [MP3]

11. Citified – The Meeting After the Meeting
[Eskimo Kiss]
Buy It!
Stumbling across Citified three or so years ago is still one of the best fliers I took on a record. Their self-titled debut was a quick flash of delicately crafted lo-fi indie-pop that tugged at the nostalgia in me. Their EP from this year The Meeting After the Meeting is pretty much along the same lines. Although there is a bit of the endearing lo-fi quality missing from the album the songs absolutely do not need it to succeed. Singer/songwriter Chris Jackson is seemingly a master at crafting songs that are soaked in melancholy but yet still manage to put a smile on your face in the end. If you haven’t already, give this one a listen as it should still be available through Eskimo Kiss.

Citified – Read Like a Number [MP3]

10. Geisha – Die Verbrechen Der Liebe
[Crucial Blast]
Buy It!
Die Verbrechen Der Liebe is just a beastly album. From the shoegaze inspired opener “Prelude to Amber Pays the Rent” to the monolithic drone/noise driven half hour long “Theme From Diana”, this album doesn’t let up an ounce. This is definitely noise-rock with an emphasis on the noise, drowning the listener in wave after wave of distortion, percussion, and samples. While on the outside it almost seems like an uncontrollable mess, Geisha seem like they are doing two different pieces at the same time, letting them duel out in which one gets to take front and center stage.

Geisha – A Wilderness, Except by Sight [MP3]

09. Here Comes Conclusion – Oh La La!
[Salon Alter Hammer]
Buy It!
Despite being in Germany these guys have definitely gotten a hold of some DLJ records at some point or another and then decided to run with it a bit adding small bits of electronics and samples throughout the bands debut record Oh La La!. It may very well be one of the freshest sounding post-hardcore records that I’ve heard in awhile.

Here Comes Conclusion – Bad Habits [MP3]

08. D?ti Dešt? – Love and Piss
[Silver Rocket]
Buy It!
I would be very surprised if there is anything going on within this albums content that has anything to do with “love”. As for “piss”, well I don’t know…but I know this album at least sounds filthy and for noise-rock fans that’s a good thing. In my original write up for this album I likened them to Distorted Pony and I still stand by that. While maybe not leaning on it as heavily as DP did, D?ti Dešt? incorporate a bit of that industrial influence into their low end heavy brand of noise-rock. If you’re a fan of this sort of thing, then I’d be shocked if Love and Piss doesn’t get an approval in some way.

D?ti Dešt? – Odprostit [MP3]

07. Dead Elephant – Lowest Shared Descent
[Robot Radio]
Buy It!
Dead Elephant is a band that I had almost completely forgotten about until this year. Sad, but it’s the truth. I heard their first EP Sing the Separation a couple years ago and thought it was good and then never heard about them again. To my surprise they happened to come back this year with Lowest Shared Descent, which features re-recorded versions of every song on Sing the Separation along with some new material as well. The previous versions of this material pale in comparison to the re-recordings, every song on here now just sounds massive and are downright punishing. Attach that with a couple collaborative tracks featuring Eugene Robinson of Oxbow and Luca Mai of Zu and you have one very good album.

Dead Elephant – The Same Breath [MP3]

06. Thinking Machines – The Complete Record of Urban Archaeology
[TMVFM]
Buy It!
It says a lot about a record when it makes it practically a whole year and still manages to be one of my favorite albums of the year. I know at the beginning of ’08 when I heard this record I knew it would be surprising if it didn’t end up being one my favorites, however you never know. What I enjoy about the The Complete Record of Urban Archaeology is it reminds me of older riff heavy bands like Hum, Failure, etc. really just that whole solid grouping of 90’s alternative without falling into that kitschy area where it just sounds dated and cheesy. Thinking Machines seemingly know better than to do that and have updated it a bit for the better.

Thinking Machines – Waste of Time [MP3]

05. KEN Mode – Mennonite
[Arctodus]
Buy It!
This is the third album from KEN Mode and once again they manage to one up their previous effort by a considerable margin. The band has never been shy of working in a groove or two into their heavy riffing; however for Mennonite they’ve emphasized that aspect of their sound it seems. Although it shouldn’t, it always somewhat surprises me that KEN Mode is able to expand on what they’ve already done. However, the fact that they are able to speaks volumes as to just how good this band is. This is noise-rock at its finest, if you haven’t managed to check out KEN Mode yet then you are really missing out.

KEN Mode – Dear John Letter Crew [MP3]

04. Riddle of Steel – 1985
[Ascetic]
Buy It!
1985 ends up being the third and final album from St. Louis, MO’s very own Riddle of Steel. They decided to call it quits towards the end of this year. Being a fan of the band for quite some time now it’s a bit of a bummer, but to me they at least left on a high note. I know some wouldn’t necessarily agree, as it seemed fans were split digging RoS’s earlier stuff found on their first EP Burn and debut album Python or their later sound as it progressed on Got This Feelin’ and 1985. I typically enjoyed both, but I really was into the direction they ended up heading on this final release. It’s just an all around solid rock record that masterfully combines the melodic power of classic 70’s guitar rock and the riff heavy styling of Midwestern rock. For those that missed out on the band, then do yourself a favor and go back and check out some of their tunes. They’re a band that will definitely be missed.

Riddle of Steel – Who’s the Fella Own’s This Shithole [MP3]

03. Knife the Symphony – Crawler
[Phratry]
Buy It!
The more I listen to this record, the more I like it. How cliché eh? However, it’s true. For those that miss that mid nineties post-hardcore/emo vibe then you’d be doing yourself a favor by listening to Crawler. It basically sounds like a lost remnant from that era, which of course sits very well with me. While many bands surely come out trying to recapture this sort of feel and bit of nostalgic flavor, it’s not always done in the most tasteful manner or sounds even relatively close to anything like it did then. Knife the Symphony have every bit of passion within their music that made some of that music of the past decade so special to us and that’s a significant reason as to why Crawler is where it is on this list.

Knife the Symphony – Solemn Solon [MP3]

02. Drunkdriver – Born Pregnant
[Parts Unknown]
Buy It!
This album had me floored from the get go. Coincidentally it had me ducking and taking cover on the floor as well. Ok not really, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had that sort of an effect on an unwilling listener. Born Pregnant is the sort of tapped out in the red noise fest that is likely to scare off more than it draws in. However for those that enjoy the pure forceful nature of this sort of thing, as I do, then Born Pregnant is a must have. Blown out beyond belief, Drunkdriver disregard anything and everything in favor of just being balls to the wall loud and obtrusive. You can practically feel the hatred for mankind just seeping out of your stereo speakers. Parts Unknown has a pretty good track record with this sort of thing, last year for me it was Snake Apartment and their throw back scuzz rock and this year they’ve delivered once again with Drunkdriver. I would suggest checking this out as it’s easily the best noise-rock related album I’ve heard all year destroying everything else.

Drunkdriver – Secret Eater [MP3]

01. Roma 79 – Praise the Divide
[Ascetic]
Buy It!
It really wasn’t much of a choice in the end. I’ve listened to this album, both at home and in my car, dozens of times this year. It took a few listens for it to really start taking hold as it’s a bit of different animal then their debut album The Great Dying that was released on Ascetic in 2005. Praise the Divide is an album that takes its Midwestern influences and begins to meld them more with some of the progressive touches that were found on their previous effort. Scaled back is the guitars in favor of more synth driven tunes. Roma 79 have never had trouble coming up with a memorable melody in my opinion, however they put their songwriting talents to work on Praise the Divide to write songs that don’t just rely on a single melody or riff and instead work in patience and pacing, and no…not in a long winded pretentious sort of way. Anyway, take a listen and if you like definitely pick up the album.

Roma 79 – Colorful Acts [MP3]

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