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Let me start off by saying no other album on this list has gotten more play than this one.  R.E.M. was being panned by critics left and right for their previous release “Around The Sun” claiming the band was washed up, internal strife was within the band, and they were has-beens.  R.E.M. made a fool out of every critic on April 1st, 2008 when Accelerate was released in the United States.  An album with as much punch that hasn’t been seen since Monster, the band had truly come back to their quick-paced form seen in the 80’s and 90’s.  Just shy of 35 minutes, the album comes out in full force with the lead off song “Living Well is the best revenge” and closes with the live favorite “I’m Gonna DJ.”  This album is chock full of R.E.M.’s traditional hidden political overtones, which includes Hurricane Katrina, the Music Industry, President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and more.  

Accelerate has sold over 312,000 copies in the U.S. since August 6th, already outpacing the total number of 240,000 copies of Around the Sun. It was on the Billboard 200 charts for 18 weeks, peaking at the number 2 spot. According to my iTunes, which has only installed in August when I got my Mac, has my favorite track “Man-Sized Wreath” played a whopping 17 times (Now 18 since this review started), which is incredible because I know I listened to that track much more when the album first came out.  I bought this the day it came out.  Top of the list.

The Killers – Day & Age  

Earlier in 2008 I heard that the Killers were coming out with a new album in the Fall.  This had me both excited and worried, because let’s face it, “Sam’s Town” wasn’t all that good.  I am going to chalk it up to the sophmore slump theory, and hoped that whatever they released on Day & Age better be good or they are done for.  Brandon Flowers knew this too, as he has written some of his best material to date.  I wasn’t completely sold on Day & Age after hearing “Human” but the selling point for me was hearing them on Saturday Night Live, performing both “Human” & “Spaceman” projecting the excitement that I once heard from the album “Hot Fuss”  Spaceman for me is the real single on this album, a catchy pop-rock song about alien abduction, that shows Flowers has both a sense of humor and can bellow out those notes.  The rest isn’t filler either.  Make sure you check out “Joy Ride”, “Neon Tiger”, and “A Dustland Fairytale”.  All excellent tracks that will keep you coming back for more.  In short, if you liked Hot Fuss, but were somewhat unimpressed in Sam’s Town, I highly recommend that you give Day & Age a chance,  you won’t be disappointed.  I received this for Christmas by my good friend Dave Kibler.

Kings of Leon – Only By the Night

Okay so if you just said to yourself “WTF? Who the heck is this?”  don’t worry, I did the same thing when I saw them on Saturday Night Live back in the Fall.  I honestly had no idea who these guys were, but apparently the whole band is related by blood in some way or another.  Let me just say if you took southern rock and infused pop into it, this is what you get.  The two singles “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” are just simple pop songs that don’t sound like anything else on the radio today.  Caleb Followill is trading in his indie fan base for a more popular one with both simpler lyrics and catchy hooks despite criticism from it’s hardcore fans. (Doesn’t every artist go through this?”  Anyway, I like it.  The whole album is good, make sure you also check out “Manhattan” & “Cold Desert”.

Weezer – The Red Album

Alright, stick with me on this one.  Most people don’t like this album.  But I am not most people.  There is an issue with this album.  See, Rivers Cuomo and crew thought it would be a good idea to let the rest of the band sing their own tracks on the second half of the album.  Very nice of Rivers to do that, there is just one problem.  It doesn’t work very well.  Those tracks have to be some of the worst in Weezer history.  So why is this on my list?  It also has some of the best in Weezer history.  Let’s start with the flagship single Pork & Beans.  If you think this is just a goofy pop song, get this.  The reason this song was even written is because Geffen Records sat in on the Red Album studio sessions, and executives claimed there was not enough commercial material on the record.  Rivers Cuomo wrote this song as a big “screw you” to the music industry.  Just take a look at the lyrics:

I’mma do the things that I wanna do. I ain’t got a thing to prove to you.
I’ll eat my candy with the pork and beans. Excuse my manners if I make a scene.
I ain’t gonna wear the clothes that you like. I’m fine and dandy with the me inside.
One look in the mirror and I’m tickled pink. I don’t give a hoot about what you think

On top of that you the catchy “Troublemaker”, insightful “Heart Songs”, upbeat “Everybody Get Dangerous”, and the epic “Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” which combines every type of music imaginable. This album is a great purchase, if you just buy it for the first five songs, and just think of the rest as an “experiment.”  I purchased this on June 3rd, 2008, release day.

Beck – Modern Guilt

This kind of flew by my radar, and I am sad in retrospect that I didn’t acquire it sooner.  I am a huge fan of Beck, and love his last effort “The Information” which got much play by me.  Modern Guilt  was released on July 8, 2008.  I want to say I was away on vacation, or had no money, because I don’t understand what the real reason was for me not picking this up on release.  I did look for this at every used CD shop I came across, and struck out every time.  I finally heard this last weekend when my friend Bobby put his iPod on, and played through the whole album on my drive back to Delaware from the mountains.  Modern Guilt has been Grammy nominated for best Alternative Album and is produced by both Beck and Danger Mouse (of Gnarls Barkley fame). This one is sure not to miss, I’m just sorry I didn’t get to it sooner.

Best Reissue – R.E.M – Murmur (Deluxe 2-Disc Edition)

I don’t want to spend too much time on this one, but this reissue of Murmur is incredible.  Totally remastered, includes a second disc from a Live 1983 show in Toronto, and includes live versions of older tracks such as Harborcoat.  It is also the first time an official full R.E.M. concert has been released on CD.  Listening to Murmur again, I can hear all the sounds that were blurred or muffled from the original recording.  Some remasters I am not fond of because it sometimes makes the songs lose their original appeal, but this remaster is one of the best I have heard in awhile, and is long overdue.  Let’s be honest, the entire R.E.M. catalog could use a remastered overhaul.  I’d buy them all..  If you were a fan of R.E.M.  before, this is a must have, and if you have never heard this Alternative album, this is the best place to start for something as timeless as Murmur.

Honorable Mentions: Rivers Cuomo – Alone II, Mark Kozelek – The Finally LP, Sun Kil Moon – April, Coldplay – Viva La Vida, Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8

Well there you go, there are my best music picks of 2008.  Make sure you check them out!  Also, let me know what you think of these selections and the list overall down in the comment section below. -C

Genius. -C

Pet Sounds Album Cover

Every time I open my iTunes, I try to select something I haven’t listened to in awhile. My iTunes currently consists of 4237 songs, which doesn’t even scrape the surface of my CD collection. Now, that doesn’t even begin to compare to the music library of some of my friends (Scooter, Weigel, etc.) I tend to get something different each time. Today, I will be examining the critically acclaimed album “Pet Sounds” by the Beach Boys.

Let me start off my saying I own 5-6 full length studio Beach Boys albums, and numerous compilations and live albums. Nowhere near their complete discography, but you get my point, I like the Beach Boys. The thing about Beach Boys music is it is short, catchy, and to the point. They are a pop group extraordinaire and they do music well. One day I get a recommendation from Weigel to listen to his CD of Pet Sounds in my car, and instantly loved it. There were a few songs I recognized from the Greatest Hits collections I own such as “Wouldn’t it be Nice”, “Sloop John B”, and “God Only Knows”. Many others that were pretty catchy, I remember liking at the time. I never purchased this album instantly, but a few years later I would have the opportunity to purchase the special edition reissue via a music club as a “free” selection. One of the best selections I may have ever made.

The bulk of this album was recorded in late 1965 and early 1966 during which Brian Wilson had listened to the Beatles “Rubber Soul” Album, and taking several trips to places in the far east to tour, and examining their music and culture while there. Although many of the other members of the Beach Boys were dissatisfied with the direction Brian Wilson wanted the album to take, (less surf & sun, more introspective) ultimately it created their best album, and one of the best albums of all time.

Let’s start out with those singles shall we? Obviously “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” is a catchy teenage love song, that tugs on the heart strings when heard. “God Only Knows” has been cited as Paul McCartney’s favorite song of all time on more than one occasion. “Sloop John B” recorded in a Caribbean style, works well, and I especially like the bells in the beginning. That’s another thing about this album, the different sounds that Brian Wilson has put together amazes me. I hear different instruments on this album every time I listen to it. Trains, bicycle horns, whistles, and other unordinary musical instruments are prevalent throughout this unique masterpiece unlike anything else in their catalog.

For some other songs that I absolutely like, we have “I Know There is an Answer” / “Hang Onto Your Ego” (Read about the title / lyrics change due to LSD references) and “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” both songs that have lyrics which I can relate to at some point or another.

“Now how can I come on
And tell them the way that they live could be better

I know theres an answer
I know now but I have to find it by myself”

However, “Here Today” may be my favorite song on the entire album. I love the way it is organized, and how it starts and finishes strongly.  It’s catchy, and the lyrics are just awesome:

“A brand new love affair is such a beautiful thing
But if you’re not careful think about the pain it can bring.”

Finally let’s talk about the title track “Pet Sounds” for a moment. This instrumental master piece summarizes the whole album as music being artwork. Just listen to all of the different sounds that this song brings to the table, and it makes you wonder how Brian Wilson had held back this musical genius in some of the other previous albums…

Overall, Pet Sounds is my “go to” Beach Boys album. I have never gotten tired of it, and my ears hear something new with each listen. This is one of those albums that is a true “classic” and if you have never heard Pet Sounds to its entirity, you definitely should give it a listen as it has influenced countless artists, and helped shape pop music. This is a perfect album, and a great way to show my blog visitors what I consider a “perfect” album. 10/10

Random Fact: Originally the hit song “Good Vibrations” was intended for the Pet Sounds album. Even though it was completed and ready to go by the release of Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson had decided to hold off on it for the next album, Smiley Smile. -C