Best Albums I Discovered in 2008
The following albums were discovered during 2008, but were from years before. I think they are pretty amazing and are worth a shout.
The Futureheads – The Futureheads
Outshining their later attempts, The Futureheads’ debut is a hard-hitting bit of post-punk. They blended a mixture of raw and chunky guitar sections with a interesting array of multi-vocal work. Highlights include the amazing First Day, a speedy interpretation of what working is, and the ferocious and energetic Man Ray. I think the idea in mind was “quantity over quality”, however the album is still well worth purchasing with over half of the 17 tracks being really great.
Era Vulagris – Queens of the Stone Age
Harsh, distorted, violent and almost psychedelic, Queens of the Stone Age produced something different, but arguably much better, than their previous work. They put together a hard rock album, something I normally despise, and fueled it with a power station, to create haunting electric echoes, drilling guitar riffs and a mixture of moaning and screaming from the singer. Even if you’re not really into this type of thing, I would encourage you to at least try some of their creative rock music.
† – Justice
Justice’s debut features a stunning amount of synth work work, plus some great sampling. You can definitely here some of the rock and pop influences here, which makes it a really great album to listen to.
Orchestra of Wolves – Gallows
Hardcore is not my favorite genre, to say the least, but Gallows showed me how amazing this genre could be. With violent and jagged chords, unmelodious solos and amazing “vocals” from the lead singer, Orchestra of Wolves, is something which really gets your blood boiling, not your ears bleeding.
Abandon Ship, Will Someone Shoot That Fucking Snake
Silent Alarm – Bloc Party
Though I can’t stand their slow and only electronic work, their tracks which are based on rock, are amazing. An excellent example is Positive Tension. It starts off with a simple bass line. It throws in a fast drum beat and then it adds interesting, but nothing special, lyrics. Mixed in are some slow guitar chords. But what is revealed half way, is Bloc Party’s genius. “Something glorious is about to happen! The Reckoning!” the leader singer yells, cueing the punchy solo guitar chords. Fast and jumpy the second guitar kicks in as both singers start to scream. It’s all released in a face-melting solo to a quiet end.
Thanks for the picture Ryan Chirnomas.
Gallows
Crashing into the “indie mainstream” scene in early 2007, Gallows vigorously shaked everyone up with their theories of not caring who liked them as long as they could “annoy the fuck out of everyone”. Their shows are full of energy and their re-release of “orchestra of wolves” has been stuck in my “recently played” list. They have a refreshing sound which playes homage to the clash, but with even more energy and a fistful of metal chucked into the chaos. With off-tempo and melodic guitars the musical sound of Gallows is great. The guitars jump in and out of the frenzy at alarming rates. Frank Carter (coolest person of the year 2007 according to NME) has a brilliant and energetic voice. One notable track, which really show off his energy and vocal prowess, is “abandon ship”. About, the imbeding doom of a sinking ship, he shouts orders in the breakdown of the track that “This is the captain of your ship, I’m sorry we depart this way, You left me broken hearted, But I never loved you anyway”. Most of the lyrics are similar in their dark themes, “will someone shoot that fucking snake” is about date-rape. The lyrics really mix well with the anarchy of the guitars. The sound of this band is somehow spectacularly caged into this single album, which makes for a fantastic debut.
Official Page
Kill The Rythm
Abandon Ship
Cut Off Your Hands
Cut Off Your Hands are the typical four piece band that were stuck in Auckland, New Zealand. Sick of house parties and the tiny bars, they have been travelling around the world, receiving lots of hype from many critics. The sound is your normal pop squashed together with hardcore punk. The result is power pop, but with more emphasizes on the power. There is a bass, a guitarist, a drummer and a lead singer. The rest of the band all join to sing as well. Here are some of my picks:
Oh Girl – Their poppiest track, this song is a happy clappy song with upbeat guitar chords, lyrics about how open the writer’s feelings are towards a girl (basically how much he wants to sleep with her) and lots of backup singing from the rest of the band. I really like the snappy guitar solo, which is short and simple, but good nevertheless.
Let’s Go – A good pop track with hints of psychedelia, which the lyrics reflect. The chorus feels slightly out of place here, with the whole band joining in, making it sound like a cheesy extract from a scooby doo episode(?).
You and I – Fantastic pop punk goodness with a fast and short bass line and jarring guitar chords. Once again the bands vocals weave through each other and it sound great.
Shark Attack – This almost seems like a slightly poppier version of “in the belly of a shark” by the Gallows. This song also has punchy lyrics, fast chords, odd choices of scales and off-kilter tempo.
Still Fond – My favourite track from Cut Off You Hands, this song has an extremely fast and loud bass line with the guitar being the second instrument, except for in the chorus. In the chorus the guitar becomes a larger part again, following the singer’s voice with overdriven settings and crashing symbols (they aren’t too loud though). This song is so fast and so happy, it just makes you want to dance. I never get tired of this song.
This band is my favourite band without an LP. I cannot wait to hear their debut album. I also can’t wait to see them live (look at the youtube links).
