Top Alternative Rock Albums of 2008

Try these:

Burial - Untrue Great noctural sound--hypnotic like driving through an urban setting at 4:00 in the morning

Calexico - Carried to Dust Nice return to form from the best Tex-Mex Americana lo fi band

Cat Power - Jukebox Like a great record from 1970's Memphis with a killer sound in vinyl

Clutchy Hopkins - Walking backwards Laid back Space Jazz with mid 1990s Beastie Boy-like drums

Duffy - Rockferry Best and most interesting UK singer

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark Propulsive dance music
and the best live show in 2008

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue Recalls the singer songwriter
movement in Laurel Canyon

Mason Jennings - In the Ever The next Jack Johnson

The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust Danish Modern meet Jesus and Mary Chain

Santogold - Santogold Straight out of Brooklyn--M.I.A. meets Ska

The Submarines - Honeysuckle Weeks Best new band in LA

Thievery Corp - Radio Retaliation Consistently well arranged and textured electronica

In Bongo You Can Trust

Mike 60

One of the better underground bands--vinyl is incredible sounding. A rich catalogue to mine real sonic gems.

I have one that is starting to grow on me: Elbow's new album from 2008. The vocalist has a similar-sounding voice as Peter Gabriel and the production is first rate. I just discovered it the other day.

Here is some great underground indie bands in CA that are just bubbling up:

The bird and the bee
Birdmonster
Darker My Love
The Donkeys
The Heavenly States
Loquat
Manuok
Anya Marina

Out of Boston:

Eli "Paperboy" Reed

Out of Australia:

The Wombats
The Presets

Some are out on vinyl. The first posting above contains many titles in vinyl. I especially like the ones by Calexico and Burial.

The other groups referenced in my second and third postings can be "previewed" on digital sources like iTunes. I am really liking the songs I downloaded on the new albums by Loquat and Elbow.

I live in LA, so I am actually making a trip to Amoeba Records to hunt down the vinyl versions. I will let you know what I find.

Here are some 2008 albums that are in heavy rotation in the house at the moment and also keepers:

The Dodos--try "Park Song"
Japanese Motors--try "Single fin"--Television meets Beach Boys!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Sea and Cake--try everything off Car Alarm
The Walkmen--try "Canadian Girl"--nocturnal NY at its best
Raphael Saadiq--everything off his superb new album--best Motown sounding album in 30 years