Top Alternative Rock Albums of 2008


In no particular order here is a list. Please feel free to throw in some names I'm always in the search of great new music.

No Age - Nouns (Dinosaur Jr meets Weezer)
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (really folky but I dig it)
Beck - Modern Guilt
Sigur Rós - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við (possibly my favorite in 08)
Portishead - Third (took a couple listens but I get it now)

Albums I bought and was let down by:

TV On The Radio - Dear Science
I don't mind the album, it's just that Return to Cookie Mountain was so much better.

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Just didn't sound like MMJ to me. After buying Fleet Foxes recently maybe I'll get into more.

The Black Keys - Attack and Release
A few good tunes, album has too many holes though

Album's I didn't buy or care to buy:

Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Bloc Party - Intimacy
Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
lush
Brian Eno & David Byrne - Everything that happens will happen today.
Darker My Love - 2
Albert Hammond Jr.- ¿Cómo Te Llama?
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.
Kooks - Konk

^^^ No one mentioned them yet? The first track on the album is a rocker.

This is from 2007 but they're one of my favorite bands...

Buffalo Tom - Three Easy Pieces
I just purchased 2 dozen compact discs and wanted to thank those who recommended the following:

Workingman's Cafe
Saturnalia
Carried to Dust
Third
The Seldom Seen Kid
Modern Guilt
Dear Science

Much thanks to all.
I agree on the above being great albums, I especially like Raconteurs and Kings of Leon, but would like to mention two other fantastic albums I liked most this year.
1. Johnossi - All They Ever Wanted
2. Takida - Bury the Lies