It's easy to be cynical about The Tallest Man on Earth, writing off his acclaim as nothing more than music journos meeting their quota for the word “Dylanesque.” Yet those who discovered this warm, charming album, and took the time to see beyond his influences (which also include healthy doses of Drake and Banhart), found more hushed beauty and finesse than could ever be written off so easily. If one listen to ‘Honey Won't You Let Me In’ and ‘I Won't Be Found’ doesn't make you melt, then not many things will.  / Nick Butler

The Tallest Man On Earth @ MySpace  //  Review

29. Adebisi Shank - This Is An Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank

Its critics might argue that math rock is arty music for serious people, but Irish three-piece Adebisi shank make a pretty good case for brining instrumental rock back onto the dancefloor. This Is The Album.., the group’s first full-length effort, exudes a rigid, robotic quality, the sort that seemed to be in vogue among indie rock/dance crossover acts a couple years back and became law at James Murphy’s DFA Records, i.e. “robotic” in sense of the silly dance that everybody tries to do badly. As an album, it’s reassuringly retro: guitarist Lar Kaye is a virtuoso, pulling his tricks as liberally from the shred guitar cannon as the experimental hardcore playbook, while kitschy electronic bleeps come courtesy of bassist Vinny McCreith (a.k.a. The Vinny Club). It lasts just 23 minutes, but This Is The Album... might just be the party record of 2009, but it’s among the most thrilling 23 minutes in music this year.  / Dave De Sylvia

MP3: Adebisi Shank - 'YouMe'  //  Review

28. Sed Non Satiata/Daitro – Split

2008's best split LP comes from an unsurprising source. As Sputnikmusic critic Ryan Flatley put it, Daitro and Sed Non Satiata are two of France's most respected emo acts, and they like to do splits. So not only was the existence of this eight song split from les hommes de France expected, its high quality was expected as well. Both Daitro and Sed Non Satiata are in top form here, both working to their respective strengths. Sed Non Satiata's side proves the more consistent, with slow burning post rock tinged epics, while Daitro bring their fair share of highlights with ‘Nous Ne Participons Pas Tous à La Même Utopie’ and ‘Un Fléau Pour Un Autre.’ Two awesome bands just keep doing their thang, and 2008's top split earns its title.  / Adam Downer

MP3: Daitro - 'De l'Eau Coule Sous Le Ponts'  //  Review

27. Vessels - White Fields And Open Devices

From the cathartic opening tracks to the beautiful piano ballad ‘Yuki,’ Vessels incorporate every post-rock cliché into their album and still manage to come out sounding fresh and smart. Everything they attempt is well-executed, and John Congleton's production certainly helps. While most of the album was written and recorded before the album was even idea, they managed to string the songs together in a manner that is smart and cohesive. Simply put, this is what all standard post-rock wishes it sounded like.  / Tyler Fisher

Vessels @ MySpace  //  Review

At first glance, a punk take on Bruce Springsteen might seem ill-conceived. But one listen to the Gaslight Anthem's brilliant '59 Sound shows just how well it works. Their own blend of nostalgic punk is given new life and energy through a classic reverb-drenched sound and a healthy dose of good-timey lyrics that will make anyone want to invest in a time machine.  / Channing Freeman

MP3: The Gaslight Anthem - 'The '59 Sound'  //  Review

25. Arghoslent - Hornets Of The Pogrom

 Arghoslent are generally known for two things: riffs and revisionism. Hornets of the Pogrom takes these two elements and pushes them harder than ever. But in spite of the album's controversial nature, its real substance lies not in its attention-seekng subject matter but its unrelenting sound. Interim vocalist Genocider fills a void left by the death of Von Demonicus with a similar-sounding, but more guttural, growl, while Pogrom and Holocausto continually outdo themselves with sometimes bluesy, oftentimes astounding guitar work. Arghoslent are a band that make people uncomfortable and they feed off of that, but for all of their narrow-mindedness, these Virginians have crafted one hell of an album. Without question the best death metal release of 2008.  / Tyler Munro

Arghoslent's Official Website  //  Review

24. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

2008 was a huge year for Gregg Gillis, stage name Girl Talk. If Night Ripper was the album that introduced him to the hordes of indie music fans that made him an underground hero, Feed the Animals was the one that perforated the consciousness of mainstream media and made him a rock star. From a friend's twelve-year old brother, to random people passed in the library, and even my own mother, I've heard people singing "play your part..." sotto voce, as if they want the whole album to get stuck in their head and repeated ad nauseam. Despite Gillis' ubiquity, and the fact that Feed the Animals is touted as the ultimate party mix, I found this album moves me most when I'm alone and listening on headphones. His taste and technique are impeccable, which leads to great songwriting, and that's what really matters. when the bass stops bumping and the party stops at 6 a.m, Feed the Animals has no hang over.  / Nick Greer

Download Feed The Animals Free  //  Review

23. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath

Everyone knows that The Mars Volta are a “love ‘em, hate ‘em” type deal. While the Bedlam In Goliath won't win many new converts, it does inject the sound they created on Amputechture with a much needed sense of urgency and excitement, and in the process TMV make some of the best songs of their careers. ‘Goliath’ might be a contender for song of the year, with lightly-Latin influenced grooves and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala's weird biting delivery and gibbering combining for great success. And while it may drag at times during its 75 minute run time, it’s hard to not at least dig the impressive jams ‘Metatron,’ ‘Ilyena’ and ‘Conjugal Burns.’  / John A. Hanson

The Mars Volta @ MySpace  //  Review

22. Mesa Verde - The Old Road

Mesa Verde, hailing from Glasgow, don't pretend to be taking very many chances with their music. The Old Road fits very much within the Euro-Screamo scene, with its post-rock tendencies and an aggressively passionate singer. However, Mesa Verde perfectly hone that sound on The Old Road, culminating in an album that never relents, leaving the listener barely any room to breathe. Whether it’s the hardcore anthem ‘For the Tree That Fell’ that breaks down halfway through into something altogether more poignant, or ‘Return to Victories’ and ‘Post-Youth,’ which explore more deeply the connection between emo and post-rock Mesa Verde are trying to create, The Old Road is a near-perfect product of the "euro skramz" scene.  / John  A. Hanson

MP3: Mesa Verde - 'For The Tree That Fell'  //  Review

21. Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill

Of any album in 2008, the one I'm most excited to see praised is Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, an album whose static must be breached to fully appreciate the wealth of ideas inside. It’s moody and depressing, sure, but Liz Harris reveals layers of creative nuances to her acoustic shoegaze that give Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill its charm, with a tight production and tracklisting that only strengthens the whole experience.  / Lewis Parry

Grouper @ MySpace  //  Review

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