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10) Hercules & The Love Affair – Hercules & The Love Affair (DFA)

I think for most people, when the word “disco” is mentioned, they think of Saturday Night Fever & polyester leisure suits. That’s like thinking Slipknot is the be-all, end-all of metal. Those more in the know see that there’s a world out there of disco music that follows in the path of Arthur Russel, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and Liquid Liquid, rather than Chic or Donna Summers. There are bands who bridged the gap between post-punk and dance music, making the world a far more fun and better place. Hercules & The Love Affair follow in that tradition, and do it for a full album’s worth of clubworthy track

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9) Pitiful Reign – Visual Violence (Punishment 18)

While 2008 had a slew of great thrash releases, Pitiful Reign’s Visual Violence didn’t get the kind of acclaim it deserved. I think the biggest complaint about this album was that there wasn’t anything on here that hasn’t been done before. My answer to that is… “So fuckin’ what!?” Whenever bands try to tinker with the mechanics of thrash, they turn into a power-metal-meets-Dream Theater prog act, and that just ends up sounding awful. This album has killer guitar work, great chant-worthy vocals, and room for plenty of head banging, with a fully-capable singer unafraid of taking his voice into those higher octaves (so sorely missed). This is great thrash in the tradition of Anthrax & Vio-lence, so what’s not to love? Plus, it’s even got an Ed Repka cover to boot!

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8) TV On the Radio – Dear Science (Interscope)

You know when this album came out, I really felt it was mediocre. But then I just kept playing it over and over and over again, not because I wanted to like it, but because I just felt compelled to listen to it. I’ve now decided that what I initially viewed as mediocrity was my expecting something outerworldly from this band, and my expectations just hid the beauty of how deceptively simple and enjoyable of an album this is. It’s the kind of album you play when you’re not sure what you want to hear, and when you do listen, you always know you’ve made the right choice! I love the way that there are these hints of Prince all throughout the album–you always forget how good he is until you hear him again or in what he’s influenced.

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7) Deerhunter – Microcastle/Wierd Era Cont. (Kranky)

Deerhunter may view these as separate albums, but they came out on the same release, and I’m going to look at them as one. I know Deerhunter never intended to put out a double album and only did so because of the rabid leaking of Microcastle, but because they were forced to do so, they’ve actually done something so few bands ever do successfully–make a double album where you don’t wish that only the best songs from each disc were pulled and presented as a single disc. With this set, both discs function cohesively and perfectly on their own, but even more so together. I’ve always thought that Deerhunter was one of the most exciting bands making music today–the way they work psychedelia, shoegaze, their experimental tendencies, and just good old fashion indie rock into a beautiful concoction. I suppose Deerhunter is to me what Radiohead seems to be to so many of my peers. Microcastle/Wierd Era Cont. is one of the best examples of a synergy between artistic ambitions and broad base appeal. This album (or albums) just further establish them as masters of their craft, and I think are starting them on their way to greater stardom. This is an OK Computer.

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6) Torche – Meanderthal (Hydra Head)

Torche were always a great doom/stoner metal band, but this album is just so very much more! The only things I can compare it to are Soundgarden and Helmet, and how they aren’t metal, but still have that sound. Torche are not simply followers of the Melvins, and yet there’s that sound at the core. Marrying the muddy thump of their past albums with the angular, precise sonic assault of such 90′s indie stalwarts as Chavez, Archers of Loaf, and Polvo, this is truly a marriage made in heaven, with the kind of warm fuzz that would make Billy Corgan jealous. It’s a total throwback to the kind of sound that inspired the term “alternative,” yet it’s utterly fresh and exciting. You can’t pin this album down as any one thing, because it’s a bunch of things, and all of it’s great.

Be here tomorrow for the final five!

• For albums 15-11 on the list click here!

• For albums 20-16 on the list click here!

• For albums 25-21 on the list click here!

• For albums 30-26 on the list click here!

• For albums 35-31 on the list click here!

• For albums 40-36 on the list click here!

- My Pal the Crook