By Alex Brenner

[It's that time of year again. This is the first in what should be at least four but maybe as many as seven lists going up this year. Each is from the perspective of the individual contributor. Here's Alex's list (in no particular order other than the way he gave them to me). There are also links to his reviews, links to support the artists by buying their records, and a couple of other bonuses. Enjoy. - Rube]

The Best

Superchunk – Majesty Shredding

The Monitor

Free Energy – Stuck On Nothing
Free Energy – Hope Child

The Thermals – Personal Life
The Thermals – I Don’t Believe You

Forgetters – Forgetters (Double 7″)

Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away

The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

Girl Talk – All Day

Tokyo Police Club – Champ
Tokyo Police Club – Wait Up (Boots Of Danger)

Miles Kurosky – The Desert Of Shallow Effects

Honorable Mention

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
Ted Leo – Even Heroes Have To Die

Tom Petty – Mojo

And finally, bands that can suck it: Best Coast, Ariel Pink, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Antony and the Johnsons, Sleigh Bells.

Brian Fallon gives the Italian crowd a little geography lesson before launching into this Pearl Jam classic…

By Alex Brenner

[All the cool kids are doin' it, so we decided to do it too - the best albums of the decade.  We've called in our resident music maker and record reviewer to give us his perspective on this trending topic.  We dropped a couple sample tracks in there too.  Enjoy. - Rube]

Jets to Brazil – Four Cornered Night (2000)

From the ashes of the seminal punk band Jawbreaker; JTB’s second album is nothing but pure pop punk heart with some country flourishes as well. Front man Black Schwarzenbach is one of the most underrated songwriters of our time.

Gillian Welch - Soul Journey (2003)

So many great songs here, “Look at Miss Ohio”, “Wrecking Ball”…. Truly one of the only great talents Nashville has to offer right now.

MP3: Gillian Welch – Look At Miss Ohio

Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)

Red House Painters singer Mark Kozelek reinvents himself with this debut album. Songs range from country shuffles to fuzzed out mayhem while still keeping that trademark “I wanna kill myself” feel to every song. Sometimes feeling bad never felt so good.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

Jeff Tweedy is still one of the most amazing performers of our time. This record took me awhile but now I think it’s become a must have.

MP3: Wilco – Heavy Metal Drummer

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (2005)

Okay yeah, this is their mainstream album but it has a lot of great songs on it that were not hits.  Despite their recent work, which I was not a fan of, this Death Cab record has shown they are an indie act that is built to last.

MP3: Death Cab for Cutie – Crooked Teeth

The Gaslight Anthem - The ’59 Sound (2008)

Spot on pop punk with heart, no one does the “we-gotta-get-outta-here-while-we-still-can” thing better than singer Brian Fallon. A punk classic in the making.

MP3: Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound

Hey Mercedes - Everynight Fire Works (2001)

From the ashes of post punk legends, Braid, came this band. With jagged chords and clock work drumming Hey Mercedes knew how to write great songs. Classics like “Our Weekend Starts on Wednesday” and “Eleven to Your Seven” still sound amazing today.

Nada Surf – The Weight is a Gift (2005)

No better way to bounce back from being a one hit wonder than with a string of great records. This record put them back on the map as a talented band with songwriting chops for miles.

MP3: Nada Surf – What Is Your Secret

Hot Rod Circuit – Sorry About Tomorrow (2002)

Another great indie band that put hooks and great songs at the forefront. With this release it just goes to show the third time is a charm.

David Bazan – Curse Your Branches (2009)

The first full length solo record for former Pedro the Lion front man David Bazan. Unbelievable songwriting and hooks that make you doubt your own existence.

MP3: David Bazan – Curse Your Branches

Two very different bands, two rather different rooms, one night, one venue. Two of our favorites are in town on Saturday night to play the Masquerade. We’ve written about both of them before, so follow the links for more details, but if there was one night to pay two covers and hope that you can catch at least half a show from both of these bands (while not breaking your neck on the stairs), then this is it.

The Gaslight Anthem will play Heaven leading a three band line-up with doors at 7:00 ($16 adv). Dirty Projectors are coming off a recent appearance on Austin City Limits to play Hell. They will play second on that two band bill with doors at 9:00 ($15 adv). Not to be missed.

By Alex Brenner

While many spent 2008 believing the Fleet Foxes hype, I was actually listening to my pick for record of that year – The ’59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem.  My girlfriend and I spent all summer rocking to The 59 Sound via a bootleg my friend had given me. Since then I’ve bought then copies. By September 2008, the girlfriend grabbed two tickets to see The Gaslight Anthem for me for my birthday. I met the guys (all super cool) and then they let us backstage at the Tabernacle because I was low on alcohol and had to pee really bad too.

It’s too easy to just say the GLA sound like Bruce Springsteen, but isn’t that what they said about The Hold Steady and Lucero? I don’t get it.  Sure, they sing songs about girls named Maria, Bobby Jean and Sandy and, well, yes they are from New Jersey.

Frontman Brian Fallon is more like Joe Strummer or, dare I say, even Paul Westerberg (and they do a great cover of “Left of the Dial”). Although they are on a punk label (SideOneDummy) they are only punk in the “classic” sense. I’d say they are more like Lucero if they could play their instruments and were mixed with old Motown soul and The Clash.

When the opening track starts off with the sound of scratching vinyl you know where The Gaslight Anthem is coming from.  That track – “Great Expectations” – starts with “Mary/the station/is playing/every sad song” and from there Fallon’s gift for storytelling comes to life. With choruses like “everybody leaves/so why wouldn’t you” you might think this album would be all doom and gloom. Well sure, the next song does go into a story about a car crash, but for some reason desperation and longing never felt so good. By the time they hit the bridge “ain’t supposed to die/on a Saturday night” you realize that your fist is pumping in the air, really pumping –  like Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap style.

The album really takes me back to The Replacements Let it Be or Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy. It’s punk with heart and soul. That’s what really separates this band from so many other rock bands today.

It’s not all in your face rock either. Half way through, the GLA slow things down with the country shuffle of “Film Noir”. “You’re sugar and spice/everything nice/you got Marlboro hips/poison lips and knives” is one of the coolest lines I’ve ever heard.

Do these guys know how to write hooks or what? Every song stuck in my head like [insert sticky substance here]. The highlight of the album hits half through the tracklist – “Miles Davis and the Cool”. This is hands down one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. Yeah, even better than Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone”.  I can see the Springsteen thing here a little bit.  Fallon namedrops just about every great soul song and ends with hand claps “down down down/from our youth/to the ground”.

“The Patient Ferris Wheel”, “Casanova, Baby” and “Meet Me by the River’s Edge” continue to drive this record. That’s right folks, the iPod has not skipped a song yet. By the time they get to the second to last song, “Here’s Looking at You Kid,” I’m out of breath from singing along. Thank god it’s a slow tear jerker; these guys are tough but they can wear their hearts on their sleeve too. Fallon’s gruff voice and matter of fact delivery make you hang on every word.

So how do you follow up 11 great songs? Easy. “The Backseat” kicks in and it’s time to roll the car windows down and sing as loud as you can.  Even as we head for the winter months, it’s the perfect summer song “in the back seat/we just try/and find some room/for our knees.”

See The Gaslight Anthem, October 24 at the Masquerade.  Listen to “The ’59 Sound” here.

MP3: Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound