Best Albums Of August 2008

Here’s The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s favorites new releases for the month of August:

1. Caesars – Strawberry Weed | Amazon CD 2 CDs[Import] MP3 MP3[Expanded Version] | Insound CD
   The Caesars are a retro sounding garage band from Sweden. Strawberry Weed was originally released as a double album in their country in May. Astralwerks slimmed it down to 12 tracks from the U.S. release. The songs are ubercatchy rock and roll, including “Jerk It Out,” which appeared in an iPod commercial. The extended download version is even better with songs like “She’s Getting High.”


2. Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl MP3
   Download “Dying Is Fine” (mp3)
   After releasing their first EP last year, Ra Ra Riot released their debut full length album on Barsuk. With instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, and drums, with cello and violin, Ra Ra Riot mixes the high energy of a punk band with the subtleties of chamber pop.


3. The Uglysuit – The Uglysuit | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl MP3
   Download “Chicago” (mp3)
   This Oklahoma band’s debut album is full of upbeat, happy indie rock. There are layers of lusciously lively rock music – keyboards, organs, guitars, bass, drums, and more guitars. But this isn’t a guitar driven rock album. It mixes indie rock and dream pop into cheerful rock and roll.


4. Human Highway – Moody Motorcycle | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl MP3
   Somewhere between the solo folk music of Jim Guthrie and the fleshed out layers of Jim Thorburn’s Islands is Human Highway. The band, a duo of Guthrie and Thorburn, made catchy folk-based songs that sound both retro and endearingly idiosyncratic.


5. Laura Marling – Alas I Cannot Swim | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl
   This album was released in the UK, Marling’s home country, in February of this year and made the shortlist for the Mercury Prize. In August, this album was finally releases Stateside. Produced by Charlie Fink of Noah And The Whale, it is loaded with accessible and folky pop songs based on acoustic guitar and Marling’s effective vocals.


6. The Walkmen – You & Me | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl MP3
   This album, like previous Walkmen albums, has grandiose musical depths. The songs are guitar driven but punctuated by coatings of reverb and Hamilton Leithauser’s swooping vocals. The songs on You & Me do not have the same bombastic style of their previous albums, but sound more selective and crafted.


7. Lindstrøm – Where You Go I Go Too | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl
   Download “The Long Way Home (Prins Thomas Edit)” (mp3)
   Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, best known for his production and remix work, has finally released his first official full length album. It’s only three tracks, but nearly an hour of music. Lindstrøm succeeds in creating well crafted “space disco,” taking the disco tones and modulations and making them more trippy or surreal than dance. This album has a solid progression and never appears monotonous, which is a feat for the genre.


8. The Silent Years – The Globe | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
   Download “On Our Way Home” (mp3) [from RCRDLBL]
   Download “Black Hole” (mp3) [from RCRDLBL]
   This DIY indie outfit makes refreshing power pop. The lyrics and themes of the songs are intelligent. The music is unpredictably catchy throughout the 45 minutes of the album.


9. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl
   After numerous albums as Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst makes a direct folk album for this “solo” release. The pinnacle of his career was I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. While this album comes closest to Wide Awake’s prowess, it’s not as strong. However, with songs like “Moab,” and “NYC-Gone, Gone,” the album definitely has its bright spots.


10. Muy Cansado – Stars And Garters | Amazon CD MP3
    Download “Telemundo” (mp3)
    Download “Stockholm Syndrome” (mp3)
    This takes Pixies-esque melodies and matches them with straightforward rock and roll. This band doesn’t have as much dynamics or as sharp of a sound as The Pixies, but this is a strong indie rock release.

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